Setting Up A Dream Home Gym: What Do You Need?

Hitting a gym has been one of the top New Year’s resolutions anyone makes. Yet the cold, hard fact is that 43% of people typically give up on their goals by February. Aside from the lack of motivation and planning, the inability to establish and maintain a new habit of working out contributes to this sad statistic.

Indeed, setting up a new habit of going to the gym requires diligence, consistency, and patience, which, at the end of the day, not everyone has. Setting up a home gym could be the way to go.

However, thinking about your very own home gym gives off a vibe of through-the-moon expenses and space requirements. Is it really so, though? Let’s go through the core steps of setting up a home gym and any possible home improvements you might need to make.

Choose the right space

First, think about the goals you’d like to achieve with your workouts. This is a strategic move to decide on which equipment to invest in. Would you like to do more cardio or strength training? Or maybe you’d like to have a dedicated yoga corner? This determines which workout tools you need and, of course, how much space you will need.

Once you’re sure about your fitness goals, think about the available space for your plan. Measure the area you have. Is it a spare room, a basement, a garage, or a corner in your bedroom? This all affects how much equipment you will need and can afford space-wise.

Make sure you’re able to set up the ideal temperature range in that area. Usually, it’s recommended to work out within the range of 18-20℃. While it’s not an optimal temperature for comfortable living, you might find it hard to switch to a higher temperature, especially in colder months. Therefore, it’s important to layer your clothing properly and adjust your smart thermostat accordingly. The best boilers in the UK come with multi-zone control features, which allow you to maintain different temperatures at different locations in your home.

Also, take care of the flooring at your home gym. Make sure your carpet doesn’t slide as you work out, and consider covering the whole floor area for consistency and safety. Alternatively, use horse stall mats for cost-effective flooring.

Start with essential equipment

Adjustable dumbbells, a bench, resistance bands, and mountable pull-up bars are all space-saving options that can also provide multiple exercise ideas.

• Adjustable dumbbells typically come within a weight range from 5 to 50+ pounds per dumbbell. This is an extremely cost-effective option in the long run, as it can replace up to 15 standard dumbbells.
• With an adjustable bench, you can go for versatile exercises like chest presses, rows, and step-ups. It’s recommended that you look for options that offer incline, flat, and decline positions. For even easier storage, look for foldable models, yet watch out so that the weight capacity matches your strength and goals. You can also use it as a footrest while watching TV! 🙂
• Resistance bands are a highly versatile and portable substitute for traditional gym weightlifting equipment. They can be used for strength training, flexibility, and HIIT workouts. They come in various resistance bands and can be easily combined with other exercises or equipment to target multiple groups at the same time.
• Kettlebells are best for both strength and cardio workouts. They are also adjustable and can be used for exercises like swings, goblet squats, and Turkish get-ups.
• The foam roller is handy for post-workout relaxation or mobility work. It works just fine for improving flexibility and sore muscles. It can’t replace a gym massage chair with a million bells and whistles, but it is definitely compact and easy to store.

Apart from that, a yoga mat is an essential piece of equipment that is irreplaceable for stretching and bodyweight exercises. As you set up your workout routine, you can go further and invest in a foldable treadmill or bike for some extra cardio. However, searching through YouTube can give you tons of equipment-(and cost-) free cardio workouts that will make you sweat. The sky is the limit.

Create a workout plan

Thinking you can’t work out from home effectively is a myth. In fact, it can be quite the opposite: as you see your equipment every time you pass by, you will be reminded those dumbbells are there for a reason. Feeling unmotivated? – Switch on a guided YouTube workout with a coach praising you for just showing up. Craving a group workout? There are thousands of online fitness classes where you can sweat and connect with other fitness enthusiasts right from your home.

On top of that, there are no annoying gym visitors who just occupy the equipment you need to scroll through their TikTok feed.

Next, base your plan on the equipment you ended up buying. Apart from that, there are no drastic differences between exercising at the actual gym and at home. The core principles are quite the same:

1. Warm-up: Arm circles, jumping jacks, bodyweight squats, push-ups.
2. Main workout: based on your goals and equipment. Start small and eventually build up to a combination of around 3 sets of 5 exercises, with 10-12 reps each.
3. Cool down: walking in place or on a treadmill for 3-5 minutes and some static stretches for main muscle groups.

And remember: any habit is just a matter of consistency and diligence. A home gym is a wonderful opportunity to develop a fitness routine and prioritise your well-being while saving on gym membership and achieving your goals.