How to convert your garage into a home gym

A garage is one of the best spaces in the house for a home gym: it has room for a rack, a floor that can take dropped weights, and a door you can close on the rest of the house. This guide covers how to plan a garage gym, which rack fits, what flooring to use and how to store everything, followed by a real garage gym conversion from coach Scott Britton.

Planning Your Garage Gym

Begin with measurements rather than equipment. Measure the internal width, depth and ceiling height, and note anything that cuts into the space: beams, lights, a boiler, a consumer unit or shelving. Check how far the garage door travels into the room when it opens, as an up-and-over or roller door can sit lower than the ceiling. Then allow working space around each piece: room to load plates either side of the barbell, space behind a bench, and a clear path to the door.

Choosing a Rack for a Garage Gym

The rack is the centrepiece, so choose it around your ceiling height and how the garage is used.

• Compact racks sit on a 1.2m x 0.8m footprint and come in 2.2m and 2.4m heights in the 1 and 3 Series, a good fit for a dedicated garage gym.
• The 1 Series Folding Squat Rack is 2.2m high and folds flat against the wall between sessions, so the car can still go back in. It needs a solid wall to mount to.
• Freestanding half racks, such as the 1 Series Free Standing Half Rack, need no wall or floor fixings, which suits garages where you can't drill.

Garage Gym Flooring

Garage floors are usually bare concrete, which is hard on equipment and joints and loud when weights drop. Rubber gym flooring protects both: 15mm Anti-Slip Gym Tiles can be laid without adhesive and lifted again if the garage changes use, while 20mm to 40mm tiles suit heavier dropped loads and Olympic lifting.

Storage in a Shared Garage

Most garages also hold bikes, tools and garden kit, so keep training equipment off the floor. Plate storage on the rack, a vertical dumbbell rack and wall-mounted barbell holders free up floor space, and our gym storage range covers plates, barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells.

Looking After Equipment in an Unheated Garage

Garages can be cold and damp, so keep equipment dry and well ventilated. Brush chalk from barbell knurling, wipe bars down after training and lightly oil the shaft and sleeves where the manufacturer recommends it, and keep plates and dumbbells off bare concrete where moisture can collect.

A Real Garage Gym Conversion

Written by coach Scott Britton.

Before lockdown I'd never considered using my garage as a home gym, and I assumed home gyms were only for people with huge budgets. Functional fitness is a big part of my life and career, so I needed a proper setup, and with many friends already training on BLK BOX equipment, I reached out to their sales team. I sent photos and measurements of my garage, then had a call to talk through my training programme, my ideal kit list and my budget. After one call, my kit list was trimmed down, my budget dropped and I had a range of options for each piece of kit.

Flooring

My garage floor was 1930s concrete, smashed to pieces from years of use. The team calculated how much flooring I'd need and suggested the Anti-Slip Gym Tiles, as I could install them myself and lift them again if the garage didn't stay a gym forever. The flooring has really made the space: it holds heat, grips well and cuts the noise enough that I can train at any hour without bothering the neighbours.

Barbell and Bumper Plates

I chose the Belfast Bar with a 150kg set of HD Bumper Plates. I went with the HD bumpers for their dead-stop bounce: in a small space, I couldn't afford weights bouncing into the walls.

D-Ball, Plyo Box, Dumbbells and Bench

For functional work I added a 50kg D-Ball, which is great for strongman training and core work, and a wooden plyo box that matches the wood of my garage doors and beams. A set of Rubber Hex Dumbbells and the Utility Flat Weights Bench completed the setup. With such a narrow space, the bench was ideal because it stands upright and moves out of the way when I need the room.

Delivery and the Finished Gym

Everything arrived flat-packed and with real care, right outside my front door: no more squeezing a barbell and plates into the back of the car. From a 1930s garage full of spiders and garden off-cuts, it's now my main place to train, and opening those doors to train has been a huge help for body and mind. The whole team treated a single garage project with the same care as a full gym build.

Garage Gym FAQs

What should I measure before buying garage gym equipment?

Measure the internal width, depth and ceiling height, then check for obstructions such as beams, lights and the garage door's travel when open. Add working space around each piece, including room to load plates either side of the barbell and space behind the bench, and measure the route the equipment will take to reach the garage.

Can I fit a rack and bench and still keep space for my car?

Often, yes, if you choose space-saving equipment. The 1 Series Folding Squat Rack folds flat against the wall between sessions, and a flat bench such as the Utility Flat Weights Bench can be stood upright and moved aside. A compact rack takes a permanent 1.2m x 0.8m footprint, so it suits garages where the car lives elsewhere.

Which equipment should I buy first?

Begin with a rack, an Olympic barbell, weight plates and flooring, which cover squats, presses, deadlifts and rows. Add a bench, dumbbells and storage next, then conditioning or cable equipment later. Our home gym bundles, including the Space Saver Bundle designed for garages and spare rooms, group these essentials into one order.

What should I check before fixing equipment to a garage wall?

Wall-mounted and folding racks need a solid, structurally sound wall, so check what the wall is made of and avoid stud partitions or crumbling brickwork. Follow the installation guide for the exact rack, and if you can't drill, choose a freestanding half rack instead.

Planning your own garage gym? Map out your space with our free Gym Designer, or browse our full range of home gym equipment.