It’s no longer expensive gym memberships you don’t use, personal trainer classes that start at a mortgage payment size deposit that you never seem to attend, or taking a Zoom class (because we are all OVER Zoom and Skype meetings these days). It’s all about working out from home- turning the garage, backyard, or home office into your beast mode headquarters.

Getting your gym game going can be confusing and stressful- do I go with free weights, kettle bells, huge tires to chuck down my street, or do I go for an all in one system? Our crew had the same questions so we did some intra-web exploring, talked to some of the local fitness guru’s, looked at our checking accounts, and came up with a DIY Home Gym starter guide for those wanting to transform their bodies while not having to break the bank.

Gym Floor Mat

First place to start is your floors. Why? Well, it’s what you will build your gym on- that’s why. We chose the garage surface for the spot of our gym setup. If your office is going to be transformed and the floors are anything but soft carpet- you may want to consider interlocking floor mats. Built to take the brunt of dropped dumbbells, added cushion for high intense workouts, and noise reduction (ya know if you workout on a floor above someone else)-all benefits of floor mats. Sure you can spend $100’s+ or you can nab some pretty cost effective ones like InnHome’s 12/24 Tiles Gym Mat/Exercise Mats. The interlocking foam makes for a no slip and easy grip on any surface. Covers enough space to workout on and doesn’t cost ya an arm and a glute.

Kettle Bells

Kettle bells are one of the most underrated home gym must haves. Do you know how much you can do with one kettle bell? The answer is a heck of a lot. While having a plethora of bells may seem like the step to take, you actually only need one to get started! We nabbed a 35 lbs bell for our initial gym setup. We found a great price on Amazon for only $42 and for the weight and free shipping that’s cost savings we can get behind. Kettle bells help work so many parts of your body and the routines and exercises are endless.

Battle Rope

Talk about rope burn- in a good way. A good sturdy battle rope is a great way to up your endurance and keep your cardio game at a level above other products under $100. For just $75 you can nab a 30’ rope with the anchor (to fasten so you don’t slap the rope around like a ship in a storm) for your gym. One rope can burn in places you never thought and can deliver a workout you didn’t know was possible. Yes you could get a jump rope for some cardio but nothing replaces a battle rope.

Resistance Bands

Ok so we said this gym was on a “budget” yeah? Well, that’s where we round out the list with some resistance bands for not only weight resistance training but lower cost point than going for the full range free weight setup. Sure free weights are a solid choice and we are not saying you shouldn’t ramp up your barbell, free weights, and weight plates game- but we mentioned this is a DIY Budget System- hence the resistance bands suggestion. For just $59 you can have a plethora of resistance weights, exercises to target arms, chest, and abs all while using low impact training right at home. Don’t fight the resistance- go with it!

Honorable Mention: Free Weights

A barbell and some free weights walk into a bar…kidding. But hey- we would be amiss if we didn’t at least mention free weights. Yes these are must haves at any gym- but the cost to stock up on these may not be in budget. You can do plenty of exercises above at a lower price point to get started and if you feel like elevating your gym and workout game then it may be time to head on over and explore the weights side of the coin. Either way ya go, good for you for going!

Total Cost: $232

Add the one, carry the two, dividing by….you get it- we added it up and IF you grabbed each item above you’d see a total cost of around $230 for your very own starter gym. Hey that’s not bad! Factor in adding some free weights, a fancy Gatorade machine, and a sign that reads: Pain is Gain- you can have a home gym for less than $500. Not too shabby- now get after it!