How to Build a Basement Workout Room

Barbells are an essential part of your workout room.

Regular exercise is an important part of staying healthy. If you don't have the time or money to join a gym, build a workout room in your basement. Doing this gives you a gym that you have access to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without worrying about fighting crowds of people in order to use the equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Patching compound
• Concrete sealant
• Paintbrushes
• Foam board insulation panels
• Foam adhesive
• Pressure-treated 2-by-4 boards
• Untreated 2-by-4 boards
• Hammer
• Nails
• Electrical outlets
• Electrical cable
• Electrician
• Drywall
• Drywall screws
• Joint compound
• Drywall tape
• Primer
• Paintbrushes
• Paint
• Interlocking gym floor mats

Instructions

1. Measure the space you have available in the basement for a workout room.

2. Sketch out the layout of the workout room, and mark the location of the equipment you plan on placing there. Keep enough space around the equipment that you can use it and move freely without hitting the other equipment.

3. Patch cracks in the walls and floors by chipping away at the cracks with a hammer and chisel, then filling the cracks with patching compound. Apply concrete sealant to the walls and floor to prevent moisture damage. Coat the entire surface of the walls and floor with the sealant, applying it like you would apply paint, and allow it to dry.

4. Cover the concrete walls with foam board insulation. Cut the boards with a utility knife, then spread foam adhesive on the back with a paintbrush. Stick the boards vertically against the wall and cover the joints with installation tape.

5. Build wooden wall frames along the exterior walls to hold the drywall. Attach pressure-treated 2-by-4 boards to the floor along the perimeter of the walls with masonry screws. These are called sill plates. Cut untreated 2-by-4 boards that match the length of the sill plates. These will be the top and bottom plates for the framing. Measure and cut untreated 2-by-4 boards that match the distance between the floor and the ceiling joists, minus the top, bottom and sill plates, to be the studs. Nail the studs to the bottom plate every 16 inches, then nail the top plate to the top of the studs. Place the frame on top of the sill plate, and nail it to the sill plate and ceiling joist.

6. Install electrical outlets by attaching them to the sides of the wall studs and running electrical cables from the outlets to your home's main electrical box. Follow local building codes regarding the spacing of the outlets, and hire an electrician to connect the outlets to your main box, or to do all of the wiring if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.

7. Cover the ceiling joists and wall framing with drywall. Attach the drywall to the joists and studs with drywall screws, then apply joint compound and drywall tape to the joints between the different boards.

8. Cover the drywall with primer and allow it to dry, then paint the walls with the color of your choice. Add a second coat of paint to the walls after the first coat dries.

9. Cover the concrete floor with interlocking gym floor mats. These mats provide a layer of padding over the concrete, and protect the concrete from damage from equipment or weights being dropped.

10. Place the equipment into position, following the layout you designed.

References

• Total Basement Finishing: Designing Your Basement Home Gym--Step by Step Guide
• Home Addition Plus.com; Basement Remodeling; Mark J. Donovan
• Signature Contractors.com; Basement Remodeling
• Ace Fitness: How to Design Your Own Home Gym