How To Build A Home Gym In Your Basement
Basement gyms range from equipment placed off to the side of an entertainment center to full rooms dedicated to training. Basements are great for weight training due to the resiliency of the space. With a basement gym you often have the rugged durability needed for serious training but in a space that is more refined and better temperature controlled than a garage.
Benefits
- Basements can offer a dedicated workout space that allows for multiple equipment options and larger fitness equipment.
- This part of the house is generally cooler than above-ground floors, which is a plus during strenuous workouts.
- Basements generally have a concrete foundation, meaning they can handle a fair amount of weight.
Equipment Ideas
- One or two pieces of cardio equipment. Consider a treadmill and a rower or bike.
- Weight training tools like a home gym, bench, kettlebells, dumbbells and barbells.
- Other accessories like stability balls, a stretch mat and a foam roller.
Added Considerations
Additional flooring is ideal for basement gyms outfitted with rugged strength training equipment. Rubber flooring can be purchased online or at most hardware stores. Standard 24” x 24” square interlocking tiles vary in thickness and are easy to install.
Cardio Equipment Electrical Requirements
Life Fitness equipment must be properly installed and grounded. Do not use an extension cord or power strip.
- 15A CIRCUIT: Life Fitness consumer treadmills should be powered off a 120V 15Amp outlet. No more than one treadmill should be installed on each circuit. One non-tread cardio machine may be hooked up to the circuit. Best performance comes with a dedicated breaker and circuit for all treads.
- 20A CIRCUIT: One treadmill and up to two non-tread cardio machines can be plugged into outlets served by the same 20A circuit. Lamps or other non-motorized electrical devices up to a total 200 Watts can be plugged into outlets served by the same 20A circuit together with the treadmill.
