Last updated on September 14th, 2021. Like so many others, I came to appreciate the true value of home gym equipment when COVID-19 first hit. Working out in quarantine made me reevaluate fitness and get pretty creative with it, too. I don’t know about you, but honestly? I missed the gym less and less as time went on! Having a gym at home means no more waiting for equipment, no travel to get there and freedom to do what we want. While I’ve since rejoined the gym, I still work out in our apartment on a regular basis. Why? COVID taught us how to design a home gym for our apartment that’s effective, reasonably priced and space-saving. Getting to this point required us to identify which exercises we need for maximum results while also researching the best-rated equipment for working out at home. Before all that, we had one burning question: how do we create a home gym in our apartment? After doing all the research and setting up our own apartment home gym, we’ve put together this guide. Keep reading for info. about bodyweight exercises, DIY workout equipment and our personal reviews of all the equipment we have!
Table Of Contents
- Bodyweight Only – No Equipment
- Strength [Plus Our Top Picks]
- Cardio [Plus Our Top Picks]
- Balance & Stability [Plus Our Top Picks]
- My Original DIY COVID Quarantine ‘Gym’ Equipment
A Great Workout Doesn’t Require (Almost) ANY Equipment
First of all, a great workout can be achieved with essentially zero exercise equipment. I say ‘essentially’ because clothes and shoes are recommended, though technically not required at home!
There are countless exercises we can do with just our bodyweight that require zero equipment, so I’ll just list 10 in no particular order:
- Jumping Jacks
- Burpees
- Pushups (Many Variations)
- Yoga
- Shadow Boxing
- Squats (Bodyweight, Jumping, Pistols, Etc.)
- Isometrics
- Planks (Many Types)
- Good Mornings
- Lunges
That’s enough to get started, but a Google or YouTube search will yield bodyweight workouts galore. A home gym for a studio apartment ultimately requires one piece of equipment – you!
Also, I’ve been a huge fan of RossTraining.com for many years – he’s got a library of valuable information on there! This includes his book ‘Never Gymless‘, which is aptly named.
Home Gym For A Studio Apartment: Equipment That Fits In A Closet
Now let’s get into the focus of this article. True to our word, we will only recommend equipment that can be tucked away into a closet. If your apartment has no closets, storing this stuff under the bed is a solid second choice.
We’ve broken our list into the following categories:
There is an overlap between categories at points but this is a rough outline. Now let’s get into the specifics!
Home Gym For A Studio Apartment: Strength Training
Strength training and resistance are synonymous. One must be able to follow a ‘progressive overload‘ routine, which involves adding more weight or more training volume from one workout to the next.
The most common form of resistance is weight, but the space for weights is extremely limited in terms of creating a home gym for a studio apartment. Here are some weight alternatives!
Doorway Pull-Up Bar
Pull-ups are a quintessential bodyweight ‘pull’ exercise for developing the back. A doorway pull-up bar is affordable, versatile, requires no fastening and can be put away easily.
My favorite doorway pull-up bar (with no screws) has been the IRON AGE Pull Up Bar, as pictures above in our own doorway!
IRON AGE Doorway Pull Up Bar
What I Like:
- Strong: Loading this bar up to 200 pounds has been no problem.
- Grips: Padding & profile allows a wide variety of grip positions.
- Easy In/Out: This bar takes only a few seconds to put up & take down.
What To Be Aware Of:
- Assembly: This bar does require about 10 minutes of assembly when you first receive it.
- Doorways: The Iron Age pull-up bar is one of the more versatile I’ve found in terms of door size/type, but I recommend reading the Q&A’s on the product page to make sure it can fit your door, as many people have asked all sorts of questions in terms of door types on there.
- Scuffs: The rubber pads that come into contact with the doorframe will probably leave scuff marks. Luckily they can be wiped off fairly easily – on our doorframe’s paint at least.
Weighted Vest
Wearing a weighted vest while working out is a great way to add resistance to traditional bodyweight exercises.
You can wear a weighted vest for pull-ups, push ups, squats, lunges, jogging and more. They come in a variety of weights, and some models allow you to add or subtract weight as you prefer.
The model we own is the miR PRO Weighted Vest:
miR PRO Weight Vest- 45lb – 90lb
What I Like:
- Durability: Made from 1200D reinforced nylon, the miR weight vests are seriously tough.
