How to build a home gym on a budget

You don't need a garage full of machines to get strong at home. A few well-chosen pieces cover nearly every muscle. The trick is buying them in the order that unlocks the most training for the money.

Start with nothing

Before you buy anything, you can already train hard. Push-ups, split squats, glute bridges, planks and a towel row in a doorway make a full workout. See strength training with no equipment.

What to buy, in order

1. A pull-up bar. Cheap, fits a doorframe, and pull-ups and chin-ups are the hardest muscles to train without one. See pull-up bar exercises.
2. Resistance bands. Light, cheap, and they make pull-ups easier while you build up, and add band pull-aparts and lateral raises. See band exercises.
3. Adjustable dumbbells. The biggest upgrade. Presses, rows, squats, lunges and Romanian deadlifts all open up. See dumbbell exercises.
4. An adjustable bench. Turns floor presses into proper bench and incline presses, and supports one-arm rows.
5. A barbell, plates and a squat rack. The most expensive step, and the one that lets you keep adding weight for years.

Kettlebell or dumbbells?

One or two kettlebells are a great budget alternative if space is tight: swings, goblet squats, rows and presses. Dumbbells are more flexible for presses and curls. If you'll only buy one, adjustable dumbbells usually cover more.

What to skip

• Single-muscle machines. They take space and train one thing.
• Lots of fixed dumbbells. A rack of pairs costs more than one adjustable set.
• Heavy plates before small ones. Small plates are what keep you progressing.

Tip: Buy used. Plates, dumbbells and racks don't wear out, and second-hand prices are often half of new.

Tell Liftsmith what you own

Add your home gym in Liftsmith, down to the exact plates and dumbbells, and every workout uses only that. Buy a new piece and add it: the plan starts using it the next day. If you also train at a commercial gym, keep both and Liftsmith can switch to the right one when you arrive.