Building a home gym is often worth the time and effort as it enables you to achieve your health and fitness goals from the comfort of your own home. It’s often an excellent investment as it offers homeowners complete accessibility, allowing freedom to decide when and how to work out.
Thinking of investing in a home gym? You’re not alone. They’ve become increasingly popular in place of going to the gym for the following reasons:
- Traveling to the gym is not required
- No need to wait for equipment
- Membership costs can be avoided
- You can work out at any time
Even better, you can personalize your own space to suit your own fitness goals and preferences. For instance, a bodybuilder’s home gym may consist mainly of free weights whereas someone who has cardiovascular fitness goals may prefer equipment like skipping ropes and resistance bands. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best ways to build a gym at home to suit your budget and desired fitness results.
Make Use of Available Space
A common misconception is that you need to have a spare room in your home to create space for a gym. While it may be ideal to have a dedicated area, it’s not completely necessary. Many effective home workouts such as yoga and high-intensity interval training don’t need a lot of space so you can use areas such as your living room.
Weight training, on the other hand, requires equipment so you may need more space for this type of total body workout. It’s also advisable to have a full-length mirror to ensure you’re doing the correct movements during your exercises. In addition, comfortable clothing such as athletic toe socks should be worn during each workout to ensure a maximum level of safety.
Essentials for a Home Gym
There is standard gym equipment that’s generally advised for a home gym. Whether you intend to do cardiovascular workouts to improve fitness, weight training to increase strength or a combination of both, you’ll need to buy equipment. The following is generally recommended.
- Bench Equipment
Getting a proper workout bench is advisable as it’s versatile and safe to use. You can use a workout bench to do various home-based exercises such as dumbbell bicep curls, single-arm dumbbell rows, and dumbbell pullovers. A workout bench can also be used for cardiovascular exercises like bench jumps, bench crunches, and elevated split squats. A workout bench can be adjusted into different positions, making it useful for multipurpose exercises.
- Dumbbells
Dumbbells are a typical part of most home gyms as they are portable and offer numerous ways to gain strength and reach your fitness goals. Adjustable dumbbells are an excellent choice because they don’t take up too much space. In addition, you can benefit from cost savings in the long run because you don’t need to buy separate weights. You can do various workouts with dumbbells including dumbbell shoulder presses, dumbbell kickbacks, and dumbbell bench presses.
Resistance Bands & Cardiovascular Equipment
Resistance bands can be used in workouts to build strength and endurance. They’re available in various resistances, allowing you to adjust your workout according to your strength and fitness goals. Resistance bands are compact and lightweight, so they can easily be stored in your home gym.
You can also include additional cardiovascular equipment in your workout space such as a skipping rope, ankle weights, and a fitness mat. Furthermore, outdoor activities such as running or cycling can be integrated with your home gym routine to maintain your overall cardiovascular health.
Tips for Building a Gym on a Budget
In general, it doesn’t usually cost much to build a gym for your home and there are some ways to build one on a budget. Here are some cost-saving tips if you are looking to create an exercise area for your home:
- Purchase equipment bundles: Many times, you’ll receive better value if you buy equipment as part of a bundle, instead of purchasing items individually.
- Choose versatile equipment: It’s unnecessary to buy a separate piece of equipment for every exercise in your home gym. You can buy a bench and dumbbells and use them for various exercises across separate training routines.
- Shop for pre-owned equipment: Second hand gym equipment is often accessible online. You can usually find various items that are in good condition and available at affordable prices.
- Make use of bodyweight exercises: You can still build muscle and achieve your fitness goals without too much equipment. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and squats are all resistance exercises that can increase fitness and strength.
Start Using Your Home Gym
A simple workout is an ideal way to start using your exercise routine in your home gym and build up your fitness levels. You can try different training styles such as low-intensity workouts, strength training, and high-intensity interval training. This will help you decide which exercise is best at the beginning so you can start enjoying the benefits of having your home gym.
