There is a great variety of activities that can constitute a workout. Essentially, if you can get your heart rate up and break a sweat, that can be considered a workout. For some, doing gentle stretches constitute a good workout; others prefer a more intense routine.
When it comes to home workouts, it’s worth remembering that your home isn’t a gym. This means that it’ll likely lack some of the heavy-duty fitness equipment you can commonly find in gyms. Also, when working out at home, you’re most likely to be unsupervised, unless you invite a personal trainer over.
Therefore, the best home workout for you will be the best kinds of exercises that you can still do at home, despite these limitations. Many fitness companies, noting the trend towards home-based workouts, are seizing the opportunity to create high-tech, interactive fitness equipment and apps that give you the sense of being in a gym without actually being in one. For example, the iFit system, which we will look at in detail below, offers workout programs with personal trainers who can automatically adjust the resistance and weights of your fitness machine.
Some people prefer home workouts that are more gentle. If you’re one of them, you can check out TRX, which uses hanging resistance bands to help you stretch and get fit. Another great home workout equipment that doesn’t put too much pressure on your joints is an elliptical machine, which Octane is a leader in producing.
If you’re into cutting-edge fitness equipment, there are a lot of good options. Mirror produces fitness equipment that are in the shape and design of a mirror; it functions as a mirror that you can also switch on digitally to begin your workouts. Tonal also utilizes this concept but takes it a step further by integrating weights-based fitness equipment into its design.
What No Home Fitness Equipment Exercises Can I Do At Home?
There are plenty of great exercises that you can do at home. The only limiting factors are the space you have in your home and the kinds of fitness equipment that you have around. That aside, you can get as creative as possible – just be sure to take all the necessary precautions to avoid injuries.
Let’s start with a few of the most basic exercises that you can do at home. These moves are really simple but can produce big results if done correctly and consistently. It does not require any gym equipment, so you can get started right away.
One of the exercises that you can easily do at home is lunges. This involves standing with your legs apart and bringing one leg to the ground at a time. This strengthens the muscles of your legs and back.
Another popular home exercise is the pushup. Start a plank position and bring your chest to the floor, and repeat as many times as you want. This strengthens your shoulders and chest muscles. Squats are also a great workout to do at home. This involves standing straight and pushing your hips back and bending your knees like you’re sitting on an imaginary chair. This strengthens your lower body and core muscles.
If you love yoga, then it is another exercise that can be easily done at home. All you need is to have a yoga mat, some comfortable, stretchy clothes, and you’re good to go. Yoga consists of a few main poses that can be done over and over again, such as the “downward-facing dog” pose and the “cobra” pose. If you prefer to have an instructor, you can log onto your favorite fitness app. Alternatively, you can search for yoga instructor videos on Youtube.
Can You Gain Muscle From Home Workouts?
There is a common misconception that you need to lift weights to gain muscle. Yes, you can indeed gain muscle from traditional weightlifting (provided that your technique is correct). However, you can equally gain muscle from bodyweight exercises that you can easily do at home.
It’s worth mentioning that many people do have weights at home. For example, you can easily purchase individual dumbbells at fitness stores. In addition, you can also purchase kettlebells, which also come in a variety of weights. Both these equipment are highly portable and will help you build muscle at home.
If you don’t have any weights at home, you can still build and gain muscle. A study has been conducted to compare bench-press exercises and push-ups. Essentially, the study has found that both these exercise methods are effective in building muscle. This is true when done consistently over an 8-week period.
Another study has looked at whether bodyweight workouts can result in muscle growth. The purpose of this study was to “remove the influence of an external load and determine if muscle growth can be elicited by maximally contracting through a full range of motion”. The question is could muscle be developed without weights?
The conclusion of the study stated that “muscle growth can occur independently of an external load provided there are enough muscle fibers undergoing mechanotransduction.” In other words, the muscle can be developed if you utilize it enough in your workout regardless of whether external weights are involved.
This means that you can build muscle with common home workouts such as push-ups and squats. The bigger question is about the number of repetitions you are willing to do. For example, a 40-rep push-up routine will be far more effective than if you were to only do 1 or 2 reps of the same exercise.
