Essential Equipment for Building Your Home Gym From Scratch
A practical guide to home gym equipment, starting with budget-friendly kettlebells and dumbbells and scaling up to bigger investments.
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There’s a little game I like to play sometimes, and it seems to be popular with other folks who tend to work out at home: What equipment would I buy if I were starting a new home gym from scratch? You can also play the advanced version: If you already have (insert common items here), what would you buy next?
What follows are my picks for anybody starting a new home gym or looking to expand the one they have—whether that means a corner of your bedroom or a full-on garage-based weightlifting paradise. I’ll start with space- and budget-friendly items, then move on to some bigger-ticket buys.
Kettlebells
If I had to put together a home gym from scratch, I think I would start with two kettlebells: one light enough to strict press or snatch, and one heavy enough to make swings and goblet squats challenging. For a beginner, that might be a 25-pound kettlebell and a 50-pound kettlebell; if you’re stronger, obviously go heavier. The basic cast iron type is usually cheapest, while the colorful competition style kettlebells feel a bit nicer. I also have a guide to buying your first (or next) kettlebell.
If I had a smidge of extra cash, I’d buy them as adjustable kettlebells, like these here, so they could get heavier as I got stronger. Competition-style adjustables are by far the best kind, since they keep the same smooth shape no matter what weight you load them to. This lets you do cleans, presses, and snatches, rather than limiting you to swings.
Dumbbells
After securing your adjustable kettlebell, I’d move on to adjustable dumbbells. Dumbbells are a great way to lift weights at home. They’re smaller than a barbell, less specialized than a set of kettlebells, and you can do a ton of different workouts with them.
As with kettlebells, you’ll need to decide if you want to get a few pairs at specific fixed weights (cheaper to start) or go for a pricier adjustable set. Rubber hex dumbbells are the best bet if you want a selection of dumbbells you can just grab and use without adjusting. But if space is at a premium, be sure to check out this guide to the best adjustable dumbbell sets for your home gym before making a decision.