How to Build a Home Gym (What Equipment to Buy First)

If you want to build a home gym but don’t know what equipment to buy first, this guide walks through the exact order I used and why it works.
This includes a printable checklist, layout planning, and budget-friendly equipment choices.

I recently took on the biggest project of my life to date – building my own home. One of the things I was most excited to do with this new home project was build a workout room that was perfect for me. I’m a textbook introvert, so going to a gym and having to interact with others is not appealing to me and I’m sure would act more as an incentive NOT to go and get my workout in. I have been collecting bits and pieces of this build for many years, buying a pair of dumbbells here, a set of clamps there, not to mention several Christmas’ where I would ask for a gym item. This guide walks through how I planned, built, and set up my home gym room. I want to share what I chose to use, why, and what I really think about them after using them. I wanted an awesome gym that fit my needs, with quality equipment that didn’t ruin my bank account. Most things I chose to use are mid to low range in price, with the goal of finding things in the place where quality and price point meet. Hopefully you find something here that you can use as inspiration for your own awesome gym!

Quick Navigation

• Planning your gym space
• Equipment to buy first
• Storage ideas
• Equipment order guide
• Finishing touches

Home Gym Setup Checklist (Before Buying Equipment)

Before you start buying equipment or moving things around, here’s a simple checklist to make sure your space is actually ready to function as a gym.

✔ Choose and measure your space
Pick a room in the house, a garage space, or even an out-building. Measure the available floor space and ceiling height, and note any doors, windows, or obstacles.

✔ If the space is unfinished, follow this order of operations
Electrical (lights, outlets, smoke detectors)
HVAC if applicable
Drywall
Prime and paint
Ceiling covering (if not drywall, such as drop ceiling)
Flooring
Trim (windows and doors first, then base, then ceiling trim if applicable)
Shelves, mirrors, wall hangers, or dry erase boards

✔ Plan your layout
Decide what equipment fits your needs and plan where everything will sit in the room.

✔ Leave room to move
Keep open space for walking, exercises, and loading your barbell. Make sure there’s clearance on both sides of a rack, access through doorways, and consider whether equipment will block windows.

✔ Protect your flooring
Rubber mats or other gym flooring help protect both your floor and your equipment.

✔ Plan for storage
Dumbbell racks, plate racks, wall-mounted storage, shelves, and hooks keep equipment off the ground and the space from becoming cluttered.

Before getting started, this printable, quick gym setup checklist helps you plan your space, layout, and order of operations.

Free Home Gym Setup Checklist (Printable PDF) ↓
A simple version you can save or reference while planning your build.

View the ChecklistDownload

First Equipment to Buy for a Home Gym

Let’s start where I did, with the first purchase I made (as you can see by the years of wear on this), the squat rack. I chose this one because it was simple, adjustable, and small enough to be moved around if I needed to. It’s a common 2″ x 2″ construction with 1″ holes for attachments, of which you can find most any type that are compatible with this size rack. It included 2 J-hooks to hold your barbell and 2 safety bars (pictured are grey) which were a must-have for squats in my opinion – I’m just trying to get strong, not die! I bought this so long ago (2015) that it’s something I cannot find anymore, so I’ll list a few options that I would consider now. These are very similar with strong build quality, plenty of holes for fine-tuning your barbell height, and are held in high regard with others who have purchased them.

Iron Crush i200 Power Rack – Fitness Reality Squat Cage – Multi-Functional Power Rack

Recently I decided to get a second pair of J-hooks so that I didn’t have to move the pair I had around so much. I got the SYL Fitness J-Hooks which I was surprisingly really happy with and glad I bought. It seems like a silly thing to be excited about, and I wouldn’t have thought that either, but when I put them on the rack I could tell they were different. They had more to them then the simple j-hooks that came with the rack, giving them almost no wobble and a ton of extra strength, which inspires confidence when you drop a heavy bar on them just above your head. They also have some sort of harder plastic between the metal construction and where you would rest your bar, which makes them much more quiet when using and saves your bar from getting chewed up by metal to metal contact.

I also decided to get some Yes4All weight plate holders that attach to the squat rack via the 1″ holes. I did this for 2 reasons – 1. To put my plates closer to where I actually use them and keep from having to carry weights from one side of the rack to the other and – 2. to help weigh down and hold the squat rack itself in place, which helped especially when doing pull-ups.

Along with this, I purchased a 300lb weight set complete with a 7ft Olympic bar. I went for the least expensive weights I could get for the money because in reality, they just need to be heavy and fit on the bar. This was plenty of weight to get me started as a guy who is about 160lbs soaking wet, and weighed more in the 140’s then. This was very much a value option that made the first few years of my gym a reality. The plates and bar have held up over the years, with some chipping here and there, but most importantly no chipping on the handle of the barbell.

