Versatile gym equipment you should consider for your home

Covid restrictions has many Victorians without a gym, and without an end to this madness in site. I thought id write a short blog on versatile equipment that you should consider buying if you wanted to invest in a home gym, as we head into the second six months of this pandemic. The equipment listed is based on “bang for your buck” meaning the equipment that you can do the most exercises with the most limited space and equipment.

The following pieces of equipment will have you being able to squat, hinge, lunge, push (overhead and horizontal), pull (overhead and horizontal), fly (anterior and posterior), resist, twist, flex and sideband. This pretty much covers all of the fundamental patterns, and can aid in a decent training experience without having you waste a heap of money on equipment that lacks the ability to do more than one thing.

1. A barbell and some weights
   
   A barbell without a doubt is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can buy, as you can train both your upper and lower body at sufficient intensities with limited equipment. You can get a cheap barbell starting at around 200 for olympic specifications, with good quality ones costing around $400 and upwards.

2. Gymnastics rings
   
   Whilst gymnastics rings may have a larger learning curve than barbell motions, they pretty much can add load to any movement pattern for the upper body. You can do some isolation movements for the lower body too on gymnastics rings, however they lack the versatility of a barbell for lower body motions. Personally I picked up mine from eBay for $80.

3. A landmine / torsinator
   
   Landmines are quite cheap (starting at around 50 dollars) and can provide the ability to turn your barbell into almost a dumbbell. The benefit being you get in some quality single arm or leg movements whilst not having to fork out extra money on dumbbells.

4. A squat rack
   
   Yes, I know you are thinking these may be expensive, however you can pick up cheap ones for around 3-400 dollars. The main thing to add versatility to a squat rack would be an overhead bar, that you can do pull ups or attach gymnastics rings to this, without needing too much space. If you can’t afford a rack, if you have a barbell you may be able to do barbell squats from two bins that are even (if you are at the right height for them), or from a landmine.

5. An adjustable bench
   
   This speaks for themselves, and gives you a platform to perform upper body motions from. Personally id avoid cheap and nasty ones, as if you want to load up a heavy bench press you do not want the thing falling apart on you. You can pick up great quality ones for around $350. 

If you are lucky, you may be able to find the above equipment on gumtree, Facebook marketplace or eBay for cheaper, however you may be lucky enough to complete a versatile, space saving home gym for around 1.5-2k. Whilst this may not be financially viable for some, it is a one time investment that will save money and time long term.