In the morning before work Home Gym, during your lunch break or in the evening after you've finished all the chores you had to do: whatever time you train, your sports routine is well established. There's nothing to stop you from achieving your goals, especially with our free training programmes for beginners, for defined muscles or for ultimate muscle development.
But what if you can't make it to the home gym? You don't have to do without your workout: your home can easily be transformed into a home gym, without sacrificing your wallet. All you need are these seven tools and an extra dose of motivation.
1 - A mat
Whatever your objective, whether you're focusing on strength training or endurance, your home gym needs a sports mat. Don't hesitate to invest in a high-quality mat, because a slippery surface can quickly deprive you of the pleasure of sport.
In general, you can choose between yoga mats and fitness mats. Yoga mats are thinner and, in principle, more slip-resistant. Fitness mats are often made of foam plastic and are therefore thicker and softer. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. For positions such as the plank, a fitness mat may be more comfortable for your joints. However, if you don't have any problems, we recommend that you use a yoga mat, as you won't sink into it and so you'll have better support: you'll find it easier to perform exercises such as lunges and standing balances. After your session, simply roll it up to save space and store it in a cupboard or under your bed.
2 - Weights
When you want to build muscle, you have several options in your home gym. If you're just starting out in bodybuilding, you can quickly get results without equipment, with bodyweight exercises. We've already summarised the best bodyweight exercises for building muscle.
But there comes a time when you need to define a new training stimulus: that's where weights come in. You can, of course, equip your Home Gym with dumbbells or kettlebells, but you can also use what you already have at home. A full bottle of water will be enough to make your shoulders burn during military training. Carry a backpack full (of tin cans, for example) in front of your chest to turn your squats into Front Squats. With a toolbox or water pack, you can perform deadlifts that challenge your hamstrings. As you can see, you don't need to spend a lot to expose your body to an intense stimulus.
3 - A skipping rope
What do professional boxers and your little nephews and nieces have in common? They all love that cardio equipment you've known since school. Thanks to it, you improve your endurance and really work up a sweat, even at home. We're talking (obviously) about the skipping rope. Not only does it get you fit, it also works your core and leg muscles and your coordination. It's suitable for all levels and challenges beginners and professionals alike, with countless jumping variations. To find out more about skipping, click here.
4 - Furniture
Using a weight bench as decoration in your living room is certainly a matter of taste. If you don't want to put aside your sofa and table in favour of sports equipment, that's not a problem - on the contrary, you can easily use it. It's ideal for doing elevated push-ups or warming up your gluteal muscles with Bulgarian squats (with one foot on the sofa or table). You can find a complete workout on the sofa here.
5 - A massage roller
Every good workout includes a cool-down, even a short one. Do you like to skip it after a session at the Home Gym because the drive home is beckoning? It's great that you're training in your own living room, because you can avoid that tedious return journey and devote that freshly-earned time to recovery with your massage roller. Your muscles will thank you, especially with our Recovery Aminos as a reward!
6 - A stopwatch
In many home sessions, particularly HIIT training, you work over a set period of time, not by repetition. In order to be able to concentrate fully on the exercises, without constantly looking at the little hand on your watch, a stopwatch will be useful for setting intervals or a countdown before the workout and for alerting you with a sound when it's time to change exercises or take a break. There are digital watches that allow you to do this, but you can also simply download one of the many applications capable of doing so onto your smartphone or tablet.
7 - The perfect post-workout
The biggest advantage of working out at Home Gym? You can reward your muscles with a creamy protein shake just after a session! Our Whey Protein* is easy to carry around in your shaker or gym bag, but it's even tastier when freshly made and sipped on the sofa.
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