Perhaps you have a tiny space and can’t fit bulky gym equipment in your space, or you are looking to spice up your workout session with a set of new tools. Whatever the case may be for you, these small home gym equipment will take up a small space in your home or garage gym, bring new life to your training sessions, and help you achieve your fitness goals in diverse ways.
Here are the 20 Best Small Home Gym Equipment for your Home or Garage Gym
- BodyBoss 2.0 Portable Gym
- Ab Wheel
- Ankle Weights
- Resistance Bands
- Resistance band loops
- Pushup bars
- Weighted Vest
- Speed Rope
- Adjustable Kettlebell
- Adjustable Dumbbells
- Compact Elliptical Machine
- Sliders
- Foam Roller
- Pullup bar
- Medicine Ball
- Yoga Mats
- Step platform
- Suspension Trainer System
- Gym Rings
- Mini Exercise ball
1. BodyBoss 2.0 Portable Gym
If you can’t fit a power rack, barbell, and plates set in your space, the BodyBoss 2.0 Portable Gym is the best option out there. It is the world’s first-ever portable gym that makes it possible to perform gym exercises like barbell press, lats, dumbbell curls, single-leg deadlifts, squats, reverse lunges, and so much more.
Surprisingly, it’s very portable and can even fit under your bed. You can take it along with you while you travel as well. This is an excellent product by all standards. However, it takes some getting used to. Let me explain.
If you are comfortable with using regular dumbbells, barbells, or power racks, it will not feel the same initially when you start using the BodyBoss. But with the help of comprehensive videos made by the Manufacturer and individuals who use this equipment, you can get up to speed and comfortable using it in no time.
2. Ab Wheel
Ab wheel exercises are considered as some of the challenging exercises you can perform. It may look easy to watch someone do it, but trust me, it’s far from that. These exercises strengthen your core and perfectly shape your abs. If you are looking to level up your training session, the Ab wheel is an excellent tool.
The Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro Roller is the best Ab Wheel on the market right now for a couple of reasons. Unlike other ab wheels, the Ab Carver Pro has wider wheels, which keeps you stable during your workout. Meaning you don’t have to put in an effort to balance your body but focus solely on the exercise. The handles are also very comfortable to hold and can be detached for secure storage. The package also comes with a kneepad for support during a workout.
3. Ankle Weights
Although not one of the most common small home gym equipment out there, the ankle weight is excellent for any exercise that involves your leg. The extra pounds provided by the ankle weight helps build muscle mass on your glutes and calves.
If you are into exercises like pilates, jogging, single-leg deadlifts, lateral lunges, Bulgarian split squat, banded hip thruster, calf raises, or any other activity that involves leg motion, you should have an ankle weight.
4. Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are one of the most versatile fitness tools out there. Regardless of how useful they are, they take up less to no space at all. Do you need to have one of these? Short answer: Yes! Their use cases are endless, literally. They are great for leg and glute exercises like squats and prone leg curls. They can even be used arm exercises like bicep curls and concentration. No matter your fitness goal, resistance bands will fit perfectly in your workout sessions.
5. Mini Resistance – Loop bands
This works the same as the type described above. However, this has no handle. Its design makes it ideal for exercises like standing kickbacks, squats, single-leg bridge lifts, and many more. Usually, when you purchase, it comes in different resistant levels, and each colored differently for easy identification. The mini resistance bands are easy to carry around as well because of how small they are.
6. Pushup bars
If bodyweight exercise is your thing, then push up bars are for you. They are great for many reasons. Firstly, they are lightweight and don’t take up space. You can even fit it in your backpack and take it with you.
Also, if you do a lot of pushups, you begin to feel pains in your wrists after a while. Pushup bars solves that problem. Your hands, wrists, and forearm all align when using a pushup bar. Working out with these bars is much more challenging than regular pushups, which means more muscle mass.
7. Weighted Vest
The weighted vest is a piece of gym equipment for adding resistance to your core. Adding more weight to your core means your exercises will be a lot more challenging. Whether you are doing pullups, pushups, jogging, or jumping ropes, weighted vests are a great way to turn the difficulty up a notch. They will increase your overall strength and performance over time, and I highly recommend it.
8. Speed Rope
Jumping ropes remains one of the best forms of cardio exercise. If you want to burn some serious calories, you should consider the speed rope. Not only are they great for losing weight, but they also improve your breathing efficiency, improves your health and coordination, and make your overall fit. Jumping ropes can actually be fun to do sometimes.
And the great thing about speed rope is you can take it with you wherever you go. They are lightweight and very portable. Personally, this will be one of my top five small home gym equipment. That’s because I love to have a five-minute jump rope session before taking a shower.
9. Adjustable Kettlebells
If you are serious about gaining muscle and having a gorgeous muscle tone, you should definitely add a kettlebell in your training session. Kettlebell exercises will make you stronger, much more flexible, and improve your coordination.
With the adjustable kettlebell options in the market, you’ll save a ton of space in your home or garage gym. It’s great for students in a dorm room or even those who work out in their living room.
