Garage Gym Ownership – The Pros and Cons

I’ve been working out in my own private garage gym for about two years now. Prior to that, I had always been a member of one commercial mega gym or another, dishing out a monthly fee to basically rent someone else’s equipment. Even though my most recent gym contract was at a nicer gym than average, I was still always super bummed about having to go there and that took away from my excitement about training. Not a very healthy combination.

I stayed at my last gym for about five or six years before I finally decided to both cancel my membership and start ordering equipment for my garage gym. I made that decision to work out at home for what I’m pretty sure are all the same reasons you have: for convenience, to save money, for privacy, to improve the quality of training sessions, and to make better use of time; just to name a few.

Making the transition to a garage gym turned out to be just as amazing as I assumed (and hoped) it would be. Having said that, let me make one thing clear. I am not saying that you cannot reach your fitness goals in a commercial gym; as I have no doubt that you can. You will just have to learn to deal with certain amounts of BS to do it though; the same BS that drives a lot of us out of the gyms.

For instance, unless you can completely avoid peak hours you will spend a decent amount of time waiting around for equipment, and this is especially true if you’re trying to utilize the free weight equipment like dumbbells, benches, and power racks. You have to accept that your workouts will take longer than they need to because of that waiting, the driving to and from the gym, and all the other things that slow you down due to being surrounded by other people all trying to do the same things that you are.

You will also need to come to terms with the fact that your monthly dues; your lease on the equipment that you use; will never be your equipment. You’re not renting to own, you’re just renting. So unless your membership is provided by work or by your school for near-nothing fees, you rent an efficiency apartment and have no space for your own equipment, or you go to the gym for reasons other than to work out, you’re throwing away your money in much the same way you do when you rent a home rather than buy it.

For me, one of the biggest issues I had with the gym was the actual equipment. Thousands and thousands of square feet of equipment in these global gyms, yet they are mostly filled with useless, garbage machines. Looking for a vacant power rack to do some actual barbell squats? Good luck. But if you want nine different ways to isolate your biceps, you’re in luck. Ridiculous.

If all of this sounds familiar to you, and you’re reading this post, it probably means you’re at the very least entertaining the idea of going with the garage gym idea. Let me tell you, it is as awesome as it sounds, but there are a couple drawbacks – and I’ll tell you what they are before I tell you all the perks.

Last updated December 2017 – minor spelling and grammar corrections.

Garage Gym Drawbacks

• Initial Investment – Getting set up at home costs some money up front. It can be done fairly inexpensively, or you can go crazy with it and spent a ton. It really doesn’t matter though, as it’s some of the best money you’ll ever spend assuming you intend to live a healthy, active lifestyle for more than a few months after New Years Day each year.
• Different Workouts – If you’re completely new to strength training, or were trained on those junky isolation machines, you’ll be at a slight disadvantage for a short time while you learn new compound movements. This isn’t even a bad thing, rather something to be aware of. Unless you have a disability, you probably should get off those machines anyway.
• Loss of Space – A garage gym will eat up a single car garage, or the better half of two-car garages. It’s a really cool use of the space, but it does typically introduce you to the reality of street parking and driveway parking.
• Climate Issues – I’m in Texas, which means there are a limited number of months in the year in which the weather is ideal for working out in a garage. This shouldn’t be a deal-breaker by any means, but depending on where you live, you may need to invest in a space heater and/or air conditioning for your gym. I just have a giant metal fan that cost like $80 and works wonders in the heat.

One comment regarding the first item; the initial investment. While dishing out a decent wad of money up front sucks, you have to consider that you will recoup every penny of that cash in much less time than you think in those saved gym dues.

In my case, other than adding a new Concept2 rower a few weeks back, my gym has been entirely paid for in saved dues already. Again, if you intend to train and stay active for your entire life (as I hope you do), you will save thousands of dollars over the years – you Planet Fitness members excluded, of course (not that that counts.)

Garage Gym Advantages

You probably already have dozens of thoughts and ideas on why having a gym in your own home would be awesome. As someone who has been lifting at home for some time now, let me see if I can add some reasons to your list.

