Watching the Olympics and Paralympics has inspired a number of Australians to get more active. But with the cost of living rising, not everyone can afford a gym membership.
The good news is that there’s a variety of free and low-cost ways to increase your activity levels, including setting up a ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) home gym and program.
We asked the experts for some tips on what equipment you need, and how to get started.
What equipment do I need to do strength-based training at home?
Ange Drake runs 23W, a women’s-only strength and conditioning gym in the inner north of Melbourne.
She says it’s possible to put together a “really great training program with very minimal equipment”.
Advertisement
In terms of a bare minimum set-up, Drake suggests starting with the following, which can be feasibly bought for approximately $50.
An exercise mat
A set of resistance bands
A sturdy step
Basic hand weights, e.g. 2kg, 6kg and 10kg dumbbells OR (if these are unaffordable) start with household items like canned goods
A foam roller
A sturdy chair OR (if you can afford it) an adjustable exercise bench
A skipping rope
These items are all versatile enough to be used for a variety of purposes, while Drake says what is most important is being consistent.
When building a home gym start with the basics, like hand weights and a mat. (Pexels)
“Where a lot of people fall over is that they make the investment into a really great home gym, use it a couple of times and then the motivation wears off,” she says.
Her advice is to start by building as much structure as possible into your routine.
“I advise booking exercise in, so actually physically put it in your diary, whether that’s an online calendar, or one on the fridge for your whole family to see,” Drake says.
Advertisement
“That’s important because you’re making a commitment to yourself that this is the time you’re going to practice the self-care that is physical activity.”
A personal trainer or exercise physiologist can help keep you accountable. (Supplied)
How to write an exercise program
Once you’ve got some basic equipment, you’re going to need an exercise program to follow.
For those who can afford it, Drake advises enlisting a personal trainer or exercise physiologist to help.
“They will be able to give you a well-balanced and structured program, with things you need to do as well as want to do, and make sure you are moving well,” she says.
“Having a coach will also help keep you accountable.”
Advertisement
Once you’ve got your equipment, look at putting together an exercise program. (Getty Images: Morsa Images)
Some gyms offer ‘hybrid’ memberships where you can access face-to-face coaching in the first instance, before following an assigned program via an app at home.
YouTube can also be a good resource, but Drake cautions that you cross-reference someone’s qualifications before taking their advice.
“Unfortunately, there are people in this space who promote fitness and nutritional advice that is not backed by science, and who make money off the vulnerabilities of others,” she says.
It is also possible to write your own program by keeping some basic principles in mind.
Hugh Mason, an exercise physiologist and strength and conditioning coach with North Melbourne’s AFLW team, advises targeting multiple muscle groups in a single session.
Advertisement
Hugh Mason is a strength and conditioning coach with North Melbourne’s AFLW team. (Supplied)
For example, a 30-minute program could incorporate exercises that build upper body, lower body and core strength.
Some examples include basic ‘body weight’ exercises like squats, push-ups and planks.
Mason advises doing both single and double limb exercises, as well as challenging your muscles to work in different directions.
“You can break exercises down in lots of ways,” he explains.
“So if you do something like a bench press, that’s an upper body ‘pushing’ exercise, whereas if you do a ‘row’ that’s a ‘pulling’ exercise.”
Advertisement
Exercises can be broken down into categories like push, pull and functional fitness. (Image Road Photography)
Single leg exercises, meanwhile, build ‘functional’ fitness.
“If you think about it, most things in life are done on one leg, like walking up stairs, running and jumping. So you could add in things like a lunge, or a split squat.”
For extra practical benefit, Mason also recommends a ‘carry’ exercise, which means walking while carrying a weight.
“That could mean carrying a weight in one hand, or even a shopping bag full of stuff above your head,” he says.
Cardiovascular or ‘aerobic’ exercise
A good home-based program should also supplement strength training with cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise.
Advertisement
These include popular options like walking, running, cycling and swimming.
A good home-based program should supplement strength training with some cardio, like walking, running or cycling.
(Supplied)
No matter which you choose, pacing is key.
“I think because of social media, some people think it’s normal to just go and try to run 10km, or a marathon,” Mason says.
