Table of Contents
Budget: $0
This list is based on stuff that *most* people already have access to.
This kind of thing can also be great for reducing your number of gym visits per week, depending what you’re doing there.
At Home
Some Clear Floor Space
Good for push ups, sit ups, burpees, etc.
Tried and true since time immemorial.
For an additional challenge, try outside in the snow.
A Wall With Nothing On It
A common household fixture, often found outdoors as well as indoors.
A wall with something on it can easily be converted into a wall with nothing on it, and then back again once you're done.
Useful for a myriad of stretches and bodyweight exercises.
Stairs
Stairs can be used for push up progressions, dips, modified lunges, and many other things.
They can also be used for cardio pretty easily, especially if you are a beginner
Countertops
Another great tool for many bodyweight exercises, including the early progressions of push ups.
A Strong, Stable Step Stool
Most people have one. Dirt cheap ones that can support most adults can be found easily.
Good for step ups and many other things.
A Really Solid Coffee Table, Bench, or Chair
Can be used for bodyweight split squats, tricep dips, etc.
Duffel Bags, Backpacks, Etc, Filled With Stuff
Be aware that exercises done with these tend to be ergonomically awkward and thus advanced.
OUTSIDE
A Playground (at night, when there’s no kids. Don’t be weird.)
If you’re short, the possibilities are endless. If you’re on the taller side, there’s still a lot you can do with a bit of creativity.
Public Park Benches, Railings, Etc
Good for all kinds of body weight exercises, as they don’t move.
Hills and Stairs
Enough said
Those public exercise equipment things you see around some parks and trails nowadays
Vary in quality and state of repair. Are sometimes more or less in one place, or may be scattered around.
Fantastic for beginners and kids. Limited in what they can do for other people.
Great to stumble across while traveling.
Budget: Dollar Store-ish
A Skipping Rope
Self explanatory. Also great for traveling.
The more expensive, weighted ones ones are better, but a cheap one will do the job. (If you’re very tall, you may need one from a sporting goods store, but the basic ones are still pretty cheap.)
On that note, if you’re small enough, most skipping-related toys can be used for exercise.
Sidewalk Chalk
If you’re doing interval training, some agility training, etc, this has obvious utility.
If you have kids, it's a great way to get them outside and moving too, because they'll probably be interested in what you're doing.
A Hula Hoop
If you're laughing at this, you probably haven't used one for a while.
A Long Wooden Dowel Rod From the Hardware Store
Will cost a few dollars if that. Excellent for upper body mobility exercises and for training form for barbell lifts.
A cheap kite that you have to run with to keep in the air
I’m getting a little silly now, but for beginners especially, this can actually be pretty good. Also another good one for getting your kids to participate.
.jpg)
Budget: The Exercise Aisle at the Local Megastore
As before, this kind of thing can also be used to reduce your number of gym visits per week. Depending on your goals, it *can* eliminate the need to go to the gym.
However, don’t trust any advertisements that swear that one piece of equipment or another is better than an entire “rip-off gym membership”. It’s objectively not.
Yoga Mats
You don’t *need* one as long as you’re willing to be in direct contact with your floor (as in, bare feet for proper grip), but they’re definitely good to have.
Most big box sporting good stores have them fairly cheap. The fancier ones can be a nice upgrade.
Thicker Mats
Good if you’re going to have your knees and elbows on a hard floor.
Good if you’re exercising outside on ground that’s not so nice. Get something that can get wet and dirty.
The really light dumb bells and kettle bells from that aisle of superstore
If you don’t think you’ll progress beyond them too fast, go for it
The medium weight dumb bells and kettle bells from that aisle of Canadian Tire
Check that the nearest fitness store doesn’t actually have them cheaper/doesn’t do bundle deals
Some people will start by just buying these. They’re of course much better than nothing, but depending on the person, it can be hard for a beginner to get what they need from just dumb bells.
Resistance Bands
Will eventually have their own article.
To sum up: they are incredibly useful and versatile, but most people don’t use them properly, and they’re definitely not advertised properly. Some are very cheap; others are not.
Foam Rollers, MFR Balls, Massage Hooks, etc
Worth having your own, even if they have them at your gym.