• More Time – You get a lot of lost time back when you start working out at home. There is no more driving to and from the gym, and no more traffic. There is no having to deal with those (insert adjective) locker rooms after your workout. There is no more standing around waiting for that clown to stop doing bicep curls in the squat rack. You know, that metal thing with safeties that are meant for squats.

• Maybe Even More Time! – Your total time commitment needed to train goes down so much that you may be able to do your workout at an entirely different, more convenient time of the day for you, thereby freeing up even more time for other stuff. You also won’t have to schedule your training around the peak times at the gym. If 6am is good for you then by all means train at 6am. 7pm look better? It’s not a peak time in your own gym.
• Money – As mentioned previously, the cash you ultimately save in gym dues is insane. I’ve already paid for all the equipment we have here at the house with saved gym dues money – a full sized rack, multiple bars, 400 pounds in bumpers, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, a commercial adjustable bench, and even flooring… all paid for in a couple years. At this point, every month I don’t buy something new is found money.
• Music – Don’t laugh, you’ll see. No more (pardon my language) shitty, repetitive (Black Eyed Peas, anyone) pop music playing over the sound system. Pick your own music to train to, turn it up, and no headphones required.
• Convenience – This goes hand in hand with the first reason I gave, time. Your gym is a couple steps away from your living room. Simply walk thru the garage door and there it is, waiting for you. Got the urge to lift? Go for it! There’s no waiting and no driving; just walk right in and lift.
• Child Care – Unnecessary! You’re at home.
• Equipment – You choose your own equipment. That means no redundant equipment and no useless equipment. Buy what you need, nothing more. Look around at the gym next time you’re there and ask yourself how much of the equipment you see is really necessary. Doesn’t a squat work the entire leg? Last I checked it did. Do you need leg curls, leg extensions, leg press, calf raises, lying fake squats, thigh abductors, and all the spin offs they have of each of these machines just to do what a squat does? Nope.
• No Trolls – Working out at home gets you away from one of the tackiest things about going to a gym: the trolls. There won’t be any of that at home unless you have creepy neighbors, in which case I don’t know what to tell you. I’m male so I can’t even begin to imagine how appealing this is for women to work out troll-free.

• No Rules – You can use chalk in your own gym, and you can grunt in your own gym as well. You can drop weights in your own gym. That means you can snatch and clean and drop that loaded bar from an overhead position and not have people stare at you, or the gym employee ask you to stop doing those real lifts because they are loud, destructive, or intimidating. You can take your shirt off, or wear those tacky stringy tank tops. It’s your gym, and no one is monitoring you, so do whatever you want.
• Easier – The whole process of getting your workout in is just easier. There is nothing in the way of you and those weights except your willpower.

I realize there are people who just love the gym scene. Whether it’s a vanity thing, a social engagement, or just so they can update their location on Facebook or IG, or take selfies, there are those who will never leave the gym. However, I think the majority of us just want to get in and get out without any hassle and without anyone bothering us. We want to be healthy, strong, look great, and be happy. This is who garage gyms are for.

Getting Started – Equipment

If the idea of a garage gym sounds appealing to you, and you’d like to learn more, it’s your lucky day. You’ve already found the one site that is completely dedicated to the garage gym movement. So let me see if I can point you in the right direction.

Following is a list of the most common equipment needed to get started. Each item links to a post with more information about those items. You can learn about each item, compare prices and specifications from reputable brands, and get recommendations.

• Power Rack
• Olympic Barbell
• Weights (bumper plates)
• Weight Bench
• Dumbbells
• Kettlebells

These six items alone give you access to an endless amount of compound exercises. I’d also recommend taking a look at this CrossFit checklist post to get more equipment ideas. You can find more equipment resources and also equipment reviews on the navigation bar at the top of this and any page on this site.

Whether you leave your gym in favor of a garage gym or not, stay strong and keep working out. It’s time well spent no matter where you do it – even if it does take longer.