The Best Home Gym Equipment for Under $100

I recently shared the best budget-friendly buys for your gym bag . Now it’s time to talk about the best home workout gear that costs under $100. These are things you can use to fill a gym in your garage or create a workout nook in your apartment bedroom. (By the way, Lifehacker also has a whole guide to creating a minimal home gym here ).

Buy good resistance bands instead of cheap ones.

You can find resistance bands at any big box store, but they are often thin and wear out quickly. I’d skip these and recommend you opt for thicker, more durable bands like this one from EliteFTS . They are shaped like long loops and can be wrapped around a barbell to add resistance when lifting. They’re also great for banded pull-ups or exercises like band flyes .

If you want a cheap barbell, try a short shaft barbell.

Most good barbells cost over $100, but I have a soft spot for the Titan Short Axle , which is currently selling for $75 on Amazon. It can accommodate regular Olympic-sized plates and is great for a variety of movements, including continental strongman-style exercises and presses .

There are reasons why you might not want this to be the only bar you ever have; It’s not big enough to load tons of plates, and it won’t fit in a standard size squat rack. But if you already have a regular barbell, this is a great next purchase, and if not, it will be fun to have as your first loaded barbell.

Use horse stall mats for your home gym floor.

These foam puzzle piece mats are cute, I think, but if you need something for your garage gym or outdoor area, it’s hard to beat a stable mat. These guys are thick and strong enough to protect the floor and absorb some of the force from falling rods. For about $50, you can pick one up at your local tractor store . Keep in mind, these suction cups are heavy and bulky. Bring a friend with you to help you move them. (I also just noticed that there are handles for moving the mat , which seem quite handy.)

Sandbags

It’s hard to beat a sandbag’s weight for the dollar. You can make your own or buy a variety of styles of sandbags designed for strength training. (Need ideas on what to do with them? Try these sandbag exercises .)

Basic models are great for carrying and loading onto platforms or a bar like a strongman. Heavier bags are not much more expensive than lighter ones; for example, a 50-pound bag in this line of Shogun Sports sandbags costs $59.99, while a 200-pound bag costs $99.99. You’ll need to provide your own sand, but sand costs about $3 for 50 pounds at a garden store, bringing the total cost to just $63 for a 50-pound or $112 for a 200-pound.

Or, if you prefer sandbags that are shaped more like a duffel bag with handles, try these Yes4All Sandbags , which are even cheaper, ranging from $36 to about $65. The larger sizes have several smaller internal bags that are a little more difficult to fill, but give you more options during your workout.

Buy a good pull-up bar for the doorway.

Pull-ups are a great exercise with benefits (and if you don’t know how to do a pull-up yet, you can pair the bar with one of those heavy-duty resistance bands we mentioned above). There are pull-up bars that you can squeeze into a doorway ($19) that will hold your weight securely. But if you can drill a few holes, don’t skip the wall mount strips ($40), which can give you more options for strip placement.

Buy rings or a suspension trainer.

If you have a place to hang gymnastics rings, like a pull-up bar (hey, you know where to get one) or an outdoor location like a sturdy tree or playset in the backyard, you can get a much better workout. A good set of wooden gymnastics rings with adjustable straps will cost you about $40 . If you don’t have a good place to hang them, you might consider using a suspension training kit (TRX style) that comes with a door mount —this one costs $70 .

Buy a simple fan for your home gym.

If you have all this workout equipment, how about making sure you’re comfortable while working out? This goes double if you have a cardio machine like a bike or treadmill. Invest in a nice large fan ($33) to keep you cool during your workout.