Hello friends! I get questions all the time about what type of exercise equipment one should invest in. Even when I worked in fitness centers every day, clients would ask what to have in their homes. There is no one correct answer for those questions as many factors go in to determining what might work for any one person. But as the cost of health club memberships and the desire to join boutique style facilities (yoga studios or CrossFit boxes, etc.) rises, I thought why not talk about how to build a complete home gym for different budgets?

And shazam, here we are. This will be the first in a three part series about outfitting a home gym with different budget parameters in mind. Now, let’s start with my definition of a complete home gym. A complete home gym should have the ability to offer the user (i.e. you) all of the core components of fitness. That would be cardiovascular training, strength training, flexibility work, and balance or neuromotor activation. In other words, there should be something available to hit each of the exercise areas.

I put my lists together assuming that a home gym would be an indoor situation. However, if you live in a part of the world with a climate that allows you to be outdoors year round, and if that is your preference, you may be able to forgo certain items on my lists. I also did not include things like sneakers, exercise clothing, or gear (i.e. lifting gloves) on my lists. While sneakers are not optional for exercise, most of the other gear can be. My pictures/links are only for price comparison purposes. While I did choose equipment that I myself have purchased or would recommend, obviously, do your due diligence. Oh, and nothing is sponsored.

I also put my lists together based on the idea that the average cost of a monthly gym membership is about $60.And that in addition to that, about 2/3 of memberships go unused. That’s $720 per year. Which, again, doesn’t account for personal-but-related purchases (gear, gas for the car, etc). It really is why so many people want to know what they should have on hand in their own home. It is so much easier to fit in exercise when you don’t also need to figure out a commute. And when you can shower in your own space. That’s clutch.

Now, most people would start out on the budget end of the spectrum. But after thinking about it, I decided that I could show a bigger bang-for-your-buck if I tackled this the opposite way. So, today, a list of equipment for anyone lucky enough to be able to really trick out a space.

I figured that anyone who fell in to this category probably either already had a dedicated home gym space that was decently sized, or could make it happen without too much effort. And, keep in mind that the final tally in terms of cost assumes that you are purchasing all of these pieces. Again, someone who can really go all in for a home gym might already have one or two of these pieces.

Cardiovascular

A legit treadmill or elliptical machine. You could also go for a stationary bike if you prefer, and this option is certainly less expensive. I went with a treadmill because a treadmill offers the most versatility in terms of exercise. You can walk, you can jog, you can keep it flat, you can add an incline. You can roll steady as they go workouts or you can go interval style. The controls are also intuitive.  Cost $900.

Strength Training

The sky is the limit here. There are several options and I’ll start with the least expensive. A wall mounted cable cross station. A cable cross is one of my favorite pieces in a gym because it is so dang versatile. You can do so many exercises and for just about every muscle group. Cost $250.

If you are looking to take it up a notch, you can look into a universal gym system. I am, in general, not a big fan of selectorized equipment because they are awkward to use. Lifters need to fit the height parameters perfectly AND be free of any joint or mobility limitations. However, if you are completely new to strength training, these machines are easy to learn. Cost $370.

If you are the powerlifter type, are looking for hypertrophy, or are training for something specific, you may way to invest in an Olympic style bench system with weights. Benches range in style and versatility, but the real cost here will be the weights themselves. Dumbbells and Olympic plates will run between $1-2 per pound, so if you are planning on lifting heavy, see if a friend will invest, too. Cost of bench, $573.

Flexibility

I went with a Pilates reformer here. Simple non ballistic stretching is always fine, no matter what your goal or budget, but a Pilates reformer offers a different type of flexibility workout. Specifically one that engages each joint through its full and complete range of motion. Cost $279.

Balance and Neuromotor Training

Neuromotor training refers to any type of training where your brain and your muscles have to really, really communicate well with each other. Balance training is obviously a simple example. But the point is that this communication keeps our bodies sharp in a way that simple strength training may not. Training this way may mitigate the onset of debilitating conditions like fibromyalgia, multiple schlerosis, and Parkinsons.

Creating balance challenges in your workout is as simple as making yourself unsteady. For this a BOSU trainer is amazing. BOSU stands for both sides up, as you can use this tool with either the round side or the flat side up, thus creating different types and levels of instability. Cost $100.

So, final tally time. If you go with the wall mounted cable cross for your strength option, you are looking at $1529. That’s a little more than twice the cost of an annual gym membership. If you go with the universal gym machine, cost will be $1609. If you go whole hog with the Olympic bench, you are looking at $1921 and remember, that’s before you purchase any dumbbells or plates.

My tricked out home gym certainly doesn’t offer savings over a year gym membership. Although if you have been a gym-goer for years and feel frustrated about the equipment, this might offer an investment that could pay for itself in 2-3 years. Not to mention the time savings of driving to a gym that isn’t in your basement. And the tricked out version certainly allows for customization, too.

Until next time, be well friends!