VanniePeter
New member
Hey everyone,
After months of juggling gym commutes, waiting in line for equipment, and trying to fit workouts into my busy schedule, I finally built a compact home gym last year — and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made for my fitness.
I wanted to share how I did it step by step, for those who are considering setting up a home training space. Whether you’re in a garage, apartment, or spare room, here’s how you can get started without spending a fortune.
It wasn’t long before I started seeing real progress, and that motivated me to keep improving my setup.
The best part is, I never felt rushed to build everything at once. I added each piece over time as my training needs grew. Today, I have a compact but highly functional space where I can train hard anytime I want — no traffic, no lines, and no excuses.
If anyone else is thinking about going the home gym route — especially if you’re working with limited space — I’d be happy to answer questions or share more about how these machines perform long term. Let’s help each other train smarter at home!
After months of juggling gym commutes, waiting in line for equipment, and trying to fit workouts into my busy schedule, I finally built a compact home gym last year — and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made for my fitness.
I wanted to share how I did it step by step, for those who are considering setting up a home training space. Whether you’re in a garage, apartment, or spare room, here’s how you can get started without spending a fortune.
Step 1: Know Your Goals First
Before buying any equipment, ask yourself:- Are you training for strength, general fitness, or fat loss?
- Do you prefer free weights, bodyweight, or cardio?
- How often will you realistically use it?
Step 2: Choose the Right Space
You don’t need a giant garage. My setup is in a 7’ x 7’ area next to a window with:- Decent floor support (I use rubber mats)
- Enough height clearance for overhead work
- Good airflow (or a fan)
Step 3: Start Small – Build Over Time
I started with the basics — a solid yoga mat, adjustable dumbbells, and resistance bands — but once I got more serious about barbell training, I knew I needed something safer and more versatile. That’s when I invested in the PMAX-5600 Smith Machine from RitKeep, and it completely changed the game for me. It’s compact but rock-solid, and it lets me do squats, presses, and even landmine-style exercises with the smith bar safely locked into the guide rails. For anyone training alone at home, having that built-in safety is a huge confidence booster.It wasn’t long before I started seeing real progress, and that motivated me to keep improving my setup.
The best part is, I never felt rushed to build everything at once. I added each piece over time as my training needs grew. Today, I have a compact but highly functional space where I can train hard anytime I want — no traffic, no lines, and no excuses.
If anyone else is thinking about going the home gym route — especially if you’re working with limited space — I’d be happy to answer questions or share more about how these machines perform long term. Let’s help each other train smarter at home!