How To Set Up A Cheap Home Gym

Gym memberships may be convenient, but nothing is more convenient than working out at home. A home gym offers the luxury of exercising in comfortable privacy, but it requires an investment. Many fitness enthusiasts understandably want to know how to set up a cheap home gym.

The cheapest way to set up a home gym is to buy second-hand weights and equipment from thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace. You can also save a fortune if you keep your gym simple and use household items like ottomans and chairs instead of workout benches. Prioritize body weight exercises and buy cheap dip stations and pull-up bars to save money and space. 

Weights cost $1 to $2 per pound, so start slow and and low and only buy what you can reasonably lift. Create a list of what you need for your home gym and plan accordingly based on your budget and available space. Follow along as we explore how to set up a cheap home gym on a budget. 

How To Build A Home Gym On A Budget

1. Set A Budget

Workout equipment is expensive and takes up space, and that’s why many people pay for gym memberships. However, you can get the most bang for your buck with a home gym if you set a reasonable budget. Make a list of what type of exercises you will realistically stick with and consider the equipment they require.

For example, bodybuilders typically use equipment like kettlebells and dumbbells. A 20-pound dumbbell normally costs $20 to $25, and you likely need two of them. That said, many bodybuilders lift different weights for different muscle groups, so you may need a variety of weights.

Consider how much weight you can lift and how much you plan to be able to lift. After all, increasing the amount you lift is essential for progressively overloading your muscles. You can save money on weights if you buy one dumbbell for each weight. Granted, this will limit you to one-handed lifts, but that’s better than nothing.

NOTE: It’s best to start small and slowly build your collection of weights and gym equipment. Start with dumbbells and kettlebells, and slowly work your way up to squat racks. 

2. Visit A Thrift Store

Thrift stores are treasure troves filled with cheap items that would cost you much more elsewhere. Countless fitness gurus have struck gold at thrift stores, and there’s no reason you can’t, too. Visit local thrift stores and look for workout benches and weights.

Major retailers typically sell weights for $1 to $2 per pound, which can add up. Luckily, you can often buy weights for half the price at places like Goodwill. It’s also worth visiting online resources like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to find cheap home gym equipment. 

3. Focus On Body Weight Exercises

Body weight exercises provide impressive results, and they require almost no financial investment. You can exercise many muscle groups with body weight exercises like pull-ups and dips. Luckily, you can fit a dip station and pull-up bar in any home gym.

Today, it’s easy to find pull-up bars that you can stick in a door frame. Comfortable and stable, you can perform several pull-up and chin-up variations without taking up much space. When you’re done, you can remove the pull-up bar and put it away. 

Dips work wonders for your pecs and triceps, and at-home dip stations make it easier to do. Portable and light, you can store your dip station in a closet or against the wall when you don’t need it. Every cheap home gym needs resistance bands as well, and they are great for many body weight exercises. 

4. Repurpose Household Items

It’s easier than you may think to make gains and blast your core with household items. You can use something as simple as an ottoman as a bench or a boost for body weight exercises. For example, you can place your feet on an ottoman and perform decline push-ups to build your chest and shoulders.

This also serves as a lifting bench substitute if you primarily perform dumbbell curls. That said, investing in a workout bench is a good idea if you plan to perform bench presses. Backpacks are also essential for working out at home on a budget as they let you do weighted exercises.

Weighted workout vests are overpriced, but you can save a fortune if you fill a backpack with weights, water jugs, or books. This adds to the intensity of push-ups and many cardio exercises. You can even perform bicep curls with buckets of water, jugs of detergent, and paint cans. 

5. Keep It Simple

You may feel the urge to buy lots of different weights and types of equipment for your home gym. While that is convenient, it’s also quite expensive. You can save a small fortune on your home gym if you buy a few pieces of equipment that you can use for various exercises.

For example, you don’t necessarily need to buy a barbell if you have a set of dumbbells. Instead, you can bench press your dumbbells and avoid spending the extra money on barbells. Conversely, you can attach weights to a barbell and use it for both curls and bench presses.

This eliminates the need to buy extra weights and equipment, which saves space and money. Of course, you can eventually buy heavier weights and more advanced equipment once you reach your fitness goals. Until then, it’s best to keep it simple and buy a few weights that you can use for chest, bicep, and tricep exercises. 

6. Get Creative

All it takes is a little bit of creativity to set up a cheap home gym on a budget. If you’ve ever belonged to a gym, you’re probably all too familiar with the large mirrors they have everywhere. It’s impractical to cover your walls in mirrors, but there are cheap alternatives.

For example, you can find affordable body-length mirrors for $7 to $30 on the low end. You may only need one mirror, but even buying a few of them is a small investment. Set the mirrors up where you plan to lift, crunch, squat, and stretch.

One of the other luxuries of working out at home is that you can blast your music as loud as you want. That is, as long as your family doesn’t mind. You can find nice Bluetooth speakers for as little as $25 that can make your home gym as immersive as possible. 

7. Make It Comfortable

Most major gym chains have high-end HVAC systems that pump cool air throughout the building. Commercial HVAC systems are much stronger than residential systems, so you will notice a difference in airflow. However, you can combat this if you set up a few cheap fans throughout your home gym.

Tower fans and oscillating fans cost between $20 and $60 each, on the low end, and they aren’t cumbersome. You may only need one fan if your home gym space is small. In that case, you can move the fan as needed.

Make sure to open the return register vents in the room, or else it will get stuffy quickly. It’s also worth it to buy several foam mats to make exercises like push-ups and crunches more comfortable. Finally, it’s a good idea to keep several towels in your home gym so your equipment and mats stay clean.  

Summing It Up

Set a budget for your home gym and look for used equipment to get the most bang for your buck. Thrift stores often sell affordable weights and even workout benches for lifting weights. You can save money if you use household items like ottomans and weighted backpacks instead of overpriced gym equipment. 

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