It’s no secret that regular exercise can do wonders for your physical and mental well-being, but making it to a local gym or fitness studio can be harder than completing seven non-stop minutes of burpees.
Thankfully, turning your basement, garage or spare bedroom into a fitness oasis has never been easier.
This is exactly what Robert James and his wife Jennilee discovered after setting up their home gym in 2020.
Between two demanding careers, mismatched schedules and a high-energy toddler, regular training sessions were becoming impossible for the once-active couple.
Rather than throwing in the (sweaty) towel, Robert and Jennilee decided to embark on an at-home fitness journey, setting up a private home gym workout haven with VERVE’s Premium gym equipment.
We don’t like to play favourites, but we reckon this is one of the nicest functional home gyms in the country.
Keen to check it out? Keep reading! Recently, Robert sat down with VERVE to discuss the beauty of carving out a workout space that’s all your own.
Getting started on a home gym?
Q1: Tell us about the transformation motivation behind your epic garage gym.
We’ve always been a very active couple. Having our first baby in 2020 made training at a regular tempo challenging and the pandemic really encouraged the idea for a home gym.
Coming into 2021 with a toddler and both working demanding full-time jobs compounded these challenges, especially because this meant one of us had to significantly compromise our training for family life.
We are now planning on expanding our family in the near future. I wanted to give my wife unlimited access to a fully kitted-out commercial gym during and after her pregnancy, all from the comfort of our home.
It is also important to us as parents to normalise exercise for our children.
We don’t want training to be seen as a chore and hope that by making the gym part of our regular routine, our kids grow to enjoy movement and celebrate what they can achieve physically.
Q2: You did a lot of the work on your home gym yourself. Do you have a background in this area?
I have a Certificate III in plumbing, but I’ve done a lot of project renovations over the years.
This has given me plenty of experience and versatility within the industry.
My wife and I have held gym memberships for the past 18 years, which also gave us a good idea of what we needed, what we liked and what would work in such a small footprint.
Planning was key to making sure every single square metre of space was utilised efficiently.
Keen to see the end result? Watch the video below to take a tour.
Why VERVE?
Q3: Why did you decide to use VERVE to buy your garage gym equipment and how was the experience?
To be frank, I did a call around and even looked interstate for quality equipment. The cost and estimated shipping fees played a big factor, too – I needed to keep within budget.
Prioritising quality and ordering in bulk can be expensive, so I was mindful of the delivery charges.
VERVE had appealing deals at the time with free delivery on bulk purchases. Plus their website was easy to navigate!
VERVE was by no means the cheapest, but the quality was on point. I did come across an issue but this was addressed within 24hrs, so I can confidently say that the customer service was prompt and of a high standard.
A great experience overall!
Q4: What is your favourite piece of equipment or section of the gym?
I can’t say I have one favourite piece of equipment in the gym. If I had to choose, it would come down to the Zen Power Rack and the Premium Club PU Dumbbells.
The power rack is perfect for most of our compound exercises. I love the aggressive knurling on the pull-up bar. The dumbbells set us back a fair bit, but we are happy with that decision.
They definitely give the garage gym a commercial vibe. They feel good and, let’s be real here, they look good!
Home gym or Membership?
Q5: Anything you wish you had known before the project that you didn’t?
We have been talking about renovating the garage space into a gym for years.
We had done plenty of research and planning beforehand, so we didn’t go into this project with an unrealistic view of the budget and timeframes.
There were no surprises which is really good to say. As with any investment, planning is key.
Q6: What does weekly use of the space look like? Are you working out more/less/differently than prior to the home gym?
My wife is usually up by 4:45am to train, which has always been her preference. This gives her a good 1-1.5hrs alone before our son wakes up.
Trying to fit in the commute to and from a gym for a dedicated workout was impossible beforehand.
Now, she gets the morning to exercise and I get the whole space to myself in the afternoon, while she hangs out with our son. We’re mindful that our schedules aren’t always complementary, but the functional home gym enables both of us the time and space to work out when we want. As my wife says, “This gym is a game changer’.
Q7: Any words of advice for others planning to build their own home gym?
Plan. It’s easy to get over-excited by all the possibilities, but you will make the most of your space and budget if you plan.
Focus on what is best for you based on your physical requirements (e.g. if you have health considerations) and what training you enjoy.
This is your gym, kit it out how you want.
When you love your gym so much it has its own logo & IG page!
Follow updates and additions to the Iron Box Garage Gym: @ironboxau
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Inspired to build the home gym of your dreams? Whether you love sweating it out on the treadmill or smashing a set of kettlebell swings, we have the gear you need.
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