Home Gym, retired, in spare bedroom

[rich126]

We are both retired (at least for now) and finally got a retirement home which is actually the biggest house I've own (not really sure that was a good idea but my wife is happy) and we plan to use the largest spare bedroom as a gym. Since it is AZ, the garage would definitely be too hot.

The flooring is a ceramic tile and I want to be careful not to crack it. From what I've researched, my current plan is to get some plywood and on top of that some kind of mat, either rubber, those interlocking mats or I've heard horse mats work well.

We probably will have 2 cardio devices (recumbent bike since it is easiest on the back, and a treadmill since my wife likes to walk and when my back isn't acting up, I can do that as well). We won't have any heavy weights but maintaining muscle seems important and I've noticed my heart rate gets highest when I do weights so we will have a variety of dumbells and an adjustable bench. And a fan or two for obvious reasons.

Any suggestions or things I'm missing? Any suggestions in terms of equipment?

[123]

A TV in the room may be an advantage. You can get a lot of exercise time in while watching TV. I'd be tempted to have an extra set of dumbbells in whatever other room you watch the most TV/computer.

[anon_investor]

We are both retired (at least for now) and finally got a retirement home which is actually the biggest house I've own (not really sure that was a good idea but my wife is happy) and we plan to use the largest spare bedroom as a gym. Since it is AZ, the garage would definitely be too hot.

The flooring is a ceramic tile and I want to be careful not to crack it. From what I've researched, my current plan is to get some plywood and on top of that some kind of mat, either rubber, those interlocking mats or I've heard horse mats work well.

We probably will have 2 cardio devices (recumbent bike since it is easiest on the back, and a treadmill since my wife likes to walk and when my back isn't acting up, I can do that as well). We won't have any heavy weights but maintaining muscle seems important and I've noticed my heart rate gets highest when I do weights so we will have a variety of dumbells and an adjustable bench. And a fan or two for obvious reasons.

Any suggestions or things I'm missing? Any suggestions in terms of equipment?

Horse stall mats are the way to go over those interlocking foam mats. I got some at Tractor Supply Co for my basement home gym (free weights). Concrete floor though. We have subflooring and plywood underneath the mats. With the ceramic tile, not sure if it would be better to have foam under the plywood with horse stall mats on top.

[anewboglehead]

I also have horse stall mats, from tractor supply, over concrete. Before that I had interlocking tiles and the horse stall mats are far superior. The EVA foam was too squishy, occasionally slippery, and sometimes would disconnect from other pieces. If you are mostly stacking machines on top, these may not be of concern to you. If you do go the horse stall route, a few tips:
1) they may have a strong smell when you first get them, I left mine outside for almost a month and when I moved them into an enclosed area still noticed a faint rubber tire smell, for about a month or two. When moved, a LOT of small rubber granules rubbed off.
2) they are pretty unwieldy to handle because they are fairly heavy and flexible. I did not have to go up any stairs and I am thankful for that.
3) the pieces themselves are fairly large, but can move independently of each other. I used Gorilla Black Duct Tape on the seams. Holds really well, color matches, and if you are detail oriented, looks really sharp. I have had people come over and say it looks like my gym floor was professionally installed - it just looks clean and sharp.

[KeepingEyesOpen]

TV in the room, either placed on a cabinet or mounted to the wall, is a great idea. Watching a movie is a good way to encourage your exercise. Consider using airpods for sound if your treadmill is loud. Or listen to podcasts from your smartphone.

For the treadmill and exercise bike, use an inexpensive treadmill mat beneath each of them. Do a search on Amazon for "treadmill mat" or look in a sporting goods or exercise equipment store.

[Sandtrap]

We are both retired (at least for now) and finally got a retirement home which is actually the biggest house I've own (not really sure that was a good idea but my wife is happy) and we plan to use the largest spare bedroom as a gym. Since it is AZ, the garage would definitely be too hot.

The flooring is a ceramic tile and I want to be careful not to crack it. From what I've researched, my current plan is to get some plywood and on top of that some kind of mat, either rubber, those interlocking mats or I've heard horse mats work well.

