If you are like me, you love to get great deals, learn about new weight lifting techniques and you can never have enough fitness equipment at home. It’s your lucky day landing on our website as we have done the research for you in finding the best exercise equipment at discounted prices.
We just blew right past the cheap fitness equipment in each of the main areas of creating a home gym. I did not want to waste my time looking at them and I did not want to waste yours.
You basically get what you pay for. So, we will be reviewing higher end product models on the market. It’s just how I like to roll. I would rather save my money to buy the best or dang near the best than settle for something cheap or mediocre. In the end I’m not happy and end up resenting it.
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Basic Equipment Need For Your Gym At Home
So let’s list out the main areas that you should focusing on to have one kick but gym at home. Some of you will be able to go out and get much of this at once, while others will purchase the equipment over time as you save money to buy them individually.
The first decision to make before we get to our list is to determine how much space you will realistically have. Most of us will have part of a room dedicated to our workout area. Others will have the luxury of having a dedicated room because their kids have not taken it over yet or the wife has not turned it into a spare bedroom already. 🙂 Just kidding girls. Hee hee 🙂
So, if you have limited space you might just consider a home gym where it has all the main equipment built into it which covers a small area of space. You can spend 400-1500 dollars for a home gym like the popular bowflex models. Now let’s continue on with our list of what should be included for your gym.
1. Adjustable Weight Set
Right off the bat I would look at an adjustable dumbbell set. This is one of the most versatile pieces of gym equipment you can use. With a dumbbell set like bowflex or ironmaster you can do a legs, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest and leg workouts.
The dumbbells also will work great for doing any type of exercise program you can watch on your dvd player home as most of the programs require a set to complete the program. A great example of this are beachbody programs like P90x3 and Bodybeast that rely heavily on using dumbbells in the workouts.
You can read about all the different types here to get started.
2. Treadmill or Elliptical
This would be my second choice of equipment to buy because you can use this all year round. Anyone at any skill level can hop on a treadmill for a great workout. You could do a nice walking interval program using the incline to make it difficult to doing any kind of running train plan that you are wanting to accomplish. It’s one of those things that I just consider a staple of the home gym.
3. Optional Cardio Equipment
I’m adding this section because it really is a preference as to what you add in this group. Many of you have your personal hobbies like myself that you thoroughly enjoy. As for myself I am a huge biker. So, when winter time comes I have to figure out a way to bike in the winter. So, an indoor cycling bike is key for me to get my workouts in.
There are others who really love to row for their cardio and for part of the strength workout to build their legs, shoulders and back. These are the type of people who will want to add a rowing machine to their gym.
Lastly there are some of you who really prefer an elliptical machine over a treadmill and for good reason. Elliptical machines are a lot easier on your knees, you can get just as good of a workout on it as running and you can get more laser focused to work on your butt muscles. It generally is a bit smaller than a treadmill so you can save on space as well.
4. At Home Workout DVDs
For me this is a requirement. You need some type of program to follow and there are a ton of great workout programs you can find online to do at home. I am a huge fan of Beachbody’s programs. I’m sure you have the seen the infomercials of T25, P90x, P90x3 or the 21 day fix. These seem to be common names that people know about and are the type that work great at home with the right equipment.
Of course there a ton of other dvd workout programs that you will be able to purchase that will work for your training goals as well so just make sure you have room for a TV and dvd player in your workout room. You will need a stand as well to place them on so plan for that as well.
5. Traditional Strength Training Equipment
Lastly you will need some sort of adjustable weight bench for sure. This could run anywhere from 100-600 dollars. You will want to make sure it has 4-6 angles of adjustments and definitely make sure it has a decline position to do sit-ups and decline bench.
From there you really can get specialized depending on your skill level. You might want an Olympic weight bench and barbell for flat bench press and various other exercises. I would love to have a power rack at home so I could to squats, dips and even pull-ups on it. The sky is the limit in this category. It all comes down to your goals.
6. Gym Accessories
I added this category because there are small odds and ends that make a difference in putting it together. To name a few you should have some sort of Stand to put a tv and dvd player in there. If you get on with shelves you will find yourself storing jump ropes on there, dvds, resistance bands and other small pieces of equipment you can organize you gather over time. I also installed a sound bar so I could hook my iphone to it to play music when I’m not listening to the TV or DVD.
