Home fitness is huge right now, so the time is right for a rundown of the best home gym equipment. From indoor cycles to rowing machines, we look at the top gear to include in your home gym system so that your next full-body workout is only a few steps away.
When it comes to fitness equipment, convenience is king. If you've ever looked out the window and decided that it's just too rainy for a trip all the way out to the gym, you're not alone. With the very best of intentions, a huge number of gym-goers have found their resolve tested not by a lack of desire, but just a preference not to have to organize a trip out of the house all the way to the gym. Which is why home gyms rule! Let’s see what’s possible in your own home.
Please consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. This article is not intended and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Weight benches
1. Sunny Health and Fitness Flat Weight Bench
Any list of home gym equipment should include a weight bench as standard, whether you treat fitness as a hobby or something more serious. It's a great place to start, and this particular example is a nice entry-level piece. There's nothing lightweight about the Sunny Health and Fitness Flat Weight Bench though - it's a robust piece of gym equipment that can take a load of up to 800 lb, which should be enough to give you some decent strength training exercises.
Featuring a high-density foam cushion covered with a durable and easy-clean non-slip PU surface, this is an item of home gym equipment that is as useful as it is good value.
Get the Sunny Health and Fitness Flat Weight Bench at QVC now!
2. Bowflex ST 5.1S Stowable Bench
For those who want a little more from their weight bench, this excellent piece of home gym equipment from Bowflex takes some beating. For starters, it adjusts to six different positions, so you can sit, lie down, kneel, or take whatever position you need to to give yourself a great home workout. Then there's the fact that it's designed to store on its end, so it takes up minimal space in your home gym.
If you're planning on having a home gym for an extended period of time, then this is the bench for you. So confident is Bowflex in its construction quality that you get a 30-year Limited Manufacturer’s Warranty on the frame. Think of the fitness goals you can accomplish in that time!
Get the Bowflex ST 5.1 Stowable Bench at QVC now!
Weights
3. Marcy Brand Neoprene Dumbbell Set
No home gym should be without a set of dumbbells, and this set from Marcy gives you three different weight listed values: 2 lb, 3lb, and 5lb. Attractive to the eye (in shades of blue and pink) and easy on the hand courtesy of the neoprene construction, these are a great addition to your home gym equipment roster. They come in a handy carrying case (but you may have to work up to lifting it!).
Get the Marcy Brand Neoprene Dumbbell Set at QVC now!
4. Competitor Standard Bench & 80lb Weight Set
This is a superb value purchase, giving you a chest presses bench and a weight set, as well as a rack that fixes on the end of the bench. The bench itself is adjustable, with flat and incline bench settings, so you can workout your upper muscle groups in a position to suit you. It also comes with a built-in leg developer, so you can work on your lower body too.
At only $279.99*, this is one of the best home gym equipment items available for those who want to give themselves a variety of strength training exercises, as well as save money.
Get the Competitor Standard Bench & 80lb Weight Set at QVC now!
Indoor cycling bikes
5. XTERRA Fitness FB160 Folding Bike
What could be better than a nice bicycle ride? A nice bicycle ride in the comfort of your very own home, that's what! With the XTERRA Fitness FB160 Folding Bike, you'll be pedaling your way to fitness in short order, and you don't even need to ruin your hair with a helmet!
Eight resistance levels take you from your maiden voyage to Greg LeMond levels of cycling mastery, and an LCD display showing time, speed, distance, calories, and pulse keeps you abreast of all you need to know while in the saddle. Talking of the saddle, it's nicely padded, as are the handlebars, and the pedals are fully adjustable to cope with a large range of foot sizes.
But here's possibly the best bit: when you've finished, it folds neatly away, so if space is an issue, you don't have to worry about this indoor cycle taking up too much room. The other great thing is that the XTERRA is excellent value, at only $159.99*.
Get the XTERRA Fitness FB160 Folding Bike at QVC now!
6. Bowflex VeloCore 16 Bike
At the other end of the price range is this multi-purpose marvel from Bowflex. Solidly built and looking a bit like the Batbike, this little beauty has no fewer than 100 resistance levels, which should see you through your personal fitness goals and then some. There's a 16" console which displays all the trip information you need, as well as streamed entertainment, when looking at your pulse rate begins to lose its novelty.
The VeloCore has a terrific secret up its sleek black sleeve - it has leaning power. That's right - the cycling sensation is made even more convincing by being able to lean into corners. If that's not enough, this indoor cycle par excellence includes with it two three lb dumbbells, so you can curl while you cruise. Now, when was the last time you did that on the road? Safely, that is?
