As much as we’d all love to have an entire wing of our home dedicated to decked-out fitness equipment, most of us aren’t so lucky. But that doesn’t mean you can’t build your very own home gym with a few well-chosen pieces of equipment that can still allow you to do plenty of workouts and target multiple muscles groups. To help, we’ve selected the best small home gym equipment and ideas for 2023 to keep you on track with your workouts without requiring much space or expense.
A good starting point is a treadmill. This cardio machine is a great option for those who enjoy walking, jogging or running and can be used both indoors and outdoors. It’s also a great way to get in some extra steps at the end of the day or during bouts of inclement weather.
When it comes to weight benches, the FLYBIRD adjustable-height bench has earned an impressive 18,000 online reviews and nearly a full 5-star rating. In our testing, we found it easy to set up and sturdy enough for a variety of upper- and lower-body exercises. This model features six back positions and four seat positions as well as a pair of ankle straps, door anchor and travel bag for convenient storage.
Another popular piece of equipment for home workouts is an exercise bike. This option from Marcy allows you to train both upper and lower body with its padded seat and backrest, and it’s capable of holding up to 300 pounds. It’s an excellent choice for people who prefer low-impact cardiovascular exercises or for those who are a bit intimidated by ellipticals.
If you want to take your home gym a step further, consider an elliptical from Bowflex that includes access to free HIIT workout classes via the JRNY app. This elliptical also has a built-in incline function, 24 levels of resistance and 21 pre-set workouts to keep you challenged. It’s a bit pricey, but it can be more of an investment than other machines on this list and is worth considering if you plan to use the equipment often.
It doesn’t get much smaller than this mini elliptical from MaxPRO, which we found to be incredibly portable and compact when folded down. In addition to being small and lightweight, this elliptical has an adjustable resistance level, a workout monitor that displays distance, time, RPM, heart rate and calories burned, and is compatible with most smartphones and tablets.
Those with especially limited home gym space will love a suspension training system, such as this one from TRX, which is quick and easy to setup and can be used with just about any doorframe or tree stud. The kit includes five resistance bands ranging from 10 to 50 lb and two handles, ankle straps and a door anchor. Users appreciate how versatile and effective this piece of equipment is, which can be done anywhere and supports up to 250 pounds of weight.
Milena Estêvão is a YouTuber passionate about sharing her experiences (challenges, successes and motivations) in the fitness activities she is involved in.
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