This article will teach you all about how to build a home gym . Advantages and disadvantages, what gym equipment do you need and how much will it cost you to build your home gym , from that moment on you will start doing your exercises and workouts at home .
Benefits of having a gym at home
Some people set up a mini home gym because they are intimidated by the bigger guys in commercial gyms or because they don’t want to see other people training poorly.
- Time-efficiency: When creating a home gym you won’t have to wait to use the squat rack or bench press. No longer will you have to walk or drive to your commercial gym several times a week. If you have a very hard work schedule, you know that when you get home you will have everything you need to train.
- Expenses: No more gym membership fee. You will be able to recover the investment within 2-3 years. Gym equipment does not lose value, so if you ever stop using it you can always sell it on eBay or secondhand.com
- Freedom: Some gyms often do not have squat cages or prohibit deadlifts and the use of chalk. You can do all this by creating your home gym .
Disadvantages of having a gym at home
Unless you invite friends, you will only train your exercises at home .
- Self-discipline: You don’t have anyone to motivate you during heavy sets or to drag yourself to the gym when you don’t feel like training.
- Without Help: No one will be able to help you during a heavy squat or a bench press. No one to hold your weight on the bench press.
- You need space: The ultimatum for most people. You need enough space for a squat rack, bench, barbell, weights, and dumbbells.
Space to build the gym
Most people build their gym at home , in the basement or in the garage. This is the amount of space you need:
- Width x Depth: 108 square feet (10 m²). Space for the power cage and for a bench.
- Height: High enough to fit the cage. About 2-3 meters tall so you can do a standing shoulder press.
- The floor of your gym: The point is to protect your floor and reduce the noise of the bar against the floor during exercises such as the dead weight. Wood: 2-3 layers of plywood. Optional heavy mat on top. Make sure the mat is hard (not compressible) and doesn’t loosen around it.
Power Cage
Power cages make it easy for the bar to be in the starting position for squats and bench presses. Its handles or adjustments increase security. And they usually come with a bar for pull-ups.
- Height: The cage should allow you to shoulder press within it. Otherwise, you will have to do it sitting down.
- Strength: Your cage must withstand a weight of up to 1000lbs / 450kg for your safety.
- Safety handles: The advanced cages have side pins that can be set at multiple heights. These shear bolts capture the bar if you miss a lift. This is the most ideal if you are a lover of squats and do not want to injure yourself.
You won’t be able to lift heavy weights safely without a power rack (cage). The home gym needs one of these if you are serious about weight lifting. Amazon.com and eBay are good options when it comes to buying a power cage. Prices are around 400-600 euros.
Bars
Quality bars are safer and feel better. Don’t be greedy when buying the bars. Here’s what to look for when choosing a bar for your home gym:
- Strength: For squat and deadlift bars that never bend, handle up to 1000lbs / 450kg, 45lbs / 20kg weight, 2m20 length, etc.
- Swivel sleeves: Fixed bars are harder to grip, which means less weight. And these make the Olympic lift impossible. Get rotating sleeves.
- Handles: Bars usually come with plate handles. This is very important, you don’t want a plate to come off and injure yourself from a fall, much less from the squat.
On Amazon and other web pages they are around 30-500 euros in price. Remember that there are elite bars for professionals that can cost almost 800 euros , always do some research on what you really want to obtain. It all depends on the quality of the bar and the brand.
Platos
Buy the plates with 50mm holes to fit your bars.
- Weight: Get 4 plates of 5/10 / 15kilos and 6 of 20 kilos. For a total of 240kg not including the bar. Iron: Generally cheaper than rubber coating. Consider the Olympic plates if you have more money to spend.
The prices for the dishes are around 10-90 euros, being those of 90 euros those of 20 kilos.
Bank
Finally you will need a bench to be able to perform chest, triceps and biceps exercises … The bench will cost us about 100-200 euros.
Total price:
Low budget: 800 euros.
Average budget: 1200-1400 euros.
High budget: 2000-3000 euros.