We probably will have 2 cardio devices (recumbent bike since it is easiest on the back, and a treadmill since my wife likes to walk and when my back isn't acting up, I can do that as well). We won't have any heavy weights but maintaining muscle seems important and I've noticed my heart rate gets highest when I do weights so we will have a variety of dumbells and an adjustable bench. And a fan or two for obvious reasons.

Any suggestions or things I'm missing? Any suggestions in terms of equipment?

Horse stall mats are the way to go over those interlocking foam mats. I got some at Tractor Supply Co for my basement home gym (free weights). Concrete floor though. We have subflooring and plywood underneath the mats. With the ceramic tile, not sure if it would be better to have foam under the plywood with horse stall mats on top.

Great idea, maybe in a garage or ventilated room.
We have these in the stable building and occasionally have to buy a new one at tractor supply.
They are incredibly heavy.
And, they have a very strong rubber tire smell, like walking into the Costco Tire Warehouse dept.

If that works, then great.
Or, can always use them for horses.....hehehehe..or hay hay hay....
j

[AlwaysLearningMore]

We have home gym and used 2 layers of their thickest product. So far has protected floor. There are probably other good providers as well.


https://www.rubbercal.com/elephant-bark ... oring.html

[Jack FFR1846]

When my son was weight lifting, we set up equipment in the basement and put down Tractor Supply horse mats. They laugh at 500 pounds for dead lifting. Yup, they smell for a while so you could leave them outside for a while. Way cheaper and better than those interlocking thingys.

[Mr. Rumples]

Maintaining muscle and flexibility is important. Low cost options are stretch bands and a black high density foam roller. If inclined to stretch, this is a good book with the full poses, but also modified poses for those who quite aren't there yet: Yoga Fitness for Men: Build Strength, Improve Performance, and Increase Flexibility by Pohlman. As with all exercises, weights, walking and so forth, form is critical.

[m0derton]

Horse stall mats are the way to go over those interlocking foam mats. I got some at Tractor Supply Co for my basement home gym (free weights). Concrete floor though. We have subflooring and plywood underneath the mats. With the ceramic tile, not sure if it would be better to have foam under the plywood with horse stall mats on top.

I would caution against this as I just bought these same horse stall mats from TSC this weekend. They were extremely smelly in my apartment and I had to move them outdoors to my balcony. The fumes from the rubber will supposedly offgas eventually, but that is definitely not a smell you are going to want indoors in the interim. They are also quite heavy, weighing approximately 100 lbs, assuming you get the 6'x4'x0.75" version and do not come in a box. It was quite the workout for one person to move them.

[4nursebee]

We are both retired (at least for now) and finally got a retirement home which is actually the biggest house I've own (not really sure that was a good idea but my wife is happy) and we plan to use the largest spare bedroom as a gym. Since it is AZ, the garage would definitely be too hot.

The flooring is a ceramic tile and I want to be careful not to crack it. From what I've researched, my current plan is to get some plywood and on top of that some kind of mat, either rubber, those interlocking mats or I've heard horse mats work well.

We probably will have 2 cardio devices (recumbent bike since it is easiest on the back, and a treadmill since my wife likes to walk and when my back isn't acting up, I can do that as well). We won't have any heavy weights but maintaining muscle seems important and I've noticed my heart rate gets highest when I do weights so we will have a variety of dumbells and an adjustable bench. And a fan or two for obvious reasons.

Any suggestions or things I'm missing? Any suggestions in terms of equipment?

If you are going to put some protective layer on the entire floor, perhaps just pull up the tile and cover the entire floor?
Equipment? What matters is utility. Will you use it or will it sit in the corner? I would not buy until trying. Perhaps keep a local gym membership for a while at a well equipped gym and go there once a week to determine this.
We like our rower, I think they come in two heights. https://www.roguefitness.com/black-conc ... d_source=1 We used this at a gym before buying. Great cardio, good for low back, great for knees. Might be tough on hands when pulling.

Interlocking foam matts can be light weight and easy to replace. Long lasting.

Might you ride bikes outside? A three wheel recumbent would be very stable and could be put on an indoor roller for off season use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17u7J9YNOQ0 It would be more normal to put the front tires on stands.

[Receo]

I had the horse mats in my last home gym. For five years my garage smelled of rubber. They off-gas terribly. My current home has mats made specifically for home gyms.

