Building Your Home Gym on a Budget: Introduction
It is totally possible to build a fully functional home based gym on an extremely limited budget. I will show you essential equipment, creative savings tips, and how to ensure every workout you need to get done is covered.
Tell me if this sounds familiar. You got to bed late last night, had a hard day at work, missed lunch, hit traffic on the way home, it’s December so it’s already dark and feeling like the middle of the night but it’s only 7pm and you’re staring at your gym clothes that you laid out on the bed because you promised yourself you’d go tonight “no matter what” and yet from the other room you can hear your XBOX beckoning to you…
Assuming you even make it to the gym, which means you got dressed and drove the 15 plus minutes to get there, now you have to wait for a treadmill just to warm up and then when you get to the bench, it’s all sweaty and all the dumbbells you want are being used. You wonder why you even bothered.
Wouldn’t it have been better had you stayed home and still been able to get in a workout? If you’re tired of the gym and yet still want to get into the best shape of your life, it’s time to play, “Fitness: The home game.” If you’re out of shape to the degree you’re embarrassed to go to the gym, then have no fear, you’ve come to the right place.
I’m going to go over everything you need to get started getting in the best shape of your life without ever having to go to the gym ever again if you don’t want to.
Why a Home Gym Makes Financial Sense
One of the main motivators for a lot of folks is the cost savings. Even if you have a killer deal at your gym, you need to factor in the total cost of your gym membership.
According to Google, in the US, gym memberships average between $30 – $70 per month. So let’s meet in the middle there and settle on $50 a month. That’s $600 per year to get in the door. Does your gym have an annual fee? Was there a sign up fee? Is there a cancellation fee? How much to pay for bottled water when you buy it there because you forgot your water again? What about childcare if you have kids? How about picking up take out food after verses just cooking from home? This list can go on and on and on…
This is also a great time to calculate and factor travel time. Sure we can nitpick on fuel prices and such, but how long does it take you to get to the gym, find a freaking parking spot, workout, then get back home and what is your actual time worth? If you’ve never calculated your time, take what your gross income from last year and divide it by 8,760 and that’s what your hours are worth. (I know, it’s too low, so #1, it’s time to make more money and #2, it’s really important to decide what’s worth your time.)
When you’re thinking about a home gym on a budget, a decent pair of running shoes should cost about $150 bucks and a high quality kettlebell another $150, so on the cheap you’re in business for $300. If you forgo the kettlebell and commit to mastering the art of calisthenics you’re in for even less.
Which also means you’re able to get after it anywhere. Living room, garage, backyard, local park, you name it.
Assessing Your Workout Goals and Space
If the intention is to get in the best shape of your life, then let’s identify what that looks like to you. A few years ago on my 50th birthday, my target was max pushups in 2 minutes, max sit ups in 2 minutes combined with a best time 5 mile run and a 13 mile ruck. In January of 2020, I committed to run a 5k, do 100 burpees, 50 pull ups and 2 minutes of situ ps every day.
When you work towards targets like this and eat right, your physique changes accordingly. But what are yours? Are you looking to lose weight, build muscle, increase your endurance, mobility or flexibility? Technically, you should target all of these and you can accomplish all of them from home.
Now if your goal is to become a professional bodybuilder or competitive powerlifter, you’re probably going to need that gym membership after all, but most people, like you and I, aren’t chasing the Olympia.
And truthfully, I accomplished more toward forging my ideal physique with a kettlebell and a pull up bar at the local park than I ever accomplished at a cookie cutter gym.
Based on your goals you will get a sense of understanding of how much space you need, but at the same time consider your height and arm reach to know how much space you’d need to do jumping jacks, push ups, sit ups and squats, that’s all the space you’d need.
In the beginning, let’s assume you’re just getting started on your fitness journey, your goal should be getting your nutrition right and walking. Do not complicate this. Start basic and create habits. If you’re in fairly decent shape, again, get your nutrition dialed in and then identify a target that would challenge you and start moving towards that.
Realistically speaking, I can say with full confidence, if you don’t over think this you can start this journey with little to no money .
Some of the Basics for a Budget-Friendly Home Gym
Now, if you’re going to spend some money, let’s look at a few items you’ll want to consider
Bodyweight-Only Essentials
- Workout Mat: For comfort, stability, and joint protection. For me, I’m in the garage, so I got some floor tiles like these here: https://amzn.to/41O9Awo
- Power Tower: You can do the door frame thing but having the ability to do pull ups AND dips and leg raises would be ideal. I like this one because it’s versatile, stable and easy storage: https://amzn.to/49WIdT8
SIDE NOTE: No, you don’t need a bench in the beginning. And no you don’t even need this power tower. I would argue that in most towns there will be a local park that will have a pull up bar and I will also argue that it will be closer and far less time consuming.
