I made a home gym in just three purchases - and for under £55 in the Black Friday sale

Strength training at home is easier than you might think. Digital Health Editor Grace Walsh transformed her routine for winter in three clicks on Amazon

Yoga mat on tile floor with laptop, water bottle and headphones to represent a home gym set up
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Having a home gym doesn't mean you have to clear out the garage or co-opt your living room. With just three purchases and for under £55 in the Black Friday sale right now, you can create a set-up that moves around the house with you.

While a gym membership is a great investment, it's only beneficial if you actually have the time (and motivation) to go. Having a pair of the best dumbbells and a few other essentials can help you do strength training a couple of times a week without leaving the house.

As woman&home's digital health editor and a qualified fitness instructor, I'm all too familiar with how not having enough time (and cold, wet weather) can interrupt a good exercise routine. I added a pair of dumbbells, a small bench, and resistance bands to my basket to change my routine for the better this winter.

How I made my home gym

What exercises can I do?

You can do a full-body strength training workout with these three pieces of equipment. If you're unsure where to start, take a look at our strength training at home for beginners guide.

You can do the following exercises (and many more):

  • Squats
  • Lunges
  • Bulgarian split squats
  • Romanian deadlifts
  • Hip thrusts
  • Chest press
  • Bicep curls
  • Tricep extensions
  • Shoulder press
  • Lateral raises
  • Lat pull downs
  • Rows
  • Incline press ups
  • Mountain climbers
  • Plank

Home gym: Nice to haves

If you've got a little more space and budget to splash on your home gym, these are some of the other pieces you could include...

Grace Walsh
Health Channel Editor

Grace Walsh is woman&home's Health Channel Editor, working across the areas of fitness, nutrition, sleep, mental health, relationships, and sex. She is also a qualified fitness instructor. In 2024, she will be taking on her second marathon in Rome, cycling from Manchester to London (350km) for charity, and qualifying as a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. 

A digital journalist with over six years experience as a writer and editor for UK publications, Grace has covered (almost) everything in the world of health and wellbeing with bylines in Cosmopolitan, Red, The i Paper, GoodtoKnow, and more.