5 Top Pieces Of Equipment For A Family-Friendly Home Gym

We all know that a gym membership can be expensive and if you scale that up to the level of a family, it is easy to see how it could be unmanageable if everyone wants to be able to train. 

So, to get around this problem – and ensure that everyone has access to a gym at any time of the day – creating your own home gym could be the best solution. 

This will give you a dedicated space to exercise regardless of your schedules and it can save you money on monthly memberships.

Plus it can be a good way to help keep your kids active! 

Research from Sport England found that although young people’s activity levels have remained broadly stable in recent years, over half of youngsters aren’t getting the recommended amount of physical activity each week.

But if you’re putting together a home gym that’s fit for a family, what equipment should you invest in? 

Here are our top five pieces of gym equipment to include in a family-friendly home gym.

1. Adjustable dumbbells

We are all different and that means we all need to train with different weights – especially at different ages. This is why adjustable dumbbells that go up in weight in 2kg increments are a good option for any family home gym.

Firstly, they ensure that everyone can work at a weight that’s comfortable for them. There’s no risk of one of your youngsters picking up a dumbbell that’s far too heavy, while you won’t have to compromise on your workout if you lift heavier. 

Secondly, adjustable dumbbells allow all of you to gradually progress as you get stronger, ensuring that your home gym still gets used as you become fitter. 

If your teenagers are new to working out, set them off on a workout plan that will build their strength gradually. Encourage them to use light weights to start with and gradually increase the load as they get stronger and learn the correct technique. 

2. Floor mats

This might not sound like an essential piece of gym kit, but if you’re creating a home gym in a space like a garage or shed, trust us when we say it’s important to have quality flooring. Aside from anything else, it will make the space more comfortable to work out in.

It also denotes where your home gym starts and provides protection and sound-proofing for the flooring. 

Many workout plans for teenagers encourage them to begin with bodyweight exercises before progressing onto weights. That means making the floor comfortable to do push ups, situps and other exercises like mountain climbers on is important. 

Floor mats are also important for safety, as they provide better grip for your feet which makes it safer when you are lifting weights. 

3. Adjustable weight bench

Weight benches can be used for a range of weighted exercises and selecting one that is fully adjustable means you can tailor it for each member of your family and their workouts. 

Adjustable benches can also be used for core work, which means they are more versatile than you might initially imagine. Think about the kinds of exercises you and your family will be doing so that you can work out where this piece of equipment will fit into your training regime.

4. Assault bike

It’s hard to beat the humble assault bike if you are looking for a piece of gym equipment that will deliver cardio and a full-body workout at the same time. This piece of kit gets harder to use the more effort you put in, allowing each person to tailor their workout accordingly.

Assault bikes are also incredibly versatile. You can use them to work in any “zone” of exercise without having to adjust the equipment itself, because the cardio zone you’re working in will depend on how hard you are pushing yourself on the bike. 

This makes an assault bike ideal in a family home gym, because each of you can make your workout on this piece of equipment as hard or as easy as you want depending on what you’re training for. 

5. Resistance bands

These rubber bands might look innocuous but they can be brutal when used correctly as part of your training regime. A set of resistance bands is another versatile addition to your home gym and one that won’t take up much space either. 

You can use resistance bands to up the difficulty on bodyweight exercises, or to increase resistance while using weights. They are also useful for both warm up and cool down routines, which is another reason to get a set for your family’s home gym.