11 Tips on Building the Perfect Home Gym Setup

Did you know that 49% of Americans attempt to lose weight every year? 

If you’re trying to lose weight, you may have recently run into difficulty doing so because of limitations in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, spending your extra money on a gym membership every month can end up being a huge waste of money. That’s why learning how to create your own home gym setup is important.

That’s why today, we’ve created this complete guide to help you get a better understanding of how to create a home gym setup. We’re going to break down how to build an inexpensive at-home workout setup that can help you build your strength and endurance. 

Keep reading to learn more!

1. Pick the Right Space in Your Home

Before you begin doing your favorite workouts, you need to pick the perfect space in your home. The space that you decide to use in your home for your gym should have at least enough room for you to place a basic mat. In this space, you should be able to do basic stretches, as well as other simple core exercises.

Also, you may want to consider using a larger space in your home. This is because the more space you have, the more workouts you’ll be able to accomplish. For example, a HIIT exercise will require more space for you to use. 

Don’t forget also to consider the type of flooring in the room that you’re using. If you are exercising in a room that has a solid flooring surface, such as concrete, you’ll be able to perform different types of exercises. on the other hand, exercising in a room that has a soft surface will make it easier for you to perform exercises that require more padding and comfort.

If you don’t have a large home, you may have to consider rearranging your living room. Even just dedicating the corner of one room to your workout sessions is better than not having any space at all.

2. Start Adding in Equipment

Once you have the perfect space chosen for your home gym, you’ll need to then be in working on adding equipment. You don’t have to invest thousands of dollars in equipment for you to have an effective place to begin to exercise. However, it would help you find inexpensive workout equipment that you can easily store away.

For example, you may not have to drop a couple of hundred dollars in a treadmill if you’re looking to work on your cardio. Instead, you can invest a few bucks into a jump rope. if you’re looking to get a little bit more intensity out of your workout, you could maybe consider using a weighted jump rope or ankle weights when you’re jump roping.

You can also avoid spending thousands of dollars in weight lifting equipment to invest in kettlebells. You can choose to purchase a single kettlebell, a pair of come or even a whole set depending on your exercise goals. Investing in a kettlebell will provide you all with the same type of resistance and weight that you need to start developing a muscular build.

Plus, investing in equipment that can help you build your strength often means that you’re going to have to settle for having bulky pieces of equipment lying around your home. Thankfully, many different pieces of weight lifting equipment are small enough for you to store away in a conservatively sized home.

3. Shop Around for a Sale 

If you’re not ready to drop several hundred dollars on equipment for your gym, you should take the time to shop around for sales. You can also take a look around at discount stores in your area to see if there’s been anyone that’s gotten rid of their old exercise equipment.

Also, think about hitting up your local superstore before you go to any specialist stores. You may want to even consider shopping around at secondhand stores. Many secondhand stores will have larger pieces of equipment at an extremely discounted rate.

You may even be able to find pieces of equipment, such as a treadmill, on a steep discount than what you were expecting to spend.

4. Start Thinking About Storage

You should also think about how you’re going to store away the equipment that you are purchasing. Unless you’re interested in keeping everything out in your home, you may want to consider purchasing some type of storage container.

There is a sort of containers available that are small enough for you to hide away in a closet or under your bed. You may also want to consider a storage solution such as a hanging organizer for you to put in an empty closet.

If you have bulky weight lifting equipment, you may need to invest in a tote or storage ottoman to hide all of your accessories.

5. Start Designing Your Home Gym Setup

Once you have all of the other factors figured out, it’s time for you actually to start designing your setup. How you design your setup will be largely dependent upon your personal preferences. 

For example, you may be someone that prioritizes a lot of free space for you to lift weights. Or, you may be somebody that enjoys working out in a crowded gym. Whatever your preferences are, you must create a similar setup in your home.

That way, you’ll feel as comfortable in your home gym as you do when you’re in a brick and mortar gym. Also, your home gym setup should have plenty of light. Whether you have access to natural light that’s streaming into your home or if you have artificial light set up in your home. 

