So, basically no part of this pandemic has been fun. At all. Even working from home got old. But, if all this extra time at home has made you consider making a home gym, or even if you were thinking about it before the pandemic, this article is the perfect place to get started. I will go over the advantages of having a home gym, my top 5 picks for home gym essentials, why I think they’re the best bang for your buck, and how a home gym is gonna save you money. Let’s dive right in!
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Commercial Gym Frustrations
I have to be honest with y’all: I kind of dreaded going to the gym before the pandemic started. I didn’t mind the actual workout so much, it was just everything else. Giant meat heads (no disrespect if you are and/or are dating a meat head) hogged the squat rack for an hour. The dumbbells in the weight I needed were rarely available (seriously, those guys were huge–why were they always using the 25 lb dumbbells when I needed them?!). And then there was the general overcrowding that just drove me crazy.
Can you relate? For some people, the traffic itself is enough to make them second guess whether or not having abs is even worth it. That’s why investing in a home gym was the smartest decision my boyfriend and I could make. Our home gym has saved us both so much time and money. (Alright, fine. He built the home gym before I ever even met him. But I SWEAR I’ve pitched in to buy equipment since then.)
For my busy bees, here are my Top 5 Picks for Home Gym Essentials:
Total cost: Roughly $1,087 – $1,265
The advantages and disadvantages of a home gym
With a home gym, you bypass sooo many disadvantages of attending a gym and paying for a gym membership. Of course, there are some things you might miss.
Advantages of a home gym:
- There’s no wait to start your workout— To get started, just walk into the next room or into your garage!
- No wasting time or gas money in traffic
- No waiting on other people to finish using the equipment you want
- You have the freedom to take as long as you need. No more pressure from other gym people lurking and waiting for you to finish your set.
- No more feeling uncomfortable if you’re not yet a confident gym person (this was a HUGE selling point for me)
- You save money in the long run. You don’t have to pay the initiation fee, the annual fee, the monthly fee, or pay extra to bring a guest.
Disadvantages of a home gym:
- No group classes. You might miss the group workouts and that extra drive from being surrounded by people doing the same thing. Of course, you can watch online classes, but it might not hit quite the same as being in-person.
- No pool/sauna. If you use the pool and sauna at your gym a lot, that’s something you might miss. Tip: Check out your local high school and see if it has a public swimming pool. Also look to see if there’s a public swimming pool somewhere near you that you can use.
- Potentially more distractions. Your house has a lot more to do besides just working out. That might be a bit distracting.
Now, you might have some questions about starting a Home Gym. I’ve included some of those questions here and done my best to answer them.
How do I know if a home gym is for me?
Honestly, you might not know until you try. You know yourself best, and it really depends on your personality and fitness goals.
A home gym/ garage gym might not be for you if:
- The lively gym atmosphere, bright lights and loud TVs in a commercial gym help get you pumped up for your workout
- You thrive in the community being surrounded by gym people
- You’re really big into the cardio machines (treadmill, stair stepper, stationary bike, elliptical, etc.)
- The extra amenities such as the pool, sauna, sports areas like basketball or tennis court, are all part of your weekly routine
- You take a lot of exercise classes
- You have a hard time staying focused on your workout
A home gym/garage gym is probably a good fit for you if:
- You’re the type of person who just wants to get in, get your work done, and get out
- You want to save money in the long run
- You’re not about the frills and extra amenities, like a sauna, pool, group classes, etc.
- You work out well alone
- You’re happy getting your cardio in through other means, like jogging, hill sprints, running the bleachers at your local high school, doing HIIT (High intensity interval training), etc.
- Paying extra for amenities (the pool, sauna, etc.) you barely even use doesn’t appeal to you
- You don’t like waiting to use equipment
- You have limited time and don’t want to waste it driving to/from the gym
Those are only a few of the factors worth considering. Of course, there’s tons more to think about.
