Our Home Gym – Best Equipment and Favorite Workouts

My home gym has been a true lifesaver for me. Sal and I are both into fitness and before I had kids I never liked working out at home, but since having kids and really investing in our gym it has become my little safe haven and place of sanity!

The convenience of being able to work out super early, super late, or when my kids are napping is EVERYTHING to me. Even if I only have 30 minutes I can run down and get a killer workout in – when normally that time would be the drive time to and from the gym alone. As a mom, being able to work out when your kids are napping or before they wake (times when you can’t just leave the house) is where the home gym life is CLUTCH.

Now, I have to say our home gym has been an investment! You absolutely don’t need all of the same equipment we have. In fact a mat, a kettlebell and some bands can get you a long way.

In this blog I’m sharing with you all of the equipment we have here at home so you can pick and choose what works best for you

What Workouts Are Effective At Home?

Your at home style workouts can be whatever you want them to be. The goal is just to MOVE your body! If you love pilates or yoga then watch a guided youtube video on your mat with some light 2-5lb weights.

If you are a cardio girl you could invest in a treadmill, stair climber or bike.

My absolute favorite style of workouts are EMOMs which stands for Every Minute On The Minute. Generally there are 4 rounds each with 6 exercises. You do each exercise for a minute and rest for 1 minute at the end of each round. What so amazing about EMOMs is that they are quick! 30 minutes and you’re done. Second, they are a full body workout so the exercises use all of your muscle groups. Third, cardio is “included” because they get you sweating and your heart racing. Plus you keep burning calories for hours after the workout is complete.

I post DAILY EMOMs here on my site and that page also includes a little instructional video to get you started!

Non-Machine Equipment

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The timer is crucial for EMOMs, it’s the only way to stack on track. You can definitely use your phone but it’s hard to keep the phone from going into sleep mode and you don’t want to be constantly unlocking your phone to see the timer! Alternative you can bring up a countdown timer on your laptop! Both my mat and a few of our resistance bands are by Moveo. They have tons of fun patterns. That ‘wheel-on-a-stick‘ is actually KILLER for abs. Don’t underestimate it 😉 And the foam roller is super important for recovery. Plus it feels so good to self massage.

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Having some sort of weights will make a huge difference in your strength training and your results. I definitely recommend having 1-2 kettlebells and 1-2 sets of dumbbells at a minimum. The medicine balls are a fun extra as well as the wooden box! The ab mat is awesome for back support for anyone who has a weaker core or pain in your lower back during exercise. Rogue also has a ton of variations for resistance bands which you can use for everything from booty work, to bicep curls to pull ups (if you have a bar). They are SUPER strong! If you travel a lot these are also a must since they can fold up nice and easy into a suitcase.

Cardio Equipment We Love

If I’ve already got my EMOM in but I have more time in my workout, more energy, or I’m craving moving again later in the day I’ll choose cardio. We love a quick fasted cardio in the morning (about 25-30 minutes before eating anything). Cardio machines can also be great for long but lower intensity workouts. Like an hour walking on the treadmill while answering emails.

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I end my workouts with an Infrared sauna whenever I can squeeze it in and it’s the best feeling. The detox and health benefits are great but it also gives me the opportunity to take a breath, decompress, and slow down before the craziness of the rest of the day.

What if I don’t have any equipment? 

Even if you have no equipment at home you can still get your workouts in. No equipment is not an excuse honey! In this case you would focus on full body movements like jumping jacks, push-ups, burpees, mountain climbers, planks etc. Trust me you can definitely get a great workout in with absolutely no equipment. 

What Should I Get First if I’m Just Getting Started?

If you’re just getting started with home workout and want to order/pickup a few things I’d start with whatever is the most versatile. So resistance bands, 1-2 sets of dumbbells, and a mat! Bonus points if you get a skipping rope and a foam roller.

If your looking for some workout inspo be sure to checkout my daily workouts posted here!