Getting through a plateau in training is a challenge, both psychologically and physically, which can be exacerbated by having access to a fully equipped gym or lots of equipment at home.

There are obviously many benefits to having lots of exercise equipment – more variety, more options – but there are clearly some disadvantages, too. For example, having a well-equipped home gym can be very expensive and requires a decent amount of space, but it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll actually do more or better things with it.

If you wanted to become an incredible golfer or guitarist, you’d try to achieve this by playing a lot of golf or guitar, not through constantly picking up a new instrument or sport. Of course, some exposure to other stimuli can help with boredom, injury reduction, neural adaptation – the brain’s ability to learn and use memories from repeated stimuli – and neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to change and develop through learning from new experiences – which are all beneficial.

The same can be said about exercise equipment to a certain extent. When hitting a plateau, having fewer options has been found to promote a more intentional focus and better medium-to-long-term outcomes. Exercise science recognises the importance of variety, but has clearly shown that consistency is more important for long-term fitness success.

Having lots of equipment to choose from can result in hopping from programme to programme, as ‘shiny object syndrome’ takes effect. Instead of focusing on the things that make the most sense for working toward your goals, you may fall into a cycle of buying and using more stuff than you need, or that doesn't make sense for your goals.

Having less equipment has major benefits

Assuming you train at home, having less equipment makes exercising more convenient; the fewer barriers between you and regular exercise (and that includes a commute and crowds of people in a gym) the better. Here are a few other benefits of having less equipment at home.

• It takes up less space, which means you can easily accommodate it in your home.
• It costs less.
• By restricting your options, you are forced to design a more efficient training plan. If, for example, you had one rower, a set of dumbbells/ kettlebells and a multi-purpose weight bench, you’d be more goal-focused by the ‘how’, rather than equipment-focused on the ‘what’.
• By restricting your options, you’re forced to become more creative and effective with your exercise programming. Best case scenario, you focus on manipulating variables like density, volume, frequency and exercise selection to help overcome plateaus and achieve your goals. Worst case scenario, you seek professional advice within the confines of the equipment you have. Both a smart use of resources!
• Having limited options also encourages mastery of movements because you are practising with just a few things. Like the golf and guitar practice alluded to earlier, it’s hard to perfect something when you are constantly changing.

Good luck with your fitness goals and remember, consistency plus simplicity equals success.