Last year, I moved to a house in Hong Kong, and after one year, it changed my life. The quality of life is better, more green, better air, and less city pollution, including noise. But it has some constraints as it will take me more time to go to different parts of the city for shopping and sports.
Many have proven that if it is challenging to do the sport you want (going to the gym or running), it will be challenging to do it regularly and commit to it. It would be best to find a way to make it easy in your daily routine.
You can do it by having your gym center next to your office or on the way to go to it. It will often mean that you will not go during weekends which is ok if you organize your week well and plan other activities during the weekend.
Remember, you don’t need to spend many hours every day in the gym, but 20-30mn 3 to 5 times a week is an excellent target to improve your health and mind.
Then, I discovered the best option: a home gym center. I thought it would be difficult and costly, but I proved it wrong after some research and many tries.
Having a home gym center makes it:
– Full – Full workout is available
– Available – just here, put your shoes on and sport clothes and go.
– Cheap – no need for crazy and expensive machines
– Easy – Easy to use, easy to commit, easy to improve
First, you will need some space. Enough to fit your equipment and perform your exercises. The space required is the size to perform push-ups and bar press exercises, so around 2m by 3m. The ceiling space needed to perform pull-ups is around 2.30 m. And 1m by 0.5m to store your equipment. As you can see, you need a small area to set up your home gym center.
Which equipment?
The basics
1- A squat rack: this is the centerpiece of your setup. If your space allows it in terms of height, ensure it includes handles to do pull-ups. If you don’t have enough ceiling height, go for a basic squat rack to hold your bar at different levels. What is important is how much weight it can support (at least 150kg).
2- A bench: I recommend an adjustable one that will allow for performing more exercises. The key here is to go for a bench that will last in terms of quality.
3- An Olympic barbell: go for quality here; it will be an essential piece of your gym. Go for a standard Olympic sleeve diameter of 51mm or 2″, and the length should be between 1.8m and 2.2m (the latest being the standard).
1- Weight plates: there are many budget options available. Go for what you need now, possibly increasing the weights in the coming weeks. I recommend purchasing 2x10kg, 2x5kg, 2×2.5kg, and 2×1.25kg to start with. It could seem that the 1.25kg will not be needed but increasing by 2.5kg total increment, you will get better control of your progression. At a later stage, add 2x20kg and 2x10kg. Go for 51mm, which is needed for the Olympic barbell standard size.
2- Jump ropes: jumping is important in keeping a healthy routine. It could seem like it is for kids but believe me. It is perfect for conditioning, mobility, and coordination. All boxers include this in their routine.
3- Elastic bands: you can do everything with bands from warm-up, stretching, and, yes, full body exercises. The best part being you can take your bands while traveling to continue your routine even at a lower strength. Go for 2x10kg, and 2x25kg to start. Go for quality bands that will last (some cheap ones will break after two uses only).
The add-ins
The following add-ins will bring your home gym center to excellence. To be purchased in the following order:
1- Adjustable weights: easy to store and use. Perfect to have many new exercises available while limiting the storage space. It is also swift to change the load you want.
2- Adjustable dip bar training station: You can practice calisthenic exercises at home without expensive devices and in a small area. Calisthenic is very good for developing strength and mobility.
3- Inclined or slant board: the perfect equipment to practice ATG exercises. Excellent benefit for lower body parts (inclined squat).
4- Adjustable Kettlebell: This list’s last item will make some specific exercises easier for better explosive movements, but you can use weights instead.
Photo: rebounder, heavy bag
And the last part, if you have room and budget or want to extend your home gym center:
1- Indoor bike: pay extra attention to the quality and the height you need (so many bikes cannot adjust for tall men). Do intervals.
2- Indoor rowing machine: again, pay attention to the quality. Good posture is essential when practicing.
3- Plyometric box: the next step for more coordination and mobility exercises.
4- Heavy bag: And yes, one last piece of equipment to practice boxing moves for both punches and kicks. Go for a heavy bag on a stand. You can start low for a light to medium workout with the Everlast or go for a heavy bag and choose how to mount it on a wall, ceiling, or even a free stand. Boxing is perfect for mobility and coordination. And, of course, stamina increase.
5- A rebounder: it is a small trampoline that you can use to train your legs through various jumping exercises at different speeds. It is beneficial for developing endurance and other health elements.
And the big question is, how much will it cost?
Squat rack: 100-150 USD or power rack: 350-600 USD
Bench: 100-170 USD
Olympic barbell: 100-400 USD
Weights: between 100-300USD
Jump rope: between 8-15USD
Elastic bands: 20 USD
Adjustable weight: 100-200 USD
Total: 528-1255 USD
Options:
Dips: 50-100 USD
Inclined board: 60-100 USD
Adjustable kettlebell: 100-200 USD
Go now
You don’t need to spend much compared to the cost of a monthly or yearly gym subscription. You will gain from its immediate availability and accessibility. It will always be opened as you need it. Feel free to pay extras (a few bucks only) to get better quality that will last a long time. You can take your time to set up and invest in your gym center, and you will find more benefits to it than the one described above.
Indeed, you will have more time to do other things, you will set a healthy example in your family, and you can invite friends to practice with you at your place. What are you waiting for?
Shops to find good deals (no affiliate and not exhaustive):
In the US:
Amazon: well known, I believe.
Standboardguy: Excellent product quality.
Torquefitness: Expensive but incredible quality. It will last forever.
In Hong Kong:
NutroOne: outstanding service and quality. My shop to go for weights in Hong Kong. From time to time, some excellent offers. Quality/price is always perfect.
Decathlon: many options to find most products still with good quality.
Taobao: you can find incredible deals delivered from mainland China. Be cautious with the quality.
In France:
Decathlon: same as above but more choices
Amazon: easy to shop and get delivered to your door
PrivateSportShop: many great sports deals. Only sometimes products for home gym setup, but check it out regularly to find reasonable offers.