Home gym on a budget: Best deals on home gym essentials

Spring is here, which means it’s time up your focus on fitness. If you’ve spent any time scrolling social media (guilty!) you’ve probably seen/been inspired by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s late-night posts from his epic home gym. Johnson calls his home gym “The Iron Paradise” and it is exactly that.  

But if there’s anything all that at-home working out in recent years taught us, is you can get a great work out at home without having a celebrity-sized gym. In fact, a home gym filled with affordable essentials is completely within your reach thanks to the following deals.

Things to consider when shopping for your home gym

Stressing over what gear to buy for your home gym? Don’t worry — here’s what you need to know.

Consider your workout goals

Before you do anything, assess your fitness goals. If you’re looking to bulk up and get strong, you’ll need entirely different equipment than if you’re training for a marathon.

We like: Workout Log for Women & Men on Amazon. It’s tough to set goals and track them with no place to write them down. We like having a separate space to jot down workout progress that isn’t in our phone, which tends to beckon us to emails and other distractions like… say, not working out at all.  

Workout Log for Women & Men, $11 (reduced from $13)

$13 on Amazon

Assess how much space you have for your home gym

Make sure to measure your space and any equipment before you press “add to cart.” For bigger equipment like treadmills and elliptical machines, allow for enough space around the equipment so you can get safely on and off. For weightlifters, consider how much area that bench or rack needs before you bring it home.

We like: Nordic Track’s Free Stride Training Elliptical, which reviewers love for its smaller size than comparable machines. The amazing sale price was a winner with us.

Nordic Track FS10 elliptical, $1,299 (reduced from $1,999)

$1300 from Nordic Track

Set a budget before you purchase your gym equipment

Set a budget and make a list of the items you hope to buy before you start ordering your new gym equipment. Also consider whether or not you’ll need help assembling any larger equipment.

We like: The DB Method Perfect Squat Machine. Easy to store, DB Method’s squat machine makes every day legs and glutes day without the expense of multiple machines and free weights.

The DB Method Perfect Squat Machine, $329

$329 on Amazon

Last, and possibly most important: will you use it?  

That recumbent bike may look cool in the catalog, but if you don’t actually use your new home gym equipment, it’ll quickly become an expensive clothes hanger. Save some cash and take a moment to think about what you’ll actually use versus what you hope to use.

We like: Teeter FitForm Home Gym Strength Trainer. Teeter’s all-in-one low-impact body resistance system is easy to use and hits a lot of body parts without a lot of equipment or space.  The in-home app can help you feel like you’ve got your own personal trainer. The $100 savings is a really sweet bonus.

Teeter Fit Form Home Gym Strength Trainer, $299 (reduced from $399)

$299 on Amazon

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Cardio on a budget: treadmills and more

One of the most common methods of getting your cardio in at home is running (or walking) on a treadmill. When it comes to treadmills, stability and support are key here and well worth a higher price.  We looked for treadmills that were reliable, easy to assemble, and can endure all the miles you’ll put in. 

Why we chose the Sunny Health & Fitness Smart Treadmill: We liked the easy assembly and reliability of this treadmill, not to mention the price. It comes with a lot bells and whistles, including incline features, Bluetooth, pulse monitor and phone function, while still being affordable and easy to maintain.

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7515 Smart Treadmill, $500 (reduced from $529)

$500 on Amazon

More top-rated treadmills to consider at home

Nordic Track T Series treadmill, $1,299

$1,299 on Amazon

XTERRA Fitness TRX3500 Folding treadmill, $940

$940 on Amazon

Cardio equipment to use from home: elliptical

If treadmill running or walking isn’t your thing, there are still plenty of ways to get your cardio in at home. We like the workout we get on ellipticals, but the machines can often be bulky and take up a lot of space.

If you’re looking for an elliptical that gives max bang-for-the-buck, Sole delivers. The unique foot pedals, which have an inward slope, were designed to reduce knee and knee stress. 

Sole E35 elliptical, $1,100 (reduced from $2,000) 

$1,100 on Amazon

We also like the reliability and price points of these bikes

Schwinn Fitness Airdyne Bike Series, $1,099

$1,099 on Amazon

Merach Recumbent Exercise Bike with Bluetooth, $230 after coupon (reduced from $280)

$230 on Amazon

Shop more home gym cardio

Lack of motivation is one of the top reasons fitness enthusiasts don’t achieve their goals. Battle boredom by switching up how you do cardio. We like the price and the (relatively) quiet pull of Sunny Healthy’s Rower, which rated well with users or all ages. The ease of assembly was icing on the (low-cal) cake.

Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine Rower with LCD Monitor, $205 (reduced from $399)

$205 on Amazon

Not looking for a rower? Shake up your treadmill or bike routine with a climber or at-home rebounder.

Jump Sport Fitness Rebounder, $269

$269 on Amazon

MaxiClimber XL-2000 Hydraulic Resistance Vertical Climber, $399

$399 on Amazon

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At-home resistance workouts: weights, racks and more

If space allows a full weight set with squat bench and rack is ideal, but there are a lot of affordable ways to get the same affect if you don’t have the space for a “The Rock”-worthy setup.  

Why we chose Sunny Healthy’s squat and row machine: Full disclosure, its price first caught our attention. But we did the research and love the functionality. We also like how little space this machine takes, while still giving a major lower body workout. 

Sunny Health & Fitness Squat Assist Row-N-Ride Trainer, $125

$125 on Amazon

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Garage gym weight lifting: Major Lutie Full-Function Power Cage

Whether you have a teen who’s jumped on the bulking trend made popular by social media influencers, or you realize the value of resistance training, you’ll want to consider a rack and cable set up. We like Major Lutie’s offerings, which boast a lot of options within an approachable price point. The set up on a power cage may require more than one person. Weights, bar and clips not included.

Major Lutie Multi-Function Power Cage, $710 (reduced from $760)

$710 on Amazon

More racks and cages to consider for your garage gym

Titan Fitness T-2 Series Power Rack, $420

$420 on Amazon

VANSWE Power Cage With LAT Pulldown Attachment, $475 after coupon (reduced from $500)

$475 on Amazon

Fitness Reality Squat Rack Power Cage, $295

$295 on Amazon

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Bumper plates, bars, benches on a budget

That killer rack you just purchased won’t do you much good without the right gear. Not all weights, benches and bars are created equal. 

Weight plates generally come with a one-inch opening (standard) or two-inch opening (Olympic weight). When purchasing a bar, consider the sizing of your plates before purchasing a bar that may not fit your plate’s opening.

AMGYM Olympic Bumper Plate Set

Individual weight and plates can get expensive quickly, especially as you build strength and want to add weight. We chose a 160-pound weight set, which is a great for those who want approachable weight they can build on.  Note, opening is two inches.

AMGYM Color Olympic Bumper Plate 160 lb. set, $260 (reduced from $380)

$260 on Amazon

Papababe Olympic Bar 7-Foot Solid Chrome Barbell, $90 after coupon (reduced from $130)

$90 on Amazon

Spring Barbell Clips Collars (2 pcs.), $10

$10 on Amazon

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Affordable home gym benches and free weights

When choosing a bench for your home gym, look for an adjustable bench that will suit all the various weight workouts you’ll take on. We liked that Flybird’s bench was made from high-quality materials knowing it would likely take a beating day to day.

Flybird Adjustable Bench, $115 after coupon (reduced from $140)

$115 on Amazon

More affordable weight benches

Pasyou Adjustable Weight Bench, $93 (reduced from $110)

$93 on Amazon

Flybird Heavy-Duty Weight Bench, $240 after coupon (reduced from $270)

$240 on Amazon

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Shop affordable free weights for your home gym

When it comes to free weights, personal preference comes into play.  We suggest hex-shaped barbells to prevent rolling with an ergo handle to maximize grip strength, which will come to play when lifting the heavier weights. 

*Pro shopping tip:  Some weights come as a single, some as a set.  Read the description to make sure you’re not buying just one if you’re looking for a pair of weights.

Cap Coated Hex Dumbbell Weights, from $13

Check stock now on Amazon

More free weights to consider

Neoprene Coated Hex Shaped Dumbbell Hand Weight (set of 2), from $18

From $18 on Amazon

CAP Barbell 150 lb. Dumbbell Set with Rack, $190 (reduced from $250)

$190 on Amazon

Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell Hand Weights (1 pc.), from $34 (reduced from $35)

from $34 on Amazon

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