The Best Home Gym Essentials For DIY Fitness, Straight From the Pros
From ankle weights to booty bands, these are the must-buy items according to Hollywood-loved fitness and wellness experts Liv Lo Golding, Shannon Nadj and Sophie Jaffe.
By Natalie Alcala, Danielle Directo-Meston
January 2, 2024 9:45pm
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Celebrity trainers Kirsty Godso and Chase Weber previously shared their ultimate mind-body-soul advice — and the new year is a great time to revisit healthy habits as well as the best home gym gear on their shopping lists. While not everyone has the budget to invest in a personal trainer to hold us accountable, setting up a spiffy at-home gym filled with accessible, effective equipment is one way to get excited for a new routine.
Related: The Best Fitness Mirrors for Every Budget
To help us narrow down the best home gym essentials, we tapped three fitness experts to weigh in: Sophie Jaffe (founder of Philosophie and — fun fact — George Clooney’s former chef), Shannon Nadj (founder of Hot Pilates, whose loyal clientele includes Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber), and Liv Lo Golding (wellness entrepreneur and wife to actor Henry Golding). Read on for a roundup of their must-buy home workout equipment, from the viral ankle weights that were nominated more than once to the arduous piece of gear that Nadj’s clients call the “ring of fire.”
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Metal Gym Equipment Storage Rack and Organizer
Save with $10 off coupon
$49.99 $89.99 44% off
Whether you’re a yogi or into HIIT, this sturdy metal storage rack keeps all of your exercise gear organized.
Amazon
Renoj Resistance Bands
$9.99 $16.99 41% off
“I love resistance bands (aka booty bands) because it’s such an effective way to add resistance to your workout!” explains Nadj. “I love a lower body burn. This one really targets your glutes in all the right places. And it’s such a small piece of equipment that can fit in your purse!”
Courtesy of Amazon
Bala Bangles, Set of 2
These bangles are such a hit that both Jaffe and Nadj vouched for them separately. Nadj shares: “I love these chic ankle and arm weights because you can easily get into moves without having to pick up weights. You can really lengthen your arms and legs with them on your wrists and ankles for an extra weight without bulking your muscles.”
Jaffe adds: “I wear my ankle weights around my ankles and my wrists on a walk or in the sauna. Pilates is so much more effective at home when we wear ankle weights!”
Related: This Amazon Deal Gets You a Set of Bala Bangles Alternatives for $16
Apple Watch Series 9
$449.00 $499.00 10% off
The Apple Watch Series 9 does it all for fitness enthusiasts (including Khloé Kardashian, ). From tracking your workouts and calories burned, to monitoring your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, the smart watch helps you stay on top of your health and meet your wellness goals (keep closing those circles!) It’s water resistant up to 50 meters and syncs with a range of fitness apps (such as our go-to coaching platform, Future), and it includes all of the handy features of iPhone, including fall and crash detection, emergency SOS and more.
ProBody Pilates Ring Circle
$22.95 $34.95 34% off
“Some of my clients call this piece of equipment the ring of fire!” Nadj reveals. “It’s a brilliantly designed piece of equipment that helps you connect to your core and makes you really feel centered.”
Chirp Wheel Foam Roller Set
$110.49 $130.00 15% off
If the foam roller was yesteryear’s go-to for muscle relief and recovery, the Chirp Wheel is today’s more effective option. This four-pack bundle is Chirp’s best-selling option, and includes a 12-inch Gentle Wheel for a chill stretch and light massage, a 10-inch Firm Wheel for a deeper dig into the muscles for targeted pressure, a six-inch Deep Tissue Wheel to get rid of the toughest knots, and a four-inch Focus Wheel for maximum pressure to target anywhere on the body, including small areas like the neck, shoulders, and feet. Sign us up.
Amazon Basics 1/2-Inch Extra Thick Exercise Mat with Carrying Strap
If you need more cushioning during your workouts, Amazon Basics’ half-inch thick yoga mat brings extra support, comfort and shock absorption to your yoga flows. This is a classic, affordable mat that is great for all types of fitness and exercise routines including yoga, Pilates and any floor exercise, thanks to the textured grip material to help you power through your planks and downward dog. It also comes with a shoulder strap for convenient carrying and is available in other colors.
Related: The Best Yoga Mats for Every Type of Workout
Bowflex
Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells
$379 $549 31% off
Given that dumbbells are a weight-training essential at both official and makeshift gyms, why not invest in the best for less? These adjustable dumbbells have more than 20,000 glowing reviews on Amazon — and for good reason. Instead of spending your hard-earned cash on 15 sets of weights to ensure your workout varies in impact, these dumbbells allow you to automatically change your resistance from 5 pounds all the way up to 52.5 pounds with the turn of a dial.
Pvolve
Pvolve Signature Bundle
$180 $225 20% off
Jennifer Aniston is an official fan — and investor — of Pvolve’s body-sculpting workouts, and this three-piece bundle helps you strengthen your body through small-yet-impactful resistance movements. It comes with the fitness brand’s patented P.band and P.ball, a workout mat and one free month of streaming fitness classes.
Amazon Basics Neoprene Coated Hand Weights With Storage Rack, 3-, 5- & 8-Lbs.
$40.99 $43.15 5% off
Boasting 4.8 out of five stars and a 95% satisfaction rating among over 91,000 reviewers, these color-coded hexagon hand weights are easy to hold and priced right. Choose from a variety of weights and sets, from single pairs of one- to 20-lbs. to three pairs from 2-5 or 3-8 lbs.
Theragun Pro Plus
Therabody’s latest Theragun Pro Plus is worth the investment. This recovery device is one of the best home gym essentials that help soothe sore muscles, boost circulation, support relaxation and encourage more meditation — all in one high-tech tool. It comes with five massage therapy attachments, a vibration therapy attachment and a heat therapy attachment, plus built-in LED light therapy and biometric sensors for guided breathwork programs.
Courtesy of Equinox+
SoulCycle At-Home Bike
$1,400 $2,500 44% off
Buy at Soulcycle
Although we can all do our best to develop our own routines, investing in a virtually-instructed class using all of our shiny new equipment may help us reach our goal more efficiently. “I love a group fitness class forever as my number one — you can’t beat that collective energy!” Jaffe explains. “But this at-home bike is a close second to being in a real SoulCycle class. I love all the classes and the large screen.”
Related: The Best Exercise Bikes for Upgrading Your Home Gym
Tonal
Tonal All-in-One Home Gym
Another all-in-one investment option is recommended by Golding: “I love how little time and space Tonal takes to work out but how impactful it is,” she explains. “It’s so easy to just turn it on and do a quick free weight session or take a class. They also offer classes like yoga and prenatal/postnatal yoga for the days you don’t want to train.”
Related: The Best Fitness Mirrors for Every Budget
Bennd Yoga
Bennd Yoga Chakra Ayurvedic Yoga Mat
“This yoga mat I use as a beautiful centerpiece in my bedroom and living room,” Jaffe shares. “It looks like a rug and is hand-woven. It feels sacred the minute I sit on it and helps me to drop in.”
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