All setups · Garage gym ideas
Garage gym ideas
Six ways to turn a garage into a gym, from one corner to both bays, each with what it costs.
Half garage · Small garage · Two-car · Floor · Light & air · Make it a room
1 Half garage gym: keep one car parked
One bay is about 10 × 20 ft. That fits a power rack, a bench, a barbell with plates and rubber floor, and the car still parks next to it. Put the rack against the back wall so you never load plates near the car.
$1,972 See the half-garage setup →
2 Small garage gym: a corner is enough
A 6 × 6 ft corner takes adjustable dumbbells, an incline bench and a mat. No rack, no ceiling height to check, and it rolls out of the way in a minute. It's the cheapest real gym.
3 Two-car garage gym: the full build
With both bays you can add a cable station beside the rack: rows, pulldowns and flys without a commercial gym. Keep the cable trainer on the side wall so the rack keeps its lifting space.
$5,535 See the two-car setup →
4 Start with the floor
¾" rubber mats protect the slab from dropped weights and stop the rack from sliding. One bay, 20 × 10 ft, takes 9 mats of 6 × 4 ft. No glue needed on a garage floor: they lie flat under their own weight.
$2.92/ft² Compare floor options →
5 Light, air and a mirror
Garages are dim and stuffy. LED shop lights on the ceiling, a wall-mounted fan and training with the door open fix both. A full-length mirror on the side wall lets you check your form on squats and presses.
Small spend Build around the rack →
6 Make it a room you want to use
Light walls, a plant and one framed print turn a parking spot into a room. A dumbbell rack along the wall keeps the floor clear. It costs little and it's the difference between a gym you use and a storage corner.
Small spend Find your setup →
Black Friday prices for your garage gym
Racks, plates and benches drop in late November. Leave your email and we send you the deals on these items, once, when they go live.