The popularity of garage gyms has been growing fast in recent years. Shifts to home working and pandemic lockdowns have fuelled a rise in people exercising at home and installing home gym equipment.
There are lots of great reasons to create a home gym in your garage. Benefits include saving time travelling, no paying for gym memberships and the freedom to use gym equipment exactly when you want – there’s no sharing with other gym-goers.
You may be surprised at how little space you need for a home gym and your garage might just be the ideal place. Not only are most modern cars too big for today’s garages but garage spaces are often under-used and become a dumping ground for household stuff.
According to Kim Mead, gym and spa designer at motive8: “With more people investing in their health and fitness throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen a big increase in the number of people repurposing their garage spaces into a home gym and investing in gym design consultancy to ensure they opt for the right gym equipment. It is surprising what you can with a small footprint to achieve a full body workout.”
You can find inspiring ideas for garage gyms but what’s the best home gym equipment for a garage gym? We asked Kim for her top 10 must-have pieces of home gym equipment.
1. Versatile half rack
The half rack makes the most of your space in a home gym set-up. It’s great for pull-ups, weights sessions and you can easily add landmine and dip attachments to give yourself more upper body strengthening options.
2. Classic Olympic bar
Your home gym equipment isn’t complete until you have an Olympic bar. Workout with deadlifts and squats or use the bar with the half rack and bench to add variety to your weight training programme.
3. Space saving bumper plates
Bumper plates are great for lifting sessions and can be stored easily. The plates are small in size but there’s no compromise on performance. You can even keep the plates on the half rack to save space too.
4. Smart dumbbell set and rack
Look out for a smart space saving dumbbell set and rack that combines stylish, hard-wearing design with a compact and sturdy construction. You’ll find plenty of storage for your dumbbells while the rack itself won’t take up too much space.
5. Adjustable bench
The adjustable bench is a critical piece of home gym equipment. Go for a bench that combines comfort with flexibility. You will want to switch from flat bench to incline and decline positions so you’re ready for all kinds of different home gym workouts.
6. Slimline rower
Maximise your cardio sessions with a slimline rowing machine. Check out the rowers that offer a variety of resistance levels with a compact, foldaway design that’s perfect for storing away when you’ve finished your workout.
7. Stylish kettlebells
Kettlebells are the ideal home gym equipment for strength and conditioning. Rubber kettlebells can protect flooring and can be use for a multitude of functional exercises. Simply put the kettlebells away in a cupboard or on a shelf when you’re not using them.
8. Rubber med balls and tree
Medicine balls are compact, easy-to-use and can really help your core workouts. This set of rubber med balls and storage tree offers a neat way to set-up your garage gym equipment.
9. Multi-purpose Swiss ball
Swiss balls, or exercise balls, can double up as a desk seat when you’re working at home. Use the ball to strengthen, stretch and improve balance when exercising and keep a good posture while you work.
10. Stretch and exercise mat
A good, quality exercise mat is great for all kinds of home workout sessions, from yoga and stretching to HIIT and weight training. Thicker mats are better for high intensity sessions while mats are usually thinner for yoga and Pilates.
Find the best home gym equipment
We work with top industry fitness equipment suppliers and have developed our own equipment brand, Erimus. Our experienced gym design team can advise on the best equipment for your fitness journey.
motive8 also offer a range of top-quality refurbished home gym equipment at motive8 Refurb. All home gym equipment has been reconditioned by specialist engineers and comes with a minimum 12 month warranty.
If you’d like more information on your perfect home gym solution, contact the motive8 home gym design team on 020 8481 9700 or info@m8group.co.uk. You can also ask us for a free telephone consultation.
