A guide to building the ultimate home gym
It’s been said countless times before, but we’re sure you’ll agree it’s never been truer - there’s never been a better time to build a home gym.
With the whole world taking in turns to barricade themselves inside, fitness centers, gyms and sports facilities that we love to workout at have often been the first to close. Whether it’s been for a week, a month or indefinitely, we’ve all been affected in one way or another.
The solution is simple, bring the gym to you. But that doesn’t make the process any easier. We’re sure that you’ve spent countless hours window shopping for athletic equipment, browsing Pinterest for that perfect vibe and searching inspirational quotes for the walls.
But finding that perfect setup for the ultimate gym isn’t an easy task - so what do you really need for the perfect home gym?
Home gym shapes and sizes
So, how do you start building a home gym? Well, every home offers a different level of potential when looking to transform one of the rooms into the perfect home gym.
If you’re constrained to a small property with minimal indoor space, heading out into outdoor areas and investing in alternative structures might be a fantastic idea. If you’re blessed with a good-sized basement, spare ground floor room or garage space, this makes things much easier to get started.
If you’re making the effort to research how to make the best home gym, chances are that you’ve got a space on your property in mind that you’re looking to optimize. Once that’s decided upon, you’re able to start planning your equipment choices, maximizing the available space with the best combination of fitness gear to suit your goals.
This brings us swiftly onto our next point - what’s actually required for your home gym.
Fitness goals and equipment choices
Without a goal, you can’t score. That’s a great quote and it’s one that’s applicable to so many different scenarios - including building your own home gym.
We all have different fitness and/or sporting goals that require different equipment choices and accessories to help with improvements in that discipline. For example, if you’re an individual with a passion for rowing, the number 1 piece of equipment that you’re going to have in your personal home gym is a rowing machine. Similarly, if your sole goal is powerlifting, a rowing machine is going to set you back a lot of money and, more importantly, floor space.
It’s important to remember that you’re not building a commercial gym - there’s no need for things that will be used just a handful of times. The home gym is all about making the greatest personal space for your specific goals.
A good and simple way to narrow down your equipment selection is to note which pieces of equipment you would use most during a typical training week. If you’re noticing there’s a lot of time spend with one or more items - they’ll likely be the staples of your personal pain cave. Also, if you’re only building a home gym temporarily and plan on going back to a commercial gym once things are back to normal, buying a lot of equipment might not be the best idea. The equipment that you spend the most time with at the gym, might be the only basic equipment you’ll need for your gym.
The best home gym equipment
Fitness equipment, unfortunately, doesn’t come cheap and the stuff that does should be avoided like the plague.
It may sound a little dramatic, but when you’re trusting a piece of gym equipment (especially when we’re discussing the heavier weights) you’re trusting it with your life. It’s always worth making the investment in high-quality equipment - not only will you be able to trust it, but it’ll also last a lifetime, too.
Below we’ll go through some of the most useful home gym equipment that even the pickiest fitness fanatic will adore spotting upon entering your iron paradise.
Rigs and racks
A great home gym starts with a great rig and/or rack and at Mighty Gyms, you’re spoiled for choice with a great selection of different types.
Rigs and racks are all designed to do the same job - to be able to hold the weight that you’re looking to lift. When it comes to racks, the bigger items are typically the best of the bunch, although folding racks and half racks are good space-saving options.
For the most serious fitness freaks, a full power rack is a fantastic investment, offering the utmost safety when completing heavy compound lifts. The sabretooth rack, available at Mighty Gyms, offers a great solution for those looking for a full rack substitute without compromising safety.
The apprentice series rack and folding rack are great for beginners, although advanced lifters and fitness fanatics may find the weight caps a little lower on these models.
Barbells and plates
Once you’ve managed to get your rack selected, you’re going to want to pair it with a high-quality barbell and some great plates to get things moving.
With a rack, a barbell and a set of plates your home gym could be called complete, if you just wanted to get the basics dialed in. There are countless different exercises available with strong compound movements in squats and deadlifts to overhead presses and more.
Barbells
A standard Olympic barbell should be a high priority on any fitness enthusiast’s wish list and there’s plenty to choose from at Mighty Gyms from 700lbs to a huge 1,500lbs.
Additionally, curl and EZ curl bars are also available, great for supplementary exercises ranging from bicep curls to triceps extensions. If your budget can stretch for all three, we would highly recommend a full collection of barbells for maximum versatility.
Plates
Mighty Gyms offers a handful of cast iron and Olympic bumper plates or rubber plates to suit a range of different applications.
Plate choice is often personal preference and different choices are available for different exercises. Regardless of your choice, you’re bound to find the right plates for you in-store today!
Dumbbells
Dumbbells' are an important part of any home or commercial gym and offer a huge range of different exercises for all ability levels.
Dumbbells come in a range of different shapes and sizes, but before we carried away with the weight, it’s the shape we want to first focus on.
