Before you run out to buy a treadmill, yoga mat, and some free weights, it’s important to first consider your exercise goals and what type of workout you want to do. Working out in a home gym often means you have more limited space, so it’s important to choose the equipment that best helps you accomplish your goals.
Learn to Make The Most of The Space You Have
Considering the first time I ever worked out at home involves pushing my coffee table and sofa out of the way to make space for my yoga mat and kettlebell. Needless to say, most of my exercise was done running in the nearby park.
But when I eventually moved and had extra space for a home gym, I had a lot of options to choose from. But because it still limited my space, I wanted to pick workouts that needed a minimum amount of equipment.
Obviously, the classic no-equipment exercises like lunges, squats, sit-ups, and push-ups require a minimum amount of room and still produced excellent results. As much as I would have liked a treadmill I didn’t have space but a high ceiling allowed me to jump rope, which easily helped me get my blood pumping. The installation of a wall-mounted pull-up bar was one of the first things I did.
Here’s a list of the simple multi-purpose equipment that I purchased to begin with for my first home gym.
- For stretching Pilates and yoga, I bought a yoga mat
- for stretching and strength training, I bought some resistance bands,
- For some bodyweight workouts and some weight lifting, I bought two kettlebells
- To add some extra cardio, I bought a jump rope
The best advice when building your first home gym is to keep things simple and stick to buying multipurpose equipment.
After a few months, I added some extra equipment that I needed.
- I needed to do some more focused upper bodywork, so I bought some dumbbells
- I wanted to do some additional strength training, so I bought a large medicine ball
- I was interested in doing more in-depth massages and stretching, so I bought a foam roller.
Everyone’s home gym journey will be different it would depend on several factors, but the vast majority of people still want to operate within a budget so here is my guide to.
Building a Great Home Gym on a Budget
If space and money are not a problem, it’s unlikely you’ll be reading this guy to begin with. But most of us understand that gym equipment can range from free to thousands of dollars. But you can keep your costs relatively low by starting with the equipment I listed above and adding a few items as you need them.
#1 Always Look for a Bargain
One of the first places I went was TJ Maxx, I also visited Marshalls and Ross, but if you have any off-price department store in your area it’s probably a good place to look for cheaper workout accessories such as resistance bands dumbbells kettlebells, and yoga mats
The next step is to pop down to your local big-box store target always has a sale on gym equipment and occasionally to have a wide variety of it the last place I go is the sporting goods store specialist stores are more expensive
#2 Buy Your Larger Items Second Hand
Every one of us knows someone who spent thousands of dollars on expensive fitness equipment and has never used them, so I picked up my kettlebells for free from one of my friends. If you’re not lucky enough for this to happen there are so many places you can source excess equipment for cheap, for example, Craigslist always has benches, electric bikes for exercise, barbells, dumbbells, treadmills, and pull-up bars for sale.
#3 Start Working out for Free
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got on my fitness journey wants to work out for free. Your home gym can start with your own body and this is free if you are anything like me the extra couple of kilograms of your weight will provide more than enough resistance for your first few months of working out.
#4 Exercise Gimmicks Are a Waste of Time And Money
I’m always one for giving credit where credit is due, infomercials even those for the worst exercise tools ever designed can help motivate people to get off the couch and work out. But this is where your home gym journey should finish regarding these products. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is a piece of equipment that offers you super-fast results, that can exercise your entire body is lying or far too expensive.
How to Get The Most from Your New Home Gym
The first thing you need to understand is that if a piece of equipment is out of sight, it’s out of mind. if you are going to build a home gym, create a dedicated space for your equipment and leave it insight as it will always act as an encouragement for you to work out.
Stock Your Home Gym
Make sure that the area is always fully stocked for a quick workout including a full water bottle, some towels, and a Bluetooth speaker so you can instantly get the music pumping. If your budget can stretch to a tablet or a TV, that would be great too.
Install a Mirror
There’s a reason every gym you’ve ever walked into is full of mirrors and this has nothing to do with vanity even if you watch yourself exercise helps you minimize injury by using the correct form. This is very important when you’re working out at home, as there will be no one there to help you. Installing a full-size mirror in your exercise area is the best substitution for a personal trainer.
As You Progress Don’t Be Afraid to Invest
Once you successfully worked out at home and your home gym has been used effectively for 6 to 12 months, you might invest in some fitness tech and add more advanced equipment that can help you do some targeted workouts.
The last piece of advice I can give you is, a home gym does not mean that you have to work out alone. Invite a friend, family member, even your partner to work out with you on this will help keep you guys motivated.