Building the Ultimate Garage Gym for About $5 Per Day!
By Corey Beasley
While the majority of us dream of having a 10,000 sq ft facility packed with the latest and greatest equipment, the reality is that we don't have the budget, time or interest to take on such a huge project. Most of us have 9-5s, a family and many other responsibilities, so we need to keep it simple and financially feasible. Working out needs to be efficient, so the garage gym idea is the perfect solution for the busy athlete with limited resources.
This is perfect for:
- Home Gym
- Small Gym or Studio
- Trainer/Coach
What Do You Need?
Forget treadmills and just about every piece of 'home gym' equipment that you've ever seen. In my opinion, we can boil things down to simple, buy quality stuff and it will last. So, whether you are looking to build a gym in your basement, garage, spare bedroom or small space at your existing gym, we've got you covered.
Below, we've created a killer gym for about $2000. No expensive equipment here...just a few bare essentials, so you can develop great workouts in a small space.
Here are a few of our favorite 'garage gym' essentials:
Equipment List: Approx. $1750
- Massage Tools/Foam Rollers - $50 - Get a good roller, foam ball and lacrosse ball.
- Jump Rope - $15 - A staple for any gym.
- Medicine Ball - $30 - 10% of your bodyweight.
- Plyo Box - $100 - You don't need a huge box. 16"-24" is perfect for most people.
- Wall Mount Squat Rack $495 - Perfect for Small Spaces.
- Pull Up Bar - $75 - Depending on your space, you can mount in a doorway, on the wall or on the ceiling.
- Climbing Rope - $45 - Rope climbs are the ultimate grip and upper body developer.
- Barbell + Weights - $300 - Order it online or look for someone selling a barbell set in your local area.
- Kettlebells - $300 - 16kg, 24kg and 32kg are a good place to start.
- Sandbags - $300 - Pick up a power, strength and burly bag.
- Suspension Trainer - $100 - These Jungle Gym XTs are versatile and made well.
- Battling Ropes - $150 - These have become a conditioning staple for all of our fighters.
- Resistance Bands - $50 - These can be used for a variety of purposes.
- Drag Sled - $115 - Perfect for heavy drags, sprints, etc.
- Punching Bag - $100 - Buy it new, online or at a local garage sale.
- Grippers - $55 - Use em in the gym, at the office, in the car...grip strength is always welcomed.
Flooring, Shelves and Walls - Approx. $250
- Stall Mats - Locate your local horse supply store and buy stall mats that are used in horse stalls. They are tough, thick and cheaper than traditional gym flooring.
- Plywood the walls - Buy a few sheets of plywood and screw em into the studs.
- Hooks - Buy a few hooks for miscellaneous items, screw em into the plyood for storage.
- L Brackets - Some simple L brackets are easy to install and create perfect shelves for storage.
- Cinder Blocks - These make a simple base for dumbbell, kettlebell or sandbag shelves. Set them on the ground and put a simple 2 x 8 board across for a sturdy rack.
- 2x8 boards - Use for strong shelving.
Now many of you will probably choke at the idea of spending $2000 on gym equipment, but realize that this is usually done over time. Break it down over 12 months and its only $166/month...or $5.55 per day. Most of us can adjust our spending to make this work.
Trainers or other gym owners looking to run groups. teams or classes?
Simply buy 3 of each and you'll be ready to roll! You'll have everything you need to create well rounded programs for a variety of people.
This should be a 'no brainer' for anyone that is looking to build a small gym.
Here's a Few Garage Gyms Ideas
Joe Chalakee's Garage Gym
Jason C. Brown's Strength Garden
Max Shank's Backyard Playground
Corey Beasley's garage gym
What is your favorite piece of home gym equipment?
Be sure to send us pics of your garage gym too!
We're always looking for new ideas!!
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