Start small if you’re unsure
One way to find out if a home gym is right for you is to start small and only buy the basic home gym essentials. And no, I’m definitely not suggesting you buy all 5 of my home gym picks listed in this post haha.
Start with a used squat rack, a barbell, and maybe some resistance bands. If you use them consistently, you can start gradually buying other equipment and fitness accessories as you need them. What you don’t want to do is buy a whole gyms’ worth of equipment, only to figure out you miss the gym atmosphere and want to restart your membership. Then, if you end up back at a commercial gym, you’ve still got some home gym essentials at your house for the days you don’t feel like driving or only have 30 minutes or so for a workout.
Can you rent home gym equipment?
Yes!
Here are some companies that offer both rental gym equipment, and some also offer home gym equipment on clearance.
Where to rent home gym equipment:
- Fitdel (cardio exercise equipment)
- AES Fitness
- Rebirth Fitness (rentals and clearance)
- FlexShopper
I’ll be upfront: I’m not big on machines. I pretty much stick to the basics of a squat rack and barbell, dumbbells, flat bed, trap bar (or hex bar), and maybe a sled. That said, I did use machines a lot more when I had a gym membership. They were there, so why not?
Now that I work out from a home gym, I don’t really miss the machines. If you’re a fitness machine person, these companies listed above are gonna be helpful for you. They offer free weights, but also fitness machines and equipment like stationary bikes, treadmills, and most other equipment you’d find in a gym.
What does a home gym cost vs. a commercial gym?
It really depends on the equipment you’re purchasing, if you’re buying new or used, and if you’re buying the highest quality versus so-so equipment.
According to a study by the Statistics Brain Research Center in 2018 (referenced in this article), the estimated average monthly cost of a commercial gym membership in the U.S. is $58, or $696 a year. That’s not including the signup fee, which is often $100 or more. Of course, each gym will be different.
According to this article, a home gym can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. Like anything, it depends on the items you’re buying, the quality, and where you buy them from.
The overall price for my picks for top home gym essentials (not including gym flooring or accessories) will be about $1,262.
Basically, you’ll come out even in just under 2 years with a home gym, in comparison to the average price of $696 per year (or $1,392 in 2 years) of a commercial gym membership.
And if you’re buying all this, I’m guessing you intend to keep up your fitness lifestyle for more than two years.
Plus, if you only go to a commercial gym, say 3-5 times a week, you’ll probably work out even more often if the gym is actually at your house. That advantage alone is a big reason why I personally love having a home gym so much.
But again, this is all relative. And I suggest just starting with a squat rack, a barbell, and maybe some free weights.
What about home gym flooring?
Of course, you’ll have to have some sort of special flooring to protect the area where you’ll be storing/using your heavy weights. Rubber, foam, turf and vinyl are popular options, but I personally suggest rubber because it’s so durable and won’t be easily destroyed.
Our “home gym” is actually in a garage unit separated from the house. My boyfriend put down large rubber mats to protect the floor, similar to these rubber mats here. For our exercise, we house a lot of heavy equipment in the garage unit, like a Bowflex machine, a boxing bag, a squat rack, a trap bar, and weights. So for our needs, rubber mats are a better choice because they’re more durable than foam tiles.
However, thick foam mats might do the trick depending on your situation. Foam mats might work fine if you’re setting up your home gym in a garage or somewhere you’re not trying to maintain the integrity of the actual flooring of your house. Of course, heavy equipment INSIDE your home, say on hardwood or vinyl floors, will probably require investing in rubber flooring.
Every house/situation is different, so you’ll have to figure out which type of flooring works best for your specific needs.
If your home gym is going to be located outside, these fake grass flooring mats from Amazon are a good option. They’re waterproof and suitable for both outdoor or indoor use.
What are the home gym essentials for a small apartment?
Living in a small apartment does NOT mean you have to forego your dreams of a home gym. You just might be a bit more limited in the equipment you can buy since you’ll be working with a smaller space. If you’re in a small apartment, this is what you want in your home gym equipment: Versatility and compact equipment.
