As great as going to the gym can be, it’s not practical for everyone. The cost of a gym membership, needing to travel there and back, racing everyone else for the machines… It’s no surprise home workouts are as popular as they are.
Both convenience and the chance to save money are very good reasons to invest in your own workout equipment and start working out from home. But how do you get started with home workouts? Which workout equipment should you buy? Should you get weights or are resistance bands enough?
Look no further - we’ve done the research for you. Read below for 4 of the best pieces of workout equipment to buy for home workouts.
#1 Exercise mats
Why? It provides comfort for floor-based exercises and ensures you are stable and don’t slip around.
If you buy just one thing, make sure it’s a mat. It’s the perfect launchpad product. Even if you don’t buy any other equipment, an exercise mat means you can start full-on workouts with no other equipment!
Effective bodyweight circuits with pushups, situps, planks and crunches need only a mat to get stuck into. That’s because these workouts stimulate your muscles using only your own bodyweight.
What to look out for:
Think about width as well as length. Once you advance onto outstretched exercises such as the prone Y and chest presses, you’ll be thankful.
Which surface will you workout on? Choose a mat which offers grip and stability, this is crucial for carpeted floors.
Thickness = comfort. A standard exercise mat is thicker than a yoga mat.
#2 Resistance bands
Why? They’re the ultimate flexible accessory and don’t take up much space.
Resistance bands are a lightweight, portable accessory which are fantastically straightforward for any strength workout. Like lifting dumbbells, they stimulate muscle growth. But by stretching the bands between your arms, your legs, or arms and legs, there’s far lower risk of injury, especially for a beginner. This is perfect for learning new exercises with.
While you might have seen them for upper body strength workouts, your core and lower body can use them too. Specially made resistance bands for legs are great for the latter.
And best of all? Resistance bands can be used pretty much anywhere.
What to look out for:
They’ve become a super-popular product, so there’s no reason to spend big. Shop around for affordable bands.
Consider getting both short and long resistance bands. The shorter bands are good for lower body exercises and the long bands are good for upper body exercises.
#3 Adjustable dumbbells
Why? Dumbbells are effective for building muscle and adjustable ones mean you get a wider range of weights in one.
Dumbbells can come at a higher price point than resistance bands - but they are much more effective at building muscle, which means you’ll see far more progress with them.
Choosing adjustable dumbbells means you won’t outgrow them quickly either. You can, over time, add more weight to exercises as you get stronger and therefore achieve progressive overload. This is how you build muscle - by steadily pushing yourself further.
And don’t forget, dumbbells are perfect for core and lower body workouts too. Check out weighted crunches and glute bridges, for example.
What to look out for:
Make sure sets offer sensible starting weight - going too heavy means you can’t perform the exercises well enough and going too light means they won’t be effective enough.
Be sure to check the difference between the total weight of a set and the individual loose weights in the product description.
#4 The trainn app: the Personal Trainer in your pocket
Why? Completely personalised training plan and a cost effective alternative to a Personal Trainer.
The trainn app is designed to take you on a personalised fitness journey - giving you the workouts, weekly goals & healthy habits you need to see results. It’s a perfect way to get the expertise, support and advice from a personal trainer without having one standing next to you in your living room.
As each week progresses, the workouts can be adapted to your progress or to help overcome the challenges. You can also build in weekly goals to build a healthy lifestyle around your workouts.
Download the trainn app today!👆
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