Planning a home gym in Australia

Start with a normal week of training

List the exercises you already do and the loads you currently use. Group them by the equipment they require. Presses, rows and split squats might share a bench and dumbbells; barbell squats need a bar, plates and an appropriate rack and safety arrangement. A preferred cable exercise can justify a small cable station without requiring every function in an all-in-one machine.

This is also the point to keep what you own. An adequate curl bar does not need replacing because the new rack comes from another brand. Put replacement money towards a missing movement, a weight limit you are approaching, or a setup you repeatedly avoid because it is awkward.

Draw the session, not just the machines

Make three drawings: the room empty, the equipment stored, and the equipment while you are using it. Include the car if the garage still parks one. Open the doors and cupboards on the drawing, and leave an exit route that does not rely on stepping over weights.

Manufacturer dimensions describe a particular configuration. Cable handles, a projecting barbell and your body can move beyond it. Refer to the model’s instructions for working and assembly clearance; the Rack & Room planner lets you add an allowance but does not establish an installation requirement.

Choose a first purchase that stands on its own

These are planning examples, not complete exercise programmes. Each starting point needs the right capacity and fit for its user.

Ask for one complete delivered quote

Give each retailer the same equipment list and postcode. State whether there are stairs, a lift, a narrow gate or a sloping driveway. Ask which items are available together and which are preorders. A delivery estimate is easier to judge once it is clear what has actually been dispatched.

Add the equipment, accessories, delivery, assembly, floor preparation and storage to My Gym. Keep unknown costs blank until quoted. Buying in stages is sensible when each stage is usable; it is frustrating when the first shipment is a frame waiting months for a necessary attachment.

Leave room for a change of plan

A move, another person using the room or a change in training can alter the setup. Measure the dismantled route out as well as the delivery route in. Save the manual and photographs of the model label with the receipt. Those records make later servicing, compatible upgrades and an eventual sale much easier.

Choose the first order once the main exercises, space and total cost are clear. There is no need to buy every category in this encyclopaedia.