The Best Equipment for a Good Workout

Greetings Athlete!

Kettlebells, Barbells and Dumbbells Oh My! Smith Machines, Cables, Suspension Bands (TRX), Stability Balls, Sliders, Pelatons, Rowers, Bands, Bosu Balls… and the list goes on an on. What is the best equipment you need to get a workout in? The answer of course depends on what your goals are.

Average Athlete

For the average person who is just trying to stay fit, the answer is pretty simple. The best equipment is something that you have, or something you can afford. You don’t need to invest a lot of money into a ton of equipment. A simple set of dumbbells (light, medium, heavy), a bench, some resistance bands and a jump rope is probably all you need. You can invest in some other relatively inexpensive equipment like a stability ball, a ladder or sliders if you want to mix it up. But you can get a really good workout with just a simple set of equipment. For the average person, there isn’t a need to get kettlebells, barbells or anything beyond what I’ve described.

Weight Management

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Weight Management is 80% Diet, 20% Exercise and 100% commitment. You don’t need any equipment to watch what you eat. Having said that, if you are trying to lose weight you need enough equipment to get a good cardio workout in everyday, and some weights to get in some resistance training to build muscle mass. The equipment you need is the same as for the Average Athlete listed above. Be aware that while exercise is only 20% of the equation, it still is 20%. Meaning that you need to do the exercising to help burn calories and also to build muscle. If you neglect your exercising, your metabolism will slow down as you lose weight and you will find it harder to keep the pounds off. See what some of the research says about resistance training and weight loss.

Bodybuilders

If you are seriously trying to put on some muscle or into bodybuilding, then you will definitely need more equipment. Different kinds of equipment will allow you to hit all the muscles differently and harder than just using dumbbells. There is no one-size fits all here, but you should be going to a gym that has the necessary equipment you need to support whatever regimen you are doing. Having said that, if you are just trying to gain “some” muscle, you can like do that with the equipment noted for the Average Athlete. You may need to invest in a few more heavier dumbbells but don’t necessarily need other types of equipment.

Runners

If you are running, there are many advantages to also weight training. The basic muscles you need to target are core muscles as well as upper body strength. I would recommend investing in the equipment listed for the Average Athlete and then consider adding core and resistance training to your workouts.

All the best!

JT