Challenge yourself and your daily workout with these 5 pieces of at-home workout equipment.
While the gyms may have opened back up again, you might have gotten used to your new at-home workout routine. To continue making headway on your fitness goals, pull the car out of the garage or push back the couch to create a home workout space. Below are five inexpensive pieces of gym equipment you can easily store at home that will increase the intensity of your at-home workouts.
Slip one of these small resistance bands around your ankles, quads, or knees and you will notice a definite uptick in the intensity of your lower body exercises. They help target the smaller muscle groups in your legs and will tone your whole lower body during squats, banded walks, or bridges.
Maybe you think push ups are hard enough. Maybe you can use a little challenge. How about adding in some push up bars to increase your depth by six inches? You will feel your chest, triceps, back, and abs strive to reach lower, balance, and push back up. The bars also help anyone with wrist pain as they take away much of the pressure you would normally place on your wrists.
This 10-pound medicine ball can push you to your limits while you twist into your sit-ups and sit into your squats. You can also toss the med ball to a workout buddy or slam it down on the ground for powerful ab and glute exercises. While 10 pounds may not seem like a lot, that weight grows on you during each exercise and strengthens and conditions your targeted muscle group quickly.
Drop low into a deadlift, rock backward and forward in your kettlebell swings, and twist deeply into your mason twists with this single-handed weight. You can choose between an array of sizes—the heavier ones work better for deadlifts with lower reps and the lighter ones will work better for arm and shoulder exercises with higher reps. I prefer the competition kettle bells because the size of each kettle bell stays the same no matter the weight. This assists your form and helps you increase your weight when you are ready.
Push your core strength and flexibility to the max with these small, yet effective glider discs. You will increase the challenge of your mountain climbers as you work against your own body weight to stabilize or glide. The double-sided facet of these discs also make them applicable for any floor type—from hardwood to carpet.
**Need help developing your at-home workout routine? Check out these ideas and tips for challenging and dynamic workouts!