What to buy first for a home gym: £30, £100 and £300

Most home gym advice starts with the kit. It should start with the plan. Buy equipment for a programme you'll actually follow, and buy it in the order that programme needs it. Here's how that works at three budgets.

About £30: the Starter set

You can train properly with almost nothing. A starter set covers every move in a beginner full-body plan:

• Resistance band set (loop bands and a tube band with a door anchor), about £15–£20. Rows, pull-aparts and lighter versions of most lifts.
• Exercise mat, about £10–£15. For every floor exercise; it also protects the floor and cuts the noise.
• Skipping rope, about £5–£10. Optional, for warming up.

That's roughly £30–£45. A doorway pull-up bar (another £20–£25) is a nice extra later, but you don't need it to start.

If money is tight, this is enough for your first couple of months. A filled backpack or water containers work as weights, and a sturdy chair does the job of a step.

About £100: add dumbbells

This is the sweet spot for most people. To the Starter set, add:

• A pair of adjustable dumbbells (about 5–25 kg each), roughly £60–£100.
• A sturdy step or low bench, roughly £30–£40, for split squats and calf raises.

Why dumbbells first? Because getting stronger means gradually doing a bit more over time, and adjustable dumbbells let you add load in small steps for months. That's hard to do with bands alone.

About £300: more variety, not more results

With a bigger budget, add a kettlebell (8–16 kg, about £40–£60), a flat or incline adjustable bench (about £80–£120) and a suspension trainer (about £40–£60). They give you more variety and a more stable set-up. None of it is essential, and none of it will do the training for you.

Three rules before you buy anything

1. Buy one tier at a time. Start where your budget is today and upgrade only when the plan calls for it.
2. Look second-hand first. Local marketplace listings are full of barely used kit, especially in late January and February. Check dumbbells for loose collars and cracked handles.
3. Measure your space. About 2 m × 2 m of clear floor is enough for everything above.

Prices are rough UK prices for new equipment in October 2026. Check current prices before you buy.

Want a plan to try this with? The First Week is free: three short bodyweight sessions, a minimum session for bad days and a daily check-in card. One honest week before you spend anything.

If you want the full 8-week plan built around these three tiers, with a tracker and a printable shopping checklist, that's Budget Home Gym (£13).

— Edmund