10 Home Gym Equipment Purchases I Regret: An Honest Assessment

Building a home gym requires careful consideration of space, budget, and most importantly, what equipment you'll actually use regularly. After years of testing various pieces of equipment, I've developed strong opinions on what's worth the investment for my personal fitness journey.

Here's my honest assessment of home gym equipment purchases that I regret or wouldn't recommend for most home gym enthusiasts:

1. Functional Training Equipment

This category includes several versatile tools that are effective but simply don't get enough use in my setup:

• Weighted Vests – Despite trying several models including the Iron Master (high capacity but bulky) and the TAPGO (practical but conspicuous in public), I rarely reach for them. When I want to make walking harder, I'd rather jog, tackle hills, or do occasional sprints.
• Kettlebells – Despite my deep background with kettlebells in my 20s and 30s (including certifications), my Iron Master kettlebells collect dust. They're effective tools when used, but I just don't incorporate them regularly.
• Sandbags – The Rogue sandbag is functional and effective for elevating heart rate, but I've found I can achieve similar results with more basic equipment that serves multiple purposes.
• Medicine Balls – Another functional tool that simply doesn't get enough use to justify the space and investment.

2. Cardio Equipment

With some exceptions, much of my cardio equipment doesn't see consistent use:

• Indoor Rower – One of my first home gym purchases, I even participated in competitive indoor rowing. Eventually, I sold it due to its bulky footprint and declining use.
• Fan Bike, Stepper, Treadmill – While I'd regret getting rid of these entirely, the reality is I do most of my cardio outdoors when weather permits. For many people, a $20 monthly gym membership might make more sense than the cost of these machines.

3. Specialty Barbells

I've invested in just one high-quality barbell (Rogue Agro 3) that I absolutely love. The specialty bars I've accumulated—including a mace bar, EZ curl bar, and stubby axle bar—rarely get used. Despite my past with Olympic lifting, I find that one versatile, high-quality barbell covers nearly all my needs.

4. Cable Attachments

While I do use some attachments, I've learned to be selective. The rope attachment and straight bar from Rogue are my favorites and get regular use. This is an area where I recommend starting with basic options, determining what you actually use, then investing in higher quality versions of just those items.

5. Large Accessories/Add-ons

These include attachments for functional trainers and squat racks, like leg developers or preacher curl stations. While I do use my Freak Athlete attachment for Nordic curls and back extensions, many other bulky add-ons don't justify their footprint or cost relative to how frequently they're used.

6. Single-Use Machines

With exceptions like my leg extension/curl machine (which I use consistently), large single-station machines rarely provide enough value to justify their space and cost. Unless a machine addresses a specific weak point in your training or offers exceptional versatility, it's hard to recommend these for most home gyms.

7. Plyo Boxes

I picked up the Rep fitness stand intending to use it for plyometrics, but its heavy, bulky design makes setup cumbersome. For jumping exercises, I've found that benches work fine, or simply doing jump training outdoors provides more variety at no additional cost.

8. Push/Pull Sleds

While fun to use in commercial gym settings, these are impractical for most home gym users. They're bulky to store, require transportation to suitable workout areas, and provide benefits that can be replicated with activities like hill sprints or other outdoor conditioning work.

Your perfect home gym setup will depend on your specific goals, space constraints, and training preferences. The key is recognizing what equipment you'll actually use consistently rather than what seems appealing in theory.

What works for one person may not work for another, which is why understanding your own training patterns is crucial before making significant investments in specialized equipment.