Are you ready to set up your own home gym? Here’s our quick guide to buying the strength training equipment you need to work out at home whenever it suits you.

1. Set up for strength training: barbells, weight plates and benches to make it happen

Before you start, do some research and make a list of the weight lifting and other fitness equipment you need to make your workouts effective. You don’t need lots of pieces of equipment to have a functional home gym. Starting off with a decent barbell and plates set and a bench gives you scope for variety in your strength training. There are plenty of free programs around (like this one as an example) that show you how to get a full body workout with only a barbell. Anything extra that you decide to purchase allows you to extend from there.

2. A strength training power rack: the home gym equipment that does it all

If you’re a serious lifter, it might well be worth making the investment in a rack. Whether you go for a compact model or go all out, put some serious thought into the versatility that comes with a rack. A power rack doesn’t just exponentially increase the range of exercises in your routine; it also provides safety as it can act as your own personal spotter. This can give you the confidence to up your game and push the envelope with weights that you might think twice about lifting without the safety net of spotter arms on a rack.  This can open the way up for you to extend your lifting capacity by safely pushing weights and reps that will really empty your tank.    

With accessories like weight plate storage options, chin up bars, dip handles and land mine attachments, you can really go to town and turn a power rack into the hub of your gym.

3. Cardio machines are not required

If you’re training for strength, cardio won’t be your focus. However, you can still get your cardio fix through high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts with weights to increase endurance, burn fat and build muscle. HIIT style workouts are also time-effective, with a complete HIIT workout usually taking less than 30 minutes to complete, compared to a more traditional 45 to 60 minute steady state cardio workout. We’d suggest saving space and money on cardio machines, and if you do want to go for a run, take it outside to mix things up.

4. Home gym flooring

A sometimes overlooked, but very practical consideration is the type of flooring you use in your home gym. It’s important to choose a non-slip surface that will absorb noise and protect your property from any damage from dropped weights.

We sell commercial-grade rubber gym tiles that absorb both sound and vibration, which makes them ideal for both noise reduction and absorbing the impact of dropped weights and heavy equipment.  The flooring comes in tile form, with each tile 1m x 1m in size, with a thickness of 15cm. Buy a few for the area where you lift and are more likely to drop weights; or tile your whole floor space for an impressively clean and professional feel.

5. Create a home gym atmosphere that keeps you coming back

To help keep your motivation high, think about what you really want out of a fit out (and treat yo’ self). Set up some awesome sound, install a mirror, or improve the lighting to make your home gym feel like a place you really want to be. Spend a little time mapping out the floor space. Think about the different spaces you’ll need for different exercises, practical considerations such as the locations of power points and storage, and any creature comforts – whether it’s a wall-mounted television or ample room to get up close and personal with your foam roller at the end of a session.

Whatever you’ve got in mind for your home gym set up, we’re here to help. We’re experts in gym planning and layout and we offer a consultation service just for this purpose. We’re happy to assist – just give us a call on 07 3170 3787 or email us via our contact form.