Let’s be real, gym memberships can be crazy expensive. And if they are not, then the gym is usually not up to snuff. Or you just stop going after a while because, honestly, the last thing you want to do when you get home from a long day at work, is drive back to the gym. If you go right after work, what are the odds you always remember your gear?
So, what are your other options?
Running or walking. These are great and do not require any more equipment, but cardio is not the only thing you should be doing for a good workout routine.
I am going to describe to you how I was able to set up my own home gym in my garage and on the cheaper side.
My biggest secret for inexpensive equipment is a store that a couple of years ago, I never would have thought about. Marshall’s! Yes Marshall’s, the discount clothing store, but it is not just clothing.
I have gotten most of my equipment from here including:
- Adjustable dumbbells ($34.99): these came with 2 bars, and different sized plates. You could make one dumbbell up to 35 pounds or two smaller dumbbells at your desired weight. Other adjustable weights cost upward of $100!
- Resistance bands ($7.99): Five different bands at different resistances.
- Flooring ($12.99 for a set of 4, 4ftx4ft): rubber matting to allow for cushioning when doing floor exercises and if weights are dropped, they do not break or clang loudly.
- Running belt ($5.99): holds phone and other small objects like cards or cash around your waist instead of in pockets.
- Yoga mats ($12.99): I purchased 2 10mm thick yoga mats. They are good quality and come with straps. These mats at any other place and this thickness can run around $50!
I also have a kettlebell that I purchased about 8 years ago from Target. It cost me about $30 on sale but they can run even more than that. I have seen kettlebells at Marshall’s for about half that price.
Marshalls also has other equipment like jump ropes, medicine balls, and stability balls. Plenty to be able to finance a home gym without breaking the bank.
There are also some ways to make your own equipment or use what you already have at home to do a workout.
- Canned goods: use them instead of dumbbells. They weigh around 1 pound each.
- Gallon jug filled with water. A gallon of water weighs more than 8 pounds. The handle makes it easy to use as well
- Buckets filled with rocks. You can adjust the amount in the bucket. Can be used to curl, squat, or even for farmer walks.
- Hammers or other heavy tools. Used for bicep curls, shoulder raises, rows, triceps extensions.
- Short extension cords can be used as jump rope.
- A deck of cards. Spread them out around your floor and squat to pick up one at a time.
- I have even used my kids. Put one on your back and perform squats.
As you can see it does not take much to have a good, functional gym at home to perform your workouts. Take your time building your gym the way you want it and have fun!