[stoptothink]

I had the horse mats in my last home gym. For five years my garage smelled of rubber. They off-gas terribly. My current home has mats made specifically for home gyms.

I have 3 horse stall matts in my garage gym, we're going on 8 years. I don't recall if there was a heavy smell initially (probably), but there certainly isn't now. There's also a few dozen of them in the S&C area of my MMA gym - no smell, but then there are all kinds of other smells in that place. For the price, nothing is close to as effective for this purpose. I guess you could go to Tractor Supply and smell them for yourself.

[Sandtrap]

We are both retired (at least for now) and finally got a retirement home which is actually the biggest house I've own (not really sure that was a good idea but my wife is happy) and we plan to use the largest spare bedroom as a gym. Since it is AZ, the garage would definitely be too hot.

The flooring is a ceramic tile and I want to be careful not to crack it. From what I've researched, my current plan is to get some plywood and on top of that some kind of mat, either rubber, those interlocking mats or I've heard horse mats work well.

We probably will have 2 cardio devices (recumbent bike since it is easiest on the back, and a treadmill since my wife likes to walk and when my back isn't acting up, I can do that as well). We won't have any heavy weights but maintaining muscle seems important and I've noticed my heart rate gets highest when I do weights so we will have a variety of dumbells and an adjustable bench. And a fan or two for obvious reasons.

Any suggestions or things I'm missing? Any suggestions in terms of equipment?

to op:
We have 2 gym rooms on our ground floor, (cement flooring with interlocking padded on that).
room 2: DW: Jumper trampoline, total gym (per chuck norris), Gym quality Sole Eliptical (I can only use this as I have spine issues, back)
room 1: Sole treadmill, area for stretching , bands, floor ball, etc.

I used to have a multi setup "Bowflex" ultra deluxe" but there's no point in it as I cannot have any weight bearing motions. So, gave that to my son.
Same for various weights.

I used to have a standing RX for PT at a local PT center adjacent to the hospital for post op rehab, etc. I went 2x/week.
I now have a RX for aqua therapy at another PT institute.

to op:
BEE careful that your "home gym" setup fits "you" and not someone else.

j

[ScubaHogg]

We got our horse stall mats at tractor supply. We’ve now been using them for years. It took a few days for them to off gas completely. I recall reading that sitting in the sun helped, so during the day I would drag them outside. After a few days the smell went away completely

Since you asked, I’d get a squat rack and learn how to do the major compound lifts

https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strengt ... 0982522738

[rocket354]

As most have mentioned, the horse stall mats can be terribly smelly. I'm not convinced they are necessary for someone who by all appearances is doing mostly cardio with light dumbbell work. Even light barbell work doesn't need those mats. If OP would be squatting 300+ lbs, sure.

In my garage gym I have a mix of the EVA foam tiles, and some harder rubber tiles (like the horse stall mats, but also interlocking and not nearly as smelly; but also a little more pricey). I got the flooring because I found that walking around a hard surface for an hour or two while doing my workout was really putting more stress on my knees/ankles than I liked. I have the harder rubber under my squat rack so I have a firmer base to stand. Everywhere else is the eva foam.

I do dumbbell bench, dumbbell rows, captain's chair, barbell rows, deadlifts, overhead press, all on the EVA foam with no issues. I have a deadlift platform which is sturdy plywood with hard rubber on top (on top of the eva foam) and that's for the deadlifts and barbell rows. I still try to lift fairly heavy and I have no concerns.

Suffice to say, for the OP's needs, if he is going to get a platform then the EVA foam should be fine and the most cost-effective and nose-friendly. He can do all the exercises he needs and save his joints and his wallet.

[SRM007]

Consider an Indoor Rowing machine for cardio.
https://www.concept2.com/

low impact - and a full body workout

[lthenderson]

The flooring is a ceramic tile and I want to be careful not to crack it. From what I've researched, my current plan is to get some plywood and on top of that some kind of mat, either rubber, those interlocking mats or I've heard horse mats work well.

We probably will have 2 cardio devices ... a variety of dumbells and an adjustable bench. And a fan or two for obvious reasons.

