Tips for Building a Home Gym

A home gym can be a very expensive investment for most people no matter how dedicated they are to their fitness goals. Equipment such as dumbbells, treadmills, or even a stationary bike can be worth hundreds, if not, thousands of dollars. To top it all off, there’s also maintenance and the fact that you will need ample space in your house to fit everything in. However, there are strategic yet affordable ways to get yourself your very own gym at home so exercising can be more convenient for you.

Tip # 1: Measure out your space

The most important thing about setting up your home gym is to plan out what you need and want to include in there. Yes, you can come up with a list so you can plan the layout as well. In this way, you can ensure that you can maximize the home gym space that you have enough for you to be comfortable in it. Figure out the dimensions of what  free space you have and figure out the dimensions of the equipment you can place in it. You need to know what you can store, how much you can store, and write it down the next time you go out looking for gym equipment to buy. If your room is too small, buy some kettlebells or dumbbells. Maybe even an exercise mat might suffice. You don’t want to be buying a rack of weights and not know where to put it. That would be a complete waste of money.

Tip # 2: Determine what your overall fitness goal is and how you plan to achieve it.

Knowing what your full goal is and how you want to achieve it can mean the difference between buying expensive but durable equipment or not. Say, for example, you need to lose weight and the way you want to achieve it is through walking or jogging. Do you really need that treadmill when you can just walk outside? Do you really need a pull-up bar when there’s a perfectly good playground with monkey bars down the street? The point is, always evaluate your goals and approach before needing to buy whatever equipment you don’t need. Your wallet will thank you for that. Remember, you are trying to stay on budget even if you are trying to build your home gym.

Tip # 3: Don’t splurge on machines

It can be very tempting to buy workout machines for yourself, especially the ones that you like at your local gym. The thing is, they can cost up to thousands of dollars and that can prove to be a disadvantage when you set it up at home when only a few people are using it. Even used ones can make a dent in your wallet. In addition, you have to maintain them adequately so they can last for a while. On the other hand, there are several cheap and low-maintenance workout tools that you can use as an alternative. Some examples are Thera Ball, Thera Band, dumbbells, and exercise mats to name a few. With a couple of Youtube tutorials or BODi (Beachbody) on Demand fitness programs, you can use these cheap tools in a multitude of ways such as in Pilates or Barre. It is the versatility of these tools that will allow you to get more bang for your buck in every way possible.

Tip # 4: Perform some Calisthenics

Calisthenics is an excellent way to build muscle mass and lose weight. For those who don’t know it yet, calisthenics is a form of strength training exercise that uses your own body as a weight. Maybe you’ve done some calisthenics in your routine in the past without even knowing it. Some examples include Squats, Push-ups, and Lunges. You can even get creative with these workouts and apply a few extra movements like doing one-hand push-ups or carrying something heavy when you do lunges. Just do a bit of customized research and test out what fits best for you.

Tip # 5: Buy cheap equipment that is on sale

If you’re really insistent on buying some weightlifting equipment due to your goals needing it, you could try looking up sales online. There’s a lot of gym equipment that can be bought at garage sales, thrift stores, or sales in malls. The Facebook Marketplace is also a great place to find some deals. You just need to know where to look or you can ask a friend to lend you their unused equipment. Be sure to also know how to properly maintain this equipment since they’re a very expensive investment and you wouldn’t want them breaking down too fast. Try to search online for cheap ways to best maintain them without breaking the bank.

Tip # 6: Improvise your gym equipment

Some people tend to improvise their equipment by duct taping water bottles for weights or perhaps using old tires for weight lifting. There are a lot of exercises that you can do that can use improvised equipment. One of those exercises uses a heavy rope to improve muscle strength and endurance. If you live near a beach, you can use the sand to help improve lower body strength as you jab or maybe you can use a pool and jog on the water for a bit of resistance exercises. There are many ways to improvise and customize your workouts. With just a bit of research and resourcefulness, you can build that home gym and be more consistent with your exercise routine.

Tip # 7: Use free workout videos online

There are a lot of free workout videos for you to follow online. Although these videos may not work for everyone, they will at least give you an idea of what you can do with your body without the need for a personalized trainer. Trainers can get really expensive over time and although their advice and techniques are effective, they might be draining your bank account fast. Sometimes, it’s best to learn all the techniques by yourself online. Although it won’t be as effective as learning from a trainer directly, at least you’ll be saving up some cash. When your budget is not that tight anymore, you can get a trainer who can help you with your fitness goals if you feel you need one.

Tip # 8: Take on some fun fitness challenges

Why not make it fun with a little competition? But instead of competing against someone, you compete against yourself to see if you can make it to your fitness goals within a time limit via some fitness challenge. This way, you’ll be able to perform your workout routine more consistently as you strive to better yourself and make yourself healthier. Besides, most challenges are fun to do so they can be a good break from your usual routine. Rewarding yourself can be much sweeter too because you have the feeling that you’ve earned it.