7. Gym Mirrors
I have not done this yet but I plan on it. I was working out at the gym at work the other day and realized how awesome it was to have gym mirrors so I could watch my form as I’m doing exercises with heavier weight. I was so used to working out at home that I forgot how useful they can be. It really dresses up the workout room and puts you into the next level as well! It gives it the wow factor! I found one option on amazon here but I would still do some more research. It was looking to be expensive from what I found. I would rather get a bench for that price or dumbbell set before I bought it. It would be one of the last things I would personally buy.
2. Gym Mirror – helps to improve posture
5. Gym Mirror – which is great for watching your form when you are working out.
Be it a mini-gym set up in the corner of a room or a comprehensive gym in the garage, a gym wall mirror is the must-have. Mirror on the wall effectively enhances the workout experience and helps you improve your moves. You also get an additional motivation to stay in shape when you continuously monitor yourself in the mirror.
8. Gym Flooring
So, you can totally go nuts in this area depending on your budget. You can go with cheap gym flooring that are one piece ranging from 3 feet wide to 7 feet long for instance. This will sit right on your carpet. It would be great to put the treadmill on or bike trainer for example.
You also have the really common option of attachable gym flooring. The price range for this will vary based on the thickness and square footage you need. I have seen this come in colors as well if you really want to be different. 90 percent of gym flooring is black though so, if you really need color you have to dig a bit.
Please do your measurements ahead of ordering it though so you can figure out how many packages you need to order. They usually come in a 4 pack and will list out the square footage it will cover. You will be able to figure out what you need from there.
On other not about home gym flooring is to not make the mistake I did. I bought regular hard rubber squares that were not detachable. I figured they would have some sort of glue or stickiness to them on the back that I would just lay them down. Nope! I was supposed to buy all the glue on my end to lay it down. I would personally go with the interlocking gym flooring so it makes it easy to put together. Here is a quick link to gym flooring at amazon here to start your search.
A DIY Guide for Building a Garage Gym
2021, undoubtedly, has been a major blow to all the fitness plans.
With the pandemic unleashed on the world, everything kind of stopped. Our everyday work routines have disturbed, the educational system is at sixes and sevens, simply put, pretty much everything is in a pickle.
Gyms and fitness studios are also subjected to lockdown orders. Thus laying waste to the long-planned fitness goals. However, it’s rightly said that you can find light at the end of a dark tunnel with the right behavior. Many fitness enthusiasts brought the gym home and accomplished their goals.
Though the home gym was already in trend previously, the curse of covid-19 has given a greater hype to the idea. And we think it’s a great idea to stay in shape while also cutting down the membership costs.
We are here with a super-easy DIY guide for building a home gym. Let’s get into the discussion straight off.
Why Build a Garage Home Gym?
Creating a home gym is a win-win idea and benefits you in multiple ways.
- No waiting in lines to use a machine.
- You don’t have to get up and dress up for the gym. You can simply hit the gym in your most comfortable outfit and get the desired results.
- The training environment is comfortable for you as it is your own home.
- A private gym area allows you to train and do every type of exercise without feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable.
- You should have a proper workout plan. However, in case of an extra shift or unexpected guests, you can reschedule your daily exercises instead of skipping them.
- It’s time-efficient. No need to drive to the gym. Accomplish your fitness goals in your home.
- Most importantly, get rid of the gym membership costs.
Although you can build a home gym in as little space as a walk-in closet. However, for an enhanced workout experience, it’s better to pick a bigger space. A spare room, an attic, or a corner would be enough for the beginner’s gym.
However, we are inclined towards a more advanced home gym which requires a bit bigger and more exclusive space. What about a garage? Sounds perfectly right!
Steps To Setup Your Own DIY Garage Gym
Step 1: Clean the interior Space
As you have already chosen the space, the first step would be decluttering and organizing the garage. The garage is usually jumbled up with unnecessary equipment and apparatus.
Everything your mother asks you to throw away ends up being in the garage. Your grandma’s hand-me-down furniture, old faulty gadgets, hunks of wood, and other junk are all there in the garage. So first roll your sleeves and do some re-organizing.
Get rid of the unnecessary things that have been there for years. Organize the practical items and clear space for your gym equipment. By the end of the cleaning day, you will have considerable space for your gym gear.
Step 2: Define Your Fitness Goals and Set a Budget
Set a budget. Makes sense!
