Many people dream of organizing a full-fledged gym in their home, so as not to bother themselves with moving in space when they want to do regular exercises or seriously sweat. In conditions of constant traffic jams or geographic distance from a public gym, this is a completely justified problem. Some people simply want to make their home multifunctional and problems with self-organization are of little concern to them.
Minimum set of exercise equipment for a home gym
But it's not that simple. Placing exercise equipment requires a lot of space, plus proper isolation of the space is needed so as not to disturb the rest of the family members with the clanking of heavy pieces of iron. Today we will look at different home gym ideas, approach the matter from a scientific point of view, so that the selected set of equipment will allow you not only to fit into the space, but also to build an ideal body.
Minimum set of training equipment
If you are not the owner of a mansion in which you can freely assign a room of the required size for a gym, then you will probably face the problem of choosing a room. First of all, people consider basements, attics and attics, but not all of them are equally suitable for our purposes.
We will talk about this in more detail in the next chapter, but now we will focus on the size of the room, which should have enough space for arranging equipment, free movement and good ventilation. If there is not enough space, it will become extremely difficult for several people to exercise, and the likelihood of injury increases many times over.
Everything you need to work hard on yourself
What should a good home gym have? There are many options: from multifunctional compact machines to full-fledged equipment designed for specific muscle groups. But in any case, you should be able to pump all parts of your body, so in order to save space, it is recommended to combine these options.
Equipment for cardio exercises
It is worth understanding that the set of simulators and the type of training will differ significantly, depending on the result that the athlete wants to get. As an example, consider strength training, which is more common than others. At the same time, we will try to equip the gym with additional equipment so that there is room for everyone in the home gym.
Basic Design Rules
To begin developing a home gym project, you need to determine the allowable area of the room. This could be a separate room, a fenced-off part of it, or exercise equipment randomly located throughout the space. The most productive option, of course, is considered to be concentrated home gyms, in which the equipment is located close to each other. If playing sports requires massive exercise equipment, which cannot be placed in one place, you should think about redevelopment or completely abandon the idea of organizing a gym at home.
The second point that needs to be taken into account when planning is the technical preparedness of the space. The future home gym should have a window, electricity, and ventilation. Therefore, you should not choose basement or semi-basement premises, because high humidity will reduce the service life of exercise equipment and deteriorate the condition of the respiratory system.
And finally, you need to determine the amount of allowable costs, the project budget. Initial costs will be required to repurpose the room, technical equipment and purchase basic simulators. Less popular or expensive exercise equipment is purchased a little later and in installments.
Selection of simulators
What should a complete strength training include? According to the rules, it is divided into several stages:
- Warm-up is the task of warming up stagnant muscles, increasing blood flow and slightly raising body temperature. Typically, the warm-up includes cardio exercise (running, jumping, squats, step aerobics, etc.).
- The main part of the training is carried out on simulators.
- Stretching.
- Hitch.
Each stage requires its own inventory. Let's talk about everything in order:
| Training apparatus | Description |
| Treadmill | An indispensable attribute of any gym is a treadmill. This fairly large exercise machine is actively used to train the cardio system, leg muscles and strengthen the abs. It is needed both for people who want to lose weight and for those who are gaining weight. The average size of the installation is 2 meters by 85 cm. Moreover, it must be placed so that there are no obstacles close behind the runner, otherwise you can get an unpleasant injury while mastering the projectile. |
| Ellipse | This machine has a similar length to a treadmill, but is much narrower. It also does not require space behind itself, and it is capable of replacing the previous projectile. The activities here are similar to skiing. The muscles of the legs, abs, and buttocks also work. If space is limited, the elliptical will be preferable, but a good gym should have both machines. |
| Step platform | Portable equipment, for example, a step platform, does not require a permanent installation location, so you just need to provide a place for its storage. This also includes body bars of different weights (aerobics sticks), tourniquets, gymnastic balls, fitballs, etc. All this with minimal space consumption will allow you to diversify the training process as much as possible. |
| Bench for performing bench press | All exercises are divided into basic and concentrated. The first is a repetition of movements in which several muscle groups work and two or more joints are involved. · Any fitness trainer will tell you that doing basic exercises (especially for a beginner athlete) is a priority, as they ensure better and more uniform development of the body. Therefore, we rely on them. · One such exercise is the bench chest press. The athlete develops his pectoral muscles, front deltoids (mainly) and triceps. · To work you will need a bench with supports. It is desirable that the bench can be transformed - change the angle of inclination, for better pumping of different areas of the chest. · Ideally, you need to make a simulator out of a frame and a separate bench, so that you can use the latter in other exercises. |
