4 Must-Haves for Your Home Gym

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I’ll be 100 % Honest, the only MUST HAVE for a Home Gym is…You. All you TRULY need is your body and the motivation to work out.

However, these bits and pieces help out as well:

1. Cardio Equipment – I’m almost hesitant to put this on the list since as long as you have two functioning legs you can go for a walk, jog or run outside with no equipment necessary, BUT, for those in cold climates or who prefer to workout in doors. Cardio equipment is necessary. I use a bike indoors and jog outdoors. You can purchase a treadmill, elliptical trainer, stepper or stationary bike.
   
2. Exercise Mat – You will need this for doing floor exercises and most ab work. You can substitute two towels for a mat, but a proprietary workout mat, or nonstick yoga mat for hardwood or tile floors is a good and inexpensive investment.
   
3. Dumbells – You can determine the weight you’ll need by your fitness level. But I’d suggest 3lb., 5lb., and 10lb. to start. Most strength training moves will require dumbbells, however, to start, using just your body weight is absolutely fine.
   
4. Stability Ball – I am still unsure why they don’t call this an instability ball, but you’ll be able to use this for lots of core work, variations of various strength training moves and to do ab work on as well.

These items are the essentials of a functional home gym. What other items do you have in your home gym?