After several years of working out on my own at home, I’ve amassed quite the collection of exercise equipment! When I bought my house in 2016 (I moved in the next year!), I decided to turn my small garage into a home gym (complete with a A/C window unit installed). The garage was pretty dingy – it had been used as storage by the last owner and features a nasty carpet and a bunch of mud dauber dens. Naturally, I had the carpet ripped up, the garage cleaned out and had the painters repaint it with whatever was leftover when they were painting my whole house!
I then hired Garage Living to apply a new coating to the floor and install wall storage in the form of these slatwall panels. This was a great way to organize my things, but also not take up valuable floor space in the already small garage. There are a bunch of great storage accessories made specifically for these slat walls – see the brochure here. I got a few of the shallow baskets, the deep mesh basket, and a couple of the hook options. Since the install I’ve obviously purchased more gym equipment, and probably need to order a few more accessories… but here’s what it looks like now!
I didn’t buy all of this stuff at once, but rather bought stuff as needed and supplemented it with new items over time. Some of these items I use specifically for BBG, others I use specifically for Sculpt Society, and others are just things I enjoy using when creating my own workouts and circuits. Keep scrolling to see + shop what I have and read what I use most!
My home gym actually started almost a decade ago, when one of my favorite workout studios in Dallas closed down and were selling their equipment. I picked up a pink pilates ball and two pairs of light dumbbells (3lb and 5lb). It wasn’t until I started doing BBG in the spring of 2016 that I really started investing in workout equipment though! Heavier dumbbells were one of my first BBG purchases – I think I started with 8lbs, but have since added 10, 12 and 18lb dumbells to my collection for various moves. All of my dumbbells came from Amazon!
Continuing with more weighted things, I got a 25 lb kettle bell when I started doing BBG 2.0. I use it for squats, dead lifts, etc and it gets used frequently. I eventually sized up to a 40 lb kettle bell for certain moves when I got stronger! I can’t find any kettle bells available online over 15 lbs right now, sorry!!
Another purchase I made early on in BBG is a 12 lb medicine ball! This gets used pretty often. I got an 18 lb option later, but honestly don’t use it. I sadly couldn’t find any good medicine balls online over 10lb right now. Another ball I purchased that I don’t use very often is the 10 lb slam ball – I think I’d use it more if I could slam it against a wall, but I’m afraid to do that here! It is great for arm/core work though when you slam it to the ground, and could also be used as a medicine ball for most of the same moves.
Because my garage flooring is slick for easy cleaning, I needed to purchase a large non-slip mat for doing my workouts on. I ordered this from Amazon and love it! I still have to put a yoga mat down for floor exercises for comfort, but the non-slip mat underneath is essential for doing jumping moves and exercises on my bench and box.
The bench is a purchase I made during BBG 1.0, because I was worried about breaking a chair. This bench is pretty lightweight, so it’s incredibly easy to move around – I’ve even taken it to Austin with me! With that said, because it’s not heavy I sometimes weigh the legs down with dumbbells to secure it better. I use the bench for abs, legs and arms – definitely recommend getting a bench! Very versatile, even if you don’t have other equipment! Sadly, the one I have is sold out everywhere. This one looks very similar!
I decided to also get a plyo box for the box jumps in BBG. That’s really all I use it for, but I’m glad I have it! It’s way more sturdy and stable than my bench. This box is also a great option for the other BBG moves if you’re looking for something higher than The Step but lower than a bench like the one I have. I have the 12 inch option!
Another thing I purchased when I started BBG 2.0 is an adjustable barbell set! The set I bought was lighter, but you can adjust these with just two 10 lb weights for a 20 lb minimum. I use these mostly for squats and dead lifts! Love having it.
The Bosu is the big pink thing you see in this photo! While I do love having it, I really don’t use it much. I bought it because it was featured in a few moves in BBG 2.0, but don’t use it outside of that unless I’m creating my own circuits. While I like having it, I wouldn’t put your money there if you’re looking to only buy a few versatile pieces.
Because of all the mountain climbers and burpees required in BBG, I really tear my yoga mats up! I go through them pretty quickly. My last one is one I actually borrowed/stole from my mom’s house and I didn’t know the brand, otherwise I’d recommend it! It held up really well for awhile and was the definition of non-slip. I recently ordered this mat on Amazon and love it too! It’s really soft, but I’m not sure how much it’ll hold up to all the mountain climbers and burpees I do. I’ll report back!
Lastly, I bought a foam roller and don’t use it nearly enough! It’s great for muscle soreness relief, which is necessary weekly because of BBG. I’m sore all the time! I just always forget about it!!
Another frequent move in BBG is jumping rope! Before BBG, it had been well over a decade since I’d last used a jump rope. It took some getting used to doing, but it’s such an easy way to get your heart rate up! I have two different ropes, both of which are no longer in stock. There are a number of options available for purchase here!
I purchased The Step and coordinating risers for BBG, but don’t use them all that often. Mostly just use them for reverse lunge knee-ups and split squats! Of all the equipment I own, I’d say I use these items the least. They also take up the most space, so I’d put your money into some of the other stuff instead!
If you’ve ever done floor/mat pilates, you’ll recognize this ring! It’s a great tool for working your inner thighs, glutes, arms and more! I featured some workout moves with it in this post. I can’t find the exact one I bought, but there are several available here!
One thing I use quite often are these resistance bands! They’re particularly great if you travel often, as they are light and fit into any tote, luggage pocket, etc. I mostly use them for leg, hip and glute moves, but they can also be used for arms and abs! I mostly use the light and medium bands (red and green). I use these in my Sculpt Society classes (more on that at the bottom!), and when I’m creating my own circuits/workouts when traveling. They’re not utilized in BBG as they’re not easy to get on and off quickly, and it’s a high intensity workout! This exact brand is sold out, but identical resistance bands can be purchased here! See some additional leg moves you can do with these here!
I actually don’t use these all that much anymore now that I’m doing Sculpt Society! I bought these with the intention of targeting my glutes, inner and outer thighs. You can also use these for a variety of arm workouts! They’re a great item to have if you don’t have a ton of space for equipment (like dumbbells). The brand I have is sold out, but order a nearly identical set here!
Finally, these are the pieces I use for my Sculpt Society workouts! Here we’ve got a pair of 3 lb hand weights, adjustable ankle weights, resistance bands and a pilates ball. As I mentioned in this post, each Sculpt Society workout can be done without this stuff – but these intensify the moves and really make you feel the burn! Sculpt Society workouts also use sliders like this, but since I don’t own real sliders I just use wash cloth towels on the hardwood floor.
PS: I finally ordered a Peloton! It will be delivered on May 14th and I couldn’t be more excited! I’ll probably put it in my master bedroom as opposed to my garage gym though. I’ll be sure to do a review after using for a month or so!
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