How to Set up a Home Gym

A home gym is a valuable and wise investment, particularly when you don't have the time or the money to maintain a dedicated gym membership. You can get all the exercise you need without having to drive out of your way or spend a fortune on a personal trainer. Choosing a home gym takes research. Most current home gyms are truly built with the consumer in mind, meaning many are very easy to set up.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Home gym
• Building instructions
• Various simple tools (such as a wrench and screwdriver)

Set Up a Home Gym

1. Select the room in which you plan to set up your home gym. The basement is usually the best choice since it is usually built on concrete and can handle whatever weight load the gym itself will generate.
2. Begin by fully reading the instructions that shipped with your home gym. This is important, as it will show you what items are needed when, as well as what additional tools you may require.
3. Lay out the base of the home gym as you begin to set up. This is usually the first step in construction. However, if your home gym is large enough, setup might require that you drill into the concrete to provide total support. Drilling will prevent the home gym from tipping or becoming unstable while in use.
4. Give yourself plenty of room while you work so that you can manipulate parts of the gym without banging into the walls or other objects.
5. Build the gym step by step, according to the directions. Be sure each of the fastening points (nuts, bolts, etc.) are as tight as you can make them. This will prevent the gym from becoming unstable over time.
6. Test the gym's strength once you've completed construction. Depending on the design, you may want to shake the top a bit to see how much give it has and how much of a wobble it might be exposed to. Then you can tighten nuts and bolts as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep all of the smaller appliances, like nuts and bolts, in a safe place so you don't misplace them during the construction process. It is probably best to just leave them in the bags they came in until they are needed.
• Be very careful if you're handling a home gym that ships with weight bands or any similar tension-type resistance. It is possible for these items to snap backwards when they are under stress, which can be very dangerous.