Should I Build A Garage Gym?

Home fitness has been in vogue for years, but it wasn’t until the COVID quarantine that people really woke up to it. With more people working remote than ever before, the idea of a $150 per month gym membership and travel time back and forth is as distasteful as commuting to a physical office. What about a garage gym? About 11 years ago I took that leap myself and rehabbed a 22′ x 55′ barn on my property into a full-blown gym full of commercial exercise equipment bought from a friend’s fitness center. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best money I ever spent.

Before you jump into building out a garage or pole barn into a home fitness center, make sure you do some planning in advance. Below are some things to consider, in addition to reading our Five Step Treadmill Buying Guide for advice on equipment purchases.

The benefits to a full-blown garage gym include being able to work out any way you want.

Pros to Developing a Garage Gym

The upside is you’ll never have to leave your property to work out again. Once upon a time I was a dedicated gym rat that drove to and from my gym and participated in both cardio and strength classes. Figure 30 minutes there and back plus getting changed and you’re already at the two-hour mark if your workout lasts more than 45 minutes. The simple fact is most working professionals just don’t have that kind of time in the day. The value to a garage gym is you’re neither limited by travel time nor hours of operation or holiday schedules. It’s on your property and always available.

You’ll also save money on a gym membership. With average monthly costs anywhere from $35 to $150 per month for a gym, you could easily justify a home equity line payment to upgrade a pole barn or garage into a garage gym. Consider that the resale value of your home will also rise considerably with this feature as an addition to the living space. Here’s where the details come into play, and everyone’s personal finances are a little different. But consider that a $22,000 15-year line of credit at 5% interest adds up to only about $174 per month. And no one says you need to spend that much to build out a garage gym.

Another big plus I’ve found is that having a separate building in which to work out helps. As a tester of treadmills, I also have units inside my home, right in my living room. I’ve found that there is a psychological advantage to going outside into my garage to lift as opposed to trying to work out inside my home, where there seem to be distractions. One of the reasons I keep my treadmills inside my home is my treadmill workouts typically last under 30 minutes, whereas my barbell workouts are a little longer. But if you’re looking to make a cardio studio in a garage or pole barn, I think you’ll find the value in having a separate place which you can keep clear just for workouts. This is especially true if you’re looking to have multiple machines, like ellipticals or bikes in addition to your treadmill. Or, if you have pets and kids, the separate space is easier to keep accident-free.

Questions of how to move your treadmill about the house will be as easily answered as how to get rid of it if you’re ready to upgrade. One of the pains in treadmill ownership is getting the unit assembled inside a small room which will require disassembling it to move. Space makes all the difference in the world here.

Another benefit to a garage gym is your dog can hang out while you exercise. Meet Rock the Labrador retriever.

The Downsides

Simply put, it’s a question of cost and space. A garage gym on your own property is a bit of a luxury not all can afford. Trust me, I thank my lucky stars every day I’ve been blessed in that regard. But as with most things, if it’s worth it to you then it can be done. The barn I converted into a gym is a whopping 22′ x 55′ and already had electrical hook ups as well as overhead lights. Fixing this into a gym really only required me to wall up the sides with insulation and create a solid flooring. I chose a wood floor as opposed to poured concrete due to cost. If you do have a spare garage or barn on your property, the simple upgrade might be a lot cheaper than trying to build one from scratch.

When doing this work keep the outside temperatures in mind. Unless this is an attached garage with air conditioning and heating like your house, you’ll need to figure some way to keep your equipment safe from the elements. This is particularly true with computerized treadmills that have sensitive electronics inside the monitor.

Another consideration is liability. Make sure you keep your garage gym safe for use, because if you get hurt there it’s going to be on you. The same would be true for anyone who’s working out along your side.

What kind of equipment you buy is entirely up to you. The benefit to your own garage gym is you can fix it up any way you want.

Go Big or Stay Home?

Once you decide to build a garage gym, the next big question of course is what equipment to buy. Make no mistake, once you get going this will be a continued work in progress. Even if you start out small with a Horizon T101, you’ll probably want some kind of elliptical to go along with. Why not? Be sure to read our reviews here of best treadmills for various categories to see what you’ll want. Mats and covers may also be in store as well. But for the true fitness fanatic, a home gym is a dream come true and you can decorate it at your leisure. You’ll notice mine is pretty rustic, but frankly I like it that way. If posters of celebrities are more your flavor, that’s always an option.

At the end of the day, the health benefits associated with exercise are just too great to ignore. In addition to improving the resale of your property, consider it an investment in your health.