The next thing I needed was a bench. When I bought my first house in 2013 there was a separate barn included and in that barn was a freebie! – an old Weider adjustable bench. It came complete with a hole in the headrest and some loose bolts, but I used that freebie for several years and when I finished this room up in the new build, I chose a new bench. I went with the Rival Steel Adjustable Bench. It’s far more solid, slightly more adjustable, and of course matched the yellow and black theme perfectly! I really like it, especially the material the cushions are wrapped in. It’s tough, and has some texture to it which keeps me firmly planted. I think for someone much heavier and/or stronger than me, benching 400lbs plus, they may need a sturdier bench specifically in anything other than a flat position. That said I’m sure this bench will suit me well for quite a long time!

Adding the Next Essentials

Now I have a bench, barbell, plates, and a power rack. That’s a pretty good start, but to add some variety to my workouts I needed some dumbbells. These were the perfect gym items to collect over time. I asked for them at Christmas time, and occasionally bought one or two with any extra cash I had.

I started with the Yes4All Adjustable Dumbbell Set which gave me the option to make each dumbbell anywhere from 5lbs to 52.5lbs! This was a great way to get all the variety needed in the least costly fashion. You can, with a little creativity, sneak some larger plates on these between the plates provided to make them extra heavy (70-80lbs) for lifts like a dumbbell row. The threaded end pieces lock the plates in tightly, and I’ve never had a problem with them coming loose during a lift. The handles are solid and have a decent amount of knurling for an easy and comfortable grip. I still use these and have had good luck with them holding up over years of use.

The only real drawback of the adjustable dumbbells is having to change the weights out for each and every lift, so I started collecting some rubberized hex dumbbells to make my workouts a little more streamlined. I have a few different brands, but my favorite were the Cap Hex Barbells. They’re competitively priced, and have held up well too, with only one of the 15lb losing some of the chrome coating.

To get them off the ground and make them easily accessible, I went with the Marcy 3-Tier Dumbbell Rack. It Holds all the dumbbells pictured – 2 each of 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and a pair of the adjustable dumbbells. I was happy to find that the adjustable and hex dumbbells fit nicely on this rack.

A curl bar was a logical and note-worthy next addition to the gym. I ended up getting the XMark EZ Curl Bar, which works great for curls, rows, and is very comfortable for overhead presses. It’s also held up well over several years of use and being stored in my unconditioned barn. I wanted to find a way to make loading plates on it easier, so I bought a pair of jack stands – in yellow of course – which has been working well. Then, to broaden my workout options further, I tried out a Tricep Bar which worked well for some tricep workouts and hammer curls.

Home Gym Storage Ideas

In an effort to organize and get more equipment off the ground, I bought some simple metal Linear Floating Shelves to store some things on. The black matched nicely, and they were big enough to store what I wanted. The only drawback to these was that they NEED to secured into studs to hold any amount of weight. I can’t stand using anything flimsy (especially a shelf) on anything I build. I tried using the pre drilled holes and the wall anchors provided but had to get custom and drill 2 holes on each end, one above the other, so that I could hit studs with every screw and hold these shelves on firmly. Luckily the whole shelf is metal so drilling and adding some black screws wasn’t difficult.

On the shelves I am able to hold my Olympic Barbell Clamps and other miscellaneous cable machine attachments. These clamps are great at keeping the plates tight and secure on the barbell, and come in a bunch of colors if yellow isn’t your favorite.

A newer addition, also with the intention of getting things off the ground, was the Barbell Wall Holder. I was definitely skeptical about this thing holding up 45lb barbells, but so far it’s been working great! Granted I only have one barbell and the tricep bar on it, but even so, this thing is solid. Once again this is something that needs to hit some studs, so plan accordingly.

It Doesn’t Have to be New

I know this post is full of things I bought new, but I’m a serious advocate for the good ole Facebook marketplace. That’s where I picked up the treadmill and this barely used, very old, but in like-new condition cable workout machine. There’s nothing wrong with looking around for used equipment, especially if you can find a good deal on weight plates or dumbbells. You never know what you’ll find if you keep a keen eye out.

What Order Should You Buy Home Gym Equipment?

The best order to buy home gym equipment is to start with flooring, then adjustable dumbbells, followed by a bench, rack, barbell, and weight plates.