But what do fitness goals have to do with building the gym?
Well, defining the goals at the very start is of core importance as the gym equipment you will be investing in should resonate with your fitness goals. If you want to strengthen and build muscles you should get weight training gear. However, in case you want to lose weight, treadmills or rowing machines are the right equipment to invest in.
So go ahead and understand your training requirements. Set our fitness goals and know which equipment you need to get in order to accomplish your goals. Once you’re done with the planning phase, move on to setting a budget for your endeavor. Make sure that your budget resonates with the gym requirements.
Step 3: Get the Right Equipment
Now is the time to invest in gym gear. As you have already considered your workout requirements, you would be quite sure about the machines you need. Before hitting the road for the market, take some time out and do some research. Go through the online stores.
Get price quotes and recommendations. Next, visit your nearby marketplaces to get some insights about the costs. After you have done thorough research, choose the best deal and get the gym equipment.
Gym Gear Equipment Recommendations
Here are some essentials that you should consider while setting up your garage gym.
1. Exercise Mat – the first essential is an exercise mat is an inexpensive item that makes the workout comfortable and easy.
2. Gym Mirror – helps to improve posture
3. Dumbbells are another basic necessity and used frequently. Dumbbells are the bare minimum for weight training. Even if you are not planning on extensive muscle-building sessions, dumbbells are the basic essentials to stay in good shape.
4. An adjustable bench is a piece of great equipment to level up the muscle training.
5. Gym Mirror – which is great for watching your form when you are working out.
Some other advanced gym equipment includes Barbells, Kettlebells, Punch Bags, Mountain climbers, pull-up bars, cardio equipment, and weight training gear. It all depends on your fitness goals and budget so choose according to your requirements.
Step 4: Consider the Heating or Cooling Requirements
One big challenge in building a garage gym is setting the right temperature for workout sessions. Unlike home, the garage doesn’t usually have a heating or cooling system. So you will have to invest in some temperature-control devices.
What you need to maintain the right temperature depends on your area’s weather conditions. It can be heaters to warm up the gym or fans or air conditions to lower the temperature of your home gym.
Step 5: Set the Mood and Hit It
As it’s your very own gym, so spruce up the space according to your preferences. Personalize and enhance the gym. Add some framed motivational quotes on the walls, perk up the area with exquisite lighting and make a workout playlist to elevate your sweat sessions. Set the ambiance and hit the gym.
Final Verdict To Purchase
What can be better than having an activity area right in your home? So turn your garage into a gym equipped with the right workout gear. Keep on adding more equipment to your gym in order to enhance the space as well as your workout experience.
Level up the training sessions with some chart-topping songs and make your workout exciting.
Popular Uses For Home Gyms in Small Places
Got big fitness goals? Looking to lose weight or catapult past that fitness plateau? It boils down to the right exercise equipment for small spaces so you can build that home gym, stay consistent, and crank those exercise intervals to max volume.
Whether you’re a weekend warrior needing to shed that extra 15 or 50, or you’re an elite athlete staying on top of your game, you know that every second counts. You need to fit in a workout wherever you can in your busy schedule–5 minutes here, 10 there.
That’s why I’m so revved about the data on HIIT and weight training. In their review article, “The Physiology of Fat Loss,” professors of Exercise Science at the University of New Mexico (UNM) lay it on the line: high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and weight lifting are the best ways to lose fat, change your body comp to muscle, and turn yourself into that lean, mean fitness machine.
Can you see it–that image of you achieving your goals? Then hear it, smell it, taste it: it’s closer than you know! HIIT and weights are the ways; your home gym is the means.
I’ve already researched and compiled all the important data, made the comparisons, and I’m about to show you the best equipment for your home gym. But first, let’s look at the method behind my madness and break it down.
HIIT It Big
You can’t live at the gym, but if you set up your home gym, you can train throughout the day and week. You don’t need a ton of equipment, you need to up those intervals.
How HIIT Workouts Work
This is the beauty of a consistent workout, according to “The Physiology of Fat Loss”:
As soon as you start your exercise routine, blood flow increases to your fat stores and your muscle cells. The blood carries the fat to the muscles, and the muscles burn it for fuel. This process of burning fat for fuel is called oxidation of fat.
The highest degrees of fat oxidation occur at low-intensity levels. Is that counterintuitive?
