Is space constraint the reason you do not have a home gym? We are here to tell you that you can turn the smallest of spaces into your workout zone with planning and adjustment.
A home gym offers several benefits. First, it improves the chances of you sticking to your workout routine. It provides you with the flexibility of exercising at your convenience. Finally, you do not waste time getting or driving to the gym.
Let us take a look at different layout ideas and understand how you can design a home gym personalized as per your requirement.
What Things to Consider When Designing Home Gym?
The first factor to consider is your fitness goal. Do you want to include some cardio in your routine? Do you want to focus on strength or endurance training? This will help you decide what gym equipment best suits your home.
Next, take a look at your home. What part of the home can accommodate a home gym? Is there a spare room you can convert? A garden shed, perhaps? A garage is a popular choice as it provides ample space for machines and a dedicated space for workouts.
A spare room is a luxury that not everyone has. So, how about utilizing space in existing rooms? Then, you can easily turn your living, bedroom, or even your hallway into a home gym.
In the beginning, do not focus on buying big machines. Instead, work with the space you have. You get a full range of body exercises done with free weights. If you add a machine, ensure there is enough space around the equipment for you to exercise and move freely.
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10 Home Gym Layout Ideas That Work Even in Small Spaces
Here are some layout ideas that you can draw inspiration from to design a home gym that works for you.
1. Create Space in the Garage for a Home Gym
If you have an unused or under-utilized garage, it is the perfect place in the house to turn into a fitness room. The garage has good height clearance to place a power rack. In addition, you can have pieces of gym equipment such as a barbell, dumbbells, and weight plates.
You will have enough space to fit in a single-station or a multi-station gym. The flooring of the garage can support the weight of these bulky machines.
You can save on space by adding wall-mounted storage. You can place a cardio machine such as a treadmill or stationary bike in the space that you freed up.
2. Upgrade the Basement to a Home Gym
The basement is another popular space among fitness enthusiasts to upgrade into a home gym. The upgraded basement above is perfect for a family. You can enjoy a workout session with your significant other or invite a friend.
With the range of machines available, you can meet our cardio and strength training goals.
Consider opening up the basement with windows and light-painted walls. This will add an inviting feel to your home gym and also motivate you to work harder.
3. Convert the Attic Into a Workout Zone
Do you have an attic at your home that is used to store junk? If yes, it is time to consider throwing out that junk and remodeling the attic to make way for a home gym.
When designing a home gym, you need to step away from the idea that big machines make a gym functional. No, that is not always the case. You can fit an exercise bike, a bench, and free weights in about half the attic. If general fitness is your goal, these basic pieces of gym equipment can help you reach your goals.
You can still use the other half of the attic for other purposes like storage or a place for you to unwind.
4. Utilize the Light Coming in from those Windows
Do you have large windows in your home? If yes, utilize the space right in front of the window to create a workout area.
A good quality yoga mat, resistance bands, or free weights is all you need to perform yoga, pilates, or stretching routines. In addition, you can use storage bins or a cleverly designed cabinet to store your gym equipment.
The awkward space that you see above, between two walls, can also be used to store equipment right in your living room discreetly.
5. Turn the Garden Shed Into a Workout Space
If you have a garden shed that is primarily used for storage, consider organizing the space better and creating a dedicated workout area. If you have a backyard but not a garden shed, do not worry. Using the several free plans available, you can build a garden shed over a couple of weekends.
Add full-length windows to allow the natural light in. The shed provides a clear distinction between your home and the gym. You might feel lazy working out in your bedroom because you associate that room with relaxation.
With a dedicated space like a garden shed, you can work out at your convenience without worrying about disturbing family members. Customization options are endless. You will start associating the shed with workout, and it can help you remain consistent in the long run.
6. Use Space in the Library
A library is the last room you may consider for a home gym. But, if you have any space to spare, you can design the room to meet your fitness goals. The room can help you grow both physically and mentally.
If the floor space is limited, place a single cardio machine like a treadmill or a bike. Add an adjustable bench and free weights to improve the room’s functionality. The bottom bookshelf can serve as a storage area for the gym equipment.
7. Combine Home Office and Gym
With the rise of freelancers and now widely accepted work-from-home culture, a home office is quickly becoming a part of every household.
If you spend most of your time on your work desk, combining your home office and gym would be ideal. You can better utilize space. Such easy access to fitness can push you to take breaks from work, focus and remain consistent with your workout routine.
If you are crunched for space, consider getting an exercise work desk or foldable machines. For example, you can invest in a foldable treadmill, an under desk bike or elliptical, or adjustable dumbbells.
8. Create Storage Space in a Wall/Nook
Now, this is a clever way of storing weights and also creating a lifting platform. You can safely tuck away weight plates using wall-mounted storage. You can leave the weights as is or build a collapsible door that doubles up as the lifting platform.
You can close the collapsible door and have it seamlessly merge with the interior when not in use. It will look like just another inbuilt cabinet on the wall when closed.
9. Dedicate a Corner of the Living Room for Workout
An underutilized corner of your living room can serve as your home gym. You can use room dividers to create distinguishable areas. Like the garden shed, a dedicated space is often a good motivator to remain consistent.
You can use a fancy room divider with shelves to add character to your living room. For example, you can conveniently store your gym equipment on a couple of shelves, while the rest can be used for creative expression. You can place books and plants or proudly display your artwork on the shelves.
10. Hallway to the Rescue
If turning part of an existing room into a home gym is not an option, you can even make narrow hallways work for you with a little planning.
A bench is all you need to store equipment. You can DIY the above bench/storage model using a single plywood sheet. You can simplify the project by forgoing the partitions and the back panel. Instead, you place small baskets under the bench to store your equipment.
What Gym Equipment Can Improve Functionality of Home Gym?
If you have the space for cardio and isolation machines, include them as a part of the home gym. But, if you are short on space and budget, there are alternatives you can consider. For example, a jump rope is a must-have tool for home gyms. They hardly take up space, but they do provide an excellent cardio workout.
A set of resistance bands is another tool that can add intensity to your home workout sessions. As the name suggests, the band adds resistance when you try to move a muscle group. It can help build strength.
With the addition of a barbell and a few dumbbells, you can cover a range of exercises like:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Overhead press
- Bench press
- Lunges
- Isolation exercises with free weights
You can also add kettlebells, medicine balls, foam rollers, or large exercise balls to add functionality to your home gym.
How Much Space do You Need for a Small Home Gym?
Ideally, a 300 to 400 square feet room can fit multiple gym machines and provide enough space to move around. In a 300 square feet home gym, you can comfortably place a power rack, a bench, lifting platform, cable station, cardio machine, weights, and storage space.
But, if you can spare only 100 square feet of area, you will be surprised at what gym equipment you can fit in. For example, a 100 square feet home gym can fit a squat stand, adjustable bench, free weights, punching bag, gymnastics ladder, and wall-mounted storage.
So, the space needed for a home gym is the square feet of space you can spare.
Summary
A home gym is a great way to stick to your workout routine. The choice of gym equipment depends on your fitness goals and the space available. If you have a spare room like a garage, basement, garden shed, or guest bedroom, you can upgrade them to place cardio and isolation machines.
Or you can consider better utilizing space in your existing rooms like the library, living room, home office, or even narrow hallways.
Consider adding versatile pieces of equipment like jump ropes, resistance bands, and free weights to create a functional workout area, even in small spaces.