I get many questions about what would be best to buy if a person were to set up a mini-home gym. My suggestion is to go with a free weight set up and possibly get a TRX. I would get a power cage, Olympic bar with a bit of plate weight and a few sets of dumb bells. If space is very limited, my suggestion would be to get the ‘select-a-weight’ set of dumb bells that go from 5-50 lbs. You’ll also need a sturdy bench, preferably one that can be inclined as well. The power cage is ideal for bench pressing, squatting, rowing, deadlifting, using for pull ups or hanging your TRX. It’s the most versatile piece of equipment and you don’t have to worry about cables or angles of pull as you would with other pieces of equipment.
You will definitely want some direction from a certified personal trainer so that you feel comfortable using the equipment at home, so make sure you invest in a few sessions at the start. It may not seem like it’s a necessity, but, believe me, you’ll be so happy that you got some direction on proper form/technique to avoid potential injury and to maximize your training time and results. After all, you’d be getting a home gym to save time, why waste any with ineffective programming or possibly injuring yourself?
