Kit Out Your Home Gym With These PT-Approved Essentials

Kit Out Your Home Gym With These PT-Approved Essentials

It may be that the pandemic has made you rethink your gym membership, and perhaps your long-term plan is to keep working out from home. Whether you’re fortunate enough to have a dedicated space or you tend to move the sofa when needed, from all-in-one dumbbells to recovery tools, here are the pieces of at-home equipment the experts recommend you have to hand…
Photography: COTTONBRO/PEXELS

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Jonathan Dick, Tier X coach at Equinox Kensington

 

Visit Equinox.com

Reebok Vinyl Dumbbells, £29.95:

“Heavy or light, a decent pair of dumbbells covers all your bases, and the options are endless – think goblet squats, bench presses, rows, deadlifts and lunges. If you have the budget, opt for a lighter and heavier pair, which will enable you to build both strength and endurance.”

Available at Sweatband.com

Fitness Mad Safety Resistance Trainer, £17.99:

“Also referred to as Stroops, tubed resistance bands are a fantastic and fool-proof way to build strength throughout the body. They are easy to set up and can be used to reinvent most of your traditional gym exercises. You can also use them to train outdoors.”

Available at Fitness-Supertore.co.uk

Adidas By Stella McCartney Yoga Mat, £50:

“A reliable yoga mat is a must, even if you aren’t into yoga. Prioritising recovery is crucial for optimal results – whether it’s a quick stretch at the end of the day or some breathwork, a good-quality mat should be a much-beloved staple of any home gym.”

Available at Adidas.co.uk

Gideon Remfry, wellness director at KX & KXU

Visit KXLife.co.uk

TRX Home2, £179.95:

“The TRX training system is a must-have. If you’re a beginner, it can help you to lose weight, and if you’re at a more advanced level, it’ll keep you consistently challenged thanks to endless variations. Enabling bodyweight exercise through multiple directions, the TRX is your shortcut to a stronger core and improved overall strength.”

Available at Store.TRXTraining.co.uk

Ollie Thompson, personal trainer at SIX3NINE

Visit Six3Nine.com

York Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells, £xx:

“Adjustable dumbbells are genius, giving you options of anything from 1kg to 10kg, which can help you build lean muscle and perform a variety of exercises. When it comes to brands, keep an eye out for Powerhouse Fitness, and for a more affordable option, York Fitness.”

OOS

Bulldog Box Kettlebell, £14:

“Great for compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts, which burn a huge number of calories and build strength, a kettlebell is versatile and, as far as gym equipment goes, pretty affordable. My favourite brand is Bulldog – their kettlebells are well-made, home-friendly, aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to use.”

Available at BulldogGear.com

Isla Resistance Bands, £29 (were £38):

“Resistance bands are affordable and adaptable – you can perform pretty much any exercise with them. Although they won’t provide quite the same resistance as free weights, they are a great entry-level, low-impact option. Consider getting a set of bands with varying resistance to keep you challenged.”

Available at IslaBands.com

Alex Parren, PT, running coach and nutritionist

Follow @AlexRunsFar

Sundried Skipping Rope, £10:

“A quick 20-minute skipping workout can burn 200 calories while also strengthening the shoulders, calves and core. A fantastic way to get your heart rate up without having much space, a skipping rope is my all-time favourite home workout essential.”

Available at Sundried.com

Wattbike Atom, From £1,899:

“Cardio is great to reduce stress levels and boost mental health, which is more important than ever when working from home. If the weather isn’t great, you should turn to the Wattbike Atom for a session – you can even follow a virtual route on an integrated smart app, a guaranteed way to raise endorphins.”

Available at WattBike.com

Meglio Resistance Bands, £9.99:

“Many of us forget to warm-up when exercising at home, but this can be easily done with a looped resistance band. They can help activate lazy muscle groups and improve weakness and imbalances – you can even incorporate them into your workout using moves likes side-steps, kickbacks and clam shells.”

Available at MyMeglio.com

Gede Foster, head of fitness at FIIT​

Visit Fiit.TV

BLK BOX Hex Dumbbells, £xx:

“The shape of hex dumbbells means they won’t roll around on the floor, like rounded dumbbells can, and they provide more stability too, especially during moves like a renegade row. Rounded dumbbells add an unnecessary element of instability and can lead to a frustrating workout.”

OOS

The Gym Sessions Textured Massage Balls, £10:

"Recovery is just as important as training and is a key component to progressing, and a fascia ball is a great way to relieve tension. A more direct way of targeting sore muscles compared to a foam roller, a ball can be used for everything from the hamstrings to shoulders.”

Available at UrbanOutfitters.com

Nike React Flyknit 2, £130:

“When working out at home, it can be tempting to go barefoot, but this can wreak havoc on the body, especially if you are doing lots of HIIT. A decent pair of trainers will support your feet, reduce calf pain and help with alignment.”

Available at JDSports.co.uk

Andy McGlynn, CEO of GSquared

Visit GSquaredClubs.com

Concept 2 Rowing Machine, €1,033:

“Providing a full-body workout, rowing will pump blood around the entire body, and the resistance it offers will tone the upper body. Use a rowing machine for a long, slow, steady-state workout to burn fat, or opt for short bursts of intensity to improve fitness levels. You can even combine the two, putting your heart, lungs and lactate threshold to the test.”

Available at RogueEurope.eu

Eleiko Swiss Ball, £38:

“Without any other equipment, you can perform a full-body workout using a Swiss ball, including hamstring curls, squats against a wall, sit-ups, press-ups and even Russian twists. By increasing the instability of a certain exercise, it’ll force the body and core to work harder – throw a pair of dumbbells into the mix for an added challenge.”

Available at Shop.Eleiko.com

Trigger Point Grid Roller, £33.99:

“A foam roller is the best rehabilitative item you can have at home. It provides self-myofascial release, i.e. it uses your own body weight as pressure to alleviate aches and pains by massaging the muscle. Use slow and controlled movement, and you may find certain knots need to be worked on several times before the pain dissipates. A foam roller is particularly effective for the spine, IT bands, calves and hamstrings.”

Available SportsShoes.com

DISCLAIMER: Features published by SheerLuxe are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.​

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