Advice for starting to build your home gym

Next year is less than two weeks away and I know many of you are looking to get back into gym. I also know many of you are contemplating building up your own home gym because you know how busy the gym can be in January. (It’s true, you know it.) :-) This is one of the reasons why I built my home gym. So in effort to help you do this and save you some money, let me give you some advice:

1) Start Off Relatively Small.
You can do quite a bit with an adjustable bench, a barbell, a set of adjustable dumbbells and an appropriate amount of weight plates. You may still have to go to the gym from time-to-time to have access to more equipment, but I’d consider that a great starter kit. It’s also a good way to see if you like working out at home (it’s not for everyone). If you do, and you have the room, then move on to more equipment (half or full rack, TRX bands, landmine attachment, speciality bars, etc.).

2) Buy quality products.
This is more for safety than anything else. I don’t have a specific recommendation for any brand, but if it doesn’t look sturdy, I wouldn’t even bother. I’ve seen some awkward squat stands and bench presses, which looks like you potentially could encounter trying to re-rack the bar. So I’d keep that in mind when buying equipment.

3) Shop around.
Gym equipment prices can vary greatly between retailers and e-tailers specifically for the exact same product. Also, remember that you can usually haggle the price with Ma & Pa type stores as opposed to retail chains.

4A) Buy Used Equipment.
I’d also be open to buying used equipment on Craig’s List or Kijiji or similar sites. You can find some great deals on gently used equipment. You can also barter with the seller too. Most people who sell are fairly motivated to get rid of the equipment. They’re usually either moving, lost interest, or need the space. So use that info to your advantage. I’d also consider keeping an eye on auction sites. Erik recently picked up some great equipment from a gym that closed for much less than it’s worth.

4B) Be Patient.
With Craig’s List type sites, you will find that one day you may see one seller has listed a piece of equipment for $500 and then a week later they reduced the price to $400. You may also see that a different seller is listing the same product for $300 a week later. So be patient and you may find better deals.

With the above said, if you can follow these simple tips you should be able to build yourself a great home gym at a reasonable price.