How To Make A Personal Gym In Your Apartment

Last updated on : April 12 2022

There are many advantages to working out at home. 

First, it's more convenient than going to a commercial gym. You don't have to worry about traffic, parking, or fitting your workout into a busy schedule. 

Second, a home gym can save you money in the long run. Commercial gyms can be expensive, and if you cancel your membership, it can come with steep fees. 

Third, a home gym gives you more privacy. You can work out in your own space without worrying about huge crowds or damaged equipment.

A home gym allows you to customize your workout routine. You can choose the equipment you want and design a workout that fits your needs. 

For example, if you're a runner, you can set up a treadmill in your home gym. If you're looking to build muscle, you can invest in some free weights or resistance bands.

A fully-stocked home gym can have a commercial gym's perks for a fraction of the price. 

Unfortunately, people who live in apartments don't always have enough space to design a complete workout space. Does that mean they should give up dreams of working out at home? No, not at all.

With some clever planning, apartment owners can squeeze everything they need into any space. Keep reading to learn how to create a personal gym in your apartment.

What Goes In a Great Home Gym?

Before deciding what to put in your apartment gym, you need to know the elements of an effective home gym. Once you have an idea of the big picture, you can scale it down to suit your apartment or condo.

Ultimately, the makings of a great home gym are up to you and your fitness goals. However, here's an overview of a few elements that make a functional home gym.

The right space. Finding a suitable space for your home gym is the first step. Leaving a treadmill and free weights in the living room can be unsightly and cluttered. The best option would be putting your gym in a spare bedroom or basement could work.

Type of exercise you do. The type of exercise you do will help determine what kind of equipment you need. You might only need a treadmill or elliptical if you're a runner. On the other hand, if you're looking to build muscle, you might need some free weights and resistance bands.

Budget-friendly. Home gyms can be as simple or complex as you want. However, the primary aim of a home gym is to save money. Therefore, you should strive to create a functional, low-cost home gym.

What Are the Challenges of Creating a Personal Apartment Gym?

Now that you know some of the elements of a great home gym, it's time to talk about some of the challenges of creating a private apartment gym.

1. Limited Space

One of the most significant challenges is finding enough space for your equipment. Some apartments may have a spare bedroom, but one-bedroom and studio apartments will have more trouble finding enough space.

2. Lease Restrictions

Before buying any equipment for your apartment gym, you should go over the lease with your landlord. In some cases, older apartment buildings might not be able to accommodate the extra weight of strength-training equipment. 

In some cases, you might need to get a home inspection before building a gym in your apartment. 

3. Noise Considerations

Exercise can be noisy. Clanking weights and stamping feet are surefire ways to upset neighbors. 

Before building a gym in your apartment, be a good apartment neighbor and consider your surroundings. How thin are your walls? Are you on the ground floor, or do you have people below you?

4. Unmotivating Setting

For some people, working out at home can be difficult. It can be challenging to get psyched up for a run on the treadmill when staring at your bedroom walls.

As we go over the best cardio equipment and weight-training solutions for apartments, we'll discuss how they solve the above challenges.

Cardio Equipment For Apartments

The reality of creating a personal gym in your apartment is that you can't have it all. While it's possible to fit a functional workout space in your apartment, it's not feasible to expect all the bells and whistles of a commercial gym.

It's essential to understand the tradeoffs involved with choosing a piece of gym equipment for your apartment. Buying a treadmill means you probably won't have room for a bench press station.  

You can still get close to the best of both worlds by choosing space-saving cardio equipment.

1. No Machines Needed: Jump Ropes & Core Sliders For Cardio

If you live in an apartment and need to squeeze in a quick cardio workout, jump ropes and core sliders are two options that take up almost no space.

Jump ropes are fantastic for HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts. These workouts alternate between short periods of all-out effort and active recovery. They get your heart rate up quickly, but they're also great for coordination and conditioning. 

If you don't live on the ground floor, check with your downstairs neighbor before starting a jump rope workout.

Core sliders are plastic pucks that strap around your hands. With your knees on the ground, you can extend your arms in front of you, allowing you to work your cardio and abs simultaneously.

2. Compact Cardio Equipment

If you're looking for something more substantial than a jump rope or core sliders, plenty of space-saving cardio options are still available.

Traditional cardio equipment doesn't work too well for apartments. Treadmills and rowing machines are far too noisy.

Compact ellipticals are a great alternative. These machines are much smaller than their full-size counterparts and can even fold up for easy storage. You can store them in a closet or under the bed and pull them out as needed for a quick workout.

Exercise bikes are considerably larger than compact ellipticals, but the most modern versions have a sleek design that makes them more attractive in a living space.

Weight Training Equipment for Apartments

Free weights and dumbbells are essential equipment for any home gym, but they can also be the most challenging to find a place in an apartment.

When lifting weights at home, multi-use contraptions are always the best choices. Here are a few examples.

1. Adjustable Dumbbell Sets

Dumbbells take up a lot of space, making them impractical for most apartments. 

The best solution is to buy an adjustable dumbbell set. These dumbbell sets come with a handle that can be customized to your desired weight using a stack of plates that are easy to store. 

They're also much less noisy than traditional weight plates.

2. Three-in-One Weight Bench

Investing in a three-in-one weight bench (also called an FID bench) will allow you to recreate a variety of exercises with your dumbbells. 

Here are the three settings of an FID weight bench and the types of workouts you can do with them:

• Flat: Flat dumbbell press, flat dumbbell pullover
• Incline: Incline dumbbell press, incline dumbbell row
• Decline: Decline dumbbell press, decline dumbbell fly

3. Multi-Purpose Resistance Weight Training Machines

If you're looking for a single piece of equipment that can help you with multiple exercises, a multi-purpose resistance machine. 

A few name brand examples include Tonal, Bowflex, and NordicTrack. These machines work your muscles with weight-equivalent resistance instead of heavyweights. 

There are a few pros and cons to this type of machine.

Pros of resistance weight training machines:

• Quiet: With no metal weights to worry about, these machines are practically silent.
• Versatile: These highly engineered devices give you a full-body workout.
• Lightweight: Since the resistance weights don't weigh as much as authentic weights, these machines might be more acceptable in apartments.

Pros of resistance weight training machines:

• Expensive: Average prices for resistance weight training machines can start at $1,000 and span upwards of $3,000.
• Limited weight ceiling: The average fitness enthusiast can get a more than sufficient workout with resistance weights, but bodybuilders and competitive lifters would quickly reach the maximum.
• Bulky: Resistance weight training machines manage to fit a lot of functions into a relatively small space. Still, finding the right spot for them in an apartment can be challenging.

Crush Your Gym Goals Without Leaving the Apartment

If you're looking for an at-home workout that will give you results similar to what you'd see at a commercial gym, it is possible to create a personal gym in your apartment. 

However, there are some challenges you'll need to overcome first. The biggest challenges are often space, noise, and neighbors. 

However, you can create a functional and inviting gym in your own home with careful planning. So what are you waiting for? Start making your personal gym today!

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