For some people, the gym is a great place to head out and get their workout in. Maybe you enjoy the social aspect of the gym, or maybe your gym has childcare for your kids while you work out. No matter the reason, the gym can be a fantastic place to get your workout in, but for some, it just isn’t something that works which is where home gyms can come into play.
Personally, as someone who works their full-time job in a fitness facility, I prefer the home gym option. Although having access to a facility like the one where I work is a dream for most people, when you already spend 40 hours a week there, it’s not a space you always want to workout in too. For me, the gym is a place I like to go to get away from life for half an hour or an hour and just be able to lose myself and I find that training in the same space I work in, I’m not able to do that. There are also a ton of people that know you when you work in a facility like that so interruptions to your workout can happen (and I’m one of those people that prefers to get in and out quickly). Enter, home gym.
Keep in mind that I’ve spent a lot of years building my home gym. Building a gym at home depends on what kind of space you have access to, where your living, your financial resources, ect so it’s important to take those things into account when building your home gym.
I have a room that is dedicated to my gym, so I have more space to play with than some people may, but I am also always trying to save space as well because fitness equipment can take up a lot of space. First thing, I recommend if you are limited on space is invest in adjustable dumbbells or kettlebells. There’s lots of great ones on the market nowadays, but they typically all fit together and take up way less space than a full set of dumbbells or kettlebells might. My adjustable dumbbells were the first thing I bought for my gym years ago and they have held up well over the years and get used several times a week, every week. Bands can be another really great piece of equipment to add to your home gym that are relatively inexpensive and don’t take up much space. I have a selection of loop bands and longer bands that I’ve acquired over the years. I also reach for these quiet frequently as well. Bands may have to be replaced a bit more often so just note if your bands are starting to tear and be sure to replace them when they start to wear through.
For those of you who have a bit more room to play with, you can start adding things like a rack, barbell, plates, benches, ect. These are by no means something you have to have, but I love my rack and it opens the door to more exercise options. Again, these are a little more costly upfront, but I honestly use them so frequently and I don’t have to pay for a gym membership (ever) so for me it’s 100% worth it. The barbell and plates I got second-hand off marketplace for an insane deal from someone who was moving and had to get rid of stuff (they may have gotten use out of them but you couldn’t tell…they looked brand new). There is so much fitness equipment being sold second-hand now and a lot of it can be great, but watch pricing (check new stuff to get ideas on what’s too much). A lot of people who are selling fitness equipment typically buy it and don’t use it much (which is what leads them to sell it), so typically it isn’t super overused. I wouldn’t recommend buying bands second-hand, but pretty much anything else can be a great option if you can get it at a good price.
My rack came from Amazon and it’s nothing crazy special, but it does the job I need it to do. There are a couple of upgrades I will probably add to it over time, but it’s honestly perfect for a home gym. My bench is another Amazon find and if you’re limited on space you can get benches that fold up (this is what I have), and although I do like it, because it folds up it’s a bit less sturdy so keep that in mind (I also have found that I almost never fold it up, I just move it around so there’s that too, but it’s pretty light so it’s easy to move around).
I do have a few other pieces in my gym, but I would say these are the pieces of equipment I use consistently every week. It’s important when you’re building a home gym to buy things that you know you will use (although this may change over time as your preferences change so keep that in mind). You don’t have to buy the top-of-the-line equipment for home gyms (unless you can afford to or you really want it). The top-of-the-line stuff is designed to withstand a ton of use (because in fitness facilities that’s what happens). But if your home gym, the wear and tear on equipment will be pretty minimal and your equipment should last you for a while. Like I said, bands I find are the things that I have replaced in the past, but most pieces I’m still using from the original purchase.
What are your favouite pieces of equipment in the gym? Can you bring them into your home gym? Or do you replicate them in other ways? Drop yours in the comments!
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