BEING A MEMBER of a commercial gym isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Be it the commute, limited opening hours, gym floor congestion or simply needing to spend more time at home with the family, there are a number of reasons why it might not work for you. One way to get around some of these issues is by adding a few valuable pieces of equipment to your garage and turning it into a home gym.
Before you jump the gun and throw your hard-earned cash at the first high-priced piece of flashy equipment that shows up on your Instagram feed, make sure you consider the following questions to see if a home gym is right for you.
- Are you happy to train alone? A commercial grade gym in your garage sounds great, but you could long for a social environment to train in.
- Do you consider yourself introverted? If you’re extroverted and get energy and motivation from being around other people, starting a home gym might not be the best idea.
- Does your budget match what you want to achieve? Think about your goals and what equipment you need to achieve them. E.g. If you want to be a power lifter who can deadlift over 200kg, flooring, a plate set and a bar may break your budget.
- Do you have adequate space to do what you intend to do? In a worst case scenario, you’ll box yourself in.
- Are your reasons for starting a home gym justifiable? Think: are you doing this to reach your fitness goals or is this just an impulse decision?
- Do you have somewhere else to put your car/stuff that’s currently occupying that space? Obviously.
Many people make the mistake of purchasing unnecessary and expensive equipment only to let it all collect dust and then be thrown on the nature strip to join hundreds of other pieces of landfill. That being said, if you answered yes to the above questions, congratulations, a home gym would likely be a good investment. To help you take the next step, we’re breaking down the important pieces of equipment you’ll need to elevate your home gym from a loose assortment of gear scattered around your garage floor to a commercial-grade sweat centre you can brag to your friends about. Let’s get into it.
1. NordicTrack EXP 5i NT24 Treadmill
Investing in a treadmill will remove yet another reason for leaving your house, as you can get your cardio in from the comfort of your home. There isn’t much to say about treadmills that hasn’t already been said – running is good for you, no surprises there – but treadmills continue to make the process of running more enjoyable with technological innovations. The NordicTrack EXP 5i NT24 boasts a generous belt with plenty of room for comfortable walks or runs. Its quick speed control feature starts at 2km/h and goes all the way up to 16km/h, to suit a variety of experience levels. With 0-10 per cent incline, you can also customise your runs to add an extra challenge. What’s more, the NT24 is compatible with the iFIT app, so you can access running tracks from across the globe guided by personal trainers. Best of all, if you’re short on space or living in an apartment, its handy design and easy lift assist allows you to easily store it between runs.
2. Celsius Olympic Barbell
An essential piece of equipment that features in a number of key exercises (bench press, deadlifts, squats), an Olympic barbell should be one of your first purchases when building a home gym. This one from rebel is one of the best you’ll find, with commercial-level quality, a durable design, roughed gripping areas to reduce the risk of slippage and spinlock collars. Just make sure you have enough space for it, as it is 183cm long.
3. Celsius 50kg Coloured Vinyl Weight Set
The total weight of your plates can vary depending on your goals and fitness level, but generally, you’ll want at least 50kg for those heavier compound exercises. Aim to buy enough weight to satisfy your training style needs (e.g. power, strength, hypertrophy or endurance) and consider how much you can lift for your main compound movements (bench press, squat and deadlift).
4. Celsius RK1 Half Rack
The rack is central to all of your compound exercises. This is also where you can hang your rings, do pull-ups and tie your resistance bands from various angles. Spotters are hard to come by when training from home, and a huge benefit of having a half rack like this one from rebel is that there’s adjustable safety bars. Make sure you utilise them, unless you want to feature on @gymfuckerytv.
5. Celsius BC2 FID Bench
Landing a sturdy bench will enable you to perform a wide variety of exercises – from dumbbell press to skull crushers. Just make sure you get one like this, with adjustable heights allowing for incline and decline variations.
6. PTP Dual Colour SuperBand Combo 3 Pack
Resistance bands are a comprehensive piece of equipment, as they can be used to target any muscle group and also be used for warm-up activation drills. In a 3-pack like the above, you’ll get various thicknesses to provide various resistance levels.
7. Technogym Skillup
Cable exercises should play a part in any truly holistic workout routine, and few exercises will deliver more of a full-body burn than a cable ski erg machine. If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s difficult to ignore the new Technogym Skillup, which uses dual resistance technology to integrate a cardio workout with strength training. And thanks to its barrier-free design, Skillup can fit into just about any layout.
8. Bose Surround Speaker System
The garage can be a quiet, dark and lonely place. Music will help you get into the zone and smash out a decent workout.
Having access to a home/garage gym is a luxury and incredibly convenient. Just make sure your decision aligns with your personality and lifestyle, and most importantly, does not interfere with achieving your goals. Happy training!
