How Much Does A Home Gym Cost

How much does it cost to get all the latest and greatest in-home gyms? What about the latest in handheld electronic gadgets? The answer, of course, is not much. In fact, the biggest expense might be in the gym equipment repair shop.

I recently spent a significant amount of time researching the best selection, prices, and technology available for nearly every home gym in my area. This included researching some of the best brands and manufacturers as well as reading dozens of reviews.

In the end, I suggest starting your research almost immediately. Your first trip or two may yield some expensive options but your efforts will be greatly rewarded in the long run.

Market Review

Models

Most barbell rack manufacturers offer an incredibly well-rounded selection of fitness equipment.

Some focus primarily on weight training, while others focus on cardiovascular exercise. There are many models which target each and every muscle group in the entire body.

You can buy huge multi-purpose machines that offer a full-body workout. Other models will allow you to perform simple exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, or crunches.

One thing you should realize is that nearly every single piece of home gym equipment has at least one of these three options.

Prices

The second thing I researched was pricing. In case you are unfamiliar with it, pricing means determining the price per item relative to its overall worth. For instance, a very simple pair of dumbbells may cost less than $20 to a very well-rounded high-end treadmill may cost several hundred dollars.

Manufacturer reputation

The third thing I looked at was the reputation of the manufacturer. I’m not sure if it was because I was new to the area or had never used a home gym before but I found that highly reputed manufacturers were usually found in the top tier of fitness equipment stores.

For example, I found Bowflex, which is considered to be one of the top names in home gym equipment, was located conveniently near my office. In addition, I found Warrior Fitness, another name for in-home fitness equipment, was located in the heart of Los Angeles.

When I compared the cost of a moderately priced Bowflex gym with the cost of a high-end gym like those found in the Warrior Fitness stores along with Hollywood and Santa Monica Boulevard, I was surprised to find that the average gym membership cost was only slightly more than the price of a good meal at a fancy restaurant! While I was initially under the impression that the manufacturer’s reputation would have little bearing on the quality of their equipment, I was surprised to find this was not true.

Non-obvious factors

I also looked at two other things when I compared the cost of a home gym with a typical garage gym membership. One of these was whether or not I would need additional pieces of equipment to make my home gym effective. If I already had a set of dumbbells, barbells, a bench, and a few sets of weighted exercises I did not need to purchase any additional equipment.

I didn’t think that there would be a difference between a home gym consisting of a few fitness machines and a garage gym consisting of several heavy-duty exercise bars, weight stacks, and a rowing machine, but I did notice that the latter items tended to be more expensive.

So how do you start filling your home gym?

After considering all of these factors I suggest starting out small. Start with just a few pieces of equipment, such as a few treadmills, a stationary bike, or elliptical machines.

If you do not have the proper fitness level, you may want to consider enlisting the help of a friend or neighbor to help you set up your gym so that you can progress to more advanced gym equipment.

I encourage you to take a look at some of the online equipment reviews for some great advice on how to set up your gym for the first time or upgrade an existing gym you currently have. You will be amazed at all of the options available today.

I recommend researching all of the different kinds of exercise bars, benches, and other pieces of equipment to make sure you are getting the best investment for your money.