Working out in the comfort of your own home trumps heading to the gym when it comes to convenience, time efficiency, and privacy. And, rather than be subjected to the music, temperature, and vibe of a big gym, you’re able to fully customize the environment of your home workout space according to your preferences, fitness goals, and needs.
- Exercise Bike: Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycle
- Dumbbells: NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbell Pair
- Yoga Mat: Clever Yoga Set
- Resistance Bands: Chareada Resistance Bands Set
- All-In-One: Tempo Studio
- Weight Bench: Marcy Flat Utility Bench
- Suspension Training: TRX All In One Home Gym Bundle
- Treadmill: ProForm SMART Pro 5000 Treadmill
- Power Tower: Zenova Power Tower With Dip Bar
- Rowing Machine: Hydrow Live Outdoor Reality Rowing Machine
- Boxing System: FightCamp Boxing
- Stability Ball: ProBody Pilates Anti-Burst Exercise Ball
However, if you want the functionality and options you get at the gym, you have to invest the money and space to equip your home workout space with the exercise equipment you need. The good news is that the increasing popularity of working out at home in recent years has driven an explosion of high-quality, commercial-grade home exercise equipment with functionality and features that rival what you get with a hefty gym membership fee. With such a wide range of options available, you can outfit your home gym with all your favorite exercise equipment and have varied, challenging, and effective workouts in the comfort of your own home.
Below, we share our recommendations for the best home exercise equipment for men in 2022 so that you can get killer workouts from the comfort of your own living room no matter where you are on your fitness journey.
Related Reading
Exercise Bike: Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycle
Though the Peloton bike may be more of a household name, the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycle certainly rivals the Peloton and comes with a much lower price tag. This quality indoor cycle uses high-quality magnetic resistance with 100 possible levels so you can fine-tune your effort with precision. It includes a Bluetooth-compatible heart rate monitor, which allows you to gauge your exertion and record stats about your workout. The bike is compatible with apps like Peloton, Explore the World, and Zwift, giving you open access to choose what platform you want to use. The included hand weights enable you to add some upper body strength work into your workouts and follow all the moves your favorite Peloton instructor shouts out as you crank along to the music. The Schwinn IC4 feels sturdy and stable with its heavy, 40-pound flywheel, and due to its adjustability, it can accommodate short and tall guys alike. It has two water bottle holders, a big display, and dual-style SPD pedals so you can clip in or use your regular sneakers.
Read more: Best Exercise Bikes
Dumbbells: NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbell Pair
While there is an increasing number of adjustable dumbbells on the market these days, the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbell Pair takes the prize for our overall pick due to their quality, comfort, functionality, and ease of use. As with any set of adjustable dumbbells, you save a tremendous amount of space compared to buying an equivalent set of individual pairs; for example, this set of two replaces 30 dumbbells.
However, when opting for adjustable dumbbells, you usually have to make significant sacrifices in quality and comfort and are left with a cumbersome product that’s not particularly user-friendly or quickly adjusted. Fortunately, NordicTrack has found a way to sidestep — or at least minimize — these downsides with its well-designed adjustable weights. The set provides a maximum weight of 110 pounds. Each of the dumbbells can be manipulated through 15 weight increments and adjusted from 10 to 55 pounds in either 2.5- or 5-pound increments.
Read more: Best Dumbbells
Yoga Mat: Clever Yoga Set
This seven-piece yoga set is a smart option for your at-home stretching and yoga needs. We mostly love it for the mat, and the other included accessories are added bonuses. The “Better Grip Yoga Mat” is a plush quarter-inch thick and quite comfortable. It features a double-sided reversible design that offers dual traction with a grippy surface on the floor and your hands and feet, preventing accidental slippage. It’s also a generous 72 inches long (and 25.5 inches wide), which is longer than many mats and suitable for taller guys, too. The set also comes with two durable foam yoga blocks, a yoga strap, microfiber yoga towels, and a carry bag with extra room.
Resistance Bands: Chareada Resistance Bands Set
Every home gym needs a great all-in-one resistance band set. This Chareada set includes 25 useful pieces, and the bands are durable and constructed of 100% latex. Unlike most resistance bands, which require you to approximate your resistance load based on perceived effort alone, these bands are labeled with strength ratings, enabling you to better monitor and progress your workouts. You get five-tube resistance bands that range from 10 pounds to 50 pounds of resistance, and since they are stackable, the set offers up to 150 pounds of resistance per rep. It also comes with five loop resistance bands, two ergonomic and soft handles, two ankle straps to facilitate lower-body exercises, two wrist wraps, and various fitness accessories. You also get two core sliders, which are great for dynamic planks. The included door anchor is more bulbous and sturdy than most competitors’ products, making for a more sturdy and safe attachment. Each well-constructed tube band is 48 inches long and double-layered for durability so that they can withstand many at-home sweat sessions.
Read more: Best Resistance Bands
All-In-One: Tempo Studio
The Tempo Studio is an all-in-one solution that’s ideally suited for ensuring you get a full workout without leaving your home. It fits neatly inside any size space, even a studio apartment, and offers everything you need to get active. Built into the system is a series of weight plates, along with a display, and some cool technology called 3D Tempo Vision. The tech means that the system can learn about your body and plans, providing you with a highly personalized workout that’s suitable for your abilities. It’s basically like having a personal trainer in your home but one that’s available whenever you feel like working out. The 42-inch touchscreen display helps you access thousands of live and on-demand workout courses with 75 pounds of weight plates available to you, along with two 7.5 pound dumbbells. There’s also a 5mm workout mat too along with four collars, so you really don’t need to add anything extra to this setup. Priced at $2,495 with a $39 monthly subscription fee, it’s the perfect replacement for regular gym fees and trainer costs.
