The modern day question of how to kit out your home gym balancing your priorities, space, and budget to have the right space and the right equipment. We have distilled the ingredients needed to make a best home gym and what you need to consider when creating your own home gym.
Having the right space for a home gym
Often not thought about in this way. You may live by yourself and that means this isn’t relevant to you but if you live with anyone else, as with everything, compromise may be needed or some useful persuasion skills to devote a room in your home to a home gym. We don’t know enough to give you some key negotiation skills for this, but let’s assume you’ve convinced your other half that a home gym is better than joining a gym and they are all on board.
Using a garage for a home gym
Good places, as we’ve all seen YouTube videos on this - worth checking out the home gym in a review of the Unitree PUMP, garages are a good place to start. Clearing out the unnecessary junk you’ve been piling up for the last few decades and turning it into a productive space. You’ll ideally want electricity for speakers and equipment, although you may be able to get away with it. For example, you can have the Unitree PUMP work on its battery for 2 - 3 sessions, then recharge it inside ready for your next workout.
Garages do get colder which can be no bad thing when working out. Side note, you actually burn more calories when you’re cold than hot because your body is trying to make itself warmer. Think of when you hear about arctic exhibitions and their army ration packs piling on the calories. Often garages are separate from houses which is good for keeping the noise of crashing weights, grunts (if you’re someone that needs to lift weights or training for tennis), and for your favourite playlist when working out.
You often have a good amount of space in a garage for enough equipment for a home gym, which we’ll come on to later. Anything larger than the floorspace of a SUV is, for most people, enough space to kit out your home gym.
Using a spare room for a home gym
That spare room that’s not quite big enough for a double bed, not quite right for a study, and ends up being a piling up zone. We’ve all seen one and some of us may have one. Turning a spare room into a home gym can be a great way to make the space more productive. Comparing it to our garage there are a few downsides. You’ll most likely cause more noise in the house so bring your earphones and will likely have less space.
If your spare room is above the ground floor then be very careful about any free weights. Dropping these can be damaging to your home and may end up being dangerous as well as an expensive bill. This is why garages and basements are often used as they are built on stronger foundations essentially. Of course, you may not be the type needing lots of free weights for your perfect home gym, in which case, using a spare room upstairs may be better for you. Equipment such as bike machines, fit balls, resistance bands, the Unitree PUMP, and cross trainers, are all great options here, allowing you to do cardio and strength training without the need of extra support under foot.
Making a home gym outside
This is not for the faint hearted. Sure it looks great in the summer sunshine but come winter you’ll be wearing 4 layers and it will make you working out to improve your strength even harder. Your equipment will also not last as long as they are exposed to the elements so you’ll get rust early and damage. We are in the UK after all and it rains a lot so really not an optimal place. Even if your outside area is covered it’s harder to keep your gym clean and makes your working out time less enjoyable.
Now we do get the odd sunny day in the UK so mixing up your workout to do it outside can be a great way to try something different and new exercises in a new environment. Whether that’s in a park or in your garden, you can workout outside with the right equipment. You’ll want lighter, more portable gym equipment such as resistance bands and the Unitree PUMP.
Working out at home without gym space
Having no space dedicated to a gym at home means you need smaller equipment that does the job properly and that can be neatly tidied away. We’ve all seen those apartments with a watt bike that takes up a whole room and makes the space less livable. Full sets of dumbbells are out of the question here and same with large cardio machines. You do have to manage your expectations with limited home gym space in these scenarios as you won’t be able to do large compound lifts. Having a variety of smaller equipment that can anchor to doors is a good way of finding resistance. You can read our article on how to set up your Unitree PUMP in smaller places so you can workout from your flat or apartment.
The cost of a home gym
The cost of a home gym can vary massively depending on the equipment you need and the brands you buy it from. When considering your home gym budget you should make a loose comparison to the cost of joining a commercial gym. The average gym membership price in the UK is £47.24 per month (£566.88 per year). Comparing a home gym to a commercial gym on a yearly basis will get you some decent equipment over the cost of a year. You need to consider the life of your home gym equipment and the value it holds. For example, free weights hold their value for a long period (provided you treat them well) so view it as more of an investment than a cost.
To get a bit businessy here, the way an accountant would look at this cost problem would be to analyse it as per below:
Cost of gym equipment / years of use = cost of gym equipment per year
Let’s say you purchase a squat rack, free weights, bar, dumbbell bars, bench, Unitree PUMP, and a mat. This gives you enough to train all your major muscle groups in many different ways and provides almost the same amount of exercises as a commercial gym. You essentially have a function squat rack with weights and a cable machine. This cost will roughly be around £1,500 for a fully kitted out gym.
Now let’s say you keep your home gym equipment for 2 years but move places so now need to resell it. We need to add depreciation and resale costs into this equation, which looks like:
Cost of gym equipment - (depreciation per year x number of years) = resale value
Home gym equipment holds its value well so let’s assume you look after it as expected and its value reduces by 10% per year.
10% x 2 = 0.2 = 20%
£1,500 - 20% = £1,200
So over 2 years, your cost of your home gym was actually £300. You bought it all for £1,500 and sold it for £1,200 two years later. That’s a monthly cost of £12.50 - making a home gym much cheaper than a gym membership!
Taking the average gym membership vs the cost of a home gym over a 2 year period, you can save £35.24 per month using the above example. Each person is different but a budget of £1,500 for a home gym will get you a good amount of equipment meaning you won’t be itching to go back to the gym and saves you money.
Not to mention the fact it’s always there so your commute to the gym doesn’t exist and you don’t need to wait for people to finish on the squat rack before using it.
Best home gym equipment
Do you research and talk to your gym pals and personal trainers. There is a lot of equipment out there and you need to find what works for you. If you’re new to training and want to start from home, understand your goals and what equipment will work best for that. For example, if you’re looking to improve your cardio you can go for a run outside so a treadmill may not be needed but you may want a rowing machine instead (unless you’re one of the very few who is part of a rowing club!). Or if you’re looking to build strength in your joints and muscles, lightweight high-rep exercises can be good for this so equipment that matches that will be perfect.
For lots of people, they are trying to replicate commercial gyms in their home. In that case, a dedicated area is usually needed and you should look at what you equipment you use at the gym and if this fits into your space and your budget. Also looking for alternatives to your gym equipment can be worthwhile. We often compare the Unitree PUMP to a cable machine as it has the same resistance curve, whilst being much smaller and portable (so you can take it on holiday) - you can read more about us comparing it to cable machines and other similar products here.
How to start a home gym
- Find the right space in your home or have equipment that does the job and you can put away
- Understand your budget and compare it to alternatives, being aware of the value it holds if you need to resell it
- Think about what you need for your exercise goals and create your home gym from that
Not every home gym will be the same and it shouldn’t. It’s a chance to make something that is truly unique to exactly what you need to reach your fitness goals. Often a good way to look at this is to have a planned budget in mind but start with one or two pieces of equipment then build over a couple of months so you slowly understand the exact equipment you need and get the best out of your money.
If you are starting small and want equipment that can create resistance in a variety of ways and train all major muscle groups, the Unitree PUMP is a great first purchase for any home gym.