For those without a private garage, basement or spare room who want to create a functional, compact home gym, we see you. If you’re wondering, “Can you have a home gym in an apartment?” We’re here to tell you it’s possible. It can be a challenge to find the right equipment and design a space that serves your fitness goals, but with a little creativity and some versatile workout equipment, it can be done. A few things to note right away to help frame your search:
- You will get to flex your creativity in using the space and equipment you have
- You will need to consider weight limit, home layout, and sound
- Seek out versatile, adjustable equipment to save space (and money)
If a home gym space is on your priority list, think of the exercises at the heart of your workouts. If you’re building a home gym routine to build aerobic fitness as well, you’ll need to factor in the space required to fit equipment like a treadmill, elliptical or spin bike. By taking a quick inventory of the most important components you’ll need to meet your goals, you can begin to plot out what your layout will look like.
What’s so great about building a home gym in an apartment?
Small spaces won’t be able to fit everything you want, but they can fit the things you need. This logistical challenge for apartment and condo-dwellers can be enough of an obstacle to keep you renewing the gym membership, but sometimes, using the space you have is the only viable option.
Of course, there are tons of perks that come with having a home gym. Work out anytime you want — no commute necessary. Enjoy your protein shake or post-workout dinner right after you’re done so you can really benefit from your session. All in all, there’s a lot to love about creating your own intentional space for working out.
Selecting the right equipment for your home gym in a small space
Let’s dig into the most important part of the whole equation: the right equipment. Above, we mentioned prioritizing equipment that’s easy to adjust and fit to your own space and needs. Why? Having equipment that can adjust to multiple different exercises means you won’t need to add redundant, bulky and expensive equipment.
Adjustable dumbbells offer you greater flexibility without taking up space
Adjustable dumbbells are becoming mainstays for home gyms in small spaces. The PowerBlock Elite USA, for example, replaces 825 pounds of free weights! You could be replacing up to 28 sets of regular dumbbells with just one compact set. This means you won’t have to shop around for heavier weights once you’ve leveled up in strength. You can scale up or down as you need to — right at home.
Dumbbell attachments can expand your home gym’s capabilities
Most importantly, our adjustable dumbbells be purchased with compatible attachments — giving you even more versatility. You can easily replicate the lifting equipment you’d find at the gym, but without the extra plates and racks. Complete exercises like deadlifts, snatches, curls and more by swapping out the handles of the dumbbells and pinning the curl or straight bar inserts into the dumbbells at the weight of your choice. After you’re done? Easily remove the bar and get back to free weight exercises.
Here are popular attachments to consider for your adjustable dumbbells:
Replace multiple individual kettlebells with adjustable kettlebells
Like our adjustable dumbbells, our adjustable kettlebells also conserve space in your small space’s home gym. PowerBlock’s adjustable kettlebells give you a four-in-one piece that helps save both money and space. Using a selector pin, you can go from heavier lifts that build power down to lower weights for endurance-centric workouts.
Embrace small-but-mighty resistance work
Never underestimate the power of bodyweight and resistance work. Equipment like resistance bands, abdominal wheels and simple (but powerful!) bodyweight exercises made this list of home gym ideas for small spaces because it’s an easy way to save space and access a plethora of exercises for just about every muscle group.
Save space without compromising strength with resistance bands
Hang them up on hooks or fold them away into a cubby. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong with adding a few varying levels of resistance bands to your home gym’s arsenal. Using robust resistance bands, you can mimic the intensity of heavy free weights without their bulk. Meanwhile, with thinner bands, you can enhance endurance through high-repetition workouts.
Creating space for aerobic exercise
If you’re adding running, rowing, or spinning as a priority workout, making sure you have ample space carved out for this equipment will be critical. Luckily, there are options such as foldable treadmills and compact rowing machines to help maximize space in your condo or apartment’s home gym. Spin bikes can be great as they’re easy to wheel away into storage or tuck into a corner when you need to free up some room. Heavy jump ropes also offer a full-body, aerobic exercise while taking up minimal storage space.
Flooring and sound considerations
In condos or apartments with adjoining walls, noise management is crucial. It’s essential to design a cushioned area to minimize impact. Rubber mats or crash pads are effective for noise reduction and also safeguard both your flooring and the ceiling of those living below you.
Choosing the right flooring material
Snapping together a few interlocking rubber tiles is a fairly popular choice for home gyms in apartments. For even smaller spaces, you can simply opt for a workout mat that can double as a comfortable mat for yoga and stretching. No matter which material you choose, you’ll want to ensure the flooring of your apartment is protected from knicks and scratches inflicted by heavy equipment.
Stay motivated outside the gym
One common concern when considering how to create a home gym in a small space is the lack of energy provided by gym memberships. It’s true that gyms offer a motivating, focused environment that can help push you to new PRs, but there are great ways to stay engaged in the small space of a home gym.
Keep your workouts fresh and challenging
If you don’t want to splurge on an app subscription or equipment with built-in software, YouTube is an invaluable resource when it comes to accessing quality workouts and strength or yoga routines. Other ways to keep your routines exciting are by finding upbeat workout-specific playlists or by following along with social media fitness challenges.
Put it all together with clever storage ideas
Just as with any small space, your home gym’s functionality will depend on layout and storage. The last thing you want is to be creating tripping hazards by leaving your equipment out on the floor. Here are some ideas on maximizing your small space for a home gym:
- Hang up resistance bands, and ropes on hooks
- Invest in a cubby system where you can tuck away small, light items
- Store dumbbells, kettlebells and other heavier objects on specially designed stands that keep equipment up and out of the way
Get started on building the home gym of your dreams
You’ve narrowed down your most important gym equipment and found ways to bring the best of the gym membership experience right to your apartment. Now, it’s time to bring that vision to life. Start by adding some of the most essential equipment, such as PowerBlock’s adjustable fitness equipment so you can begin to make gains as you build up your small space’s home gym.