“That’s great, because people are getting into running. But if you haven’t done the appropriate training, it’s probably not going to go well.”
Advertisement
Up to a third of people who run, Mason says, drop out because of some type of injury. But this can be prevented with structured progression.
If you’d like to start running, he advises starting off with 30 seconds of walking, followed by 30 seconds of jogging.
“You can do a kilometre of that [30 seconds walking, 30 seconds jogging] for a week. Then you might add 200-300 meters per week, and build it out from there.”
If you want to run, Mason advises building up slowly from walking. (Pexels: Cottonbro)
You can also progress by doubling the amount you run, as opposed to walking.
“So instead of walking 100m and jogging for 50m, double the amount you run, and build up that way.
Advertisement
“It’s a gradual progression, where you’ll walk less and run more.”
It’s important, however, not to go too fast, too quickly.
“People get really keen, because they’re enjoying it,” he says.
“The endorphins are pumping and they start to feel good.
“But when you’re starting off, you probably want to have a day [of rest] in between whatever you’re doing.”
Advertisement
Drake agrees, adding that ‘more’ is not necessarily better when it comes to cardio.
If you’re time poor, she recommends a 10 or 20 minute HIIT session (high intensity interval training).
High intensity interval training can help if you’re time poor. (Unsplash: Louis Quintero)
This could be done with something as simple as a skipping rope, starting with 20 seconds of skipping followed by 40 seconds of rest.
“If what you’re looking for is weight loss, we know that intensity over duration is key,” she says.
“So the idea is to work harder for short bursts of time, and then rest.
Advertisement
“I always say that a good work-out is one that happens, so you’re better off doing two or three 20-minute workouts a week than one 60-minute one that may or may not happen.”
When to progress your program, and why recovery is key
You will know that it’s time to ‘progress’ your exercise routine when something feels too easy.
As Mason puts it, you will eventually ‘outgrow’ an exercise because “the stimulus is the same as what it has been for a while.”
When something feels too easy, that’s when it’s time to progress. ( Image Road Photography)
That’s when you can adapt exercises to make them harder, for example by adding extra weight, repetitions or sets, or challenging yourself to run faster or for longer.
“But the important thing is not to change too many things at once,” he says.
Advertisement
“So maybe don’t increase your running distance and pace at the same time, or your sets and reps at the same time.
“Once you tolerate one of those changes, that’s when you can make the other.”
Finally, it is important to remember that as you progress your exercise program, your need for ‘refuelling’ and recovery also increases.
Common recovery activities include yoga, massage, meditation, ice baths and saunas.
But if the idea of an ice bath makes you squirm, Mason has some reassurance.
Advertisement
“My advice is to do what makes you feel good, because recovery is as much psychological as it is physiological.
“If you don’t like ice baths, don’t do it, because it could make you stressed and have the opposite effect of what you’re looking for.
“If you want to go for a walk on the beach with your dog, or sit in the grass and read a book, that’s great. If that makes you feel good, that’s your recovery.”
If you’ve ever wanted to lose weight, you’ve probably heard the phrase ‘calories in versus calories out’. While it’s true to a degree, losing weight in menopause isn’t about eating less, but rather eating differently.
Speaking to fitness coach Loretta Hogg, Dr Stacy Sims says: “One of the first things that women often do, because we grew up in an era of calories in, calories out, less calories means fat loss. That is not true because if you are not eating enough, your body holds on to fat.”
This is called the ‘starvation response’, and it’s the body’s way of protecting itself when food is restricted. Metabolism slows down, hunger hormones increase, and fat stores are preserved for survival.
“Staying adequately fuelled” and strength training regularly is what’s actually needed to lose weight while managing our hormone levels in menopause. “When we’re looking at how we’re going to budge some of the meno-pot, we really want to focus on getting strong and building that muscle because if we are working on muscle and our whole focus is muscle and bone, then we end up eating accordingly.”
Advertisement
Fibre and protein are the food groups to focus on, she says. They are filling, aid muscle growth (and so help maintain a healthy metabolism), help reduce food cravings, and provide us with the key nutrients our body needs when oestrogen levels fall.
