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There is a load of fitness equipment out there that is expensive and beyond the budget of most. It is easy to get swayed by the idea that the more we spend the fitter we are going to get. Or perhaps the more we spend the more serious and motivated we are about getting fit. The truth is your body will get fitter and stronger the more you train it. For many of us we don’t need to spend big money, just spend big time!
It can be useful to have high quality equipment with which to train – but sometimes you just need some basic tools and you can make a big difference. Here are the relatively inexpensive items of exercise equipment we would recommend that can really boost your training options and make a big difference without seriously busting your bankroll.
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Spin bike
Hardly an inspiring piece of equipment, but very useful. Spin bikes are relatively inexpensive as far as cardio equipment goes. Cheaper than treadmills and ellipticals, smaller and easier to store than both those items of equipment, and definitely easier to locate and re-position. A spin bike can either give you a quick warm up before doing some strength training or you can go into fat burning mode on a long haul. Short of time – bust a gut with some HIIT on a bike. Low impact on your joints, use able no matter the weather and proven to get the heart rate up and give you a meaningful cardio workout. It isn’t glam but it is cheap and effective. Check out our recommendations for the best spin bikes for home use.
Dumbbells
A set of adjustable dumbbells can really add to your workout without actually costing that much. A $50 set of dumbbells can help you develop a basic strength building workout to supplement your cardio and bodyweight exercises.
Weighted lunges and squats can help develop leg strength and improve muscle definition. Standing toe raises with a set of dumbbells can give those calf muscles a surprising burn. Want to improve upper body strength? Adjustable dumbbells can be used for a myriad of exercises, tricep hammers and kickbacks, curls and presses – dumbbells can help you develop strength and can be used progressively to improve personal bests and make real progress no matter what your strength training aims are. A useful, inexpensive piece of kit that can bring real variety to your workout and actually work.
If you opt for a good old fashioned set of handles with free weights you will find these are virtually indestructible and will last a lifetime – plus as we will see later they can be used with other affordable kit to maximise results. Check out some of the best adjustable dumbbells.
Ab Machine
Controversial choice, but only because most people discount their abs preferring to reveal through diet. The point is that a good ab workout strengthens your core which can reduce back injury and improve your performance in other strength training areas like barbell squats or dead lifts. The fact you can also stretch and exercise your abs in such a way as they will develop a nice six pack after you get your body fat levels correct is just a bonus.
An ab wheel need not cost more than $30 but will store easily and effectively targets those core muscles in a way that won’t injure you while you workout. Additionally there is nothing much that can go wrong with this equipment so you can buy it once knowing it will last a lifetime. View some good ab machines at this link.
Pull Up Bar
For circa $50 or less you can get a well engineered doorway pull up bar that will take your workouts to the nest level. I am not talking about the bar you screw between the door jambs but the type that hangs and transfers body weight horizontally through the frame and wall. These bars can be used in most doorway situations and allow you to include numerous variations of the pull and chin up into your workout routine. The pull up is a compound exercise that will engage numerous muscles and stimulate your central nervous system – you see big gains quickly! You will be able to workout shoulders, upper chest, back, lats, forearms, triceps and biceps far more easily and quickly than if you were trying to do isolation exercises to target these muscles groups. From a hang you can even do leg raises to target abs.
If you have a set of adjustable dumbbells you can even use the weights to progress your pull up workouts. You can add weight to a belt to really boost your workout.
For less than $250 you can get four items of equipment that will last a lifetime, greatly improve your workout productivity and add massive variation. This kit does not have to be cumbersome or full of gadgets – it can be easy to store, robust and incredibly effective. If you want bang for your buck then a combination of these four pieces would be a good place to start, and if they aren’t for you they are so low cost selling them on is always easier than trying to shift big items of equipment.
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