Setting up a Home Gym
COVID-19 has closed all the gyms, and we’re not sure when they’re going to open again.
Many of us are eager to get back to our usual workout spaces once the lockdown is lifted but maybe it’s been different for you.
Maybe you’ve enjoyed exercising at home and you’re now thinking of setting up a home gym.
You can buy home gym equipment including dumbbell and barbells sets, pull-up racks and weight plates from GymHugz but you might have a few questions before you start kitting out your new at-home gym.
Are Home Gyms Worth It?
There’s no universal answer here.
Home gyms work for some and not for others.
You should be honest with yourself about whether you’re going to use it once you’ve bought all the equipment. If you’re not sure, then start small and see how you go.
The Pros
Home gyms do come with some big advantages.
- Imagine having your own equipment just a few meters away from where you’re sitting. Think about not having to get into the car and driving to the gym.
- There won’t be any membership fees coming out of your bank account each month, either.
- Home gyms are easier to fit into your lifestyle, too, and are especially useful if you have children as you can arrange your workouts around their routines.
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Setting up a home gym means that you’re in the control of the cleaning.
Gyms can be pretty dirty places.
COVID-19 has made us all more aware of the importance of clean surfaces and hygiene and sharing equipment will always come at the risk of a bacterial or viral transmission.
And anyway, sitting in someone else’s sweat is definitely worse than sitting in your own.
- You won’t feel vulnerable or self-conscious in your own gym. The atmosphere of a shared workout space can sometimes be intimidating or toxic. You may feel more comfortable in your own set-up.
The Cons
Home gyms don’t work for everyone though.
- Gyms are a community. People go there to workout and to feel a part of something. You won’t get that same atmosphere in a home gym.
- And sometimes it’s good to get out of the house. Going somewhere to exercise can help put us in the right frame of mind to workout.
- You also have to buy, maintain and clean your own equipment.
- If you stop using it, then you’re stuck with equipment that takes up space and may have cost a lot of money.
Home Workout Essentials
Essential is a relative term. What’s essential to your home gym will depend on your priorities and training.
It’ll also depend on your budget but could include:
- Training bench
- Dumbbells
- Barbells
- Kettlebell
- Pull up bar
- Treadmill
- Static bike
- Rowing machine
You could also add a punching bag, a weight rack, and a cross-trainer.
Think about your training goals as well as well as what you’d normally use in the gym. The aim isn’t just to replicate what you’re used to seeing but building a set-up that reflects your needs and goals.
Building a Home Gym with Limited Space
Not everyone has enough space for a big home gym set-up.
You should think about your priorities before you start filling up the room you’ve allocated. For example, don’t go for a big treadmill if you’re more interested in strength training. Think about keeping some floor space available for core and strengthening exercises that won’t require any equipment.
- Look for equipment that can fold down easily. Treadmills and bikes can often be reduced in size for easier storage.
- Dumbbells don’t take up much space at all. You don’t even need a specific spot for them. You can put them in a cupboard or behind a chair.
- It’s the same for kettlebells, too.
- Resistance bands and door anchors make for very effective strength training tools.
- Yoga and exercise mats encourage you to use body weight and are ideal if you’re short on space or tight on a budget.
- Mounting a smart TV on the wall also gives you access to thousands of hours of workouts on YouTube and across the internet.
GymHugz has a home workout bundle for people with limited space and includes resistance bands and anchors, an ab roller, and skipping rope.
How Much is a Home Gym?
They can cost as much or as little as you’re willing to spend. For a serious set up, you’ll probably have to consider flooring, too, which will protect the surface you’re working out on as well as helping to protect the equipment.
If you’re including benching and flooring, then a basic set-up could cost between £1000 - £2000.
Your vision of a home gym might be cheaper. For some people, it’s a set of dumbbells, a yoga mat, a static bike and little else.
You can always start small and build up your equipment up. Nobody says you have to have a fully kitted out gym right off the bat.
GymHugz sell a UK made 20KG Barbell set including weights, bar and 2 clips.
That’s an affordable way to start your collection.
Both have free delivery if you live within 30 miles of Birmingham.
You can buy a skipping rope for less than £20. You can add an ab-roller to your shopping basket for less than £15 and a set of resistance bands for less than £23.
Setting up a home gym could be the start of a new way of exercise and you could even off-set the cost of the equipment by taking into consideration the money you’ll save on membership fees.
You can even do both: keep your membership and build your own home gym and have the best of both worlds.
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