It’s easy to work out when it’s convenient.
So, with that said, I will show you how o build a compact home gym for your bedroom or small space. Did you know that workouts in your home have many other perks? Here are a few; ZERO driving time or gas money to and from the gym. You’ll never have to wait for equipment hogs at the gym to finish using the equipment you need. You won’t have to were a stupid mask because of Covid 19.
How To Build A Compact Home Gym (Setup guide)
In my guide, I will show you how I built my home gym and how you can too. It’s simple though, so don’t worry. First I’ll Share all the equipment, and then how to set it up. I think I spent around 600 dollars over time to acquire all of my equipment. Here are some of the tools you’ll need to build this gym.
- A Socket Wrench.
- A drill & drill bits.
- A stud finder
- A level
- Allen keys
Wall-mounted Chin-up Bar
I bought the Ultimate Body Press Wall Mount Pull Up Bar. But any good pull-up bar is a must-have for the calisthenics athlete or the average fit guy or girl. It’s a great exercise device. Not to mention if pull-ups are hard for you, you can always use a pull-up assist bands to help you get UP to the bar. You can do Pull-ups, chin-ups, inverted sit-ups, and much more with your pull-up bar.
Product Description: The Ultimate Body Press Wall Mount Pull Up Bar is a simple low-cost wall mount pull-up station that anchor right into the studs in your wall. All you need is a stud finder to help you center your drill holes.
Features And Benefits
- Designed in the USA.
- Lots of wall clearance, for better range of motion.
- 300 lb weight capacity.
- Easily mounts right to the studs in your wall.
- High-density foam handle pads.
- It’s sturdy.
- It’s compact so it’s perfect for any small workout space.
Dip station
I love my dip station by Relife. It’s an extremely powerful but simple device, dips provide an extremely important level of strength to the upper body. It’s a staple in all calisthenics workout plans. A must-have!
Product Description: A simple, compact parallel bar in my room, cool… it’s like a childhood playground up in this bitch! I love dips, they are hard, they’ll help you build an immense level of upper body strength, so to do’em.
Features And Benefits
- You can do dips in your room, how cool of a benefit is that alone!
- Some are detached and some connect with the adjustable connector bar; it helps to stabilize the Dip bars (like mine).
- There are different styles and designs.
Push-up handles
I got these from Walmart and they are a little wobbly, but they get the job done. I recommend any pair of push-up handles, so just get one you like!
Product Description: Push-up handles come in all shapes and sizes. Some are simple some are more complex in design and have additional features and benefits. Some rotate some don’t. I saw one that converts into a pull-up/chin-up station.
Features And Benefits
- Some can spin.
- Some covert into a pull station.
- Some are fixed and simple, like the one in the picture above.
Resistance Bands With Handles
I first bought the TNT bands by lifeline USA, then I began to ad heavier bands over time. Lifeline USA is an American company, so support our nation and buy American, lol! So these bands are built to last, they offer a huge amount of resistance for the simple fact that the handles have 3 band slots! I use these bands for arms shoulders and to add resistance to my squats.
Product Description: The TNT bands by Lifeline USA are a great option for a super heavy workout because it has 3 slots for bands. They have a large variety of resistance levels and are built to last. Lifeline USA uses a solid reinforced polymer in the handles to hold up to extreme forces.
Features And Benefits
- 3 slots for bands
- Huge range of resistance levels
- Super strong handles (nearly unbreakable)
Pull-up Assist Bands
I use pull-up assistance bands to help me do higher reps on my pull-ups, I also use them to do all sorts of exercises for; shoulders, biceps & triceps, forearms, back, chest, and legs!
Product Description: Pull-up Assist Bands can be used to make exercises easier or more difficult. For example, you can increase the intensity of push-ups with the band stretched across your back. Or you could make pull-ups easier by putting your foot or knee inside the band to help you up to the bar.
Features And Benefits
- Provides MORE tension to push-ups to make them harder, or REMOVES tension from Pull-ups/Dips to make them easier!
- You can perform many different exercises with pull-up assist bands, they are not limited to assisted pull-ups!
Weighted Vest
Got this one from Walmart, it’s only 40lbs, and cost about 70 bucks. There are much better options out there, but its cool, I like it so far. I may get a 150 pounder later! Hahahahaaaaaaaa!
Product Description: Every exercise in your calisthenics routine can NOW be intensified, with a weighted vest! Get one! They can get super heavy! This is how you take your workouts to the next level. Are you sure you’re ready for this in your life?! There are so many brands, styles, and weight levels. They range from 20-150 pounds on average.
Features And Benefits
- Adds weight to ALLLL calisthenic exercises, to make them harder.
- Helps you TAKE your workouts to the next level.
Suspension Trainer
This is the Jungle Gym XT. There is so much that you can do with a suspension trainer like this. Your bodyweight supplies all of the tension, and you can do curls, tricep presses, chin-ups, pull-ups, rows, chest presses, single-leg squats, abdominal and back exercises. It’s a great tool, so just get one.
Product Description: It’s an adjustable strap that hangs from a bar or overhead rail of some kind. It has handles attached on the other end. you can slide the buckle to adjust the height of your strap, then you grab the handles to do loads of different exercises.
Features And Benefits
- It’s versatile, many uses, many exercises.
- Great for total body workouts.
- It’s compact, portable, you can do exercises anywhere now!
Exercise Mat
Any exercise mat will do. For core, or push-ups. You should have one because there are so many core exercises you can do on the ground!
Product Description: An exercise mat or yoga mat can provide a comfortable area for you to perform all of your floor exercises. You should protect and take care of your tailbone, wrists, elbows, and knees while on the floor.
Features And Benefits
- Provides a spongy cushion between you and the hard floor or carpet to provide comfort during all of your floor workouts.
- Comes in many colors and designs
In Conclusion
You can see calisthenics/resistance band training is the premise of my workouts and my home gym is an expression of that! I revealed my equipment and showed you how to set it all up. If you apply what I shared with you in this post you’ll have a badass home gym set up like me. Take care!!!
If you have any questions about my compact home gym setup let me know in a comment.
