Bonus Extras for a Garage Gym

Creating your own garage gym is a great idea, especially if you don't live near a gym and want the convenience of training whenever you want to. Just grabbing a bench and a few dumbbells is fine to start with. However, if you really want to kit your gym out properly and make it fun and comfortable in any weather, then there are a few things you may want to consider investing in, after you have purchased your initial pieces of kit. 

Matting

Having suitable matting throughout the gym will make it better for your training. Often dust and concrete residue is left over from the construction of the garage, which can make your equipment dirty and unhygienic when performing exercises on the ground. Having dedicated rubber puzzle mats will allow you to perform large compound exercises like deadlifts with a stable base, whilst judo style matts will provide cushioning for high impact exercises like squat jumps. It's also easy for them to be wiped down with a disinfectant to kill off bacteria.

Automatic Garage Door

One of the benefits of training in a garage is that you can train in the fresh air during the hot summer months, whilst still staying in the shade. Or you can have the garage doors shut in order to keep out the wind chill and rain during the winter. Automatic garage doors make for a worthwhile investment as they take up less space, particularly if they operate on rollers. Traditional garages can take up additional space when opening and closing which will limit the amount of space you have for things like benches and kettlebell racks. Automatic doors not only look stylish, they are space efficient and can be opened at varying levels to suit the weather conditions outside, thus allowing adequate airflow, whilst simultaneously protecting your training area from the elements.

If you're able to install the door yourself you could fit a double garage for as little as $1000, however for roller doors you should expect to pay more. They're certainly worth considering if you plan on training with a group of friends, as you can open the doors and essentially double or triple the size of your training area, incorporating the driveway into your gym. You might also want to consider choosing a garage door with built in windows, or one that is suitable to use to protect your car, if there's a chance you may convert back into a conventional garage. 


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