Since I built this gym over several years, I added equipment in phases based on versatility and value. If you’re wondering what equipment to buy first for a home gym, this is the order I would follow based on what made the most impact:

1. Rubber flooring
   Protect your floor, protect your equipment, and make the space feel like a gym from day one.
2. Adjustable dumbbell set
   Probably the most versatile piece of equipment you can buy. Presses, rows, lunges, curls, and shoulder work all covered.
3. Adjustable weight bench
   Opens up incline, flat, and seated variations. Pairs perfectly with dumbbells and essential for the barbell.
4. Squat rack
   This is when the gym starts feeling real. Squats, presses, pull ups, and more.
5. Barbell
6. Barbell plates
7. Barbell clamps
8. Curl bar (EZ bar)
   Great for arm work and takes stress off the wrists compared to a straight bar.
9. Standard dumbbells (starting with 15 lb and 25 lb pairs)
   Nice to have quick-grab options without adjusting plates.
10. Dumbbell rack
    Keeps the space clean and organized.
11. Tricep bar
    Adds variation for triceps and arm movements.
12. Speaker
    Underrated. Music changes the energy completely.
13. Whiteboard
    Track lifts, programs, and goals. Write a note to tomorrow you.
14. Cable workout machine
    Adds isolation work and a ton of versatility.
15. Treadmill
    Cardio option if you’re into that sort of thing.

This order works because you can start training immediately while spreading out the cost of larger equipment over time.

Finishing Touches

In order to add some visual space to the room and for checking form during workouts, I added some mirrors. I used the Pertetey Home Gym Mirror, and the 63″ X 24″ 3 piece set centered on my wall nicely. Installation wasn’t terrible and involved leveling and installing the bottom row of holders for the mirrors, placing the mirrors in them, then installing the top row of holders. It became a 2 person job when it came to setting the mirrors and the top row, but overall not too difficult. Clearly one big mirror would look nicer, but that is more of a custom job and certainly more costly that what I was willing to spend. This particular supplier has many different sizes and piece quantities to help match however large or small you want to go in your own scenario.

In this corner of the room I installed my 24″ X 48″ Whiteboard somewhat strategically out of sight from the outside of the room and away from the accent wall. I installed a slightly larger version of those metal shelves to hold my gloves, markers, and my drink.

Of course we have to have some jams to fuel the workout, so this is where my speaker lives as well. I bought the Dolphin BoxParty speaker. Honestly it works fine, is nice and loud, but the sound quality is not as good as the speaker I had before. The first speaker I had was a JBL Partybox 310, but remember the barn at my old house I mentioned earlier? It wasn’t exactly the most secure place, and someone stole it out of there one night. I didn’t even know till I went in to hook up via Bluetooth, and POOF! It was gone. I needed a new one fast – I hate working out in silence – so I went with the cheaper Dolphin speaker. Pros – It’s light, has wheels, and can run off of battery power for a while, but even after playing around with all the settings on the back I still don’t get the same quality of sound the other had. Could be my own lack of understanding the settings but who knows.

A Custom Paint Design

After doing all the drywall in this room, I left it alone for months thinking about how I wanted the walls to look. I knew I wanted a slightly aggressive accent wall of sorts with polygonal shapes in different colors. I finally ended up with a vision for the wall pictured above. I chose to make yellow my accent color because I figured that this is a room that needed to make you feel energetic, so I didn’t want any relaxing colors like dark blues or greens, and the sharp edges and contrasts felt fitting in a room where you’re meant to be giving it your all. To get the thin lines between the shapes I painted the wall the base color, then used a 1/4 inch blue painters tape to lay out all the shapes. After that I painted the base color back over the tape and surrounding areas to make sure when I peeled it off there would be clean lines, which turned out great! Then my wife and I chose a color for each of the shapes and VERY CAREFULLY painted inside the lines.

Heavy-Duty Floor and Trim

The floor is a 3/8 rubber roll matting from American Floor Mats with 10% yellow color. The cool thing about this site is you can get a roll cut to whatever size you need, so in my case I took the measurements of my room and calculated a little extra and there was hardly any waste. The bigger the roll the heavier, so I ended up cutting each piece upstairs and lugged them down one at a time. They sell transition strips for the entrance and double sided floor tape, which is what I used to stick the mats to the concrete and keep them in place. They don’t move much without the stuff, but this is a little insurance that the mats won’t move with heavy use.

The base trim is a vinyl adhesive-backed roll that you peel the back off of and stick to the wall. Easier than cutting and setting wood or MDF board trim, but still takes a little time to do right.

You Can do This!

At the end of the day, this gym isn’t about having the fanciest equipment or the most expensive brands – it’s about building a space that actually gets used. For me, that meant finding gear that was affordable and did exactly what I needed it to do without wasting money. Every piece in this room was chosen to make it easier to stay consistent, comfortable, and motivated. It’s proof that you don’t need to get everything at once, as you can work on your own project in a timeline that suits you. If you’re thinking about building your own home gym, I hope this gives you a few ideas, a little confidence, and maybe even saves you some money along the way. Thanks for reading and good luck!

Questions about this build?

Ask below and I’ll reply