Almost everyone complains about a lack of time to train. The gym is too far away, or it simply takes too much time to visit a gym. However, this should not be an obstacle to training regularly. If you have a spare room, a garage, or a basement, there is a good solution and you can set up your own gym: the home gym!
Advantages of Having Your Own Home Gym
- You can train whenever you want, 365 days a year
- You never have to wait for someone using a machine you wanted to use
- The choice of music is entirely up to you!
- You can dress however you want, even naked if that’s your favorite way
- Very important: no membership fees!
Disadvantages of Having Your Own Home Gym
Of course, there are also a few disadvantages:
- Less equipment to train on
- Often no training partner
- You need to motivate yourself to train!
The Space
It’s important to use a space where you can leave your equipment without bothering anyone! Nothing is as demotivating as having to get your gear out every time before you can start training, and after your workout, you really don’t want to have to tidy everything up again.
The space for your own home gym is preferably a room with a concrete floor. A concrete floor has no problems with the weights you put in the room, and it doesn’t reverberate as much if you drop a weight. A basement is therefore the most ideal. If there is also a sink in the room, you are completely settled!
To protect the floor and your equipment, you can lay down carpeting, but rubber mats are ideal and the easiest to keep clean.
A very easy solution to be able to drop your weights without problems is those rubber doormats with holes. You can buy them at the hardware store for ridiculously low prices, and they absorb all the shocks.
The only downside is the rubber smell
The Equipment
You can spend a fortune on weights and machines for your home gym. However, I will indicate here the most important parts you need, plus a few extra things you can purchase over time.
You can purchase a complete home gym machine (as above) with everything included, but due to the cost and the space it occupies, this is not feasible for most people. Other disadvantages of a home gym include the limited number of exercises you can perform with it and the fact that not everyone fits on every machine.
Therefore, in this article, I am assuming an arrangement with loose weights and corresponding equipment.
The Weight Bench
A weight bench is an essential device. The bench allows you to comfortably perform most exercises, but it must meet a few requirements:
- The backrest – and if possible the seat – must be adjustable so you can perform exercises flat and inclined
- The barbell rests must be adjustable so you can place the barbell at different heights
- The bench must be made of heavy-duty material so it can handle the necessary weight without collapsing
A very important point is the maximum load indicated on benches you can buy: this usually INCLUDES your own weight! This means that if you weigh 80 kg and you have a bench with a maximum load of 100 kg, then you can train with a maximum of 20 kg. So look for a quality bench, not a mail-order catalog bench!
Barbells and Weights
This is the second essential part of your home gym. You need at least the following two types of barbells:
- A long straight barbell, at least 1.80 m
- Two short hand barbells
Do not buy ready-made hand barbells with fixed weights! Just buy two short bars on which you can put weight plates. That way, you can make the barbells as light or heavy as you want.
Also, make sure you have six collars or lock clips for those barbells; you don’t want to constantly transfer the clips from one barbell to another.
The weights are a personal choice; you can make it as heavy as you want. The choice depends on your training goal: a bodybuilder will need heavier weights than a fitness enthusiast.
Make sure you buy metal plates; they always remain in good condition. Rubber weights are quite easy to break if you drop them a few times.
I can really recommend the following set of plates, so you can make the minimum combinations:
- 4 x 0.5 kg
- 4 x 1 kg
- 4 x 2.5 kg
- 4 x 5 kg
This is definitely not enough for a bodybuilder, but it allows you to build up your dumbbells equally. If you have more money, I can recommend investing in at least two 10 kg plates, and more if the budget allows.
Loose Materials
The above parts are essential, but there are still a few cheap things you need. Without explanation, I will list these:
- weightlifting gloves
- weightlifting belt
- large mirror (to check your form)
- block of wood at least 5 centimeters thick and shoulder-width, so you can train your calves
Extra Equipment
If you have enough space and budget – or you can save well – I can certainly recommend the following equipment:
Power Rack
A power rack is a large steel cage in which you can perform exercises. It is ideal if you want to do squats to train your legs, but you can also do bench presses here to train the chest muscles. Especially if you train at home without a partner, the safety that such a rack offers is invaluable.
Most power racks often also have some of the additional extras below.
Chin-Up Bar
This is basically just a bar that you can hang on the wall (preferably a concrete wall!) that you can use to pull yourself up. Ideal for back training that you can do at home.
Cable Tower
A cable tower is a structure with a cable attached to a stack of weights. You can use this for additional exercises like lat pulldowns and triceps pushdowns.
With a bit of skill, you can of course also fabricate a cable tower yourself!
EZ Curl Bar
An EZ bar is a long barbell that is bent at several places. This is perfect for, among other things, triceps extensions and barbell curls for the biceps.
Conclusion
You can make it as expensive or as cheap as you want, but a home gym is definitely a good option if you don’t have the time to go to a gym. If you are a beginner, consider hiring a personal trainer to get you started. He or she can explain the basics to you and teach you how to train without injuring yourself!
