Imagine the convenience and comfort of having a gym at home! You won’t have to fight traffic, crowded locker rooms, or deal with exercise machines that haven’t seen a good cleaning in years.

Creating a gym in your new home doesn’t have to be complicated or even expensive. Instead, it can be a fairly simple process that really pays off at the end of a long day.

Step One: Define Your Workout

What kind of workout do you most want from a home gym? Understanding that is the key to moving forward with your plan. Will you use free weights? Will cardio machines dominate your workout? Do you need enough floor space for a full body HIIT workout?

Taking the time to define what you’re most likely to do on a consistent basis is the only way to make a home gym work for you. Search any used marketplace like Ebay, and you’ll find lots of equipment for resale likely because it has been unused in someone’s home gym for months. The last thing you want is to fill your gym with equipment you aren’t actually going to use. Instead, sit down with a pencil and paper. What are your goals? What type of exercise are you most likely to enjoy? What could be sustainable? Simply planning ahead will go a long way toward creating the perfect home gym.

Step Two: Include the Space You Need in Your Floorplan

Once you’ve defined what you want, work with your builder to incorporate the needed space in your floorplan. Dedicated home gyms often need plenty of space in the floorplan and added support in the form of wall joists and floor joists, so talk to your builder about exactly what you want.

If you want a variety of cardio machines, you’ll need clearance around the machines themselves. Moreover, if your plan includes heavy machines and weights, you’ll want to make certain the area is strong enough to hold your equipment. Additionally, if you intend to add pullup bars or other hanging equipment, you’ll want to chat with your builder to make sure the wall joists in that area are strong enough to take the pressure.

Keep in mind that if yoga is your perfect workout, dedicating an area of your unused finished basement could be fine or you could take it a step further and create a peaceful yoga retreat in its own room. It’s all about creating your perfect home gym.

"Creating a gym in your new home doesn’t have to be complicated or even expensive. Instead, it can be a fairly simple process that really pays off at the end of a long day."

Step Three: Plan for Equipment and Gear

You need to begin shopping before your home is ever finished, you’ll want to make sure your equipment fits the space you’ve planned, and any special considerations have been included.

The equipment itself is just one piece of the puzzle because no matter what equipment you’ve chosen, you may want to add rubber mats throughout the area. They’re easy to clean, they protect your floor, and they’re a good insulator, which can be a huge help if you’re pounding out several miles on the treadmill each day. Your builder can even install flooring intended specifically for home gyms.

Be sure you add plenty of storage space to your home gym, too. Dumbbells and kettle bells are a great addition, but if they end up all over your floor, you may get frustrated with your space fairly quickly. Strong built-in shelving and storage spaces can help keep your custom home gym clean, organized, and ready for your next workout.

Step Four: Get Started!

While this step doesn’t come until after your new home is complete, it’s an important one to take nonetheless.

Your house is finally done, and you’ve added your dream gym. The final step you need to take is to start working out and loving the benefits day after day!

Adding a gym to your new custom home is one addition that means you can workout on your own at any point in your day or even add a workout partner to the equation! Use it regularly, and you’ll reap the real benefits of the space.

To learn more about how we can build the perfect gym into your plans, contact us today.

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