- Versatility: Each weight is 3 lbs. Between the number/placement of pockets and weight increment, you can get the exact weight that you want, where you want it. The model linked above can hold up to either 45 or 90 pounds, depending on model!
- Fit: Shoulder and waist straps allow you to wear your vest as tight or as loose as you’d like.
What To Be Aware Of:
- Delivery: Delivery may take up to two weeks and could potentially arrive in multiple packages. Then again, shipping ~100 lbs of literal weights isn’t exactly easy or fast for anyone! We did buy ours a few months ago leading into holiday season, so it may be faster now.
- ‘Assembly’: Given that I use a different amount of weight for different exercises, I frequently switch the amount around. This does take a few extra minutes per workout to readjust the weights. Not a negative, just something to consider.
- Rough: When I say these are tough, I mean tough – and rough. Everything about the miR weight vest is strong, but I recommend wearing a short sleeve (minimum) due to the chaffing that can happen when rubbing against bare skin for too long.
An alternative of sorts is a sturdy backpack with sufficiently heavy household objects in it – check out the DIY section where I show my ‘quarantine gear’.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are like the cousin of traditional weights. They may not offer as much resistance as typical weights, but their versatility, portability and closet-friendly size offset this. Many different ‘lifts’ can be performed with them as well.
Today, there are a huge variety of band types and resistance levels, so people of many different strengths can equally take advantage of them.
Out of all the resistance bands that I’ve tried over the years, my favorite by far are the Undersun Fitness Heavy Duty Resistance Bands:
Undersun Fitness Heavy Duty Resistance Bands
What I Like:
- Strong: The Undersun resistance bands are the strongest I’ve tried. It’s a challenge to press the X-Heavy overhead for more than a couple reps, for example. That said…
- Versatility: The five bands you’ll receive are the X-Light, Light, Medium, Heavy & X-Heavy. This range of resistance levels, combined with how many exercises can be performed using these bands, make them extremely versatile. Bands can also be combined and used together.
- Light & Compact: When folded and inside the nylon bag (included), these can practically fit in a shoe box. Considering how much resistance they provide compared to weights, it’s pretty sweet.
- Doorway Option: These bands come with a padded device that you place in the doorway, shut the door on and loop the band through. This allows for a wider range of motions and lifts.
What To Be Aware Of:
- Adjustment: It may take a bit of trial-and-error to find the right resistance level and ideal range of motion for you. Once you get it down for your needs, they’re great.
- Grip: The Undersun bands are essentially giant rubber bands – not ‘rubber rope’ with a handle. Given that there’s not a designated grip, it could take a bit of adjustment to find the most ergonomic hand/grip position.
Fitness & Workout Sandbags
I first started seeing ads for fitness sandbags like crazy after the COVID shut-down began. It makes sense – these workout sandbags are exactly what weight is supposed to be: weight. No gym? No problem.
A bag of sand is a simple yet amazing tool for performing all types of functional, compound lifts. A fitness sandbag should hopefully fit in a closet but since they offer so much basic strength utility, storing it in the corner isn’t such a bad trade-off.
As for which model we use, check out the E ETERMTT Heavy Duty Workout Sandbag:
E ETERMTT Heavy Duty Workout Sandbag
What I Like:
- Handles: This bag features several durable handles in different configurations, so a variety of lifts can be performed.
- Weight: This particular fitness sandbag can hold up to 60 pounds of weight. This is done by filling up multiple inner liner bags and then putting those inside the main bag. These can be removed or added in easily if you want to change the weight.
- Strong: Not only are the handles and material really strong, but even the velcro closures and zippers are strong. When dozens of pounds of sand are being tossed around, that’s probably for a reason!
What To Be Aware Of:
- Shifting: Depending on what you do and how much impact the bag takes, the sand can shift from one side to the other. You may need to rebalance the sand between handles before doing two-handed lifts.
- Spillage: I’ve had zero spillage happen from using the bag as intended. In terms of switching weight around, you may want to do that outside or on a hard surface in the event that sand somehow spills out of one of the inner lining bags during this process.
Portable Parallette Bars
If you’re a fan of gymnastics, static holds, dips or a variety of other bodyweight movements, I think you’ll find portable parallel bars useful.
