Today’s Friday Five Topic is “What’s in my gym bag?”. Well, I don’t have one! I usually walk into the gym with my keys and phone, and possibly a pair of headphones and that’s it. So I can’t really do a Friday Five with that! Instead, I thought I would share my top 5 home gym items, since I do a lot of my workouts at home. These are all items I have- I’m sure there are many that would be a million times better (like an actual piece of cardio equipment!) but when you’re in a tight space and on a budget you work with what you have!
1. Stability ball
– I bought one of these about two years ago to help with core work. I still use it all the time and it also works as an extra seat! Sometimes I will sit on it while I am blogging to get an extra mini-core workout in. There are a million exercises you can do with it too!
2. Free Weights
– If I had to pick one set of weights to get it would probably be 8-pounders. I use those the most although I do have a few lighter pairs. I was able to do most of my strength work at home using 8 pounds while feeling like I got a decent workout in. They don’t take up much space and you can use them for strengthening all different muscles!
3. Resistance bands
– These are great for working the hips and glutes! I have broken way too many so I would recommend investing in a decent brand. Or buy a lot of the cheapest ones you can find.
4. Coregeous Ball
– this was a newer purchase which I decided to get after reading “Ready to Run”. It can be used to release the psoas but I also use it a lot when I take barre classes online.
5. An iPad– or something that allows you to watch exercise videos and has a timer! I use mine all the time for barre and yoga workouts, and I use the timer when I am planking. Obviously a phone or laptop can do the job as well, but the iPad is a great size.
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Be sure to check out what everyone else has in their gym bags- I know I am curious since I don’t have one! Thanks to Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar for hosting the link-up! I’m also linking up with Jill for Fitness Friday!
What workout equipment do you have at home?
What’s on your home-gym wish list?
I don’t have much at home but a yoga mat, light weights, and an iPad for those videos I agree is really helpful!
It sounds like you have the essentials! I never use a yoga mat at home since we have carpet everywhere, but it would definitely be helpful if you’re working out on hard floors!
All I do is run, run and run some more, so I don’t have any at-home gym equipment other than my treadmill. Unless you count the 6 reasons why I run in the first place, all of whom are sound asleep in their beds right now. 🙂
Haha we can only count those if you want to:) It’s nice that you have a treadmill! Even though I don’t like running on treadmills I think it would be SO convenient to have one at home!
I would love to purchase a stability ball for the home (bosu would be neat too.. but I know they are pricier compared to the ball). I am also interested in purchasing a bike trainer.
I think a bike trainer would be a great piece of cross training equipment. My goal is to eventually built up my home gym so that I don’t need a membership anymore! (which may take a few years:))
The only thing I do at home is barre so I have the Pure Barre ball and block but just invested in 3 pound weights because the 5 pound set I have had for years is just too heavy for those workouts! Even the instructors in the studio classes use the 3 lb. It’s a real burn!
The lightest weights I have are 5 lb and they are so heavy for barre! I eventually want to get 3 lb weights as well.
I don’t have much at home for workouts because I do them either at a gym or run. But I do have my yoga band, foam roller, softball, and yoga mat for recovery 🙂 Happy Friday!
Those are even more important than workout equipment in my opinion! Have a great weekend!
I love, love, love my home gym b/c I hate, hate, hate going to the real gym. Too much time, too many people, having to wait for equipment, etc. Yuck! Great line up here.
I would love to not have to use a real gym eventually! I enjoy the classes but its so pricey, especially for how little I use it.
Is it ridiculous that I often WISH I had a gym bag? There are so many cute ones in the store and I like the idea of carrying one around, haha. Like you, I just don’t have a need for one though.
I’ve never heard of a Corgeous ball before. In what ways is it different than a stability ball?
Yes, some of the gym bags are really cute!
The courageous ball is much smaller than a stability ball. You can lay on it on your stomach to release your psoas or use it for things like bridges where you put your feet on the ball to make it harder.
An iPad is so much nicer for at-home stuff than a phone. I get so flustered trying to track a workout or watch a video on my iPhone that I just give up. Lately, it’s been my PS3 with DailyBurn or my computer that helps, but for the most part, it’s my iPad set up beside me.
I don’t think I could do without my kettlebell, though. I love my trusty little cannonball, and when I use dumbbells or other weights instead, I miss slinging the little booger around. That’s what I can’t do without.
