In this post I will show you how to a home gym the using extra space in your basement or garage.

I started my weight training journey with a home gym.

My dad brought a workout bench one day and I was hooked on lifting from day one.

It was one of those multi-use benches with a squat rack, bench, and leg extension.

I only ever used the bench press because that’s what boys do.

Eventually the gym grew to include a dumbbell rack full of dumbbells which I used for curls and more curls.

I’m no longer a huge fan of home gyms. i work from home so I like to get out. I also enjoy the gym culture. Plus no home gym compares to the variety of offerings at a good town gym.

However, home gyms do have many benefits.

And to be honest, you can do without most of the equipment at a normal gym.

A decent home gym only needs a few basics and you’re in business.

But first, let’s see if a home gym is right for you.

Should You Build a Home Gym?

There’s lots of reasons you could build a home gym.

For starters, home gyms are ultra-efficient:

You never have to wait for equipment.

You never have to drive to the gym.

All you do is walk downstairs and pump iron. when you’re finish you walk back upstair to shit, shower, shave and get on with your day.

This can save you A LOT of time in the long run. And is especially good if you are a busy person.

Custom Home Gym Vibes

You create the environment you want. You play the music you want as loud as you want.

Plus you don’t have some asshole curling in the squat rack. Unless you want to. that’s your call. It’s your house. Who’s going to stop you?

There are safety concerns with home gyms.

If you lift by yourself you better hope someone is in shouting distance incase an accident occurs. unless you drop a barbell on your windpipe, then You’re S.O.L. my friend.

There’s safety in numbers, and a gym has the numbers. If you get in trouble, someone will help you quickly.

Home gyms are relatively inexpensive. You buy quality equipment and it will last for life.

A couple grand will build a very nice home gym. However you can built a respectable home gym for under $1000. You could even build a home gym for free if you look hard enough. People are always giving away used gym equipment. Just make sure it’s in good working order and doesn’t pose a hazard.

I spend over $1000 annually in gym memberships. I could invest that money in my own home gym if I wanted and never pay a monthly gym fee again.

The Best Places for a Home Gym

Now, if you’re going to have a home gym you need to have the space for it.

Luckily home gyms don’t have to be overbearing. A 10 foot by 10 foot space is plenty. However, the more room you have, the better.

You need a solid foundation since you will be lifting heavy weights.

That’s why basements and garages with concrete floors are the best spots.

Make sure the concrete is level, smooth, and gouge-free. You don’t want to trip or twist an ankle while lifting because you stepped in a pot-hole.

This also means that you should not put a gym in your living room or second story bonus room.

One heavy deadlift could slam through the floor and crush everything below it. Causing thousands of dollars in damage and seriously hurting someone.

You need a solid, concrete floor.

If space is an issue, see if you can clear out the storage room in your basement or move stuff in your garage to the attic, or better yet sell your old junk and use the money to buy new gym equipment!

Home Gym Equipment

You only need a bench, barbell and squat rack to have a complete home gym.

Those three items allow you to perform all of the following exercises:

• Squat
• Front squat
• Lunges
• Deadlifts
• Rack pulls
• Barbell rows
• Pull ups
• Bench press
• Incline press
• Shoulder press
• Bicep curls
• Reverse curls
• JM Press

This equipment will allow you to do everything you need to build an awesome body.

In addition to all those pulls, presses and curls, you can do hanging leg raises, regular leg raises, dips, as well as unlimited variations of the exercises I mentioned above.

Grab a weight plate and do shoulder raises, one arm rows, farmer carries, tricep extension, and tricep kickbacks.

These exercises are the core of any great workout routine.

Home gyms are a convenient way to get in shape.

This post covers the essential home gym equipment to set you up for success.

The best place for a home gym is the basement, garage, or a barn.

Home gyms can range in size depending on the space you have available

Bear minimum you want Squat Rack or Power Rack, which takes up about as much space as a love seat.

Essential Home Gym Equipment

When building a home gym you just need to start with the basic necessities. If you want to truly get fit, you have to commit. A modest investment will pay dividends for a life time.

Start with the basic equipment and add items if necessary. The basics are the best because they allow you to do everything you need to get in shape.

There are three essential pieces of equipment to build a home gym: A power rack, a barbell weight set, and an adjustable bench.

The beauty of a home gym is that you don’t need a lot of equipment to get a lot of variety into your workouts. You can build from the basics.

#1) Power Rack

A power rack is perfect for doing squats, pull ups, and rack pulls.

These racks are awesome because they allow you to train safely without a spotter due to the built in safety bars.

Get a rack that’s study and will support more than 600 pounds. Make sure you buy one that fits incase you have a low ceiling!

#2) Olympic Barbell Set

An olympic barbell set comes with a full length barbell and 300 pounds of weights.

The weights range from 2.5 pounds to 45 pounds so you can make progress at your own pace.

A 300 pound olympic barbell set will be enough weight to train for a while for most people.

As you get stronger you can buy weight plates as needed. I’d recommend weight plates with built in grips because they are easier to handle and use for make-shift ‘dumbbells’.

#3) Adjustable Weight Bench

Tips for selecting home gym equipment:

Buy quality – Good gym equipment will last a lifetime. A home gym is an investment in your health and wellbeing so in the grand scheme of things, shelling out money for home gym equipment is a small price to pay.

Keep it simple – stick to the necessities. Buy equipment that is multi-purpose, thoughtfully designed, and allows you to workout efficiently.

Don’t get suckered into buying dedicated ab exercise equipment. If it only serve one use, skip it. Focus on equipment that gives you the most bang for your buck.

Keep it compact –  This goes back to point #2. be conscious of space when buying home gym equipment. You can build a home gym in the basement, garage, man cave or spare bedroom. You can build a home gym anywhere you have 10×10 feet of space.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Just start by getting a set of dumbbells. And work your way up from there.

If you don’t have the space, you can get a pull up bar and a set of dumbbells at the very least.

Even a treadmill or stationary bike is better than nothing.  Stationary bikes are great and you can put them in your living room and watch T.V. while you workout.

A home gym can be build anywhere with solid foundation. You just need to be creative.

Benefits of a Home Gym

Save Time

No packing a gym bag, no driving to the gym, no need to find a locker, no waiting for gym equipment that someone just finished sweating all over.

You walk downstairs, or open the door out to your garage and get a great workout in the time it takes most people to drive to and from the gym!

Save Money

Owning a home gym means you don’t pay a gym membership fee. A good gym will run you $50-85+ depending on where you live.

A home gym will pay for itself in a year or two. The time savings mentioned above is enough value added to make a home gym worth it.

Sure, home gym carries an upfront cost but good equipment will last you a lifetime and pay for itself many times over.

Convenience

Hit the weights on your time. Workout the way you want. Blast reggie or classic rock from your 8-Track player like the badass you are. It’s your gym and you can workout your way.

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