Garage Gym
Work Out Equipment
Essential gym equipment for a home garage gym set up.
A garage gym is easy to set up and doesn’t have to break the bank. Even though a garage gym is a home gym I have a different picture in my mind of the two.
On the left is what I consider a garage gym and on the right is your typical home gym set up, well not quite typical, but you get the idea.
As you can see I feel a home gym and a garage gym are very different in look, feel, and use. For those looking to set up a garage gym I am willing to bet your goals are more along the lines of muscle building and high intensity fat loss. Your workout routines probably will include a bunch of different training and work out routines…
- strong man training
- CrossFit
- Olympic lifting
- good old fashion hard work
How about Rocky! I think it was in Rocky IV when he and his crew had put together his training camp in some far off place in the middle of Russia to train for his fight. Now that was a garage gym!
In the movie Rocky was still able to get in great workouts without fancy equipment. He kept the exercises basic, but still effective. Remember him doing shoulder press with the horse cart. Even though it was just a movie I don’t think you can beat basic movements when it comes to building muscle and burning fat.
When is comes to putting together a garage gym you don’t need much equipment or need anything fancy. It doesn’t take much to set up a garage gym and get a great workout. As you are about to see you can get started with very little money and hardly any equipment.
I am not saying you have to go old school like Rocky did, but I am saying you can get a great set up without much equipment or a huge investment.
As much as it pains me to say good things about CrossFit, those in the cult that don’t go to an affiliate gym and workout from home have a garage gym with killer set ups. One thing they do well is to keep the space simple and efficient. They are able to get in lots of different workouts with little equipment.
I want to give you a simple list of exercise equipment you will need to get started with your own garage gym.
Take note, those looking for a more traditional home gym equipment list, this is not for you.
The equipment listed here is meant for a garage gym and workout routines suited to specific goals. Even though I mention how different the two home workout setups are there will be some carry over in the equipment listed.
Garage Gym set up
Below is a good video of some guy I found on YouTube with a great set up. He takes you through his space. This video will give you an idea of what equipment is used and how the space is used.
Best Exercise Equipment For Garage Gym
Garage Gym Basics
To get started you only need 3 things. It doesn’t have to run you much and you can get a killer full body workout.
1. Bars
The first thing you are going to need is a good quality bar, after all, you are weight training. Strongman stuff can come down the road as your budget allows. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to get big and strong, or burn fat, strength training is the way to go and a good bar is the starting point. There are plenty of barbel workouts that are very effective at training the entire body. Without question, this is the first place to start.
Be sure to look for a good quality Olympic bar. This will run you a few more dollars but well worth the investment. I well made bar will last a lifetime. It won’t bend or warp. And is made to dropped with bumper plates.
Even though this will be one of the highest priced items on your list, it is something you will use all the time and will last forever.
When it comes to selecting an Olympic bar you have two choices.
- training bar
- competition bar
Save your money and go with the training barbell. It will do everything you need without the extra money. For your money Pendlay Olympic Bars may be the best deal on the market.
2. Plates
The next logical step is adding weight to your barbell. You are going to need some weight plates. Your best option is to find a few bumper plates. If you haven’t seen these before they are the big fat rubber weights used by Olympic lifters.
You’ll want these because they are safe to drop and throw around, and they are much more quiet. Plus I’m sure you don’t want the metal plates being dropped taking chunks out of your floor and destroying your bars. Not to mention the noise. Bumper plates will be much easier on your garage gym, your floor, bars, and they will help keep the noise down.
It is hard to say how much you will need, that all depends on your strength and how many different people workout at one time. The most weight you will need will be on the squat. Sure you make be able to deadlift more but you can buy metal plates to make up the difference.
I am willing to bet that you can get away with 300lbs to start. Here is your shopping list:
- 4 – 45lbs bumper plates
- 4 – 25lbs bumper plates
- 4 – 10lbs metal plates
- 2 – 5lbs metal plates
- 2 – 2.5lbs metal plates
- 1 set of fractional plates
Don’t waste your money on 35lbs plates.
Add in the bar and that gives you about 265 pounds of weight. If you need more weight buy 2 more 45 pound bumpers. That will put you over 350.
3. Flooring
To finish off the list of must have garage gym equipment is the floor. Nothing fancy here. Your best bet is horse stall mats and plywood. Those rubber mats are as tough as nails and will stand up to anything you throw at it. If you want to get fancy, build yourself an Olympic platform with the mats and plywood.
With the bar, flooring, and bumper plates you can get lots done. In the beginning that’s all the equipment needed. This set up will last as long as money is tight limiting what else you are able to buy.
After you have got these items together you officially have yourself a gym. Sure you will be limited but you can get an excellent workout in from home with these 3 pieces of equipment, throw in some bodyweight exercises and you will have enough variety to burn that belly fat, build muscle, and keep you motivated.
There are a bunch of different bar complexes you can use. They are great at adding muscle and burning fat.
If you are looking for a more traditional workout there are plenty of full body barbell workouts that can be done too.
Music
A workout room wouldn’t be complete without music. These days everyone has an mp3 player so plug it in and go at it. Or if you prefer some freedom get yourself a tiny boombox. Something from a yard sale or flea market is perfect. If you like electronics as much as I do I am sure you will want to go with a small receiver, subwoofer, computer and iPod then blast the music.
Garage Gym Additions
You can do this next phase right away, or do it in pieces. But at some point you will want to add these items…
Squat Rack – Tired of doing front squats… Then the first thing to buy when the money become available is some sort of squat rack. A power rack is the best choice but a half rack works well and if that is still too much squat stands will do.
Pull Up Bars – If you didn’t get a power rack with pull up bars, time to install a set. Pipe is all you need.
Adjustable Bench – Go with an adjustable bench, no need to get an adjustable and flat bench. Simply roll it in and out of the power rack to do bench press, incline bench, set it up for inverted rows, seated shoulder press, etc…
Prowler – This piece of equipment will be used for cardio and strength training, get one.
Dumbbells – your best bet is to go with power blocks. They don’t take up much room, actually next to none. Plus it’ll be cheaper in the long run.
Suspension Straps or Rings – Go with the blast straps because they have more versatility and I think versatility is important when putting together a home work out area.
Extras for your Garage Gym
I just put down what I thought would be other items that would add to your workouts. The list isn’t in any order so feel free to pick what works best for you.
Garage Gym Cardio Machine
Forget the elliptical trainers and tread mills, because they are a waste of your time and money. If you do want to some more traditional cardio go with a rowing machines. For all your other cardio go with:
- Hill Sprints
- Sled Pulls
- Skipping Rope
- Cart Pushers
If you are handy or on a budget there are plenty of things you can make that work just fine, some even better than the real thing. Check out…
Home Gym Equipment MacGyver Style
That is everything you need to workout from home. Knock these work out equipment pieces off the list and you will have a killer garage gym.
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