How to Set Up a Home Gym on a Budget

Setting up a home gym is an incredibly convenient way to exercise. You don’t have to worry about wiping someone else’s sweat off a machine or waiting for equipment to be free before you can use it.

You can work out from the comfort of your own space at any hour, any day you feel like. You can depend on a home gym 24/7/365.

Home gym vs gym membership

Flexibility

A home gym offers flexibility. You won’t have to work your life around a gym’s business hours.

As we know, life can be quite unpredictable. Things that need your urgent attention can suddenly pop up at a time when you need to be at the gym. When that happens, you may end up skipping the workout session for the day.

There are lots of people who have active gym memberships but don’t make use of them because of busy schedules.

Affordability

Sometimes gym memberships are either unaffordable or often tied to hard-to-get-out-of terms, and conditions.

Your home gym will allow you to exercise in your own space, at your own pace, without worrying about the fees.

For some, a home gym presents the advantage of not having to buy expensive activewear. You have the luxury to instead just exercise in underwear or cotton socks only.

Discipline 

Always remember that exercising from home requires discipline. Therefore, you should only buy equipment that won’t collect dust in your house.

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Setting up a home gym on a budget

Having clear-cut reasons and goals of what and why you want to achieve anything in life is key to success. You have heard this before I know. 

I am here to tell you that even with working out from the comfort of your home, your goals should be clearly defined.

1. Define your goals

Before you splurge on any equipment, define your goals. This will help determine the type of exercise equipment you’ll require. Your equipment and your goals should speak the same language.

If your fitness goal is to build muscle, you will need a decent set of dumbbells, weight plates, and even a barbell.

If your focus is cardio, then a jump rope, battle rope, kettlebells, a treadmill, a stationary bike, etc., is what you should spend your money on.

2. Set a budget

Building a home gym on a budget doesn’t require a lot of money, but, you will still need to set aside money and stick to your budget.

How much are you willing to spend to get started?
Depending on your budget, you may not be able to buy all the equipment at once. Allocating a budget to ”project home gym” within a set period will help you get there faster.

3. How much space

I have seen some home gym setup ideas that use very little space. My first home gym set up a few years back was a small area in my living room.

I had 3 sets of dumbbells, resistance bands, a kettlebell, and a jump rope.

At this point, I should also mention that I lost over 44 pounds during that period.

I believe that dumbbells, resistance bands, a kettlebell, and a jump rope are some of the best basic equipment you can start with, no matter the size of your space.

You can check how I lost weight here

Today, my home gym looks different. My garage gym now has a bench, squat rack, barbells, treadmill, spinning bike and so much more. 

Home gym equipment that won’t break the bank

1. Resistance bands

Resistance bands are a must-have for any home gym because not only are they affordable, but they are also very portable and great for resistance training.

There are lots of exercises that you can do with resistance bands, and depending on your fitness level you can switch bands to suit the level of resistance you want.

 Be careful not to buy resistance bands made out of cheap material that may eventually snap in your face-  this happened to me once.

 I recommend the anti-snap max tension resistance bands which are of high quality.

2. A jump rope

A skipping or jump rope is the most affordable body conditioning tool that you will ever buy and invest in your home gym.

A jump rope also happens to be very effective when it comes to calorie burning. Depending on your skipping pace, you can set your own level of intensity ranging from low to medium to high.

I have a very basic jump rope that didn’t cost much but it does what I need it to do.

You can always buy the fancy ones available on the market if you are so inclined.

3. Kettlebells

My favorite moves to do with a kettlebell are the kettlebell swings. The exercise, when properly done, hits the glutes, hamstrings, abs, shoulders, and quads, while building strength and muscles as well as burning fat.

The secret to getting all the benefits out of training with kettlebells is to do all the moves such as the Turkish get-ups, the swings, or the goblet squats, with the correct form.

I would highly suggest that you start with very a lightweight kettlebell if you have never worked with kettlebells before, and practice, practice, practice until you get the grips and moves right.

Once your form is perfected you can then move to something heavier.

Look for kettlebells with smooth handles, that aren’t painted or made from plastic, like this kettlebell.

4. Adjustable dumbbells

Instead of regular dumbbells, you can invest in adjustable dumbbells because depending on the type of exercise you are doing, you may require different weights, and that is where adjustable dumbbells beat the regular dumbbells.

If you decide to go the regular dumbbell route, you may have to buy multiple weights, whereas the adjustable ones come in one stack.

You just pick the weight you want to work with and off you go.  Although adjustable dumbbells are more expensive than everyday ones, they will save you loads of money and space if you wisely select a set or two that fits your current and future strength training goals.

If right now the adjustable dumbbells don’t fit your budget or you would just rather have regular ones, then my recommendation is that you buy these rubber-encased hex dumbbells.

5. Battle rope

If you have enough space to accommodate the length of a battle rope, (widths and lengths vary for battle ropes), then go for it.

I would suggest getting yourself a battle rope if you want to include High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into your routine.

Battle rope training is effective for hitting the shoulders, abs, legs, and back muscles. Great moves to do with a battle rope include the double or alternating waves.

6. A foam roller

To recover faster from gym muscle soreness, you will need a foam roller for amazing but painful relief from pain (If you do not understand what I just said, try foam rolling when your muscles are still sore).

Foam rolling will improve your muscle recovery time, increase muscle blood flow, and also improve your flexibility.

7. Exercise mat

An exercise mat comes in handy when you have to do floor work such as donkey kicks, planks, and a lot of core exercises.

If you can afford more than just a small exercise mat, buy a larger floor mat that can cover your entire workout space.

8. A  large mirror 

Probably this is not what you were expecting to see on the list, but a wall mirror should be on the list you need to complete your home gym setup.

A well-positioned mirror will help you check and correct your posture and movements during exercise. Plus, if you enjoy self-admiration, this is a great excuse to spoil yourself with a really large wall mirror.

Other essential equipment you may need

The above items are the essential equipment for building a home gym on a budget. 

Once you have these items, you may then consider adding barbells and plates, an adjustable bench and a power rack

Home workouts you might like

• 8-week HIIT workout plan
• 20-Minute Full Body Workout with Weights
• Best Dumbbell Leg Workouts for Women [6-week plan]