Welcome to My Home Gym...

I've been wanting to do this blog post for quite a while now (and add all this stuff to my "home gym" page as well) so today I finally pulled out and photographed all of my home gym equipment to share with you guys!
Warning...I have been building my home gym over the last five years this is going to be a long post!

​The big guys...

Adjustable squat/barbell rack and swiss ball

Weight lifting bar and plate rack with plates

Adjustable bench

So over in the far corner I have my adjustable squat/barbell rack with the Swiss ball. I keep them here when I'm not using them so they don't block half the living room.
The weightlifting bar (it weighs 12.9 lbs and can hold up to 200 lbs) is in front of the entertainment center so that's out of the way as well and I have several sets of plates that range between 2.5 lbs to 25 lbs. Eventually I want to upgrade to an actual olympic barbell but I don't need it at this time as I'm nowhere near being able to lift 200 lbs.
As you may be able to see behind the weightlifting bar rack, there's two shelves on the entertainment center that hold most of my yoga accessories, foam rollers and ankle weights.
I also have my adjustable bench against the wall on the other side of the room so it stays out of the way and I can pull it out when I need it. I do want to upgrade to a bench that has several incline adjustments instead of just one but I'm not planning on doing that until my current bench falls apart.

The workout closet and anchored band area...

Workout closet and anchored band area

Door in workout closet area

The workout closet/anchored band area is my space. Several years ago we emptied out an old closet that we never used, took off the door, added hooks and shelving and turned it into my workout "closet." This is where the majority of my equipment is kept and where I use my anchored bands the way I would use a cable machine.
There are seven anchors in blue and pink (because I ordered them at different times and didn't have a choice of colors) that are bolted to the wall that I use for my band workouts. They go from nearly touching the floor all the way up to the ceiling in increments that were measured to my body since they can't be moved and I absolutely love them! I've gone all the way up to 80 lbs using them and they've held pretty well (although the wall does protest a little) so I'm hoping to get years of use out of them!
As you can see in the photos, the walls and doors around the closet are covered in motivational posters, a stretching poster and muscles and bones of the body that helped me when I was studying for my CPT and Corrective Exercise specialties.

Inside the workout closet...

Fitness books and exercise DVDs

Left side of workout closet

Right side of workout closet - bottom shelves

Center of workout closet

Right side of workout closet - top shelves

The inside of the workout closet is a busy place since that's where many things are kept. There is a shelf towards the top that hold my exercise books and workout DVDs that I use for cardio since I don't own any cardio equipment. The hooks below that hold my yoga mats with loop bands and pilates band hanging off of those. The shelf below that holds the small step bench as well as small hand and wrist weights and weighted balls.
Over to the left are hooks that hold all of the bands that I own and 3 hooks right on the outside of the closet that hold the smaller accessories like the tricep rope, ankle straps, handles and the rest. The other half of the closet has a long set of small shelves (which were really hard to photograph) that hold sports towels, sneakers, body fat % monitor and smaller things like that. The large anchored band equipment like lat bars are also in there.

The Pull Up Bar

Pull Up Bar Top Position

Pull Up Bar Bottom Position

Over in the doorway that leads to the hallway is my adjustable pull-up bar. It's a progression bar that has three settings and can be used for pull ups, bar pushups, inverted rows and so on. This was a great addition to my home gym and I try to hang on it several times a day to start progressing toward someday doing an actual pull up.

The Weights...

Adjustable Weights

Dumbbell Rack with dumbbells and kettlebells

Weight Training Equipment

One of the other things I have in the closet that I didn't take out because they're really heavy are my adjustable dumbbells that go from 5-52.5 lbs. I haven't used them a lot because I have separate dumbbells for what I need now and because I find them uncomfortable to use for most exercises. They just seem really big and wide and don't allow my body to move the way regular dumbbells so I'm not sure if I'm going to keep them.
I also have a dumbbell rack that holds the dumbbells I use in every workout that go from 3-25 lbs, as well at two kettlebells.
In the other photo you can see my other weight equipment: wrist and ankle weights that range from 1-25 lbs, 2 lb hand weights, two weighted balls (6 and 8 lbs) and a flex disc to balance on.

Resistance Bands...

Resistance, Pilates and Pull Up Bands

Here I have all my resistance bands. I have hooked bands that I used with the anchors that range from 3 lbs - 80 lbs as well as pilates bands - light, medium and heavy, a set of loop bands that range from x-light to x-heavy, a long pilates band for stretching and two pull-up assist bands, one at 65-175 lbs and the other at 50-125 lbs.

Anchored Band Equipment and Accessories...

Anchored Band Accessories and Wooden Katana

Step Benches

Here we have all of my weight training/anchored band work accessories. There's a curl bar, a long and short lat bar, a bar that has hooks on it so that I can attach to any of my hooked bands, an accessory bar, double-d handle, tricep rope, v-bar, two sets of ankle straps, a large handle and several small handles, weight lifting gloves, a barbell pad and my beloved wooden katana which I actually have a workout DVD to use with but the katana hits my ceiling when I try it so I need to figure something else out there.
I also have two step benches, the little one that I've had for many years and the new one at the bottom which has three different heights: 6, 8 and 10 inches.
I add little things to this section quite often so there will be updates here from time to time.

Yoga & Pilates Equipment

Yoga Mats

Yoga and Pilates Accessories

This is what I have for yoga equipment so far but I also tend to add things to this section as well. I have the two yoga mats shown here which have hooks in the closet that hold them up but I also have a third mat in my car that I use when I workout outside of home.
I also have a pilates reformer bar and several pieces of yoga equipment like blocks, a yoga wheel, yoga wedge and yoga straps. I've found the straps and blocks to be invaluable and use them all the time.

Foam Rolling

Foam Rolling

Finally, here we have my foam rolling equipment. I've only been doing foam rolling for two years when I started learning about it while studying for my CPT and I definitely want to learn more about it. Here I have three foam rolls in different sizes and styles, a medium size ball that I use for my back and a little ball I just recently got that I use for my feet, back and neck. There are several more pieces I'd love to add to this, so this will be getting updated as well.

So this brings us to the end of my home gym! There are many, many more things I would love to add ranging from things like an olympic barbell and plates to heavier dumbbells to more band varieties to a bosu ball and all the way to a treadmill and everything in between, but everything depends on money and space (but mostly money) so adding them takes a lot of time and effort. Like I said at the beginning, I'm on year five of building of my gym and  I absolutely love what I've made of it so far!