You may want to consider adding a mirror or a type of reflective surface in your workout area. This is because, with a proper lighting source and a mirror, you’ll be able to keep an eye on your form. Plus, the mirror will also help to keep your space looking more open (and larger) than it actually is. 

6. Don’t Forget About Free Options

If you’re unable to afford to invest any money into an at-home gym at this moment, don’t give up your workout routine. Instead, it would help if you took up every opportunity to gather free exercise equipment. 

You could consider looking around on websites or going to garage sales to see if anyone in your area is giving up any equipment for super cheap or for free.

Worst-case scenario, you’ll have to give up investing in any type of exercise equipment until you’re able to afford something. You can always exercise for free by taking a walk outside or going for a run at your local park. 

7. Don’t Fall for Gimmicks 

You can save a lot of money when investing in your home gym by not falling for any expensive gimmicks. There are a lot of at-home tools that are marketed towards people who are building an at-home gym. 

Don’t fall for any at-home gym gimmicks that promise to deliver fast and efficient results. More likely than not, you’ll end up wasting your money on these projects.

8. Buy Everything At Once

If you’re interested in making sure that you’re saving your money in the long-run, you should think about purchasing everything for your gym all at once. Purchasing all of your equipment in one place will make sure that you save money on your shipping and handling costs.

Buying as much equipment as you can at once, will help to qualify you for a cheaper shipping rate (via freight shipping). Many online suppliers will provide free shipping on orders over a certain cost. By purchasing all of your gym equipment at once, you can help to ensure that your order total meets the cost required for free shipping!

9. Focus on Versatility from Your Equipment

Since you have a limited amount of space, you must focus on investing in versatile equipment. No matter how much space you have to work with, you should be careful with how much equipment you’re bringing into your space. 

Instead, you should invest your money into equipment that offers versatility. If possible, you should choose equipment that offers several different workout possibilities but doesn’t take up a lot of space.

10. Think about DIY Hacks

Still unable to find or afford to invest in weights? This doesn’t mean that you have to give up on your workout routines! Instead, you may want to switch your mindset over to thinking about DIY hacks that you can try at home.

For example, stop thinking about how you can’t afford to purchase weights. You may want to think about using a jug in replacement of a weight! You can fill the jug with water, stones, or even coins.

A filled jug will be heavy enough to act as a type of weight to replace your dumbbells. If a jug doesn’t hold enough for you, you could consider using a laundry detergent bottle. This will be a larger bottle, but will serve the same purpose as the jug did.

If you’re still looking to up how heavy the bottle is, you should consider switching over to filling the bottle with sand. Some people even use buckets, because the handles on a bucket are designed to be carried and lifted. 

Also, the type of DIY hack that you use will depend on how far you are into your fitness routine. Instead, you could consider using packaged luggage. Your luggage may be so heavy (which can be confirmed by weighing on a scale) that it can substitute heavy-duty weights.

11. Don’t Forget Personalization

One of the most exciting parts about building an at-home gym is the ability to personalize it. You can truly make this space in your home how you want it to be. 

This means that you can add to a TV, lights, or speakers in your home gym. If you’re looking to develop a zen zone, you could even add in plants. Some people want to put in bright colors or inspirational sayings to provide an at-home feel to the gym truly.

If you’re doing a lot of weightlifting, you may also want to consider adding rubber mats into your space. Not only will this help to encourage a softer aesthetic to your gym. But, it will also make your whole workout routine a lot more comfortable! 

Some people even put in a refrigerator in their at-home gyms. That way, they can grab a cold bottle of something to drink while they’re working out. If you’re not a refrigerated drink person, you may also enjoy having a water cooler in your home.

The personalization part of your gym can hold off until you can afford everything else that you need to make your gym successful for you. 

Understanding How to Build Your Ultimate Home Gym Setup

By learning the best tips for building your own home gym setup, you can take steps towards building your dream setup. Despite your struggles about hitting the gym, you can build your own gym in the comfort of your own home. You won’t have to worry about the judgment of other people or working out within certain hours.

Hopefully, you’ll be on your way to working out in the comfort of your own home in no time!

Are you interested in learning more about how to take care of your health? We’re here to help you transform your health and fitness routine. Check out our blog to learn more today!