A home gym can be a great option for people who want a convenient way to workout without taking the time to drive back and forth to a commercial gym. Similar to real estate, location is key when setting up your personal home gym. A dedicated space such as an extra bedroom, basement, or garage is usually a great area for home workouts. There should also be enough room for equipment and for you to move around freely. For safety, make sure the space has adequate ventilation and lighting for evening and early morning workouts.
Basic Equipment is Best for a Home Gym
Once you have a room set up its time to add the equipment to your home gym. You don’t need to invest in pricey machines that take up a lot of space (source). Although, a decent barbell or dumbbell set with a couple of hundred pounds of weight makes for a solid foundation.
The Best Equipment to Maximize Your Home Gym
- Add a sturdy, adjustable bench and you’ll have a lot of options.
- Exercise balls of various sizes,
- Yoga mat or thick sit up mat
- Jump rope
- Pull-up bars are all versatile and inexpensive.
- Adjustable weight stack or small set of weights.
These basic pieces of equipment are enough to get your home gym up and running. You can add more specialized equipment later as you experiment with different workouts.
Your Gym Your Rules
The best thing about your home gym is that it’s all yours. You can have a training partner if you want, but you’ll also never have to wait to use a piece of equipment during peak hours. Whatever exercises you choose you’ll have complete freedom to train in a circuit or rest several minutes between sets without interfering with anyone’s workout. If you’re an early bird get a workout in before work or late if you’re a night owl. The ability to train whenever it’s convenient for you is one of the best reasons to have your own home gym. Instead of fighting traffic or a crowded gym you’ll be fighting for a few extra reps.
Mike Phelps
Leave a Reply