Weight Bench: Marcy Flat Utility Bench
The Marcy weight bench is a quality bench for home use. The heavy-duty steel frame enables the bench to have a 600-pound weight capacity, so it should be able to accommodate even your heaviest lifts. The high-density foam padding provides a comfortable support surface and distributes the load evenly across your back. It has a compact design, which saves space, yet still feels substantial enough to support bigger guys. It has a two-year warranty and is coated in a rust-proof finish so that even if you’re not good about wiping it down after use, it will stay looking good.
Suspension Training: TRX All In One Home Gym Bundle
TRX was the pioneer in the suspension strap training space. Though many other companies have since tried to recreate their own bodyweight suspension systems, few, if any, have been able to replicate the quality and versatility of the TRX products. The All-In-One Home Gym bundle includes the suspension trainer, a wall mount, indoor and outdoor anchors, exercise bands, and a workout guide. It’s a great kit, whether this will be your first foray into suspension training or you hopped on the bandwagon years ago.
Read more: Best TRX Workouts
Treadmill: ProForm SMART Pro 5000 Treadmill
There are many things to love about the ProForm SMART Pro 5000 Treadmill. It has a powerful 3.75 HP commercial-grade motor, which allows you to run up to 12 mph. The belt size is substantial, at 22 inches by 60 inches, permitting a full-length stride for guys with long legs. The treadmill is sequined with a 10-inch Smart HD touchscreen display that not only provides your running stats but is also able to stream immersive workouts with personal trainers from the included one-year membership to iFit Coach. If you’re a serious runner, another benefit with this machine is that, unlike most treadmills, you can actually train downhill as well (great if you’re Boston-marathon bound), as the treadmill adjusts from -3% to 15%. Plus, both the speed and incline can be quickly adjusted with the touch of pre-programmed buttons. The running deck is well-cushioned to absorb impact and protect the health of your joints. We also like that it runs fairly quietly and feels sturdy even as you crank up the speed.
Read more: Best Treadmills
Power Tower: Zenova Power Tower With Dip Bar
The Zenova Power Tower is sturdy, versatile, and adjustable, making it one of our favorite options for home gym power towers. This pull-up bar has a sturdy frame constructed from reinforced steel and is designed with a U-shaped base outfitted with anti-skid tread. This design helps for reliable stability due to the extended load-bearing surface area. The backrest can be moved into six possible positions to customize the fit and optimize your comfort, form, and ergonomics. The height-adjustable barbell rests can be moved into 11 possible positions along with the height of the frame, enabling the power tower to also be used for exercises like incline or standard bench presses with the addition of a bench and weights. There is also a dip bar that doubles as spotter arms for safety. The unit can accommodate loads up to 800 pounds, making it a functional piece of equipment for even the most robust home gyms.
Rowing Machine: Hydrow Live Outdoor Reality Rowing Machine
The Hydrow Rowing Machine is perhaps the Rolls-Royce of indoor rowers. Accordingly, it comes with a big price tag. However, it’s well worth it if rowing is your preferred method of cardio or you have the interest and means. You’ll be getting a top-of-the-line machine with all the bells and whistles. The Hydrow offers an immersive, live outdoor virtual reality rowing experience to help you feel like you’re out on the water instead of grinding away at home. Much like Peloton, you have to subscribe to a monthly membership, which gives access to thousands of on-demand river or studio-based classes for all experience levels as well as live classes. The video interface makes it look like you’re on the open water and makes the workout far more engaging than most rowing machines. The rower itself uses a premium, computer-controlled electromagnetic drag mechanism, which offers a smooth, realistic rowing experience.
Read more: Best Rowing Machines
Boxing System: FightCamp Boxing
We often forget about boxing when we think about hard workouts, but boxing packs it all in: Speed, strength, cardio, fat-burning, agility, power, and stress release. FightCamp is a complete at-home boxing system complete with a premium free-standing heavy punching bag, gloves, a bag ring, a workout mat, punch trackers, and quick wraps. FightCamp includes access to a huge library of over 600 on-demand workouts, with a range of options to suit your fitness level, desired workout length, skill, and goals. The compendium of workouts offers different focuses and goals, such as lower body, speed development, pure punching, or combo buildup. The FightCamp app has a leaderboard so you can fire yourself up with virtual competition and see how you stack up as your fitness improves.
Stability Ball: ProBody Pilates Anti-Burst Exercise Ball
A stability ball or exercise ball is an inexpensive, versatile piece of equipment that can help you develop core strength and stability. If you work from home, you can also roll it from your exercise space to your work area and use it as a substitute for a desk chair and improve your posture while you work. The professional-grade ProBody stability balls come in 45, 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-centimeter diameters, accommodating guys from under 5 feet to over 6 foot 3 inches tall. They are constructed with thick, burst-proof walls made of non-rubber PVC for ideal support, safety, and durability, designed to withstand a whopping 2,000 pounds. The material is free from the toxic phthalates found in many cheap, plastic products. They come in a variety of colors, and each stability ball includes a hand pump, two plugs, a plug remover tool, and an exercise guide with instructions for moves that target your core, back, hips, glutes, back, legs, and shoulders.
Editors' Recommendations
- This is the best workout gear when you need to layer up
- Fitness tips: 10 bad habits you need to ditch for a better workout routine
- How to train for better posture (because your WFH habits suck)
- How to lose weight at the gym: 8 helpful tips everyone should follow
- The 10 best men’s workout shirts to help you get fit in 2023