**April 2020 Update: With the COVID-19 response, many people have been displaced from their gyms, bringing into question how they will train. With as much uncertainty as there is surrounding the virus, there may not be a better time to invest in a home gym. Similarly, with as much volatility and uncertainty surrounding the economy, building a home gym on a budget is at the top of many people's list.
My hope is that this guide will help you find a path to that – if I can help directly in any way, please reach out to me. My name is Adam and you can reach me at Adam@garagegymlab.com.**
**June 22nd, 2020 Update: As you will note in the article, several pieces that I recommend are from Rep Fitness. On 6/22, they will re-launch their site to accept orders on in-stock equipment. This will be done using a lottery system, so be sure to check frequently.
You can see their in-stock items here.**
Let's be honest here…
Building a home gym isn't always the cheapest endeavor.
Depending on a number of factors, including quality, brand, product, etc… a home gym can vary wildly in terms of cost.
That said, you don't NEED a $10,000 home gym to get strong and fit.
Sure, those home gyms are sexy, functional, and downright awesome, but not everyone has a budget to support such a space.
You can build a cheap home gym without having a “cheap” home gym… if you catch my drift.
Knowing where to look, being diligent in your search, and at times being patient during the process, are a few keys to building a quality, budget home gym.
In this ultimate guide, we'll take a deep look into exactly how to build an awesome home gym on a budget.
Quick Navigation
- Buying Used Equipment
- Building Your Own Equipment
- Buying New Equipment
- Racks
- Bars
- Plates
- Benches
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebells
- Conditioning
- Pricing
- Conclusion
Building a Budget Home Gym
When it comes down to it, there are essentially three ways to build a budget-friendly home gym:
- Buy used equipment
- Build your own equipment
- Buy new equipment from low-price providers
In this article, we'll touch on each, but before we do that, let's consider the key pieces of equipment that you'll need to maximize your training and minimize your all-in cost.
Below is a list of the essentials along with a few nice-to-haves. These will serve as the basis for this discussion:
- Rack
- Barbell
- Plates
- Bench
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebells
- Cardio/Conditioning
Let's dig in.
Buying Used Equipment
Arguably the best way to build a home gym on the cheap is by scouring the used marketplace. If you haven't read my article on the 10 must-use tips for finding gym equipment on Craigslist, I strongly consider you check it out. It's full of great tips to take your search to the next level.
The fact is, however, Craigslist isn't the only place to find used equipment. In fact, it's not even my favorite. My top sources of used gear are as follows:
- Facebook Marketplace (my favorite)
- Craigslist
- OfferUp
- LetGo
- Local garage sales/estate sales
I especially love Facebook marketplace because it generally has a great assortment of gear and it gives you one distinct advantage:
You may share a connection with the seller.
Unlike Craigslist, where you're flying blind so to speak, on Facebook Marketplace you can see the seller and you can see if you share any mutual connections. In the negotiation/awarding process, this could play a CRITICAL factor.
As an example, I was awarded a fantastic set of gently used Ironmaster adjustable dumbbells for $250. That specific posting had a ton of action because the price was so good, but because I shared some mutual connections with the seller, I was able to leverage that and ultimately get the deal. By the way, the Ironmasters are excellent for home gyms and garage gyms. They feel like traditional dumbbells, they're easy to use, and they take up a minimal amount of space.
You'd be surprised how many amazing pieces are posted on these sites. If you're lucky enough to find a commercial outfit unloading their gear, you're in for a real treat.
Check these sites frequently and get ready to pounce when the right pieces are posted. You'll be well on your way to building an excellent home gym without paying a bunch.
Building Your Own Equipment
If you're a handy person, building your own gym equipment is an incredibly effective way of building a cheap home gym.
There are tons of things you can DIY, ranging from power racks, to reverse hypers, to plate holders, and everything between.
For instance, I (and many others) built my platform with stall mats and plywood. It cost a fraction of what it would cost to buy one new.
Toaster rack plate holders can be built very easily for less than $40 (probably even cheaper). If you purchased that new, you could expect to pay 3x or 4x as much.
