The KYDRA Club

How To Build Your Dream Home Gym

Look, we get it. When you work a demanding 9 - 5 job, the last thing you want to do is drag yourself to the gym to get your daily workout in. When you have to shower, stuff your gear into your gym bag, and travel to the gym - well, that’s a chore in and of itself especially if you’re working from home.

Luckily for you, the solution to having a hassle-free workout has been right in front of you the whole time - quite literally, it’s been inside your house!

Bonus point - A home gym is a COVID-friendly option! The pandemic can no longer rob you of your workout routine.

Getting Started

If the prospect of building your own gym sounds daunting, fear not! We’re here to break the components down for you and get you one step closer to having a healthy, consistent workout routine.

Here are some factors you may want to consider before you get started:

Space - How much space do you have to spare in your home? If you only have a corner of a room in your HDB flat, you’d be surprised how much space-conscious workout equipment you can fit into a corner! But if you’re fortunate enough to have a whole room you can convert into a gym, we have some great options for you too!

Budget - We completely understand if you’re hesitating at the prospect of spending too much money on equipment. Don’t worry unduly, though, because building your workout space can be a step-by-step investment for the next few months.

Scenario 1: A gym under your bed

Let’s be honest, most of us are probably in the same (slightly cramped) boat. With little to no space we can afford to part with, we end up having to cram any equipment under a bed. Well, we gave it a try and we’re happy to report that everything listed below fits easily under your bed, with two of these fitting neatly into a shoebox!

How To Get Started

#1: Trust us when we tell you that resistance bands are your cheap, space-saving best friend! They require less storage space than pretty much any other gear, and you can use them for a wide variety of workouts, from slow strength sessions to high-paced HIIT blasts. 

#2: Everyone should already own this popular exercise staple - a yoga mat! These handy mats can easily be folded up to fit under your bed. A little bit of yoga every morning might help you with some much-needed stretches and gain some zen, so you don’t feel like you’re on the verge of losing it every day (we’ve all been there).

#3: Revisit your childhood and buy a jump rope! Jump ropes have got to be some of the cheapest but most useful workout gear out there, and they’re completely underrated. Using a jump rope in your room each day can make for a very effective cardiovascular workout.

Scenario 2: The corner of a room

Perhaps you have a little more space you could devote to a starter gym, like the corner of a room. Pro tip - we recommend that the room you choose should be a bedroom or living room.

How To Get Started

#1: In addition to the equipment we’ve listed in scenario 1, invest in some weights. Having weights is probably the most “official” step to begin establishing a home gym. Weight training ​​is effective for more than just building body mass and is linked to improved posture, better sleep, and weight loss. Of course, the weights you get are entirely dependent on your body type and capabilities!

#2: Also, look into purchasing an ab wheel. These nifty pieces of equipment are the perfect fit for the corner of any room! The ab wheel is highly effective in toning your core. It isolates your abs, and a bonus is that it works the muscles of your lower back. While you roll forward on the wheel, your back muscles engage even without focusing on them due to the natural arching of your back that happens as you move forward on the wheel. 

Scenario 3: An entire spare room for a gym!

Lucky you! We wish we could pretend we’re not envious. As you might imagine, the possibilities are virtually endless when you have a spare room to turn into a home gym. You can now curate every aspect of your dream gym piece by piece.

How To Get Started

#1: Consider filling up your space with some standard gym equipment in addition to the equipment in scenarios 1 and 2 above, like a treadmill, workout benches and pull-up bars. While, of course, equipment like a treadmill can be a hefty investment, there are also more cost-effective options out there, like buying a secondhand treadmill or a dated model.

#2: If you want to add some fun to your home gym and get your daily steps in, a stair stepper is a must-have! Stair stepping is a great cardio workout and a weight-bearing exercise, working out pretty much every muscle on your legs and bum. 

#3: If you want an all-encompassing piece of equipment, consider a rowing machine. Even a short workout on a rowing machine is highly effective because it is a full-body workout from the start - it activates nearly twice the muscle mass as other activities like running and cycling. A single stroke on the rowing machine works your quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, arms, and back muscles.

Nothing’s holding you back!

Now you’ve seen it all - you can build your own home gym in virtually any form. There are a plethora of budget and space-friendly options for you, and you could join legions of Singaporeans that have built their home gyms in lockdown.

You can also think of us during your home workout! Don your Kydra gear and jam to our Kydra workout mix (find us on Spotify!) and have yourself an easy, convenient and comfortable home workout. 

General Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of KYDRA. Any content provided by our writers are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any organization, company, individual and more.