We know there’s a huge market for protein powders, bars and other supplements, but actually, most of us can get what we need from eating high-protein foods.
The amount of protein you need in menopause depends on your weight. “The recommended protein intake for women over 45 is approximately 1 to 1.5g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, which is higher than the general recommendation for younger adults,” Dr Nadira Awal, a Doctify-rated GP who specialises in women’s health and menopause, previously told woman&home. You can work out your personal recommendation using menopause specialist Dr Mary Claire Haver’s perimenopause protein calculator.
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
Dr Sims says many women are “afraid of abundance” when it comes to eating, but emphasises that “without abundance we can’t lose fat”. “Let’s change the focus on not what we want to lose, but what we want to gain. We want to gain bone, we want to gain muscle. We want to fuel for that, so then the body fat comes off,” she tells Loretta.
Advertisement
Dr Sims says the best way for us to gain this muscle and bone growth is through strength training. “We need to focus on heavy lifting,” she explains in another video on her Instagram account. “The caveat here is that most perimenopausal women haven’t had a long history in strength training, and it’s a learned skill.” She says consistency is key, and starting off small, even just focusing on movement without weights, before you start adding some load. “But the goal is to get into heavy resistance training, where we have low reps with a heavy weight,” she says.
Dr Sims says it’s “absolutely safe” for women to lift heavy during perimenopause and menopause – and it’s something we should all be doing. She is keen to emphasise that it’s never too late to start, and that “what matters is your form and your function”.
If you’re new to lifting weights, try a simple dumbbell workout at home and work your way up from there. If you have the means, consult a personal trainer for guidance on developing a workout plan.
Sleep is another lifestyle aspect that Dr Sims says says may affect how you lose weight. She says poor sleep “creates metabolic disturbance and dysfunction and increases fat gain”. Improving our sleep quality can lead to body composition improvements in as little as two to three weeks. High levels of cortisol, caused by poor sleep and ongoing stress, also makes fat loss harder as our bodies hold onto energy rather than using it.
Some key ways to improve sleep include going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, limiting blue light exposure at bedtime, and cutting down on your alcohol and caffeine intake.
Editor’s note: This article is the seventh in an eight-part series led by retired General James Mingus, the thirty-ninth vice chief of staff of the Army, on transforming the Army to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s battlefield. You can read other articles in the series here.
The battlefield in America’s next war will offer no sanctuary. The war won’t be fought from forward operating bases equipped with elaborate gyms, contractor-provided dining facilities, or coffee shops. The battlefield will be austere, harsh, and unrelentingly violent, with victory only possible by combining physical strength, endurance, and a will to prepare.
The Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program is the bedrock upon which this preparation begins. Winning America’s next war requires an Army that can get to the fight, win the fight, and get home from the fight—a mission profile that demands not just fit soldiers built for endurance, but warrior athletes built for endurance and able to leverage strength, speed, and power, and grounded in sound sleep and nutrition.
Culture Shift Begins with Mindset Shift
For the last several decades, the Army took pride in fielding formations rooted in a physical fitness culture relying heavily on push-ups, sit-ups, and miles of running and ruck marching. Physical training began predictably after saluting the flag at 0630 and ended promptly when the basic exercises, calisthenics, and formation run were complete. It was one-dimensional, unimaginative, boring, and, ironically, lazy. Army fitness during this period was solely focused on physical endurance.
Advertisement
In the early 2000s, however, Army fitness began to change, led by special operations units like the 75th Ranger Regiment, which began experimenting with trending fitness regimens like Gym Jones, CrossFit, and Mountain Athlete. By combining emerging principles from several of these programs, special operations units began designing their own programs, such as the Ranger Athlete Warrior program. The rest of the active Army quickly started to model these programs, and the first H2F pilot kicked off in 2018.
Advances in exercise science and twenty years of war helped reframe the Army’s fitness mindset to encompass mental, physical, nutritional, and sleep dimensions. This mindset shift forms the basis of the H2F culture, changing how we train and care for soldiers. The focus is now on building strength and resilience like professional athletes—or more fittingly, warrior athletes. Where mission endurance was the goal before, tactical athleticism is now the goal, with an emphasis on strength, speed, power, and agility.
