10 must-haves for any home gym, and what they cost
A rack, a barbell and plates do most of the work in a home gym. The rest of this list makes them safe, protects your floor and covers what a barbell can’t. The table shows a typical price for each piece and the cheapest one in stock right now, updated every few hours.
| Item | Typical price | Cheapest in stock now | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power rack | $1,092.48 | PR-1100 Power Rack (REP Fitness) | $379.99 |
| Barbell | $279.99 | Performance Series Olympic Barbell (Titan Fitness) | $167.97 |
| Barbell collars | $47.49 | Spring Collars (Bells of Steel) | $18.99 |
| Weight plate set | $574.00 | Black Bumper Plate Sets, 160lb: 10/ 25/ 45 (Fringe Sport) | $399.00 |
| Adjustable bench | $424.50 | Performance Series Adjustable Bench (Titan Fitness) | $207.97 |
| Flooring | $126.99 | VersaFit Rubber Flooring Tiles (Force USA) | $49.00 |
| Safety spotter arms or straps | $159.99 | Pin And Pipe Safety Set – Fits T-3 & X-3 Series (Titan Fitness) | $75.97 |
| Plate storage | $149.99 | Wall Mounted Plate Storage (REP Fitness) | $45.99 |
| Adjustable dumbbells | $758.00 | Elite USA 90, 50 LBS (PowerBlock) | $469.00 |
| Pull-up bar | $114.99 | 3 Position Wall-Mounted Pull-Up Bar (Titan Fitness) | $35.97 |
| Fitness bands | $20.99 | Short Loop Bands (REP Fitness) | $11.19 |
You don’t need all of it on day one. If I were starting over, I’d begin with a bench and some dumbbells, run or jump rope for cardio, and expand from there.
1. Power rack
The center of the gym: squats, bench and overhead presses safely on your own, plus pull-ups. Check three things before buying: that it fits under your ceiling with room for pull-ups, that its depth leaves room to step back, and that its safeties are rated for a dropped bar. A half rack saves floor space; a full four-post rack gives you safeties on every side. Browse racks and rigs.
2. Barbell and collars
Most people want a standard men’s Olympic bar, 20 kg (about 45 lb) and 7.2 ft long, which fits standard plates and racks. Look for a shaft around 28 to 29 mm, knurling you can grip without it tearing your hands, and sleeves that spin smoothly. Specialty bars such as safety squat bars and trap bars can wait. Browse barbells.
Buy collars with the bar. They keep plates from sliding off one side mid-lift, which can tip the bar, and they’re one of the cheapest things in the gym. Browse lifting accessories.
3. Weight plates
A set is the cheapest way to start, and bumpers now cost about the same per pound as iron. Our plates guide compares every type on live prices.
4. Adjustable bench
A flat, incline and decline (FID) or flat-to-incline bench covers pressing, rows and step-ups. Check the weight rating, how stable it feels, and the gap between the seat and back pad when inclined. Browse benches.
5. Flooring
Rubber flooring protects the floor from dropped plates and keeps the rack from sliding. Thick rubber mats, often sold as horse-stall mats, are the usual budget choice. Browse flooring and platforms.
6. Safety spotter arms or straps
If your rack doesn’t include safeties rated for your lifts, these come before almost anything else on this list. Training alone, they’re your spotter. Make sure they fit your rack’s upright size and hole spacing. Browse rack attachments.
7. Plate storage
A plate tree or rack-mounted weight horns keep plates off the floor, save your back and keep the gym usable. Browse storage.
8. Adjustable dumbbells
They cover everything a barbell doesn’t (single-arm work, curls, lunges) in a small footprint. Our dumbbell guide compares them with fixed sets on live prices.
9. Pull-up bar
Many racks include one. If yours doesn’t, a rack-mounted or wall-mounted bar adds pull-ups and hanging core work. Browse pull-up and dip stations.
10. Fitness bands
Bands are cheap, take no space and cover a lot: warm-ups, mobility work, assisted pull-ups and extra resistance on top of a lift. Long loop bands do most of that; mini bands are for hip and glute work. Bands come in graded strengths, so a few of different strengths go further than one. Browse conditioning gear.
What can wait
- Specialty bars. Safety squat bars, trap bars and cambered bars are nice to have, but a standard barbell covers the main lifts. Add one later, once you know which lift you want it for.
- Single-exercise machines. A leg extension or a hip thrust machine does one job and takes a lot of floor space for its price. The rack, barbell, bench and dumbbells already train those muscles, so machines can wait until you know what you’re missing.
- Cardio. Treadmills, rowers and bikes are some of the most expensive gear in a home gym, and you can start without any of them. You can always run outside, and a jump rope costs little, fits in a drawer and makes for a hard workout.
How we priced this
“Typical price” is the median current price of in-stock products of that type across the stores we track. “Cheapest in stock now” is exactly that, from the latest price check. Neither includes shipping. How we track prices.