Essentials For Minimal Home Workouts

Posted on 14 January 2010

Sure we can do workouts at home with absolutely no equipment using purely our bodies to provide resistance. To excel though having a few simple pieces of kit around the house can help you add variety to your workout whilst making it far more effective. What better time to ditch that gym membership?

1- Kettlebell - A kettlebell at home is a great investment, they are so flexible and can be used for pretty much anything. One Kettlebell can leave the need for a set of dumbbells at the door. Basically they are cheap effective and offer a total solution for the weight based part of your home training kit.

I myself have a 16 Pood kettlebell at home and have used it for:

Swings
Presses
Cleans
Floor Presses
Squats

As well as a variety of other more basic exercises. To me its an invaluable piece of kit. For more info and the full low down on how to use and get started with a KB then checkout my post over here…….

2- Resistance Bands - Ever seen those rubbery bands that are used for stretching and light resistance, they are a surprisingly handy piece of kit. You can perform pretty much anything you would with free weights the trick lies in using the positioning of the bands to manipulate resistance. I like to use them to burn out muscles especially the shoulders and arms. The other benefit of having a set of these at home is that they travel well and can be stored away easily.

Plus they are great for stretching out and relieving tightness in the muscles. While these are not great as a single way to train a muscle they compliment a circuit of BodyWeight and Kettlebell exercises. I sometimes take mine to the park to use between sets of sprints too.

3- Ab Wheel - Forget doing endless crunches for abs when you can train your entire core including your lower back and supporting muscles with one simple exercise. I sued to think ab wheels were a gym fad but after using them a few times they blew me away and I now love using them, nothing gets my whole core quite as well worked.

You can also use a stability ball to do the ab rollouts using simular technique shown in the video above. Its really time to stop crunches which will do more damage than good, get some real core work in with rollouts and static stability exercises like the plank…..

4- Chinup Bar - So many possibilities with a Chinup Bar, they will allow you to build your upper body with simple compound exercises which is key. While chinups are what you would normally expect to be done you can also use the chinup bar for:

Negative Chins (Great Ab Builder)
Hanging Leg Raises
Stretching out your Back and Chest

So its really worth having one chin-up bar stationed somewhere in your home gym. Don’t forget a simple circuit of Bodyweight Squats, Chinups and Pushups is a workout in itself and can build an impressive physique.

One last thing I would also throw in is a good pair of minimal running shoes think Nike Free’s or Vibram 5 Fingers plus some good basic kit for working out (shorts, t-shirt and socks) and you are good to go. While none of the above are essential for home workouts as you could use purely body-weight and running, the kit does serves as motivation and will get you better results. If I had to choose one? I’d go for a Kettlebell…….

Also please checkout this post from Zen Habits Featuirng ZTF and some other great Fitness Blogs http://zenhabits.net/2010/01/fitness-blogs/

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23 comments so far

Comment by Grok
14 January 2010

All great suggestions.

Bands aren’t just for wimps & ladies! I have a couple of super heavy ones. They’ll burn you right out on no time!

I have two ab wheels and absolutely never use them. Maybe I’ll try again. The “Power Wheel” on the other hand, has been intriguing to me since the first time I saw it.
Comment by Anthony
14 January 2010

I especially like kettlebells, but would also suggest adjustable dumbbells. I have found my Powerblocks to be an indispensable tool.
Comment by Jeni
14 January 2010

Which ab wheel do you suggest purchasing?

@ Jeni: I bought mine on eBay and it has been pretty solid. Do an eBay search and you will find a good deal so don’t spend too much as even a good Ab Wheel should be pretty affordable. This article is great for an intro to Wheels…..
Comment by DickGrogan
14 January 2010

Uhhh, a 16 Pood kettlebell is 560 pounds. Either you’re a super hero or you mean 16 kg (or possibly 16 pounds).

@ DickGrogan: Thanks for pointing that one out, my KB is 16 Kilos will have to change the article now
Comment by Alyson
14 January 2010

Great educational post! Though, I live in AZ so I really have no excuse, weather-wise, not to make it to the gym
Comment by Adam
14 January 2010

All great suggestions! I would only add one other piece of gear…the amazing jump rope. Lots of workout possibilities, plus its lightweight and portable.

Note: Pullup bars have a magnetic attraction for humans. I put one up at my office and people just flocked to it…still do. Check out the pics at:

http://seeadamtrain.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/ninja-pull-ups/
Comment by Rodney
14 January 2010

I would only add that kettlebells are great for doing Turkish get-ups.

