Creating the Ultimate Home Gym: A Garage Transformation Project
Setting up a home gym is one of the best investments you can make for your fitness journey. Having workout equipment just steps away eliminates travel time to commercial gyms, provides 24/7 access, and creates a personalized space tailored to your specific fitness goals. This week, we're taking you through our garage transformation as we create our very own home gym space.
Why We Decided to Build a Home Gym
After being members at our local YMCA for some time, we noticed several issues that prompted us to reconsider our fitness setup. The gym would frequently get overcrowded, making it difficult to access equipment when needed. We found ourselves primarily using just the treadmills, which didn't justify the monthly membership costs, especially when we could run outdoors during summer.
Building a home gym in our garage offered the perfect solution. Not only would it give us 24/7 access to equipment, but it would also save us time and money in the long run. Plus, we could customize the space exactly to our preferences and training needs.
Planning the Space
The first step was identifying the perfect location in our garage. We decided to use the corner area, extending from some existing ladders all the way to the door. This gave us plenty of room to work with while still maintaining storage space for other garage essentials.
Before we could start setting up equipment, we needed to clear out the area completely. This meant taking everything down from the walls, reorganizing our storage solutions, and finding new homes for items that were previously in this space. It's amazing how much unnecessary stuff can accumulate in a garage over time!
The Flooring Foundation
Proper flooring is essential for any home gym. We opted for heavy-duty trailer mats, which provide excellent cushioning and protection for both your body and the concrete floor underneath. These rubber mats are extremely durable and help absorb impact from weights.
Initially, we started with two mats to gauge how many more we would need. They're incredibly heavy, making them difficult to transport, but the handles on the sides made the installation process manageable. We planned to add two more mats horizontally to complete the flooring area, providing enough space for both strength equipment and a separate area for activities like functional training or following along with Apple Fitness workouts.
Equipment Selection
Our first equipment purchase was a set of unique weight plates from Shields. These plates are particularly special because they're made from grinded-up Nike shoes – a sustainable approach to fitness equipment that caught our attention immediately. We purchased two 45-pound plates, two 25-pound plates, and two 10-pound plates to start our collection.
The color scheme was an important consideration for our gym aesthetic. We decided to incorporate the iconic shoebox orange Nike color into our equipment and accessories, creating a cohesive and motivating environment.
Additional Features
To make the space more functional and appealing, we installed a TV on the wall, which will allow us to follow workout programs or watch content while exercising. Next to it, we mounted a cabinet for storing supplements, smaller equipment, and other fitness essentials.
For ambiance, we added a color-changing light fixture that can create different moods depending on the type of workout. The ability to switch between various colors adds an energizing element to the space.
Organizational Elements
We incorporated parts of our existing Gladiator wall system, which includes various shelves and attachments. This provides excellent organization for smaller items and allows us to maximize the vertical space in the gym area.
Looking Ahead
While our gym is still a work in progress, the foundation is set. Our plans include adding a squat rack, bench, and eventually a treadmill. The space is designed to accommodate both strength training and cardio workouts, giving us a complete gym experience right in our garage.
Building a home gym is an investment that pays dividends in convenience, customization, and long-term savings. By canceling our gym membership and creating this personalized fitness space, we're setting ourselves up for more consistent workouts and better results.
If you're considering creating your own home gym, start by assessing your available space, prioritizing essential equipment based on your fitness goals, and investing in quality flooring. Remember that a home gym doesn't have to be built all at once – start with the basics and add pieces as your budget allows and as you identify additional needs.
