5 Years with a Home Gym

Almost five years ago, during the pandemic, I built myself a home gym to allow me to continue my strength training journey since COVID kept me away from the commercial gyms. I was slightly worried about it being too convenient, but now I can't imagine lifting anywhere else.

When I slowly built out my gym during the pandemic, the used prices were absolutely through the roof. People were selling their unused gear at insane prices. Others were buying whatever they could get their hands on and then re-selling at a markup. The market was crazy. Fortunately I was able to use the Reddit home gym community to help me find when the various stores got gear in stock and was able to build out a nice little setup for myself. It was just weird buying "new" because used gear was so much more expensive.

My biggest worry about building a home gym was that it would end up going unused. There's been a finding that for some people, they need to get out and actually go to the gym in order for them to stick to their goals. Oddly enough, having a home gym can be too convenient that they'll just delay each workout until the next day...and then the next...until, well, they just stop. I've been motivated enough that this has not been an issue, but it's something I keep in the back of my mind to remind me. Often when my gym goes through periods of light use, it's more because I'm doing something else more, like running (I'll do anything to avoid legs days sometimes).

My home gym setup is actually pretty simple.

• Rack
• Barbell
• EZ Curl Barbell
• 50 lb. Adjustable Dumbbells
• Flat Bench
• Adjustable Bench
• Various Plates (Bumper and Iron Plates)

I've been much more into free weights since I started regularly going to the gym, so that's what I focused on picking up. You'd be surprised how many different exercises you can do with a barbell and some plates. You can pretty much hit every muscle group, and do it within a more confined space.

I think one of my other favorite things about having the home setup is that I never have to wait for machines to be available. The benches and squat racks at the LA Fitness I used to go to were always popular and often always in use. Most people lifting were generally pretty good about not hogging them. They'd go in, do their lifts, and then vacate the machine. Others who needed longer rest periods between sets were generally willing to let you work in with them (despite some horror stories, most of the heavy power lifters I ran into were quite friendly and reasonable). Beginning of the year was always rough as well with all the people trying to stick with their New Year's resolutions. I often got annoyed with the influx of people and the resulting wait times, but I also tried to balance it with wanting to see more people stick with it to improve whatever fitness goals they're hoping to achieve.

At home, I don't have to wait on anyone, I can do my exercises in the order I want (better to do the more intense lifts earlier in the lifting session as to not drain your energy prior). I can take longer rest periods when needed without having to worry about whether I'm holding someone else up. It's nice and convenient.

This is not to say there isn't anything I miss from commercial gyms.

In terms of gear, there are definitely some pieces of gear I miss from commercial gyms, most notably the cable machines. Unfortunately, my basement ceilings aren't high enough to support a full cage, so I can't even get the attachments to support them. At the end of the day though, the simple setup I have provides more than enough for me to get a good workout in, lift heavy, and build and maintain muscle.

The other thing I miss is the sense of camaraderie. Most people just kept to themselves and did their own thing, but if you needed a spot, many of the lifters were almost always willing to help out and even cheer you on. While there can be the stereotype that these muscled power lifters are "scary", more often than not, they're pretty friendly, wanting to see you succeed, and more than willing to offer tips, tricks, and other advice (only when asked as there's an unwritten rule of don't offer unsolicited advice).

Even with all of that, there's something nice about being able to just walk downstairs to my basement to get a workout in. Totally worth it.