It seems like every other month gyms are closed again. As much as I love going to the gym, I am fed up with the mandates and the regulations that are put on gyms.
For those of you that are also sick of gyms being closed again, this article is for you. We are going to talk about building your own home gym and other things that you can do instead.
I am actually lucky enough to live in Florida, where I can still go to the gym. But I had to buy a few items so that now I have a backup option for if gyms do end up closing in my city.
Here is the thing. There is no telling when the gyms are closing, so you might as well load up now.
Before we get started, I recommend downloading our app All Workouts: Personal Trainer (iOS | Google Play). If you are looking for solid workout plans that will keep you on track to build muscle and shed fat, this is the ONLY app that you need.
Essential equipment
Depending on your goals, the equipment that you are going to use can vary drastically. But there are some essentials that you cannot argue with. When gyms are closed again inevitably, you are going to want to have some items at home to keep you going.
Here are 3 items that I started with that can keep me going through almost any gym drought:
If there are only 3 things that you need, this is what I recommend.
The adjustable dumbbells are going to ensure that you have access to dumbbells through the various weight ranges that you might need.
And there are so many dumbbell only exercises out there, that you might not need anything else. That is why I put dumbbells at number one.
What about the TRX suspension trainer? It is so well known that literally every gym has one or two. And there are a plethora of different workouts that you can use it for. Your chest and back will thank you.
And finally, the door frame pull-up bar. If you have never been a fan of pull-ups, I urge you to reconsider. Pull-ups are one of the most classic exercises of all time, and there are so many different ways that you can perform them.
The best thing about building a home gym is that you are the ultimate decision maker for what you want to build. You can spend as much or as little as you want.
And don’t forget, Amazon isn’t the only place where you can buy gym equipment. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Play It Again Sports are all worthy places to check out.
Bodyweight only
You know that you don’t need a gym at all if you are trying to build muscle and get in shape. In fact, it can be done with bodyweight only. Be sure to check out our muscle building plan without equipment before you even get started.
Even though you can get away with having no equipment, there are a few that I recommend if you want to be serious about a bodyweight only routine:
You will notice that 2 of the items on this list are the same as our previous list. That is because the pull-up bar and the suspension trainer are 2 incredible pieces of equipment that will take you very far if you want to build muscle on bodyweight alone.
Pull-ups are going to workout you back, arms, and shoulders. It is really one of the best bodyweight exercises that you can possibly do for your upper body.
The suspension trainer is good for so many things. You can do back workouts, chest workouts, arm workouts, and leg workouts with the suspension trainer. They will include a guide in the packaging that will walk you through a ton of the different workouts.
Now a lot of the people question me about the perfect pushup. I used to be a hater of the perfect pushup actually. Then I won a set in a contest when I was in college.
I was shocked at how efficient they are at keeping your wrists in the right position and helping to eliminate any wrist pain.
When you do regular pushups without the perfect pushup, you will notice that your wrists will start to hurt when you do enough pushups. That is completely eliminated with the perfect pushup. And they aren’t that expensive.
Always have a backup plan
Ok, so gyms are closed again, what are you going to do now? Do you have a backup plan?
This is why I ended up buying my home gym equipment ahead of time, just in case gyms end up closed.
I know a lot of people have hang ups when it comes to buying gym equipment. And that is reasonable. But I think a good backup plan is to at least purchase the essentials. Over time, you might decide that working out at home is more enjoyable.
As you continue with the home gym journey, you will also realize that having a home gym is more affordable than a gym membership in the long run.
Where I live, the average gym is about $40 per month. So essentially if you spend $1500 on a home gym, it will pay for itself in around 3 years if you quit your gym membership.
Personally, I still have my gym membership because I love being able to try a bunch of different things and switch it up from time to time. But, if gyms are closed again, I know that I at least have some equipment at home.
Main Point: Gyms are closed again?
Gyms are closed again, now what? It is obnoxious when the closure of gyms interrupts our gains. But not to fret, the next best thing is building your own home gym.
If you have made it this far, you know it doesn’t take much to get your home gym started. The key is just to get started.
Although it would be nice to have a ton of gym equipment in your garage, I understand that is not reasonable to assume.
The best thing that you can do is browse Amazon, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Play it Again Sports. You might find something that you need for dirt cheap.
When I first started working out, I was so out of shape that I was actually embarrassed to go to the gym. So I started looking for gym equipment. I ended up finding a whole entire gym with dumbbells, a weight bench, and a squat rack for $350.
Keep in mind, this was pre-pandemic, so I can’t guarantee that you will find such a good deal nowadays.
But stay vigilant and know what you want. Check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace everyday for deals.
At the end of the day, you really don’t need a ton of equipment. In fact, you don’t need any equipment. You can just do bodyweight exercises.
Find out what works best for you and get started.
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