Hex vs round vs adjustable
Dumbbells are typically offered in three different configurations: hex, round and adjustable.
We’re sure that everyone has their own opinions - but for a home gym, hex dumbbells are (in our opinion) by far the top choice. The sturdy hexagonal construction takes this dumbbell shape to the top of the food chain with a versatile option that you can rely on.
Not only the dumbbells be gripped more effectively, but they can also last longer than alternative dumbbell options.
Dumbbell weights
Choosing which dumbbell weights is the next task to tackle and is never easy to decide upon.
It’s good to get into the habit of always buying pairs of dumbbells instead of being tempted to buy a single weight for alternating exercises.
Weights are best in increments of around 5lbs, but if your budget can’t quite stretch that far, 10lbs increments can be used instead. Depending on your goals and current strength, lighter or heavier dumbbells should be selected accordingly.
Kettlebells
Unlike dumbbells, kettlebells can and should often be purchased individually, although pairs can make for a good substitution.
A good kettlebell should last a lifetime and are great for a variety of exercises ranging from mobility drills to entire strength workouts. Mighty Gyms is proud to offer a range from 10lbs all the way to 60lbs, making a great addition to any ultimate home gym.
It is, however, only wise to invest in kettlebells if you are already a fan of using the kit.
Benches
The humble fitness bench comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, ranging from the simple flat bench to the often confusing utility bench.
For the majority of home gyms, a single bench will be all that can be stored - but which should you choose for the ultimate example.
Flat bench
The flat bench is the simplest of the options available and does exactly what it says on the tin.
These benches offer simple, flat support that is great for those exercises needing a solid and stable place to lay. Heavy barbell or dumbbell bench press, seated bicep curls, dumbbell rows and countless other exercises can be completed with the aid of a great flat bench.
A flat bench should be your choice if you’re planning to complete exercises with large amounts of load.
Adjustable bench
The adjustable bench offers a slightly less stable bench design than the flat bench but additionally allows for adjustability in the angle of the padding.
With different incline levels, users are able to position themselves perfectly for chest flies, incline presses, overhead presses, triceps extensions and countless other exercises.
If you’re looking for a bench that’s sturdy enough for moderate weight with the additional benefits of adjustability, the adjustable bench is the king.
Utility bench
The utility bench offers a little bit of everything, combining adjustability with an additional sit-up capability and EZ-Curl station.
These benches aren’t typically the best when building a home gym and are often recognized as a jack of all trades and a master of none. Fitness lovers will often report these to be too clunky and awkward with the various attachments often detracting from the main purpose of the bench.
Long story short, when looking for a single bench to use in a home gym - adjustable is the way forward.
Mobility
Mobility equipment is the category that we all know and love when building an ultimate home gym - namely thanks to their low-cost, low-space nature.
It doesn’t get much simpler than a handful of resistance bands, a mat, and a foam roller to get you well on your way to a more flexible body. They’re inexpensive, they’re easy to store and they will help tremendously with any form of exercise.
Resistance bands
Resistance bands typically come in two main types, bands and loops.
Bands are what we typically think of are loose at either end whereas loops are joined, forming one continuous (you guessed it) loop. The choices are mostly personal preference, although loops do offer additional exercise options thanks to their continuous construction.
Cardiovascular equipment
When it comes to cardiovascular equipment, there’s a whole lot of variables that come into play.
The main problem with any form of cardio equipment is that they take up large amounts of space in the home gym. Treadmills, ellipticals and steppers are larger, bulky items that tend not only to detract from floor space but are typically rarely used in the home gym.
One of the biggest arguments against cardiovascular equipment is the ease of substitution for the majority of these items. A treadmill may be high on the list of first requirements, but heading out for a simple jog is a great way to avoid spending large sums of cash on the human rolling road.
Exceptions to the rule obviously come in the form of sport-specific cardio equipment that simple substitutions may not be possible. Rowing machines and exercise bikes may prove to be useful additions to a home gym, but the trade-off between space and usage is something only the individual can decide upon.
Get the Best Equipment
If you’ve already decided up on your space and equipment choice, but are worried about where to buy gym equipment from, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Mighty Fitness offers the most high-quality gym equipment. We offer a wide range of dumbbells, barbells, rigs and racks, benches and many more to help you build the best home gym that suits your needs.
Book a consultation
If you’re still in need of a helping hand or if you’re looking to get up close and personal with some of the best kit in the game, be sure to reach out and book a consultation at the Mighty Gyms site.
Here we’ll be able to discuss the very best options for your home gym, working through exactly what it is that’ll make your gym tick to your rhythm. We can advise the best space-savers, the top brands for your budget and give you a hands-on experience of exactly what your money gets you when building a personal gym.
Head over to the “book a consultation” page now to make a quick and easy in-person appointment at a time convenient to you!