Here are 15 Best Brands for Home Fitness Equipment
Our goal with this directory is to help you find great brands that support your home workout! Regardless of your fitness level, there is something for everyone. In this list, you’ll find an incredibly diverse list of brands, all at the top of their game. Read on to find out more.
1. Total Gym FIT
“Total Gym FIT” is a great name for a home fitness equipment brand. It tells you exactly what the goal of the brand which is to create gym equipment that gets you totally fit. This brand made its TV debut 19 years ago, so it is one of the more established brands out there. It initially began as an idea to help people who are rehabilitating from physical injuries. Its namesake fitness machine, “Total Gym FIT”, is gentle on the body and caters to all fitness levels.
Eventually, the brand made the fitness machine available for everyone to purchase. It features 12 levels of resistance so that you can decide how much you want to push yourself and customize your workout. You can also use this gym equipment for over 85 exercises. When you purchase this product, you even get a lifetime warranty on the frame!
This brand has an endorsement from a celebrity that we all trust when it comes to fitness and strength – Chuck Norris. He was first introduced to this gym product over 30 years ago. He has called it his “lean, mean exercise machine.” If “Total Gym FIT” is good enough for the legendary Chuck Norris, what else are you waiting for?
2. Mirror
Do you sometimes wish that you could have a personal fitness coach training with you at home? Well, with this incredible fitness brand, you can. Mirror offers you an interactive workout tool in the form of a mirror – literally. You get a mirror that you can switch on and program your own workouts. A fitness coach will then appear in front of you in the mirror (like a reflection) to guide you in your workout.
This fitness equipment has almost every kind of workout you can imagine. For example, it has workouts like boxing, yoga, pre and postnatal care workouts, and pilates. This means that there’s something for everyone. You can even create your own customized music playlists so that you work out to the music you love.
The best part of this gym equipment is that it fits seamlessly in the smallest of apartments. It is a mirror, after all. You can easily check yourself in the mirror to ensure that your posture and movement are optimized.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fittest of them all?” With this innovative, futuristic fitness product, the answer could be you.
3. Echelon
Echelon produces a number of high-tech home gym equipment, one of the most popular ones being its Connect Bikes. Connect Bikes are stationary bikes that fit comfortably into any living room. It is described as “an immersive, at-home connected cycling experience.”
The bikes feature a screen on which you can watch world-class instructors help you achieve your best workout. You can also monitor or sync your workout performance with fitness apps such as Apple Health. This allows you to see your position on a leaderboard and challenge yourself to climb higher.
The screens for the bikes can be turned around the other way. This allows you to work out to exercises that do not utilize a bike. This means that with an Echelon membership, you can expand your workouts to include a variety of training methods, such as yoga, boxing, HIIT, and more.
Echelon also gives you access to a whole community of people with whom you can establish camaraderie and connection with. Workouts are always more rewarding when done in a community of like-minded people. In addition, Echelon allows you to work out to trending music; it has partnered with top record labels to bring you the latest music to work out to.
4. NordicTrack
NordicTrack is a fitness brand that includes world-class treadmills, bikes, elliptical, and strength machines. The main advantage of NordicTrack is that it has an interactive personal training system known as iFit. It is described as a system that “takes the guesswork out of your training”. It automatically adjusts the speed, incline, or resistance of your training machine, providing for a seamless workout experience.
Another aspect that sets iFit apart is that it features personal trainers in beautiful outdoor settings. For example, there are videos featuring stunning locations like New Zealand, Egypt, and Easter Island. Let your heart and mind wander to these amazing locations while you work out at home. These videos are also filmed to the highest standards, featuring wide-angle shots that capture the breadth of the beauty of the filming locales.
In addition to pre-recorded workouts, iFit also allows you to tune into live workouts. You can access these live workouts on your treadmill, bike, or the tablet version of the iFit app. Working out life allows you to feel the adrenaline of living in the moment. Like the recorded versions, live workouts also allow personal trainers to automatically adjust your machine. These live workouts also offer yoga, strength training, as well as recovery options.