It struck me that way, but the profs go on to explain, and it all comes into focus. At high-intensity levels, the muscle cells start burning carbs for fuel in addition to fat, reducing the amount of fat oxidation to levels of moderate-intensity exercise.
Now, when you finish exercising, you burn more calories than you did during exercise. This is due to muscle-tissue recovery and storage of carbs for future energy needs. These at-rest activities translate into heightened metabolic rates, and they’re referred to as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
According to the UMN profs, “EPOC appears to be greatest when exercise intensity is high….For example, EPOC is higher after HIIT compared to exercise for a longer duration at lower intensity…[and] notably observed after resistance training.”
Not only that, the eccentric (muscle extension) phase requires additional cell repair and protein synthesis in the muscles. So when you extend the weights, you’re setting your body up for more at-rest bouts of fat burning. Pretty groovy.
Here’s where we are so far: lower-intensity exercises require more oxidation of fat by muscle cells, but higher intensities necessitate greater tissue recovery and carb storage after the workout’s complete (EPOC).
When you have access to gym equipment at home, you get way more access to EPOC than when you rely on a commercial gym alone. And the best part is, you can go with a few good machines (1-3), and maximize those intervals.
Exercise Equipment for Small Spaces
Just reading that study makes me wanna workout. Still have that vision in your mind? You just got closer to making it a reality. Let’s get closer still and talk about some of the best exercise equipment for small spaces.
Bowflex for Resistance Training
The beauty of Bowflex is they’re an industry leader for good reason. They give you options, great prices, and small dimensions. Whether you’re beginning or pressing it to the max, Bowflex can meet your needs easily.
You can also check out our guide on the Bowflex Home Gym if you want to compare all the models.
Beginners
The Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym is my top recommendation for beginners. It’s the least expensive, smallest in dimension, and the bench folds up to store easily. It offers 65 exercises: 16 arm, 8 chest, 5 abs, 9 back, 14 shoulder, 13 legs.
You can row with this machine, and weight resistance ranges from 5 to 210 lbs. These features are great for starting your routine.
Athletes
The Bowflex Blaze is my top pick for athletes. It can max out with the 310 or 410 lb kit. It’s equipped for over 60 exercises, with a pull-down bar and a leg extension–get those eccentric workouts in and burn, baby, burn! You can row with this machine as well.
Like the PR1000, it’s great for fitting into small spaces. The Blaze is 90″X38″X83″–only 2″ higher and 6″ longer than the PR1000.
More on Bowflex
Take a closer look at my Bow flex home gym reviews. I cover these plus three additional machines in greater detail, including available warranties. I also break down 10 benefits of resistance training and provide links to customer reviews, weight benches, power racks, dumb bells, and my blog.
Also, click here for my GPS running watch reviews. When the weather’s nice, running is a great way to get a HIIT.
HIIT and Resistance Routines
Set up your home gym ASAP so you can get moving and maximize your fat-burning potential. Once you’re done, you’ll love the following routines.
In their review article, the profs at UNM include suggestions for HIIT and resistance workouts. Here’s the short list:
Don’t Just Stand There; SIT
The first on their list is sprint interval training (SIT). Because SIT blasts the intensity to the roof, it requires short, maxed out intervals alternated with long rest intervals: 30 seconds at your most; 4.5 minutes at rest.
Exercise equipment for small spaces that facilitate SIT workouts can be easily added to your home gym. In fact, if you go with one of the Bowflex machines I’ve mentioned, you’ll already have one: the rowing machine. The stationary bike, elliptical machine, and treadmill are also great options.
Resistance is Fruitful
The weight-lifting workout suggested in “The Physiology of Fat Loss” hits the whole body in 10 exercises at 8 to 12 reps in up to 6 whole circuits. Rest intervals should be no more than 2 minutes, according to the UNM profs.
Use your Bowflex machine or free weights and complete the following circuit:
- Bench press; bent over row; rest
- Split squat right; split squat left; rest
- Military press; crunches; rest
- Biceps curls; triceps extensions; rest
- Half squat; lateral raises; rest and repeat
Also, check out their details on Tabata-inspired interval training and moderate intensity steady-state exercise (MIR).
Ready To Build It?
So, I hope this gives you a basic guide on what you need or can buy for your gym at home. As you can see you can make this as complicated as you want and as expensive as you want. It’s all about you at this point so have fun with it. Let’s get after it and get in shape for the rest of your life!
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