Fully equipped home gym. For those of us who like to train, this is a dream these days when gyms are closed in many cities all around the world. When I think of a home gym, I am not referring to a small corner in your living room, where you will place a yoga mat for your next online yoga session.  I am talking about a dedicated space at your home where you will be able to build strength, power, muscle and enhance your endurance. I am talking about a fully equipped strength home gym.

You might think that for this type of home gym you would need a lot of space and that you would need to spend a lot of money. It can be true, but it's not necessarily the case. I will give you a few solutions later on. For now, here's what you need to understand as you build your strength & conditioning home gym; despite all of the many pieces of equipment you may end up buying, you'll probably only use few of those for the majority of your training. So, start with the basics, and get quality and versatile equipment form the start. Don't sacrifice the most powerful and versatile equipment for a trendy stationary bike unless you are in love with indoor cycling. But this will not get you strong and jacked. And this is what we are after here. So let's see what the essentials of a strength home gym are.

Now to be clear, if you are creative enough and you can stick to the basic movements without getting bored, and you are not training for the next Olympics, you could buy only one piece of equipment, like a pair of gymnastic rings. However, if you are like me, and you want to build maximal strength and push the limits also while training at home, then you would need a few essential pieces more. Let's look at what those essentials are.

‍

Rack or Squat Stand

The rack or squat stand is the foundation for any strength home gym. It will probably be your biggest investment, and it will take up the most amount of space. We have six different options available, all with certain benefits and gaps, so you need to understand what you need for your training regime at home. You need to know your investment and space limitations, safety requirements, and which accessories you find essential.

For advanced trainees with some background in strength training, the best option would be the basic rack. It gives you everything you need to execute most of the strength plans out there. You can add different attachment like ground mine and dip attachment; you get a pull-up bar so you can perform all the vertical pull variations, and most importantly, it's essential safety characteristics. If you can afford to invest little more and you want to have everything that a gym has as far as training for strength and muscle, then I would suggest our rack with pulley system integrated. With this one, you get the possibility to add a lot of additional attachments and unlimited options for exercise selection. You will get strong and jacked as hell. Of course, if you will use it consistently.

If you want to save up money and space, then you should go with squat stand high or independent squat stand. Squat stand high comes with a pull-up bar. It has options for few basic attachments like storage pins to store your bumpers, safety bars so you can perform most of the main lifts safely, ground mine and dip attachment to add variety to your plan. Now if you have a tight budget and limited space, then I suggest you go with independent squat stand. You can easily put it in a corner to get space for jump rope for example, and when you need to do your squats or presses, you put it in the middle of your room, and you are good to go. Downside of independent squat stand is that you can't add any attachments, you will be missing the pull-up bar, and it is the least safe option.

‍

Olympic Barbell

The second essential piece of equipment for strength home gym is the barbell. The cornerstone of any strength training regime are all the major lifts like squats, presses, deadlifts and possibly also some variations of Olympic lifts, so I suggest you get a high-quality Olympic barbell that will last. You can find a lot of low-quality barbells on the market today. If you are going after strength, I suggest you avoid buying cheap ones. The sleeve of the bat can come off; they can bend or crack even with limited use at home. To train effectively and safely make sure you get one of high quality.

‍

Bumper Plates

Because you choose the standard Olympic barbell, you need to get the Olympic bumper plates with 50mm diameter inner circle hole. For home use I suggest you choose between premium training bumpers or heavy-duty bumpers. If you want to reduce the noise go with the heavy-duty model. If you are among the strongest and you need to stack more then 200kg on the bar, then you need to go with the training model. Next thing you need to do is select the appropriate set for your strength level. The basic set is 95kg; 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x20kg. You add the 20kg barbell, and you have a total of 95kg you can put on the bar. If you need more, add 2x15kg and 2x25kg to the set, and you are at 175kg and if you still need more weight on the bar just add additional 25kg plates to the set.    

Now you have the essential strength equipment for home gym. To make it complete, I suggest you add one adjustable bench, at least a few pairs of dumbbells for unilateral upper bodywork and three different weight sizes of kettlebells (only one, not couple) for strength endurance work. If you still have some budget left, add a pair of rings, a set of elastic bands, a jump rope and you are good to go.

But what if I am a beginner? Do I need all above to train for strength and power at home? Well yes and no. As I explained at the beginning, you can buy just a pair of rings. But suppose you buy a pair of rings. You continually replicate the same workout, doing the same movements, number of sets, number of reps and keeping the same intensity levels week-in and week-out, you are pretty much-guaranteeing stagnation. Most of us will need some variety in training.
‍

What you need at the beginning - you can always buy more when you reach the plateau, or you get bored - and what you should buy for a quality strength training at home depends on a few factors:

- How much space you have at home?
- How experienced lifter you are?
- What are your training goals?
- How quickly you get bored doing the same movements and routines?
- What methods you want to use?
- And how much you want to spend?

Considering the questions above, I put together five home gym strength bundles, both for men and women that could help you choose the right equipment and weights depending on your needs and possibilities.

