Get in Shape for summer with a gym in the garage

Now the you’ve set up your new garage door in time for spring, it’s time to consider getting in shape for the summer. One of the better ways of doing so is by setting up a gym in your garage.

Using a few pieces of key equipment, you can arrange a decent home workout that covers nearly all the muscle groups. If you’re able to invest in a few pieces of dedicated workout equipment, you can create a home gym environment that rivals small fitness centres.

Advantages of lifting in your garage

Although a home gym set up in your garage does require an investment of time and money, it quickly pays off when you compare the costs of a membership at a fitness centre. Not only do you save a considerable amount of time travelling to and from an outside facility, you also never have to wait for a machine or a piece of equipment to become available. This allows you to perform workout routines according to your schedule and physical needs.

Working out in a home gym also helps people who are a bit shy or just starting out a healthy new routine. Instead of feeling intimidated by a workout environment filled with ripped, aggressive power lifters, you can enjoy a space that’s more suited for your own personal workout.

The equipment can be surprisingly inexpensive

Simple items that may be as inexpensive as free can provide great value for your home gym workout. If you happen to have an empty keg lying around, you can use it for loading exercises, filling it with an appropriate amount of weight for you to carry and lift onto platforms.

A large tractor tire can be used for two different exercises: flipping it end-over-end or attaching a rope around it and dragging it along the ground. Using these two items alone, you will work your core and upper body, while getting a decent dose of cardio.

You can also make sturdy equipment on your own. Plyometric boxes can be fashioned from strong plywood boxes, wood glue and screws. A medicine ball can be made of an old, deflated basketball filled with salt pellets and wrapped with duct tape to prevent spillage.

If you’re confident in your DIY abilities, or if you can recruit a friend handy with tools, you can even create a power rack for your garage gym, further reducing the cost while increasing the utility of your garage gym.

You can buy home fitness equipment that’s similar to the gym

Traditional equipment

Of course, if you have some money to invest in new workout equipment, you can create a home gym that has pretty much everything that a fitness centre would offer. Even better, gym equipment tends to be sturdy and lasts a long time, which means that you can buy top-notch racks, plates, machines, benches and other great fitness tools at a discounted rate.

CrossFit equipment

CrossFit is a fitness phenomenon that has become very popular due to the fact that the program works well for many different body types. This type of circuit-based training improves the strength and conditioning of pretty much everyone who undertakes the program, even those who are experienced with physical fitness.

The most important equipment for CrossFit are a pull-up bar, an Olympic weight bar and some weights. After you have those three items, you can add other pieces to expand your workout, such as gymnastic rings, a jump rope, a glute-ham developer and kettlebells. In fact, obtaining a set of kettlebells enables a wide variety of free-motion movements that work every part of your body, including core and upper body muscles.

Preparing your garage as a gym environment

Before bringing all the equipment in your garage, you should clear enough space to move around without striking the walls or ceiling. If you can’t lift without striking the ceiling of the garage, you may want to consider workout out elsewhere in your home. You should have a clearance of a couple of feet at a minimum to avoid lifting accidents.

The flooring of your gym should be protected against falling weights while cushioning the noise. A few layers of plywood covered by a hard carpet works to protect your garage. Adding a couple of rubber mats for heavy barbell exercises and deadlifts provides additional protection and a bit of extra cushion for your ankles, knees and hips.

Lift weights, not your garage door

If you find yourself struggling with an old opener and panel, a new garage door can help to secure your new home gym while providing a safe, private space for you to get into shape.

Garaga remains the industry standard for durability and reliability, with over 1.7 million quality garage doors sold since 1983.

You can click here to get a free quote from A-1 Overhead, or click here to start by building your perfect garage door! You can also call us at 1-800-409-3667.