Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 18th May 2021

With an increasingly active nation and soaring gym costs, home gyms have become much more appealing and popular. Though costly at first since you either need to find a home that has space or adjust your current home and buy gym equipment. Either way, you will reap the benefits long term. When intending on moving home and creating your very own gym, there are several things to consider, which we will cover below.

First things first – a gym space 

Looking for a new home can be both an enjoyable but stressful experience. Amongst your interior design Pinterest board, plans for a home gym, and dreams of the ideal location, there lies a significant underlying factor – cost. Without the finances or a mortgage to get the home you want; your plans can become a distant memory. Though, with mortgage broker sites like Trussle, the stress of getting a mortgage suddenly seems less daunting. With access to first-time buyer advice and a mortgage comparison service, you can determine what dreams can become reality - a home gym! Once you’ve established you can afford a house that has the capacity to cater to your plans for a home gym, it’s vital to determine the size of the space you need. If you’re only after a space that caters to a single gym mat and a couple of weights, then the room’s sizing requirements will be much less than if you’re after 2 cross trainers, a treadmill, and a rowing machine. Hence, we’ve put together a list of items you might need for a home gym to help you decide what you do and do not need.

Weights & Exercise Machines 

It wouldn’t be a gym without gym equipment; namely, weights and machinery. Free weights are often a popular choice for home gyms since they require less space, though machines are available if you have more room to work with. Then comes the machinery like a chest press machine and treadmill, which are often bulky, so space is a considerable factor here. Still, the debate surrounding free weights and weight assisted machinery will linger. Arguably, a squat rack and bench will be enough for you to do all of your compound exercises - squatting, bench press and deadlifting. You only need a squat rack, a bench and a bar for this. However, weight assisted machinery is good for working on isolated muscle groups, and some people find them less intimidating to use as there is less chance of failure. 

Gym Mats 

Although this might not be the first thing that springs to mind, gym mats are an essential piece of gym equipment. Allowing you to warm up and cool down from an intense cardio workout, they also come in handy if you like to unwind at the end of the day with a session of Yoga. Luckily, these come in cheap so even if they weren’t in your plans, they can easily be.

Clothing & Accessory Storage 

Though this won’t help you to get fit, activewear is a vital aspect of exercise and to free up space in your wardrobe, it might be worthwhile considering storage space in your home gym. This would come in handier if you’re a fitness fanatic and like to make a fashion statement, as it’s likely you’ll benefit from the extra storage space for your 50 pairs of trainers. It's important to stress gym clothing isn't just fashion as it helps with performance. Firstly, it can provide support to your joints meaning your form is less likely to give. Equally, certain temperatures mean your body will regulate its temperature. It's definitely an area that requires further research and shouldn't be dismissed. 

Investing in your own home gym can be beneficial if you consider the process properly. While it might seem a daunting task to take on at first, once you have all of your equipment installed, it means that you don’t have to worry about the cost of a membership and you can exercise from the comfort of your own home.

We look at Weights and Exercise Machines, Gym Mats, and Accessory Storage for this blog post on What Gear you Need for a Home Gym.