Advertisement
You don't necessarily need to be super rich to set up your own gym. AP/Press Association Images
Exercise

10 things you'll need to set up a homemade gym

A conservative estimate is probably €1,000 in terms of cost, but we reckon we can kit you out for a third of that.

WITH BUSY WORK and family life, getting to the gym can be a real chore at times. Not only that but it can also be expensive and if you can’t get there at least twice a week, you’re wasting your money.

Having your own homemade gym is the desire of many but the reality of few, with cost and space very big obstacles for most of us.

However, if you follow these simple steps, it can be easier than you think, and it won’t cost you the earth.

Every gym needs a few items and we’ve done our best to provide you with 10 items you need to stay in peak condition.

They are;
A chin-up bar
Free weights
Bench press
Bulgarian training bag
Medicine ball
Suspension straps
Battle ropes
Pilates mat
Foam roller
Skipping rope

A conservative estimate of all these is probably €1,000, but we reckon we can kit you out for a third of that.

A chin-up bar

Olympics - Beijing Olympic Games 2008 PA Archive / Press Association Images PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

The best place to have your chin-up bar is in the frame of a doorway and the best materials to use are steel pipes, which can be fitted rather easily and very cheaply. No gym is complete without one of these.

Free weights
A box of free weights can be bought from most good sport shops or department stores, or even online, and we don’t suggest making your own. There’s an endless amount of exercises you can do, and they’re far better than machine weighs.

Bench press
Again, you could attempt to make your own if you’re any way decent at upholstery, but it’s worth spending the cash on a good bench, as you’ll get years and years out of it, won’t you?

Bulgarian training bag
These are great training tools and are used to target the legs, arms, back and core. Think of them as the softer, more malleable cousin of kettlebells. Commercial bags cost a pretty penny—they can run upwards of €200. Instead, try this cheaper solution: simply fill an old truck or tractor tire’s inner tube with wood pellets or rubber mulch, tie up the tube securely, and voila! It’s time to start swinging, squatting, and curling your way to better fitness.

Medicine ball

GB America's Cup team in the gym PA Archive / Press Association Images PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

One or two will probably do you but before you splash out, why not try to make your own with an old basketball? How? You say. Simple. Drill a small hole, fill with sand.

Suspension straps
As the TRX training system has gained popularity for its minimalist approach to resistance training, so has the use of suspension (or “blast”) straps—and their price has risen with their recognition. But for about €10 and very little time investment, it’s possible to make your own suspension straps. Hang them over a door jam and get suspended!

Battle ropes
Find the thickest rope you can and there you have it. One of the best ways to get the guns you always desired is through rope tabatas.

Pilates mat
We’re going doing pilates? You bet? And stretching.

Foam roller
Another very useful training aid to keep you muscles supple is to use a foam roller daily before and after exercise. You could spend €25 for one in a sport shop…or you could cut a two-feet piece of waving pipe. Roll away.

Skipping rope
Purely for warm ups and warm downs and some intervals with the rope we’re going to add this in. Very simple, very cheap, and very effective.

There you have it, your very own home made gym, on the cheap.

How to put on five kilos of muscle>

How the Rams exploited a Seahawks mistake to run crucial fake punt – Coaches Film>

Your Voice
Readers Comments
2
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.