The Ultimate Garage Gym

 

  

 

So you've decided to turn your garage into a gym… no? Perhaps you should reconsider, because believe it or not, a world class training facility is much closer than you think. Many of the world's top athletes train in facilities that are much smaller and simpler than any commercial gym. You don't need rows of machines and walls with mirrors to get a good workout, in fact, you're better off without them! All you need are a few simple tools and a small amount of space and you are set. As time goes on, you can add more to your gym. If you have training partners, they can add their own equipment as well.

Advantages of a Home Gym

10. Rock out to your own music.
9. Toss some iron around with your friends in a casual environment.
8. Train WHENEVER you want.
7. Chalk it up!
6. Make noise, drop weights and grunt as you please.
5. No gym membership fees.
4. No fat, hairy dudes struttin' it in the locker room.
3. No aerobics instructors to warn you about the dangers of deadlifting.
2. The power rack will not be occupied by a mullet doing curls.
1. No shoes, no shirt, no problem.

In this article, we'll take a tour of some great home gyms. They are all excellent models of what can be done in only a small amount of space. First up is Rob Lawrence in Philadelphia.

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 My gym is set up in the standalone garage behind my house. The centerpiece is a power rack that I use primarily for squats, deadlifts, and pullups. I have three pairs of kettlebells (16, 24, and 32kg), an Olympic bar and plates, a 2" thick bar, a flat bench, a heavy bag, some heavy-duty grippers, and a leverage bar. I also have three sandbags and some homemade grip equipment I rigged up, including a loading pin, wrist roller, and various handles. Lastly, my gym contains a couple of historical curios that belong to my landlord and have nothing to do with weightlifting, including an 1830 Franklin stove, some rare books, and an Army recruiting pamphlet dating from 1917.
The gym is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Both seasons can be trying. Right now it's winter and the biggest problem I have is trying to keep the equipment warm. Heavy lifting warms the body up quickly, but handling cold steel can be a nasty experience. I've tried using a space heater, but in the uninsulated garage that is futile and I've given the practice up. Instead, I use a hot water bottle to warm the handles of whatever equipment I'm planning to use next. I've also cut back on cold-water dousing, since I spend a good hour outside in the cold whenever I work out.
Unless I can find a serious training partner -- and I haven't found a regular one in two years -- I prefer to work out alone. I head out in the morning about an hour after I have breakfast. My workouts are intense. Although I am patient and methodical I am anything but laid back. I have to use a timer to make sure I take enough time between sets; otherwise I will rush the sets and fatigue too early. I tend to pace around a lot between sets. Some time ago I got one of Brooks Kubik's training tapes, and discovered his training style was a lot like my own: lots of short, hard sets, with lots of pacing and mental preparation between.
I guess you'd say my gym is on the spartan side. I'm looking to buy a house in the next year or so, and when I do, having the space for a gym will be high on my list of priorities. I can't imagine adding much more to it, save a top-quality bar and bumper plates if and when I get some decent instruction on the Olympic lifts.

Next up on our tour is Tyler Hass' dorm room gym.
It's pretty amazing, but in this small space, I have had some brutally challenging workouts. My workout space is about the size of a welcome mat. Most of my room is occupied by a bed, my recliner and a desk. I also have to stay clear of the chandelier overhead, so my usable space is quite small. Underneath my bed, I store a full set of Kettlebells (36, 54, 72), a pair of 15lb Clubbells, parallelettes, pairs of mini, light, average and strong Jumpstretch Flexbands, a cheap Ab Wheel and a pair adjustable 5lb ankle weights. On my desk I have some Power Putty and an excellent training library.

Buyer's Guide

Basic
300lb Olympic Set
Kettlebell
Extras: ab wheel, rubber mats, parallelettes, jump rope, chains
Intermediate
Kettlebells (Full Set)
Power Rack or Stands
Gymnastics Rings
Medicine Ball
Extras: Flex Bands, adjustable bench, squat/plyo boxes, grippers
Elite
Quality Olympic bar and bumper plates
Gymnastics Mats (foldable)
Kettlebells (Double Set)
Glute-Ham Raise or Reverse Hyper machine
Rowing Machine
Extras: TV/VCR, Milo training hall tapes, Video Camera

 Kettlebells are definitely the main component of my training. They are incredibly versatile and store away easily. Clubbells are a recent addition to my arsenal. I have to take them outside to do most types of overhead work, but I can still perform a good number of lifts inside my room. Many curious drunkards stumbling past my room have taken notice of the Clubbells. They always pick them up and then ask what I do with them. Luckily, none of them have hurt themselves, yet. They are generally less interested in the Kettlebells, which are too heavy to play with. I try to keep my floor as clear as possible so that I can stretch out. My stretching routine is a combination of the Jumpstretch flexibility routine and some joint work. I also do a lot of parallelette work on the ground. I use them to do handstand pushups onto my neon kiwi-lime green walls. I also do some L-sits, which is great for the abs. Anything gymnastic has a place in my routine!
At home I have access to all of the same stuff that I use in my dorm room, plus I have a pair of power rings. My favorite exercise is the muscle-up, which works the entire upper body in one powerful movement. I also do a lot of abdominal exercises and weighted pullups on the rings.

I also have a 15 pound medicine ball, which I rarely use, and a Swiss Ball that is currently deflated. My parents have an old rowing machine, which has almost never been used. Rowing is one of the most challenging cardio workouts possible, so I will definitely make use of it in the future. I also have a water-filled punching bag, but it is rarely up, because it obstructs the front-entry way of my house. My big plan for the future is to purchase a nice bar and bumper plates for Olympic lifting. This addition would allow me to work deads and squats, which are the only noteworthy lifts missing from my repertoire. A power rack or stands would be great, but space in the garage is quite limited. However, I can head over to the school gym whenever I have the urge to do some heavy lifting. That pretty much concludes my home gym. It is not quite world-class yet, but it's better than any fancy commercial gym I have ever seen.
Next stop is Florida, the home of Charlie Newkerk's awe-inspiring gym setup.

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Since I live in beautiful sunny Florida, I train outside rain or shine, 12 months of the year. The only time I won't be outside training is hurricanes and/or lightning storms.

My gym set up is under a tarp cover which helps keep off the rain and winds and provides some shade in the summer. Inside the tarp is the step boxes, Total Gym, Power rack, Olympic set and dumbbells, and Ironmind kbells (the Dragondoor kbells are on the back porch). The base is 3/4" plywood for a 10' by 20' area.

Outside in the Martial Arts area are the tires for kicks and strikes, Wing Chun dummy (built of PVC), and heavy bag-water filled. Also seen is the pull-up bar(with attachments for rope pulls and triangle pulls) and dip racks.

I currently rotate workout between a Renegade Circuit day 1, Martial Arts day 2, and barbell power workout day 3, the repeat…

 

Mike Coleman has a simple setup that fits into the corner of his room. Small and easily portable, this is an example of great things that can be done with only a small amount of equipment.

I typically get up about 5:30 in the morning and do Hindu Squats, Pushup, and Bridging. I also like to mix in some weights. I really like the 52lb KB that I have, and I supplement that with regular dumbells. Additionally, I use the rubber band equipment like the Chest Expander (great for shoulder work) and the Power Pushups. Finally, I like to run with a weight vest (pictured here) and I mix up my ab workout with the Power Wheel (I like to do ladders starting with 12 knee rollouts down to 1 with minimal rest, the Medicine ball (Twists) and some Crunches with the tube contraption in the photo. The swissball is usually only used as a bench for dumbell presses or flys.

Basically, I exercise for about 45 minutes 6 times a week and alternate equipment to keep my muscles guessing.