The model we have are the XL Parallette Bars:
XL Parallette Bars
What I Like:
- Strong: These bars don’t budge one bit with 200 pounds plus bering on them.
- Portable: Considering how strong these parallette bars are, they’re pretty portable.
- Rubber Grips: These bars feature high-quality rubber footings that grip hard surfaces very well.
What To Be Aware Of:
- Sliding On Carpet: These parallette bars can be used on carpet, but be careful about how wide they’re placed and how you plan on using them, as the rubber does not grip carpet quite as well – they can slide if not careful.
- Assembly: These bars take 15-20 minutes to assemble when they first arrive, which involves several bolt/nut connections.
- Grip: The grips are steel and therefore not padded. You may want to use a pair of gloves for ergonomics and to prevent slipping if your hands get sweaty.
Isometric Equipment
Isometric exercises are not mentioned too often when it comes to strength training, but they should be. They involve holding a steady, static (stationary) contraction of a muscle over a period of time. Imagine doing a chin-up but instead of coming down, you hold yourself steady in the “chin-over-bar” position. That’s an isometric.
Gymnasts are the most common example of athletes using isometrics as part of their regime. Not too many weak-look gymnasts out there!
Isometrics can be done with all of the above equipment, but there are pieces of exercise equipment made specifically for isometrics.
Here are a few top-rated models:
Folding Workout Bench
Though not required, you may find a foldable workout bench useful for shoulder and chest presses, among other things.
Home Gym For A Studio Apartment: Cardio
A wide variety of cardio or cardio-esq workouts can be performed at home with no equipment. This includes jumping jacks, burpees and all sorts of bodyweight movements.
When it comes to making a home gym for a studio apartment, cardio equipment is limited. A treadmill will take up a tremendous amount of your floor space – while that’s possible, it’s probably not advisable unless you don’t mind.
Let’s go through a few items you can use at home to get in a cardio workout.
Running Shoes
OK, this technically goes beyond just ‘home workouts’ as running is best done outside. However, running outside is free and available to anyone, anytime. A solid pair of running shoes is all you truly need to get in regular, solid cardio.
A good pair of running shoes can be used for any other type of exercise, too. Below are some top-rated models, but it’s best to identify the type of running shoe you need first:
If you feel more comfortable trying on some pairs first, then follow your instinct!
Boxing Gloves & Punch Mitts
I participated in amateur boxing in my college years. As a former competitive distance runner, I still haven’t decided if boxing or running is more intense from a cardio standpoint.
One things’ for sure – boxing of any type is an amazing full-body workout that mixes cardio and strength in a balanced blend.
In terms of a home gym for a studio apartment, there’s not much you can buy as far as boxing goes. Unless you’re Clubber Lang, you probably don’t want a heavy bag, speed bag or anything else in your apartment.
The next best thing is a pair of boxing gloves. If you don’t plan on doing much ‘real’ boxing, any decent pair of hook-and-loop (velcro) leather gloves will do – preferably 12-oz. or more. You can then shadow box; essentially throwing punches in the air while maintaining guard (keeping your hands at face level). While gloves seem light at first, throwing air punches for a couple of three minute rounds will be more of a cardio workout than expected.
For added difficulty, power and skill development, a partner can hold punch mitts for you (and vice versa). To protect your wrists and hands – especially if you’re just beginning – I recommend wearing hand wraps underneath the gloves. I like Mexican-style wraps as they’re longer (180-in. usually) and generally provide more protection.
Jump Rope
There’s a reason why running and jump roping are core tenets of a boxer’s fitness regime – they get the body in serious cardiovascular shape!
A jump rope is a cheap, easy way to get all sorts of cardio in. Use one in 30 second sprints, alternate left vs. right foot hops, try to go for five minutes straight…the list goes on.
I do recommend using a jump rope during normal waking hours, though – even with concrete floors, your downstairs neighbors will be able to hear you jumping rope from above!
Foldable Cardio Equipment For A Small Apartment
Depending on how much space you have, you be be able to accommodate some cardio machines in your studio apartment gym!