Foam rollers and MFR balls are the most clinically backed MFR devices. The cheap ones will do the job, but the fancier ones are generally worth it.
You can use a lacrosse ball or even a tennis ball for an MFR ball, however.
…you can also use a PVC pipe for a foam roller, but if you’re doing that, it’s safe to assume you’ve already progressed through several other more advanced foam rollers.
You can spend about $25 for a massage hook thing, and you’ll be glad you did.
Yoga Blocks, Roller Wheels, etc
If you know what they’re for, you know if you need them.
A Snow Shovel
You know I’m right.
A Doorframe Chin Up Bar
Can be used for various exercises.
They tend to have a weight capacity under ~200 lbs. I think the school of thought is that if someone is 1) capable of doing chin ups and 2) short enough to do them in a doorway, they’re probably not much more than ~200 lbs. If you’re an outlier to this, be mindful that you get one that’s strong enough.
A TRX or Similar Thing
I don’t want to get copyright-murdered, but yeah these can be pretty great, and you can take them anywhere there’s a place to hang them from. Many kinds of trees can be used for this purpose.
Yoga Balls, Bosu Balls, etc
Aren’t popular for no reason. There’s stuff you can do with them no matter what level you’re at.
Those Small, Old School Barbell Stands, Bench Presses, etc
If you found one on Kijiji for cheap and it’s not falling apart, and you have a use in mind for it, then it’s probably a good idea.
Be aware of their capacity; some of them have quite low capacities that a healthy adult can max out relatively fast, even if they’re small.
Exercise Related Video Games, like the Ones for wii and Some VR Games.
Usually nowhere near as effective as a good old exercise video, but they can be very good if you’re extremely sedentary and/or disabled.
Flow Toys of Any Kind
These will generally not be found in the exercise aisle at the local megastore, but there wasn’t a better category to put them in.
If you’re a raver/festival goer, and you’ve always thought about getting good at one, you now have the best excuse ever to start.
A suspiciously cheap ancestor of the bowflex that’s older than your parents and has been on facebook marketplace for a year.
Is possessed and will eat you.
Budget: A "Real" Home Gym (~$1000+)
It is a misconception that a truly adequate gym replacement is only obtainable if you’re extremely rich. It depends on what you consider adequate, of course, but you can get a decent squat rack, dumbbell set, and a few other things, for considerably less than a halfway-decent used car goes for nowadays. If you’re determined and patient enough to find everything used, it’s theoretically possible you could do it much cheaper.
(That is where the "$1000" comes from here... realistically, it's going to be a few thousand if you're buying everything new.)
You will need space, however. The rule of thumb I’d give is that you need at least a small bedroom’s worth of space. More is better.
If you have options, you should build your gym in the coolest place you can, temperature wise. A basement or a semi-heated garage are great options if you have them. If you’ve decided to just clear some of the furniture out of your small apartment like I did, put it next to a window or the portable air conditioner you’ve probably got rigged up already.
For reference, here is the setup that cost me about 3500 CAD in 2020. It isn’t all visible in the picture, but here is what it consisted of:
-Half rack
-45 lb bar and trap bar
-Plates: 4x 25 lbs, 4x 10 lbs, 2x 5 lbs, 2x 2.5 lbs
-Adjustable bench
-Dumbells; pairs of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 50
-Yoga ball, foam roller, etc
-Various smaller pieces of equipment
It’s true that things cost more now than in 2020- but something like this is not out of reach for someone with a halfway decent job and the right priorities. (That is my $35 floor lamp, $5 bedside table, and $200 bed visible on the left.)
For a basic-but-complete home gym setup, I recommend the following things:
A Squat Rack
The squat rack is a useful piece of equipment for more than just squatting. It can be used for other important exercises like bench press, overhead press, barbell rows, etc. There is a reason so many people will tell you: “all you need is a squat rack!”
There are a few different kinds of squat rack; get the one that will meet your needs the best.
Some also come with attachments for exercises like lat pulldowns. Some of the larger ones have chin up attachments, and so on.
Depending on your needs, you may not need a full power rack like the one pictured to the right. A half rack like the one pictured above may be sufficient.
If you know what you are doing, and want to build one- awesome, do that.
