A home gym is ideal for getting and staying in great shape if a commercial gym doesn't appeal to you. I'm not saying a home gym is better than a commercial one. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I prefer to work out in a calm, not-so-crowded environment. If my local gym is too crowded, I'll work out at home in my garage gym.
Work out at home if an overcrowded, noisy environment, engaging in chit-chatting, waiting around for equipment, or sharing other people's sweat doesn't appeal to you.
Freedom and convenience
One of the biggest advantages of a home gym is the convenience it offers. Find some workout space, indoors or outdoors, and use your body weight. If you choose, you can invest in some basic equipment, like a pair of dumbbells.
I quite often work out at home. Training from home allowed me to train whenever I wanted (open 24/7, 365 days) without worrying about gym hours or commuting to a fitness centre. This saves time, allows me more family time and makes it easier to stick to a regular exercise routine.
Cost-effective
While setting up a home gym may require an initial investment, it can be more cost-effective in the long run. You don't have to pay for expensive gym memberships, transportation, or childminding costs.
You can work out with little or no equipment or build up your collection until you have your own personalised home gym. The possibilities are endless. After the initial investment in your equipment, there are no ongoing costs. Additionally, you can choose equipment that fits your budget and needs without having to compromise on quality.
Privacy
Work out in privacy and comfort without feeling overwhelmed in a crowded and noisy environment. Some people may feel self-conscious or uncomfortable working out in front of others. With a home gym, you have complete privacy and can exercise without any distractions or judgment. This can help boost confidence and motivation. You can also wear whatever you want and play your favourite music out loud!
Personalised equipment
In a home gym, you have the freedom to choose equipment that suits your specific fitness goals and preferences. You can customise your workout space with the equipment you enjoy using the most, whether it's weights, weight machines or cardio machines.
Clean and tidy
I don't know about you, but my gym at home is always clean and tidy. Public gyms can sometimes be crowded and unclean. With a home gym, you can control cleanliness and maintain a hygienic environment. There's nothing worse than walking into a commercial gym and seeing weights spread out over the floor or puddles of sweat left on benches. Eww, gross!
Family-friendly
A home gym can be a great way to encourage your family members to stay active and lead a healthy lifestyle. It provides an opportunity for everyone to exercise together and bond over fitness activities.
No waiting time
In a commercial gym, you often have to wait for equipment to become available. With a home gym, you have instant access to all the equipment, eliminating any waiting time and allowing for a more efficient workout.
Flexibility in workouts
Having a home gym gives you the flexibility to design your own workout routines and experiment with different exercises. You can try new workouts without feeling self-conscious or limited by the equipment available at a public gym.
Long-term investment
A home gym is a long-term investment in your health and well-being. It provides a dedicated space for exercise, making it easier to prioritise fitness and maintain a consistent workout routine.
Weather-independent
With a home gym, you don't have to worry about weather conditions affecting your workout plans. Whether it's raining, snowing, or too hot outside, you can still exercise comfortably in the convenience of your own home.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up your home gym.
Space
Ideal spaces to set up a home gym are:
Having a spare room in your house or apartment would be ideal for a home gym. For example, as mentioned earlier, our home gym is in the garage. It's a space of 6 metres (20') by 6 metres (20'), with a 2.7 metre (9') high ceiling and a solid floor.
Your workout space can be as small or as big as you want it to be, depending on your goals and the equipment you want to use.
If you just want to do bodyweight and core exercises, then a little bigger space than a yoga mat will suffice.
HIIT workouts would require a bit more room and a sturdy floor for you to jump around on.
If your interest is resistance or weight training, a space of 3 metres (10') by 3 metres (10'), with a 2.5 metre (8') ceiling height and a solid floor, would be your minimum space requirement.
If you want to plan and visualise the layout of your space or room with the equipment you have chosen, you can use Fitness Superstore's Gym Planner.
Design
Your design should inspire and invite you to use your gym often. After all, isn't that the whole idea? However, keep in mind that where and how you set up your home gym will also determine how often you use it.
Your room or area should be bright with enough airflow. For example, our garage gym provides plenty of natural light and airflow, especially when the door is open. We can keep the door open on hot summer days, providing plenty of airflow and closed on winter days to keep the cold out.
You might also want to consider integrating your gym into an area of your home that makes it more inviting. For example, nowadays, the kitchen is more integrated into part of the living area. So, if you don't have a spare room or garage, you can create a workout space in your living area.
For us, having the gym in the garage is ideal because it's in an area of our home that we are constantly walking past. So not only is it spacious and a permanent fixture, but it also reminds us to use it.
Added features
Your home gym should also include a mirror (full-length would be ideal) to check your form when performing exercises. Also, mirrors make a space appear larger than it is.
Storage is another key factor in your design. First, decide whether your gym will be a permanent fixture in your chosen space or where you need to pack up each time after a workout. If that's the case, storage containers or a cupboard dedicated to storing your equipment may come in handy. You may also want to keep your gear tucked neatly in the corner of your dedicated workout space.
Rubber flooring mats would be a great addition to your gym. They have an excellent ability to absorb shock when exercising and also protect the floor from damage when dropping weights.
Equipment
Achieve Your Fitness Goals with the Ultimate Home Gym Equipment
Now for the best part of your home gym: the equipment.
I get asked constantly, "What's the best exercise equipment?" My answer is, as always, it depends. It depends on several factors, ranging from the available space, your budget, goals, and which equipment you find the most enjoyable to use (which can be the crucial factor).
The best advice I can give you is to buy and use equipment suited to your training style, goals, enjoyment, and what will provide you with the best results.
Click the link to see some of the best home gym equipment based on functionality, affordability, versatility and enjoyment.
Develop a plan and a backup plan
Now for the most important part of your home gym. You will see the most significant benefits when you plan to use it often.
Please don't make the mistake many people make when they take out a gym membership or set up their home gym. They don't have a specific, meaningful, life-changing, long-term goal they want to achieve to motivate them to keep working out, especially during challenging times. Having a plan is essential when you get bored, lose interest, stop making progress or backsliding.
The key is to break down your long-term goal into short-term goals and challenge yourself to get fitter and stronger by doing a little better each workout.
Click the link to check out hundreds of free online workouts to help you get started.
If you need help developing a workout plan, check out online fitness and nutrition coaching or simply reach out. I'm always here to help.