I also love my set of rings, which are hung in my basement but easily come down for travel and can be thrown over a tree branch, swing set etc. Rings allow my elbows to rotate during pull-ups which is good for my tendinitis. I also can lower them to do dips (with band assistance), push-ups, inverted rows, L-hangs, and more. Very versatile and portable piece of equipment.
Comment by Mukundan
15 January 2010

Nice and interesting article. Liked ur post very much.
Comment by Anastasiya
15 January 2010

Great list of minimalistic fitness equipment!
I love resistance bands but I prefer dumbbells over a kettle bell (that’s just because I am a girl ).
Another piece of equipment that I love is a fit ball. I know that it might be more for women than guys, but you have both male and female readers. I love my fit ball because it can help me work on my balance and at the same time target the deepest muscles. It is also great for stretching and relaxation.
Comment by RDrennon
15 January 2010

As a long time garage-fitness devotee, I’d also add this suggestion: Find an old duffel bag around the house, put about a bag and a half of playground sand inside it (double wrapped in garbage bags), and you’ve got yourself an 80 lb sandbag — great for strength and conditioning. That, a kettlebell, and a pull up bar, and the possibilities are endless.
Comment by Adam
15 January 2010

@Rdrennon…I love home-made / DIY gear, like your sandbag idea. And, who doesn’t want to save money these days?

Ross Enamait has a great forum page with links to lots of DIY equipment projects, including some wild ab rollers. http://tinyurl.com/yk94usq

I followed these directions to make my $5 medicine ball http://tinyurl.com/yd3t26x

I also built a set of parallettes and a wrist roller. http://tinyurl.com/y8up3ro

Another way to save money is to check out thrift stores, garage sales, Play It Again Sports, Freecycle. People are always getting rid of perfectly usable equipment.

@ Adam: Thanks for this really nice and useful comment!
Comment by russ smith
16 January 2010

That’s funny about the pood. I noticed that too, but didn’t know that was a Russian unit of weight. pretty funny. Chris is the hulk!
Comment by Charley
17 January 2010

I have a Power Wheel based on the recommendation of Matt Furey. I’ve had it since May of last year and I really do love it. It’s the only actual workout equipment I own other than a yoga mat…not because I am against equipment, more so because I haven’t the room for it.

It is quite possible to get very fit without any equipment. There are tons of bodyweight exercises that don’t require equipment, such as Hindu Squats, Hindu Pushups….pick any number of Yoga poses such as the Warrior pose. I don’t disagree that the equipment above is highly effective but to be truly simple (minimalist) would, I think, require no equipment at all.
Comment by Dan
17 January 2010

Thanks so much for the post, a great read to start the week!!
Comment by Joe
18 January 2010

JML are selling a great pull up bar that fits over the doorframe. Great if like me you live in a flat (apartment) with no garden or garage.

I need a Kettlebell though, ordering online the postage is quite a lot… Anyone in the London area want to sell/give theirs away?
Comment by Mike OD
20 January 2010

Great stuff! Resistance bands are both cheap and portable…so no one has an excuse! (that’s why I love them the most…excuse killer!!)

I’d also add in a set of bodyweight straps (like the jungle gym/trx…although the jungle gym is much cheaper). You could also add rings in here, but the straps are easier to carry around and also easy to use in the house with a door frame. Allows to do angled body rows, pullups (or assisted for those needing that), angled pushups, planks (or roll in/out like the ab wheel), and so much more.

If I had to wander the earth and still keep in shape, bands and straps would be in my backpack!

@ Mike OD: No need for a gym with this stuff. I am yet to checkout the Jungle Gym but would love to get one as well as a PushupBoard, great old school BW training tool!
Comment by rose
20 January 2010

5) your favourite tunes to calm or energise you as you work out.

music makes the world of difference for me. Fave playlists at fitmix.co.uk.
Comment by Kristi @ Life With the Whitmans
22 January 2010

Nice post. Like Anastasiya, I prefer dumbbells over a kettle ball too. Must be a girl thing. I also could not get by without my stability ball. There are so many good moves that you can do when you incorporate the ball. Here’s my minimalist at-home gym:

- stability ball
- resistance bands
- adjustable dumbbells (3-20 pound range)
- jump rope
- a few cardio dvds

I’d love to get a pull-up bar if I had a place for one.
Comment by mac
1 February 2010

Thanks for the great tips Chris. I have one set of 15 pound dumbbells and treadmill in my house. That’s it. Even though I love using the stability ball at the gym, I haven’t bought one for the house yet. Keep up the great posting! Mac

@ Mac: Thanks for the comment, what you have is all you really need! Sometimes I wish I had a treadmill or rower at home for days when its freezing or raining. Definitely get yourself a swiss ball to complete you home gym.