Thinking Of Training At Home? – What Equipment Can You Use 

Everyone’s goal when it comes to training at the gym will be a little different, everyone will have a different place they want to get to. But things can still be split into a few different categories you might want to lose weight, build some muscle or improve your performance for future sports/ competitions.

No matter the goal though everyone at the gym will want to improve their health. Power or strength training is all about making yourself stronger so a great way to improve your health. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder or want to compete on a professional level but many people who do power training will be doing it for one of those reasons.

But whether it’s for bodybuilding competitions or not power training is a very intense work out that the gym is made for. You’ll have access to all the equipment you could need to work on improving your health and performance. But that doesn’t mean power training can only be done at the gym you can still get a good work out at home as well.

When it comes to power training there is a variety of equipment you can use. Any good gym will properly have a lot of things you can utilise and most people won’t be able to afford or fit all these things into their own home. So, if you want to undertake more power training in the comfort of your own home what should you be looking at?

Power Training

Adding power training equipment to your home is a brilliant option from both a fitness and motivation perspective. Power training is excellent for improving your health and offers a host of physical fitness benefits too. Incorporating it into your home isn’t much of a problem either as you can still do power training with basic, smaller equipment, avoiding the need for additional space that larger items can take up. Below are some great equipment options you can use at home.

Dumbbells:

Easy to use and incredibly versatile dumbbells are a great way to improve your health and can be used in a variety of power training exercises. Dumbbells are one of the simplest pieces of exercise equipment but you can do a variety of different strength training exercises with them. You can also get adjustable dumbbells so you can increase and decrease the total weight when you need to. If you can only get a few things for your power training at home get a good pair of dumbbells.

Barbells: 

A barbell is a lot longer than a regular dumbbell and because of this they can hold a lot more weight. Because power training is often based around lifting heavier weights a barbell is a great piece of equipment to have. Barbells are also adjustable which means you can increase and decrease the weight when you need to.  

Kettlebells: 

Finishing our trinity of exercise-bells is the kettlebell. These are easy to use but better suited for whole-body exercises like swings. Kettlebells are available in numerous sizes and a common component for a number of power training exercises.  

Pull-Up Bar:

A pull-up bar can add some much-needed variety to your home power training exercise routine. Installing a pull-up bar is usually quite simple as well and there are actually several different power training exercises that you can do with one.

Exercise Bench: 

An exercise or work out bench is a valuable way to make many power training exercises more comfortable. You can use an exercise bench with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and resistance bands. But how versatile your bench will be will depend on the type you get. But even a basic bench can be a big help when it comes to power training at home.

Resistance Bands: 

Resistance bands are a good way to add some lighter strength-building exercises to your routine. They might take a little practice to get used to if you’ve never used them before but you will soon find them to be quite versatile pieces of exercise of equipment. They create tension as you move and make your muscles contract which will help them grow more quickly.

Sandbags: 

Well this is a bit of a strange one I know but sandbags are very popular when it comes to power training. They are available in various weights and can be used in a wide range of power training exercises. They can even be used as an alternative for dumbbells in some exercises as well. Using a sandbag to power train is also very easy and because you will have to work more to control the mass it can actually be more effective at building core strength.

Weight Lifting Gloves: 

Weight lifting gloves aren’t exercise equipment in the strictest sense but they are certainly very helpful. Power training can damage your hands over time which will make holding onto weights more difficult. So, be sure to get a good pair of weight lifting gloves because they will help a lot and make power training a much more comfortable experience.

So, that is my list of the best equipment to use at home for power training exercises. To ensure you get the most out of your dumbbells and barbells as your strength continues to grow I would recommend getting a range of different weight plates as well. You should also get a weight rack or storage case so you can keep your equipment safe and secure when it’s not in use.

Power Training Safety

So, now you know some of the equipment you can safely use at home for power training before you get started you also need to consider your health and safety. Power training is very intensive and as such you will need to take care when working out.

For your first few sessions at home, I would recommend working out when somebody else is with you. Or at the very least you should let someone else know what you are doing. When working out you should also primarily focus on your form. It might seem strange but the level of weight shouldn’t be your primary concern, your form should.

This means you should take your time when exercising and move smoothly and slowly while you work out. Don’t over-do things and also maintain an even tempo while you exercise. Another safety tip is to always maintain level control of your breathing. Because strength training is more intensive your blood pressure can rise quickly as your work out.

So, always exhale as your work against the weight and then inhale as you release keep that pattern going and you will find power training much easier and safer. Finally, my last safety tip is to always ensure you give your muscles time off to rest.

This is incredibly important when it comes to ensuring your health and safety. Power training can easily cause muscle damage if you overdo things so it is recommended that you leave at least 48-hours between each session.

Because of this, many people who do power training follow a split work out pattern. This means you will focus on different muscle groups each day, for example, you can do your arms on Monday, legs on Tuesday and chest on Wednesday.

Then repeat the pattern for the next few days and remember to take a rest day every so often. You shouldn’t work out every day especially when it comes to power training because you will either end up hurting yourself or exhausting yourself.