How to Build A Dream Home Gym and Ditch Your Monthly Gym Membership
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLAIMER FOR MORE INFO.
Transforming a small space into your dream home gym is easier than you think and can save you from the commute and expense of a monthly gym membership. With the right equipment and smart organization, you can create an efficient workout haven right in the comfort of your home, whether it’s in your basement, garage, or spare room!
In this blog, I’ll be sharing step-by-step how my family transformed our garage into our dream home gym, saving us the time spent commuting to and from a commercial gym, and helping us stay consistent with our fitness routine. I’ll be covering:
Why my family made the decision to build a home gym
Pros and cons of a home gym
Ideal location for a home gym
Essential equipment needed for beginners, intermediate, and advanced lifters
How to design your home gym using minimal space
PLUS, get a free checklist containing all the home gym products I recommend here, tailored to your fitness level!
So, if you are tired of spending the extra time and money going to a commercial gym, and you’re ready to enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with a quality home gym, then you’re in the right place! You will find that it’s easier than you than you think to create a gym at home that works for you, regardless of your fitness level or stage of life.
Why My Family Made the Life-Changing Decision to Build a Home Gym
Until we had our first son, my husband and I had always been gym-people. We really enjoyed the variety of equipment available and the opportunity to meet with friends at the gym. We also felt like home workouts just were not the same quality of work that we could get at the gym, and it felt more motivating to be out of the house.
After becoming parents we found that when adding up full time jobs with day care drop-off and pick-up, frequent weekend travel, AND working out at the gym was that we had minimal time left each day to actually be present with our son. On weekdays, we had maybe 20-30 minutes of getting him ready in the morning, and then only a couple hours max in the evening before he needed to get to bed. It really made us feel like something had to give. Often our workouts were pushed down the priority list since they typically required at least a 2 hour chunk of time between the 15-20 minute drive to and from the gym, and the 60-90 minute workout. It’s extremely challenging to spend that much time at the gym with a family AND stay consistent enough to see results.
We had to figure out a way to buy back the 40 minute commute time to the gym, and make our workouts more flexible around our baby’s schedule so we could return to a consistent workout routine. This pushed us to finally invest in a quality home gym with the ultimate goal of replacing our gym membership.
Our pain points before…
Minimal time in the day to spend with our little one and with each other
Commute - The 30-40 minute commute to and from the gym took away valuable time
Inflexible timing - The timing at the gym is very inflexible. Often each of us would need a solid 2 hour chunk of uninterrupted time to get to the gym, complete a workout, and come home.
Crowded gym - We usually ended up at the gym with the after-work crowd. We found ourselves needing to modify our workouts or waiting on equipment.
Interruptions - Lots of our friends in town went to the same gym, so it was not uncommon to run into them during workouts. It’s great to catch up, but not when it adds 15-20 minutes to your workout!
As you can see, time is the common theme here. Now that we have a comprehensive home gym, we are so much more flexible with our time!
1 minute commute to the gym (our garage)
Setting up for a workout takes MAYBE 3 minutes. It involves pulling one car out of the garage, pulling down our squat rack, setting up the bench, and racking the barbell.
Flexible workouts — We can workout for as long or as little time as we need. Workouts can even be broken up throughout the day if needed (HUGE game-changer).
Shutting down the gym takes only 2-3 minutes. Put away the squat rack, bench, weights, and barbell. Pull the car back in.
Picture this: you finish your workout in your gym and all of a sudden you’re picking up your toddler from his nap and getting a snack ready. You just bought AT LEAST an hour back in your day and you didn’t have to drive anywhere, take your kids anywhere, or leave one parent at home while the other drives to the gym!
Pros and Cons of a Home Gym
In case you aren’t already convinced that a home gym is the best choice for everyone, let’s run through a classic pros and cons list.
There are many caveats to the cons in this list. For example, my husband and I personally have not been very interested in group fitness classes, so this was a non-issue for us. Although I realize group fitness and community atmosphere can be immensely important to others, so it’s certainly something to consider!
The fact that a home gym is limited on machine weights is only partially true. You may not have the huge variety of machines, but with bands, dumbbells and a barbell, you can create several variations of the same lift, or create an exercise similar to what you might do at the gym. For example, I use a combination of heavy bands wrapped over our pull-up bar to simulate the lat-pull down machine.
Additionally, it may be hard to believe, but cardio equipment is NOT a requirement. Our cardio of choice is usually walking or occasionally running, which can be done outside through most of the year (although it can get pretty cold in the winter, even in Kentucky). We did make the choice to add a treadmill to our home gym this year, allowing us even more flexibility to walk or run even in the colder months or hottest days of the summer.
