Being stuck in Lockdown is NOT an excuse to skip those workouts. With level 3 here for many of us, it’s time to get some take-aways (just kidding) and make an investment into some in-home gym equipment.
In this post I am going to share with you some of my go-to buys for a minimalist home gym. There is a ton you can do with a few pieces of relatively in-expensive gym items.
1 – A Kettlebell
The kettlebell is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment. Kettlebell training works your entire body, you can work both your strength with ‘’grinds’’ think squats, presses, rows and your power/endurance and conditioning with ‘’ballistics’’ think swings, cleans and snatches.
Here is a story about Lucy who found strength in kettlebells after much adversity https://www.strongfirst.com/grounded-in-strength/
What size kettlebell you ask?
Most women would serve to start between 12-16kg and men 16-20kg
And do yourself a favour and get a cast iron bell not a cheap plastic one. Interestingly Kmart do a respectable bell for an amazing price
2 – A Suspension Trainer
Whether you’re at home or want to get a workout done in your local park, the suspension trainer makes for a perfect companion. It’s affordable, light weight, convenient and effortlessly portable.
66 TRX Exercises For At Home And Travel Workouts
Side note – with all this endorsement of Kmart you would think I am sponsored by them… I’m not but I should be … Mr Ian Bailey
3 – A Skipping Rope
Skipping or jumping rope is hands down one of the best conditioning tools for the money. There is a reason many boxers opt for skipping as their go-to cardio. Not only is skipping good for your heart and lungs I would argue that much of the magic of skipping is in timing, coordination, agility and reaction.
My go-to is a speed rope vs a traditional jump rope. The speed rope as the name suggests will make for a faster turnover. The faster the turnover the more challenging for speed, reaction and agility. A caveat – the speed rope is both harder to master and because the ropes are so thin they damage easily.
4 – A Yoga Mat
Especially if you have hard wooden floors or you’re a sweaty human like me 😉
Do yourself a favour and get an eco-friendly mat. Mats can be made of natural rubber, recycled rubber, cotton, jute, foam, vinyl, microsuede or a blend of any of these.
Vinyl, rubber or latex will make for non-slip and cotton provides softness.
A collection of yoga mats designed on the West Coast of New Zealand from recycled and natural materials. Wild Coast Yoga – Wild Coast Collective
5 – A Foam Roller
Unless you’re a supple leopard (or a Tesla), you’re more than likely to pull a hamstring if you tried to go from 0-60 in less than 3 seconds. We all need more mobility and an inexpensive foam roller is the tool to give you a helping hand.
Here is a free guide to getting the most out of your Foam Roller
A closing message
The MOST important thing you can buy for your home gym, isn’t equipment. It’s some good coaching. This equipment used in the correct manner will do you wonders but used incorrectly can break you.
I always suggest people start with the Functional Movement Screen in order to see where their movement baseline is (how well they move). Swinging a kettlebell if you can’t touch your toes is probably a bad idea. Likewise, trying to do push ups if your core is as strong as a snowflake isn’t smart.
Once you know where your movement/fitness baseline is, then you can figure out where you need to go.
There are many online personal trainers that will do a Functional Movement Screen over zoom and take you through some corrective strategies, performance strategies or whatever is required.
Train well and train often.
Paul “kettlebell man” and Krystie “skip skip skip to my” Miller
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