The Complete Guide to Creating a Home Bodybuilding Gym
If you want to pack on the muscle from the comfort of your own home, you might want to invest in the essentials of a home gym. Whether you are in the garage or converting your basement into a full gym, there are some must-haves that any serious lifter needs to be taken seriously in this competitive world.
Here we focus on building an efficient, all-in-one home gym that allows you to achieve the basic lifting needs of bench pressing, deadlifting, and squatting. However, the list isn’t exhaustive; we’re just starting with the basics for you to build upon as you begin your career.
Barbell & Weight Set
Bodybuilding is nothing without weight to build upon. An Olympic-weight barbell and weight set are a must-have to build the framework of your exercise regime.
There are three main types of plates:
- Standard disc
- Studio disc
- Olympic disc
Of these, the most popular are Olympic discs. They can fit any type of commercial bar and are made in a standard size. We recommend looking into different types of plate weights compared to decide what works best for your needs.
Sturdy Power Rack
Weights turn gravity into gains, but the base for your weights comes from the power rack, which is a steel cage with various supports and cutouts. It acts as a deadlifting, benching, and squatting platform, and it truly is a multi-purpose tool for your home gym.
Quality power racks will also feature pull-up bars and different attachments for maximum versatility. Overall, this piece is best for:
- Over-head presses
- Bench presses
- Rack-pulls
- Squats
Adjustable Bench
Most gyms feature a small, narrow, feeble bench with a barbell mount. For next-level bodybuilding, you’ll want an adjustable bench. Your at-home bench should have a broad, firm panel to provide back support, a stand system to prevent tipping, and an adjustable angle incline.
The adjustable feature will allow you to target muscle areas as needed, including military presses at 90-degree angles.
A padded back panel is essential to provide ample support during heavy pressing. It gives a stable foundation when lifting heavy weights.
Dumbells for Variety
This can be a pricey investment – but a worthwhile one. Typically, you need quite a few dumbbells to ensure weight variety.
For example, rear delt flyes are great with lighter weights – like 2.5 or 5 pounds. Heavy pressing and rowing require 50+ pound dumbbells. As you build your maximum potential, these will continue to increase.
Protective Floor Mats
Dropping weights is an inevitable part of lifting them. Cracks can quickly grow and turn into chips in the floor. This damage can lead to a need for new flooring altogether. So to avoid cracking and damage, you will need protection for your floor.
Ideally, your home gym should be protected with a high-density floor mat, specific for weightlifting. This can increase the longevity of the home gym and lifting safely at home.
Weightlifting mats are more than the foam mats meant for yoga workouts. You’ll need the kind that can handle heavy-duty impact and that won’t sink. A compliant mat will sink and throw off stability, which can be dangerous during weightlifting.
Nice-To-Have Pieces
Once you have all of that, you may think about expanding even more. If you want to add to the must-haves, consider these nice-to-have pieces. Some of our favorites include:
- E-Z Bars of at least 15 Pounds
- Stairmaster for Conditioning
- Grips, Belts, and Armblasters
The Bottom Line
The beauty of a home gym is that it’s exactly what you make it. You get to customize your space and make it the place for you to hone your craft. However, you need this essential gear for all of your workouts. Once you have the foundation in place, you can continue building and adding to your home gym as you see fit.