| Power squat rack | Squats with loads in different variations will help to qualitatively develop the muscles of the legs, back and buttocks. Here we will also include various thrusts (to the belt, “dead” and others). · For all this, you need to acquire a power frame with adjustable stops to adjust it to the athlete’s height. · Under this and the previous simulator, a barbell is naturally required, consisting of a universal bar and a set of weights of different weights, for which there are convenient storage spaces on the racks. · Some models additionally have a horizontal bar for doing pull-ups with different grips - a convenient, necessary, functional addition. |
| Horizontal bar 3 in 1 | Also, to the mandatory exercise equipment, it is worth adding a horizontal bar-bars rack, on which the abs also swing. It does not take up much space, but allows you to perform a whole range of exercises. If you are strictly saving space, you should use the wall-mounted option. It is less convenient and requires a powerful partition that can withstand the weight of the projectile with the athlete. |
| Block frame | A truly multifunctional simulator is a crossover (block). · There are probably no muscle groups that cannot be pumped up with its help, so such a purchase is a must for any gym. · At the same time, it has quite modest dimensions - the space inside can be used for mats or a bench. · If there is not enough space, then you can use not a frame, but a single crossover stand. Its functionality will be lower, but the effectiveness of the simulator remains at a high level. |
| Dumbbell rack | Well, where would we be without free weights?! Using dumbbells, you can perform a variety of exercises for any muscle group. · To save space, collapsible dumbbells are used, but during training it is not so convenient to work with them. · If possible, we purchase a range with weights from 1 kg to 10. And everything above can be made from prefabricated options. · Pay attention to the presence of a z-shaped and straight bar in the rack. These are must-have purchases that will add variety to your workouts. |
To train your back, it would be great to add upper and lower blocks and a gravitron, but these machines can be replaced with a horizontal bar and a crossover if desired. You can counteract the gravitron using a regular elastic band, if it’s still difficult for you to do pull-ups with pure weight.
It is also necessary to purchase the following devices that take up very little space:
- Straps, loops, various holders for the crossover;
- Support belt and belt with a chain for weighting the body when working on uneven bars and horizontal bars;
- Soft mat for exercises done while lying on the floor;
- A shelf for storing the necessary small things: a telephone, a bottle of ammonia, a shaker, chalk, etc.;
- Wooden stands for feet or barbells.
If your hall is equipped with all this, you can consider it professional. Training of any complexity will be available to you.
Medball
This is a ball-shaped weighting device with a weight from 1 to 20 kg. Medicine balls are used in intense training aimed at developing indicators such as endurance, speed and agility. It will help diversify home activities.
We train at home. Effective exercises from a fitness trainer
Gym in a private house
In a private house, an attic or a glazed terrace is best suited for the role of a gym.
Advice! If there is insufficient natural ventilation of the room, air conditioners and fans are installed inside. This is especially true in the attic under a metal roof.
The disadvantage of the attic as a gym is that power projectiles will be installed on the ceiling (often wooden), which, when lowered, create vibrations and noise. And they will make people below uncomfortable and possibly damage the ceiling finish.
Light training room
- The veranda has its own drawback - namely, the lack of normal insulation. It can only be used as a hall in winter if there is a heating system.
- As already mentioned, often the ground floor space is used for a gym. In terms of ergonomics, this is an excellent solution, but there is little comfort, since there is not enough natural light, there is often high humidity, and there is no normal ventilation.
- To correct the situation, either reconstruction of the premises or preliminary design is required. The presence of an air conditioner alone does not save much, since it will not be possible to turn it on in winter, and at other times of the year it is not always comfortable from its operation.
- It is more correct to provide several ventilation ducts and windows under the ceiling, and use the air conditioner as additional equipment. The absence of humidity guarantees comfortable breathing and no corrosion on metal equipment.
Home Gym Options - Basement
- But when you study in the basement, you will never disturb people who may be relaxing in the house. It is recommended to cover the walls and ceiling with soundproofing, so you can play music loudly and not limit yourself in emotions when you perform approaches with heavy weights, and your muscles burn furiously from the load.
- The lack of natural light in sufficient quantities is compensated by ceiling lamps installed around the perimeter. It is recommended to use warm and fluorescent lamps. The latter especially increase performance and endurance.
Installing a punching bag at home is a great idea
From the author! If you didn’t know, the quality of your workout is largely influenced by your morale. Not having enough light in the right spectrum can cause you to lose energy or make you want to go to bed.
