12 Garage Gym Ideas (Half & Full Garages)

Decking out your garage until you’ve made your local gym so jealous that they’re knocking on your door is the dream for a lot of us. Something about having a workout space that’s entirely yours is deeply tempting, not to mention the money and time you save in the long run from cancelling your gym membership.

But how do you even go about building a garage gym? What equipment should you prioritise and where does everything fit? We’ve answered those questions by designing 12 garage gym ideas — six for half garages and six for full garages. We’ve also split the gym designs by goal, allowing you to browse cardio or strength-based setups depending on what you’re working towards. By the end, we think you’ll have a much clearer idea of what you want your garage gym to achieve.

All of these designs are based on common UK garage measurements and won’t necessarily match yours. Always conduct your own measurements before buying fitness equipment, and invest in proper gym flooring to protect your home’s foundations.

Ready? Let’s go!

Half garage designs (3.6m x 4.8m)

#1: Strength training on a starter budget

Includes:

Approximate cost:

£1,000

Starting things off with a simple but effective training space. While it’s not flashy, this garage gym unlocks all of the essential moves you’d want to access in a strength program. Your rack, barbell and weight plate set can be used for compound lifts like squats and deadlifts, the bench and adjustable dumbbell pair are perfect for upper body movements while the kettlebell set is there to strengthen your lower body and functional fitness.

#2: Strength training on a medium budget

Includes:

Approximate cost:

£1,500 - £2,000

Building from our first design, this idea has a lot of the same benefits with a few additional ones, too. Combining a squat rack and a pulley system means you can perform cable exercises like lat pulldowns and low rows in the same space that you do your compound lifts, which is good news for our budget and floorspace. Plus, a dedicated dumbbell set means you don’t have to be as careful when placing the weights down after a set and makes it much more accessible for two people to train at once.

#3: Strength training on a large budget

Includes:

Approximate cost: £4,000

Now we’re getting serious. How’s a 5-50kg dumbbell set for bringing the full gym experience to the comfort of your own home? This design places a real emphasis on building muscle. The functional trainer provides us with dual cable pulleys, perfect for chest flys on those big push days, while a full set of dumbbells means you’ll never be left wanting for a weight. We’ve upped the weight plate set to 150kg for those ambitious deadlifts, too. This one sends a statement.

#4: Cardio training on a starter budget

Low budget garage gym design

Includes:

Approximate cost:

£650

Clean and simple, this setup gives you all the cardio essentials without any of the fluff. A folding treadmill lets you run day and night, whatever the weather, while a kettlebell set is the perfect companion to a HIIT workout that you might find on YouTube. Add in an exercise mat and you’re ready to bring floor exercises like burpees, mountain climbers and ab work into your routine.

#5: Cardio training on a medium budget

Garage gym design ideas

Includes:

Approximate cost:

£1,500

Let’s blend cardio and light strength training. We’ve upgraded the treadmill in this design to our P200 running machine, but you can use whichever model suits you. Then we’ve added slam balls which are brilliant for getting your heart racing while shedding fat and a weight bench with adjustable dumbbells to open the door to strength movements. We’ve kept the kettlebells and exercise mat because, well, they’re as much a cardio staple as a treadmill is!

#6: Cardio training on a large budget

High budget cardio garage gym

Includes:

Approximate cost:

£2,350

The main addition to this cardio-inspired gym design is the plyo box and the heavier set of adjustable dumbbells. A plyo box might look innocent from the outside, but you’ll be amazed how quickly they’ll burn your legs out. Add in the heavier adjustable dumbbells (we’ve gone with 40kg ones in this design) and you have the ability to train both your upper and lower body, while still leaving plenty of room for cardio work.

Double garage designs (6m x 6m)

#1: Strength training on a starter budget

Double garage gym design

Includes:

Approximate cost:

£2,000

Utilising the extra space of a double garage, we’ve upgraded the squat rack into a full freestanding power cage that’s ideal for performing compound lifts within. A reliable pair of adjustable dumbbells and weight bench are there for the rest of your upper body movements, and the introduction of a trap bar allows you to use the 70kg of weight plates to set your lower body on fire.