Building a Home Gym Step-By-Step for Under £1,000

Quietly I've been sketching out some ideas for the apparatus I'd need for own private gym. Tuula and I have been looking to move to a bigger home, which might enable me to invest in my own workout space. Albeit a studio at the bottom of the garden or a basement. There is also a possibility I could rent the room as out as an Airbnb wellness retreat. So having a mini studio inside is something that would be a persuadable allure. I thought I'd share with you my findings and feedback. 

EXCERCISE BIKE - £123

Ok Peloton is it worth it? Not only are there upfront costs but the running subscription costs of £40 a month. I don't own one personally. However, a friend of mine has bought one and he and his girlfriend both use it every day. The girlfriend is more involved with the live classes, my friend just picks his favourite instructor from the thumbnail and soft pedals whilst half watching them, half watching Seinfeld or doom scrolling Instagram. 

I'm tempted, and as I'm no longer a bachelor, I might be tempted to go for this. Although I'm not a fan of having to buy everything separate. Those stinge-bags at Peloton don't even through in a pair of headphones for a bike worth £2295. In fact screw that. I've changed my mind. At first glance how about the Ultrasport F-Bike that has had the best reviews for a fraction of the cost.

DUMBBELLS - £277

The guns gentlemen. Lately I've learnt that the vanity muscle is really only of interest to guys who still believe all their strength is harnessed under their sleeves. However, we still need some dumbbells as they can work in a multitude of exercises. When I first started asking around, a friend of mine suggested the Bowflex dumbbells as they are the most elegant and take up the least amount of space as it has the innovative 'select tech' feature. However, once I ashamedly baulked at the price of £250 per dumbbell, so opted for a cheaper brand along the same idea. These ATIVA FIT Dumbbells work upon a similar design, for half the price. They come with one year warranty and have been reviewed well. It ranges from 2kg to 25kg per dumbbell so ideal for all users.

BENCH & WEIGHTS & BAR - £146

I've opted for the WINNOW Adjustable Weight Bench for this one. The main selling point is the foldable capabilities which will enable me to present the idea of space should I have guests in the studio. It has a dip station too, although I will be buying a separate dipping and pull up cage. Another big reason why I'm picking these items is because they've been reviewed well on AMAZON. I can't tell you how off-putting it is to have anything less than 4 stars or a low review count. That might sound elitist, but these are big ticket items and as I'm not seeing before buying, I need to buy with confidence. I'm also looking at a very entry level bar and weights set to get me started. 

PUSH UP HANDLES - £30

I've found these push up handles are easier on my wrists. Plus they make me focus on balance and the grips rotate to allow proper body ergonomics and better range of motion. Ideal for all fitness levels, the Perfect Pushup’s comfortable rubber grips and non-slip base ensure stability during upper body workouts. 

PULL UP BAR - £140

Over the years I've tried all kinds of pull up bars. They all end in tears and broken tailbones. This Power Tower seems sturdy enough according to the reviews. There are more expensive versions and perhaps this might just be for the men, as the chicks I know love that elevated support platform. You're talking serious money for those. And perhaps I'm being too harsh, just personal experience. Although if you get one, convince the missus they can still do dead man grips (just hanging from the top bar for as long as possible). 

FREE STANDING PUNCH BAG - £200

This is the one I agonised over the longest. Again, I've had numerous punch bags in my time. If I were to be setting one up in the garage I'd go for something that I could hang around rafter. However, I'm thinking more elegant, more refined and I want this to be a space where you can workout, but also live in if need be for a short spell. 

NOW - if I had my say, I would go for the Century Bob. It's been recommended by friends and I like the idea of targeted sparring. I want to be precise with my punches and have intent. That said, Tuula thinks it's creepy having a rubber man in the corner of a studio. You don't want to wake up with that thing in the room. So I've tamed it down a notch and opted for the BodyRip Free Standing Punch Bag. It's considerably less expensive and cosmetically doesn't creep anyone out. 

TOTAL COSTS £916