Small Home Gym Ideas: Set up and Cost

Whether you are a fitness freak or someone who just wants to attain a slightly better physique, hitting out the gym is so important. However, sticking to your routine is hard if you completely depend on the gym.

There will be days when you feel demotivated to pack your accessories and hit the gym. Thus, setting up your own small home gym is a good idea.

And the best part is that it does not have to be expensive. The idea of working out without the hassle of going to the gym every day seems very convenient.

It might be the change you need to start being consistent with the work you put in yourself.  You can start with a small home gym and expand it later on to meet your growing requirements.

In this article, we discuss several small home gym ideas. In addition, we provide detailed info on the setup and cost. So, get your dumbbells ready, and let’s start lifting.

How to Set Up a Small Home Gym?

Setting up your small home gym is the first step; the exercise comes later. And contrary to what you might think, getting started doesn’t cost much.

With a couple of hundred bucks and a few hours to spare, you can complete your small home gym setup by yourself.  The best thing about setting up a home gym is that you can be comfortable when you are working out.

Whether it is the choice of music, the choice of what you wear, or just having the confidence in your unfit physique, a small home gym lets you have that privacy so you can ignore the bullshit and focus on the prize. Below we discuss detailed steps on how you can set up a small home gym in your living spaces.

Equipment Needed for Home Gym Set Up

The first step is deciding on what kind of training you want to do. After this, you have to research what gym equipment you need to start.

When it comes to equipment, there are various types starting from weights to racks and cardio machines. If you set up your necessary training equipment at home, you can follow along with your favorite trainer on YouTube and exercise simultaneously.

The gym investment will result in a huge ROI because it will save you a large number of gym fees every month. And the best part is that once the pieces of equipment are purchased, you rarely have to replace them for at least a decade. 

• Cardio Equipment

No matter where you are with your fitness journey, you have to involve in a couple of minutes of cardio every day. This will not only help in warming up but also burn a significant amount of fat.

The cheapest option to start your cardio training is to purchase a jump rope. You can get these in your nearest markets or even order them online. A typical jump rope costs anywhere from $50 to $100. 

Another important piece of equipment here is the treadmill. And contrary to what many think, treadmills are actually very efficient, especially if you want to lose weight.

They provide some intense fat burn and should be definitely picked up if you have an extra budget and extra space to spare. A treadmill, however, is a huge investment, and it is probably a better idea to just stick with the jumping rope if you are just starting out.

• Strength Training Equipment

Whenever spoken of a gym, the first thing a layman thinks about is lifting dumbbells. In fact, dumbbells are the trademark and symbol of most fitness and gym centers.

The strength training equipment is easily the most important among the lists as they are the essence of physical workouts. Starting out, you do not have to go crazy and invest in bench presses, large storage racks, and barbells.

Even less equipment can endow a huge value if everything is set up and used properly. The first purchase in the strength training department can be a kettlebell.

The best thing about kettlebells is that you do not always need a pair to work out. In the case of dumbbells, it is best done with a pair and on two hands simultaneously. 

Remember to buy adjustable dumbbells so that it’s easier to rack up weights as you improve your strength. It is also a good idea to increase weights slightly after each rep.

This will further help to tear down solid muscles and build up bigger and stronger ones. If lifting weights and kettlebells isn’t your thing, you can always stick with resistance bands. 

Resistance bands are relatively new workout tools that are extremely lightweight but can bring out the same results as heavy machinery. These bands train your body by creating resistance and can be used to train almost every part. You can get a bunch of them for about $100.

• Balance Equipment

Many users neglect the balance factor when purchasing equipment for a home. The most popular options are the balance balls which can assist you in core and balance training.

However, they require some space and are a bit more costly than what we are about to suggest. It is far more rewarding to invest in a small balance disk that can be picked up on eBay or Amazon for $20. 

• Recovery Tools

Recovery is crucial in all forms of physical and even mental training. Whenever you push your body beyond limits, you have to give it time to recover either actively or passively.

The first item is the foam roller. They are very versatile equipment that can knead your sore muscles as well as strengthen your case.

We have also seen many yoga practitioners use foam rollers as props. Thus, the use case is always there. Foam rollers are effective in eliminating fatigue and gearing up the recovery process. 

Other popular but little expensive options are the Thera gun and foot rollers. Thera guns are increasing in popularity these days for the convenience of use.

Mega celebrity athletes like Ronaldo market these products and have led to their popularity. For now, you just have to stick with what is absolutely necessary and add equipment as you put consistent work.

