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Over the last few years, home gyms have become all the rage over the last few years, even now that we’re clear of the high-interest pandemic. The question lingers, though, whether a home gym is still worth creating, and we’re here to tell you that it is.
If you're considering creating a private fitness space, whether you're into strength training, functional fitness, cardio, or something else, we've got some tips to help you create an exciting, premium home gym.
Creating Your Perfect Home Gym
Whilst we understand it is exciting to be creating the perfect home training paradise, make sure you take the time to buy with consideration. Critically assess current training needs and buy equipment that caters to that regime. Ensure that the equipment you pick is versatile enough to enable you to complete a wide range of workouts.
Take the time to properly plan the space, considering how much equipment can fit into it. We’ll get into the extra considerations near the end of this post, but make sure not to clutter the space. This is why we recommend speaking with an expert if you feel unsure about any aspect, as the last thing you want after investing all that money is a faulty fitness suite that you can’t train in.
Things to Consider Before Building a Home Gym
Before deciding which equipment to add to your gym, consider several things when bringing the home gym vision to life. Selecting equipment without considering noise suppression, power requirements, or ventilation needs is a recipe for disaster. So, what things should you consider?
Noise Levels
If your gym is in a basement, this probably won't be too much of an issue, but if you plan on creating your fitness space anywhere else in your house, you should think about noise levels.
In many homes, walls let through more sound than you might think, so dropping barbells, dumbbells or even the drone of a running treadmill can become a nuisance to neighbours or other family members.
A lot of this excess noise can be diluted by installing high-impact flooring tiles, but as this type of solution comes at a higher price point, it is something to keep in mind during the initial planning stages.
Structural Integrity
If you plan on mounting equipment to your walls, ensure they are strong enough to support it. Many racks, brackets, and storage units recommend being secured to a vertical surface, so check your room before making purchases can save you the hassle of returning something you realise you can't properly install. The last thing you want is equipment to fly off the wall while using it!
Ceiling Height
Make sure there is plenty of headroom for training. Most equipment items will need a reasonable clearance to fit into a home space, but certain equipment will need extra room. Treadmills, for example, can significantly elevate you off the floor, especially when running on an incline. Consider a ceiling with a height of at least 8 feet to give you enough room.
If you want to install a power or half rack, ensure you have the headroom to perform overhead lifts. While the fitness suite may be tall enough to install the rack, think about if there is enough space to allow your head to not bump off the ceiling when doing pull-ups?
Access for Installation
Many pieces of equipment are packed flat, but some still come in large boxes or crates, making bringing them inside the house tricky. Make sure you measure your doorways and compare them against the packaging dimensions before placing your order, or speak to the supplier about their installation process and price (to save you the hassle).
Power Requirements
It may seem obvious, but if you want to bring in cardio equipment, check whether it requires external power. If it does, make sure the position of your power outlet is close enough to the location you want your machine to be in to avoid long cables spanning your beautiful new home gym.
If you want to bring in multiple pieces of powered cardio equipment, always ensure you have a dedicated power point for each. Never use extension cords as a powerpoint for your cardio machine.
Fitness Equipment Storage
This mostly applies to people looking to create a strength training or functional home gym. This type of training results in owning many smaller accessories, so consider your storage arrangements. Many suppliers offer shelves, plate trees, and wall-mounted storage solutions, which can be a great space saver.
Ventilation and Insulation
Having a well-ventilated and insulated space won't just make your workouts more pleasant - it will increase the lifespan of your equipment. Weightlifting bars, in particular, can suffer premature rust if kept in a damp or cold environment and will, therefore, noticeably depreciate in performance.
Flooring tiles and rolls may expand and contract with heat fluctuations, meaning a perfectly laid floor may form gaps in the winter if the temperature within the space is not controlled to some degree. This also extends to weights and racks as, without proper ventilation, moisture and condensation can build up, leaving a new gym damp and wet, which no one wants.
Keeping your options open
At some point in the future, you might want to rearrange your home gym or take it with you if you move house. We recommend loose-laying your floor tiles (check out our CAP System floor joining plates to get a secure fit without bonding) to give you the flexibility of moving it all around without damaging the flooring when it's lifted.