Reverse hypers, whether rack mounted or stand-alone, can be built for less than $100. New, you can expect to pay 5x-35x (yes, 35x) more than that depending on where you buy.
You can check out another example of a post I put together on a set of DIY adjustable pulling blocks.
The reality is that a lot of gym equipment can be built, saving you a metric crap ton of money on your journey to a budget home gym.
Google search DIY gym projects and you're sure to find many options. You can also check out Catalyst Athletics' Ebook on DIY Equipment. It's full of great ideas for your home gym.
Buying New Equipment
The meat of this article will be based on buying new equipment from low-price providers in order to build your budget home gym.
There are a number of quality manufacturers that are producing budget-friendly gear. These include Rep Fitness, Fringe Sport, Titan Fitness, CAP, etc… the list goes on.
Let's have a look at where you can focus your search to acquire those pieces listed above on a budget.
Rack
The rack, be it a full power rack or only a squat stand, is really the centerpiece of any home gym. I personally recommend picking up either a full power rack or a half-rack, but squat stands are perfectly acceptable, especially if you're on a budget.
Check out these options for budget-friendly racks:
Barbell
If you can “spend up” on anything, I typically suggest you do so on a barbell. There is generally a strong correlation between price and quality when it comes to bars. With that, I'll suggest three recommendations for under $275, which is still in a sweet spot for building a budget home gym.
Plates
When buying plates, you'll want to ask yourself if you want iron plates or bumper plates. Each offers their own pros and cons and it largely depends on your style of lifting. If you're only powerlifting and using plate-loaded machines, iron plates are a good option if you don't mind the noise. If you want a more versatile option, bumper plates are definitely the way to go. They're multi-functional, quieter, and typically safer for your floor if you're not lifting on a platform.
Either way, both iron plates and bumper plates can be had in a budget home gym.
If you elect to buy iron plates, I typically suggest you stick to Craigslist, Facebook, etc… as you will find them sometimes for crazy cheap prices. If you can target $0.50/lb or less, you're in good shape. Who knows, maybe you'll find some vintage Ivankos! It happens.
If you're buying bumper plates, consider these two recommendations:
Bench
There are a lot of budget-friendly benches out there, most of which share a very similar design. For this article, I'm going to recommend three benches: one with that basic design, one with a 3-post design, and one adjustable option.
You're going to notice a trend in this category: All of the recommendations are from Rep Fitness. I think they're making the best benches out there, including my #1 recommended bench (FB-5000). Plus they're great for a budget home gym.
The amazing thing about this bench is that it only costs $149. Compared to the Rogue Flat Utility Bench ($179.50) and the Monster Utility bench ($265) it represents CRAZY value. For the record, I think it's a better bench than either of those.
Dumbbells
Dumbbells are one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can add to a home gym. They can be used in a seemingly endless number of ways and, depending on the style you buy, they can take up a very small amount of space. For this article, we’ll look at two styles of adjustable dumbbells and a set of 5-50lb dumbbells if you prefer fixed-weight.
Rep Fitness also sells another variation of these dumbbells that are slightly smaller in size and they include a rubber grip vs. steel. This is great for those training in a garage gym where it gets really cold. They're slightly more expensive than rubber hex dumbbells.
Kettlebells
Similar to dumbbells, kettlebells are extremely versatile pieces for the home gym. You can use them for strength building, conditioning, prehab/rehab, etc… In this article, we will also look at fixed weight versions as well as adjustable versions.
The Kettle Gryp is a really intriguing product and that is perfect for a cheap home gym. If you already have some dumbbells laying around, this may be a great option. Priced at only $34.95 with free shipping, the price is hard to beat. The Kettle Gryp works by latching it around the shaft of a dumbbell. The Gryp can hold up to a 55lb dumbbell, and it's made of a durable plastic that from most accounts is capable of handling the demands.
Cardio/Conditioning
Cardio equipment, generally speaking, is pretty expensive. If you look at pieces like the Rogue Echo Bike, the Concept Rower, the Ski Erg, etc… you're going to spend potentially $700+.
Thankfully, there are cheaper options.
The Sanddune Stepper is my personal #1 recommendation because cardio/conditioning is highly effective and it's far more versatile than any of the other pieces.
