What kind of home gym can you build in a large single-car garage? Below you can find three different layouts that fit in a 12′ x 24′ space and make the most of it. Use the plans below for inspiration or use them as-is for building your garage gym.
Contents
1. 12’ x 24’ Garage Gym Layout: General Fitness
This is a layout that is well-rounded and suitable for most people looking to build a garage gym. Everything you need for a full-body workout is here. You’ve got a Smith machine, power rack bench, dumbbells treadmill, and large cable station. And next to that is a treadmill for cardio workouts. You could switch out the treadmill for any other cardio machine you like.
The wide cable station makes the gym look roomier even though it’s a very large piece of equipment. Because the middle is open, it looks more open. However, a functional trainer will also work perfectly fine and is a loot more compact.
What’s In This Gym?
2. 12’ x 24’ Garage Gym: Strenght Training
This second layout is a variation of the first plan but a bit more focused on strength training through the addition of a leg press/ hack squat machine. These are great lower body strength and muscle builder. To make space for this, the large cable station has been replaced with a smaller functional trainer.
There is a rowing machine since cardio exercise is still important even if you mostly care about strength or muscle. However, if a cardio machine isn’t necessary, you could use that space for another piece of strength training equipment like a bench press, preacher curl bench or something else you want to focus on.
What’s In This Gym?
3. 12’ x 24’ Garage Gym: Glute Builder
What if you want to really focus on building your glutes and not as much the rest? This is the setup for you. It’s tailored towards building the lower body and especially the glutes.
The power rack and barbell can be used for all kinds of squats and deadlifts which are great lower body strength and mass builders. The dumbbells are great for lunges, single-leg stiff-legged deadlifts, etc.
The pulley tower is very compact but can be used for glute kickbacks and all other lower-body exercises that use an ankle strap and a lot of upper-body movements for that matter.
The leg press/Hack Squat machine is a good addition to the power rack/barbell. You can go much closer to failure on this machine than with a barbell which is great for developing more strength and muscle in the lower body.
And then we’ve got a special bench for one of the best glute-building exercises; the hip thrust. This bench makes the setup very easy.
In this example, I’ve chosen to show a rowing machine. Stationary rowers are great at targeting the whole body including the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. They will target the glutes more than treadmills or elliptical trainers but a spin bike is a good alternative and a bit smaller.
What’s In This Gym?
Recommended Equipment For These Setups
In a 10′ x 24′ space, you’ve got enough room that it’s not necessary to always look for most compact equipment. However, you still want good value for money and equipment that lasts. Here are some recommendations for equipment many people are happy with.
Power Rack
In the floor plans, I’ve used the Rogue RML-490C which is a very solid power rack. It’s pretty much the standard for sturdiness, fit and finish, and functionality. However, it’s not cheap and some more affordable options are just as compact. Look at the Titan Fitness X-3 Range (Amazon) for a more affordable option that is very similar.
Dumbbell Rack
If you want a rack of dumbbells you’ve got two good choices; affordable and decent or expensive and great.
The first choice is the Signature Fitness 5-50 lbs. set with rack (Amazon link). These are a great deal for such a set of dumbbells. You get 10 pairs of dumbbells on a 3-tier rack. The dumbbells are decent quality with a nice handle but not the highest quality. The rack is a bit wobbly. That doesn’t sound too great until you see the price, this is a deal that’s hard to dismiss.
The second choice is a high-quality set of dumbbells from REP Fitness (Amazon link). A company with a reputation for great products and amazing customer service. In the pictures, the set looks very similar to the first option but the dumbbells are nicer and the rack is rock solid. You also have the option of extending the set up to 100-pound dumbbells, an option Signature doesn’t offer.
Adjustable Bench
There are tons of adjustable benches out there but a few stand out.
If you want something super solid, versatile, and with a good warranty and customer service, go for the REP Fitness AB-3000 (Amazon link). It’s built like a tank has nice features and isn’t too big.
The REP bench is a bit pricey though. For a cheaper option, look at the Lusper benches. This model (Amazon link) is affordable, can handle up to 800 pounds, and folds completely flat. It won’t be as sturdy and solid as the first option but it’s a lot cheaper.
Functional Trainer
There are a few good functional trainers to choose from. As said above, it’s not necessary to pick the smallest one.
My favorite all-around functional trainer is the BodyCraft HFT (Amazon). It’s finished very nicely with high-quality parts, works smoothly, and comes with the attachments you need. I’d recommend paying extra for assembly because these can be a bit difficult to set up but once they are, these are great.
The standard weight stacks are 150 lbs. per side but an upgrade to 200 lbs. per stack is available. That should be heavy enough for the vast majority of people out there.
Treadmill
As an entry-level treadmill, the NordicTrack T6.5s is a great choice for the money. It is strong and sturdy enough for a good workout and the 3 hp motor has enough power for up to 10 miles an hour. It does have an annoying feature that makes you log into your Nordictrack account though. It’s also not the best for tall people because of its short deck.
The XTerra TRX4500 (Amazon) is a great choice for most people. Its belt is large enough for anyone except giraffes, the motor is strong and the frame is sturdy. The 12 MPH top speed is also quite high. The whole package is still pretty affordable. The low price does mean you don’t get any fancy displays or touchscreens but do you really need those?
If you need the best of the best treadmill, look at Landice. They are amazing, not necessarily in flashy features, but in build quality and feel. However, they are priced accordingly.
Rowing Machine
Concept2 Model D (Amazon) is the right choice when picking a rowing machine. These are the rowing machines you’ll see in most commercial gyms and for good reason. They work well, are durable, and aren’t even the most expensive although not cheap.
Buy one of these and you’ll be good for the next 20 years. And probably a lot leaner by that time since these air-resistance rowers burn a lot of calories.
Leg Press
It’s a good idea to go for a leg press that’s both leg press and hack squat. It just adds exercise variability and both exercises, while similar, have their benefits.
One of the best out there is the BodyCraft F760 (Amazon). It’s built like a tank, everything is adjustable which means you can get a good range of motion on both the leg press and hack squat which is an issue with most other combo machines. And of course, the lifetime warranty is a big plus.
Hip Thrust Bench
A hip-thrust bench is much more stable than a normal bench since your feet are on the same piece of equipment as where your back rests. That means you don’t push the bench away like when using a normal bench. If you pick the right one (like this one on Amazon), you also have a grippy surface for your feet so you can really put all your force into it which results in greater muscle and strength growth.
Optional Extras
Though the setups shown above are pretty complete, there are some things you can add to make your garage gym even better:
- Flooring: Flooring helps with noise, hygiene, safety, and comfort. And for such a small space, it’s quite cheap to cover the whole floor so this is a no-brainer.
- Mirror: A mirror is useful for checking your form but also makes your space look bigger!
- Pull-up bar: Pull-ups are a great exercise and hard to replace. A doorway-mounted pull-up bar is easy to put up or take down and adds a few great exercise options.
- Fan: Garages are usually not very well insulated and can get uncomfortable quickly, especially when working out. A wall-mounted fan helps while not taking up any floor space.
- Kettlebells: Great for adding exercise options that are completely different from barbell and dumbbell exercises.
By adding those to any of the gyms above, it will improve the looks, functionality, and comfort of your home gym.
