Trainer-Favourite Fitness Gear on Amazon
Experts Shared Their Top Amazon Fitness Gear — Under $150! — to Upgrade Every Workout
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Beefing up a home gym can be expensive and also confusing. We all want the convenience of working out at home, but you only have so much room, money, and time to go sifting through the hundreds of different options for every piece of gear. And like, is there really that big of a difference between one booty band and another? (Honestly, sadly, yes.)
We're here to make it a little easier. Well, us and these next few trainers and fitness experts, who each shared their absolute must-have piece of fitness gear. All available on Amazon. All $150 or less. Hit the cart, then hit the gym.
1 BlenderBottle
Equinox trainer and founder of #irockthesportsbra Sylvia Nasser's choice: the BlenderBottle Just For Fun Classic 28 Ounce Shaker Bottle ($15). She uses it for pre-workout or BCAA-supplement drinks and refills it with water to stay hydrated. "I never leave home without it," she said.
2 AmazonBasics Resistance and Pull Up Band
Resistance bands were one of the most popular items that trainers recommended to us. "Resistance bands improve overall strength and endurance and increase flexibility and range of motion," said Sam Stauffer, director of training at Spartan, who recommended the AmazonBasics Resistance and Pull Up Band ($13). "Any exercise that can be done with a pulley in the gym can be done with bands," added Tom Biggart, MD, a physical therapist and athletic training and strength and conditioning coach at EBM Fitness Solutions. Small and lightweight, these bands are the perfect space-saving fitness solution, whether you're working out on holiday or in a small apartment. Sam recommended using your bands for strength exercises like pull-ups, squats, and tricep dips, or anchoring it around a pole for rows, presses, or core work.
3 Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel
To cool down during intensive cardio HIIT sessions, ACE-certified trainer Kelly Morgan, PhD, relies on the Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel ($13). You simply soak the towel, store it in the pouch while you work out, and drape it over your shoulders, neck, or even in your sports bra (Kelly's pro tip) when you need to cool down. "This towel goes with me for all workouts," she told POPSUGAR. "It totally changed how I feel while working out: in the heat, in the gym, and anywhere."
4 Fitness Insanity Resistance Band Set
Resistance bands with pulleys can add another dimension to your workouts. The multiple levels of tension allow you to progressively overload your muscles, said Chris Weigel, NSCA-certified personal trainer and owner of Clairevista Vitality Club in Dallas, which is a fast track to muscle gains. Personal trainer Rachel MacPherson, ACE, recommended the Fitness Insanity Resistance Band Set ($24), which includes an anchor so you can attach a band to a door and use it like a cable machine at the gym. The pulley also makes it easy to use these bands for dumbbell exercises like biceps curls, shoulder presses, triceps extensions, chest presses, hamstring curls, donkey kicks, and more.
5 Hex Bar
ISSA-certified personal trainer Jamie Hickey of Truism Fitness recommended a hex bar, like this CAP Olympic Trap Bar ($109), as the ultimate safest way to perform a deadlift, turning it into a move that works your entire body. (Here's how to do one with a hex bar!) He also recommended it for moves like shrugs, overhead presses, farmer's carries, split squats, and reverse grips.
6 SlingShot Grippy Hip Circle
The SlingShot Grippy Hip Circle ($28) gives "an added level of resistance for so many leg and butt exercises," said Allison Jackson, NASM, a professional figure competitor and online fitness and nutrition coach. She recommended using it for challenging variations on squats, hip thrusts, and bridges. (Here are six more glute-strengthening moves to get the most out of your band.)
Even better news: beyond growing your glutes, a hip circle (also called a booty band) can help to ease knee pain, said fitness coach Nick Leyden, MS, CSCS. "What the hip circle does is create inward tension on the legs, so you have to fight out against the band during a squat," he told POPSUGAR. That strengthens the part of your glutes called the gluteus medius, which helps to stabilise your knees and balance out the muscles along the inside and outside of your thighs. "Basically, you are going to have a nice ass and be pain free too," he said. We're sold.
7 WODFitters Mobility Lacrosse Balls Set
NASM-certified personal trainer Stephen Cooper recommends WODFitters Mobility Lacrosse Balls Set ($17) to clients for massageing out tight, stressed areas like your glutes, back, and the bottoms of your feet. The balls are small enough to bring along when travelling or even at work. "In our busy lives these days, it's smart to take a few minutes for self-care," Stephen told POPSUGAR.
8 Nobull Women's Training Shoes
"I often struggle finding shoes because I have a wide foot," said Caley Crawford, personal trainer and director of education for Row House. She chose Nobull Women's Training Shoes ($129) as her favourite piece of fitness gear because they're flat and "incredibly stable," making them a great choice for strength training, high-intensity interval training, and indoor rowing.
9 TRX All-in-One Suspension Training System
The TRX All-in-One Suspension Training System ($150) is the most expensive item on our list, but according to two fitness experts, it's worth it. "It is basically an entire home gym," said NASM-certified trainer Phil Catudal, who recommended it for its versatility and portability. "If you have a door that can support weight," said Amanda Murdock, director of fitness at Daily Burn, "then this is the one piece of equipment that I would highly recommend to give you a full-body workout." For upper body, she recommended using the strong, flexible bands for push-ups and rows; for the lower body, try jump squats, deadlifts, and glute bridges; and for core, mountain climbers and pikes.
10 Embrava Best Sports Water Bottle
Simple but crucial: "A water bottle is the most important piece of fitness equipment you can buy," said Bethany Rutledge, USAT-certified triathlon coach. She recommended the Embrava Best Sports Water Bottle ($22) as a leak-proof, nontoxic, and environmentally-friendly option "to help you go the extra mile."
11 Ultimate Body Press Exercise Sandbag With Filler Bags
"Sandbags provide full-body, fat-blasting workouts," said ACE-certified personal trainer Lynn Montoya. You can even use water to fill this Ultimate Body Press Exercise Sandbag With Filler Bags ($60), which Lynn recommended for convenience and because the shifting water recruits even more muscles as you work out. Try them out with moves like farmer's carries and front- or back-loaded squats and lunges.
12 Beyond Yoga Women's Back Gather Capri Leggings
"For indoor cycling, it is a must to have snug, fitted workout tights to avoid any type of friction rash," said Tevia Celli, director of education for CycleBar. Her favourite: Beyond Yoga Women's Back Gather Capri Leggings ($70-$80), which are soft, comfortable, and moisture-wicking for super-sweaty workouts.