Ideal Location for Your Home Gym
Here’s a summary of ideal locations to build a home gym, with pros and cons for each:
Garage - our personal choice!
Pros
Typically offers ample space.
Easy to store larger equipment
Good ventilation with the option to open the garage door
Minimize noise impact on the rest of the house (stays relatively quiet for naptime!)
Cons
Temperature control can be challenging. The garage gets hot and humid in the summer, and can be bitter cold in the winter.
May have to consider parking a car outside UNLESS you opt for a foldable squat rack. This is the squat rack we use that folds into the wall and allows us to park both cars in the garage.
Lighting can be dim—additional lighting may be needed. These are the lights we added to our garage that keep it bright for early morning or nighttime workouts.
Sloped floors may be an issue for certain racks or exercises. The vertical lift of the PRX Profile rack solved this problem for us!
Basement
Pros
Usually temperature-controlled
Quiet and secluded, providing a focused environment
Stable, level flooring for heavy equipment
Cons
May have low ceilings, limiting some exercises
Similar to a garage gym, lighting may be dim, requiring additional lights
Potential moisture issues could damage equipment over time
Guest Bedroom or Spare Room
Pros
Comfortable and climate-controlled year-round
Often has good natural light
Easy to decorate and personalize the space
Great option if you workout out primarily by cycling, walking, yoga, or using lighter dumbbells or bands
Cons
Limited space and ceiling height, restricting amount of equipment and exercises you can do
Likely not able to keep heavy equipment in a guest room, such as a squat rack and heavier weights
Might need to move equipment if guests stay
Noise could be more noticeable to others in the house
Essential Equipment Needed for Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced Lifters
It can be hard to sort our what you really need in your gym to have the most efficient and effective workout, and take up the least amount of space. Here I’ll break down what you need at each level of fitness to get the most bang for your buck in your home gym. It’s important to remember these can be added onto gradually to grow with you as your fitness goals evolve or to align with your budget!
Beginners
For those early in their fitness journey, or getting back into fitness after a longer hiatus or recovery from injury, surgery, pregnancy, etc.
I would consider resistance bands the #1 requirement for beginners in fitness, above all the other items in this list. If you can obtain nothing else, using these will go the farthest for reaching your fitness goals.
Resistance bands are versatile, space-saving, and cost-effective. They offer progressive resistance, are portable, and support low-impact, functional training, making them ideal for any fitness level.
There are many kinds of resistance bands you can choose from, but the ones I personally use are bands with detachable handles, and infinity bands. I use bands with detachable handles most often, especially for exercises such as tricep push-downs, bicep curls, lat pull-downs, and lateral raises.
I personally use infinity bands frequently for assisted pull ups!
Yoga mat - perfect for core work, stretching, yoga
Light dumbbells
For beginners I think it’s ideal to have a dumbbell set that starts at 5-8 pounds per dumbbell through 15-20 pounds.
You could buy separate dumbbells for each weight, or handles with weight plates you can spin on to create the exact weight you are aiming for. PowerBlock also has the Sport 24 Adjustable Dumbbells that are quickly interchangeable but only take up the space of 2 dumbbells. The weight range is 3-24 pounds!
Adding a suspension trainer allows for full-body workouts using just your body weight, and is adaptable to any fitness level.
Similar to resistance bands, a suspension trainer improves strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability while offering a low-impact option that reduces the risk of injury.
The adjustable difficulty of each exercise makes it easy for beginners to start at their own pace and progress over time.
In my opinion, TRX is the gold standard of suspension trainers, and the most recognizable brand. However, it does come at a higher cost. This set by TRX is one of the most popular!
This suspension trainer by Bodytorc is a great alternative for about half the cost of TRX. I have trained using TRX and several other lower-cost brands, and I think the workout quality is just as good using the alternatives.
While you may not yet be ready to rep out unassisted pull ups as a beginner, I included a pull up bar as part of this list for 2 main reasons:
You can use it as the attachment point for your suspension trainer, or for resistance bands (for exercises like tricep push-down or lat pull-down)
It’s never too late to start progressing toward your first pull up! Use infinity resistance bands to add assistance, and you can gradually progress towards a body-weight pull up.
This is the exact pull up bar my husband and I use at home. It fits right in your doorway!
Intermediate
If you don’t already have dumbbells, now is the time to add them to your home gym!
While a line up of separate dumbbells ranging from 5 - 60 pounds is beautiful and convenient, it’s not conducive to a small home gym space. Interchangeable/adjustable dumbbells take up the LEAST amount of space.
The PowerBlock Elite dumbbell set is the perfect place to start, with the first stage ranging 5-50 pounds. This is the set we personally use, and LOVE.