You Can’t Fake Results
A key part of any fitness program is the ability to measure its effectiveness, and in only a few short years, the return on investment for the H2F program has been profound. Currently sixty-six brigades have an H2F performance team, which consists of twenty-two professionals: a program director, dietitian, physical therapist, and occupational therapist; seven strength and conditioning coaches; four athletic trainers; one cognitive performance specialist; and six military personnel. By 2029, the program will expand to cover the entire active Army, as well as four states of Army National Guard and two Army Reserve commands.
According to analysis from the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, if H2F had been implemented across the entire Army, over a five-year period it would have added 1,080 deployable soldiers to the fighting force. If that’s not compelling enough, also consider these complementary H2F data points compiled by the Center for Initial Military Training Research and Analysis team after analyzing data from 2019 to 2023:
Advertisement
61 percent decrease in musculoskeletal injury referrals
44 percent decrease in behavioral health profiles
79 percent decrease in substance abuse cases
22 percent decrease in fitness test failures
33 percent increase in expert rifle marksmanship qualification
Expanding the Tools
As part of continuous transformation, the Army is looking for unique ways to leverage technology to enhance the H2F program. Several units are experimenting with wearables like rings and watches that measure sleep efficiency, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen saturation—providing rich data to inform approaches to physical, nutritional, and sleep aspects of fitness. Today, entire Army divisions are turning physiological data into leader decision-making information. A company commander who knows his or her soldiers’ sleep scores, for example, is equipped with data to combine with other information to help select the most well-rested platoon to lead a dangerous mission. Individual soldiers will also learn the correlations that exist between their fueling, recovery, and performance habits, which will help in multiple facets of their personal lives.
The Army is also continually working to improve facilities and services that support H2F. Most units now have access to twenty-four-hour functional fitness gyms on post and many units utilize fitness containers—effectively, gyms in a box. Plans are also in place to build additional facilities to ensure soldiers at every post have adequate equipment to train. To improve nutrition, the Army is experimenting with campus-style dining facilities that will supplement, and in some cases replace, traditional dining facilities—affording soldiers a myriad of quick, 24/7 accessible healthy food options. A no excuse not to work out and no excuse not to eat healthy mentality now abounds across the Army.
Soldiering has no offseason and no time-outs, and wars wait on no one. When America calls, the Army responds. Unlike professional athletes who can vary training volume, intensity, and specific exercises over planned cycles or offseasons, a practice known as performance periodization, soldiers have no such luxury. Tactical athleticism via compound periodization is the goal for soldiers—ensuring peak performance at all times by developing key physical attributes (e.g., strength, endurance, and power) year-round to maximize efficiency, prevent burnout, and improve overall warfighting readiness. The H2F tools highlighted above aid in measuring and maximizing this readiness.
What’s Next?
Imagine two Army squads ascending Colorado’s Pikes Peak carrying fifty-pound fighting loads. Squad A trained to get to the top through push-ups, sit-ups, and miles of running. The soldiers of Squad B are warrior athletes who took the H2F approach. When Squad A’s soldiers finally struggle to the top, they’re just happy to be mission complete and they flop on the ground. The soldiers of Squad B assault the mountain, and when they get to the top, they still have enough juice to rip the arms off their adversaries and steamroll into the next mission. In their post-hike squad photo, they’re all standing tall—straight backs, satisfied smiles, and trap muscles extending inches above their shoulders so they almost appear to have no necks. For them the mission is just getting started, and their smirks seem to say, “Is that it? What’s next?”
Advertisement
Welcome to the No Neck Army.
Retired General James Mingus served as the thirty-ninth vice chief of staff of the Army.
Colonel Graham White is an infantry officer and the executive officer to the vice chief of staff of the Army.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.
Strongway Gym Supplies has released squat rack cage packages to the market for exercise enthusiasts across the United Kingdom. The packages combine squat cage frames with safety features suited to home-based strength training, now available through the company’s online platform.
