The best equipment for starting your own home gym, including resistance bands, affordable treadmills, and total-body systems

Best training strap system

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced whole-body workout that uses your own weight to provide resistance, check out the TRX GO System.

Pros: Great for travel, offers a versatile, effective muscle strengthening workout

Cons: Might be hard to use in smaller living spaces

The TRX GO system is essentially a series of sturdy straps, handles, and hooks. But fasten it to a door, rafter, beam, or even a thick tree branch, and you have the equivalent of a full-on gym. Not only does the system strengthen and build muscle but it also helps improve stability and flexibility. Best of all, you can apply as much resistance as you need, making the system suitable for beginners and fitness buffs alike.

You’ll love the effectiveness and versatility of the system, along with the fact that it’s easy to take with while traveling. It even comes with an extensive workout guide, as well as access to other workouts online.

Best resistance bands

TheraBands‘ resistance bands are thin and lightweight, yet offer a surprising amount of resistance perfect for a variety of home workouts — the fact that they’re under $15 makes them even more valuable. 

Pros: Inexpensive, lightweight, offers a wide range of resistance

Cons: Might not be suitable for someone looking for intense resistance

Resistance bands are simple pieces of workout equipment that offer a wide range of uses, and this kit from TheraBands is the perfect addition to any home gym. The kit allows for a weight range of 2.4 pounds on up to 21.3 pounds, giving you the ability to add minimal resistance to a high-intensity routine or ramp it up for deadlifts or upright rows.

Each resistance band is lightweight and thin, though still delivers durable performance (even if it feels like they might tear). Also, their latex-free design means anyone with a latex allergy needn’t be worried. 

The TheraBands resistance band kit is also highly portable. Void of any handle or extra material, each band folds down compact enough to throw into a small gym back for easy transport or storage. And at $14, they’re inexpensive, too. This makes them an easy addition to anyone’s home gym, whether you’re looking to add another layer to your strength training or increase the intensity of your cardio workouts. 

For workout inspiration, check out our favorite resistance band routines.

Read our full guide to the best resistance bands.

Best jump rope

The Crossrope Get Lean Set is a versatile jump rope that comes with two different ropes, ergonomic handles, and app compatibility for targeted workouts and weekly routines. 

Pros: A great workout, perfect for travel, smooth performance, multiple weight options of the rope

Cons: Jumping rope is high-impact, so if you have problems with your knees or back, it might be too intense for you.

According to the American Council on Exercise, jumping rope not only torches calories in the moment, but it also increases the resiliency of your lower-leg muscles, improves balance and coordination, and ups your cognitive skills. 

When it comes to getting one for your home gym setup, the Crossrope Get Lean Set is an excellent choice. Featuring ergonomic handles, two different weighted ropes (1/2-pound and 1/4-pound), and a companion smartphone application, the Get Lean Set is a great way to improve your cardio or add to an existing full-body or HIIT routine. 

If you’re not taken with this jump rope, we also recommend the following:

• WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope
• Fitskuad Jump Rope

Read our full guide to the best jump ropes

Best slam ball

The Flex Slam Ball provides an easy and effective method for improving your strength, flexibility, and explosiveness, and slam ball workouts can easily be incorporated into anyone’s at-home fitness routine. 

Pros: Available in a variety of weights, easy to use, contributes to a full-body exercise when used properly

Cons: Buying multiple sizes can get expensive

Slam ball workouts may seem basic, but when done correctly it provides an excellent full-body workout. Whether this means adding weighted lunges to your routine, utilizing the ball as a base for side-to-side pushups, or just doing a few tried-and-true ball slams, a slam ball, in general, is a worthy addition to any at-home gym setup.

We like the Flex Slam Ball series from Everlast as the brand historically makes durable gear and here offers a range in available weights, from 6-pound, textured slam balls up to a 50-pound traditional ball. Each sand-filled ball provides a comfortable grip, durable exterior, and a shock-absorbing design.

Best shoes for home workouts

Reebok’s Nano x WIT Training Shoes are a great at-home trainer that offer a solid, stable base no matter if you’re lifting dumbbells, using resistance bands, or doing your favorite HIIT workout. 

Pros: Stable footbed offers plenty of support for lifting weights, comfortable fit, mid-height design gives some ankle support, as well

Cons: Expensive

Though it’s likely you grab for any normal pair of runners or tennis shoes when keeping fit at home, buying a dedicated pair can help elevate your workouts — and the Nano x WIT trainers from Reebok and the fitness brand, WIT, are some of the best I’ve worn. Not only are they comfortable right out of the box but they have an incredibly stable footbed that works well for lifting weights, whether it’s a set of dumbbells, a barbell, or when just using resistance bands.

