Weekend Project – Creating a Home Gym

As summer came to a close and the fall breeze started to roll in, I began thinking about the fact that outdoor free fitness classes in Milwaukee will be coming to an end too. I guess you could say Wisconsin winters are not ideal for an outdoor yoga class or boot camp.

This made me wonder, should I switch my favorite fitness studio to an unlimited membership? Or maybe take some of that money and put towards some home gym equipment? I decided on the latter. This month I officially began putting together a home gym for the cooler months, where I don’t get to get outside as much. I will still be going to the occasional fitness class, but instead of an unlimited membership, I will purchase a pack of classes to use throughout the winter months.

An unlimited membership at a boutique fitness studio could run me $125-$150 per month. I decided to allocate that spending this month for some home gym equipment that I will set up in my basement.

Here is what I’ve purchased so far:

• Rubber Gym Flooring (48 square feet) - $40
• Dumbbells (sets of 5, 10 and 15 pounds) - $89
• Resistance Bands (4 bands) - $5
• Total - $134

This gets me some basic gym equipment for the cost of a gym membership this month. I may purchase a couple more dumbbells next month to add to the collection. I plan on using free fitness plans you can find online. SELF Magazine has some great 30-day routines and Fitness Blender is a great website with free videos.