15+ of the best things you need to set up a killer home gym
A few summers ago, Mr. Serious and I set up a garage gym. We were not always able to get to the gym, so this is a great option for a workout after the kids are in bed, when you have sick kids, or when you are pinched for time. We were gifted some items by family, handed down some items and had a few things, too. But, I thought I would share 15+ of the best things you need to set up a killer home gym.
You’ll see most of them in our garage gym too. Being active and fit is an important part of our lives.
These are all things that we have tried and use in our garage gym. They are presented in no particular order!
It might be silly to start with this one, but I have to put it out there that part of getting a good workout in is having workout clothes that fit right, and that I feel good in.
V Shred sent me a pair of their seamless flex leggings and I think I’m going to need more of them. V Shred seamless leggings come in seven colors in sizes XS – XL, so you can switch up your look every day of the week.
When V-Shred says high waisted, they mean it! And, most importantly, the waist didn’t budge or roll down while indoor cycling or lifting weights. I also didn’t have to pull them up at the crotch either, which is common with some of my other leggings.
V-shred seamless leggings feature:
- Body contouring and breathable with four way stretch for guaranteed flattering fit that forms to your body specific type.
- Contoured design to accentuate and lift the booty while also slimming the legs.
- High waisted ribbed waistband to synch and provide optimal tummy-toning support.
- Buttery-soft stretchy fabric for full range of motion.
- Easy to dry fabric for long-lasting wear.
Want to grab a pair? Or 7? Use this V-Shred discount:
“SERIOUS20” is our exclusive 20% discount code!
15+ of the best things you need to set up a killer home gym
1. Foam flooring
If you want to protect your knees and joints, you’ll want some cushioning under your body. Half of our garage took two 144 square feet sets of boxes of foam flooring. Shown below is just one set of 144 square feet.
2. Box Fans
It’s crazy how the garage gets so hot so quickly. Sometimes we open the garage door and windows, but the box fans are a much for circulation.
3. Bluetooth speaker (or headphones)
A bluetooth speaker to have your music playing in the garage is a must. They are small but mighty but help with motivation.
4. A big gym in a little bag
Celebrity trainer, Kit Rich, has launched a new product, ;KICHGO, a big gym in a little bag that weighs less than 2 pounds, you can whip your body into shape in no time. The bag packed full of tried and true equipment that can be used for Pilates, Circuit Training, HIIT, Tabata, and Yoga routines.
The KICHGO BAG is packed with 8 pieces of exercise equipment including lightweight resistance bands (light / medium), loops (light / medium / heavy), Pilates ball, sliders and more! Weight: 1.73 pounds
• 2 resistance bands: light and medium
• 1 set of resistance band handles
• 1 set of resistance band ankle / booty strap
• 1 set of dual-sided sliders
• 3 resistance loops: light / medium / heavy
• 1 inflatable Pilates Core ball (with inflation device)
• 1 Jump rope
• 1 door anchor
In addition to the bag, you will receive 20 downloadable videos of varying lengths and styles. KICHGO makes fitness attainable for everyone, by keeping it simple and helping everyone achieve consistency with their workouts anywhere and everywhere.
5. Air Rope
When the weather is nice, we pop out of the garage and use the KICHGO jump rope, but when it’s colder and dark, we like to you and air jump rope that won’t hit the ceiling. Jumping rope is an excellent cardio and high intensity workout.
6. Medicine Balls
We use a variety of medicine balls, from the larger medicine balls ones good for wall ball exercises to smaller medicine balls ones you can throw down (and not hit you in the face).
7. Weight Bench
Chest press, step ups, incline and more. A good weight bench is very important and worth the expense.
8. Jump boxes
We held off on these for a while, but found we needed an additional place for step-ups, box jumps, one-legged lunges, dips and more. You’ll want to grab a set of jump boxes / plyo boxes so you have varying heights. It’s nice that they nest in each other.
9. Adjustable weights / dumbbells / kettlebells
Odds are you will need more than one set of weights for various muscle groups. Adjustable weights or several varied sets of dumbbells will be crucial to your garage gym. We also use kettlebells for various exercises where dumbbells aren’t as easy to use.
10. Squat Rack/ Pull-up bar
We bought a PRX rack and couldn’t be happier with it. It allows us to fold it up to the wall when not in use, and fold it out for a squat rack, bench and chin ups. They have a pro version, regular version and murphy for complete affordability. PRX also sells full sets with weights and olympic bars.
11. Yoga ball
Yoga balls are great for abs, legs, push-ups and more. They also make for a fun desk chair.
12. Spin bike / treadmill / elliptical
Yes, you can absolutely do cardio without a spin bike, treadmill, elliptical, etc, but I like having the option to do so. You can buy new, or try to find a local place that sells used equipment. I’m also not ashamed to say I put out a post asking if anybody was getting rid of anything and we got a treadmill that required about $15 worth of screws.
13. Gloves
No everybody wants or needs workout gloves, but many people like having them to save their hands from calluses.
14. Bosu ball
There are so many exercise you can do with a Bosu ball. Most of them involve balance and stability muscles that are harder to work with other equipment.
15. Massage Gun with Percussion Therapy
Sometimes you need something to really get into those store and tight muscles. The Exogun gets in there and helps.
It often times comes with a carrying case and several massage heads. So it works for all different muscle groups.
The Exogun also has 5 speeds and is very easy to go up and down.
Don’t let pain and soreness slow you down. Exogun revives muscle, boosts circulation, and releases energy so you can recover faster and live better. Take it wherever you need it—work, the gym, the trail—and put the power of percussion massage treatment in your hands.
Portable, adjustable, and powerful, Exogun is trusted by the pros to deliver the ultimate in recovery.
Percussion Therapy is said to boost muscle function and recovery by penetrating deep into the muscle tissue with a series of rapid, concentrated pulsating strokes.
Gain back control of your body and achieve long-term pain relief with Exogun.
Exogun Discount Code: RAS10 saves you 10% off site-wide (if there are no other promotions listed on the site)
16. Foam roller
Sometimes a massage gun is a little out of budget. If that’s the case, a foam roller is a great alternative. If you’ve ever used a foam roller before, odds are you have a love-hate relationship with it. They are torture devices that do such a great job at loosening and stretching out muscles. You won’t even realize you are hurting until you try it.
17. Mirrors
Remember, this is the list of killer 15 of the best things you need to set up a killer home gym. A mirror will bring you huge motivation.
Flexing in my V Shred seamless leggings.
It will also help you monitor your form and make sure you are doing exercises correctly. It also gives you a great place to take an after workout garage gym selfie.
18. White board for workouts
Hey, this one was a freebie because our kids weren’t using it anymore. If you have one in your house, scoop it up. You can also get a bigger white board (that might be on our list, but for now this works).
In addition to amazon being a great place to shop, check out ProSource, too as they have a ton of workout equipment at great prices, things like barbells and plates as well as dumbbells and kettlebells when you want to add more.
We are really enjoying our garage gym and the fact that we can workout together at odd hours while not worrying about childcare.
