10 Simple Home Gym Hacks From an Expert
Having a home gym became more than a luxury during the Covid-19 pandemic; people with their own training spaces truly realized the value of their investments. If you have a dedicated training space at home and you’re looking to improve it on a shoestring budget, then this helpful video from Garage Gym Reviews is a must-watch.
“Having a home gym is incredible. The issue though is if you want a lot of different things you’d find at a commercial gym, or you find issues, you kind of either have to buy something expensive or you have to hack something together,” says Cooper Mitchell, founder of Garage Gym Reviews.
Now, he’s sharing 10 of his top home gym hacks that anyone can add easily and cheaply to their home gym.
Hack 1: Tennis Balls for Landmine Work
Tennis balls can create a makeshift landmine to protect your barbell (and the wall). To do it, cut the tennis ball in quarters, and slide it onto the end of your barbell.
Hack 2: 1-inch Spacers
If your rack has attachment issues due to the width of your rack’s holes, these will allow you to attach a 5/8″ attachment with bolt within a 1″ rack. Simply slide them in the hole and secure your equipment.
Hack 3: Workout Bands for Forearm Training
These are perfect for wrist rolls. Using a band, a barbell and a band peg, you can make a wrist rolling tool. Attach the band to the band peg and tie it off. Wrap the band around your barbell and go to town.
Hack 4: Jack Shaft Garage Door Opener for Overhead Space
Mitchell removed the typical tracked garage door opener that was installed in the ceiling of his home gym (which interfered with overhead lifts), and replaces it with one of these so he can still open his garage door automatically. While this isn’t super cheap, Mitchell thinks the investment for the space you get from it is worth it.
Hack 5: Leg Rollers for Preacher Curls
Leg rollers can also be used to replace a Preacher Curl bench by sliding into your squat rack.
Hack 6: S-Hooks
These are perfect to store bands and chains in your home gym. Just place it in the whole of an upright and use it to get your equipment off the gym floor.
Hack 7: Flex Tape on Your J-Cups
To protect your barbell, many people spend a lot of a sandwich J-cup that has plastic covering instead of metal. But the cheaper metal J-cups are great options still if you cover them in Flex Tape to prevent metal-on-metal wear. Just place it on the inside of your J-cup.
Hack 8: Try a Phone Magnet
If you use your phone in the gym for your training plan, music, or just have it by you at all times, putting a magnet on it so it can stick to your rack is a huge benefit. It allows you to place your phone wherever you like on metal equipment, which also keeps it off the floor.
Hack 9: Tennis Balls for Adjustable Dumbbells
If you have loadable/adjustable dumbbells, these will help protect your thighs if you ever rest your dumbbells on them between sets. Again, quarter them and place them at the end of your weights for added protection.
Hack 10: Metal Pegboard
In sticking with the theme that you should not have your equipment just lying on your gym floor, a metal pegboard is a great way to store your stuff. Use them to store everything from weight plates to handles to random attachments.
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