5. BowFlex
BowFlex has a great tagline that sums up all our aspirations for our lives, “Be Fit For Life.” This company started in 1986. It began with the simple idea of developing innovative methods to bring gym-quality results into the home. This brand chose to skip over building conventional weight machines designed for a gym and instead focused on developing home gym equipment. The idea caught; people liked the idea of being able to save time from going to the gym and having to wait to use the equipment.
Ever since its founding, BowFlex has continued on its journey of innovation and has dedicated over 30 years to create home gym equipment that allows people to get fit more effectively from home. Bowflex’s mission is to “focus on creating machines that get you results as quickly and efficiently as possible, so you can get on with your day and live a healthier, happier, and better life.” It aims to be the gold standard in the fitness world.
Bowflex recognizes that home gym users come in all shapes and sizes, as well as fitness levels. This is why they have created a range of home fitness products that are suitable for all people. This includes comprehensive fitness products with incredible names, such as “Max Trainers”, “Lateralx”, and “Body Tower”. It has also won multiple awards, including the ISPO 2018 Award in the health and fitness category.
6. TRX
TRX stands for Total Resistance Exercises, which uses suspension bands for resistance-based workouts. It also has a fascinating history. It was created by Navy SEAL Squadron Commander Randy Hetrick while on deployment in 1997. Hetrick made the very first version of TRX with only a jiu-jitsu belt and parachute webbing. In 2001, he developed the first version of the TRX suspension trainer. It quickly became incredibly popular among athletes and fitness trainers.
TRX as a form of exercise soon spread all over the globe. By 2009, it had gained a million users in over 60 countries. Today, TRX suspension bands can be found in gyms large and small all around the world.
TRX utilizes only seven basic movements, which are: push, pull, plank, rotate, hinge, lunge, and squat. Dedicate some time to learn these moves from a certified instructor. Once you master them, you can mix and match these movements by yourself for a great workout. It has also been proven to be effective in burning fat, building strength, and improving heart health. It’s such an effective form of exercise that is used by professional athletes, MMA fighters, and the military.
Consider installing TRX suspension bands if you like this form of workout and if you have sufficient space in your home. These bands are really strong and can bear your full weight. Try them for a fun, functional workout.
7. ProForm
ProForm offers a variety of home workout equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, HIIT trainers, and rowers. Like NordicTrack, ProForm also offers subscription services to iFit. Just to recap, iFit offers a variety of workouts featuring trainers in various settings, including beautiful outdoor environments. The iFit programs also allow your trainer to take control of the settings of your workout equipment and adjust the resistance automatically.
What sets ProForm apart from other fitness brands is that it offers a 3-year iFit family membership. With this package, you don’t have to pay a downpayment to start using their fitness equipment. In other words, if you choose ProForm fitness equipment and sign up for a 3-year iFit family membership (which is $39/month), the equipment becomes yours after 3 years. This is an attractive option if you prefer to pay small amounts for your fitness needs over a longer period of time instead of coughing up a large sum at the point of purchase.
You can use the iFit app to choose and customize your workout. It is a system that is loved by fitness enthusiasts all over the world. A SMART HIIT Trainer user, Dawn H., has praised the iFit program, saying, “Love the workouts on iFit! When I can smile at the trainer’s encouragement, and actually feel happy during my workout, it is a wonderful thing.”
8. Octane
Sometimes when it comes to home fitness equipment, high-impact training isn’t always the best workout routine for you. While high-impact training can help you get your heart rate up and help you to lose weight, it can also lead to injuries. The knee joints are particularly vulnerable to injury from high-impact training.
Octane Fitness prides itself as being “the only manufacturer that focuses on zero-impact training.” To achieve this goal, Octane focuses on creating the best traditional, recumbent, and lateral elliptical machines. Elliptical machines are workout machines that allow users to do gentle exercises – such as walking, climbing, and running – with the goal of minimizing pressure on the joints.
