Theres a little game I like to play sometimes, and it seems to be popular with other folks who tend to work out at home: What equipment would I buy if I were starting a new home gym from scratch? Or you can play the advanced version: if you already have (insert common items here), what would you buy next?What follow are my picks for anybody starting a new home gym or looking to expand the one they havewhether that means a corner of your bedroom or a full-on garage-based weightlifting paradise. I'll start with space- and budget-friendly items, then move on to some bigger-ticket buys. Kettlebells If I had to put together a home gym from scratch, I think I would start with two kettlebells: one light enough to strict press or snatch, and one heavy enough to make swings and goblet squats challenging. If I had a smidge of extra cash, Id buy them as adjustable kettlebells, like this one from Bells of Steel, so they could get heavier as I got stronger. Competition-style adjustables are by far the best kind. Bells of Steel Adjustable Kettlebell $249.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $249.99 at Amazon A pull-up barPulling exercises are some of the hardest to improvise outside of a gym (although if you took my advice about kettlebells, you could do rows with those). A doorway pull-up bar like this one barely takes up any space, but it opens up a ton of possibilities. If your doorframes don't allow that type of bar, try a pull-up tower like this one. Ally Peaks Pull-Up Bar $25.99 at Amazon $31.89 Save $5.90 Shop Now Shop Now $25.99 at Amazon $31.89 Save $5.90 A spin bikeCardio is good for you. I keep telling myself this, and Im almost starting to believe it. With a spin bike, you can do intervals or steady state work while staying comfortably indoors when the road outside is dark, or wet, or icy. The price range of options here is wide: you can splurge on a top-of-the-line Peloton or go for one of the budget bikes (like a Sunny) that are less than a fifth of the price. Sunny Health Indoor Exercise Bike $242.90 at Amazon $379.00 Save $136.10 Shop Now Shop Now $242.90 at Amazon $379.00 Save $136.10 A rowing machineMy first choice for a cardio machine is the bike, as mentioned earlier. But if you want another device, Id vote for a rower. Rowers involve your full body, and theyre great for interval training. The Concept 2 is probably the best-known (and, many would say, the best) brand in this space. (Not a rower person? My third choice would be a treadmill.) Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine $1,259.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $1,259.99 at Amazon DumbbellsDumbbells are a great way to lift weights at home. Theyre smaller than a barbell, less specialized than a set of kettlebells, and you can do a ton of different workouts with them. As with kettlebells, youll need to decide if you want to get a few pairs at specific fixed weights (cheaper to start), or go for a pricier adjustable set. Powerblock and Bowflex are the fancy kind, if you have the money but want to save space. POWERBLOCK Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbell (2020 Model) $359.99 at Amazon $449.00 Save $89.01 Shop Now Shop Now $359.99 at Amazon $449.00 Save $89.01 A benchIf you have dumbbells or want to do any sort of bro workout, youre going to need a bench. Im more of a barbell person, so I just got a flat bench that can fit in my rack when I want to bench press. But people who do more dumbbell work often prefer a sturdy adjustable bench that can be configured for incline or upright seated work.A barbellIf youre into powerlifting or weightlifting, or just want to go heavy in your general strength workouts, theres really no substitute for a good ol barbell. Standard bars with a one-inch hole are common in budget sets, but your purchase will have more longevity if you opt for an Olympic style bar with two-inch collars. Get a 45-pound or 20-kilogram bar like this one unless you have a specific reason to get something else.Iron weight platesYouve got a few options for plateswell discuss another in a minutebut iron plates are the classic choice. Theyre sturdy, appropriately heavy, and up to almost any job. Get any kind that appeals to you: regular metal plates, plastic-coated ones, vintage-style deep dish. Anything but hex plates. Cast Iron Weight Plates, 45 lbs $49.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $49.99 at Amazon Bumper platesNot everyone needs bumper plates, but if youre one of those people who does, skip the iron plates entirely and go for the good stuff. Bumper plates are essential for Olympic lifts (the snatch and the clean and jerk) and theyre also nice to have for other lifts, like deadlifts. In general, the cheapest kind are made of black rubber and are labeled in pounds; expect to pay a premium if you want them in kilos with international standard color-coding.A squat rack or cageYou know youve Made It as a home gym owner when you have your own squat rack. Consider the amount of space you have available, since some racks require tall ceilings and all require a good bit of space around the sides so you can get to the bar to change the plates. There are folding racks, half racks, and full racks. You can also go the DIY route with one of those concrete-bucket-and-lumber squat stands everyone was using during lockdown. (Mine held up great for years, and only broke down when the buckets got too much UV damage from being in the sunlight so long.) Signature Fitness Squat Rack $499.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $499.99 at Amazon Resistance bandsThrow a band on your pullup bar and you have a way to do assisted pullups; hold a band in your hands instead and you can do band pull-aparts. Bands are also a great addition to your barbells if you dont have quite enough plates (or if youre a fan of conjugate training, in which case youre probably already putting bands and chains on everything that isnt nailed down.) If you want to use bands with barbells, look for the long loop type; if you want to use them on their own, look for the kind that clip to handles. SandbagsSandbags are the under-appreciated workhorses of many a home gym. Sand is dirt cheapalmost literallybut expect to pay a few bucks for a really quality fabric sandbag to put it in. (That said, you can DIY this, and we have instructions.) Start with a bag that weighs maybe half as much as you do, and practice picking it up, carrying it, and generally doing anything people do with weights. Yes, you can even press it overhead if youre careful. If thats all too easy, go for a bag that weighs as much as you do, or more.A plyo boxA box is a handy thing to have around, and one of the few things Ive always wanted in my home gym but never found the space for. With one box, you can do box jumps or box squats. With two, you can do dips or stand on top of them and set up a belt squat. The possibilities are endless.Specialty barsIf youre shopping for the person who has everything, Ill tell you what they dont have: another specialty bar. After a normal barbell, a typical next purchase is a safety squat bar. You could also go for an axle, which is great for practicing strongman events, or a cambered or duffalo bar (honestly, Im not sure why powerlifters love these so much, but they do). A dedicated deadlift bar is perfect for the deadlift specialist in your life, and a football bar or Swiss bar gives you lots of options for pressing. A log is great for the spoiled strongman or strongwoman in your life, or an EZ-curl bar for the bodybuilder. Or grab a trap bar to do deadlifts on easy mode.