Get the Bowflex VeloCore 16 Bike at QVC now!
Racks
7. Sunny Health & Fitness Power Rack
Gym equipment can be bulky and needs somewhere to be stowed. That's why home gyms love a power rack. It's also a functional piece of fitness equipment in itself. Put the Sunny Health and Fitness Power Rack in your home gym and your fitness routine will get an instant boost.
Fully adjustable with 30 possible points, you can place weights wherever you need them in order to give yourself a good lifting height. There are J-Hook and spotter arms, as well as points to attach resistance bands to. There's also a pull up bar to add to the range of strength training equipment on offer here.
Get the Sunny Health & Fitness Power Rack at QVC now!
8. Marcy Squat Rack
This is another versatile rack that is a must-have for any compact home gym. Boasting numerous adjustable bar points, as well as anchoring points to attach resistance bands to add variety to your fitness routine. There's a multigrip pull up bar, and space for a 6' and 7' Olympic bar. And of course, as indicated by the name of the unit, there's a squat rack here too, so you can get more of a full body workout.
Finally, there are two Olympic plate storage posts which can accommodate a whole bunch of weights safely and securely.
Get the Marcy Squat Rack at QVC now!
Rowing machines
9. Marcy Indoor Water Resistance Rower
Rowing machines are a terrific way of ensuring a great workout for your upper and lower major muscle groups. Whatever the size of your home gym, you should try to make space for one - they're a terrific piece of strength training equipment as well as a top class piece of cardio equipment.
This example from Marcy is particularly impressive as it replicates the smooth sensation of rowing for real. Shut your eyes and you could be out there on the Charles River, giving it everything with your varsity crew, on a lovely Federal Holiday outing.
It offers fully adjustable resistance, as well as a comprehensive display giving you distance achieved, calories burned, etc. Featuring large pedals for optimum foot comfort, as well as transport wheels so that you can easily move it into position, this home gym equipment will fit into most home gyms beautifully, as it's designed to stow away on end, so it takes up minimal space.
Get the Marcy Indoor Water Resistance Rower at QVC now!
10. NordicTrack RW600 Rower
For those who like their rowing machines to be super high tech, this one from NordicTrack will have you sailing into the future, with its sleek futuristic looks and 26 digital resistance levels. It features a tilting HD touchscreen and a pair of 2" speakers for complete audio immersion as you give yourself a thoroughly good workout.
Not that this should necessarily be a priority when it comes to purchasing home gym equipment, but this baby looks so good that it will brighten up anybody's insta posts.
Usability and comfort is maximised with oversized pivoting pedals and soft ergonomic handles with SmartAdjust tech. Overall, this is a piece of home gym equipment that really wouldn't look out of place in a state of the art commercial gym.
Get the NordicTrack RW600 Rower at QVC now!
Treadmills
11. InMotion T900 Manual Treadmill
A growing number of home gyms include a treadmill in their home gym equipment line-up. They give a great result in terms of working on your lower body major muscle groups, as well as being an excellent low impact piece of cardio equipment. This one from InMotion is super-handy for the office or any home gym system, as it requires no mains power - it's manually operated, with a battery-powered display.
It gives a choice of inclination - 8 degrees and 10 degrees - which allows you to up your game and reach those fitness goals.
Get the InMotion T900 Manual Treadmill at QVC now!
12. Bowflex Treadmill 22
Like all the best home gym equipment, this stunning piece from Bowflex gives you sturdy construction as well as ease of use for a range of fitness goals. the ComfortTech deck cushioning gives you maximum comfort as you walk your way to fitness.
The screen and speakers deliver all the in-use information you need, as well as streamed entertainment or instruction. A 12-month JRNY home gym membership is included. Remember this auto renews when trial ends unless cancelled 48 hours prior to trial end date.
Get the Bowflex Treadmill 22 at QVC now!
Home gym equipment to get your pulse racing
Home gyms offer more potential now than ever before, thanks to the impressive range of home gym equipment now available at an affordable price. A decent home gym system incorporating cardio equipment as well as allowing a range of strength training exercises is now within just about anybody's reach.
The rise of home gyms is of course excellent news for those wishing to raise their fitness level. What's more, they can save you a whole lot of money on expensive commercial gym membership too. So, while you tone up you save the dollars.
*Price correct at time of publishing and is subject to change. AgeGroup is not responsible for content on external websites.
Image Credit: Brian Wangenheim at Unsplash