If you’re creating a home gym in a small apartment, these are my suggestions for the top fitness equipment you’ll want to buy:
With these things, you’ve got a huge variety of different workouts you can do. If your apartment is small and doesn’t have the space for a squat rack, barbell, and disk weights, then that list is a great place to start.
The Top Home Gym Essentials Every Beginner Needs in Their Home Gym
Finally, here are my top choices for home gym equipment you need to start building your own personal, fitness sanctuary.
Home Gym Essentials #1: FID bench
The flatbed bench is so important for an at-home gym because it is so versatile. To get the most out of your bench, I highly suggest a Flat-Incline-Decline bench (FID Bench). You can use it for dozens of workouts and exercises. Looking back at my gym membership days, the flatbed bench was the #1 thing I’d have to wait on to have access to at the gym because people were constantly using it.
Adjustable flatbed benches can be used for:
- Tricep dips
- Bench press
- Incline/decline bench press
- Hip thrusts
- Bench-supported rows
- Rear foot elevated split squats
- Bench squats
- Batwing rows
- Shoulder press
- Bicep curls
- Dumbbell pullovers
- And literally sooo much more!
If you’re working with limited space, this best seller from Amazon, the FLYBIRD Weight Bench is a great option. It folds up small enough to be stored under your bed, and is designed to be high quality and very durable.
Another good option for a cheaper price is the Fitness Reality Super Max Weight Bench.
For other movement options, this Finer Form Multipurpose bench is a good choice. It allows for other exercises like hyper extension and sit ups. Note: While this bench does decline, it does NOT incline. That might be a deal breaker for some of you. For myself personally, I need a bench that does flat, incline, and decline.
Advantage of a bench for people with bad knees:
Personally, I love the flatbed bench for doing my box squats. I’ve got bad knees from years of poor form during squats, and my knees seem to naturally cave inwards, which really hurt them because I put weight on my knees rather than in my legs or glutes.
I stopped doing squats almost completely for about a year because they hurt my knees, even when I was doing them with good form. The flatbed bench helped me get back into squats. I just lay a flat weight 25 pound disk on the bench for some added height, and then only squat to the bench.
But of course, a flatbed bench is mostly just the tool to help you use the rest of the equipment in this post to their fullest.
Adjustable Dumbbells
Adjustable dumbbells are essential if you want the right equipment to actually put on muscle, not just tone up or lose weight at your home gym. I emphasize “adjustable” because when you’re working out at home, you want to save space AND you don’t want to have to keep buying new, heavier weights as you get stronger.
Powerblock dumbbells are the only ones I’ll ever use again. I’ve used other adjustable dumbbells once or twice before, and while they were fine and admittedly a good deal cheaper, I find the PowerBlock dumbbells to be higher quality and MUCH easier to adjust. You just pull the pin out and insert it into whichever weight you want.
Super easy and simple.
PowerBlock dumbbells are also more solid… sometimes the plates in other brands’ dumbbells shift and move around a bit, in my experience.
The PowerBlock dumbbells were a big purchase for us, but they have paid for themselves over and over again. Dumbbells are, of course, used for a huge range of exercises, many of which I already listed above in the flatbed section. I also use them as kettlebells.
Powerblock Dumbbells are stackable, which means they’re also space saving. You’re not going to be stuck with a set of 5 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb, 20 lb, 25 lb, etc. dumbbells lying around your house. You’re going to only be dealing with a single set of dumbbells that you can adjust to whatever weight you need. So you’re saving yourself a ton of space and, as a result, potentially saving yourself a broken toe or two.
Another advantage is their box-like shape, so there’s no threat of them rolling around on the floor and accidentally running over your toes.
This is the exact set we bought.
This set has weight from 5-55 pounds, which increases in increments of 5. You’ll also have the option to buy extra weights to add on that’ll get you up to 70 pounds or 90 pounds, if that’s what you need.
