There are countless benefits of working out at home, and body-weight-only exercise routines (when done with high intensity), can be awesome amazing at putting the body into fat blasting mode for hours after you workout.

You don’t need tons of fancy equipment that a gym membership gives you access to (although all those things can be fun, they can also be distracting and intimidating). All you need to be in the best shape of your life is a good understanding of how to sequence and put together solid workouts, a high quality yoga mat, and your desire to be the best you every day!

With that being said, today I am going to share with you a few basic things I DO use myself for my home workouts, and why I like the options I am sharing with you better than other choices we have to pick from!

Hand Weights For Toning Exercises

I personally do not have extra storage space at my home, or a space to build a “home gym” with bulky equipment. Incorporating hand weights has been super fun for me and I absolutely feel stronger and see a more defined physique from using them.

The kind pictured here are the kind I like best. I do not like the steel ones because they hurt my hands when I am holding 15 pounds working my legs. The material these are made of feels most comfortable to me. (I also don’t like the slippy vinyl feel).

Another thing I look for when I choose weights for myself and my clients is that the ends of the weights are angled and not rounded. This is because it gives us greater possibilities in the exercises we can do. One example would be doing a push up into a side plank with weights. If you are holding on to rounded edge weight as the foundation to your pose, you are at greater risk of rolling a wrist underneath you. Go for the angled option!

Amazon is a great place to purchase weights because you can get free shipping and priced out they are cheaper on Amazon than anywhere I can find them here on Kauai. Just make sure you purchase your hand weights so you get 2 of each weight you are going for.

I personally use 5, 8, 10 and 15 pound sets. Most of my students start out with a set of 5 and 8 pounds.

Resistance Band Loops For Toning Exercises

I love these bands and my students and I call them (playfully of course), “the torture bands.”

They work the outer hips and glutes in magnificent ways and really are fun. Oh, and they can easily be tossed into a suitcase or purse if you are a girl on the go!

I like the bands that are thicker, not thin. They will last way longer and don’t get sticky the way the thin ones do. Also, I like the kind that are wider like these too, because the not-so-wide-ones can roll onto themselves and that can hurt your skin.

Ankle Weights For Butt And Gut Classes (A Series Of These Will Be In My Online Training Site)

I like that there is no velcro touching the body. I like that you can adjust the weight of these easy and that you can cinch them up to your ankle size!

Jump Rope For Fun Cardio Workouts And Efficient Warm-up!

Jump ropes can get expensive but you don’t need anything fancy here. This is the kind I like. I like this bigger grip handle and I like this thickness in rope. Just make sure that the length of jump rope is good for you. This one is one that should work for most adults.

Gym Boss Interval Timer

A timer is a great tool to have if you are training Tabata Protocol workouts or circuiting HIIT (high intensity interval training). All you have to do is set your timer to the intervals you want to work in and it keeps track of all the rest for you.

Yoga Ball

I like a medium sized ball (75cm) personally because it is easier to maneuver for an array of exercises. Yet I am only 5 feet tall, so if you are tall, the next size up may suit you best.

A yoga ball can be used for some really great core strength exercises, can be used as a prop to lay the body on for chest and back exercises, and can be used for a chair in your office too.

 

Yoga Blocks

I like the foam blocks best because they are light weight and softer to the touch than wood blocks. This is also the size block I like best for myself and my students. As you can see, you choose a color based on your style.

Yoga Straps

Straps can be helpful with different yoga stretches, especially for a beginner. However, even the most advanced yoginis will find a yoga strap helpful at times.

Yoga Blanket

Yoga blankets can be great props too, especially for restorative yoga practices. I like the ones that are woven tighter as apposed to a loose weave because they are more supportive for the body and don’t move around under you.

 

Manduka Yoga Mat For HIIT And Yoga Training

I have had my purple, lite Manduka mat for longer than my daughter has been alive (she is 7) and it is still in awesome condition. I like the purple because it is 3.5 pounds which makes it easy to travel with. The black mat is 7 pounds and is quite a hunk of mat to lug around.

The purple Manduka mat is thick enough that I never need to double up my mat when I am on my knees and it does not fall apart like the cheap yoga mats you can get at any big box store.

Investing in a good yoga mat is the #1 best investment you can make when it comes to each of my suggestions above. When you are springing in your fitness routine with plyometric exercises, your joints will be happy you made this choice for yourself too!

Rug Vs. Towel For Yoga Mat

I like the rug way better. The rug seems to absorb sweat and it stays on my mat really nice because it is a bit heavier. I love having a rug to mop up my sweat and having a sweaty mat under me is sweaty and I don’t dig the slippy feel one bit. If you are planning on sweating, get one of these!

 

 Online Yoga And Fitness Classes

I mentioned above that in order to truly make your home workouts effective and transformational you want to choreograph your daily workouts to be so. You will do this by warming up optimally, sequencing your exercises appropriately, pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, and keeping your alignment on point all the way through.

However, I know most people feel lost in putting all of these components perfectly together in just one workout let alone every home workout. Because I KNOW it is a consistent practice that keeps our bodies healthy and continuously learning new things I have created an entire website that offers online yoga and fitness practices you can do from home!

These practices include yoga, fitness, meditation and even some creative movement lessons for kids! The vault of yoga and fitness workouts are full of diversity, ranging in videos appropriate for raw beginners to advanced athletes.

If you know that you don’t push yourself to your greatest potential on your own consistently, or if you know that having loving guidance in the realm of optimal alignment and form is something that would support you, come on over and enjoy a week trail of online yoga and fitness classes on me!

This is the most economical way to have a “personal trainer” at your side each workout! Come play and rock your body into the vast potential that is already inside you.

Get your free week of online yoga and fitness training with me TODAY! Click HERE!