Glad I saw your blog at Jill Conyers’ #FitnessFriday!
I would love to add a kettlebell to my collection! It seems like if really helps you get a better/different workout than regular weights.
Love this post. We have an office that we never use and I have been thinking about converting it into a home gym of sorts. I already have a bunch of weights and a resistance band, but a stability ball would be key!
I’m really happy that I got the stability ball. I was worried that it was so big and it would get in the way, but it really doesn’t and I use it all the time!
We created a home gym when we were adopting the boys and it is such a game changer, it gets a ton of use! The treadmill is my favorite thing in there. I haven’t heard of that coregeous ball – I’ll have to check that out!
I would love the convenience of having a treadmill at home! Not sure how much I would use it but on cold days it would be better than having to drive to the gym!
I don’t have any of that stuff at home- I prefer to be outside 🙂 I do love my yoga class and I keep mat in the trunk of my car so I don’t forget it! Have a great weekend!
That’s a great idea! I walk to yoga classes so I keep my mat inside, but I don’t use it at home since I have all carpets. I hope you have a great weekend as well!
I have free weights, a stability ball and resistance bands in my home gym. The other thing I’ve been using a lot of lately is my yoga mat. I use it for yoga (obviously) and core work since I have hardwood floors in my condo. Ouch! Kettle bells are on my wish list though.
Kettlebells are also on my wish list! And I would definitely need to use a yoga mat if I had hard floors! But we have all carpets so its not something I need to worry about.
Love it!
I am not a fan of having a bunch of equipment–I love turning my house into the equipment. The only real stuff we have is a pull up bar (LOVE THAT!!) and weights, which is way nice. Otherwise I just use my body for resistance.
Have an amazing weekeeeend!!
That’s great that you have a pull up bar! I don’t think I could do even one pull up but maybe if I had one at home I would practice more!
Have a great weekend!
I have to say that I steal my husband’s ipad when i run on my treadmill at home. I’m so late to the game and am slowly making my way through Breaking Bad as I get in those miles!
The iPad is so great for running on the treadmill! I have even brought mine to the gym before to use while running on the treadmill!
I have a deflated stability ball, free weights, and resistance bands. I don’t do much working out at home, but when I do, this is all I need. What on earth is a Coregeous ball?
My dream home gym would include a treadmill, a large TV, an assortment of weights, and an in house personal trainer.
Your dream gym sounds amazing! A courageous ball is about the size of a soccer ball. You can either lay on it on your stomach to release your psoas, or use it for core work. For example, while doing bridges you can put your feet on it to make the exercise more challenging
I do not have a gym bag either. I do have all those items at home to work out with except for the coregeous ball. Never heard of that one.
A courageous ball can either be used to release your psoas by laying on it on your stomach, or for core work. For example, while doing bridges you can put your feet on it to make the exercise more challenging. I’ve been using it much more than I expected!
I have ankle weights and resistance bands, plus yoga and Pilates DVDs. I may invest in some light weights as I get used to HIIT works and am ready to add a little bit of weight to the workouts. I do yoga and HIIT at home.
You just reminded me that I have ankle weights too! I forgot about them…I should really start incorporating them into some of my at home exercises!
Great picks! That coregous ball is new to me. I’ll have to look for it. I especially love the circular resistance bands I can put around my ankles/thighs for lateral hip strengthening work us runners always seem to need.
Yes those bands are perfect for exercises like that! I use the coregeous ball more than I expected…it can definitely make certain core exercises more challenging!
IPAD IS SO NECESSARY.
How else are you going to get through a minute+ long plank?? Or spin bike session?
Exactly! I wonder if the creators of the iPad knew how important they would be for workouts.
That Coregeous ball looks very interesting!! I really need to pull out some of my items for home workouts; unfortunately, my BOSU trainer is under the bed – ha! I’d really like to check out some online barre classes; any you might recommend? Thanks so much for sharing these ideas; hope you have a great Friday and weekend!
I really like using the bosu at my gym! As for online barre…I have used Barre3 which has a 15 day free trial otherwise its $15 per month. But they have a lot of good options. Also http://www.barreworkouthq.com has free videos!
Thank you so much for the recommendations; Barre 3 looks great and I’m going to check out the other one, as well. This is exciting! Have a great weekend.
