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Build a Home Gym Without Making $1,000+ of Purchasing Mistakes
Here are the 5 tools I recommend after having a home gym for 10+ years
Don LaTorre
January 22, 2025
My Home Gym Origin Story
I started my home gym 10+ years ago.
I did this to help me save time, as I worked a corporate job for 10 years with a growing family.
I tried a lot of different things, like:
… a full set of Hex rubber dumbbells that I’ve since sold (10 lb to 50 lb pairs)
… a spin bike that’s now collecting dust
…. a boxing bag that I bought and sold… twice!
This cost me well over $1,000.
I also grew up with a home gym that had a Smith machine with a squat/bench rack, pulley cable/machine, treadmill, stationary bike, EZ curl bar, one of those tiny trampoline things, exercise bands, plates, medicine balls, and more.
Needless to say, I’ve tried a lot of home gym equipment, made lots of purchasing mistakes, and have spent years trying to optimize my home gym.
The equipment you pick largely depends on your goals, but if you are a guy who wants to:
Get strong
Lose weight
Workout at home
Spend 20-40 minutes on each workout
Have equipment you look forward to using for years
Not buy equipment that becomes next year’s garage sale fodder
Then you’re in the right place.
And if I could go back 10 years and talk to my younger self, here are the 5 tools I would invest in to optimize my home gym.
1) The Kettlebell
The kettlebell is the ultra-versatile piece of home gym equipment.
A kettlebell combines the resistance and scalability of dumbbell training, with the explosiveness and power movements of barbell training, with the portability and space-saving benefits of bodyweight training.
It works every muscle group. It’s scalable and portable. It builds strength, endurance, and improves cardiovascular health.
Most of my workouts with kettlebells range from 20-40 minutes. And the entire body is worked in every workout.
A few of them can fit in a small corner of the garage, or even right under your bed.
Plus… kettlebell training is loads of fun.
I’ve just found it to be an enjoyable modality that makes me excited to exercise each day.
If I were starting over, I’d buy one kettlebell to see if I would like it first before buying a full set.
Here are the weights that I recommend for guys to start with:
If you’re a guy who is absolutely brand new to exercise…
→ One 26lb/12kg kettlebell
If you’re a guy who is not new to exercise but new to kettlebells…
→ One 35lb/16kg kettlebell
If you already have a kettlebell and you want to add to your set, here are all the weights I’d recommend investing in initially.
These can keep most guys busy for years.
16kg, 20kg, 24kg, 32kg
You just need to buy one of each.
I would not recommend buying pairs of the same weights. This was a mistake I made (more $$ spent that I now regret).
Instead, I wish I did more offset training, which is exercising with different weighted pairs (16kg & 20kg, 20kg & 24kg, etc…).
Here are the benefits of offset training:
Better core engagement, since the body is imbalanced
Mimics real life activities, since nothing carried in real life is perfectly distributed
Cheaper over the long run
After testing/trying different types of kettlebells, I recommend cast iron powder-coat kettlebells.
Find one that is single cast, which means it’s made from one piece of iron (and not two+ pieces fabricated together).
Adjustable kettlebells seem optimal, but oftentimes they are poorly built, they rattle, and if you drop them they can break.
Plastic, water or sand-filled kettlebells also seem convenient, but they are just not as well made or durable as cast-iron kettlebells.
Here are the brands I recommend (product/affiliate links below). Prices were as of January 2025.
Yes4All (low budget-brand)
REP Fitness (mid budget-brand)
Rogue (mid/high budget-brand)
Lifeline (mid/high budget-brand)
Kettlebell Kings (premium)
Kettlebell training is new for a lot of people. Here are some ways to get you started:
Check out the 20+ instructional pages on some of the main kettlebell movements on the Layman’s Fitness website (more).
Here’s my free 4-week kettlebell program (more)
Here’s my free free 8-week kettlebell program (more)
Here’s one of my favorite KB programs that I’ve ever done (affiliate link) (more)
2) The Pull-Up Bar
The pull-up bar helps you develop the large muscles on your back, your grip, arm strength, and your core.
It adds several new dimensions to bodyweight training, and it perfectly complements the kettlebell movements.
Plus, if you get a weighted belt you can strap a kettlebell to it and make pull-ups/dips even more challenging.
But even if you can’t do a pull-up (yet!), there are so many ways to make the movement easier for you… like putting a chair under your feet, just hanging from the pull-up bar (dead hangs), etc…
For about 10 years I used different door frame pull-up bars, and never really had an issue with them.
Doorframe pull-up bars make some scuff marks on the trim, but so do all of my kids ;). Plus, the kids have loved monkeying around on it when they see it in the doorway.
