It has been 4 years now that I’ve been doing bodyweight training, and I got all the best calisthenics equipment that I need for my workouts.
Before that, I used to go to the gym, which is far away from my home. The gym was so crowded, a situation that I was not able to deal with it.
Then I decided to stop wasting my time and money and build my own home gym.
In this article, I will highlight my collection of best calisthenics gear you need including a power tower, dip and pull-up stand, without spending more than 400$.
Of course, you don’t have to buy all the items mentioned below since calisthenics is all about training with your own body weight, but they will help you to build better strength and balance.
Contents
The must-have calisthenics equipment
Power Tower
When you are ready to get serious about your bodyweight workout and build total body strength, you must absolutely have a power tower.
This one piece of equipment is the most important machine you will need; it gives you multiple workout stations for push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and dips.
I highly recommend the stamina 1690 power tower for the following reasons:
- The compact model, so you can use it in small spaces comfortably
- The sturdy structure made it stable and hard to wobble
- The reasonable price
Gymnastic Rings
If you are a beginner, then it’s not necessary to have them. Gymnastic rings require strong muscles to practice certain advanced exercises for strength development.
The gym rings build strength, grow lean muscle, balance your body and strengthen your core.
If you are an intermediate or advanced, I highly recommend Nayoya Gymnastic Rings for you.
- They are pretty solid and sturdy for pull-ups, muscle ups, and dips.
- Easy to set up and use anywhere
- The straps are like long adjustable loops and you can attach them to anything (tree branch, ceiling joist etc.)
Adjustable Weighted Vest
Many people, who practice calisthenics, don’t have any more difficulty in doing 3 sets of 10 reps of pull-ups, push-ups and dips.
By using a weighted vest, you will take your workout routine to the next level and make it harder and challenging.
A weighted vest will make you stronger by adding weight to your body and will make your normal pull-ups and push-ups seems ridiculously easy in the future.
I highly recommend the max pro adjustable weighted vest
- They are not expensive
- They are pretty comfortable to wear
- The sandbags are easy to insert and remove
- You can adjust the amount of weight
Hand Grippers
Most of the calisthenics exercises including pull-ups, chin-up and dips cannot be done correctly without having strong hands.
Why?
You will notice that even if you feel you can do more reps, you give up because your grip gives out. Here it comes the role of hand grip strengtheners, they are ideal for improving hand strength and having more endurance while exercising.
If you want to invest in this item, then I will highly recommend the Kootek Hand Grip Strengthener for you
- Available at an affordable price
- Have excellent quality
- they are adjustable, so you can easily change the squeeze weight of the hand grip
- the hand grip is comfortable and sturdy, so you will have no concerns about it breaking
Ab Wheel
The ab carver exercisers are the best way to strengthen your abs and the midsection body, it helps to activate and strengthen several muscles including the back, chest, shoulders, arms and abs.
I recommend perfect fitness ab roller for the following reasons:
- The handgrips are shaped to contour your hands and provide better grip
- The wheel is much wider so it helps users to engage all ab muscles, including obliques, by pivoting to the right and left.
Calisthenics Gloves
Pull-ups, push-ups and dips are great for building strength. However, by the time, your hands will suffer from several damages, like
calluses and blisters.
Weightlifting gloves will make your workout routine better. Not only by providing you with full hand protection, but also evenly distributes the weight on your palm avoiding unbalanced pressure.
I recommend fit active sport gloves for the following reasons:
- Not expensive
- They offer great wrist wrap support
- They give your hands the ability to breathe while doing intense workouts
- make your hands dry
Dip Stand (Portable and Fixed)
If you wish to improve your outdoor calisthenics workout, then you must have the dip stands.
As you know, including some dips in your training will helps you strengthen your upper body. There are two types of dip bars available on the market, fixed and separate dip stands
Fixed dip bars are even more sturdy and safe, but they are not adjustable, this means the width is fixed.it may be too wide or narrow depending on your height. Moreover, it requires more space.
In the opposite side, separate dip stands are adjustable. So you can adjust the width of the bars depending on your needs. Plus, they are essential for outdoor bodyweight workout since they are portable. The only problem you can have using portable dip stands is the wobbling since they are not fixed.
For that, I recommend body press dip bar fitness station for its solid structure that made it stable and hard to wobble. Plus, they are easy to set up and can be used in other types of exercises for its versatility.
Pull Up Bar
If you cannot save enough money to buy a power tower, then the pull-up bar is the best alternative for you. There are two types of pull-up bars.
The doorway bar that you can hang under the doorframe. It’s the best option for beginners and for the ones who do not have enough space. Also, note that using the doorway bar for heavy usage is not recommended at all.
The second type is the wall mounted pull-up bars. If you are advanced, then go for it! They are safer and can hold more weight if you set it up properly because of their sturdy structure
If you are going for a wall mounted pull-up bar, then I will recommend the ultimate body press pull up bar for the following reasons:
- They are easy to mount
- they are a little bit pricey
- the sturdy structure
- it contains 4 grip positions, so you can switch between different types of pull-ups
If you don’t have enough money, then go for a doorway bar trainer. I highly recommend the sportneer one.
- It’s Available at an affordable price.
- Ergonomically designed with multiple hand grips
- the adjustable strap allows you to have a perfect fit
