5 Pieces of Equipment You Need to Start Your Home Gym

When we sold our gym we decided the best place for us to continue working out would be our garage. The only question was, 'how do we ensure that we'll actually workout?' For us, it came down to two things. One: we have to have a plan each day, which is why we kept SugarWOD going. Two: we have to have all the equipment in one spot. We probably took more than what we needed and that lead me to think what do I actually use the most? This is the list of the most valuable items for your home gym...

1. Concept2 Rower
We know cardio is a big part of fitness but certain types just suck. After years in the gym I can tell you that the rower is the least hated by members of all forms of cardio. Some of the better reasons to love the rower: - You get to sit down, - You use your upper and lower body against resistance, - You can watch TV while you use it, - You could do an entire workout with just the rower or add in some bodyweight movements

2. Barbell and Bumper Plates
This is a two-fer because you can't have one without the other. When you choose a barbell make sure it's from a quality company like GetRXd, Bells of Steel, or Rogue, don't just buy a barbell off of Amazon. If the bar isn't meant to be used for Olympic lifts then it could bend with one clean. Avoid bars with center knurling because the center knurl will beat up your collarbones. And if you're out in your garage you may want to think of a rust-resistant material like stainless steel or cerakote to withstand Indiana winters.
For bumper plates my main advice is to avoid 55s and 35s and stick to 45s, 25s, and 10s.

Barbell and Bumper Plate ALTERNATIVE:
ALT: SANDBAG
If you don't have the money, or don't want to spend the money, for a barbell and bumpers then get yourself a 100 or 150 pound sandbag. You can sub the sandbag for any barbell exercise you can think of and they cost around 80-90 dollars.

3. Rings
A pair of rings are just a great option for anyone at any skill level. If you set them high you can do pull-ups or muscle ups, set them at your waist you can do ring rows, elevated ring push-ups, assisted pistols or squats, set them low and you can do ring planks, ring push-ups, or rear foot elevated split squats. The rings are also an excellent travel option. You can set them up anywhere and get a workout in. Buy plastic if you want to save some money but do yourself a favor and get the quick ring straps so you don't waste time trying to make the rings even.

4. Crash Mats
If you're working out in your garage or basement then protecting your floor is key. Stall mats or some type of rubber flooring are a must but they won't stop damage from dropped barbells and especially won't quiet the noise. These crash mats have been huge since we moved into the garage. I can drop 225# cleans on these over and over without waking anyone up and without doing any damage to the floor.

5. Rack/Rig
You need somewhere to rack your barbell and somewhere to do pull-ups. But which one? This is my biggest 'it depends' answer. How much space do you have? If you have a single car garage devoted to your gym I say go for the four post power rack. You can add attachments and do every exercise possible with that rack. Don't have a lot of space? Then go with the folding wall mount rack. You can fold it away when you aren't using it but still get the stabilization of a full power rack. I would NOT get a squat stand with a pull-up bar. It will shake all over the place and you'll never feel safe doing pull-ups.
We have a yoke and a wall mounted pull-up bar. We use the yoke as our squat and bench rack and the attachments are all still possible on the yoke. But I wouldn't recommend this option unless you love the yoke as much as I do.

If you want to try before you buy, Bells of Steel has a showroom in Indianapolis off 71st Street where you can test any and all of their equipment.