1 Year of Home Gym Surveys - Garage Gym Experiment

From April 2019 to March 2020, there were Sunday Surveys done through the Garage Gym Experiment Instagram Account nearly every Sunday. Hundreds of questions were asked and most received several thousand responses. There are very informative insights from this data collected about the home gym population.

As you go through the summary, keep in mind that there are most likely millions of home gym owners. Those responding follow an Instagram account focused on garage gyms AND are viewing the Instagram Story (about 10% of total followers). Therefore, you could say these are probably some of the most passionate home gym owners.

Below you’ll find a summary of the first year of surveys. Each point will have a link to when it was originally posted.

Okay, Let’s GO!

Who are answering these questions?

89% male vs. 11% female (11.12.2019).
Almost 53% of respondents are between the age of 25 and 34. Only a small sliver is over 45 (11.12.2019).

58% are parents (4.14.2019), a group that benefits so much from easy access to a workout.
Many have an athletic past. 72% played high school sports and 31% played college (11.12.2019).
55% blue-collar vs. 45% white collar (11.12.2019)
Over 90% love working out and believe a home gym is one of the best investments you can make (9.29.2019).

More characteristics of the respondents:

Many are just getting started building out their home gyms. 40% have had a home gym for more than 2 years vs. 60% less than (4.8.2019).
84% would say that they are building out their home gym one piece at a time (12.12.2019).
66% of those with garage gyms give up a parking spot (4.8.2019) and 76% sacrifice storage (8.18.2019), helping to reveal how important their home gym is to them.
Most workout before or after traditional working hours. Only a third workout between 8 am and 5 pm (4.28.2019).
89% say they are hitting the gym at least 3x a week (6.3.2019).
It was asked: “What do your workouts resemble most?” Powerlifting narrowly beat out CrossFit. Not a lot of runners here… The “Other” section would include olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, kettlebell focused, strongman, functional training, etc (11.12.2019).

Over half of respondents go to another gym (4.1.2019).
2 out of 3 would not consider themselves an “equipment snob” (4.28.2019).
53% would rather workout by themselves than with a partner (7.21.2019).
69% say “Training for Life” vs. 31% “Training is Life (8.18.2019).“
Physical health is the #1 reason that people train. Mental health was #2, look good #3, and a competition was the least voted reason (8.18.2019).
63% have more than 1 person working out in their home gym with them – spouse, children, etc (3.4.2020)
10% of respondents are running some sort of business out of their home gym (12.31.2019).

Characteristics of the space used for home gym:

Just under 2/3rds said their home gyms in their garage. The basement was a distant second spot for the gym in the home (1.29.2020).

Horse Stall Mats from a place like Tractor Supply is the go-to flooring (4.21.2019). It’s incredibly tough and much cheaper than traditional, heavy-duty gym flooring.
When asked how much you plan on spending for your home gym in the next year, 62% of respondents said more than $500 vs. less than $500 (4.1.2019).

Home Gym Struggles:

77% say space is the biggest issue home gym owners face (9.29.2019). Only 15% are working with more than 300 square feet (12.17.2019).
A whopping 81% say that it’s more difficult to clear space than fill it up. Clearing out space where the cars, bikes, toys, holiday storage, tools, and whatever else you’ve got laying around is not an easy task (2.9.2020).

52% say that ceiling height is an issue for them in the home gym (4.21.2019). 55% have a ceiling under 9 ft. and only 12% have one taller than 11 ft (6.3.2019).
32% worry about making too much noise when working out (6.30.2019).
When asked about home gym purchase regrets, most revolve around not purchasing high-quality equipment in the first place (6.16.2019). 73% say that they believe in the statement: “Buy once, cry once” (9.29.2019).
“Safety Concerns” was the number one response when asked about the biggest issue training by themselves (5.19.2019).
3 out of 5 would consider storage for their gym an issue (8.25.2019).
- What’s most difficult to store (dumbbells/kettlebells, weight plates, barbells, or everything else? “Everything Else” wins this one with 42% of votes. Weight vests, jump ropes, bands, etc. come to mind here. Dumbbells/kettlebells are also an issue for many. (8.25.2019).
3x more say it’s more difficult to get a good warmup in vs. a strong finish. 2 out of 3 say they struggle to warm up (8.25.2019).