That stability is important during HIIT or bodyweight exercises, too. Whereas a running shoe does also offer padding and support, it’s meant for the kind of motion and impact of running either on a treadmill or outside. The Nano x WIT shoes seem to do really well in assisting more flat-footed workouts and the stable base it creates is great for generating power in your legs.

They’re also incredibly comfortable. Though I expected there to be at least some period of breaking them in, they were comfortable right out of the box — and because of that, I was able to comfortably work out in them right away. No blisters, no hot spots, no rubbing, nothing. 

If there was something to nitpick, it would be their $150 price tag. But take a look at almost any premium workout shoe and you’ll see similar prices (though that doesn’t necessarily make it easier to actually shell out the money for them). They are a quality investment, though, especially if you intend to use them often, and they’ve become my daily go-to. — Rick Stella  

Best yoga set

The Complete Yoga Kit Set from Clever Yoga includes all the equipment you need to reap the benefits of this ancient practice and comfortably make modifications for beginners.

Pros: A convenient and reasonably-priced way to buy everything you need for your beginning yoga practice

Cons: None to speak of unless yoga isn’t your thing

Along with its proven abilities to reduce stress and improve mood, yoga is a wonderful way to develop your balance, flexibility, and muscle tone. 

If you’re new to yoga, you’ll appreciate the convenience of getting all the supplies you need in one kit — includes a handy carrying case. You’ll also get a large, thick yoga mat, two foam positioning blocks, an eight-foot cotton strap, a hand towel, and a microfiber nonslip mat.  

If this set isn’t for you, you can also check out our full buying guides to the best yoga mats, the best yoga blocks, and the best yoga socks.

Best dumbbells

PowerBlock’s dumbbells offer weight up to 24 pounds in each hand, feature a comfortable, balanced grip, and allow for a variety of exercises.

Pros: Max weight of 24 pounds per hand, relatively affordable compared to similar dumbbells, sturdy and comfortable grip

Cons: Awkward weight-changing mechanism, can feel a bit long when at max weight, max of 24-lbs might not be enough for heavy lifters

Dumbbells are a crucial addition to any home gym. Not only do they do well for anyone trying to improve their curl form, but they also work well for a variety of lifts including squats, shoulder presses, lunges, and pushups (among others).

But snagging a pair of adjustable dumbbells is a smart way to save space and reap more versatility for your workouts. The key to finding a good set rests with how comfortable they are to use and how much available weight they allow. PowerBlock’s dumbbells do well to check each of these boxes.

They feature a handle centered on the device to allow for a comfortable feel and grip, as well as a design that makes them incredibly easy to stow.

Though a set of PowerBlock dumbbells sets you back roughly $500, its ability to allow for multiple exercises across a large range in weight makes it one of the best options for any home gym. 

If these dumbbells are too expensive or sold out, you can also check out the following:

• Bowflex SelectTech 560
• Thompson Fat Bells

Read our full buying guide on the best dumbbells

Best treadmill

The ProForm Pro 2000 Treadmill is a versatile at-home option that’s great for racers, casual runners, and anyone looking to keep up with steady cardio exercise. 

Pros: Strong construction, great features, iFit compatibility, ProShox cushioning for soft landings

Cons: Expensive, takes up space

The beauty of a treadmill is that, no matter where you’re starting from, it accommodates your current fitness level and will adapt as your capacity changes. You can walk, jog, or run all at your own speed and preference.

The ProForm Pro 2000 Treadmill is an excellent choice no matter your fitness level or skill. It may remind you of the treadmills you see in a brick-and-mortar gym, as it has the same type of features. There’s the ability to incline up to 15%, decline down to negative 3%, as well as a 7-inch color screen that’s compatible with a range of interactive workouts from iFit. 

This treadmill also has a reliable 3.5-horsepower motor, a wide belt deck that’s great for almost all runners, and a soft belt that helps reduce the impact of each stride. There’s even a music port for plugging in a music player and fitness app access. 

If the ProForm Pro 2000 is too pricey for your budget, we also recommend the following: 

• Horizon Fitness T101-04 Treadmill ($649.99)

Read our full buying guide to the best treadmills

Best stationary bike

NordicTrack’s S22i Studio Cycle is like having your own personal cycling coach who’s able to take you around the world to places like Mt. Fuji, Mallorca, or Moab, Utah — and the bike’s auto-resistance and incline/decline means all you have to do is focus on the ride.