In my opinion, plywood, rubber interlocking mats or horse mats is way overkill for what you will need. It makes the floor much harder to keep clean and if one sweats, it builds up odor over time unlike tile. I would just set your cardio machines directly on the tile. If you are worried about them marring the tile, place a couple matts underneath the contact points. For the dumbbells, maybe a couple interlocking rubber mats directly under the adjustable bench and call it good, just in case you drop a dumbbell.

[praxis]

Workouts are very personal. Motivation is maybe the most unique aspect of training. When we don't attend our local gym, we both do our own workouts daily at home or hotel or cabin using you tube and other custom routines on the rug with calisthenics, body weight like pullups, pushups, jacks, crunches and dumbbells for curls, presses, lunges and squats. I'm good for 20-30 minutes. My motivation wanes after that when I'm alone. That's why I like our local gym classes. I've been going for 35 years, 3-5 days a week.

I prefer Body Pump weight classes, but do Step, Cycling and Circuit Training classes. They all last 55 minutes and have 25 to 40 men and women in every class. They are held throughout each day, Early bird at 5:30 and at least 3 or 4 more of each over the day and evening. I think about why the classes work for me and it's the people, trainer and music in the large room that keeps me coming. No gym works if you don't show up. My wife adds long (3-8 mile) runs and I add1-2 mile jogs for more cardio. You need a "WHY" to keep at it. Determine what is your "WHY". That helps. For us, it's health, which includes flexibility, stamina, better sleep and staying lean.

[rich126]

We got our horse stall mats at tractor supply. We’ve now been using them for years. It took a few days for them to off gas completely. I recall reading that sitting in the sun helped, so during the day I would drag them outside. After a few days the smell went away completely

Since you asked, I’d get a squat rack and learn how to do the major compound lifts

https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strengt ... 0982522738

I'm a bit leery of doing much squatting/lifting since I had a compression fracture in my back (L2/3) and I'm not sure how well those heal. I was thinking more lifting where the back is supported such as lying down on a bench or floor, along with things like curls/triceps. While I was never a workout nut for about 7 years I had a nice run of going to the gym and was in solid shape then one morning I was finishing up my workout doing leg presses on a machine (one where you are kinda of lying horizontal and pushing the weights and right near the end of the workout I felt something in my lower right back which ended up being seriously painful (like a raw nerve) for a long time so those 2 injuries have left me a bit timid of doing too much.

I'm thinking I will pass on the horse stall mats. We don't need a smell in the house and I'd rather not leave them outside for months. I'll look into various mats that aren't too expensive for the weight area and then something basic just to rest the cardio machines on.

TV wise we are set since the previous owners left a tv on the wall just in the right position so I can add a firestick and a dvd player (my wife wants to watch some of the old DVDs we have and we still own 3 dvd players that are seldom used) and we both have airpods that can connect to the firestick for that audio.

Without even doing any work outs but just unpacking and getting the house organized we are walking a ton. It is midday and I'm at 2 miles without leaving the house. Much more than my apartment living where I had to go to the gym or outside to get 2+ miles in.

[MoonOrb]

I'd personally use the interlocking mats since you're not talking about heavy weights here. The horse mats, while superior, are not worth it given the issues that people have enumerated and the relatively light use that your floor will get.

In addition to the cardio equipment you like I would get:

a. an adjustable bench
b. dumbbells in weights 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15 pounds (or 2.5, 5, 7.5, etc)
c. those easy to adjust dumbbells where you can add/remove weight simply and without spinning around and unlocking and then relocking a heavy collar (my theory on dumbbells here is that a significant number of dumbbell exercises the two of you will do will be at the light end of the weight spectrum and it's nicer to have these be actual dumbbells and not a kind you need to adjust; but you also want to be able to do some exercises with heavier dumbbells so accommodate that need with an adjustable set).
d. two yoga mats
e. a fitball
f. a medicine ball

[klucsamj]

You may want to look at installing some anchors in the ceiling or walls for a TRX suspension trainer . I have one from Flige(more cost effective see Flige.com)) . You and your wife can do assisted inverted rows, squats ,lunges, and may other exercises. If you have back issues check out Teeter for an inversion table or a DEX 2 inversion Device , [medical advice removed by admin LadyGeek].

