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Start ShoppingBelonging to a local gym is great, but what if you could have a gym in your own house? There are many benefits to being able to work out in your own home. First, you save a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on a monthly gym membership. Second, it’s much easier to stay accountable and motivated to work out when your gym is literally in your home! Third, you can make your gym exactly the way you want it.
Pick your favorite equipment and machines so that you have everything you need for your workouts. You can invest in barbells, power cages, medicine balls, dumbbells – the options are endless.
Another benefit is that you get to avoid any COVID-19 issues. Working out at home is the ultimate way to social distance, and you don’t have to worry about any regulations set forth by your gym, such as reduced hours, mask-wearing, or closures.
There are so many ways to create a home gym. Whether you have a huge space or a tiny space, you can make it work! If you are thinking about building a gym at home, check out these tips and tricks before getting started.
Money, Money, Money!
When building a home gym, it’s easy to let the expenses get out of hand. Between the build-out and the equipment you want to purchase, things can get expensive! Before you begin the build, sit down and create a budget. Open up a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets and go through your home gym budget line by line. Costs to consider include equipment, flooring, accessories, materials, and any labor done by contractors or architects.
As you go through your budget, also keep in mind the money you will save with your home gym. For example, if you spend $80 per month on a gym membership, this is an expense you will no longer have. Your monthly savings should be considered as you create your overall budget.
As you go through the home gym creation process, reference your budget often. Add “budget” and “actual” columns to your spreadsheet. As each expense comes in, you can check and see how it compares to what you have budgeted for. If you go over in one category, no worries! Simply cut back in another area.
One thing to remember: this is your home gym, and it can be a long-term project. Don’t feel like you need to buy everything upfront. Get the basics and add on slowly over the course of the next few years. It’s your gym, and you make the rules!
Map It Out
The first step in creating your dream home gym is figuring out where it will go. First, it needs to be on the ground level. Can you imagine dropping a 100-pound barbell on the second floor of your home? That thing might go right through the floor and into the downstairs of your house!
A basement is the perfect spot for a home gym. If you don’t have a basement, see if you can clear out some space in your garage. Another common home gym spot is a detached garage or shed. This gives homeowners a separate room from the main home to work out. A separate space is perfect for a home gym as you don’t have to worry about crashing weights or workout music bothering your family members.
Some homeowners get very serious about their home gym and will even involve an architect and contractor to help them build out a space. While getting professional help is a bonus, you can create the space on your own with a little bit of hard work and dedication.
Get the Right Flooring
Between dropping weights, sweating, and doing all sorts of floor exercises, you want to make sure you have durable flooring in your home gym. Interlocking rubber flooring is your best option. The rubber is comfortable for you to work out on and it cushions the blow of dropping weights. You can also invest in rubber rolls to lay down as your gym floor. Purchasing this flooring is simple. Home Depot has a variety of options available. Check out their site for rubber gym flooring in various styles, thicknesses, and colors.
From the Window to the Wall!
Utilizing the wall space in your home gym is the best way to store your equipment. Adding hooks and shelves gives you a place to store some of your equipment and accessories and keeps the floor space clear. Racks can hold items like medicine balls, bands, mats, towels, and various other accessories.
Invest in Equipment
Now for the fun part: the equipment! Think about the exercises you do at your gym and buy the equipment to replicate those exercises at home.
Barbells
Every home gym should have a good set of barbells. Barbells are the perfect home gym equipment because they don’t take up a ton of space. The bars are easy to store, and with the right organizer, the plates can be kept neat and orderly. At Archon Fitness, we recommend investing in several different styles of bars so that you have options in your lifting workouts:
In addition to the bars, invest in plates of multiple weights so that you can vary your workouts by adding different combinations of weight to the bars. Keep the barbell section of your home gym organized by investing in an Olympic bar storage rack to hold the plates.
Power Cage
A power cage is the ultimate piece of equipment for the lifting fanatic! It provides weightlifters with many different workout options all in one place. A power cage with all the attachments can take up a lot of space. If you are tight on space but still want to invest in a power cage, check out options with just one upright tower instead of two.
Dumbbells
Every home gym should also have a set of dumbbells. Invest in dumbbells in a variety of different weights and get a storage rack to keep them on. Dumbbells are an excellent home gym item because they don’t require any installation and are easy to store and use. Dumbbells can also be used in several ways to keep your workouts fresh and exciting.
Medicine Balls
Medicine balls are another perfect home gym item. These balls are great for solo exercising or partner workouts. Invest in built-in wall shelving to store the balls, so they aren’t rolling around and taking up room on the gym floor.
Accessorize!
Once you have the necessary equipment, it’s time to accessorize! From storage racks to yoga mats, invest in the little things that will make your home gym even better. Here’s a checklist of accessory items you might want to add to your home gym:
- Towels
- Mini fridge for water and pre/post-workout shakes
- Yoga mats for stretching
- Various attachments for your power cage
- Massage gun to help with sore muscles post-workout
- Barbell clips
- Dip belt
- Stereo system or TV to keep you entertained while working out
Set Goals
Once your home gym is all set up, it’s time to set those workout goals. Don’t let yourself get lazy now that you aren’t paying a ton of money for a gym membership. Keep a consistent workout schedule. Start by writing down your workout times in your calendar. Make a date with yourself to work out, and don’t break it!
Set attainable goals that you know you can accomplish with some hard work. Once you reach a goal, reward yourself, and then set a new one. Since your gym is at home, get your family to hold you accountable. Even better? Ask your family to join you in your workouts. You can get in shape with your spouse, and your kids will have a blast participating in gym time!
Before creating your home gym, take a step back to create a budget and a plan. Our best advice? Don’t get overwhelmed! This is your space and you can make it whatever you want. From the barbells to the gym floor to the accessories, the space is completely yours.
Invest in a variety of equipment options so that you can keep your workouts new and exciting without getting tired of doing the same thing over and over again. For more information about ideal equipment for a home gym, contact Archon Fitness today. We look forward to helping you make your dream home gym a reality!