How To Set Up A Home Gym

AD collaborative post // You may be considering moving into a house. Perhaps you currently live in an apartment but are looking for some extra space? Extra space brings lots of benefits with it. One way to use an extra room in your home is to turn it into a home gym. This may sound like something you’d only dream of but it’s certainly within reach of most people. All you need is the extra space.

Even with lockdown restrictions being relaxed and gyms reopening, who knows when they will next close again? Or perhaps you prefer to train in your own space without having someone else putting their greasy hands all over the equipment you are using.

If that’s enough to turn your stomach and prompt you to consider setting up your own home gym then here are three tips to consider:

Natural light will make your home gym more enjoyable

You will find training in a dark room much less motivating that working out in a room filled with light.

If it’s not possible to use a room with lots of light – perhaps it’s your cellar or a room without windows – then there are ways around this. You just need to be a bit creative about your approach. A coat of bright (or white) paint can make a huge difference. Also using well-placed lighting and mirrors can add loads of extra light and make the room seem bigger.

Plan what equipment you want

And what equipment you can accommodate. It’s all very well thinking you have extra space in your house but if you choose equipment that’s too big for the space then it will become an unworkable space to train in.

A good approach to choosing what equipment to buy is to first measure the room and then look at the dimensions of any equipment you’d like to put in the room. This can get a technical as design the gym on some CAD software and rendering the gym equipment virtually to see if and how it will fit and then what space is left over. You can also just use a tape measure.

You can also look at space saving options. Rather than buying a full rack of dumbbells, why not consider some adjustable dumbbells like these available from DN Fitness Supplies?

Decide how much you have to spend and then stick to it

It’s very easy to get carried away spending on new equipment once you get the buzz. Whilst it certainly pays in the long run to buy good quality equipment rather than cheap equipment, it’s also wise to decide on the type of equipment you can afford for your home gym. If you can afford to purchase power racks and Olympic weights then go ahead and buy these as they are great pieces of equipment. If, however, you are on more of a budget then stick to things like gym mats and skipping ropes. You’ll still be able to get a great workout with a smaller budget.

Still not convinced?

Perhaps you’re the type of person that enjoys the social settings of a shared gym. That’s great and we strongly encourage you do what works for you. You may also consider a blended approach where you buy the necessary home gym equipment you want to use at home for those times you can’t make it to the gym – perhaps time isn’t on your side or the weather isn’t so great. Variety is the spice of life!