• Small Home Gym: Top 5 Tools and Average Price

Tools	Average Price
Kettlebell (per pound)	$1.5
Resistance Bands (bundle)	$60
Dumbbells (per pound)	$1.5
Equipment Mat (x1)	$15
Jump Rope (x1)	$5

Storage Tools

After you have decided on what equipment you want to set up in your home gym, it is time to think about how to store them. A basic storage container with a sliding mechanism can be obtained for about $30.

In addition, empty walls can serve as a storage space for many wall hangers. You can get your hands on a decent hanging organizer for about $45.

If you are a heavy lifter and need a wide variety of weights, you have to invest in a large and spacious room to fit your mass storage shelf. 

Selecting the Perfect Location 

People spend a lot of thought when they have to set up their working spaces. Similarly, it is equally important to properly design and plan your working-out space.

As a rule of thumb, high-intensity exercise will require a room of their own. But if you are a beginner, even the corner of your bedroom will suffice to fit a few pieces of equipment.

 Some idea for selecting the location for your home gym is to first look around the house. Are there any vacant spaces? Maybe an unused bedroom? Or an empty and abandoned basement?

What about a small store room? No matter what kind of house you live in, there is always some space for compromising and separating for using as a home gym location. 

Designing Your Home Gym Set Up

The first thing you have to think about is the light. It is important to see yourself when working out.

This helps to remind you about your posture and also encourages you to correct it. In many cases, gyms are crowded and sometimes, we cannot even see ourselves lifting dumbbells in front of the mirror because of the crowd and lines.

It is a whole new level of inconvenience when you have to wait to use the machine on your schedule. Mirrors are a must in small home gym setups.

As there are no live instructors at home, you have to look in the mirror and correct your posture as you go. A typical mirror costs about $20.

However, there are currently smart mirrors available in the market which not only reflect your posture but can also work as a screen to show tutorials for workouts. The starting range of these smart mirrors is at least $1000. 

How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Small Home Gym?

Since we are talking about a small home gym, most of your requirements will be met for as less as $300. This amount can go up to even $20,000, considering the type and amount of equipment you want to install in your small home gym setup.

Let’s have a look at each individual term that adds up to the cost of the setup.

1. Remodeling the Space

Before you start loading in your gym equipment, you have to isolate and prepare a space where the small home gym will be set up. In most cases, an unused garage or a basement makes up for perfect gym space.

However, you can also make use of storerooms or even the empty area in your bedroom. It is best and beneficial to make optimal use of all the resources available. 

If you have to remodel an entire garage, the cost can reach anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000. However, if you do it manually, you can prepare your living space or garages for about $100.

2. Investing in Flooring and Sub Flooring for you Small Home Gym

Flooring is very essential in exercise locations. During body weight, heavy lifting, and calisthenics training, a lot of pressure is applied to the feet.

Thus, the floor should be covered with some cushioning material. But it is important to keep the cushion as thin as possible.

This will also reduce the chances of slipping because of sweat. A mistake in spaces filled with metal objects can be fatal. You can fulfill your flooring requirements for about $200 if it is a small space. For an entire garage, the cost can climb up to $4,000.

3. Wiring

Many gym equipments are electric. Thus, they need power sockets and good wiring that does not leave tangles of cords around.

The cost of wiring can range from $175 to $1000 depending on the scale.

4. Lighting

When lifting weights or doing other bodyweight exercises, it is extremely important to keep a check on your posture. A well-lit room will definitely provide you with more visual information about the room and your postures.

5. Mirror

A mirror is your guiding partner when working out alone. Experts say that the most common mistake of new fitness enthusiasts is that they focus on completing more reps rather than completing them correctly.

Posture is of prime importance when we are training our bodies to the limits. You can get a full-body mirror in the range of $100 to $400.

However, there are also smart mirrors present in the market which can fully guide your workout processes with videos and instructions shown in the mirror itself. These smart mirrors start from $1000 at retail.

6. TV and Sound System

Everyone loves a musical background when they are working out. Thus, investing in a decent TV and sound system could really help you build additional motivation.

The best thing is if you are setting up a small gym at home, you might already have many of these accessories. If you have to invest in a new audio and visual system, you need an additional $200- $400.

7. AC

The gym is often characterized as a hot place as everyone is pushing their limits and sweating a lot. And since different people have different AC preferences, it might not always be the most optimal setting.

At home, you can set up your own AC and dial it to the appropriate setting. The cost varies from $150 up to $5,000.

8. Equipment Costs

The majority of your budget will be spent on equipment when designing a home gym. Depending on your requirements, you can expect to give away $100 – $5000 for purchasing necessary workout instruments.

For your convenience, we have crafted a table comprising all the cost areas mentioned above. This table is just an estimation and the actual cost of making a small home gym will always depend on your requirements and budget.