I’ve never heard of a Coregeous ball but it looks really helpful! Free weights are a given 🙂 they’re so great to have at home when you just don’t want to leave the house. Thanks for the tips! Have a great weekend!
I’ve really been using the coregeous ball more than I expected! There are creative ways to make core work more challenging with it:) Free weights are definitely great to have for when you don’t feel like leaving the house. Enjoy your weekend!
This is a great list! I have a stability ball, free weights, kettlebell, foam roller, and treadmill for my home gym. I cannot stand gyms (loud, germy, and too many people!), so I’ve spent the past three years really building my own!
Hope you have a great weekend!
It sounds like you have a great collection! I hope to continue growing mine so that eventually I won’t need a gym membership.
Enjoy your weekend!
I also don’t have a gym bag beacuse I’m have no membership! WHen I did, I never had one either!
Great runners & worker-outers think alike! I use my IPAD ALL THE TIME…it’s my number one workout accessory! I use it on my treadmill for Netflix or music, and all the time for workout videos! If something happened to it, i would cry!
Awesome tips!
You probably won’t need it anymore for your treadmill that does EVERYTHING! But i guess you can still use it for workout videos:)
I love the top 5 post you did about home gym items! I recently did a blog post on my favorite fitness apps and online workouts! I also did a post on my blog about my First Time Experience with a personal trainer. The personal trainer showed me how to use a bosu for hand to elbow planks! Great reading your blog!
I love using the bosu at my gym to do planks and other exercises! I will have to check out your posts too! Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
hmmmm now i’m thinking maybe i should get a stability ball for my home office!
That’s a great idea! I would love to sit on one more often to get a little extra core work in throughout the day.
I’m actually working on getting a home gym together! I’ve got my treadmill, yoga mat, some free weights, a foam roller…all I need is a bike now. The only reason I still have a gym membership is for biking. But I really don’t like gyms… I’ve started looking at bikes so pretty soon it will be no more gym for me!
That is so great and I hope I can do the same someday! I would love to be able to do cardio at home or just run, and not have to pay for a gym!
Yes to all of these! I really should start utilizing my i-pad more. For some reason, I never think of it. Have a great Friday!
I feel like I rarely use my iPad anymore now that I have a macbook air so really the only thing I use it for is working out. Its great for setting the timer while I plank and then I can also scroll through social media to pass the time! I also brought it to the gym and ran on the treadmill with it.
Awesome! I have similar items in my “home” gym. I just recently thought of adding a Bosu ball to work on hand to elbow planks. Love using the resistance bands too!
I have all those on your list except the Coregeous ball. That sounds interesting. I’ll have to check out that book, “Ready to Run”. Thanks for sharing!
I definitely learned some interesting tips from the book! I have really tight hips and it talks a lot about how to improve mobility.
These are great suggestions! I had a stability ball and didn’t use it and it took up so much space… but now I want one again. I have a laundry room now, so I think I could stick it in there.
My husband had one before we lived together and got rid of it because he never used it! It does take up some space but I think its fine as long as you have a corner or closet to stick it in:) Besides, if its in your way your more likely to use it, right?
Yes to everything but the coregous ball and that’s only because I’ve never heard of it. How do you use it?
Thanks for linking up with Fitness Friday!
Have a fabulous weekend 🙂
I use the coregous ball mostly for core work- its about the size of a soccer ball. For example, you can put your feet on in while doing bridges, or place it under your hips and lift your knees and feet up off the ground and then lower them one at a time. You can also lay on it on your stomach to release your psoas. I am thinking about doing a post about it because it seems like a lot of people have questions about it and have never heard of it!
Great list! I actually have all of them. I would really like to have a bosu ball at home!
It’s really great to have some options for at home workouts! Especially items that can make exercises more challenging.
I have all the things you mentioned except the coregeous ball. I’ve been working on my home gym for a long time – these days I either run or workout at home so I have added lots of pieces of equipment over the years.
That’s great- I also really enjoy being able to do some of my workouts at home. I hope to continue growing my home gym over the next few years!
I would love to purchase a stability ball for my home gym. Never done weight lifing before, but I like a lot of the stuff on this list (and some I haven’t heard) so I’ll give it a shot. Thanks for sharing Lisa!
I love the idea of having an iPad in your home gym. I usually haul my laptop downstairs to my home gym whenever I want to do a workout video but having an iPad would be so much more convenient. Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