If you only need weight up to 24 pounds and want the PowerBlocks design, here is another good, much more affordable option. This PowerBlock set weighs 3-24 pounds, and increases in increments of 3 pounds.
While PowerBlocks are the brand I personally use, love, and swear by, Blowflex also offers adjustable weights. Check out one of their options here.
Olympic barbell
An Olympic barbell like this one can be used for lunges, squats, roman deadlifts, hip thrusts, good mornings, bench press, and many other movements.
A couple things to note here: If putting heavy weight on a barbell for your squats hurts your shoulders, you can buy a barbell cushion, which takes the stress off your shoulders during movements like squats, and protects your hips from bruising during hip thrusts. This will probably be our next purchase. For right now, I just lay a leg brace on the back of my neck to provide some cushion.
Another thing to note is that you’re going to want to make sure you get a high quality barbell, that way the barbell doesn’t end up bending if you put too much weight on it.
Squat rack
The squat rack is the barbell’s best friend. I had to include this in my home gym essentials because this is pretty key to doing heavy squats, which is one of the most effective lower body workouts you can do. The squat rack is also used for benching, over press and good mornings.
This particular squat rack is an Amazon bestseller. If you buy the Power Cage by itself, it will still have the pull-up bar attached. It also offers optional add-ons, such as the lat pulldown/rowing attachment, or a bench.
Resistance Bands
I loooove resistance bands and use them for so many things. When I first started using them, I was super focused on growing my glutes and thighs. So I used the resistance bands for donkey kicks, fire hydrants, glute bridges, hip thrusts, and squat variations. Then, I started using a different variety to do band pull aparts, good mornings, and bicep curls.
I also use them during my barbell squats to remind me to keep my knees above my ankles and not let them cave inward, as my knees tend to do.
You can buy a whole pack of different resistance strengths for a super affordable price. They can be used for so many different exercises, and are travel friendly. I usually bring a resistance band or two to knock out a workout when I visit my parents’ home because there’s no fitness equipment there.
For bands you can use for a full workout, this pack of 4 is a good option.
If you want bands that mostly focus on your legs/glutes, I prefer these fabric, anti-slip bands because they won’t slip down/up your legs easily, like the rubber resistance bands do.
Recap: Why a Home Gym/ Garage Gym is a more budget-friendly investment than a gym membership
If you plan to keep up your fitness lifestyle WITHOUT a home gym, you’re probably either going to pay for a gym membership for years, or work out at your house and stick to body weight workouts and cardio. Both of those are totally viable options! But if you want to grow stronger, build muscle, and you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars every single year to do that, then you’re going to want to invest in your home gym.
To recap:
- The average price of a yearly gym membership is $696 a year. If you’re going to the gym every single day of the week, then it might be worth it to you. But if you’re like most people, you’re going maybe 3-5 times a week, if it’s not holiday season or mid-terms or dealing with some other hectic time that comes with being alive.
- The price of my top 5 home gym essentials picks in this post is roughly $1,087 – $1,265. So basically, after about 2 years, this equipment will pay for itself, and will save your tons of money from then on out.
- The home gym equipment is available for your use and convenience 24/7, as opposed to a commercial gym where you get to use the equipment during the allotted hours
- You’re more likely to reach your fitness goals if you have your own personal gym at your fingertips — NO EXCUSES!
- You save yourself both time and money in the long run by starting a home gym
- My top 5 home gym picks are:
Next steps
That’s all for this post, friends! I hope you found this post of my 5 top home gym essentials to be helpful and you came away with some good ideas for what you want for your home gym. What are YOUR must-haves for a home gym? Let me know in the comments below!
If you liked this post, please share it! Still got workouts on your mind? My other fitness posts might help you!
- The Best 7 Things to do Before Your Workout
- 12 Simple Ways to Stay Fit During the Quarantine
- Gift Ideas for the Fitness Obsessed Friend
Til next time, lovelies,
<3 Sav
