So, as I mentioned in my last article, in 2020 covid hit and I had lost my job in Oklahoma City. I was at an all time high as far as my weight goes. Life was a bit rough. I know I would get through it and find another job but as for my health, something had to change.
As you remember I had done the gym thing. Spending a good amount on gym memberships; not really making much progress. I liked working out and knew that working out was helping me, but I also knew that food was really my problem. I decided on two things. The first was to make some gradual food changes. The second was to create an environment in which I could work out from home. I will cover the first one in a later post. In this post, I will dive into the details of my home gym.
My justification for a home gym was adding up all the money I had spent at gym facilities over the years. The list included the following:
- 24 Hour Fitness – 3 year (on and off) – ~$40/month – total = $1440
- (2) CrossFit’s – over 4 years – ~$150/month – Total = $7200
- Bikram Yoga – 1 year – ~$120/month – Total = $1440
- Fit Body Boot Camp – 2 years – ~$150/month – Total = $3600
- Planet Fitness – 6 months – ~$15/month – Total = $90
- University Gym – 6 months -~75/month – Total = $450
This totals up to $14,220 over an almost 10-year period. That’s a lot of money. But don’t get me wrong. There is some value in coaching guidance and trainers but if you have a sense of what you need and how to use it then you can create a one-time expense by getting your own equipment (if you have the space) and creating your own personalized environment.
So, for me personally, I decided to build my own gym in my garage.
I started this project in mid 2020. I cleaned out one side of the garage and made a plan. I had a general idea of the equipment I wanted and how I wanted to lay it out. I also knew that I wanted the area to be nice and clean with a little bit of technology (because I am a nerd) and that I would purchase my equipment over a period of time so as to spread out the expense. The only equipment I had from the past was an older Max Trainer from Bowflex. It’s about 8 or 9 years old but is a very nice full body cardio workout.
The main piece of equipment that I wanted first was a weight rack. One that mounted to the wall and was collapsible if I needed it to be. With the weight rack, I also wanted an olympic size barbell and plates. I purchased the weight rack from Dick’s Sporting Goods and the barbell and plates came from Anytime Fitness. I purchased the following plate sizes: (2) 10 lb., (2) 15 lb., (2) 25 lb., (2) 35 lb., and (2) 45 lb. I could have probably gotten away with not having the 35 lb. but the others are used quite a bit. Also, I later purchased cast plates in the following sizes: (2) 10 lb., (4) 5 lb., and (2) 2.5 lb. so that I could do smaller increments on the large weight sets. At the same time, I also purchased a bench with adjustable sitting angles.
With the weight rack I can perform barbell squats, overhead presses, and bench presses to name a few. I can also tie bands and straps to the rack for other types of exercise. My son bought me a set of TRX straps that also are mounted to the rack.
Right after I mounted the rack to the wall, I decided to cover the wall with old fence panels to give the area a rustic look and to make the area a bit more interesting. I cut the fence panels to different lengths and arranged them on the wall in a random arrangement. You can see the wall outcome in all the pictures in this article.
My next purchase was a rower. I decided to purchase the rower used predominantly in the CrossFit world – the Concept 2. This rower is very sturdy and functional. The display is straightforward, and the parts all seem to have been manufactured for people on the larger side. The rower can be propped upright so as to save room when it’s not in use.
The rower is an excellent cardio function that works almost the body’s complete muscle set. The screen does have different selections for different types of rowing so that a rowing routine can be changed up.
This next purchase I debated for some time. I am an avid mountain biker and as you can imagine I do not get to ride all the time due to weather or time but I needed a way to stay ride ready. So, I investigated the purchase of a Peloton bike, but I couldn’t seem to pull the trigger because it was a heavy expense for mainly a leg workout only. One day my son told me that a friend of his was probably going to sell his. I told him if he decided to, I would be interested. Well, he decided to sell the bike and I purchased it. I got a great deal and I really enjoy riding it. The only downside is that it’s the one item in my gym that I have to pay a monthly subscription for the Peloton streaming service, but it does come with a lot of streaming content that I enjoy using. I did get lucky in the fact that his shoes fit me. What are the odds?
After the bike purchase, I was pretty content for a while. The gym arrangement was working out well. The one thing I had mentioned above was adding a technology component to my set up. So, I had a spare, inexpensive laptop and an old 32 in. monitor. I purchased a stand for the laptop and a monitor mount for the tv and wired up a setup so that I could pull up workout information, show Tabata timers when I need them, clocks, music and even tv shows if I am doing something repetitive.
Along the way I did purchase some miscellaneous items such as a 3 height step up box, bands, medicine ball, jump ropes, and a few kettlebells. The gym was working out great.
Six months ago, or so, I added a few more Items that have made my gym even more complete. I purchased a rack of dumbbells, 10 lbs. all the way up to 40 lbs. I did have some older 3 lb. and 5 lb. if someone ever needs them. Along with the dumbbells I also purchased a battle rope. I unravel the battle rope keeping them wrapped around the dumbbell when I use them. The weight of the rack works perfectly for holding the rope in play as I am slinging them around.
And finally, here recently I purchased my two new favorite items. A 90 lb. punching bag with gloves and a cold plunge tub. The punching bag is an awesome cardio workout and helps to work out any frustrations I may have from the day’s events. And yes, I can unhook the bag from the ceiling when I need to by putting the step-up box underneath it, stepping up on the box, lifting the bag with one arm and unhooking the clasp.
The cold plunge is also awesome. I take and plunge almost every morning and sometimes after workout. Go online and you will find out the many benefits of cold plunging. Click here to see my finished cold plunge build L5.1-My Cold Plunge Build and the Benefits – Real-World Nerd at Nerd-Central
I missed one thing. As you can see in all the pictures, during my weight rack purchase, I decided to buy some gym mats for the floor. Best decision ever. Laying on concrete to do setups is not fun.
Below are pictures of the completed area. The project has taken all of four years to purchase and set up. I am very proud of how it has come together and “yes” it has made a tremendous improvement on my workout habits – especially since I walk through it daily on the way to and from work.
As for the total expense, I am not sure – but I’m not sure I care. It has been worth every penny.
It’s now time to focus on the food.
And yes, I did remove the sheetrock from my ceiling on that side of the garage. The reason is because of my height, I kept hitting the ceiling whenever I do barbell overhead presses or kettlebell swings. (I am 6’-3”).
