Category: Home Gym

Our last installment discussed dumbbells. Sticking with the weights, it's on to barbells this time. In particular: straight bars.

Barbells are probably what most people think of as "weights." They're used in powerlifting and the Olympics and for all the heaviest lifts. You don't have to go heavy with a barbell but it's nice that you can. And it's so fun!

Continuing our series on equipment you can use at home, we move to one of the most common items used at home for strength training: dumbbells (DBs).

Well here we go! The first in a seemingly limitless series of posts on fitness equipment you can use at home. I'll be starting a page that will have links to all the posts in the list as it grows but for now it's just this one.

Each of these posts will include one or more images with arrows pointing to the equipment's location in my home gym. Unless it's equipment I don't actually have, of course.

The most basic piece of fitness equipment you can use at home is a mat. You don't really need any mats. But they sure come in handy.

The most common is the ubiquitous "yoga mat" which can be seen traveling around town in stylish bags. This is a thin, easily rolled mat that can be used for things like yoga (duh), Pilates, and any floor exercise that can be made a bit more comfortable with some padding. But it's not just comfort: the mat can also protect the floor from sweat. Mats are much easier to clean than carpet, for example.