10. Adjustable Dumbbells
The dumbbell is definitely a must for anyone building a home or garage gym. They can be used for so many exercises and train different muscle groups. For people looking to gain muscles, or people in recovery, or individuals looking to burn some calories; the dumbbell is an excellent choice for you. It is one of the essentials of a home gym
The adjustable options fit several weights into one, and with just a turn of a dial, you can select how many pounds you want your dumbbells to weigh
11. Compact Elliptical Machine
Elliptical machine exercise is one of my favorite exercises. They are excellent for boosting stamina. Training with the elliptical machines are considered as cardiovascular exercises, so you will get your heart pumping after every session. If your goal is to lose weight, the elliptical machine is highly recommended for you. Its benefits far exceed what has been discussed here. I kept it short because that’s not the point of this article.
A compact version is a good option for anyone who doesn’t have enough space to store bulky equipment. They work just as good as their bigger versions.
12. Sliders
Sliders are another option for mainly exercising your core and improving your balance. There have been several exercises that have been developed around this tool. And the size is very small that it can fit in your backpack while you travel or go to the gym. To add more variety to your workout, you can add slider exercises to your ab wheel exercises. They achieve the same purpose but with a slightly different approach.
13. Foam Roller
Foam rolling is a great way to recover from pains and stress after a workout session. They ease sore muscles on any part of the body that it is used on. Studies also show that they can improve your flexibility and range of motion. Foam rolling can be your warm-up routine before you start exercising, and a recovery exercise after you are done with your sets. They don’t take up so much space, and they are dirt cheap.
14. Pullup bar
One of my favorite exercises is the pullup exercise. It is one of the few exercises I got started with when I had not built my home gym yet. I used the dry lines at my backyard to do at least four times a week. Pull-up is one of the best ways to improve the strength of your back muscles, shoulder and arm muscles, and overall fitness.
Times have changed, and now we can install pullup bars on our doorways, and they are as effective as those at commercial gyms.
They will take up just a little space in your home. One thing to note about these doorway pullup bars is, if you are very tall, you might find it inconvenient to use. That’s because your hanging position might get your knee on the floor. Most people will not face this problem, though.
15. Medicine Ball
Medicine ball is an excellent addition to any gym these days. Initially, doctors recommended it to injured patients who are recovering; now, they have been adopted by fitness enthusiasts and gyms everywhere. Not only does the medicine ball help with coordination and balance, but it also builds your strength over time.
They are also excellent for strengthening your core and building abs
The medicine ball will take up just a little space in your room, and they are enjoyable to exercise with.
16. Yoga Mats
Yoga Mats is not what you will call gym equipment, but it is a vital accessory that facilitates effective workout. They protect you from injuries, turns rough surfaces smooth, and gives you a better grip of the floor during an exercise.
The non-slip material used for making yoga mats will save you in situations where you will usually slip and fall. I have one of these, which I use for pushups. And once I’m done, I just roll it and put it in the corner of my room. If you own a home or garage gym, check out our post on the best gym mats and flooring options.
17. Aerobic Step Platform
Step aerobic exercise has gained popularity over time. These exercises are high-intensity cardio exercises that target your legs, core, upper body, and make you overall fit and healthy. With a step platform, you are able to adjust the height of the step. That is a great way to increase the intensity of your workout. The higher you step, the harder it becomes.
The aerobic step platform, although not the smallest home gym equipment, it does not occupy much space. It will fit under your bed, which makes it convenient for students in dorm rooms. Aerobic step exercises have, over the years, become a community-based workout routine. So chances are, you might find a community in your to exercise with, making it more fun and enjoyable.
18. Suspension Trainer System
Suspension training has been around for quite a while. It was developed by a navy seal as a way to remain fit even at remote locations. But now, it has been adopted by all fitness enthusiasts, both beginners and experts. Here is a huge list of exercises which can be done with the suspension trainer
Suspension training makes use of bands which are hanged to a power rack, to engage all muscles with your bodyweight. There are lots of exercises which can be done with the suspension trainer. If you own a power rack in your home or garage gym, the suspension trainer system is an excellent way to make use of your suspension bar. You can also hang the suspension trainer on a doorway pullup bar discussed above if you own one.
19. Gym Rings
Gym rings are similar to the suspension trainer system but have different use cases. Calisthenics lovers prefer gym rings because of the diverse ways you can use them. It builds your upper body muscle while increasing your strength and endurance.
You can take your gym rings with you anywhere. As longs as you get a bar to hang it on, you are good to go.
20. Mini Exercise ball
The exercise ball is an excellent small home gym equipment for several reasons. First, if the demands of your work require you to sit for a lot of hours, the exercise ball is superb gym equipment for learning proper posture, so you avoid back pains and spine problems. Also, it is an excellent way to build your core strength.
The normal-sized exercise ball is bulky to be considered a small home gym equipment, but the mini version isn’t. They work the same way, and you are not missing out on anything when you get the smaller version.
Editor’s Pick: Top 5 Small Home Gym Equipment
Yes, I get it. Twenty is an overwhelming number, and there is no way you can get all of this equipment. Practically it doesn’t make sense because some of these tools achieve the same purpose but in a slightly different way.
As the editor, I’ll narrow down this list to the top 5 space saving gym equipment. If I am to choose five out of the twenty equipment listed, it will be
Conclusion
If you don’t have a garage or an extra room at home to set up your gym, I recommend these small home gym equipment. Not only will they save you space, but you can also take most of them along with you while you travel. Never miss out on your workout routine when you are on the road.
