Whenever I thought of building a gym space, the first thing that came to my mind was a big space with a ton of expensive and big equipment. Well, that's what most people think when we talk about building a gym or a fitness space. But what if I tell you that it is possible to build a fully functional gym in one small room with a list of some basic equipment for every diverse workout in your fitness needs, and that too on a budget?
Yes, it might sound difficult, but it is not impossible to build. A home gym setup in a compact space with a few machines. In this blog, I will be talking about how I set up my full gym. In a small room with the equipment that helped me with my fitness journey.
What are the Essential Steps of Building a One-Room Gym?
Let's walk you through the steps of building a home gym in one room. In a step-by-step process. I have listed all the important seps that I followed while building a small fitness corner for myself in the home.
Evaluating the Space and Needs
The foremost step that I came across before sourcing gym equipment for home was evaluating the space and understanding my workout needs. I chose one of the corners of my house that was used rarely or could be used in a better manner. If you think about a space, it can be a small corner in your bedroom, a hallway, a small guest room or a nook around your balcony.
You just need to be sure that that area is good enough to fit in equipment. After measuring MySpace, I got a basic idea that I would need affordable equipment that could help me build an overall training routine. This way I could make the best out of my compact space, that too without compromising on my workout.
Choosing Space-Smart Machines
The next step involved in converting a single room into a home gym is choosing the most space-optimized and smart equipment. Because I had a very minimal space as my workout area, I decided to go for more multifunctional equipment that can support core strength training and cardio exercises.
To be more precise, I decided to go for adjustable benches that help with multiple exercises, resistance bands that are perfect for stretching and warm-ups, dumbbells, which are the quintessential strength training tools, and a compact exercise bike that would help me with my cardio training.
In totality, I could use this equipment in a lot of different ways. It's really compact, which eliminates the difficulty of finding space for storing the machines. Also, these tools helped me in saving a lot of energy and money that I would have otherwise spent on travelling to the gym.
Using Smart Storage Solutions
The step after choosing equipment like exercise cycle and the strength training basics is finding the right type of storage. Even though my setup has the most basic equipment, some of them still require a good organization solution. For instance, I chose to add a compact dumbbell rack in my small home gym to avoid accidents.
Having the right type of storage solution will not only make your space look cleaner, but it will also save you from any kind of accident or mishap that happens due to dumbbells rolling off. Plus, it gives a complete gym vibe to your small space, making it more fun and suitable for workouts.
Lighting and Floor Setup (Optional)
Other than planning and designing your home gym setup, you should also think about changing the environment of your gym room a bit. You can start by adding a few lights and mirrors to the room to make it look bigger. In addition to enhancing the lighting of my gym room, I also considered buying an exercise mat to protect my expensive flooring from the damage due to falling dumbbells and heavy equipment.
I also have a good Bluetooth speaker and music system installed in my gym room to make my workouts fun. All these make the space look brighter and help in staying motivated and consistent towards the workout. Routine even if you're working out in a small corner built at your home.
The Equipment Checklist for Complete Fitness Training
After all the prep work for setting up your home gym, have a look at the checklist of equipment. In your daily routine for a more balanced, consistent approach towards your fitness. Here is a list of all the equipment that I have in my home gym for holistic fitness.
1. Cardio Essentials: Under this category of equipment, I have a compact exercise bike that stimulates the outdoor cycling experience. The other alternatives to an exercise bike for cardio can be a foldable home treadmill or a cross trainer machine.
2. Strength Training Machines: For strength training exercises at home, I prefer having more flexible setups like weight plates, adjustable dumbbells, or other simple tools like kettlebells.
3. Portable Accessories: Other than the fitness basics, I also have many small accessories like resistance bands, skipping ropes and exercise balls.
4. Exercise Benches: Instead of having butterfly machines, I have a very versatile bench for exercises. The exercise bench helps me achieve every workout without any hassle.
5. Tools for Flexibility and Balance: Lastly, I have a variety of tools that help me improve my flexibility and balance. It is a great option for warm ups and enhancing athletic performance.
In Conclusion
Altogether in my opinion, a single room home gym is a practical and achievable solution for anyone who has space constraints. With smart planning and the right type of equipment choices, I made my small space into a really functional workout space.
In conclusion, a well-made layout and versatile gear can be the best approach towards converting your minimal gym space. Just make sure you choose the right kind of equipment and buy them from trusted brands for flawless results.
