June 22, 2025, 3:51 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Home workouts are becoming increasingly popular. However, many people wonder what equipment is truly necessary for effective training sessions at home. While it’s certainly possible to complete an efficient workout using just your body weight, there are some basic tools that can make the training not only more varied but also more effective. FITBOOK fitness expert Alina Bock explains which home equipment can take your at-home training to the next level.
If you want to make your home workouts more effective and varied with equipment, you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money–small tools are enough to target a wide range of muscles, making the training more challenging and providing new stimuli for the muscles. I’ll explain which tools these are in this article.
Home Workouts vs. Gym–Are They Just as Effective?
If you prefer to train at home instead of at the gym, there are many ways to make your home workout just as effective. The advantage of the gym is the range of options to increase intensity. A variety of machines and weights are available to adjust the intensity and provide new stimuli for the muscles. At home, you have to make do with your own body weight, which can make increasing intensity difficult after prolonged training. However, training equipment can help here.
Jump Rope
Training with a jump rope is an effective way to improve endurance. More than ten calories can be burned per minute. Instead of using a cross trainer, exercise bike, or treadmill, a simple jump rope can achieve the desired effect for increasing endurance and serve as an effective warm-up for the subsequent workout.
The advantages: efficient cardiovascular training with high calorie consumption while requiring little space.
Also interesting: How to Optimally Prepare for Running with Jump Rope
Theraband
A true multi-talent among home workout equipment is the Theraband. It comes in many different lengths, colors, and strengths. Depending on your training level and exercise, it can be ideally adjusted to your training progress. The resistance it creates simulates training weight and can intentionally make previous bodyweight training more challenging. Additionally, the Theraband is gentle on the joints and provides resistance even during the extensive phase of the exercise.
The Theraband can be used for the leg and glute muscles, back, chest, and many other muscles. Some exercises for which the Theraband is ideal include:
- Butterfly and Reverse Butterfly
- Rowing
- Lat Pull in Lying Position
- Bicep Curls
- Lateral Raises
- Kick Backs
- Abduction
- Shoulder Bridge
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Pilates Ball
Not only can the Theraband be used in various ways, but the Pilates ball is also an excellent training tool to target many muscles. This small piece of equipment can be taken anywhere and used frequently and easily.
Especially the core muscles, including the deep abdominal muscles, which are particularly responsible for stability and coordination of the entire body, can be specifically trained with the Pilates ball. It can also significantly increase the intensity of leg training. For example, if the equipment is placed between the thighs during squats and squeezed during the exercise, it increases the intensity of the exercise and simultaneously activates the adductors and pelvic floor.
Exercises where the Pilates ball can be used and increase intensity include:
- Hip Lift/Shoulder Bridge
- Squats
- Pelvic Floor Activation
- Crunches
- Heel Taps
- Leg Lifts in Quadruped Position
- Diagonal in Quadruped Position
- Knee Lift