You can also save $10 by using the Code ‘GarageGym' at checkout.
Pricing Scenarios
So now that we've listed a few really nice options for your budget home gym, let's price out a couple of scenarios to see where it may shake out on the total.
In this first scenario, I've priced an ultra-budget version that comes to a total price of approximately $1,065. This gets you a full power rack, a workhorse barbell, a 250lb set of bumpers, a flat bench, loadable dumbbell handles, loadable KB, and a speed rope.
That's a very solid entry into the home gym space.
If you're looking to possibly spend a bit more, let's take a look at this scenario showing the higher-end options. Here, you're spending approximately $2,059, but you're getting a higher quality setup. This includes the Titan T-3 power rack, an excellent stainless steel power bar, the same 250lb bumpers, the best flat bench for the money, adjustable DB/KB, and the almighty Sanddune Stepper.
This is simply an awesome setup!
Consider the fact that I didn't include anything here that you could buy second-hand as mentioned or that you could build yourself.
Your total cost could, therefore, be even cheaper.
The payback period on these two scenarios is less than two years on the first scenario and just over three years on the second assuming a $50/month membership. When you consider all the other benefits of having a home gym, that's pretty freakin' awesome.
Building a Budget Home Gym
When you boil it all down, building a cheap home gym is very achievable. By buying used, building your own, and/or buying new from low-price providers, you have a TON of options when building a budget home gym.
Remember this too…
You can always upgrade later. Building a home gym, in general, is a process. A lot of gym equipment retains its value pretty well so can always flip gear down the road.
You don't need a $10k gym to get strong, especially if you're just starting out.
If you've built a home gym on the cheap, I'd love to hear from you.
How did you do it? Did you buy used? Build your own equipment? Buy new?
Let me know in the comments below.
The bar is loaded,
Adam
I’ve built a pretty well equipped gym for about $2,000 over the past couple months (one of the first things I did in my new house!)
DIY 8×8 platform with plywood and horsestall mats
Homemade Titan X-2 knock off from craigslist (custom painted bright orange!)
280 lbs of bumpers and 585 lbs of steel all bought at less than $0.60/lb
Bowflex 10-90 adjustable DBs at a garage sale for $100
2 cheap barbells (one is actually pretty good) and a curl bar for less than $40 each
Brand new Rep AB-3000 for $200 on facebook
3 rolling plate storage racks for cheap on craigslist
Rogue Monolift attachment for $100
Titan Cross member, pull up bar, sandwhich J-hooks, and dip bars for the rack bought new but on sale
Rep Fitness PR-3000 safety straps (they fit 2×2 racks as well!)
DIY dumbbell stand
DIY barbell gunrack
DIY deadlift jack
a set of Elite FTS bands (red, green, orange) that were gifted to me years ago
Next step for me is to get some decent barbells (Rep or Rogue), specialty bars (I’ve been dying to try the Titan SSB V2), and find a good deal on a second hand Schwinn Airdyne.
This is awesome, buddy. Thanks for much for sharing. Sounds like you’ve got a great space going!
Im looking to set up a home gym in my garage and this article was great in helping me focus on what I need. Would I need to build a platform to set up my rack on? I was thinking of putting down some of those rubber mats that most gyms have, would that be enough? I’ve been working out for awhile, so going for heavier weights, especially for deadlifts, is something I’m focusing on. Is there anything else I should target for my setup?
Thanks for reading, Jordan. Glad you found it helpful. If you’re going heavy I would recommend a platform. Whether it needs to be a full one with your rack mounted to it depends on if they rack you buy needs to be bolted to the ground. If it does, you’ll either need an 8×8 platform or you’ll need to bolt it to the concrete. Otherwise a 4×8 platform is perfect for deadlifts.
Great site mate. I just converted the garage into a small work out space. Put in a squat rack with bumper plates, a small USF 1.0 multi gym, kettle bells , exercise bike, sand bags and I’m hunting for dumb bells 2nd hand. It’s shaping up to be a good space.
Thanks for the kind words, Lee! Sounds like an awesome space you have going.