Pros: Globe-spanning video content; large variety of ride types, including mountain bikes, road bikes, and casual rides; automatic resistance and incline/decline control

Cons: Expensive

The S22i Studio Cycle from NordicTrack is our favorite at-home stationary bike for a number of reasons, mainly the fact it has an extensive library of globe-spanning rides and features automatic resistance and incline/decline control. This means that while you’re riding, all you need to do is pedal away and the bike makes all the necessary changes for you.

Regarding its content library, NordicTrack features the iFit suite of workouts (same with its treadmills and row machines). What iFit offers is more than just the standard in-studio rides (though it does have that, too), but also the ability to choose a wide variety of locale-based routines. This means that you could bike up Mt. Fuji one day while following along a mountain bike course in Chile the next. And each ride is led by one of iFit’s many trainers, most of which are professional cyclists. 

Not only does this add more variety and diversity than a trainer trying to motivate you from a dimly lit room while techno blasts in the background, but it’s also a refreshing change of pace that allows you to still get a damn good workout. 

Its large onboard screen provides crisp video playback while showing you where you stand against other riders who’ve ridden the same course — and the interface keeps track of how many miles you’ve done each week, the number of hours you’ve been on the bike, and how much elevation you’ve gained. There’s even a built-in fan you can use to keep you (mostly) cool while riding. 

Though the S22i Studio Cycle isn’t exactly cheap (it retails for $1,999), it does offer a comprehensive solution for anyone who wants a full-featured cardio machine in their home. It’s been one of our favorite stationary bikes for some time, and a staple of our at-home workouts.

If you want a more basic stationary bike, we also recommend the following: 

• Exerpeutic Folding Upright Bike

Read our full guide to the best exercise bikes

Best workout machine

If you want one machine that does it all — arms, legs, chest, back, and abs — with enough variation to work muscles you didn’t even know you had, consider the Bowflex Blaze Home Gym.

Pros: Lots of variation, very sturdy and durable, easy to adjust resistance, reasonable price for a home gym.

Cons: Takes up a lot of space, expensive

Bowflex’s all-in-one machine comes with up to 210 pounds of resistance, so whether you’re just starting out or are already buff, you’ll give your muscles a proper workout.

There are more than 60 possible exercises with the Blaze, including 16 arm exercises, 13 leg exercises, and five ab exercises — enough to keep your workouts fresh for a long time. 

The sliding seat also allows you to use the machine for an aerobic rowing workout, too. It’s easy to adjust your resistance as you gain strength, and the wide variety of possible exercises not only provides strength training to your entire body, it also keeps things interesting.

If you prefer an interactive machine, take a look at our review of the Tempo Studio.

Best exercise ball

The TheraBand Exercise and Stability Ball holds air better than most exercise balls with its thick-walled design.

Pros: Maintains its shape and holds air better than other exercise balls, includes a slow deflate technology if the ball is punctured, extremely firm, has a good surface for just the right amount of grip, offered in four sizes

Cons: Takes a long time to inflate, no inflation pump included, only one color per size

The TheraBand Exercise and Stability Ball is one of the thickest-walled balls you can buy, so it holds air longer than most of the competition.

Even if it’s punctured, the ball deflates slowly, allowing you to finish your exercise session without falling flat on the floor. Because the Theraband Exercise Ball retains air so well, you won’t have to reinflate it that often, either. It does take quite a bit of time to inflate the first time around, though.

The TheraBand ball has just the right type of surface for grip-ability, so it won’t move around while you’re working out. It’s available in four sizes from 45 cm to 75 cm and comes in several different colors.

If this exercise ball isn’t the one for you, you might prefer the following:

• DynaPro Exercise Ball
• Live Infinitely Exercise Ball

For some workout inspiration, check out our favorite exercise ball routines

Read our full guide to the best exercise balls

Best foam roller

The LuxFit Premium High-Density Foam Roller is an affordable and simple tool that gives your muscles relief before or after you work out.

Pros: Affordable, three size options, one-year warranty

Cons: Certain materials may slide along the surface without rolling

The LuxFit Premium High-Density Foam Roller is made of polyethylene foam, which is easy to clean. The roller has a 6-inch diameter and is lightweight enough for easy transport or storage. 

The roller comes in three different lengths: 12, 18, and 36 inches. The longest option is ideal for tall or heavy individuals, the medium is good for working all parts of the body, and the small is good for targeted areas, like the neck. Whichever you choose, they’re covered by a one-year limited warranty.

