Basic Gym Equipment for All Body Types to Use for Home Workouts

If you’re used to working out with complete gym equipment, under the guidance of trainers, and with the marked bonus of unlimited coffee, trying to stay swole from home can be a huge adjustment. Just the absence of all the big machines alone — treadmills, spinning bikes, an array of weights — can be demotivating. Here’s the good news: you only need a few basic home gym equipment to stay fit from the comfort of your living room. Here’s what you need to build your at-home workout.

Dumbbells are free weights that offer versatility, because you can either use them individually or in pairs. According to the American Council on Exercise, dumbbells are great at activating different muscle groups. They don’t just promote muscle growth, they also improve flexibility, coordination, and stability.

Plus, they are suitable even for beginners and are affordable. Body transformation coach Jeremy Colon says in an article that with dumbbells, you have the advantage of training one side of your body at a time, which addresses imbalances and makes your core work a lot harder. He recommends getting different weighted dumbbells to add variety to the training.

A pull-up bar is a great way to bring upper body strength training to your home. They work the shoulders, arms, and back while increasing stamina, flexibility, and core strength. Because it involves gripping the bar, you also work your hand muscles. The most common and inexpensive type of pull-up bar is the doorway bar, which mounts over the door frame.

According to athlete Krista Stryker, author of the book The 12 Minute Athlete: Get in the Best Shape of Your Life in 12 Minutes a Day one of the best exercises you can do with a pull-up bar is actually the basic pull-up, which involves lifting yourself up with your palms facing towards you and holding yourself over the bar.

If you're working out with your hands a lot, don't forget to take care of your hands. Gym hands happen when you lift weights or do activities that are generally hard on the hands or knuckles. The skin on your palms becomes dry and callused. You may also get blisters or rips. Adopt a skincare routine for your hands by lathering them with Vaseline Intensive Care Deep Restore Body Lotion. It has Vaseline Jelly to help nourish your hands from within.

Jumping rope is not just a game for kids, it’s also a very underrated exercise that delivers many benefits with regular practice. A study by the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation found that 10 minutes of jumping rope daily for six weeks improves cardiovascular health more than jogging daily.

According to Harvard Health Publications, jumping rope is one of the most efficient methods of boosting cardiovascular health — a 125-pound person can burn 300 calories in 30 minutes of jumping rope. Along with a healthy diet, 30 minutes of jumping rope daily can help you lose weight. 

The kettlebell is a funny-looking piece of gym equipment that packs quite a punch. It was actually a metal weight used to weigh crops in 18th-century Russia. Eventually, kettlebell lifting became the country’s national sport. Today, they are free weights that can be used in a number of ways — the most popular being the kettlebell swing.

According to Harvard Health Publications, kettlebells are a great option for resistance training. The kettlebell swing alone is a full-body workout that makes use of the core, back muscles, quads, hamstrings, and glutes at once. For beginners of average weight, 8 to 12 pounds is a good place to start. 

Resistance bands offer an effective way to fire up your muscles and cool down after a workout. They have a rubberized texture and come in different lengths and tensions for different fitness levels. Some bands are sold in varieties of three, so you switch them up as your training requires. Lighter bands are good for warming up and increasing muscle mobility, according to Harvard Health Publications. They can also assist in stretching tight muscles or increasing the intensity of workouts.

Pro-tip: Stay fresh from warm-up to cool-down with a deodorant that prevents odor and minimizes sweating. Rexona Women Natural Whitening Deo Dry Serum Fresh Sakura features brightening antiperspirant protection with Motionsense. It also has sweat and odor control for up to 48 hours.

Then, cool down with the help of Sunsilk Anti-Dandruff Healthy Strong Shampoo. It deeply cleans your hair and scalp and removes flakes.

Now there’s nothing holding you back from getting the home gym you need to take your training to the next level. Share this list of gym equipment to help your friends improve their at-home workouts.