Hello,
Awesome site and thank you for this blog post. One question I had was about gym equipment in a un-insulated garage. Do I have to worry about my power rack or barbells getting rusted ? I live in California so weather is not extreme but can get really hot in the summer and can in the 40’s over night during winter. Any suggestions or tips ? Thanks.
Hey John – not necessarily. I live in VERY humid North Carolina and my garage is not insulated. I have no issues with rust. I would recommend grabbing something like 3-in-1 oil and using it every once in a while on your bars. Brush out your bars after every use to get skin/chalk/etc… out of the bar. This can all retain moisture and lead to issues. If you want, you can also buy a dehumidifier. I would recommend 70 pints or more. This will do a good job of removing moisture from your garage during times of higher humidity. You can also strategically purchase your equipment with this in mind too, knowing that finishes like stainless steel, cerakote, etc… will be more protective, and bare steel, black oxide, etc… will be less protective to rust.
Hope this helps!
Adam
Great. Thank you for these tips. Look forward to new content from you.
[…] Going to the gym is not something everyone has the time for, and adding one to your house could be a great way to transform a room, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg either. […]
I’ve put together a pretty nice home gym for pretty damn cheap.
I have a full cable machine that has a leg press, high & low pulleys, chest press, lat pulldown, leg extension machine, and chest fly machine. I got all of that for $40 on Craigslist from someone who just wanted it out of the garage.
I purchased a used 315lb Bollinger Olympic weight set with a 7foot barbell, Olympic ez curl bar, weight tree, and full sized bench press for $200 from my neighbor.
Then I spent about $400 for a CAP 7 foot power cage, an adjustable bench, land mine attachment for the cage and several attachments for the cable machine.
I also had some basic dumbbells, a Nordic track ski machine, and a captains chair/pull-up bar tower already in the garage. I got these from family members and garage sales for basically nothing
So all in all I acquired probably $2,000+ in equipment for less than $700
That’s awesome, Hunter! Sounds like some really cool pieces. $40 for those machines is insanity. Thanks for sharing.
Just came across this article as I’m looking to get some basic equipment to tide me over for the next few months, whilst all the gyms are closed. Invested in a kettlebell, a pair of dumbbells and a TRX kit. Really useful, thanks!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Aiden!
[…] a home gymYou can start building your home gym with just a mat and hand weights. Maybe add a kettlebell or resistance bands and build from […]
I found your article on WD40 emails I sign up from them . great tutorial on C.L. since I’m a low tech guy. just sign up for your emails.
Thanks very much for your help !!!
Mason NYC
Thank you, Mason! Pretty cool about WD40 – appreciate you sharing with me.
Hi Adam,
I’ve recently moved and the new space where I can put a home gym has very limited vertical space, about 80″ ceilings. I’d like to purchase something that will last and don’t mind spending up for quality. The problem I’m running into is that there seems to be a compromise in quality and versatility for most brands “short” racks, and seem to be mostly budget models. I am also considering squat stands. I am just curious of what you might look to in my situation to get started with the right rack/rig/stand given the ceiling height?
Hey Hunter, thanks for the comment, my friend. Right now there are a lot of options that are completely out of stock, as you may know. One place I would start is looking at the Bridge Built Phoenix Rack. I have one coming myself. It’s 75″ tall and it folds up into a small 10″ width footprint. He’s making very high quality stuff. At the moment his site isn’t taking live orders, but if you email them or DM him on Instagram, he’ll get you squared away.
Aside from that, You can look at something like the SML-1 from Rogue if you’re considering a squat stand.
For a rack, one option could be the Rep PR-4000, as it comes in an 80″ height. I know you said your ceiling is “around” 80″, so you would need to measure to double check. This is a high quality rack with an impressive assortment of attachments currently and in the pipeline.
If neither of these work for you, reach back out and I’ll gladly help however else I can.
Do you have any advice on how to actually properly lay out a home gym? We have a good amount of space available (probably about 600sq ft between two rooms next to each other) and I’m not sure how to organize it in the best way. We have a treadmill, spin bike, rack with lat attachment, dumbbell rack, glute/ham developer, rebounder, plyo boxes, a dip station, and misc other equipment like balls, bands, etc.