How to Plan and Design a Custom Home Gym

If fitness is a priority for you, making a gym in your house might be the home renovation project you need. A well-designed home gym eliminates the need to travel long distances to gyms and fitness clubs, and it saves money on costly membership fees.

Let's explore how to make a home gym that meets your needs. 

1. Assess Your Fitness Goals and Space Requirements

The first step in designing an in-home gym is to understand your needs. What kind of activity do you want to do, and what are you trying to achieve in your fitness journey? For example, your list of fitness goals might include: 

• Improving cardiovascular endurance
• Building muscle
• Lifting heavier
• Increasing athleticism and agility
• Sticking to a routine

When you know what your goals are, you can start planning how much space and what kinds of equipment you need.

2. Plan Your Budget

Home gyms can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousands, depending on the amount of available space you have to fill, the specific equipment you want to buy and how much money you have to spend on the project.

Setting a realistic budget is essential for avoiding overspending on equipment and materials. To ensure you have enough for everything you need, prioritize the items on your wish list by their level of necessity.

How to Prioritize Purchases

As with other aspects of building a custom home, it's important to prioritize purchases so you can make sure you have what you need. Here's how a typical home gym budget should break down: 

• Needs: These high-priority are the specific items you can't complete your intended exercises without. For example, a bodybuilder or a powerlifter would need a barbell, bench, squat rack and some bumper plates to get a full workout in. Most of your equipment budget should go toward your needs.
• Wants: These are the items you use often that aren't necessities. If you're a runner, you might want a high-end treadmill so you can keep running through inclement weather.
• Nice-to-haves: These are the items you would like to have in your gym for occasional, highly specific uses. You may only be able to buy one or two items in this category with any leftover funds — you can always save up to purchase them at a later date. 

3. Choose the Right Equipment

You need the right tools to get a good workout in. If you're not entirely sure what you need yet, it's best to start with the must-haves:

• Dumbbells
• A bench
• Resistance bands
• A mat
• Foam rollers

To get the most bang for your buck, consider investing in adjustable versions of the above equipment. Adjustable dumbbells and benches, for example, let you change your workout as needed without having to buy another piece of equipment.

Depending on your goals, you might also want to purchase a few specialized pieces, such as:

• Strength training: Pull-up bars, squat racks, suspension trainers, barbells and bumper or Hi-Temp plates
• Cardio machines: Rowers, ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bikes and stair climbers
• Functional fitness: Kettlebells, plyometric boxes, steps, jump ropes, medicine balls and slam balls

Another important consideration is how you will store the equipment you buy. Foldable versions of popular gym equipment, like benches and suspension systems, make storage easy by letting you collapse and stow them under other furniture or in closets. If you prefer standard equipment, it's important to make sure each piece has its own dedicated space to make sure you have enough room to safely move. 

4. Design the Layout

Whether you're building a new home or investing in an in-home gym renovation, the room's layout is a critical consideration for ensuring you have enough space to work out comfortably. It can help to dedicate each area in the room to specific activities, such as setting the far corner up for lifting and placing a cardio machine in the corner closest to the door.

Some of the most important layout considerations to make include:

• Clear walking paths: Leaving enough space between machines and other freestanding floor items reduces the risk of tripping, which can prevent injuries and increase the safety of your workouts.
• Freestanding storage: Dumbbell racks, medicine ball trees, multipurpose bins and floor plate racks help you consolidate large loose equipment and avoid trip hazards.
• Wall storage: Your walls are a great place to hang longer items like exercise mats, empty barbells, jump ropes and resistance bands.
• Cabinets: Wall cabinets are good for storing smaller loose pieces, like mobility equipment and shoes. At Keystone, for example, we provide various cabinet options to suit any space and aesthetic.

5. Invest in Flooring and Soundproofing

From a heavy bar hitting the ground after a difficult lift to a treadmill absorbing the impact of a runner's feet, most gym activities make noise. With an in-home gym, you want to make sure that noise doesn't spread to the rest of your home. 

You also want to ensure the flooring you choose can withstand your workouts, which is why investing in the right flooring and soundproofing equipment is an essential step. Most options can be installed over hardwood or tile flooring, which can make them easier to replace or move in the future:

• Rubber mats: Laying specialized rubber mats over a hardwood floor can both increase safety and reduce noise by absorbing impact, which is essential for heavy lifting and explosive cardio. 
• Acoustic panels: Placing acoustic panels or baffles on your gym walls prevents sound from passing through, containing most noise in the room.
• Foam tiles: If you prefer lighter, low-impact exercise, interlocking foam tile over hardwood or engineered plank is an affordable flooring option. It provides a soft, comfortable surface for any floor work, including yoga, Pilates, core exercises and stretching.
• Artificial turf: Creating an agility zone for functional strength training and agility is great for athletes with larger home gyms. 

6. Install Lighting and Ventilation

Good lighting is essential for a great workout, but everyone has different preferences for how they like their gym lighting. Some examples you might use include:

• LEDs: Some high-end fitness classes dim the overhead lights and place LEDs throughout the room to help clients lock in mentally. If you like the “party” vibe for your cardio sessions, LED strips and signs might be a great choice. LED bulbs are also more energy-efficient than incandescent light bulbs, which can help you keep your energy bills low.
• Natural lighting: Large windows and skylights maximize the natural light in your gym, providing a cost-efficient and mood-boosting alternative to artificial lighting. It's important to remember that natural lighting may be unsuitable for some home gyms based on the room's location within your home.
• Layered lighting: Low light is excellent for relaxed, low-impact activities like yoga, Pilates and general stretching because it helps create a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Layered lighting involves combining multiple light sources at different levels in the room so you can adjust your lighting according to the workouts you're doing.

You also have to make sure the room is properly ventilated to encourage airflow, which is important for keeping you cool and comfortable throughout your session. An air conditioning system and appropriate heating for your climate are essential considerations for every room in your home, including your gym. You can also add some windows to let in fresh air when the temperature outside is ideal. 

Design Your Dream Home With Keystone Custom Homes

Are you moving or considering an in-home gym renovation? Keystone Custom Homes can help! Our expert team will work with you to choose a floorplan with a Bonus Room, Basement or Flex Space perfect for an in-home gym or fitness area. 

Request an appointment with a New Home Advisor today by calling 717-368-9831, or by contacting us online using our digital form.