This high-quality foam roller is affordable, too, starting at just $9 for the small on up to $25 for the large. The roller has a slight texture to prevent sliding and the foam is just dense enough to massage your muscles and support your body. Users noted that the roller is effective on the back, upper chest, and abs. 

Read our full buying guide to the best foam rollers

Best pull up bar

The Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar is easy to install and gives you a great workout.

Pros: Comfortable foam grips, unobtrusive, solidly built

Cons: Installation requires drilling into a door jamb, foam grips may wear from heavy-duty use

The Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar is made of chrome steel and comes with three sets of mounting hardware with two of the sets able to support up to 300 pounds of weight. The medium-duty door mount supports 150 pounds and is not recommended for use above waist height.

You can also use the bar without door mounts for sit-up foot support and other light exercises. It’s adjustable and fits doorways between 26 and 36 inches wide, and can be installed so that you can still close the door.

The bar features non-slip, extra-long foam grips to ensure you won’t easily lose your grip. You shouldn’t have any trouble with installation, though it may take a little work to get it to the right length.

If you want a different option, we also recommend:

• Ultimate Body Press Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar
• Stamina 1690 Power Tower

Read our full buying guide to the best pull up bars

How to make the most of your home gym

Just because you’re not visiting a brick-and-mortar gym or fitness studio, doesn’t mean you can’t replicate the workouts they offer. Everything from high-intensity interval training and strength workouts to cardio routines and resistance training can easily be done at home.

Here are a few basic exercise categories to familiarize yourself with before jumping into any workout routine. 

Cardio exercise

Cardio — which comes from cardiovascular — exercise is defined by the American College of Sports Medicine as any exercise that raises your heart rate and breaths per minute while repetitively and rhythmically using large muscle groups. That’s a fancy way of saying that cardio or aerobic exercise is anything that gets you moving fast and hard enough to break a sweat. Typical cardio exercises include running, biking, jumping rope, etc. 

The benefits of aerobic exercise are many, including weight loss, stronger bones and muscles, better sleep, lowered levels of depression and anxiety, and even the reduced risk of many types of cancer, to name a few.

The ACSM recommends adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, which can be broken down into multiple sessions as short as ten minutes.

Strength training 

Strength training — also called resistance training — is the use of exercise against resistance to build and strengthen muscle. That resistance might come from your own body weight, a dumbbell or other hand-held weight, or a wide range of resistance machines.

Along with improved muscle strength and definition, resistance training helps develop bone density and assists with weight loss.

The ACSM recommends healthy adults do strength training two or three times per week, engaging in eight to 10 different exercises focusing on a variety of muscle groups. Beginners should aim for eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, using the amount of weight that leads to muscle fatigue within that set of reps.

Balance and flexibility training

While various cardio and strength-training exercises help improve balance and flexibility, it’s important to incorporate training that specifically targets these two functions. They make daily living much easier and help improve your overall health and mental well-being. Aim for at least two balance or flexibility workouts each week.

How to shop for home gym equipment

When shopping, it’s smart to first develop a workout plan detailing what you want to attain. Though workouts of all varieties do well to work together to improve one’s overall fitness, starting out by focusing on one or two areas helps you refine your goals. Perhaps you want to strength train; purchasing a set of resistance bands or dumbbells is likely where you want to start. If it’s cardio or full-body toning you’re after, maybe a treadmill or row machine is more appropriate.

This initial research is important because there’s so much more to stocking a home gym properly than attempting to mimic the studios you’re used to. Study the differences between resistance bands and dumbbells to find what suits you best, download and stream a few at-home workout apps, or figure out the best time to work out each day. Doing this not only informs how exactly you prefer keeping fit and the best methods for doing so but it ultimately teaches you which equipment is right for you and your home gym. 

How we test home gym equipment

Each piece of home gym equipment recommended in this guide went through a series of tests to help determine its effectiveness. We considered each piece’s feasibility for use in a home, whether there was a steep learning curve, its relative value, how portable or easy to stow it might be, and how practical it is for every day or every week use.

We understand that not all home gyms have the ability to be created in an equal fashion, so the equipment tested covers a wide array of use cases that anyone can pick and choose to their liking (and, perhaps most importantly, for what fits their home workout space). This means that if you have the space for a treadmill, you likely won’t also be in the market for a stationary bike or a full-on Bowflex workout machine. 

Some of the testings also took place during the creation of other guides (like best treadmills or best dumbbells), so that experience carried over for input here, as well. Where necessary, we included similar equipment that was also tested, as well as links to our more focused equipment buying guides.