Cost Table for Small Home Gym

Items	Price
Remodeling Works	$100 in case of small spaces (DIY) Up to $2000 for garage and basement preparation.
Flooring and Subflooring	$50 – $500
Wiring	$0 – $100
Lighting	$50 – $200
Mirror	$75
TV and Audio System	$200 – $400
AC	$200 – $5000
Equipment	$300 – $5000
Storage	$100 – $500

Quick Pro Tip: If your small home gym project is extremely small scale, you can get everything set up in as less as $100. But down the way when you start getting serious, this chart will be much more relevant.

Is It Worth It to Design and Set Up Your Own Home Gym?

What are the benefits of creating your own small gym at home? Maybe you already know the answer but want some professionals or researchers on the internet to emphasize it further. In any case, here are the top benefits of designing a small home gym.

Uncompromised Fitness Routine

Let’s face it. Packing your bags and hitting the gym every day is not realistic. A lot of time is wasted on commutes and other unnecessary things.

If something distracts you or annoys you on the way to the gym, the work done will be affected significantly. By designing a home gym, you not only control your time but own it.

You can set up your timings as you like, and no time is lost on unnecessary things. The hurdles that demotivate you or stop you from commuting to the gym will vanish.

This will result in an uncompromised fitness routine and increase your chances of getting a better physique.

Environment

The most comfortable place in this universe is home. For many people, the sweaty aroma of gyms, the strange crowd, and even their physical insecurities are a huge blocking factor.

When you set up a home gym, you create a personal environment for yourself where you can focus on exercising rather than the clothes you wear or other sanitation issues from fellow gym members. Even the music being played on the loudspeakers of the gym can demotivate you if it is a genre that you don’t enjoy.

Thus, get rid of all the interactions and sweat, and build yourself a perfect small home gym.

Privacy and Safety

Not everyone is confident about their physical fitness. Research shows that many people skip the gym because they are too insecure about their bodies.

Maybe they are too thin or too fat to have the courage to step into the exercise hall because they have this internal fear that people will judge them. Even though it is best to face your fears and social anxieties, it will take time to overcome them. Thus, the best option for people like that can be to invest in a small home gym.

Moreover, there are also many privacy and safety issues to not hitting the gym for many individuals. By creating a home gym, you can even invite your friends or family members to join you while the privacy and safety factor is perfectly taken care of. 

Pandemic

Nobody expected the COVID lockdown in 2020 and nobody knows if such things won’t repeat anytime soon. If you are a dedicated fitness enthusiast, it is in your best interests to create a small home gym as soon as possible.

Think of all the money you have been losing in gym memberships so far. This doesn’t mean that you have to quit the gym and work out at home all the time, it is still wise to stay at home during pandemic times. 

Small Home Gym Ideas

Whether it is to save money from long-term gym memberships, or it is for privacy and efficiency purposes, all fitness enthusiasts should get their own small gym set up at home. Below are some ideas to get you going about how you can build a small gym.

Furthermore, there are also ideas that make your existing small gym more interesting.

Bedroom

If no extra space is available around the house, you can set up your small gym in the bedroom itself. This would probably be a small-scale setup.

However, it will still be enough for the next three months if you are a beginner. Even for serious fitness freaks, it is always better to have some equipment in the bedroom than have none at all.

Living Room

The living room is another option to convert into a mini gym hall. You can set up your treadmill or hanging bars in the space.

Another use case for the living room is to store equipment if the gym room is too crowded.

Quote Wallpaper

After making a small home gym, you can think about sticking some large motivational gym quotes to the entrance of your gym hall. Words work wonders in increasing motivation and passion.

Thus, if you see the quote every day on your way to the home gym, chances are, you will put in some extra effort.

Smart Setups

Be creative with your small home gym setup. Make the best utilization of all the spaces from the ground to the ceiling.

Using hanging bars on the walls and keeping cabinets on the ground will save a lot of space in your small gym room. 

Quick Pro Tip: These just prompt, and it is up to you to brainstorm what small home gym idea works best for you. 

Garage and Basement

Have an unused garage or a basement lying around your house? How about giving them a good run for the money you have invested in building them? Remodel the entire space and fill in your gym equipment.

Within a week, you’ll have your own personal gym that you can mod according to your needs in the future. Even though you are starting with a small budget, you can always add accessories later on.

Gym With a View

Do you have a place in the house that flaunts some great panoramic views? Well, then it’s time to relocate your treadmill and enjoy a cup of coffee with your morning walking routine. The views will further help you to take your mind off irrelevant matters.

Conclusion 

Setting up your own small home gym is important not only because it is convenient but also because it is cost-effective in the long run. This can be the one thing motivating you to work out like no other.

A home gym allows you the flexibility to work out at any time and in any situation. So, next time you complain about the hassle of going to the fitness center every day, remember that a small home gym is just a decision away!