When asked what’s worse between the hot summers and cold winters, winter took 70% of the votes (keep in mind many respondents don’t really even have winter). – (4.14.2019)
True or false responses from 11.29.2019:

The most important benefit for most is the amount of time saved.

69% chose saving time over money (4.1.2019). This was reinforced multiple times throughout the year of surveys.
41% say that they save at least 45 minutes a day! Another 43% save 15-45 minutes. Multiply that by the number of workouts you do a month and you’ll be shocked at the overall time saved. That’s time to be with your family, start a business, do another hobby, etc (12.31.2019)

Biggest Home Gym Regrets

The results from 1.9.2020 answered, “What’s your biggest home gym regret.” Over 400 people took the time to fill this open-ended question out. There were a ton of common trends. The two most popular answers were:

Not starting sooner
Not buying quality equipment in the first place

There were also plenty of references about not having enough space. For example, they bought a house without thinking about how important a space for a gym was. This is not mentioned much below, but it was shocking to hear how many people felt this way.

Nevertheless, here is a sample of the key themes found.

Not buying quality equipment to begin with
Buying large pieces of equipment that don’t get a ton of use
Not choosing the right squat rack
Not planning for the long term
Didn’t do the research
Bought the wrong items for current space or training goals
Bad timing/ missed deals
Flooring
Didn’t make enough room

Specific quotes can be found from the 1.9.2020 post.

The barbell and squat rack are the most important pieces of equipment for most.

Barbell Data

86% claim to own a barbell (1.22.2020) and 59% own multiple (4.1.2019).
- 51% own a specialty barbell (1.22.2020).
60% are using an olympic bar as their primary barbell vs. a power bar (4.1.2019).
- In a survey a few months later, 83% said they’d prefer a barbell that spins vs. one that does not if they could only have one (6.3.2019).
For a new barbell, 48% expect to pay less than $250 vs. 52% more than $250 (4.1.2019).
59% would rather have more aggressive knurling than lighter (4.1.2019)
73% of the barbells were bought new (4.1.2019).
50% own a barbell that rusts (8.25.2019). However, 80% say it is worth it to spend more for a bar that will not rust (1.22.2020).
The most popular barbell is by far the Rogue Ohio Power Bar (4.21.2019).
62% own more than 2 barbells and 76% say they want more (5.19.2019).
About 83% are using a barbell at least 3 times a week.

Squat Rack Data

About 3 in 4 of the respondents own a squat/power rack (1.15.2020).
About 40% expect to pay between $301 and $600 for a power rack (1.15.2020).

75% would rather have a power rack over a squat stand (5.12.2019).
83% would rather have a power rack over a yoke (8.4.2019).
56% of respondents have considered purchasing a yoke, but only 8% actually own one (6.30.2019).
29% say that a “fold-away rack” would be their number one choice for their current setup (6.30.2019).
Only 4% say that the ability to add accessories to a power rack is not important (12.17.2019).

85% believe that the squat rack is the centerpiece of the home gym (9.29.2019).
Only 21% say that it’s VERY IMPORTANT to have an 11 gauge squat rack, but another 35% say it’s somewhat important. Therefore more than half think it’s a relatively important detail to look at when looking for a rack. 16% of respondents do not know what this means (2.9.2020).
About 78% want a rack that is between 7-9 feet (1.15.2020).

How Important are Reviews?

85% say that they spend a lot of time reading consumer reviews before a big purchase, and 77% read “expert reviews” beforehand (11.19.2019).
It was asked, How many consumer reviews would you likely need to read before purchasing a large home gym item and a small home gym item? For large items, the most popular answer was 6-15. Only 35% say that 1-5 reviews would be good enough. With smaller items, the percentages shift down a little bit. About half say that they’d only read 1-5 reviews before purchasing a small home gym item (12.3.2019).

As one would expect, reviews are more important for large home gym items than small. However, most will still need to read at least 5 consumer reviews and an “expert” review before making a purchase on both sized items (12.3.2019).
Most would prefer reading 5 consumer reviews vs. 1 expert review (12.3.2019).
61% say that they would not be comfortable making a purchase on the first day a product is released with no reviews (12.3.2019).