[cmr86]

I would caution against this as I just bought these same horse stall mats from TSC this weekend. They were extremely smelly in my apartment and I had to move them outdoors to my balcony. The fumes from the rubber will supposedly offgas eventually, but that is definitely not a smell you are going to want indoors in the interim. They are also quite heavy, weighing approximately 100 lbs, assuming you get the 6'x4'x0.75" version and do not come in a box. It was quite the workout for one person to move them.

Leave them out for a few weeks. You'll be fine.

[exodusing]

<snip> We won't have any heavy weights but maintaining muscle seems important and I've noticed my heart rate gets highest when I do weights so we will have a variety of dumbells and an adjustable bench. And a fan or two for obvious reasons.

Any suggestions or things I'm missing? Any suggestions in terms of equipment?

Heavier weights. Strength training is important and it's much easier with heavy weights. Cardio is important, but it's not enough.

[rule of law guy]

I have found the best indoor cycle is a normal bike, back horizontal over floor, nose over handlebars, as opposed to recumbent. takes a little getting used to but best for legs/glutes and back

[AnnetteLouisan]

Mini trampoline, acupressure mat, yoga mat, speedbag, exercise bands, floor to ceiling bag, rowing machine and small fridge for cold towels.

[tm3]

Cow mats work great and great bang for the buck. Mine sat outside on covered porch for about a month to get rid of the smell and have been fine since.

Hard to beat adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable bench. Resistance bands have gotten better and some like the TRX, but I'm not a fan.

Best bang for the buck in a cardio machine is the Concept 2 rower. Too difficult for most folks, who would rather leisurely scroll their iPhone while slowly turning the cranks of a stationary bike. The C2 can easily be stored vertically, maximizing space.

[runswithscissors]

It would be good to know a budget. Personally, health and fitness should not be something you want to skimp in especially if you're the type that's motivated to stay active and healthy. Also would be good to know the square footage of the spare bedroom. We have an oversized garage that fits two cars and our home gym. We added a split ac unit as we are also in a warm climate. The flexibility of a large space and not worrying about damaging the floor has made using the home gym far more enjoyable. We wouldn't have enjoyed it in our spare bedroom. But perhaps you have more space.

[rich126]

It would be good to know a budget. Personally, health and fitness should not be something you want to skimp in especially if you're the type that's motivated to stay active and healthy. Also would be good to know the square footage of the spare bedroom. We have an oversized garage that fits two cars and our home gym. We added a split ac unit as we are also in a warm climate. The flexibility of a large space and not worrying about damaging the floor has made using the home gym far more enjoyable. We wouldn't have enjoyed it in our spare bedroom. But perhaps you have more space.

The room is the largest of our "spare" bedrooms. 19' x 17'. Originally I was going to put my office/computer stuff in it but it is south facing and was going to be warm. On one end (on the short side, i.e., a 17' wall) is the TV that was mounted by the previous owners. I'm thinking putting 2 cardio machines next to each other and in front of them would be space for a bench and lighter weights.

A quick estimate is a couple of cardio devices each take 7' x 4' so they could easily be next to each other. That would easily leave 8' x 17' for weights bench. Not a huge space but since at most 2 people will be in there and often we have differing workout schedules it may only be 1. So room for an adjustable bench and room to stretch. And we have plenty of fans (my wife seems to collect those standing tower fans for some reason).

Budget wise I'm not sure. Cardio stuff would easily take ~$2K. We aren't going to be running, just walking on a treadmill and a recumbent bike (takes up a bit less room than a treadmill). A decent bench $250. Dumb bells can vary all over the place but you can get 2 of the adjustable ones for about $400. While I wouldn't mind to do more weights, I need to see how my back holds up so I'd rather start off small and if things hold up, we can always adjust later.

Last year I got an Apple watch. Probably not worth the money but I find it interesting to look at my activity/steps. When I was working it was a huge facility and I would take some long walks just to clear my head plus the walks in/out the facility were long. After retiring and living in a small apartment I would have to hit the gym or walk outside to get 2-3 miles of walking/steps. In this large house and with moving around a lot to unpack, I'm logging 2-3 miles w/o doing any exercise. Foudn it surprising how the larger house greatly added to my moving around.

[anon_investor]

Cow mats work great and great bang for the buck. Mine sat outside on covered porch for about a month to get rid of the smell and have been fine since.

