Accessibility is one of the key factors in reaching your fitness goals. How often have you missed going to the gym because you were too tired or lazy to dress up and drive?
A home gym makes fitness accessible. When you take out time from your busy schedule, you can head straight to the home gym instead of wasting time on the commute.
You do not need a lot of space or multiple machines for your workout sessions. The article will take you through home gym plans that cleverly utilize space without giving up on functionality.
How Much Space Does a Gym Equipment Need?
You first need to understand equipment dimensions and how much space they can take up in your room. Of course, the actual footprint of the machine will differ as per the manufacturer, but the below list will provide you with a rough estimate.
Let us look at common pieces of gym equipment and the space they require:
The choice of equipment should depend on your fitness goal. For example, if you need a home gym for general fitness, you can skip getting a power cage and add a couple of cardio and free weights to the space.
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Having a home gym increases the probability of you consistently sticking to a routine. You can work out at your convenience.
Using the below floor plans, you can customize the home gym to suit your personalized fitness goals. In addition, it can help you understand what pieces of equipment to buy and how well you can utilize the space and budget.
1. 300 Square Feet Home Gym Plan
A 300 square feet area offers plenty of space to place multiple pieces of equipment. You can have a fit, a large power cage, a lifting platform, a PLYO box, or multiple cardio machines. It all comes down to the kind of results you want from your workout sessions.
If we consider the above floor plan, the pieces of equipment you can place in a 300 square feet room are:
- Treadmill
- Exercise bike
- Bench
- Dumbbell with rack
- Barbell
- Power tower
- Leg press/Leg extension machine
If you want to go all out with strength workouts, you can swap out the additional cardio and better utilize the space to add machines like lat pulldown, pec deck, or a preacher curler bench.
Free weights and a wall-mounted cable station can help you reach your fitness goals if you do not want to invest in multiple machines.
2. 250 Square Feet Home Gym Plan
A 250 square feet room may seem small, but you can fit quite a few pieces of equipment with proper planning and adjustment. Start assessing your workout goals. Do you need a cardio machine, or would you prefer additional isolation machines?
In a 250 square feet home gym, you can place:
- Power cage
- Adjustable bench
- Barbell
- Weight plates
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebells
- Punching bag
- A lifting platform
- Wall-mounted storage
The above plan is just to give you an idea of what pieces of equipment can fit in the room. You can swap out pieces depending on your goals. For example, if you want to focus on general fitness, instead of the lifting platform, or punching bag, you can add a couple of cardio machines.
If your goal is weightlifting, you can add a leg press, bench press, and a cable crossover machine.
If the ceiling height is a restriction, you can opt for an appropriate-sized squat rack with a bench instead of a power cage.
3. 200 Square Feet Home Gym Plan
A 200 square feet area is good enough to fit the free weights required for full-body exercises. You can also fit in a cardio machine and maybe an isolation machine.
Some basic pieces of equipment that can fit in a 200 square feet gym are:
- Power rack
- Bench
- Barbell
- Plates
- Dumbbells
- Dumbbell rack
- Cardio machine
- Bodybuilding machine
You can use the home gym for both strength and cardio workouts. The key here is to prioritize machines depending on your goal. For example, when it comes to bodybuilding machines, they can take up a lot of space and limit the functionality of the gym. So, you chose between a leg press, lat pulldown, or preacher curler bench.
Some exercises that you can perform in a 200 square feet home gym are:
- Squats
- Bench press
- Deadlifts
- Overhead press
- Rows
- Lunges
- Cardio
- Leg presses
Consider using optional equipment like a jump rope as it can give you a good cardio workout. Then instead of a cardio machine, you can invest in a smaller bodybuilding machine.
4. 150 Square Feet Home Gym Plan
If 150 square feet is the area you can dedicate to a home gym, you will have to let go of the idea of fitting in isolation machines. But know that the area is good enough to fit in free weights, power racks, and a cardio machine of your choice.
In a 150 square feet home gym, you can place:
- A full power rack
- Bench
- Barbell
- Weight plates
- Dumbbells
- Dumbbell rack
If you want to save on space, you can opt for wall-mounted storage. The above plan has space for a treadmill, but you can add a different cardio machine like an elliptical or a bike.
If you want a rowing machine, consider the foldable models. Then, when not in use, you can fold the rowing machine and have enough space and clearance to perform other exercises.
You can use optional items like resistance bands, jumping ropes, and kettle balls. These items do not take up a lot of space but can improve the functionality of the home gym.
Squats, bench, deadlift, shoulder press, and pull-ups – the five big lifts can be easily performed in this area. With the addition of cardio, the 150 square feet home gym can meet your general fitness, muscle building, and fat loss goals.
5. 100 Square Feet Home Gym Plan
A 100 square feet area falls on the conservative side for a home gym. However, with planning and a little bit of moving around, you can place a few essential pieces of gym equipment. With isolation machines out of the picture, you will have to get back to basics and rely on free weights for your strength or endurance goals.
In a 100 square feet home gym, you can place:
- A half rack
- Adjustable bench
- Barbell
- Weight plates
- Wall-mounted storage posts for plates and bands
- Dumbbells
- Dumbbell rack
Even with limited area and equipment can perform a range of full-body exercises to meet your fitness goals. You can add optional pieces of equipment like resistance bands, jump ropes, and a couple of kettlebells to improve functionality.
Some exercises that one can perform in a 100 square feet home gym are:
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Bench
- Rows
- Overhead presses
- Lunges
- Pull-ups
You cannot fit isolation machines in this gym setup, but with the inclusion of free weights, you can find an alternative exercise according to your goal.
What is the Ideal Size for a Home Gym?
If you are working out alone, a home gym size ranging from 150 to 300 square feet is ideal. However, do not stress if you have limited space and budget. You can still make the home gym work for you with careful selection and placement of equipment.
Dumbbells, barbells, weight plates, and squat stands are basic pieces of gym equipment that can help you work on your entire body. Optional pieces like resistance bands and jump ropes can increase the intensity of the exercises that you perform.
You need to find effective alternatives for isolation machines readily available at a commercial gym. For example, exercises like dumbbell walking lunges, resistance band broad jumps, or barbell step-ups are good alternatives for a leg press machine.
Summary
There are various benefits attached to investing in a home gym. For example, you do not waste time and money on a commute. You can work out whenever you like without having to wait for your turn at the machine. And you can customize the home gym to your requirement.
We say ‘investing’ because a home gym can be expensive with upfront costs. First, carefully consider the space you have. Use the floor plans mentioned above to understand how many machines you can place while having enough room to work out.
Buying the equipment in phases can be a budget-friendly option. You can get the most out of your workout session even with the simplest pieces of gym equipment.