Octane Fitness was founded in 2001 with the goal of creating “the best elliptical machines in the world.” Octane has revolutionized the standing elliptical category with multiple breakthroughs that are unique to their products. They are now a recognized global leader in manufacturing high-quality elliptical equipment.
Octane also caters to users who would like to have a more intense workout. For example, they have developed a HIIT program called Cross Circuit which combines cardio and strength intervals. They also have a free fitness app that allows users to customize their workouts and track progress. Octane’s commitment to fitness excellence has won them 125 Best Buy awards and satisfied customers from all around the world.
9. SoloStrength
SoloStrength is a total body workout system. This system allows users to bring home a workout setup that can easily fit into their living room. Examples of their products are the ‘Ultimate Doorway Gym’ and the ‘Ultimate Wall-Mounted Gym’. Both of these products have 39 adjustable height levels that allow you to have maximum range during your workouts. You can incorporate these workout equipment into the existing structures of your room to minimize the space that they take up.
A signature product of SoloStrength is their ‘Ultimate Freestanding Gym’. It comes with the main system, the main exercise bar, and a base. This product also comes with floor level adjusters so that you can achieve maximum stability during your workouts. You also have the option of putting counterweights over the back crossbar to stabilize against tipping.
SoloStrength’s home fitness equipment has a few advantages. First, they allow users to safely build lean muscle and strengthen joints and bones. Second, they come with 15-20 minute workout programs that are expertly curated. Third, you can use this fitness equipment together with other fitness products, such as TRX, Bosu, exercise balls, and other fitness accessories.
You can also gain free access to their Speedfit Training app, which is an online database of reference material, exercises, and complete training programs that is constantly updated.
10. Nautilus
Nautilus prides itself in continuing on the tradition of “producing gym-quality cardio and strength solutions for the home.” It has a range of home gym products, including upright bikes, recumbent bikes, treadmills, and ellipticals.
It is “widely considered to be the founder of the modern commercial gym.” In 1970, it revolutionized the fitness industry by incorporating the cam design across a variety of circuit training equipment. Today, it serves consumers via retails and focuses mainly on producing high-quality home gym equipment.
This brand wants its users to be fully equipped to drive their fitness performance to the next level. They have a full suite of cardio equipment for intense cross-training, running, or biking that users can choose from. It aims to be the go-to brand for athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts alike.
The company believes that “training at home doesn’t mean training alone”. They have produced an app that you can use to connect to your personal data, workout stats, virtual coaches, and training buddies. This app virtually puts a personal fitness coach by your side, who will keep you honest with your metrics and push you to perform at your very best. At Nautilus, it’s all about pushing your limits and seeing how far you can go.
11. Gaiam
Gaiam is a brand that produces high-quality, well-designed yoga, fitness, and wellness gear. The goal is to “share the joy of yoga with you, add balance to your life and ease your body and mind.”
Their most popular products remain their yoga mats. Yoga mats set themselves apart from their competitors due to their colorful, calming print that is printed on both sides of the mat. You can be assured that you’re sitting on a beautiful piece of art when you’re doing your yoga poses.
In addition, these yoga mats are lightweight and thick, meaning that they offer extra cushioning for your joints during your yoga routine. They also have a sticky and non-slip texture, allowing you to have a superior grip on the mat during your exercises. These yoga mats are also environmentally-friendly and healthier to use, being non-toxic and 6p free. You also get a free bonus downloadable yoga workout with each purchase of a yoga mat.
Besides yoga mats, Gaiam also offers yoga accessories, such as yoga blocks and puzzle foam tiles. Another popular category of products from Gaiam is its balance ball that comes equipped with its own balance ball chair. Balance balls are useful for stretching and strengthening your body. The balance balls from Gaiam come equipped with anti-burst technology (for up to 300 pounds) and include an air-pump for easy setup.
12. BalanceFrom
One of the most recent newcomers to the home fitness equipment space called BalanceFrom Fitness was founded in 2016. Since then, it has quickly become a leading domestic supplier of exercise and fitness products. These products are sold under various brands like Balance From, HulkFit, and Everyday Essentials. They can be found on Amazon and Walmart. Tens and thousands of Americans use their products daily.