Hard to beat adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable bench. Resistance bands have gotten better and some like the TRX, but I'm not a fan.

Best bang for the buck in a cardio machine is the Concept 2 rower. Too difficult for most folks, who would rather leisurely scroll their iPhone while slowly turning the cranks of a stationary bike. The C2 can easily be stored vertically, maximizing space.

My horse stall mats did not spell too bad, but my local Tractor Supply Co did store them outside, so maybe a lot of the smell had already gone away.

The C2 rower is a great workout. I have a tablet stand for mine, so I can watch stuff when I use it.

[runswithscissors]

It would be good to know a budget. Personally, health and fitness should not be something you want to skimp in especially if you're the type that's motivated to stay active and healthy. Also would be good to know the square footage of the spare bedroom. We have an oversized garage that fits two cars and our home gym. We added a split ac unit as we are also in a warm climate. The flexibility of a large space and not worrying about damaging the floor has made using the home gym far more enjoyable. We wouldn't have enjoyed it in our spare bedroom. But perhaps you have more space.

The room is the largest of our "spare" bedrooms. 19' x 17'. Originally I was going to put my office/computer stuff in it but it is south facing and was going to be warm. On one end (on the short side, i.e., a 17' wall) is the TV that was mounted by the previous owners. I'm thinking putting 2 cardio machines next to each other and in front of them would be space for a bench and lighter weights.

A quick estimate is a couple of cardio devices each take 7' x 4' so they could easily be next to each other. That would easily leave 8' x 17' for weights bench. Not a huge space but since at most 2 people will be in there and often we have differing workout schedules it may only be 1. So room for an adjustable bench and room to stretch. And we have plenty of fans (my wife seems to collect those standing tower fans for some reason).

Budget wise I'm not sure. Cardio stuff would easily take ~$2K. We aren't going to be running, just walking on a treadmill and a recumbent bike (takes up a bit less room than a treadmill). A decent bench $250. Dumb bells can vary all over the place but you can get 2 of the adjustable ones for about $400. While I wouldn't mind to do more weights, I need to see how my back holds up so I'd rather start off small and if things hold up, we can always adjust later.

Last year I got an Apple watch. Probably not worth the money but I find it interesting to look at my activity/steps. When I was working it was a huge facility and I would take some long walks just to clear my head plus the walks in/out the facility were long. After retiring and living in a small apartment I would have to hit the gym or walk outside to get 2-3 miles of walking/steps. In this large house and with moving around a lot to unpack, I'm logging 2-3 miles w/o doing any exercise. Foudn it surprising how the larger house greatly added to my moving around.

I was not expecting such a large bedroom. This is actually roughly what we have usable in our garage for gym equipment. We have an elliptical, adjustable dumbells and rack (two sets), a large functional trainer with smith bar, pull down machine (lats), ab bench/standard bench and still have plenty room for a mat to stretch and walk around the equipment. I highly suggest you get a functional trainer. Costco has the larger Inspire unit on sale now for $1,700. Probably overkill for your needs but you definitely have the space. They have a very capable smaller unit for $999 that goes on sale for around $700 or $800 at times.

[tm3]

Cow mats work great and great bang for the buck. Mine sat outside on covered porch for about a month to get rid of the smell and have been fine since.

Hard to beat adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable bench. Resistance bands have gotten better and some like the TRX, but I'm not a fan.

Best bang for the buck in a cardio machine is the Concept 2 rower. Too difficult for most folks, who would rather leisurely scroll their iPhone while slowly turning the cranks of a stationary bike. The C2 can easily be stored vertically, maximizing space.

My horse stall mats did not spell too bad, but my local Tractor Supply Co did store them outside, so maybe a lot of the smell had already gone away.

The C2 rower is a great workout. I have a tablet stand for mine, so I can watch stuff when I use it.

Mine came from TS also, and were outside. I think you hit the nail on the head.

OP, you may not want to hear this, but you asked for advice, so ......

Walking is a great exercise for older folks, maybe the best, and there are so many additional health benefits to walking outside that I would never buy a treadmill so that I could walk indoors. Plus, treadmills take up a ton of space, are hard to move, require service, and according to a marathon running friend of mine unless one invests a substantial amount in a "quality" one there are going to be frequent replacements.