Tip # 9: Try a fitness app

Fitness apps like BODi are great ways to track your progress like how many steps you’ve taken, how many calories you’ve lost, and so on and so forth. There are a lot of free apps you can download on your phone that have so many functions for you to use. Fitness apps can also provide you with nutritional programs, fitness topics, and health-related subject matters to get you in the mood and mindset. Some of them can even include instructional videos for certain workouts you can do in your home gym.

What are the Benefits of Having a Home Gym?

There are many benefits to having a home gym, such as being able to save up money in the long run and not having to worry about scheduling. All you need to do is go straight home, get dressed, and start working out almost immediately. It’s honestly that simple when you have a gym at home that never closes.

Benefit # 1: Your Gym is practically open 24/7

Gone are the days when you’re finally done with work only to realize that the gym you frequent has closed due to some unforeseen consequences or some holidays you didn’t realize. Sometimes, it can even be difficult to schedule your busy day with a trip to the gym. With a home gym, you don’t need to worry about that because it’s in your own house. If you want, you can even combine some activities with your workout such as walking the treadmill while you do some work on your laptop. Perhaps you can watch TV or play your own music as well.

Benefit # 2: Your gym is customizable to your needs.

There’s a lot of equipment you don’t need when you go to a gym. It’s especially bad since you might be paying a lot and only use less than half of the equipment available there. For people who tend to use a lot of gym equipment, that’s completely fine. For people who don’t? That might be seen as wasting money. If you’re only going to use a couple of the equipment, it’s best to just buy what you need on your own. It’s a lot cheaper and it’s a good long-term investment.

Benefit # 3: Your gym gives you some privacy

Privacy is something a lot of people like. One of the biggest reasons why people don’t go to the gym is because they have anxiety. This anxiety is more apparent with plus-size individuals or even regularly-sized ones who are body conscious. Having a home gym eliminates that feeling of anxiety as you practically do all your workouts in the comfort and safety of your own home. Plus, you don’t need to wipe someone else’s sweat off the equipment. That’s another added bonus to having a gym at home.

Benefit # 4: You and your family can pitch in on the fun.

Chances are, you’ll have family and friends who would want to work out too. This is a great opportunity to help boost each other’s confidence while also having fun. You can also give each other advice on certain workouts and have a spotter for lifting heavy weights. There’s also a thing called Herd Mentality where if you see multiple people doing one thing, you’ll also get the urge to do it as well. This mentality becomes more effective once you see family and friends in the mix as well.

Benefit # 5: It can be safer for you and your family.

Sometimes, jogging out at night or going to your gym in a shady area is a little worrisome. You might get threatened with a knife or a gun on your way to your local gym. At least in a home gym, you’ll be safe since it’s in your own house. No need to risk your life trying to work out in a place that isn’t safe for you. Not only that but you also run the risk of leading unsavory people back to your home from the gym once you’re done with your work out which could endanger the lives of your friends and family. Sometimes it’s better to stay at home where it’s safer than out there in the dark.

Benefit # 6: You make the rules.

Some gyms have weird rules that you have to follow. A lot of these rules have been put in place due to rowdy customers or it could just be the owner’s decision. Whatever the case, these rules can sometimes be annoying to follow. At your own house gym though, you can make your own rules to follow. This is a huge bonus for those that find it too restricting to work out at the gym. You can scream, shout, and blast your favorite workout music or whatever. It’s your house gym and it’s your rules.

Benefit # 7: You don’t have to sit there and wait for the other guy to finish

It can get quite annoying waiting for your turn to use the equipment, especially when it’s a fully packed gym. What’s even worse is when they don’t wipe the sweat or return the equipment after they have used them. It’s just absolutely disgusting. You don’t have to do any of that at your home gym which also means it also has lesser germs on them as well. Waiting can be pretty boring at times or time wasting and you may become distracted as you wait for the other guy to finish. This causes you to sometimes forget that you’re even working out or just go home without finishing your routine. And don’t forget about how some people can be at the gym when they scream loudly or become stinky after a workout. Fortunately for you, you don’t have these kinds of problems at a home gym.

These are the best reasons why you should have a home gym and how you can get one for cheap. Having a home gym is an investment you have to commit to. If you become lazy and decide not to work out at your home gym, it would be considered wasting money. On that note, you should also learn how to combine working out with eating healthy as that is also just as important as moving around. Another thing you have to note down is consistency with how you exercise. Home gyms are meant to help you keep consistent by reducing travel time and providing an environment for you to work in. There are no excuses this time so get up from your couch and start aiming for that dream body you’ve been craving for.