Mistakes In Building Your Home Gym

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The popular gym chain 24 Hour Fitness might be closing more than 100 locations due to pandemic business loss. Trainers at the upscale Equinox chain are refusing to go into work for fear of getting sick. Many people are understandably taking to outdoor exercise classes. But gyms, as businesses, cannot become fully outdoor venues.

As a result, people are building more home gyms. Those who want professional-quality equipment but don’t want to risk getting sick are turning their spare rooms and garages into a mini home gyms. The purchasing of fitness equipment grew by 170 percent during this pandemic alone. But with people building home gyms so rapidly, are they able to learn about the right way to do so, just as quickly? Perhaps not. Here are home gym mistakes you might be making.

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Buying without strategizing

When you decide to build a home gym, you may just start buying every piece of equipment and accessory that looks appealing to you. But what might happen then is you find you’ve filled your area up with items, have no space left, and have not purchased the things you need for the exercises that are a priority to you. Before buying a single thing, decide on which exercises are most important to you. Explore which items can help you do those (remember a lot of equipment is multifunctional to save you space). Then plan purchases around the space you have.

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Forgetting about airflow

A gym can get stinky, quickly. You sweat in there, and moisture can build up on equipment, creating a nice place for bacteria to fester. Make sure you have a plan for ventilation. If you can put your home gym in a room with plenty of windows, that’s a good start. However, if you live somewhere with the true four seasons, you may want to go with mechanical temperature control (i.e. a thermostat). If you don’t have air conditioning in the room where you’d like to put your gym, get an AC unit for that room. Also, add industrial-grade fans to keep air moving. If you live in a humid climate, add a dehumidifier. Home gyms are particularly susceptible to humidity problems.

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Leaving your floor as is

No matter what type of floor you have – carpet, hardwood, tile – it’s not right for a gym. Equipment will quickly scratch up beautiful hardwood floors. Carpet gets stained too easily. Tile is too slippery. Invest in anti-fatigue rubber mats to put over your floors in your home gym. You’ll protect your floors, as well as your joints.

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Skipping the mirrors

Having a mirror in your gym is about more than taking that gym selfie. You’ll notice that commercial gyms have mirrors everywhere. You don’t need quite as many in your home gym, but you need at least one large one that lets you see your entire body. It’s important to watch your form while you exercise because an improper form can lead to injury.

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Watch that wiring

If you plan on purchasing several pieces of large electrical equipment, keep in mind that you’ll need a room with plenty of outlets. There are two reasons for this: 1) the room just needs to be able to provide power to several energy-sucking machines and 2) running all cords to one strip, at one outlet, will cause a tripping hazard. You must keep the cords separated and out of the way.

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Keeping it dim

If you’re going to build a rather comprehensive home gym, there’s a good chance you’re going to do so either in your basement or garage. But, these are two areas that are famously dark. Working out without proper lighting is not only dangerous because you need to see what you’re doing, but it’s also just unpleasant. The bright lights of commercial gyms work to keep your moods and energy levels lifted. If you need to add lighting to space, it’s important to do this before moving the equipment in. It’s difficult to get on ladders and install ceiling fixtures once you have treadmills and dumbbells covering your floors.

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Saving money by sacrificing quality

Gym equipment is going to go through a lot. These are not items you’ll use lightly (at least not if you stick to your workout goals). You pound on this equipment. You drop it, throw it, run on it, sit on it, smack it against the floor…You won’t be easy on gym equipment, so this is not the time to buy the cheap stuff. Remember that you want your gym equipment to last you for years. Even the “inexpensive” treadmill is still a lot of money, so it’s a shame to drop hundreds on one, only to have to replace it in a few years. You have to work within your budget, of course. But if you have to build your gym slowly to let your finances catch up to the purchases, it’s a good idea, if it means getting high-quality equipment.

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Being unrealistic about goals

For some reason, the moment people move their workout from the commercial gym to the home gym, they can decide they want to try all new workouts. They start buying equipment for exercises they’ve never even tried. But what can happen then, is you have a home gym, cluttered with things you never use. Ask yourself what pieces you actually use at the commercial gym. That’s probably about all you need at your home gym. If you never used the boxing equipment that was at the commercial gym, all along, you probably won’t suddenly take up boxing at home.

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Making it pretty

Throw out any notions of having a beautiful gym. If the aesthetic is at the top of your mind when you’re choosing equipment, you may wind up with the wrong equipment. Focusing on making a gym pretty can leave you with things you don’t use, that take up too much space. Forget about how it looks. Buy quality equipment you will actually use, even if it isn’t photo-worthy.

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Working out on a top floor

If you live in a condo, you may not have this option, but if you live in a single-family home, put your gym on the ground floor. Choosing an upstairs room is something you’ll regret, quickly. First, think of getting that huge treadmill upstairs. Then, think of the noise you’ll create when you’re doing jumping jacks above the guest bedroom. And thirdly, think of the hazard of dropping something very heavy, onto a floor that is above someone’s head. Should it crash through, you could have a serious problem on your hands.