Top 7 Best Pieces of Bodybuilding Training Equipment for Home Gyms

If you are a highly motivated bodybuilder then you can get awesome results from bodybuilding training at a home gym. The benefits of doing so are that you have no crowds, it takes no time to get to the gym, you can wear whatever you want, train anytime and listen to any music you like. Now the question becomes: What equipment is necessary for a good home gym? Listed below, with #1 being the most important, are the pieces that you will need in order to be a successful home gym bodybuilder.
1. Adjustable DumbbellsAdjustable dumbbells are the most important piece of equipment for your home gym. Dumbbells are versatile and allow for a wide range of exercises to be performed. In addition, exercises performed with dumbbells produce the greatest results as the body has to use an impressive amount of muscle fibers just to stabilize them. My favorite sets are the PowerBlocks and the IronMaster Quick-Lock Dumbbells as these save space and are easily adjustable.
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2. Olympic Barbell SetAn Olympic Barbell set would be the second piece of equipment that I would get for a home gym. With a barbell you can perform some pretty heavy exercises in addition to adding variety to your workout routines.
3. Adjustable Bench With Leg Extension/Leg Curl AttachmentAn adjustable bench in essential for long term home gym training. While barbells and dumbbells will get you far, the adjustable bench now gives you the ability to do incline bench presses, seated dumbbell shoulder presses, incline curls, leg extensions, leg curls, and a whole range of other free weight exercises. Also, if you get one with a pulldown bar attachment you can pretty much do almost every exercise there is available.
4. Adjustable Squat Rack with Chin-Up BarAs you get more advanced, dumbbell squats will no longer cut it as you’ll be too strong for your set of dumbbells. This is the time to add a squat rack to your arsenal. With an adjustable squat rack you can perform some pretty heavy exercises as you can self spot yourself by adjusting the safety bars on the side to a height that will catch the bar and protect you should you fail to be able to lift it. Also with the chin-up bar you can start working on getting an even bigger back.
5. Dip StationFor a massive chest and powerful triceps, the dip station is king. Once you get to the advanced level, this piece of equipment has to become a permanent fixture in your home gym.
6. Standing Calf Raise MachineFor a while you'll be able to get away with one legged dumbbell calf raises and barbell calf raises on the squat rack. However, in order to get enormous calves, a standing calf raise machine is really useful. Mine is loaded with free weights so I always have 1000 lbs on it. Because of the calf block on the machine, I can get a full stretch and a full contraction, which are absolutely necessary for complete calf development.
7. Miscellaneous ItemsWhile the items mentioned above are the most essential, you can also buy other smaller items in order to add variety into your workouts. For instance, you can buy a single handle for your lat pulley so that you can do one-arm cable crossovers, high pulley rows and cable biceps curls. You can also get an e-z bar to work arms with a more comfortable grip. Also an exercise ball is the best abdominal piece of equipment that you can get so I would make that part of my home gym from the get go.
Suggested Reading
How To Achieve Bodybuilding Results
Beginner's Bodybuilding Workout Routine
Home Gym Bodybuilding Training Routines
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Gain New Muscle Weight Using the 10 Sets of 10 Reps Bodybuilding Training Method
Gain New Muscle Weight Using the 5 Sets of 5 Reps Bodybuilding Training Method
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Start Out With A Beginner's Bodybuilding Workout Routine And Diet

Many times beginning bodybuilders make the mistake of using the routines of professional bodybuilders featured on magazines, when instead they should be using a routine that is geared towards their level. A good beginning routine that uses minimum equipment (namely a pair of dumbbells and a bench) is the following: NOTE: In order to get the most out of your routine you need to start easing at this time into a bodybuilding diet as well. Please take a look at my article Easing Into a Bodybuilding Diet in order to learn how to do that. 3 Days A Week Full Body Routine: (Perform on 3 non-consecutive days such as Mon/Wed/Fri) 75 Degree Incline DB Bench PressDB Bench Press One Arm Rows DB Pullovers Bent Over Lateral Raises DB Upright Rows Dumbbell Curls Overhead Triceps Extensions Leg Extensions DB Squats DB Lunges (Press with heels)Lying Leg Curls Calf Raises NOTE: DB = Dumbbell How to Progress:Perform 2 sets of each exercise for 10-12 reps and rest 1 minute in between sets. Move up to 3 sets after 4 weeks. At 2 sets per exercise the routine lasts 45 minutes if you rest 1 minute in between sets. At 3 sets it lasts 60 minutes. Do cardio on the days off (20-30 minutes) and also do abs (4 sets of Leg Raises and swiss ball crunches for 15-40 reps). Beginner's Bodybuilding Diet If like most people you are eating once or twice a day or relying on fast foods to get by, then a bodybuilding diet may be absolutely different to what you are used to. If this is the case, then it is best to follow the steps provided in my article Easing Into A Bodybuilding Diet so that you slowly start changing your eating habits into the ones required to be successful at bodybuilding. For more information on Bodybuilding Diets you can also take a look at my Introductory Guide To Bodybuilding Diets.
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Consult Your Doctor And Get A Physical
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Ask Your Doctor To Check Your Hormonal Levels
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Once You Get Your Doctor's Clearance You Need To Select A Gym
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Graduate To An Intermediate Bodybuilding Routine
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Graduate To An Advanced Program
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Consider Using Advanced Bodybuilding Supplements