Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 2 hrs ago
Fitness coach says bulky, hard-to-use gear can waste home gym money
As more Americans spend on health and wellness, some home gym budgets are reaching thousands of dollars.
Fitness coach Jacob Zemer says a costly mistake is buying gear that takes up space and is hard to use regularly.
He says exercise bands, dumbbells and a bench can provide a simple starting point for training at home.
Bands are affordable and easy to take on trips, while adjustable dumbbells save floor space but may cost more and can be fragile.
Zemer advises beginners to learn proper form and make the last repetitions challenging before increasing the weight.
Progress can come from doing more repetitions, not only lifting heavier weights.
A bench that adjusts to different positions can make some exercises easier than doing them on the floor or standing.
He recommends adding equipment over time rather than assuming an elaborate setup is needed from the start.
Fitness coach Jacob Zemer says home gym equipment that takes up a lot of space and is difficult to use consistently may waste money.
The New York-based coach recommends starting with affordable equipment and adding more over time.
He identifies exercise bands, dumbbells and a bench as three useful starting items.
A 2026 poll found that 44% of surveyed home fitness enthusiasts expected to spend at least $1,000 on their home gyms that year.
- Who
- New York-based fitness coach Jacob Zemer.
- What
- Zemer says bulky, hard-to-use equipment can be a poor home gym investment and recommends starting with a few useful items.
- When
- Fox News published the article on October 13, 2026.
- Where
- The advice concerns working out at home. Zemer is based in New York.
- Why
- Equipment that takes up significant space and is difficult to set up or use consistently may not be worth the money.
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- Coach
- Jacob Zemer
- Home gym essentials
- Exercise bands, dumbbells and a bench
- Garage Gym Experiment poll
- 44% expected to spend at least $1,000 on home gyms in 2026
- YouGov poll
- 31% of Americans said they were spending more on health and wellness than a year earlier
- Fox News publication
- October 13, 2026
What people are saying
A lot of people think building a home gym requires an elaborate setup, and it doesn't.
You can accomplish everything for every muscle group with just three items.
Pushing yourself doesn’t mean adding 20 pounds — it could mean doing one more rep.
Sources
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