Have you Heard of these Companies?

During the 12 months, there were three additions of the, “Have you heard of this company survey?” There were 23 companies in the last survey. Some were new additions and a few others taken out. Therefore, there are no comparison scores for them. Below is a Summary of the results from February 2020.

Rogue and Titan were on top for the third straight time, but Rep is closing in on the 90th percentile.
The biggest 5 movers included Fray Fitness, Force USA, Ghost Strength Equipment, Vulcan Strength, and Get RX’d.
The average “score” went up 13% and only 3 companies had a lower percentage than before (American Barbell, I Sell Fitness, and Crane Fitness).
A breakout of each company, along with changes from the October results are below.

A few more notes about this study:

The average amount of votes was around 2,000 per company.
It’s a tough (and probably unfair) comparison when you add a list with so many companies. There are established brands that have a nationwide reach, and others who are happy to just be a “regional” or “local” brand. In addition, some have equipment designed to help a certain type of training (i.e. powerlifting, CrossFit) so the reach may not be as large. This is just something to keep in mind.
Just because someone has heard of a certain company does not mean that they will consider purchasing from them.
The only way to respond to this survey was through the Instagram Survey in a 24-hour timeframe. Therefore, it is assumed that many of those answering the questions are the most engaged home gym owners.

Programming:

60% follow a specific workout program and only 8 % have zero or little interest in one. The other 32% think that they probably should follow one (10.23.2019).

29% pay for programming (10.23.2019).
When asked about specific programming, there were over 75 different answers with not one being completely dominant. 5/3/1 and Street Parking had the most responses, but only 9% of the total (6.3.2019).
Only 11% have a 1:1 coach or personal trainer (10.23.2019).

Once You Own a Home Gym, You Won’t Go Back

95% of survey respondents said that space for a home gym is necessary for their next home (3.4.2020).
93% believe they’ll own a home gym the rest of their life (11.12.2019).

What is Owned?

The most owned item was a barbell. 92% of respondents said that they owned one. Resistance bands came in 2nd (88%) – (2.18.2020).
GHD’s (21%) and Belt Squats (17%) came in at the bottom (2.18.2020).
Only a little over a third own an air bike or rower (2.18.2020).
Many more own a pair of dumbbells (87%) vs. adjustable dumbbells (40%) – (2.18.2020).
Bumper Plates (74%) are slightly more popular than Iron Plates (67%) – (2.18.2020).
GHD led the way with the “No, But Want” votes (47%). A rower, landmine, belt squat, and slam ball all had at least a third vote this way as well (2.18.2020).

Other:

46% of respondents use at least one fitness app. There was a wide range of responses that included Wodify, Train Heroic, Strava, BodySpace, ReCcount, My Fitness Pal, Beyond the Whiteboard, 5×5 StrongLifts, ROMWOD, 5/3/1, and much more (10.23.2019).
Dumbbells over Kettlebells for most were answered in multiple survey questions. In a head to head matchup, 74% chose dumbbells vs. 26% for kettlebells (8.4.2019).
Rowers seem to be the most popular piece of “heavy” cardio equipment for home gym owners. Air Bikes are a close second (9.8.2019).
Favorite lift (Deadlift, Squat, Bench, Power Clean) is deadlift (7.21.2019).
Only 10% of respondents say they pull the trigger on a new piece of equipment on the first or second visit to the website (7.7.2019).
46% say their favorite specialty bar is the SSB. The Trap/Hex is the second favorite (8.18.2019).
The used marketplace is popular among home gym owners. 76% say they search monthly (4.21.2019). Facebook Marketplace is by far the most popular option (8.4.2019).
Only 12% say that they buy all of their equipment from one spot (9.29.2019).
How much do you typically spend a year adding to your gym was asked. Outside of spending $0, this ratio is pretty balanced. The most popular answer is between $200 and $500 a year. Most people are building out their home gym one step at a time.

That’s it! You can participate in these surveys via the @garagegymexperiment Instagram stories which begin on Sunday evening and run for 24 hours.

Thank you to all for your participation. You are helping to improve this industry.

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