Recently I invested in a Power Tower, which if you have the space for it, I think it’s well worth the investment.
It gives you more space for pull-ups, dead hangs, core work, and dip variations.
Here are the brands I recommend (product/affiliate links below). Prices were as of January 2025.
Doorframe Pull-Up Bar
Power Tower
The only reason I didn’t buy the Sports Royals one was because I had a gift card for Dick’s sporting goods. Both will do the job.
Here are some ways for you to get started with a pull-up bar:
P.S. I bet your local neighborhood resell site has pre-used Power Towers if you want to get one secondhand.
3) Gym Mats
Gym mats protect your floors from equipment damage. This is especially helpful if you have a garage or hardwood floors that you plan to train on.
I personally use the puzzle mats. As long as I sweep them regularly, they work just fine.
Here are the brands I recommend (product/affiliate links below). Prices were as of January 2025.
Portable Mat
Puzzle Mats
Horse Stall Mats
P.S. With horse stall mats, I’d also recommend checking out your local Tractor Supply store.
You might find a better deal locally.
4) A Fan
I live in Texas and I exercise in my garage gym.
Which means that in the summer months I’m exercising in a 95+ degree garage, with the humidity making it feel more like 100+.
So I exercise right next to my spinning box fan.
Here are the brands I recommend (product/affiliate link). Prices were as of January 2025.
Box Fan
Industrial Floor Fan
P.S. I would not recommend a tower fan for the garage. It has a very slim surface area compared to other types of fans.
5) Health tracking technology
Health tracking tech makes the top 5 because of how important things like sleep and walking are for general health.
The amount of data you can track about your health is astounding. It can be a bit overwhelming.
After having wearables for years, here are the data that I actually find useful:
Number of steps
Sleep quality
Time outside
Your list might be longer. But this is what works for me.
Recently, wearable rings with similar technology hit the marketplace and have become popular.
Here’s why I don’t use rings:
Easy to fall off. I’ve known people with these to have their rings fall off throughout the course of the day. Wrist tech won’t slide off your hand.
Kettlebell training. Having a metallic ring makes kettlebell training uncomfortable for me, plus it can scratch the kettlebell handle.
Personal preference. I’d much rather wear a watch that gives me data instead of another ring (I wear my wedding ring).
Here are the brands I recommend (product/affiliate link). Prices were as of January 2025.
G-Shock
I used the G-Shock for years. You can look at total steps on the watch or an app that gives you visual presentations of its data.
It does not track things like sleep, time outside, heart rate, etc… but it does the job of being a reliable and durable pedometer.
What I liked about the G-shock was it’s sturdy build, large face, and a raised rim around its face that protected it from scratches.
The reason I stopped using one was because I wanted to track my sleep quality. Which led me to my current wearable.
Garmin
I invested in this watch halfway through 2024. And it’s incredible.
What made me want to upgrade my G-Shock was my desire to have something that could track my sleep quality.
So I landed on a Garmin due to its reputation.
What drew me to this Garmin model in particular was it’s sturdy build, masculine look, raving review, and its ability to charge itself through sun exposure.
I didn’t want to have to charge my wearable everyday.
This Garmin has a battery life of 25+ days, and I only find myself charging it about once every few weeks.
When I spend more time outside, it charges itself.
P.S. I can’t recommend the Garmin watch I have enough. It’s a cool piece of tech.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some other recommendations that, while not making the top 5, are handy to have around the garage gym.
Prices were as of January 2025.
Ab-roller
This is an intermediate/advanced option for core work. It’s small, sturdy, and easy to tuck in a corner.
Jump rope
This is a simple jump rope I use periodically. I do not skip rope often, but some love the activity.
It’s a great warm-up/cool down (1-3 minutes of light jump roping).
Hand chalk
Hand chalk is not required when you start training with kettlebells.
But once you start working with 32kg+ kettlebells, I’d recommend getting some.
Liquid chalk is a great option if you mind having chalk mess in your home gym.
Silicone ring
I don’t like wearing metallic rings while I exercise.
So here’s what I use for my wedding band when working out.
I’ve tried several silicone rings over the years, and most are poorly made, cheap, and need replacing in a few months.
I’ve had one SafeRingz silicone ring for 2+ years. It’s durable, well made, and fits to size.
Final Thoughts
Setting up a home gym is largely going to depend on your own goals.
But I hope you took a few things away from the mistakes I made in both money and time, and found something useful you can apply to optimize your own home gym.
If you have a question or feedback for me - leave a comment on this post.
This post does contain affiliate links, and as an Amazon associate I earn on qualifying commissions.
But I only recommend products that I’m confident would serve you.
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