‍

Home Gym Strength Bundle For Women

Beginner Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Kettlebells: 1x8kg, 1x12kg, 1x16kg
Elastic bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple
Jump Rope: 1x

Basic Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Independent Squat Stand: 1x
Barbell: 1x15kg
Collars: 1x
Bumpers: 1x2.5kg, 1x5kg, 1x10kg, 1x20kg
Kettlebells: 1x8kg, 1x12kg, 1x16kg
Elastic bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple
Jump Rope: 1x
Flooring: Rubber tiles

Intermediate Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Squat Stand High: 1x
Adjustable Bench: 1x
Barbell: 1x15kg
Collars: 1x
Bumpers: 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg
Kettlebells: 1x8kg, 1x12kg and 1x16kg
Dumbbells: 2x2.5kg, 2x5kg, 2x7,5kg, 2x10kg
Elastic Bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple, 1x green
Wooden Rings: 1x
Jump Rope: 1x
Flooring: Rubber tiles

Advanced Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Basic Rack: 1x
Attachments: 1x ground mine, 1x safety bars, 1x dip horns
Adjustable Bench: 1x
Barbell: 1x15kg
Bumpers: 1x1,25kg, 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg, 2x25kg
Kettlebells: 1x12kg, 1x16kg and 1x20kg
Dumbbells: 2x5kg, 2x7,5kg, 2x10kg, 2x12,5kg
Elastic Bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple, 1x green, 1x blue
Wooden Rings: 1x
Jump Rope: 1x
Cardio: Air Bike 1x
Flooring: Rubber tiles

Pro Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Pro Rack with pulley system: 1x
Attachments: 1x ground mine, 1x safety bars, 1x dip horns
Adjustable Bench: 1x
Barbell: 1x15kg
Bumpers: 1x1,25kg, 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg, 2x25kg
Kettlebells: 1x12kg, 1x16kg, 1x20kg, 1x24kg
Dumbbells: 2x5kg, 2x7,5kg, 2x10kg, 2x12,5kg, 2x15kg, 2x17,5kg, 2x20kg
Elastic Bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple, 1x green, 1x blue
Wooden Rings: 1x
Jump Rope: 1x
Foam box: 1x
Timer: 1x
Cardio: Air Bike 1x, Rower 1x
Flooring: Rubber tiles

‍

Home Gym Strength Bundle For Men

Beginner Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Kettlebells: 1x12kg, 1x16kg, 1x20kg
Elastic bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple
Jump Rope: 1x

Basic Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Independent Squat Stand: 1x
Barbell: 1x20kg
Collars: 1x
Bumpers: 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg
Kettlebell: 1x16kg, 1x20kg, 1x24kg
Dumbbells: 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x12,5kg, 2x15kg, 2x17,5kg
Rings: 1x
Elastic Bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple, 1x green
Jump Rope: 1x

Intermediate Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Squat Stand High: 1x
Adjustable Bench: 1x
Barbell: 1x20kg
Collars: 1x
Bumpers: 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg, 2x25kg
Kettlebell: 1x16kg, 1x20kg, 1x24kg
Dumbbells: 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x12,5kg, 2x15kg, 2x17,5kg
Rings: 1x
Elastic Bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple, 1x green
Jump Rope: 1x
Flooring: Rubber tiles

Advanced Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Basic Rack: 1x
Attachments: 1x ground mine, 1x safety bars, 1x dip horns
Adjustable Bench: 1x
Barbell: 1x20kg
Collars: 1x
Bumpers: 1x1,25kg, 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg, 4x25kg
Kettlebell: 1x16kg, 1x20kg, 1x24kg, 1x32kg
Dumbbells: 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x12,5kg, 2x15kg, 2x17,5kg, 2x20kg, 2x22,5kg, 2x25kg
Rings: 1x
Elastic Bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple, 1x green
Jump Rope: 1x
Cardio: Air Bike 1x
Flooring: Rubber tiles

Pro Home Gym Strength Bundle:

Pro Rack with pulley system: 1x
Attachments: 1x ground mine, 1x safety bars, 1x dip horns
Adjustable Bench: 1x
Barbell: 1x20kg
Bumpers: 1x1,25kg, 2x2,5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg, 4x25kg
Kettlebells: 1x16kg, 1x20kg, 1x24kg, 1x28kg, 1x32kg
Dumbbells: 2x5kg, 2x7,5kg, 2x10kg, 2x12,5kg, 2x15kg, 2x17,5kg, 2x20kg, 2x22,5kg, 2x25kg, 2x27,5kg, 2x30kg
Elastic Bands: 1x red, 1x black, 1x purple, 1x green, 1x blue
Wooden Rings: 1x
Jump Rope: 1x
Foam box: 1x
Timer: 1x
Cardio: Air Bike 1x, Rower 1x
Flooring: Rubber tiles

‍

Depending on your strength level, needs, space and budget pick the bundle that best suits you. Now you have your strength home gym. This was the easiest part of the journey to get strong and jacked at home. Now the real work begins. You need to structure your plan, and you need to do the work, consistently! Here is where most of the people fail. You buy the nice equipment and then it is just laying around your home. In part two of this series, I will give you some tips and trick how to make the best out of your new, home gym.

‍