Among their most popular products on Amazon is their “GoFit High-Density Treadmill Exercise Bike Equipment Mat” as well as their “GoYoga+ Yoga Mat”, both earning an average of 4.7 stars out of 5. The first product, the GoFit mat, protects your floor against damage from heavy-duty equipment (such as treadmills or exercise bikes). They can absorb vibrations and reduce noise caused by all kinds of equipment. These mats do not bleed onto the carpet and are easily cleaned with a damp cloth and designed to prevent machines from moving around.
The second product, the GoYoga+ mat, comes with a regular mat as well as a knee pad. It has also double-sided non-slip surfaces, which can prevent slipping injuries. The mats are incredibly resilient and have moisture resistant technology which makes them durable enough to be washed with water and soap. These mats also come with easy strapping to enable you to carry them wherever you go with ease.
13. Perfect Fitness
Perfect Fitness is meant to be for every one of your current fitness levels. You might be someone who’s just starting out on your fitness journey, or you might be a veteran athlete looking to push your fitness level higher – all are welcome.
Perfect Fitness was founded by Alden Mills a veteran Navy Seal and he was chosen to study why the Seals suffered high injury rates. Mills discovered that high injury rates were linked to outdated training methods. He then set on a mission to create a functional training method that would maximize results, but more importantly, minimize injuries.
The Perfect Pushup was created in 2006. It was simply the traditional pushup routine but with additional support from their equipment. It has sold more than 6 million units since this product was launched. Today, Perfect Fitness has expanded its range of product offerings to include products that focus on the entire body.
Their product range now includes products to help you perform movements such as push, pull, and strengthen. The products from Perfect Fitness are relatively small and they were not designed to take up a lot of floor space. In other words, they function more like fitness accessories as opposed to fitness equipment. When used correctly, you’d be surprised at how these small products can achieve big results, when used correctly.
14. Everlast
Everlast is a brand that has built a great reputation in the world of boxing. It is the “global leader in authentic boxing, MMA and fitness-related sporting goods, equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories.”
In other words, they offer one of the most diverse ranges of fitness products – if you want something, Everlast probably sells it. Let’s look at one of their more popular boxing-related products, the “Everstrike Training Gloves.” These gloves are really versatile, making them ideal for MMA training that allows easy transition from cardio workouts to heavy bag training or mitt work. Gloves are made of premium synthetic leather and cushioned foam. This way it allows the impact of strikes to be dissipated, keeping your hands and knuckles safe.
Another unique boxing-related product offering from Everlast is their “EVA Sauna Suit”. Boxers sometimes need to lose a large amount of water weight in order to qualify for their weight category during their weigh-ins, and this product helps them to do so. The sauna suit traps body heat and keeps muscles loose. It is made of top quality materials that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
Everlast also features a whole host of other fitness products, including jump ropes, gym bags, and fitness clothing.
15. Tonal
Tonal is being touted as “the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer.” This product is a smart mirror with fitness equipment attached to it. You can alternatively describe it as fitness equipment with a smart mirror attached to it. The technology is so cutting-edge that it is something you have to see to believe.
It allows you to receive customized personal training from the smart mirror, while you make use of the attached fitness equipment to complete your workout. This system is “intelligent” because Tonal can adjust your weights in real-time according to your initial strength assessment. In other words, it functions very much like an in-person fitness coach. You just need to follow the instructions, and Tonal will handle the increase in weights, resistance, and intensity. You can then check your real-time progress on its app on your phone.
One of the things about traditional weightlifting is that if you’re attempting to lift a weight that is heavier than what you’re used to. You will want to have someone on standby. This is in case you fail to lift the weight and injure yourself. This can sometimes discourage people from challenging themselves if they’re alone at the gym. Tonal solves this problem by sensing when you’re struggling when weightlifting and automatically reduces the weight. This way, you can finish your set without external assistance. Problem solved!