Multi-Purpose Equipment
- Kettlebell: Get one. My friends at StrongFirst will help https://www.strongfirst.com/shop/kettlebells/strongfirst-kettlebell/
SIDE NOTE: That’s it? For now, absolutely, that’s it. Again, no need to overthink it or over complicate it. This is one of my beefs with “the gym.” When you switch from that traditional bodybuilding approach to functional fitness everything changes for the better. Go look at PT requirements for the US Marine Corps. Super simple. Pull Ups, Push Ups, Sit Ups, Planks, Run. Start here.
Affordable Cardio Options
- Jumping Jacks: FREE!!!
- 30 seconds on 30 seconds off. 15 – 20 minutes later you’re a sweaty mess.
- Jump Rope: Portable, inexpensive, and highly effective for cardio.
- This one will do quite nicely https://amzn.to/49SSmQu
- Interval Timer: Multiple aps available on your phone and will come in handy for jogging, sprint work and calisthenics.
- I’ve been using Intervals Pro: HIIT Timer for years.
- What about a treadmill, elliptical or rowing machine? Nah! Walk until you can jog, jog until you can run. Buy a self powered bike. Ride it. Go find some stairs and walk up and down them over and over. Later on if you really want to get something for the house or the garage, get an Assault Bike or Rowing Machine but only after you’re running, rucking and biking. OUTSIDE. Bad weather just means layers.
Creative Ways to Save Money
If you decide to start equipping up and getting more into building an actual gym in your garage or spare room and are still on a tight or fixed budget, make sure you have the fundamentals first. And if you focus on functional and minimalist fitness first you’ll find it very easy on your wallet.
- Buy Used or Refurbished: Check local thrift stores, online marketplaces, or garage sales. Remember not to dishonor yourself with cardio equipment in the beginning.
- DIY Equipment: Sandbags, weight vests, rucksacks, homemade plyo boxes, or even go super old school and fill water jugs with sand.
- Focus on Incremental Purchases: No need to buy everything at once. Acquire key pieces gradually. My first kettlebell was a 16kg bell. I used that for almost a year before I upgraded to a 24kg bell and then had that one for 9 months before I added a 32kg bell. I then went back to and added a second 16kg and worked on double bell work until I had pairs of each. For about 7 years it was me, the local park and my KBs.
Maintaining Motivation and Accountability
One of the reasons I’ve heard over the years for keeping a gym membership going is that for many the ritual of going to the gym keeps them accountable and motivated. So let’s address that real quick. If this is you, then good. Keep going.
BUT! If you’re over it with going to the gym and are craving the great outdoors for your fitness fix, how do you stay accountable to yourself and your goals?
- Actually set goals. LOL! Have targets that you’re trying to hit. Those targets do not need to involve, nor should they to be frank, the scale. These should be times, repetitions, number of workouts, etc.
- Track progress. For example, there’s a course in my neighborhood the my wife plotted out that’s 1.2 miles and involves a very rude hill. I time that sucker. How fast can I run it or ruck it? How many burpees can I do in 10 minutes? How long does it take to do 150 burpees? Every training session, look to get a little better.
- Schedule your workouts. These are appointments you’re making with yourself and your future self. Physically, what kind of shape do you want to be in when you’re 80? Don’t miss your appointments.
- Incorporate rewards for good behavior. Give yourself a scheduled weekly or bi-weekly cheat meal under the condition that you hit all your targets during that period.
- Include active recovery and downtime. That means some kind of mobility routine and contrast therapy. I know we’re talking about doing this on the cheap, so that starts with taking a hot shower and finishing that shower cold. Start with 3.5 minutes hot, 1 minute cold and start adding time till you’re at a 3.5 minute cold show. 7 minutes total. At some point, get a Sauna Blanket, but until then, this will totally suffice.
Home Gym on a Budget Wrap Up
Let’s Recap The Two Key Points:
- You don’t need to “go to the gym” to get in the best shape of your life. You can build an incredibly budget-friendly home gym with a little bit of research, creativity, and planning.
- With consistency, working out from home or at the park instead of going to the gym will pay for itself both financially and in health benefits.
Your Call to Action: I want to hear from you. Are you thinking about cancelling your gym membership? Have you already? What caused you to do it and what have been your results? As I’ve said, you have to live in your body 24/7 so whatever you do, let’s make sure it’s in tip top shape for the entire journey.
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