The power cage design centres on four vertical posts connected by horizontal crossbeams. Adjustable safety bars mount between the posts at various heights, catching the barbell if a lift cannot be completed. This safety mechanism becomes relevant during heavy squats or bench presses performed without a training partner present to assist with failed attempts.
J-hooks secure the barbell at the proper beginning positions for various exercises by fastening to the posts at predetermined heights. Quick adjustments between squats, presses, and other barbell movements are made possible by the hooks’ ability to slide up or down the posts and lock into position using pin mechanisms. Depending on the exercise being done, pull-up bars that extend across the top of the frame provide grip positions that vary from wide to narrow.
Advertisement
Mandip Walia, Co-Director at Strongway Gym Supplies, said the cage addresses concerns people have about training alone at home. “Without someone there to spot, there’s always the question of what happens if the weight gets too heavy midway through a set,” he noted. “The safety bars remove that worry. Position them correctly and they’ll catch the bar before it pins someone. That makes a genuine difference in how hard someone can train when working solo, especially on exercises like squats where bail-out options are limited.”
Steel tubing forms the frame structure, with powder-coated finishes applied to resist corrosion in garage environments where humidity fluctuates. Bolt-together construction allows the cage to be disassembled if relocation becomes necessary, though the assembled weight often exceeds 100 kilograms once all components are secured together.
Weight storage pegs project from the rear posts on most models, keeping plates within reach whilst adding mass that stabilises the frame during use. The pegs typically accommodate enough plates to load a barbell for intermediate to advanced training sessions without running out of storage capacity.
The complete range of home fitness equipment, include squat racks, is available to be explored at: https://strongway.co.uk/collections/home-fitness.
The cages fit into garages, spare rooms, and basement areas commonly found in UK residential properties. Height clearance sits around 210 centimetres for most models, working under standard ceiling heights but potentially tight in older homes or loft conversions where ceilings run lower. Floor space requirements roughly match that of a small garden shed once the cage stands fully assembled.
Advertisement
The width of the frame includes the length of the Olympic barbell and the space needed to safely enter and exit during exercises. If the dimensions are too narrow, the posts get in the way of natural movement patterns. If they are too wide, they take up too much floor space. Most manufacturers try to find a balance between these factors, but the exact measurements vary from model to model.
Band pegs feature on some cages, providing anchor points at floor level for resistance bands. This allows accommodating resistance during squats and presses, where band tension increases as the bar rises through the movement. The technique has found followers among strength training practitioners, though it remains less widespread than traditional plate loading.
Full details about the squat rack power cage can be viewed at: https://strongway.co.uk/products/strongway-multi-gym-squat-rack-power-cage.
Randeep Walia, Co-Director at Strongway Gym Supplies, remarked that cage packages align with how people actually approach home training. “Training at home has proven effective for improving muscle strength, endurance, and power when maintained consistently,” he explained. “Frequency matters more than location. Training more than three times weekly produces better outcomes, and having a cage at home eliminates the travel time and scheduling constraints that often interrupt consistency. The cage becomes the foundation. Everything else—bench, bar, plates—gets arranged around it.”
Dispatch runs across mainland UK addresses with timelines confirmed during checkout. The cages arrive in multiple boxes given the size and weight of individual components. Instructions guide assembly, though managing the heavier frame sections works considerably better with two people rather than attempting solo construction.
Advertisement
Packages can be purchased as cage-only units or complete setups that include benches, barbells, and weight plates. Pricing reflects the total equipment included, with buyers selecting options based on what they already own versus what needs acquiring.
The release tracks with patterns observed in the UK home fitness market where demand for core strength training equipment holds steady. Power cages appeal to users seeking barbell training capabilities with built-in safety features, particularly relevant for individuals training without supervision or access to spotters during heavier lifting sessions.
Those interested in exploring the range of exercise equipment available at Strongway Gym Supplies can visit: https://strongway.co.uk/.
###
Advertisement
For more information about Strongway Gym Supplies, contact the company here:
Strongway Gym Supplies Mandip Walia +44-800-001-6093 sales@strongway.co.uk Strongway Gym Supplies, 26 The Pavilion, Coventry CV3 1QP, United Kingdom
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. XPRMedia and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact pressreleases@xpr.media
