Next up in this series we focus on those with a bit more space, looking to turn their humble parking space into the ultimate garage gym! After all, who needs a man cave, arts & crafts studio, or dare we say it – a gift wrapping room – when you can create a state-of-the-art, powerhouse sweat den right in your garage? With that in mind, let’s get started with some garage home gym ideas sure to give you the ultimate workout experience, right in your comfy, cozy castle. 

First, the Floor 

The first step in your garage gym setup is the flooring you want. After all, it’s never a good idea to work out on concrete – too hard! To find the right ground beneath your feet, you’ll want to envision what kind of workouts you’ll be doing in there. If you’re looking to house some heavy weight lifting equipment, you’ll want to go with rubber. Black rubber tiles below you might feel pretty hard and uncomfortable – they are heavy – but they’re also perfect for absorbing the shock of a 45 lb. plate being flung down at them. On the other hand, if you’re thinking of doing more bodyweight exercises, yoga, pilates, and some light aerobics – go with lighter, softer foam. Both of these options come in square, interlocking pieces that can be easily arranged and rearranged to your heart’s content. 

Rack ‘Em

A multipurpose Power Rack is a super helpful piece of garage gym equipment that’ll give you tons of uses. You can find many that allow for handy additions, like pull-up and dip bars, plus you can also use it to hang your TRX straps or a punching bag, if you’re so inclined. Not to mention, squats are one of the best, if not the best, compound exercises out there. Get that rack in, and you’ll have no excuse not to get down and do them! One quick note: next month we’ll have a blog up on building an inexpensive home gym – but when it comes to the weight and stability of your squat rack, you do NOT want to find the cheapest version. Stay safe and opt for quality. 

Get Benched

A good, comfortable workout bench is a must. Chest presses, flys, tricep extensions – there’s no limit to the amount of exercises you can get out of a simple bench. If you want to get fancy (and we know you do), find one that has an adjustable incline/decline feature, and maybe some leg pads for extra grip for those intense core workouts you’ll be doing. 

Worth the Weight

Now’s where we get into the complicated bit. Unless you’re just looking for a spot to do yoga or cardio and nothing else, you’re going to want to get some weights. Sure, you can get by with only bodyweight exercises, but it does make it a whole lot easier to have a selection of weights to choose from. But before you splurge on all that iron, take a look at the workouts that you’re used to; what kinds of weights do you like working with: Barbells? Dumbbells? Kettlebells? Plates? You don’t want a bunch of heavy weights gathering dust in your garage gym, but you also want enough variety to inspire you to take on harder exercises.

Find Your Balance

Looking to carve that core in your new garage gym? Get some balance in your life! Pick yourself up a BOSU® ball, yoga ball, and/or wobble cushion to inject a healthy dose of instability to your ab exercises for an all-around core attack that you’ll definitely feel in the morning.

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize!

Some of the least expensive, intrusive, and obtrusive pieces of garage gym equipment are all those fun little accessories! We’re talking medicine balls, slam balls, core roller, jump rope, hand gripper, and resistance bands, which can all augment your workouts with some much needed variety. And because they don’t take up much room in your garage, they can be neatly stored under your plyometric box – oh we forgot, that’s another great accessory!

Add a Screen

Looking for some guidance planning your workouts, a workout buddy, or just to have that cutting-edge real gym vibe? Heck yeah you do – so set up a screen. It can be a flat screen TV, a projector, or even just a tablet fixed to the wall on a swivel mount. The sky’s the limit on the options here, but this is a must add.  

To learn more about how to best choose your screen size for your space and how to best position it for the best ergonomics and experience, watch this SSoD Vlog.   

Spin is in!

We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again… Heck, we’ll shout it from the rooftops of the world – get yourself a sweet Spin bike! Honestly, you cannot find a more engaging, fun, challenging, sweat-pouring cardio device than an indoor cycle for your garage gym! Not sure where to start? At Studio SWEAT onDemand, we offer two bike bundle sets, one for value and the other for performance, to kick off your cycling journey. And once you’ve gotten your bike, sign up for our 7-Day Free Trial, with tons and tons of streaming Spin classes (as well as other onDemand workouts) that you can do from the comfort of your newly minted garage gym. 

Well that’s it, you’re ready to go. See you in the garage!