Setting Up a Home Gym in Your Basement

Gym memberships can be costly and inconvenient. Having a home gym makes it easier to work out in the privacy of your own home with equipment that you really want. You can turn your basement into a home gym without a lot of work or expense. Here are some tips for how to set up a home gym that your whole family will take advantage of.

What kind of space do you have?

You need to consider how much space you have for your home gym and then start to plan from there. Make sure that it is well-ventilated with windows that open and maybe even a fan. Basements usually stay cooler in the summer and in the winter they can be cold. For working out in the winter, dress in sweats to get your muscles warm.

What kind of equipment do you want to have?

I suggest a weight bench with an appropriate amount of weight to accomodate all the family members who are going to use it. A weight bench that has attachments for leg lifts and a bar for bench presses is good to have. A stationary bicycle is another good choice. If you have the room, a treadmill that inclines or an incline bench for crunches is good. You should also consider a punching bag and a gym mat for the floor.

How much is this going to cost?

Look in supermarkets, Craigslist, the classifieds or ask around. You will be surprised at how often people sell exercise equipment and loose weights. If you are smart and shop yard and garage sales, you will be able to pick up a lot of the equipment that you want to have in your home gym. Another good source for reasonably priced exercise equipment is Walmart.

What else makes a home gym special?

Add a cd player to help keep you motivated. The beauty of having your own gym in your basement is that you can use it whenever you want and you only have to fight over the equipment with the other people in your house.

Little extras that are nice are jumpropes, tension bands, a hoola hoop, balance balls, weighted balls and hand-held weights.

You can personalize your gym to include any kind of workout you want to focus on. It is your home gym.