I would recommend a set of PowerBlock dumbbells, with weight up to at least 50 - 60 pounds for women.
Adding a bench opens up a multitude of exercise options you can do with your dumbbells. To name a few, you can add chest press, incline press, bench step-ups, split squats, supported rows, dips, and more!
Linked is the foldable, adjustable bench we have in our home gym! It folds up nicely to fit close to the wall.
Advanced
Building our dream home gym was centered around installing a foldable rack from PRx. Without our rack that folds into the wall, our home gym would NOT BE POSSIBLE - if we still wanted to park both cars in our garage!
Here are a few key points highlighting why we chose a PRx foldable rack when comparing against competitors:
Space-saving: PRx racks fold up vertically against the wall, taking up minimal space when not in use—ideal for home gyms with minimal space.
Easy installation: PRx designs their equipment for quick and straightforward installation. My husband was able to install the rack by himself in one evening after we put our toddler to bed.
Safe and durable: Made from high-quality steel, PRx racks are built to last, supporting heavy weights and intense workouts without compromising safety or stability.
Customizable: PRx offers various rack models and accessories, allowing users to customize their setup based on their specific fitness needs and available space. We have added various accessories along the way, such as spotter arms.
Made in the USA — Always a bonus! We love to support U.S. brands whenever we can.
We chose the PRx Men’s Olympic Elite Bar, since the Olympic bar is the gold standard at 20 kg (45 lb) and most weight plates universally fit this bar size.
There are women’s Olympic bars available, but understand it is a lighter weight at 15 kg (33 lb) and has a slightly smaller diameter than the mens’ bar (about 3 mm less). I will admit the smaller diameter makes it a little bit more comfortable to grip. However, you will always have to account for the lighter weight when calculating your lifts, and if you are sharing the gym with your husband or significant other, I think it’s best just to go with the mens’ bar.
Save money and just buy one that works for both of you.
Separate dip bar station
Dips with suspension trainer
Dip bars can be used not only for tricep dips that build the triceps and chest, but also for abdominal work!
We do not have a dip station attachment yet for our folding rack, but plan to add this to our collection soon! For now we have a separate dip bar that is set aside in an unused corner of our master bedroom.
Important safety tool you do NOT want to ignore!
It may seem like extra, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Spotter arms certainly give peace of mind, especially if you are doing any heavy lifting by yourself (when you have a home gym, that’s the case 99% of the time)!
You’ll want a set of “change plates,” AKA smaller weight plates like 2.5 and 5 lb. These will allow you to add weight gradually to lifts rather than having to jump by 20 - 50 pounds with your bumper plates!
We have a pair of 2.5 lb and 5 lb change plates that fit our barbell and our EZ curl bar.
Barbell clips to keep your weights in place
Remember not to use clips when doing bench in case you need to bail and drop the weight!
Weight storage
Wall storage is absolutely essential not only for keeping your gym organized, but also to keep things off the floor to minimize the gym footprint!
You don’t want to go on the cheap-end with wall-storage. It needs to be strong and durable enough to hold at least 4 x 45 lb bumper plates!
The storage we use for our PowerBlocks allows us to keep them off the floor, and makes them easier to grab and put back. It also gave some extra storage for other odd-size weight plates that we have.
PowerBlock also has several storage options specifically designed to hold their adjustable dumbbell sets!
Accessories
An EZ bar is great to have for doing bicep curls when you don’t want to use something as heavy as the barbell. I also use the EZ bar often for “skull crushers” and upright rows.
Thicker rubber flooring is crucial in a home gym, especially if you're lifting heavy weights. It provides better shock absorption, protecting both your floor and your equipment from damage. It also reduces noise and vibration, making your workouts quieter and more comfortable.
Wall mirror
A mirror is definitely not a requirement, but it does allow you to check your form as you lift, and ensure your lifts are symmetrical to avoid long-term imbalances.
I find it helpful to have a whiteboard available to jot down my workouts if I am not following a set plan!
Perfect for listening to music, your favorite podcast, or an audiobook while you workout! We have this Bose Bluetooth speaker.
TV mounted in your space
Of course this is totally optional and depends on personal preference. We have one of our older TVs mounted in our garage that we occasionally turn on during weekend workouts in football season!
PVC pipe for warmups
Pick up a 1 inch diameter, 5 foot PVC pipe from Lowe’s or your local home improvement store to use for mobility exercises and warm-ups.
Treadmill
Choosing a treadmill over an elliptical, stair climber, or Peloton-style bike offers several key advantages:
Versatility: A treadmill allows for a wide range of workouts, from walking and jogging to interval training and hill sprints, making it suitable for all fitness levels and goals. You can easily manipulate incline or speed to adjust level of difficulty.