Bars and Plates for your Squat Rack
If you’re buying a squat rack, you should already know what bar(s) you want, and what you need for plates. An easy way to save money is to just buy what you need currently, and add more things as you begin to need them.
If you need a hex bar for deadlifts, just buy it. Don’t gamble on your back.
The Right Bench for your Squat Rack
You need one with an adjustable back. If options are available, shop around for one that suits your height best. Short people who have previously had to put plates under your feet to bench know what I’m talking about.
.jpg)
A Dumbell Set
How many and how heavy is up to you. They aren’t cheap, but it’s easy to be motivated to save for the next heaviest ones you need.
Budget tip: There is no law that says you need a special rack for them. You can just put them on a mat or thick blanket. (But be warned: it is a law of nature that if you put them anywhere besides their designated spot, you WILL stub your toe on them. Doesn’t matter how improbable the placement is.)
A Chin Up Bar (if your squat rack is a smaller one that can’t be used this way)
I recommend this because ways to make lat pulldowns and similar exercises happen with a relatively minimal home gym setup tend to be expensive and awkward. If you cannot do a chin up/ pull up, there are ways to combine resistance bands with a chin up bar to do an assisted chin up/ pull up.
Be aware that the cheap ones will sometimes have screw heads protruding from the bit that’s supposed to lay flush with the wall, and that this can put dents in the drywall.
A Full Length Mirror
For watching your form to be sure you don’t throw your back out.
A cheap one from the Swedish furniture store is sufficient. Make sure it’s secured to the wall if it is light enough to be knocked out of place and fall onto you from the impact of a barbell being dropped on the floor. (Speaking from experience.)
%2C_ca__1910_(CH_18660395).jpg)
(I couldn't find a public domain picture of a normal one, for some reason)
Something Comfortable to Stretch on, like a Yoga Mat
It’s important if your floor isn’t nice.
Various Smaller Items
Resistance bands: if you are doing assisted chin ups, or trying to replace some cable exercises (note that they cannot totally replace cable exercises.)
Foam rollers, release balls, massage hooks, etc
Yoga balls are extremely versatile pieces of equipment for all kinds of core and mobility exercises
Anything listed in the lower/mid budget lists will likely also be a good addition.
Some Means of Protecting the Floor
If you have a thick carpet that you don’t care much about, that might be enough.
Most hardware and fitness stores sell interlocking floor mats. Most people like these the best.
If you are deadlifting off the floor, you will need additional protection. (The setup in the picture was on the third floor of an apartment building. I refrained from deadlifting at night.)
If you have more money/space, here are some additional recommendations.
Any piece of home gym equipment that essentially functions as a small cable jungle
Those various multipurpose weight machines that incorporate a seat and claim to be an all in one gym- aren't, but can be a great addition, or great if you cannot do free weights.
A TRX/Similar--Great for incorporating all kinds of variety in your training- and you can take it traveling with you.
Kettlebells, if you have use of them
Honestly, whatever bells and whistles make you happy. It’s all a pretty good use of money.
If on a budget, always ask yourself; “can I use free weights for this?”
Buying a Cardio Machine
If you’re certain of your consistency with a specific cardio modality, this purchase demands less research than strength equipment. You just have to find the model you like the best within your price range.
Try it at the store if you can, or see if you can try the same one/a very similar one at a gym near you.
Beware of cheap stationary bikes that can’t actually keep pace with you for a real workout. These bikes are only good for casually pedalling in front of the TV.
On that note, if you only want a stationary bike for casually pedalling in front of the TV, then don’t buy a fancy one. I’m a cardio junkie, but I bought a ~150 dollar stationary bike for this purpose and loved it. If you get one that has you seated in enough of an upright position, then you can read on it, too.
Many of the weird old antique cardio machines still work great; if you find one used, go try it out and see what you think. They also look pretty awesome.
(Seriously though, the sound of an old wooden Nordic track is some of the best ASMR to be had)
Constructing Your Own Workout Space: A Guide For Every Budget
*This is meant to be a guide to help you get started; it is not exhaustive, as the possibilities are basically endless. The reader is strongly encouraged to be inventive and have some fun with this.