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I am in the process of moving from town to country (yes, i know that is so last year, but is long planned) and it's going to necessitate a few changes. For starters there is no gym close by but I will be inheriting a good sized (22 x 14 feet) outbuilding currently used as a home office which I have earmarked for bike storage and exercise. So, the question is, what would the STW collective recommend as the basic building blocks for a home gym. I think a static bike of some description is a must but then I am slightly undecided as to whether to go down the weights/kettlebells/other route or some sort of multiple function machine set-up. It would be primarily for general fitness/cross training in the winter months.
Are you thinking of/already zwifting?
If I had the room for a home gym area, first priority would be a permanent static smart trainer on a rocker plate, with a big TV.
Then a power rack, bench and bar & weights to allow me to do squats, bench press etc for strength training all safely on my own. Then some kettle bells for farmers walks and other stuff.
Tended to spin up until now, so have a fairly blank canvas on the bike trainer front.
Depends on what you do/use now and budget too. You can spend a small fortune kitting out a home gym. Check somewhere like Wolverson to see some figures!
In the country? Tractor tyre: https://www.onnit.com/academy/the-top-5-tractor-tire-exercises-flipping-beyond/
You can tow it behind you while you sprint as well. Maybe 🙂
I’m very much towards the climber end of the spectrum. I’m a terrible (hard to motivate) trainer and have to gee myself up to hit the gym where I tend to do a tour of the machines but they’re very specific to each muscle group. I probably have room for a single multi-function rig but wonder if that is too much of a faff and compromise and that instead a bench and weights in some format be sufficiently stimulating.
This is my small cellar room home gym
I have a few grands worth of equipment that I have built up over a few years, but now I have a decent range of equipment I find it easy to motivate myself to workout. Going to a public gym was always a chore, but now 2 or 3 times a week is easy.
I would start off with a wall mounted squat rack, adjustable bench, barbell and plates. IMO a multi function machine of the home gym type would boring very quickly. To get the most out of it , it is important to understand progressive overload, warm up sets and primary and supplemental movements, but it doesn't take that much effort to understand.
Then I think adding equipment just increases the variety of exercises you can do to stop getting bored.
And IMO dumbbells are more versatile than kettlebells, and I think most people would get more out of dumbbells first.
I also have the concept2 row, ski and bike erg in my bedroom for cardio work.
Heavy bag and nice squishy floor for skipping.
Thanks guys. The photographs have highlighted I need to wait until I have moved in - there is quite a lot of “out” about my outbuilding - wooden walls for sure and I now realise I have no recollection of the floor construction!
Have a look around the internet for "Barn Gyms" they seem to be quite popular with the US Crossfit community.
Then have a look at garage gyms.
I have a garage gym with the following.
Power Rack
Barbell
Safety Squat Bar
About 160kgs of rough AF steel plates
Olympic Dumbbell handles
20kg Kettlebell
Various resistance bands
Rudimentary Cable pulley system that attaches to the rack.
All bought during lockdown so I probably overpaid for it all.