15 At-Home Fitness Gifts for 2020!
With the winter holidays officially in full-swing (Happy Hanukkah and Merry-almost-Christmas) and America shutting gyms down again, what better gift to give your active loved ones this year than the gift of home fitness!
While we all would love that fully-equipped home gym, it can be pretty pricey and time-consuming to assemble. So, in the meantime, here are a few home-training pieces that would make any fitness enthusiast smile this Christmas!
The best part? They’re under $100!
Check them out and get shopping before it’s too late!
Top At-Home Fitness Gifts for 2020
*Prices ascending*
Dumbbells ($15.99+)
A set of dumbbells is crucial! If you're going with just one pair, you want to pick a weight that will work for your full-body. Do this by selecting a moderate set that is challenging-yet-doable overhead (since small muscle groups and overhead movements often require lower weight). Then, to get the most out of that pair with larger muscle groups, focus on more reps and time under tension to keep things challenging all over.
BONUS: I would also recommend 1-2 heavy dumbbells of different weights. This way, you have more options!
While a pair of heavy dumbbells is helpful, working with just 1 is completely doable. Think uni-lateral work (single leg/single arm) and goblet holds! This opens up the door to plenty more challenging at-home exercise options.
Kettlebell ($24+)
Similar to what I just said about 1-2 heavy dumbbells, go for 1-2 kettlebells of difficult weights to give yourself even more weighted options.
Ideally, if you already have dumbbells, pick a kettlebell(s) of different weight for variety. From there, single-arm/leg exercises, swings, goblet holds… will all give great opportunities for some fat-burning, muscle-building FUNctional workouts.
Stability ball ($26.35)
Crunches, sit-ups, decline push-ups, decline planks, ab rollouts, hamstring curls, incline plank, incline mt. climbers, hip thrusts, glute bridges... -- any floor exercise can easily be spiced up with this ball! The instability of the ball forces you to work even harder on standard moves as it fires up your stabilizing muscles.
As well, use your ball as a bench for lying moves (pull-overs, chest press, flyes…) to step things up a notch and improve your balance while building your body strength, stability, and control.
Rubber slam ball ($29.99-$59.99)
A slam ball is a great addition to your “weighted object” collection. Similar to a sandbag, the shifting sand inside can throw off its center of gravity, requiring you to balance and control it while using it.
Go for one ball that can be lifted overhead (but not too easily). Use it for unilateral strength exercises such as single-arm presses, conditioning moves like overhead slams, core training such as Russian twists, and more! Build and develop muscle in creative new ways with this functional training tool.
Over-the-door speed bag ($29.99)
Create more speed, improve your hand-eye coordination, and get a killer arm and shoulder workout! A great option for some at-home cardiovascular work.
Kettle Gryp ($34.95)
Want more kettlebells but don’t want to pay the price? Here’s your answer.
Turn any dumbbell into a kettlebell with this one little gadget. Easy to store and easy to pack/travel with. Do swings, offset the load for lifts, improve balance and core strength/stability... this attachment will give you the ability to reap all the benefits of kettlebells without actual kettlebells!
Sandbags ($34.99)
Sandbags are a great resistance option! They challenge you to move and lift in ways that most closely mimic real-life (think of all the times you’ve had to carry, lift, and control asymmetrical loads/awkward objects).
Because you have to work hard to control the constantly-shifting center of mass, you’re continually building strength and stability while maneuvering them.
These REP sandbags come empty giving you the option to add or subtract weight (sand) as need be-- making them super versatile!
Resistance band set with attachments ($35.99)
I’ve recommended these bands to most all my clients and they’ve been a life-saver for at-home strength building!
A package like this will give you plenty of resistance options and attachments to allow for all muscle groups to be hit in a variety of ways. I would put these up there with one of the most crucial pieces for home workout equipment next to dumbbells!
Pull-up bar ($45)
A great way to build upper-body strength at home-- especially back strength! I’ve found back to be one of the trickiest muscle groups to train from home, but not when there’s a pull-up bar in the picture!
This one requires no installation or screws, just prop it in any door or hallway and get pulling.
Non-slip yoga mat ($47.95)
Whether you’re doing floor-based resistance training such as lying chest press, core and stability training like planks and crunches, or recovering with yoga and mobility work, a quality yoga mat is a must!
This one is lightweight, cushioned, has a no-slip grip, and wicks away sweat! All necessities when it comes to the perfect mat.
Monkeyfeet ($62.50)
I’ll be honest, I just stumbled upon these this week and I’m still very unsure about them. That being said, it seems like an interesting concept.
I don’t think they’re necessary if you have resistance bands, especially the ones with the door attachments. However, if you don't have those, this may be a good option to mimic moves you’d do on machines like leg extensions and leg curls.
As I said, I’m a little unsure about them, but figured they’re worth throwing on here for anyone gift-searching for their fitness enthusiast that has everything (if you order them, let me know what you think!).
PulleyPro ($69.99)
Like I said, options are somewhat limited when it comes to training back from home, which is why this pulley system is a game-changer for home workouts!
Throw it over a pull-up bar, a basketball hoop, playground equipment, a tree, ceiling beams, or anything else you can find! Then, attach a dumbbell, kettlebell, sandbag, backpack with heavy items in it… and you’re good to go!
With this, you can complete all of the numerous cable exercises you’d do at the gym, from home. Triceps, abs, chest, shoulders, back, leg-- you have the ability to train every muscle group in some capacity!
There are also various attachments available (purchased separately) to give you even more options for exercises.
Battle Ropes ($90)
Slam them, whip them, wave them-- you’ll work both new muscles in new ways as well as old muscles in new ways! Ropes are great for strengthening your arms, core, glutes, and legs, as well as burning fat with HIIT-style training.
Standard ropes are 1.5”x50’, weigh 28 pounds, and are perfect for all levels (beginners included!).
Want heavier? Increase your grip to 2.0” in diameter.
(Be aware, though, more weight = more $. To stay under $100, keep it the standard 30 lb-- they’ll still kick your butt and give you a heck of a workout!)
Lebert Equalizer Bars ($99)
These are yet another tool to help you build your upper-body. I have some clients with these bars at home and they’ve come in handy for bodyweight strength exercises (dips, pull-ups, Bulgarian split squats, leg raises…). You can also spice up at-home cardio with them!
Despite all of that, though, I would not consider these a staple as far as home equipment goes, especially for the price. These are more-so a fun little something to consider if you’re looking for more out-of-the-box options at home.
Muscle by Maria 1:1 Online Training ($100)
...see what I did there? ;) But, in all seriousness, the ultimate fitness gift for your loved one (or for you!) this year is at-home, online personal training.
Whether you have some of this equipment or none of this equipment, I can tailor a training program specifically for you-- your goals, your equipment, your schedule, your fitness level...
Multiple days of customized workouts from a personal trainer would run you well over $100 PER WEEK at a gym, not here!
$100 a month gives weekly workouts, a custom nutrition plan, 24/7 contact with your trainer (me!), and weekly formal check-ins to monitor progress and make adjustments.
Having the equipment is one thing, knowing what to do with it to reach your goals is another-- let me handle that second part!
REACH OUT and let's get a free consultation set up!
Shop around on this list and give the gift of health this year!