The best indoor training kit

As the winter weather worsens, you can be forgiven for struggling to get the maximum benefit of your usual training.

It can be hard to put in the necessary miles in poor conditions and, as is the case year-round, it can be difficult to find time for training given the demands of daily life.

Indoor training might just be the solution. You can boost your fitness levels from the comfort of your own home and schedule workouts on your lunch break, in early mornings or late at night. Below, Matt Baird runs through the best equipment to get you rolling.

Best indoor training kit

Open Water by Mikael Rosén

Translated into English, this book from the Swedish swim coach Mikael Rosén comes from an author with quite a repertoire. Nicknamed “the rain man of swimming”, Rosén placed second in the Swimming World Cup and was a 19-time national champion. It’s safe to say, he’s something of an expert.

In this detailed work, he offers takes on open-water swim history, technique and theory. Readers are invited to explore the sport through eight different perspectives, ranging from physical and mental aspects to the politics of open water swimming.

There are even deep dives into the lives of professional swimmers such as Michael Phelps and Sarah Sjöström. Bristling with information about age, gender, body types and training ideas, this hardback is a must for swim geeks and those seeking aquatic gains.

See our list of the best triathlon books for more inspiration.

Activbody ACTIV5 Coach

The Activ5 is a Bluetooth-enabled device that comes loaded with a whole host of exercises, performed by squeezing it in various positions to provide resistance. The device provides low impact workouts that are said to be accessible for all users at any fitness level, personalising the exercises to your strength using a calibration process.

There’s a visualiser to help you control the amount of force throughout the movement, plus the device provides feedback on potential muscular imbalances, reportedly helping you focus on levelling out each side of your body.

Just download the app, pair with your phone and there’s over 100 different workouts at your disposal.

Tiger Tail Tiger Ball

The Tiger Ball is designed to eliminate knots in your back, legs, shoulders and more. The ball slides up and down the rope to help you find the exact position of the ache and should stay precisely where you want it to.

Domyos T520B Treadmill

Many portable treadmills are only useful for walking on, but this fold-up, more affordable unit from Domyos allows runners to reach 13km/h for low-intensity workouts. There’s a 10% incline and 10 pre-set programmes.

Tacx Boost Turbo Trainer

The Boost is the most powerful ‘basic’ turbo out there, and offers a beginner-friendly intro to turbos as you don’t need to mess around with cassettes. Tacx’s Speed and Cadence Sensor will give you access to a host of training apps via ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart.

TRX Home 2

This suspension-weight training system from TRX offers huge versatility. It can be set up on door frames and garden trees for triathlon fitness and strength gains over the whole body.

Compressport Postural Top

• Buy now from Sports Shoes (£47.49)

For both indoor cycling and outdoors, the Compressport Postural offers superior breathability and back support thanks to the compressive weaving. The fabric is ultra-light, thin and stretchy, and nothing stretches too far in the TT position.

Torq Mango Bar

Torq’s bar delivers 144cals from mainly carb sources (127cals), all topped off with a hint of protein (8cals) and fat (just 9cals). This combo of fast and slow-releasing carbs is ideal for high-intensity turbo sessions. Its texture is chewy and has just enough water to avoid that claggy feel.

Elite Suito

Weighing in at 14.5kg, the Suito is relatively light for a direct-drive turbo and also has a useful carry handle. An 11-speed Shimano cassette out the box saves time and money, a front wheel block is included, and there’s a cadence sensor, accurate power measurements and inclines to 15%.

Theragun PRO 4th Generation

• Buy now from Kitbox (£469.00)

The Theragun is named as ‘percussive therapy’, which combines frequency (2,400rpm), torque and amplitude (16mm) via its pulsing and repetitive arm to encourage increased blood flow and flush out lactic acid. The benefits? Muscle relief, tension reduction and pain alleviation.

Muc-Off Indoor Cleaning Kit

Muc-Off’s indoor training range includes Sweat Protect spray, Chain Lubricant, Antibac Cleaner and Chamois Cream to reduce chaffing, plus a microfibre cloth. This kit is designed to keep your bike free from corrosive sweat and dirt, while the Antibac is a handy way of keeping things clean.

Fabric Tri Race Flat

• Buy now from TRI UK (£79.99)

Fabric make some of the best, most affordable triathlon saddles around, and buying now will give you time to bed-in your position for race season. The Tri Race Flat has titanium rails and weighs 232g, and it’s grippy to keep you in position.

Van Rysel ROADR 100

Van Rysel’s ROADR 100 cycling shoes feature a nylon sole and heel stiffener, said to support your foot and provide an efficient pedalling experience.

This lightweight shoe is fitted with two ventilation openings for air flow and a claimed quick-drying interior, said to be perfect for keeping cool and collected through those intense indoor sessions.

Want more shoe recommendations? Check out our list of the best indoor cycling shoes on the market right now.

Push Up Swivel Bars

• Buy now from Argos (£17.00)

Push up swivel bars target your chest, shoulder and back muscles, with the rotation providing a greater range of motion and are easier on the wrists. Seen here are Opti from Argos, but Decathlon do home deliveries if Argos can’t deliver to your local Sainsbury’s.

Tacx Neo 2T

Tacx have nailed their smart turbo design with the Neo 2T. There’s even more motor power (with the option to run it wirelessly), greater stability and a neighbour-friendly level of noise. Power accuracy is spot on, and you’ll really notice the superior quality of the ride feel.

See our list of the best turbo trainers for more.

Healthspan Elite Vegan

• Buy now from Healthspan (£29.99)

This recovery powder from Healthspan Elite offers the textbook 20g of protein per serving for enhanced recovery. It also contains a blend of amino acids and multi-vitamins.

Up Foam Roller

Soothing your turbo aches and pains is this budget pick from Ultimate Performance, a solid, lightweight (660g) and portable roller that’ll improve flexibility and core strength.

Decathlon Wall-Mounted Pull-Up Bar

This pull-up bar from Decathlon is designed for stability. It’s constructed entirely from a steel frame, with a number of solid screws for wall-mounting, and is said to be able to support up to a maximum weight of 130kg.

The grips are designed to allow for decent range to be able to work different upper-body muscle groups, using an underhand, overhand or hammer grip.