Looking to turn your garage into the perfect space to workout?
There are a plethora of layout and design options for you to choose from to ensure that when you go into beast mode, you’ve got garage gym vibes that perfectly suit your practical and aesthetic needs.
10 Garage Gym Ideas You’ll Like
To get you ripe for reps for days, here are 10 garage gym ideas to consider:
1. Shine Brightly With The Right Light
Keeping the gym decorated with natural, bright colors, utilizing mirrors and integrating windows, or lots of artificial light, will ensure every corner of the gym is lit and the space looks as big as possible.
Having the ability to properly light the space is particularly important. Studies have shown that bright light exposure has a positive impact on workout results.
Additionally, the more well-lit your gym is, the safer it is, as you can use equipment properly and avoid nasty trips and falls.
2. B-Leaf in Yourself
We know by now that nature is good for us in many ways, but a planty garage gym is not necessarily the first route to being surrounded by nature anyone thinks of.
Yet, bringing the outdoors into your workout space can be incredibly beneficial. Visually, it adds structure, shape, beauty, and color to what can be an otherwise linear, bland, flat-looking space.
Studies also tell us that being able to see nature when you workout in the gym can increase your comfort, satisfaction, and happiness.
Plants are the perfect little boost to get you hyped for exercise, as you then go on to create even more endorphins with exercise.
Consider a self-watering hydroponic plant wall in your garage gym for maximum visual impact and minimal space absorption and caretaking effort.
3. Air Control to Major Tom
Ventilation and temperature control in a garage gym are so important and should be a top priority when you consider garage gym ideas.
Insulating the garage door and walls, adding some vents or windows, and potentially a heating and cooling system are really important so you can work out in comfort.
Ventilation is particularly important, as warm, moist gym equipment is a breeding ground for bacteria.
Sure, you can wipe it down, but if you have no ventilation, you’re near enough wasting your time cleaning, as ventilation is so effective, scientifically, at reducing bacterial growth.
4. The Desk Exercise Delight
Around 12.7% of employees work from home all the time, and nearly 30% work from home sometimes.
While a laptop precariously balanced on your lap in the living room can work some days, most people want a home office.
A lot of health-conscious home workers would also love a home gym, but space constraints usually dictate you can only have one or the other—until now.
Enter the garage gym/home office combo. It can be an even split, with your office at one end and gym bits at the other.
Or you could try a treadmill, standing desk, and conference call screens set up by your gym equipment for seamless work and workout combinations.
To counteract the negative impact of sitting for too long, why not maximize the use of your available garage space to create in-house motivation and to have instant access to work after boosting your brain power with a workout?
As far as garage gym ideas go, a home gym/office combo makes a lot of sense.
5. The Swiss Army Knife of Fitness
If you want a wide range of workout opportunities in a compact space, you’ll want multipurpose and/or easy-to-store equipment.
Wall-mounted storage racks for dumbbells, storage for accessories like bands, balls, and steps, wall-mounted pull-up bars, a multigym, and a foldable squat rack.
There are numerous ways to fill your space with a plethora of workout opportunities without having to squeeze bulky, single-use equipment in.
6. Specific Goals Sprint
The main purpose is to clearly define and prioritize the specific goals that need to be achieved. Many people like to exercise all of their muscle groups, and those people should consider tip 5.
Some people, however, have specific exercise goals and exercises they prefer to do to work out specific areas of the body. If that sounds like you, don’t feel pressured to have all of the gym equipment in your garage gym.
Instead, prioritize the equipment you know you’ll use again and again. You can always change things up in the future, but for now, this is your garage gym, and it is tailored to your needs, so make sure you’re only filling it with items you will use.
7. Feel the Rhythm
Science tells us that music is able to help improve exercise performance by increasing endurance, strength, productivity, and power.
Let’s face it: some great workout tunes can also make your session loads more fun. To get the best sound and convenience with the least spatial impact, choose Bluetooth speakers that are compact and pack a punch.
As an alternative, choose speakers that are integrated into the vertical space, recessed into the walls and ceiling, or simply suspended securely above the floor on top of furniture.
Using Bluetooth, you can then easily connect to your system and play your music of choice (hip-hop is apparently the most popular workout genre) for your own personal epic exercise soundtrack.
8. Industrial (Garage Gym) Workout Revolution
An industrial look can be a cost-effective and attractive garage gym idea.
Essentially, you make the most of the bare, raw elements of the garage by allowing old beams, naked brickwork, pipes, and architectural materials to be highlighted instead of covered up.
You should do this by ensuring that the exposed materials are treated against damp and black mold, as inhaling those toxins in any space is bad for your health.
Open shelving, rustic colors, industrial lighting with exposed bulbs, and old industrial signs or display equipment also work well with this design.
The only area where you should avoid industrial aesthetics in this particular setting is an exposed concrete floor. If you can, invest in durable shock-absorbing flooring, as this will ensure that you’ll find the environment much safer and more ergonomic for workouts overall.
9. Namaste at Home and Work Out
About a third of Americans intend to try yoga in the next year, and overall, the number of people who actively practice yoga is in the millions, and numbers continue to grow.
If you’re more into cow pose than deadlift rows, maybe the best garage gym idea for you is transforming the space into a yoga oasis.
Science tells us the most relaxing colors are blue and green, so that’s a great place to start. You’ll also want some beautiful holders for blankets, blocks, and straps, as well as plenty of plants to add serenity to the feel of the space.
A music system is also a great idea if you like to stream a guided practice or simply get the whale noises on the go to block out the sounds from the street.
For a combination home gym/yoga studio, consider integrating an area with thicker, more durable mats and a good set of kettlebells and dumbbells.
This way, you can enjoy more strenuous workouts safely and easily while still maintaining the zen in the space for your yoga practice.
10. Sweat Is Just Your Fat Crying
Inspirational quotes are known to improve positive thinking and boost self-esteem in various settings, including gyms.
Sure, plain and neutral works well, but if inspirational quotes are your thing, why not paint your favorite onto your gym wall?
We love this Youtube video about mural painting, but you should use whichever process makes sense to you. Even stick-on letters or a large printed picture or poster could work well—whatever works.
The right motivational quote on the wall could be like your own personal visual cheerleader every time you go into your garage gym!
Wrap-Up
It’s time to boost your home workout opportunities by trying out some of these epic garage gym ideas.
Whether you get planty with some lush pothos to bring the outside in or paint your favorite motivational quote on the wall for an instant visual win, your garage gym is going to inspire, support, and elevate your dreams.
It’s time to thrive and reach your very own zenith in your private fitness zone!