Here are some examples of foldable cardio equipment that can be tucked in the corner, under the bed or potentially your closet:
Home Gym For A Studio Apartment: Balance & Stability
I’ve included this last section because many workouts aren’t specifically cardio or strength-based, but either lie somewhere between or are their own thing entirely.
Let’s talk about some exercise devices meant specifically for balance and stability.
Yoga
Yoga stretching and posing is amazing for balancing out the body, increasing flexibility, relieving tight muscles and even for meditation. There are plenty of free videos online for all types of yoga you can follow, and it requires virtually no equipment – you probably just want to invest in a yoga mat.
Medicine Ball
A medicine ball is useful for many things. They can be used in strength training, which includes abdominal movements like crunches. They can also be used while doing planks and other holds that engage your core. They’re about the size of a basketball or smaller if you haven’t used one before.
Foam Rollers
Foam rollers are useful for stretching, massaging and treating sore muscles, along with alleviating tightness in the back and legs. They’re easy to find as well at stores like TJ Maxx, Home Goods, etc. if you want to buy one in person. Foam rollers come in a variety of sizes and firmness – softer ones partially give way under our weight while firm ones can provide something akin to a deep tissue massage.
Inversion Table
Do you have chronic back pain, herniated discs, sciatica or other spinal issues? You may want to try an inversion table. They do what they sound like – once you’re in position, you allow yourself to rotate backwards until you’re inverted. This takes a lot of pressure off the spine in a way that massage, stretch or heat cannot.
I am not a medical professional so this isn’t medical advice, but my wife and I had one for many years until we gave it to a friend during a move. I wish we hadn’t – as I get a bit older, I find myself wishing we still had it to help with lower back tightness.
An inversion table is a bit more cumbersome than some of the other items on our list, but they can be folded and tucked away, too.
My DIY Quarantine Workout
As stated earlier, we regularly worked out at our building’s gym before COVID-19 hit. We were admittedly not prepared to do workouts at home in terms of equipment. Although one certainly can work out in an apartment without equipment, I personally spend a fair portion of my exercise time lifting weights, so I needed to find a way to get a decent strength workout in with cardio mixed in – below is a picture of my DIY quarantine workout equipment.
It’s not pretty, but I worked out using the above ‘equipment’ for six months after COVID-19 shut down our gym with some pretty good success. The only things not shown are punch mitts (not required) and a jump rope.
Here are the exact items we use:
- DeWalt Tool Bag
- Egg Rocks To Fill The DeWalt Bag (Alternate: Sand)
- Fairtex Boxing Gloves
- Title Gel Pads
- Outdoor Products Backpack (Filled With Textbooks) – Couldn’t Find Exact Model
- Jump Rope
Exercises I’ve Done With These Items:
- Pull-Ups Using Door & Wearing Backpack
- Push-Ups & Dips – Wearing Backpack
- Bent Over Rows – Holding One/Both Bags (One Side At A Time)
- Upright Rows – DeWalt Bag (One Side At A Time)
- Squats & Lunges Wearing And/Or Holding Bags
- Handstand Pushups (Feet Against Wall) – No Equipment
- Good Mornings & Calf Raises Wearing And/Or Holding Bags
- Bicep Curls, Tricep Kickbacks & ‘Diamond Pushups’ Using Bags
- Wrist Curls With Bags (Alternate – Finger Tip Pushups)
- Jumping Jacks – Bodyweight Or With Backpack
- Shadow Boxing With Gloves (Or Using Punch Mitts)
If you want to replicate this setup, please be careful and check equipment regularly (including doors, etc.) – especially when lifting overhead! The DeWalt tool bag has held up well, but a tear formed in the bottom and rocks have started to fall out. DEFINITELY replace yours if you see any damage to avoid injury.
While I have since evolved past using only these items for home workouts, they’ve served quite well!
In Summary
This ended up being a lot longer of an article than I originally planned. Once the ideas got flowing, more kept coming. As you can see, there are plenty of exercises you can do at home with zero equipment – for free! Free is always good. If you’re thinking about setting up your own home gym for a studio apartment, you at least have a variety of equipment ideas to choose from. I hope this article has been helpful and informative.
One reply on “Home Gym For A Studio Apartment [2021]: Our Equipment & DIY Guide”
[…] Home Gym For A Studio Apartment? Equipment That Can Fit In A Closet […]