Affiliate note This guide contains affiliate links, including Power Systems links through CJ. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use myself or recommend to my clients.
Building out a home setup? Start with my 12 compact home gym picks for women and my take on what is worth buying on a tight budget.
Most home gyms end up as a pair of dumbbells and a mat. That covers strength, but it leaves out the things that make you feel athletic: quick feet, balance, power and a core that holds up when you twist, step and carry.
That is what functional training equipment is for. Think of the gear in a small-group training studio: mini bands, an agility ladder, soft plyo boxes, a slam ball, kettlebells, sliders and a balance trainer.
This guide picks eight pieces from Power Systems, a fitness equipment supplier founded in 1986 that sells to gyms, sports teams, personal trainers and physical therapists. Together they make a full circuit setup you can run at home, plus a 20-minute workout to use it.
Jump to a sectionIn this article17 sections
- Top Picks
- Who This Guide Is For
- How I Chose
- My Take as a Trainer
- Functional Training Equipment Compared
- #1🏆 Best Starter Piece
- #2👟 Best for Cardio Without Jumping
- #3📦 Best for Safe Jump Training
- #4💥 Best for Power and Stress Relief
- #5🏋️ Best for Strength
- #6🔥 Best for Core in a Tiny Space
- #7⚖️ Best for Balance
- #8🟢 Best for Core and Glutes
- A 20-Minute Functional Circuit Using This Gear
- What to Look For in Functional Training Equipment
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Bottom Line
Top Picks
| Category | Product |
|---|---|
| 🏆 Best Starter Piece | Versa-Loop Bands |
| 👟 Best for Cardio Without Jumping | Indoor Agility Ladder |
| 📦 Best for Safe Jump Training | Aktiv Foam Plyo Boxes |
| 💥 Best for Power and Stress Relief | MEGA Slam Ball Prime |
| 🏋️ Best for Strength | Kettlebell Prime |
| 🔥 Best for Core in a Tiny Space | Versa-Slides Gliding Discs |
| ⚖️ Best for Balance | BOSU NEXGEN Home Edition |
| 🟢 Best for Core and Glutes | VersaBall Pro Stability Ball |
Who This Guide Is For
This is for women 25+ who train at home and want more than straight-line strength work, and for the guys in my Men’s Fitness section who want conditioning that doesn’t need a gym.
It also suits anyone coming back to exercise who wants to move better day to day: getting up off the floor, stepping onto a curb, catching your balance or carrying groceries up the stairs.
How I Chose
I picked the tools I’d want in a small-group circuit, then checked each one against what matters at home:
- Footprint and storage. Most of this list fits in a closet or under a bench.
- Floor and noise. I favored soft, quiet or floor-friendly options for apartments and shared spaces.
- Room to progress. Each pick comes in several levels, weights or heights so you don’t outgrow it in a month.
- Build quality. These are studio- and clinic-grade versions, not the thinnest budget copies.
Specs come from Power Systems’ listings. I left prices out because they change often; the buttons show the current price.
My Take as a Trainer
You don’t need all eight. Buy for the training you’ll actually do three times a week.
- Tight budget: a set of Versa-Loops and a pair of Versa-Slides. Both fit in a drawer and train glutes, hips and core.
- Strength first: add one Kettlebell Prime in a weight that challenges a goblet squat for 10 reps.
- Want to feel athletic again: the agility ladder and a short foam plyo box bring back quick feet and safe jumping.
- Over 50 or rebuilding balance: the stability ball and BOSU, used next to a wall or counter at first.
Starter plan: two or three circuit days a week, using the 20-minute workout further down, with strength or walking days in between.
Functional Training Equipment Compared
| Pick | Best For | Space |
|---|---|---|
| Versa-Loops | Glutes and hips | Drawer |
| Agility Ladder | Footwork, cardio | 15-ft run |
| Foam Plyo Box | Step-ups, jumps | Closet |
| Slam Ball | Power, conditioning | Mat or garage |
| Kettlebell | Strength | Floor corner |
| Versa-Slides | Core | Drawer |
| BOSU | Balance | Closet |
| Stability Ball | Core, hamstrings | Corner |
#1🏆 Best Starter Piece
If you buy one thing from this list, make it a set of mini loop bands. They turn bodyweight moves into real glute and hip work: side steps, glute bridges, clamshells, monster walks and banded squats.
Versa-Loops are a trainer staple because they’re cheap enough to buy in several levels. That matters, since your glutes can handle a much heavier band than your shoulders.
Pros: very affordable, six levels, fits in a pocket, quiet. Cons: latex can roll up on bare thighs, and any band wears out, so check for nicks before each session.
Skip it if you have a latex allergy; choose fabric loop bands instead. Put your loops to work with my full-body resistance band workout.