Gliding discs
They are small round discs on which sliding exercises are performed on the floor. Such activities put an incredible strain on all muscles, because you have to overcome the force of friction. The equipment is ideal for home use, will diversify your workouts as much as possible and will put into work those muscles that you didn’t even know you had.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Gym zoning
If you have been to public gyms, you have probably noticed that all the equipment is arranged in zones to make it more convenient for athletes to perform exercises. How to do this correctly at home?
Home Gym Options
There are no strict rules, but we will give recommendations:
- We have already written about the corner where personal belongings and necessary equipment will be stored. It’s worth placing an outlet here to make it convenient to charge your phone and connect a tape recorder.
- A separate corner is reserved for training with free weights. Here it is worth placing a bench and a stand with the appropriate equipment. You need to hang a large full-length mirror on the wall - it is necessary to control your movements during exercises. Also, seeing your own progress will spur you on to new achievements.
- It is worth placing a bench press frame nearby so that you do not have to move the bench too far.
- The power rack is placed where it is convenient. If there is no horizontal bar on it, place it where there is one. This will allow you to combine squats with the same scapular pull-ups, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the spine.
- Exercise machines and equipment for cardio exercises are always available separately.
- Be sure to provide a free space, unoccupied. Warm-ups, stretching, exercises on mats, etc. will take place here.
Over time, athletes begin to perform not just individual exercises, but supersets - complexes of different exercises, in order to achieve greater results from training. When you come to this, you yourself will understand how best to arrange the simulators. Perhaps someone will even decide to install a massage chair.
Note: The distance between the equipment is such that one athlete does not interfere with another during joint training. The possibility of hitting nearby equipment is eliminated, since when working with large weights this can easily lead to serious injuries.
Gym in the apartment - design
If guys are primarily concerned with the functionality of the gym, then many ladies will want this room to be stylish. Therefore, we will not ignore the interior. In this chapter we will talk about the materials that are best used for decoration and give some tips on decor and colors.
Gym in the apartment photo - Scandinavian style
- All the beauty of a room should be achieved through its decoration. There is no need to fence up structures made from simulators - safety comes first. Create comfortable conditions for yourself to get the best results.
- It is worth using safe materials in finishing. We are talking, first of all, about the floor covering. Most often, rubber mats are used that can absorb iron impacts and soften falls. At the same time, they last a long time and look attractive.
There is nothing superfluous in the hall
- The walls are made of repairable materials - cement-sand plaster is often used. This is because iron can damage surfaces. Many people like wood finishes. Such rooms look rich, and the material itself lasts a long time.
- The color scheme used is predominantly light. It is highly advisable to make bright accents of orange or red colors, as they excite the nervous system, which is what is required for a good workout.
The walls are painted with water-based paint
- The loft style is very popular in gyms, emphasizing the brutality of what happens in it. Here, concrete surfaces, bricks, beams, vintage electrics, etc. are used in the finishing.
Often the walls and ceiling are painted black. It looks original, but you shouldn’t overdo it, as the result can be a heavy, depressing atmosphere that is not conducive to the mood for work. With this approach, black surfaces are combined with white ones, warm lighting is installed, and exercise equipment and equipment (plumbing) are chrome-plated for more shine.
Futuristic but dark
Can it be multifunctional?
Modern life is multitasking and requires combining things.
Bar with colorful stripes Vonn Studio Designs
Lovely small kitchen Olodesign
If you intend to spend more money on a project, try installing a basketball court and hosting a tournament with your friends. The possibilities are simply endless for those who think “outside the box.”
Basketball Court Oakley Home Builders
Modern cabinets can hide heavy equipment Meghan Carter Design
A smart wall preparation system could be the solution for small spaces Isawall
Carpeted basketball court impresses Visbeen Architects
You may want to express your personality through decoration. You can listen to your favorite music, wear a worn-out shirt, and paint the walls any color you want. A nice, fresh look inside and out and some inspirational posters will add a unique touch to your gym.
Black and white paintings by Victoria Martoccia Custom Construction
Custom Wall Stickers
Large glass windows
Bright wall art adds color to a dark room Sullivan, Henry, Oggero and Associates
Look at the fabulous decorations outside!
Decorate it with a Shaping Your Space mural
Comics on the walls
Panoramic ocean view About : Space
Massage roller
A cylindrical roller for self-massage that will help relieve tension and relax. Using the roller and the pressure of your own body weight, you will massage all muscle groups. By regularly working your body in this way, you can restore muscle functionality, firmness and elasticity.
Massage roller: how to get rid of muscle pain