Natural Movement: Running or walking on a treadmill mimics natural movement patterns, which can be more intuitive and beneficial for overall fitness compared to the motion of an elliptical or stair climber. Not to mention, walking has a very low risk of injury!
Weight-Bearing Exercise: Unlike cycling, treadmill running or walking is weight-bearing, which helps strengthen bones and muscles, improving overall fitness and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
We were able to find an older model NordicTrack treadmill from Facebook marketplace that goes above and beyond our needs! Neither my husband nor I are avid runners anymore, so we knew we didn’t want to make a big investment.
If you’re running out of space in your gym, remember not everything has to be in the same space! We opted to put ours in the corner of our dining room that we never use!
For more about why I choose walking as my primary form of cardio exercise, check out this blog post!
A box fan comes in handy whether your gym is indoors or in the garage! We love using ours to add more air movement during workouts on hot summer days.
Space heater
A must-have if your home gym is not climate-controlled and you live in an area with cold seasons.
In the winter we like to turn on our space heater for 5-10 minutes before starting our workout to allow the area to heat up a little bit. I often will use that time to warm up with walking on the treadmill.
Stability ball - use for core work or, my personal favorite, as a replacement for a hamstring curl machine
Jump rope - alternative option for a quick warm-up if you don’t have a treadmill or don’t want to go outside
Use for box step ups, bench dips, box jumps, mobility, elevated pushups, and more!
If you don’t have the extra space for storing a box, you can usually get away with using your bench or stairs for most of these exercises.
Ready to go all-in with your home gym?
Use the form below to sign up for the free home gym checklist.
Tips for Designing Your Home Gym Using Minimal Space
Using the minimal amount of space was of utmost importance to us since the garage was our only option, and we prefer to park our two cars in the garage. It’s already used for storage of a wide range of items such as lawn care equipment, strollers, yard toys, and many other miscellaneous items, so the gym needed to have a small footprint. In the future, we would love to have a basement and/or a three car garage, but that’s not our reality at this time!
With our folding rack, we're still able to park our van and sedan in the garage comfortably.
These are the most important strategic points we followed to make it all work:
Foldable rack : Our whole home gym plan centered around this key component. Without the rack, we would not have been able to quit our gym membership. The design by PRx makes it so easy to set up and store away, and allows us to continue parking the cars in the garage.
Vertical storage: To minimize your gym footprint, you HAVE to keep as much off the floor as possible. That means, wherever you have the opportunity, hang as much from the walls as you can.
Hooks: Use hooks in the wall to hang lighter items like resistance bands, a jump rope, and other accessories
Wall storage: Use heavier duty wall storage for weight plates, barbells, and EZ bars. Ensure these are mounted to the wall using studs for maximal support.
Wall storage for bumper plates
Adjustable dumbbells: As satisfying as it is to see shelves lined up with hundreds of pounds of dumbbells, the cost adds up quickly to hundreds if not thousands of dollars as weight increases. Not to mention, a collection of separate dumbbells is going to take up too much valuable space.
PowerBlock dumbbells offer the best solution, taking up the amount of space of two large dumbbells, while still offering the easy incremental adjustments that you can get at the gym. With most PowerBlock sets, you can adjust weight in as little as 2.5 lb increments in seconds.
PowerBlock Elite dumbbells on the Titan Fitness dumbbell stand
Final Thoughts
After 2 years of dropping my gym membership and using our home gym for my workouts, it’s safe to say I’m so glad we went all-in and made the investment in quality equipment and building our complete gym. It’s easier than ever for me to stay consistent with my workout routine, and I don’t have to drive anywhere or wait on anyone else (except maybe my husband if he is hogging the barbell). AND I don’t have to sacrifice time with my family.
Now that you’ve seen how I transformed my garage into the ultimate home gym, I hope you’re feeling inspired to start building your own! Remember, investing in quality equipment is investing in your health, and it pays off every time you step into your workout space. If you’re ready to take the next step, be sure to check out the links above to get the same top-notch gear I use and love.
Before you go, enter your email below to receive a free checklist with all my favorite home gym products, curated for every fitness level. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade, this guide will help you create a space that motivates you every day.
Ready to plan your home gym?
Get the Free Checklist
The essential items you need in your home gym to meet your goals, no matter your fitness level.
Plus, subscribe to the Ryca Fitness newsletter!
I also have an awesome resource library where you can find the tried & true fitness resources and products I have used time and again to keep me on track with my fitness goals. Click here to check it out!
