Best Exercise Equipment

The best exercise equipment will depend on

• Training goal
• Workout location
• Financial resources
• Time available and constraints
• Personal preference

I will outline all the relevant equipment before stating my views.

TRAINING GOAL

1) General Population

As often stated on this site, most people have many demands on their time. This will influence their realistic goals and the means used to achieve the goals. They will have to choose equipment which will maximise the results in the time available for training. 

The best exercise equipment would include any of these

• Free weights in the form of barbells, dumbells & power racks - absolute strength can be built to extremely high levels via exercises like the squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, and rowing. Progression in small steps is possible, especially with fractional weight plates (plates weighing as little as 1 lb). Safety can be ensured (regardless of the load used) by performing the exercises in a power rack.
• Kettlebells (Kb) - are very versatile despite appearing inflexible due to the large weight increases between each size (adjustable Kb designs are becoming available to remedy this). Most of the exercises performed can also be done with dumbells but not as easily / smoothly. The offset centre of gravity produced by the kettlebell design provides and additional and new training effect. Strength and conditioning can both be developed with kettlebells.
• Suspension training equipment
• Resistance Bands

These categories can be used to improve

• Strength
• Muscle
• Stability
• Core strength (mid-section)
• Cardiovascular fitness

The list has been limited to the above because they allow more workout goals to be achieved within the same workout routine. Fixed axis and most cable machines develop fewer of the above list being unable to adequately train the core and stability. 

2 ) Full-time Athletes etc

The list relevant to the general population would apply to athletes in the pursuit of allround strength and fitness but they would also need additional equipment to assist with skills practise e.g. tackling equipment for football and rugby players. Such equipment is beyond the purpose and scope of this site.

WORKOUT LOCATION

If the location has no limitations on the type of equipment feasible, the best exercise equipment would be similar to that the preceding Training Goal section.

For most people who train in places other than gyms there will be restrictions on the use of barbells and power racks.

1) Best home exercise equipment

The choice of home workout equipment would be large and usually consist of

• Dumbells
• Kettlebells
• Suspension training equipment
• Resistance bands

productive workouts would be possible with any of these items either individually or in combinations. For most people there could be endless progression, especially if one limbed bodyweight calisthenics were included.

2) Outdoor Fitness Equipment , Office exercise equipment etc

More restraints are placed on the choice of best exercise equipment when workouts are performed outdoors or in the workplace. Unless understanding employers provide sufficient space, dumbells would be removed from the list. 

3) Travel Workout Equipment

Space and the need to move and carry luggage would strike kettlebells off the list of best exercise equipment. If travel entailed staying in the destination for a sustained time period, the cost and effort to transport one or more kettlebells (or ideally an adjustable variety) may be justified. A long term work assignment or military posting would be such examples. 

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Obtaining the most workout routine goals and flexibility for the investment required would dictate the best exercise equipment. 

The order of would be as follows 

1. Suspension trainers & Resistance Bands - there is a very wide choice of quality, scope of workout and exercises possible
2. Kettlebells (especially the adjustable variations)
3. Dumbells   (especially the adjustable variations)
4. Barbells
5. Power racks

Gym memberships can often be quite reasonable and would suggest that barbells and power racks should have a higher rating. The membership fee however is an ongoing cost in contrast to the other types of workout equipment.

TIME AVAILABLE TO WORKOUT

As the time available to exercise reduces the order of best exercise equipment starts to resemble that determined by financial resources.

PERSONAL PREFERENCE

The subjectivity of personal preference could trump the objective approach applied to determining best exercise equipment using all the other criteria. This could be a good thing. 

The most important thing is that people do something (whatever their objective) rather than do nothing.

CONCLUSION
Best Exercise Equipment

Unless you have

• Strong personal preference
• Specific sports objective requiring specialised workouts and workout equipment

I would suggest that

• applying objective tests above
• striving to allow ongoing progress by avoiding injury
• desiring the workout delivering the best 80/20 return on effort, time etc

the order workout equipment would be

1. Suspension training equipment / the human body
2. Resistance bands
3. Kettlebells / Dumbells
4. Barbells / Power racks

Items 1 and 2

• deveiop all of the training criteria listed at the outset
• enable most people to obtain most of the training effects of the other equipment types
• at a much lower investment
• more conveniently (time, frequency and location)

whilst providing additional benefits e.g.

• training the body in the most natural way possible
• easing joint aches/pains and even strengthening joints
• providing less able people the means to scale a workout to their strength, fitness etc and enabling as full a range of motion as possible
• allowing the whole body to be exercised in a short time frame
• avoiding the irritation of waiting for vacant equipment when training in gyms

You will see there is also subjectivity involved in my list but it is based on

• having used all the types of equipment discussed over many years
• recognising the benefits of barbells, dumbells and power racks and using them when the opportunity arises

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