Training At Home

Building a Home Gym
for Sports Performance

A quick guide to the basic equipment that shows up in most home gym setups — what's actually worth buying, what you can make work with stuff you already own, and a few real examples if you want to go shopping. Nothing here is required — it's just a reference if you're getting equipped.

Dumbbells Kettlebells Medicine & Slam Balls Plyo Box Bands Jump Rope Pull-Up Bar

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Pro Tip

Coming from someone who's built their entire home gym over the years second-hand — Facebook Marketplace is a great resource for finding good used gym equipment at a good price. About 95% of my own home gym came from Marketplace. The cheaper stuff (jump ropes, bands, etc.) I'll just buy full price, but the more expensive items — dumbbells, kettlebells, boxes, and the like — that's where you can find real deals. That would be my recommendation.

01 / Free Weights

Dumbbells

The bad news: they're expensive. The good news: you can make cheap alternatives work for most of what you need.

Budget-Friendly Alternative

If you don't already have a set and don't want to invest in one, almost anything weighted around the house works — a duffel bag filled with books, bricks or stones, a suitcase packed with clothes. The only real requirement is that it's weighted and you can hold it comfortably in one hand.

That said — if you already own a set, or you're setting up a real home gym and want to buy anyway, go for it. No specific product recommendation here; any reasonable set will do the job.

02 / Free Weights

Kettlebells

A bit less expensive than dumbbells, and a little more versatile for performance work.

Similar story to dumbbells — not the cheapest, but the same kind of DIY alternatives work in a pinch if you're not ready to buy yet: anything weighted you can hold works as a stand-in.

A few real options if you're buying: a small set of varying weights, or an adjustable single kettlebell — the adjustable version is actually what I use in my own home gym. There are plenty of options out there beyond these two — do your own research and get whatever fits your setup and budget.

Example Options

Amazon

CAP Barbell 45 LB Kettlebell Set — 10, 15 & 20 lb

Titan Fitness

40 LB Adjustable Kettlebell

03 / Power & Conditioning

Medicine & Slam Balls

Not expensive, and genuinely useful for performance training if you only want to buy one or two things.

If You're Only Buying One

Go with a slam ball. It's the more versatile pick for sports performance training between medicine balls, slam balls, and wall balls — though a regular medicine ball can substitute for almost all of the same exercises if that's what you already have or find first.

Same as dumbbells/kettlebells — you can usually make something around the house work if you need to. Lots of options out there beyond these two — do your own research and get whatever version you like.

Example Options

Amazon

ProsourceFit Slam Medicine Ball — Tread Textured Grip

Amazon

Amazon Basics Weighted Medicine Ball, 10 lb

04 / Power & Conditioning

Plyo Box

Not expensive, and useful for performance training if you want to buy just one.

Like the other items above, you can usually make something at home work if needed — a sturdy bench or stack of secured platforms in a pinch. But a real box is worth it if you're buying.

Example Options

Amazon

Amazon Basics 3-in-1 Wooden Plyo Box

Amazon

BalanceFrom 3-in-1 Foam Plyometric Jump Box

05 / Accessories

Resistance Bands

Fairly cheap, and genuinely useful for performance training. Easy one to just go ahead and buy.

Example Options

Amazon

Resistance Bands, Pull Up Assist Bands Set

Amazon

Heavy Resistance Bands, 300 lbs, with Handles

06 / Accessories

Jump Rope

Fairly cheap, and useful for performance training. Worth spending a little more here.

The really cheap ropes are a pain to use — a nicer (still inexpensive) one is worth the extra few dollars.

Example Options

Amazon

High Speed Weighted Jump Rope, Tangle-Free

Tangle-Free Rapid Speed Jump Rope with Ball Bearings

Amazon

Rapid Speed Jump Rope, Ball Bearings, Foam Handles

07 / Accessories

Pull-Up Bar

Fairly cheap, and useful for performance training — a few different mounting options to choose from.

Options range from a standalone rig, to an adjustable doorway attachment, to a simple bar drilled straight into a joist if you've got an unfinished basement or similar space.

Example Options

Amazon

Ally Peaks Doorway Pull-Up Bar, Multi-Grip

Amazon

Fitarc Joist / Ceiling Mount Pull-Up Bar

One Last Note

Every link above is just an example, not a requirement — there are plenty of other options out there for each of these, so feel free to do your own research and buy whatever version fits your space and budget best. If you're not sure what you actually need for your training, ask before you buy anything.

Building a Home Gymfor Sports Performance

Dumbbells

Kettlebells

Medicine & Slam Balls

Plyo Box

Resistance Bands

Jump Rope

Pull-Up Bar

One Last Note

Building a Home Gym
for Sports Performance