Many of us have been without the gym for quite some time as we’ve been restricted to our homes and the weight rooms have been closed during the lockdowns. Needless to say, many of us have had to be creative in our gym pursuits such as using 5l water bottles or massive bags of dog food as weights. Though effective in getting the job done, these methods haven’t proven the most aesthetically pleasing or motivation inducing as they just don’t give us the same feeling as going to the gym. Alas, with a little time and money on our hands we may be able to curate the perfect home gym on a budget that could prove more ideal than heading to the public gym. In this article, we will shed some light on how you can create the perfect home gym affordably.
Make some room
The first step, before sourcing any equipment, is finding the space to place it or get your gym activities done. If you’ve got space in your garage already, then there is no problem, but otherwise you will have to store your boxes somewhere else and clean up the garage to be the perfect place to pop your equipment. If you don’t have a garage but have a spare room, this space could work too. Just be sure to protect any wooden floors or carpets from heavy equipment by laying down some rubber or foam.
Sourcing used equipment
Utilizing tools like Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, we can find several alternative gym equipment on a budget as opposed to forking out stacks of cash for some brand new gear. When looking for second-hand gym equipment, you need to bear in mind the condition that it is in. Things like dumbbells and barbells can be in practically any condition as they are incredibly durable but workout machines have connecting cables and other components that may break with improper use. Be sure to scan the images of your desired second-hand equipment to find those most suitable for getting the job done.
Build equipment yourself
If you have enough time and resources on your hands, then you may build your own equipment to save a bunch of bucks. There is an endless list of DIY projects to create weights that aren’t simply packets of dog food if you take the time to do a little bit of research. So rather than spending an arm and a leg on new or used equipment, seriously consider building your own with affordable raw materials picked up at your local hardware store.
Choose the right equipment
Whether you are sourcing second-hand equipment or building your own, choosing the right equipment is the best step in ensuring your budget home gym has everything that you could possibly need. An Olympic barbell and squat rack are the absolute essentials to consider in preparation for your home gym. The Olympic barbell is a wondrous upper body training tool that can be used in a myriad of ways from bench pressing to bicep curls and tricep extensions. The squat rack is imperative for training your legs as the range of squat exercises available to you strengthens the biggest prime muscles in your legs, promoting the greatest muscular gains.
By following these simple steps and ensuring you have attained the appropriate equipment, you can quickly and effectively create your own home gym on a budget that you will happily use for years to come without the fear of heading to the gym in these uncertain times!