Coach’s note Place the band just above your knees for bridges and side steps. If your knees cave in, the band is too heavy, so drop a level.
#2👟 Best for Cardio Without Jumping
Ladder drills get your heart rate up without a single jump, which makes them joint-friendly cardio. They also train the coordination that fades fastest when all your exercise happens in straight lines.
Most cheap ladders are built for grass and slide around on wood or tile. This indoor version is weighted with iron rods so it stays put on a living room or garage floor.
Pros: stays flat indoors, floor-safe, rolls into its bag. Cons: you need about 15 feet of clear floor, and it costs more than a basic outdoor ladder.
Skip it if you don’t have a hallway, garage or patio long enough. Painter’s tape on the floor works for a short version of the same drills.
Coach’s note Learn each pattern slowly first: one foot in each box, then two feet in each box, then in-in-out-out. Speed comes after rhythm.
#3📦 Best for Safe Jump Training
A box is one of the most useful tools in any functional setup. Step-ups build single-leg strength, box squats teach depth, and low box jumps train power once you’re ready.
Foam beats wood or steel at home because a missed step means a bumped shin, not a scraped one. Because these stack, you can start low and add height as you get stronger.
Pros: soft landings, stackable heights, easy to move. Cons: bulky to store, softer underfoot than a wood box for heavy step-ups, and Power Systems lists limited inventory.
Skip it if you only plan to do step-ups and want a flatter option; an aerobic step platform is cheaper and slides under a couch.
Coach’s note Box jumps are about landing, not height. Land softly with your knees over your toes, then step down. Don’t jump back down.
#4💥 Best for Power and Stress Relief
Slams train full-body power: you reach tall, brace and drive the ball into the floor with your whole body. They’re also the most satisfying minute of any workout after a long day.
Because a slam ball doesn’t bounce, it’s safer than a medicine ball for throws at the floor. The textured surface helps when your hands get sweaty.
Pros: great conditioning, wide weight range, no rebound. Cons: loud indoors, and it needs a rubber mat, garage or patio, not a hardwood floor.
Skip it if you live above someone or train in a carpeted bedroom. Fast kettlebell swings give you a similar power effect quietly.
Coach’s note Most women do well starting at 10 to 15 lb. Pick a weight you can slam fast for 10 reps; heavier and slower misses the point.
#5🏋️ Best for Strength
The kettlebell is the strength anchor of a functional setup. Swings, goblet squats, deadlifts, rows, presses and carries cover most of a full-body workout with one tool.
The Prime has a matte finish that holds grip better than glossy budget bells, and the color bands make it easy to grab the right weight mid-circuit.
Pros: grippy finish, easy-to-spot weights, huge weight range. Cons: the handle and bell get bigger as the weight goes up, and cast iron can mark floors if dropped.
Skip it if you’d rather have one tool that changes weight; an adjustable dumbbell saves space. If you’re new to the bell, my beginner dumbbell guide teaches the same squat and hinge basics.
Coach’s note For many women, 15 to 20 lb is a good first bell for goblet squats and swings, and 8 to 12 lb for presses and rows.
#6🔥 Best for Core in a Tiny Space
Sliders take up less room than any other tool here and make familiar moves much harder: mountain climbers, reverse lunges, hamstring curls, pike-ups and plank knee tucks.
The constant tension is what makes them work. You can’t bounce or rest at the bottom of a sliding lunge, so your core and hips do more of the job.
Pros: tiny, quiet, cheap and very effective for core. Cons: you need the right version for your floor, and they don’t glide on a yoga mat.
Skip it if you only train on thick foam mats; a stability ball covers similar core work.
Coach’s note Start with sliding reverse lunges while holding a counter. Slide back only as far as you can control the return.
#7⚖️ Best for Balance
Balance is a use-it-or-lose-it skill, and it’s the one most home routines skip. A half-dome trainer lets you practice it with squats, lunges, planks and step-ups.
The NEXGEN dome has quadrant markings, which make it easier to place your feet the same way each time so you can tell whether you’re improving.
Pros: versatile for balance and core, the marked dome helps placement. Cons: it needs occasional re-inflating, and it’s pricier than a simple balance pad.
Skip it if you get dizzy or have had a recent fall. Start with supported balance work at a counter and talk to your doctor first.
Coach’s note Stand on the dome side next to a wall for your first sessions. Marching in place for 30 seconds is a perfectly good start.
#8🟢 Best for Core and Glutes
A stability ball is three tools in one: a core trainer, a hamstring machine for ball curls and a bench for dumbbell presses that also works your core.
The Pro version is the one I’d want at home. Burst resistance matters when you’re lying on it with weights in your hands.