3D Home Gym Design
Before we discuss what equipment to choose, we want to discuss designing the space. This is an important part of the home gym design process. Creating the perfect home gym doesn’t need to be a struggle, and we advise contacting a professional to help with each stage of the process.
Let’s talk About Training
Every gym is different, and home gyms, especially each, require a unique touch. When deciding what areas to include, we tend to see four distinct gym equipment categories that home gym owners should focus on.
These are strength, free weights, cardio, and functional training equipment. Additional accessories can be included as well. We’ll start with Strength first, as equipment from this section will form the base of the rest of your gym. Everything else will fit around this.
Home Gym Equipment Options
Strength Equipment
A key difference for home gyms is that space is even more valuable than commercial sites. This is why the option for folding designs and wall-mounted equipment can prove invaluable, as it frees up floor space for other equipment. But what equipment should be chosen exactly?
When setting up a home gym, a high-quality rack is essential. If space is limited, consider a Folding Wall Mounted Rack or a Multi Gym, as folding designs will help save floor space. For more guidance, check out our Power Rack Buying Guide for all the details you need to consider.
Consider enhancing your rack with additional attachments like J-Hooks, a Landmine Attachment, and Spotter Arms. If you have multiple weights, additional storage pegs are useful and consider adding a multi-adjustable weight bench which can greatly increase the versatility of your home gym.
Free Weights
To start your home gym, you'll need dumbbells, kettlebells, weight plates, and Olympic barbells. We recommend adjustable dumbbells for their space-saving benefits and overall value, despite the higher initial cost.
Depending on the lifting you do most frequently, splashing out on a super-expensive barbell may not be necessary. If you’re performing basic lifts and not trying to smash PB, go for a more basic 20kg barbell, but if you want to invest, then a competition-spec model is recommended.
We recommend purchasing at least three cast iron kettlebells in incrementally heavier sizes: 8 kg, 16 kg, and 24 kg. Additionally, select a durable set of bumper plates that will stand the test of time. If you need further assistance in choosing any of these items, we offer buying guides for kettlebells, dumbbells, weight plates, and barbells.
Home Gym Flooring
We highly recommend fitting high-impact flooring tiles in a home gym. Not only will this reduce the chance of noise complaints, but it will also increase the lifespan of your products.
The best choice for home gym flooring is the 40mm high-impact tile, which will take a drop from overhead without any problem and protect your subflooring from damage, meaning no costly repairs if you decide to move house.
Cardio Focus Home Gym
Many people wanting to create a home gym will do so to introduce a more regular dose of physical movement to their daily routine. While we’re seeing a movement towards strength training, many home gym owners want to include cardio machines in their space, like Air Bikes, Rowing Machines, and Ski Ergs.
While treadmills are popular (available at various price points and spec levels), rowers and indoor cycles make a great alternative. Their footprints are smaller and lighter; generally, they run more quietly. If you are after a treadmill, the Origin Alpha would be a great starter tread, with its folding capacity being well suited to home gyms.
Gym Accessories
Adding functional accessories like sandbags, medicine balls, and battle ropes will improve your strength and cardiovascular performance while adding variety to your workouts. Remember to anchor your battle ropes against something very robust or attach a hook to your wall.
We advise including stretching or recovery items such as a floor mat, power bands, and a foam roller. Any accessories mentioned above will work great in a functional training space. Other amazing options include multi-sided plyo boxes, power bands, and slam balls.
How Much Does a Home Gym Cost?
Creating the perfect home gym can be as low-cost or expensive as you need it to be. Equipment can be added over time to reduce the initial investment, but we would estimate the total cost for a high-quality home gym would be between £5,000 and £10,000. This involves most equipment being purchased, the installation cost, and additional work to create the space if starting from scratch.
Conclusion
Creating a home gym is the perfect way to create an ideal workout environment, which can be much more than an old treadmill in the spare bedroom. We hope these guidelines and your creativity and enthusiasm will help you create a unique and motivational space to help achieve your goals.
If you have any queries regarding the products mentioned in this article, our experts are always on hand to answer them. Contact our team today at [email protected] or call us on 0333 2000 750. If you're still not sure which equipment to choose for your home gym, read some of our other buying guides.
