I just opened my new personal training studio/fitness boot camp facility/kettlebell gym here in Sacramento, CA, and I’ve had to put a lot of thought into the perfect equipment set up for the new space.  I think that when it comes down to it, you don’t need a whole lot of equipment to get into fantastic physical condition – and one of the coolest things about kettlebells is that they reduce that need even more.

So if you’re looking to set up your own kettlebell gym or training space, here are three essential items for your ‘to-buy’ list:

1. Dragon Door kettlebells

My favorite kettlebells hands-down.  Yes, I’m an RKC instructor and might be a bit biased 🙂 – but I use them myself and love them, and that’s why I recommend them to others.  They’re very well built, well balanced, have smooth handles that save your hands when it comes to high-rep KB work, and just have a better ‘feel’ than other kettlebells I’ve used.  You might be able to find cheaper ‘bells out there, but you usually get what you pay for – so do so at your own risk.  FYI, my new studio is stocked exclusively with Dragon Door ‘bells.

2. A pull up bar

A few kettlebells – or even a single ‘bell – will allow you to work most all of your major muscle groups.  However, it’s tough to get a real, solid pulling movement without a bar or machine of some kind – and Pull Ups are one of the best ‘big pulls’ you can do.  If I had a super-strict budget, this is probably the only other piece of equipment I’d invest in for my kettlebell home gym.

If you’re just training by yourself at home, a door-pull up bar like the Iron Gym will work fine:

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar

Something slightly more heavy duty would be a free-standing pull-up bar like this one:

All-in-one Stand Alone Pull up Bar

Or, if you want something super sturdy (and that can be used for a variety of other purposes as well) you might go with a Squat Cage like this one (this is the option I went with for my own training facility):

Champion Power Rack Gym Equipment

3. Enter the Kettlebell Book and DVD set

This is a kick-ass book and DVD that will teach you everything you need to know about getting started with kettlebell training.  Alternatively, if you prefer something in digital format that’s instantly downloadable, you could go with my KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide.  The idea is that you want a guide to help you learn how to train with kettlebells the right way from the start.

It’s also worth mentioning that having good in-person instruction when you’re learning how to use kettlebells is invaluable and highly recommended.  If you’re in the Sacramento, CA area, stop by and take advantage of our ‘test out a trainer’ promo and a free kettlebell training session!  Train and train smart – would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Wait!  Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get your free Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell training while you’re here – just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page.