You may have decided to get fit, or you are working towards a goal, a wedding, a holiday, or a promotion. Whatever it is, you’ve decided to investigate designing your home gym. In this article, we will help you to do this by explaining nine essential considerations and then explaining their importance in the process. This covers how initial decisions can impact later functionality and why future planning can determine long-term project success.
Project critical questions to ask yourself
When you undertake designing your home gym, we recommend asking yourself questions. Here are some examples to help get you started.
- Which room am I choosing and why?
- Will this add or detract from the value of my home?
- What exercises will I be doing?
- Will they lead to a need for larger apparatus?
- Where would I put additional machines?
- Should I consider the weight on my floors?
- What is the minimal viable equipment to operate my home gym?
- How will I heat or cool the space?
1. Choosing the space
Choosing your gym space is the single most crucial decision. However, of course, you can change this later, but it is best to forward-plan. By considering the initial use and then the second phase, you can save yourself time and money on decoration and redevelopment. Other times there is only one room or space, so the decision then becomes how to plan it well in the first instance. When considering space, it is vital to plan the footprint of the equipment and then the area you need to perform the activities.
2. Room height clearance for equipment
Room height is important for two primary reasons, and the first is overhead clearance for performing activities. The second is that the room’s height can affect the temperature and your ability to heat and cool the space. For example, garages are popular for home gyms, and this is because the area is typically considered spare and it is usually too small for a modern car. If you can dryline the ceiling, then that will help you to keep the space warmer. Using fibreglass to insulate will also be a huge benefit.
3. Flooring
Choosing your flooring seems like a simple option, but it’s not, and the reason for this is that there are many things to consider alongside cost. Here are some of the most important considerations; insulative qualities, sound-dampening, wear and tear, cost and installation time. Rubber flooring is often best in home gyms. It has sound-dampening qualities, is resistant to dropping weights and has insulative properties.
4. Equipment
When choosing a space, it is essential to consider how you might develop and what equipment you aspire to have. In addition, considering the area and layout of your home gym is so important. If you need clarification, then there are Facebook gym groups and forums to consider. These places can be a fantastic resource, too, as many will have been through the process and be able to give you some pointers.
5. Gym Storage
Although focusing on the equipment is the main criterion, being open to gym storage is essential to designing your home gym. Storage will help clear floor space which is critical in home gyms because it allows you to keep your equipment in order and off the floor, which can be damp. It also means that you can stack apparatus rather than clump it up. In addition, storage allows fast access to weights, kettlebells and other equipment.
6. Lighting
Inspirational lighting is an important consideration, and often, one is left until last this can be a huge mistake, and lighting should be considered right from inception. Using LED lighting is both attractive and functional. It presents a technical feel and highlights colour that can make a huge difference to the design aesthetic. Popular colours include Red, Blue and Orange.
7. Mirrors
In a small room like a garage or spare room, mirrors provide space and bounce light into the gym. They also give a sense of space. Significantly the ability to see yourself training will assist with form and spur you on for a more intense workout. Seeing results gives the ultimate motivation.
8. Motivation
Inspire yourself with motivational messages. Consider banners, flags vinyl stickers; these are all fantastic tools to encourage you while allowing you to adorn your gym with very visual solutions. A traditional but effective gym decoration, vinyl stickers are fast becoming the go-to for home gyms. You can contact companies who design your graphics, and some will even fit them. Others will instruct you to do this yourself. It is not too difficult to do, and the results are worth it.
9. Packages
When you are designing your gym, shop around and speak to companies like Mirafit, who have Gym Packages for various budgets. If you want certain items, these equipment companies will have special offers to help with home gym fit-outs. Packages are great as you can save money and normally get items that you might have struggled to get separately. You will also save on delivery.
Final thoughts
When designing your home gym, keep asking yourself questions. If this article does not answer them, go to the forums to hear from others who have been in your situation and utilise their feedback. Finally, don’t hesitate to contact your chosen supplier or email them with any questions. They will be sure to answer, and you can even query any offers they might have! Even if they don’t, they may still provide bulk discounts – So patience and planning can save you money.