The idea of having a garage gym can be kind of intimidating. You’ll need to invest several thousand dollars in equipment and spend hours of cleaning before space will be ready. That may be the case if you are a hoarder, but the first statement is a myth. Although dependent on your goals, a barbell and a set of bumper plates are a great way to start out. This is an easy first step that can be made without completely maxing out the budget and clearing an entire room.
No doubt, even without any equipment, you can get a great workout at in home. There are plenty of body-weight programs and workout videos out there. However, that can get boring and it’s tougher to build strength that way. There are countless barbell workouts and they are going to make you stronger + build your endurance. It will also add variety to your workouts. A barbell also has the ability to wear you out quickly, so you don’t have to spend hours if you are on the go. For example…
Death by…..
An awesome workout with just a little weight: ‘Death by ____’. I personally like ‘death by cleans‘ but the concept can be used with burpees, box jumps, dead lifts, dumbell curls…. WHATEVER!
Here’s how it works:
95/135lb on a bar with a running clock (or another weight that you are comfortable using)
Every minute you start your lift
To start you hit one clean then rest until the end of the minute
Next minute you hit 2 cleans and rest until the end of the minute
then 3…
then 4….
then…
Each time your rest time will get shorter and at a certain point, you ‘die’. You won’t be able to complete the number of lifts in that minute.
It’s a brutal workout that will test your ‘grit’. Here are some more garage workouts where only a barbell and some bumper plates are needed.
Find Your Barbell
Even in a crowded gym, the barbell is the centerpiece and a good barbell can set the tone for a garage gym. Therefore it is important to have a solid one. Click the pic below to find some recommendations.
Find some Bumper Plates
Bumper plates are necessary for lifts like the deadlift, snatch, and power clean. Metal plates are going to make a lot of noise, potentially damage the floor, and get beat up easier. Even just a single pair would be a great start and you can always build from there. Find some below.
In the end, don’t be intimidated to start your garage gym. You don’t have to spend a fortune, and the costs will eventually pay itself off if you get rid of your conventional gym.