Personal trainers share their 8 home gym equipment picks to level up your workout

Whether you’re swapping out your gym membership for an at-home workout routine, or you want to complement your intense gym workouts with sessions at home, having a home gym is a great way to get in your reps no matter how busy your days get.  

If you’re looking to level up your training and upgrade your workout equipment, too, you want to know that what you’re investing in will deliver the results you want. To help break it all down, we spoke with personal trainers to get their top eight at-home gym equipment picks for strength training, everyday movement, and recovery.

Personal trainers’ favorite home gym equipment

Best adjustable dumbbells for home gyms: BowFlex Results Series 552 SelectTech Dumbbells, $479: Dial-adjustable dumbbells ranging from 5 to 52.5 pounds

Best squat rack for home gyms: PRX Performance Profile PRO Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar, $1,100: Wall-mounted squat rack with pull-up bar folds flat to save space

Best TRX suspension system for home gyms: TRX Home2 Suspension Trainer System, $240. A challenging upgrade for bodyweight exercises from top to toe

Best all-in-one gym for home gyms: Ares 2.0 Cable Machine Attachment, $3,000: All-in-one cable system replaces multiple machines for complete full-body training

Best cardio for home gyms: Peloton Cross Training Series Bike, $1,695: Peloton cardio bike with HD touchscreen, instructor-led classes, and community workouts

Best low-impact cardio for home gyms: BCAN 38-inch/40-inch/48-inch Foldable Mini Trampoline, from $70. A trampoline might be one of the most fun ways to get cardio in at home. 

Best essential equipment for your home gym: Amazon Basics Extra Thick Exercise Yoga Mat with Carrying Strap, $35. This extra-thick mat is great for floor work, stretching, yoga and more.

Best massage gun for your home gym: Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2, $139: Compact, quiet massage gun delivers powerful recovery support for everyday relief.

Expert Spotlight

Justin Kraft is the founder of and a personal trainer at Colorado-based Aspire 2 More Fitness. He has more than a decade of experience training clients and is an athlete himself. Kraft’s competed in more than 50 running races, in physique competitions, and earned a black belt in Tang Soo Do martial arts, and he also snowboards, surfs, road-bikes, and skateboards, among other active pursuits. He has multiple certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), including Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Performance Enhancement Specialist, and Corrective Exercise Specialist.

Baltazar Villanueva isa personal trainer and nutrition coach, as well as owner at Relentless Spirit Personal Training and Nutrition. Based in the Denver area, he motivates clients to hit their fitness goals, keep up their progress, and feel their best. He’s been featured in Lifehacker, Men’s Fitness, and other publications as a media contributor.

Jennifer L. Armendariz is a ACE-certified group fitness trainer, as well as a media nurse practitioner and a specialist in lifestyle medicine. She posts about fitness and wellbeing to more than 32,000 TikTok followers.

Sara Haley, a Los Angeles-based fitness expert with over 25 years of experience, has worked as a Reebok Global Master Trainer, developing workouts, training other fitness instructors, and creating Reebok and Gaiam DVD workout programs. Sara is also a certified trainer and instructor by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and a certified Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist by the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA), as well as a proud member of the American Pregnancy Association (APA). She has additional certifications to teach/train: Cross Fit, willPower & grace, Kettlebell Concepts, JUKARI: Fit to Fly and Fit to Flex, Urban Rebounding, Schwinn Cycling, TRX, and more.

Jordan Langhough is a certified personal trainer and owner of Jordan Langhough Nutrition and Movement. She specializes in fitness for women who are on a motherhood journey, from fertility to postpartum. She’s also contributed as an expert to articles in Real Simple, Eating Well, Fit&Well, Prevention, Men’s Health, Food & Wine, and more.

FAQ

For many people home gym equipment is definitely worth the investment. While the upfront cost can be higher, home gym equipment saves money over time by eliminating gym memberships and commute time. It also makes it easier to stay consistent when you can work out anytime of the day or night, in long chunks or in exercise “snacks.”

Think about how you like to train when you consider the best gym equipment for your fitness goals. If you love cardio, a bike or treadmill may be the best investment. If strength training is your focus, adjustable weights, racks, or cable systems make more sense. Matching equipment to your preferences helps you stick with your routine.

Space-saving options like adjustable dumbbells, foldable racks, suspension trainers, and wall-mounted systems are great for smaller homes. Look for equipment that can be stored easily and that covers multiple workouts.

For many workouts, you can see the same results from working out at home as you can at teh gym. With the right mix of strength, cardio, and recovery tools, you can build a well-rounded routine that mirrors the experience of a commercial gym. While some people still enjoy the gym atmosphere, home equipment offers flexibility and convenience that’s hard to beat.

Beginners should prioritize:

  • Ease of use 
  • Safety
  • Versatility

Equipment with adjustable resistance, guided workouts, and easy setups can help build confidence and proper form without feeling overwhelming.

A simple setup or just a few pieces of gear can start with a few hundred dollars, while more advanced all-in-one systems can cost more with some starting in the thousands. It’s typically better to invest gradually, adding pieces as your routine evolves so you get gear you actually need.

Trainers focus on durability, versatility, and ease of use, along with whether the equipment actually fits into real workout routines. Space-saving designs are also important as home gyms are typically set up in tight areas like our basements, garages, and spare bedrooms.

  • We only spoke to qualified certified personal trainers to recommend products for this article. 
  • All recommendations from the featured certified personal trainers are independently chosen. They don’t have any brand affiliation with featured brands or products.
  • We never pay experts for their recommendations.

If These Walls Could Talk” operates independently and exercises sole editorial discretion in all content decisions. While certain brands, products, or services referenced may have current or prior relationships with our affiliated marketing agency, such relationships do not influence our editorial content. We disclaim any liability for conflicts of interest, omissions, or outcomes arising from reliance on our content. All information is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as professional or individualized advice.

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