The home gym can be one of the best investments you can make to help yourself achieve your fitness goals, but it can also be one of the most expensive and difficult purchases to make if you don’t plan properly. No matter what space you have available, though, there are ways to maximize your limited home gym real estate. Here are my favorite tips for starting a home gym in a small space.
1) Choose an empty corner
When trying to figure out how to start a home gym in a small space, figuring out where you're going to put it is likely your first step. Chances are, there's some sort of empty corner or dead space that would be perfect for it—maybe behind your couch or an unused nook by your window. If there isn't any room like that, however, it might be The time to think about your backyard is now! While you might not be able to work out outdoors due the safety of yourself and others, using every last inch in an apartment isn’t always feasible.
Find somewhere isolated enough so nobody can watch (and potentially judge) you while working out. Parking garages, alleyways and balconies all fit that bill as long as they aren't too high up off of ground level. The only problem with making use of them is storing equipment.
2) Consider a wall-mounted bar
While it may not be possible or practical to install permanent home gym equipment like a treadmill or elliptical machine, you can still get some good results with dumbbells and resistance bands. Consider adding wall-mounted bars to your home (they're usually bolted into studs) so you can perform all kinds of exercises without having to shuffle things around when you want to try something new. The great thing about using wall-mounted equipment is that it takes up little room and can be set up anywhere. Wall-mounted bars are also easy on your back because they allow for gravity to help with your movements.
Here is a multipurpose pull up bar which can be wall mounted, you can purchase it on Amazon.
3) Measure your space
The first thing you need to know is what kind of exercise equipment you have room for. The most common mistake people make when trying to figure out how much room they have is assuming they’ll always be able to get away with adding some inexpensive home gym equipment. You may find that by going cheap, you lose other things like durability and sturdiness, or worse yet, won’t even be able to use your home gym equipment at all because it can’t actually fit into your room!
To avoid being disappointed later on by spending money on something that will end up taking up too much of your limited space, take measurements as soon as possible so you know how big (or small) of an area you really have to work with. Once you know exactly how much space you have, you can take a look at dimensions of certain equipment that you are interested in. For example, dumbbells and kettlebells.
4) Look at modular items
If you’re living in a small space, it’s probably challenging to think about purchasing several huge machines like treadmills and stationary bikes. Instead, think about buying smaller exercise equipment that can be easily moved around when needed. The strength training tools you own should also be modular—for example, consider kettlebells and dumbbells ( on amazon ) because they can be easily stored away when not in use.
5) Use storage pieces for efficiency
You may have less square footage than your regular fitness club, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful home gym. Some of your storage pieces will be different (and maybe smaller), but you can make every inch of your small space work for you. While it may not be cost-effective to purchase pricey pieces designed specifically for home gyms, there are some efficient ways to store and organize equipment that require little investment.
Some great storage pieces include a storage rack which can store things like dumbbells, kettlebells, foam rollers, yoga mats and other equipment that would normally take space. Here is a great storage organizer on Amazon which will help you keep things in place.
6) Consider your hallway if there is no space at all
A lot of people don’t realize that their hallway can be used as part of their home workout. Whether you go to your bedroom, or continue on to your kitchen, hallway is an excellent place for some good quality exercise. If you have enough length and width, chances are it will work out just fine. A rowing machine on amazon in your home would work great here. It doesn’t need much room and has excellent muscle building benefits with less risk than traditional free weights.
You can also take advantage of body weight exercises which don’t need any additional equipment and can give you a very effective full body workout from head to toe. Even simple exercises like planks or squats help tone up and strengthen muscles throughout your body at no cost other than time spent at it!
7) Don’t forget the safety equipment
If you’re serious about starting a home gym, then it’s important to make sure you have some basic safety equipment. The first thing you should buy is a good pair of shoes. If they’re tennis shoes, they might be okay for walking or light weightlifting; if they’re running shoes, stay away from heavier weights. You can also consider buying wrist wraps (to avoid injuries while lifting) and gloves to protect your hands while working out.
8) No way you can find space? Use your drawers and cupboards for storing
In your cupboards, you can stack weights vertically, as well as place them side by side. For smaller items, you can place them on top of your drawers to create storage space. You could use it to store dumbbells or towels and balls, etc., depending on what items you are using. It’s very effective when used to store your small sized fitness equipment like dumbbells, barbells and kettle bells, etc. In addition, it will also give an attractive look to your interior room décor as they are arranged very systematically at various places so that they become easily visible every time you open any of those cupboards or drawers which has been stacked with fitness equipment.