Creating Your Gym At Home

If you are considering creating your gym at home, here we list some things you may like to consider.

Don’t Jump Straight In

The first thing to do before going out and buying all that gym equipment is to, think long and hard before doing so.

Growing up in a house with two brothers, this became all too clear to me. My big brother was bad for doing this. Not only once did he buy all the bells and whistles and a multi-gym. Three years after selling the first one he gave away his second one to a friend as it was not getting used.

This is the issue. If they are not getting used or at the least, very rarely getting used, it soon becomes apparent that a mistake may have been made and a lot of money has been wasted. They just take up too much room to lay idle.

Like I said at the start, it is best to think long and hard about buying that multi-gym to make sure it is the right investment before wasting lots of money.

Know Your Budget

Building out a home gym can be expensive and may end up costing in the region of £2000. If you only have a limited budget, it may be best to go down the route of slightly used, second-hand gym equipment and building out the gym over time. By doing this, you can invest in the most important aspects of the gym like a multi-gym etc and then keep adding what you need as they become available in local advert listing like gumtree.

There are many ways a gym can be set up as some may be geared more towards fitness and others towards building strength. So it’s not for us at the sports shop to state what exactly you should buy. Only you know what your goals are.

We would recommend mixing it up with a variety of strength, cardio and flexibility training.

Strength Training Equiptment

Here is a list of equipment used for Strength Training- First we start with the Different types of weight benches. You will be needing one of these.

Weight bench – The weight bench is an integral part of any home gym. There are different types, with some better suited than other for home use.

The adjustable weight bench also called a training bench is a simple but very effective and versatile piece of equipment that can be used for a variety of different exercises. The standard adjustable bench comes with either a pin locking system or ladder locking system and offers three sitting positions – incline, flat or decline position. It can also be used as a sit-up bench and when in the decline position, can also be used for working on abs. The adjustable bench best suited for dumbbell routines.

The Flat Bench – This is the simplest type of bench on the list and as the name suggests, it’s a flat bench. It gives the user a solid and reliable platform for performing exercises. All the major muscle groups can be targeted, the Chest, Triceps, legs, back, and abs with the use of free weights.

Olympic Weight Bench – An Olympic weight bench is for the more advanced user, with most exercises being done using a barbell. These benches come with additional equipment also, such as weight plates, a squat rack, and barbell

If you are looking to practice heavy weight lifting, an Olympic weight bench may be what you need.

Folding Weight Bench – The folding weight bench is built for convenience and typically comes in the flat or adjustable bench format. The perfect solution if you have limited space.

Dumbells – Dumbbells are an essential part of the home gym as they allow the user to work on either side independently. So if one side of the body is stronger than the other, dumbbells can be used to correct the muscle imbalance and boost the weaker areas.

We recommend rubber coated dumbbells as they are less likely to be dropped by. The heaviest type of dumbbell is made of iron, sometimes reaching up to 200lbs. These are mainly used by hardcore bodybuilders.

A dumbbell rack is best for a gym as there are many different weights to choose between for different exercises and workouts. Dumbbell racks will usually step up in increments of 5lbs and 2.5lbs.

Kettlebells – These are similar to dumbells but can be held in different positions and have different uses. While they are not an essential piece of equipment, they’re still good to have around.

Barbell and Weights – Another essential is a Barbell and Weights. The bar is the barbell which then gets weight plates fitted on the ends.

The two most common types of the barbell are called standard and Olympic.

Barbell – The standard bar is 1inch in diameter. and the weight plate come with 1inch holes for the bar to slot through. A standard barbell is not for heavy lifting. These are for light to moderate use and have a max weight capacity of roughly 200lbs

Olympic bars are slightly longer at 7 foot long. these are for heavy weight lifting. These bars are also an inch bigger at 2inch in diameter.

Weight Plates – The weight plates may come with the bar or may need to be purchased separately. Make sure to double check the hole diameter, remember the Olympic bar is wider.

Treadmill – A treadmill can make a great addition to a gym. Not only do they help change up a workout and let you work on your fitness, but they also come with many different programs built in which let you set goals and track the progress being made over time. This can be beneficial for building up moral.

Gym Flooring –  When building a gym, the flooring is a factor that should not be overlooked. 

Depending on your needs, there are many different types/materials to choose from and each offering different benefits.

It is best to decide exactly what the gym will consist of before making your decision. If the room is built around fitness and consists of only a treadmill, a set of dumbbells and other light workout gear, then only laminate may be needed. But if you’re setting up to do weightlifting, then some sort of flooring or a platform with shock absorption may be needed to avoid damage to the floor.

Concrete can crack rather easily when hundreds of lbs are being dropped regularly.

These are some of the main things you will like to consider if you are looking to create a workout space at home.