My Must Have Fitness Equipment - Working Out at Home and in the Gym

Since I have started working out almost daily for the past two to three months, I thought that it was about time I do another fitness post.  Also looking at my current content, I realised that it was all makeup based and I just wanted to switch it up with this little extra post for the week. If you do have any other fitness posts you want to request, then be sure to comment then because I definitely want to do some more in the future. 

Basically, this post is me sharing with you some of my favourite fitness accessories whether it is for the gym or for at home workouts. Obviously, don't feel like you need all of these to be able to get a good workout, because you definitely don't. Saying that, if you are getting into fitness, then this is what I recommend.

Yoga Mat

If you go to a gym, then I am 99.9% sure that they will have plenty of these for you to use but if you like to workout at home, then this is such an essential. A yoga mat is great because when you are doing floor workouts, especially for the abs then you are going to want to protect your back, and this is the best way to do it. I like to workout in my room, which has wooden floors, I am not sure what it is like when working out on carpet but I can't imagine it being much better. Putting down a yoga mat like this will just give you support and comfort when working out. I even use these when I am doing standing up workouts, so that even when I am doing things like squats, I don't have to wear shoes, so I can maximize the force on my legs and I am not slipping all over the place. Just in case you are wondering, mine is from Forever 21 and it was £9, so that is just a reminder that you don't have to spend loads on a yoga mat as this one is perfect for me and I use it at least four times a week, so a super great purchase.

Water

I know that you are all not stupid, and I know that you will all know the importance of water, but I did just want to give it a mention. Water is obviously essential, keeping hydrated while working out is a must, it will help cool down your body when working out and it will give you the potential to get the most out of your workout. Not having water in your workout will only make you feel ill, dizzy and tired so stay hydrated. I also suggest that you have quite a big bottle that it easy to drink out of, personally, I like one that you don't have to take a lid off of just because it is a little less faffy and if you have sweaty hands during your workout, then you are going to have a problem.

Good Trainers

Another one which you all must know the importance of but again, I am just going to remind you. When doing cardio especially, you want a good pair of trainers that aren't going to strain them but just support your feet and make them feel comfortable while working out. A good pair of trainers that are supportive, fit properly and secure your feet are just going to improve the potential of your workout while making it one million times more comfortable. Trust me, I have been there, wearing shoes that are too big and not supportive, so what I ended up doing was jut leaving the gym before I even started because no one wants to workout in pain. You also don't need expensive trainers, all you are looking for is nice fitting and supportive so just bare that in mind.

Resistance Band

If you read my July Favourites (will link at the end) you would have seen that I spoke about this a little and I do think that it is something some people ignore when working out. These come in a range of difficulty and in quality also. Mine was a couple of pounds from Amazon and it is honestly perfect for what I need but I know that some can be priced at £20+ which is a little too much if you ask me, but whatever floats your boat right? Anyways, in case you don't know how these work, you basically just wear them as you workout and they will just add some extra resistance into your moves. I love these for leg days because instead of using weights all of the time, I can do a resistance band workout and I find it to be just as effective. You can use these for donkey kicks, to squats to hip thrusts and all of them will just be the little bit harder when wearing this because it will test your form and stamina, which I love. If you are like me and have quite a few leg days in the week, or your legs and glutes are something you are working on, then definitely look into getting one of these. I don't know whether your gym provides these, I know mine does, but I tend to keep mine at home and use them for more at home workouts for extra resistance. You will also be able to tell that I have mine in heavy which is the third most difficult out of the four you can get from this company. Even though this was my first resistance band, I had already trained legs for a long time before hand so if you are a complete newbie then definitely get a more light resistance band but if you are like me and already have some strength in your legs then you could probably go straight into the heavy to extra heavy bands.

Dumbbell

Weights are a funny one because a lot of people get super scared by them but honestly there is nothing to be afraid of. These weights are actually my brothers but I use them so I am not sure how much they were or where they are from so I apologise but you can get them on Amazon for a range of prices. Your gym will almost definitely provide these as they are such an essential in peoples workouts. You can use these for almost every part of your body but I particularity like them for my arms and legs to be simple. Holding a little extra weight while you squat can just work you that little bit more and push you that little bit further which is what you want. If you are a complete newbie, I would recommend just to stick to body weight work until you reach the correct form and feel comfortable adding weight. When you add weight, I suggest it being very gradual. When I first started working out, I started with 1kg weights for arms and legs and slowly built it up from there. I found that the 1kg just tested me that little bit more and started me off in the right direction. I am not on 4kg, which is a super big jump for me but it pushes me and even though I cannot do as many reps, I feel it in all of the right muscles and I am left sore, in a good way. Don't feel like you need to use weights but I think if you are a bit bored with your workout or you feel like it isn't doing enough as body weight, then do add a dumbbell. I prefer dumbbells over kettle bells just because I find them more comfortable to use and I can use them for more exercises, so if you do have to invest in a weight then I would recommend a kettle bell.

Headphones

I don't know what I would do if I didn't have music in general but working out, music is a must. A difficult set or even something just to keep you in rhythm, music will do the job and if your gym doesn't play good music then you are going to want your own, and obviously listen to it with some headphones. I find headphones to be such a personal thing, some people like over ear and some people like in ear and depending on what you want or what you prefer will depend on which pair you want. Personally I prefer in ear, because I find them to be more comfortable and more secure. I also prefer wireless headphones when working out because then I don't have to worry about wires intertwining with my equipment and keeping my phone close by. These beats wireless headphones were an investment and I do think that I am getting my moneys worth out of them but don't feel like you need them. if you do want to invest, then I do recommend these, they charge well, last well and are super comfortable but a regular pair of apple headphones will do the job just as well.

Let me know what other fitness posts you want to see!

Grace xx

Links mentioned:

July Favourites - http://gracexkate.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/july-favourites.html