In our Building the Perfect Home Gym series, we’ve already talked about creating the sweetest sweat space for those living in small spaces, as well as those with an expansive garage and money to burn. But what about those without that many pesos in their pockets, bread in the basket, or cheddar on the cheese board? Well, financially-challenged friends, this blog is for you! Because we’ve got the best home gym ideas on a budget, to help you turn your humble abode into a power-packed studio of shred, the affordable way.

Yoga Mat

No affordable home gym is complete without a yoga mat. The beauty of this handy, squishy mat is that it gives you a comfy place to do all of your bodyweight exercises. Not only that, it’s portable, so you can move it around wherever you feel like working out. 

Jump Rope

Looking for one of the best pieces of affordable home gym equipment that’ll push your cardio to the max every time? Look no further than the humble jump rope. For just a few smackeroonies, you can start jumping, hopping, crossing, leaping, and definitely sweating with a good jump rope. And because they’re already at a pretty low price point, you can splurge with one of the better ones (they’re still pretty cheap). But, to be honest, Cat Kom speaking here… I actually like the less expensive ones on Amazon that are like $7 to $10 better than the $15 to $25 versions. Just sayin’!

Resistance Bands

It’s time to join the resistance! No, we’re not getting political here or veering off into a Star Wars diatribe – we’re talking about flexible, useful, and challenging resistance bands. These handy bandies are great for all sorts of toning, stretching, and building – remember, tough on muscles and easy on the wallet is our mantra. 

Stability Equipment

Want tight abs on a tight budget? We hear ya. Good thing stability balls exist, huh? These bouncy bundles of belly-busting bad-assery are a perfect compliment to your workout routine. If you wanted to splurge on a BOSU® ball you could, but you can get the same effective balance and stability training off of a regular ole yoga ball. 

Pump Iron… Save Silver

Ok, now’s the time to get a little creative. When building a home gym on a budget, you’ll probably want to stock up on weights, barbells, and other heavy hitters. But these can definitely get a little pricey. But guess what? These clunky (and let’s be honest, kind of ugly to everyone outside of the fitness world) plates, bars, and kettlebells basically live forever. And though we at Studio SWEAT onDemand are all for dusting off any equipment we have and getting back to our fitness routines, the fact is that many other people don’t share our commitment. You know what that means… there are literally TONS of used weights out there! So be sure to check out garage sales, estate sales, craigslist, offerup, and ebay, and stock up on the cheap! Also, sad as we are to say that many gyms are closing up shop, it’s also an opportunity to stop by and see if they’d be willing to sell you any of their old equipment. 

Sign Up for onDemand Workouts

One of the best home gym ideas on a budget is to get the in-studio vibe of group fitness classes with Studio SWEAT onDemand! Our never-ending library of streaming workouts features all kinds of exercises, designed to be done at (your) home, like Bootcamp, Yoga, Pilates, TRX, HIIT, Spin, Zumba, and oh so much more. And if you’re looking to build a home gym on a budget, how does FREE sound? Sign up for our 7-Day Free Trial today, and let’s get fit, for less. And, if you need help getting started after your free trial, we might even be able to get you a promo code as an intro offer. Just email ondemandsupport@studiosweat.com and see what they say!

We hope this list was helpful. Now go out there, get yourself some equipment, and let’s sweat!