Whether your fitness aim is to increase your levels of cardio, build lean muscle through a weight training plan or perhaps a bit of both, you are going to need at least some equipment – especially if you plan to do most of the exercise at home and not at the gym.

JX FITNESS Weight Bench Adjustable Incline Decline Flat JX FITNESS Weight Bench Adjustable Incline Decline Flat

One of the biggest benefits is that you will probably feel more comfortable and therefore be more likely to undertake your exercise if you are at home. This is especially true for beginners and hopefully this article has helped you to realise that you don’t need to have a dedicated home gym to enjoy the benefits of exercise. They key to a successful home-gym is simplicity. Leave the big toys and complex gadgets to the leisure centres and gym chains. You really only need a handful of things to get going (show me a bare room with a barbell and a couple of dumbbells and I’ll show you a thousand different workouts in dozens of different styles you can do with them!) As its name suggests, it wouldn’t be out of place in a commercial gym, let alone your garage gym. You can usually get it with a lifetime warranty, which will probably not be used as the bench is so robustly built. JUNXIA manufactures treadmills, elliptical cross trainers, lifecycle bikes and strength training equipment.

All in all, now is a good time to invest some money and space into setting up a gym in the comfort of your own home. The key questions to ask when you are considering which sort of equipment to buy should revolve around your fitness aims, your budget and your space. You should also consider any health issues or experience you have with working out. As well as being lightweight, the Athlyt Adjustable Weight Bench is also completely foldable, making it very easy to store and even travel with, if needed. However, it’s not a good idea to load it over around 160-70kg as, being so light, it cannot take a great deal of weight.

JX FITNESS Adjustable Weight Bench, Strength Training Bench JX FITNESS Adjustable Weight Bench, Strength Training Bench

The belt and bands can be stored in a drawer or small bag and take up virtually no space at all. Ideal for anyone who needs portable workout equipment that they can take with them or for anyone who wants to maximise their at home workouts but without turning their humble abode in to a home gym.

It is only just economically viable for most people, however, and there are options on this list that will serve just as well whilst costing a lot less- hence it isn’t in the top spot despite being technically the best.

Best Weight Bench - Fitness Brain Best Weight Bench - Fitness Brain

Great to see the full incline for military presses and decline for decline presses and sit-ups. Thankfully these guys thought to include an adjustable seat, an essential feature for support when low incline pressing. JLL have developed a strong reputation over the years for producing high quality exercise equipment at budget prices and although the R200 rower is not what you would call cheap, when you compare it to other rowing machines it is an absolute steal.

The feet are non-slip and hug the floor well, so you can be confident in your grounding as you work out. The Gorilla bench is also foldable, so can be stored away easily enough. Also, the JX fitness includes decline for decline presses and sit-ups, and a number of incline positions so you can target the upper pecs. If cardio is your main aim and you only have a small space in which to do your exercise then the T100 is a great option. The seat is also built to provide good support to heavier athletes, with a top load bearing capacity of 300kg (a limit of 136kg for the user, plus the weights themselves). The bench is 1.2m and is good for even taller athletes. Some things are therefore negotiable. You don’t need a rowing machine, treadmill, elliptical and upright bike… you definitely don’t need a vibraplate or five different kinds of bosu.