“What equipment do I need to start?” is one of the most common questions that I see people ask about when they look to start their fitness journey. They want to make sure the gym they choose has the exercise equipment they’ve heard about from friends, or they want to start a home gym and need to start with some of the basics. Whatever the reason, having even just some exercise gear is going to help you. But which exercise gear do you choose? And why?

Before answering that question, it is important first to know that the easiest way to provide a challenge to your workouts and save money is to start with bodyweight exercises first. This means  challenging yourself with push-ups, squats, lunges, jumps, and then progressing to some of the first workout equipment I usually tell people to buy: a pull-up bar!

Even if you’ve never used a pull-up or chin-up bar in your life, just having one is going to help tremendously as you can do flex arm hangs (with a chair assisting you to get to the top position) and other exercises like pull-up negatives (aka jumping up and slowly lowering yourself to the best of your ability). 

Now after a pull-up bar comes my favorite pieces of equipment for any home gym- a jump rope and a couple of resistance bands. Most people aim to save money and there’s no better place to start than simple equipment like a jump rope. It challenges you aerobically, it challenges your lower body muscles (i.e. calves & quads) and helps build those fast twitch muscle fibers that prevent you from falling in your old age! Next, the resistance bands can be bought for either the upper body (more of your bands with handles) or for the lower body (the resistance band circles as I call them). Often these sets of bands come in varying intensities and you can slowly work your way up as you get stronger and more fit. 

These last pieces of equipment I usually tell people they’ll need if they don’t go to a commercial gym (24 Hr Fitness, Sports Club, Crunch, etc.) and if they have been exercising for at least 4-6 months. Reason I say that being buying a pair of adjustable dumbbells & a adjustable bench is going to run you between $300-500 total. A decent chunk of change to spend if you don’t actually end up committing and sticking with your fitness regiment. 

The last thing I’ll say on this topic is that the most important thing that you do before you use any equipment or think about entering a commercial gym is to speak with a professional. This professional could be me, the owner of KHS Fitness, or another educated and qualified individual (I emphasize and bold those words because not everyone is educated or qualified). But having someone who is can be game changer! Their knowledge of exercise, the form required to stay safe, repetitions used for certain goals, and an exercise selection that knows no bounds, can help propel your fitness journey in directions you would have never thought possible. If you find yourself needing someone to consult with to help you design a home gym or choose equipment don’t hesitate to reach out to me at KHSfit.com. I not only offer my knowledge, but also programming and in person & virtual training as a service to help you transform your body! 

No matter what you choose though, just make sure at the end of the day you choose health!