Pros: versatile, burst-resistant, several sizes. Cons: it takes up a corner, and the wrong size makes every move awkward.
Skip it if you don’t have room to leave it inflated; sliders cover a lot of the same core work.
Coach’s note Sit on the ball with your feet flat. Your hips should be level with or just above your knees. As a rough guide, 55 cm suits most women 5′0″ to 5′5″ and 65 cm suits 5′6″ to 6′0″.
A 20-Minute Functional Circuit Using This Gear
Warm up for five minutes with marching, arm circles and 10 bodyweight squats. Then do each station for 40 seconds, rest 20 seconds, and repeat the circuit three times.
- Agility ladder: two feet in each box, forward and back.
- Kettlebell goblet squat: slow down, steady up.
- Banded side steps: Versa-Loop above the knees, stay low.
- Box step-ups: alternate legs on a low foam box.
- Slider mountain climbers: hands on the floor, feet on the sliders.
- Slam ball slams or kettlebell swings: fast and powerful.
- Stability ball hamstring curls: hips up, curl the ball in.
No ladder or slam ball? Swap in fast feet on the spot and bodyweight squats. On the days in between, my at-home workouts for women cover strength and cardio, and guys can pair this with my home dumbbell workout for men.
Calm the background inflammation behind aches, fatigue, and that run-down feeling.
Read My Honest Review →What to Look For in Functional Training Equipment
Match the floor. Slam balls and heavy kettlebells need rubber flooring or a garage. Sliders need the right version for carpet or hard floors. Ladders need an indoor grip.
Buy levels, not gimmicks. The best tools come in a range of resistances, weights or heights. Skip anything sold as “one size fits all.”
Soft beats hard for jumping. At home, foam plyo boxes and no-bounce slam balls cut the risk of bruised shins and broken lamps.
Ignore “toning” claims. No tool spot-reduces fat. Functional gear earns its place by helping you move better and train consistently.
Recovery counts too. Circuits are demanding, so give yourself rest days and enough protein. My recovery tools for sore muscles help on the days after, and if you use a training supplement, my LiveGood Creatine + HMB review covers the one I recommend.
Six quick questions and I will show you what is most likely keeping your scale stuck, plus one fix to start today.
Start the free check →Or start the free 14-Day ResetSeven high-protein breakfasts that keep you full until lunch, so you skip the 10 a.m. crash.
Get the free breakfast guide →Or take the Supplement Match QuizHow to start lifting, how often to train, and how to keep progressing at any age.
Read the strength guide →Or grab a free guide from the libraryThe free Sunday Protein Prep Checklist: one oven session, a week of high-protein breakfasts and dinners.
Get the free checklist →Or browse the Recipe FinderThe free Chair Tai Chi Routine Card: a gentle seated routine plus a 4-week tracker.
Get the free routine card →Or read the chair tai chi guideFrequently Asked Questions
What Is Functional Training Equipment?
It is gear that trains movements you use in daily life and sport, like squatting, stepping, hinging, twisting, balancing and moving quickly. Common examples are mini bands, agility ladders, plyo boxes, slam balls, kettlebells, sliders and balance trainers.
What Functional Training Equipment Should a Beginner Buy First?
Start with a set of mini loop bands and a pair of sliders. They are cheap, quiet and fit in a drawer. Add a kettlebell next for strength, then an agility ladder or a low foam plyo box.
Is Functional Training Good for Women Over 40?
Yes. Strength, balance and power tend to decline with age, and functional training works on all three. Start with lower boxes, lighter bells and supported balance work, then progress slowly.
Can I Do Plyometrics at Home in an Apartment?
You can do low-impact versions. Use a foam plyo box for step-ups and small jumps, land softly, and swap slams for kettlebell swings. Ladder drills on a rubber mat are quieter than jumping.
How Much Space Do I Need for a Functional Training Setup?
A space about 6 by 6 feet covers most of this gear. An agility ladder needs a longer strip of about 15 feet, so a hallway, garage or patio works well.
Is Power Systems Equipment Good Quality?
Power Systems has supplied gyms, sports teams, personal trainers and physical therapists since 1986, and much of its range is commercial grade. It often costs more than budget brands, but it is built for frequent use.
The Bottom Line
Start small: mini loop bands and sliders cover glutes, hips and core for very little money and space. Add a kettlebell for strength, then an agility ladder and a foam plyo box when you’re ready to train speed and power. For balance work, the stability ball and BOSU round out a setup you can run for years.
This article is for education only and isn’t medical advice. If you’re pregnant, recovering from an injury or surgery, have joint pain, osteoporosis, a heart condition or balance problems, check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting jump, balance or circuit training.
Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, dizziness, sharp joint pain or unusual shortness of breath. These workouts don’t replace care from a qualified professional.
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