As someone who loves fitness and working out, I was devastated and frustrated like most when 2020 shut down everything. I quickly jumped on the internet and did a ton of research on how to create a home gym that functioned like a large gym, but for a fraction of the price, in a fraction of the space.
Our Small Home Gym
our Gym is 9′ x 8.5′ opening located in our basement. It’s windowless and was built to accommodate a squat rack. We added in double layer of extra horizontal 2×4’s along the back wall so we could anchor in the squat rack. If you are working with existing sheetrock it’s best to secure a long 2×6 header across the top and bottom attached into multiple studs and then install the rack into the 2×6 (as shown below).
We installed a 2 can lights in the room because there’s nothing worse than working out in a dingy dark space, but I WISH we would have installed a few electrical outlets high up to attach a wall fan and our Timer/Clock.
DIY Full Wall Mirror for under $200
This mirror was a SUPER basic project and if you’ve ever priced out custom sized mirrors, you know they. are. pricey. This is actually (x2) 3 foot by 5 foot mirrors that are sitting next to each other.
I secured them onto the wall with Loctite PL (the PL is what is recommended for mirrors). I skipped the screws and clamps that came with the mirror. After squirting a few globs of Loctite PL onto the wall I pushed it firmly onto the wall and even pressed all my body weight onto it. Even after holding it in place for 20 minutes the mirror was still sliding (hence why they include clips), so I quickly cut a 1×2 for the bottom and secured that into place with 2″ brad nails. This helped keep the mirror from sliding and also is now a cute frame for the mirror.
I painted the 1×2 with the same wall color SW Anonymous. I did NOT caulk between the mirror and the 1×2 trim because you’d see it in the reflection of the glass and it wouldn’t look clean.
Home Gym Equipment Must Haves
Space Saving Squat Rack – T3 Series Short 24″ depth Space Saving Rack
This rack has a pull-up bar at the top, can fit in spaces with lower ceilings. We have 9′ ceilings. Attaches to the wall as well as the floor.
Olympic Barbell
Because this is a shared gym we opted for a women’s barbell which is 35lbs.
Short Barbell
This barbell doesn’t fit on the rack because it isn’t long enough, but its great for adding weights for barbell curls, ect especially in such a tight space 60″ in length.
Plyo Soft Box – I’ve made my own wood version, but I like how light weight this box is allowing us to store it up against the ceiling when we aren’t using it.
Kettlebell – we only have one 20lb, but are looking into adding a 26lb and 35 lb
Dumbbells – These are from Target of all places, they occasionally run discounts up to 20% off. Solid quality, and what was reasonably priced and in stock at the time. + dumbbell rack
Inclining Bench – Multifunctional bench and sturdy, but if it isn’t in budget a large medicine ball makes a great alternative.
TRX Suspension – we purchased an off brand from amazon and have been happy with it!
Ergatta Rower – both Lance and I have weak knees. He has had several knee surgeries, and I currently have a torn meniscus that needs repair so we wanted some form of cardio that was going to be low impact, but efficient at getting our heart rate up. Rowing actually work x2 the muscles used when cycling or running making it a great full body workout.
We went with the Ergatta instead of a traditional rower because its lighter weight and easier to maneuver around our home gym + the screen has a game like programming so it keeps you entertained as you chase all the coin around the screen.
You can use my code HBH50 to get and opt for self assembly to save a few hundred off this rower.
Gym Flooring – Another alternative to this click and lock gym flooring is horse stall mats. They are strong and what my Crossfit gym actually uses as the flooring.
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