Houzz Your Workout: Home Gyms That Get You Moving

“I am a firm believer that if you have an extra room, a home gym is a very viable and cost-effective alternative,” says Houzz user Mary Mauritzen. And that’s exactly what she and so many others showed us when we published a Houzz Call asking readers to show us their home gyms and exercise spaces. Whether they shared a built-from-scratch dedicated gym, a reconstructed old room or a “gyffice” (home gym-office), our Houzz community showed us that fitness fits in all types of households.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite photos and stories for even more fitspiration.

A Personal Trainer’s Personal Gym

Who lives here: Houzz user Elise Miller, her husband, 2 children and 2 dogs
Location: A 4-bedroom, 2½ bath, 1926 Sears kit bungalow in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania

About the room: Miller says, “The room chose me, so to speak.” It started with a simple pull-up bar installed over the door of her large bedroom, and from there a home gym was born. Now she uses her bedroom, office and the hallway connecting the two as her hub for health.

In addition to the pull-up bar, the bedroom now holds a ceiling anchor where Miller can hang her TRX system. The office is where she stores free weights, barbells, and kettlebells. The 13-foot hallway is the perfect space for resistance-band walks, while the small alcove in the center of that hallway is her go-to spot for kettlebell swings.


The rooms are decorated with books, photos and kids’ artwork. Miller has also chosen a different color paint for each room to create what she calls a mood journey, taking her from one exercise to the next in what feels like a natural rhythm.

About the workouts: Miller says she and her husband prefer to practice moves that mimic everyday strength-building ones. “For me it’s kettlebells and calisthenics,” she says.

Favorite moves: Handstand pushups and one-armed push-ups

Fitspiration: As a personal trainer, Miller’s No. 1 fitspiration is her clients, but a close second is the way working out makes her feel. And “having a daily training practice makes exercise as much a part of my routine as kissing my kids goodnight,” she says.


Trainer in Training

Who lives here: Mary Mauritzen and her husband
Location: A 2,700-square-foot (250.8-square-meter) ranch in Chandler, Arizona

About the room: The 10½- by 12-foot space (3.2 by 3.6 meters) is large enough to hold all the basics for Mauritzen and her husband, who both work with a personal trainer on a regular basis. The main pieces include a treadmill, free weights, yoga mats, a foam roller, a Bosu ball and a stability ball.

Even though this room had a window and a ceiling fan, Mauritzen and her husband use this room up to four times a week for their sweaty workouts, so they inserted an oscillating floor fan for extra ventilation. A TV is positioned on a telescoping arm for distraction, and posters, photos and jerseys of favorite athletes line the wall for motivation.


About the workouts: Amid all the basics is Mauritzen’s favorite equipment: her boxing gear. She secured her specialized pieces straight into the wall studs. Over the door frame, Muhammad Ali’s words inspire her: “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.”

Favorite move: Alternating kettlebell rounds with bag work to increase her boxing skills

Fitspiration: “My health is my inspiration … a high priority,” Mauritzen says. She’s also studying to get her personal training certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine so she can spread her love of fitness.


Fitness in Florida

Who lives here: Valerie Milazzo and her husband, Ben
Location: A home in Naples, Florida

About the room: Inspired by photos found on Houzz, the Milazzos completed a major house remodel in 2013 that included a dedicated “fitness man cave” that is 13½ by 27 feet (4.1 by 8.2 meters). They solicited the help of the professional builders at Harwick Homes as well as a local interior designer to help create their ideal space.

The centerpiece of this detailed home gym is a four-station circuit trainer, and the room also holds a complete set of free weights, exercise balls and a Bosu, as well as an inversion table for stretching. Although none of this equipment is secured to the floor, there is specialized flooring: 1-inch-thick recycled rubber tiles fitted together with dowels.

About the workouts: In his younger days, Ben’s main focus was cardiovascular training — he has completed 23 full marathons. Now retired at age 71, he has shifted his focus to core strength.

Favorite move: Anything that helps improve his golf swing

Fitspiration: “I believe that exercise gives you a more positive attitude … and gives you a feeling of accomplishment,” Ben says.


Active Guy in Atlanta

Who lives here: Chad Thompson
Location: A 3,500-square-foot (325.1-square-meter) townhouse in Atlanta

About the room: The space was originally built as a game or media room, but Thompson says that as he is a fitness-minded individual, using the space as a home gym was a better choice. His fitness room doubles as a home office with a standing desk; he finds that being able to do something active during his workday helps his productivity.

His eclectic art pieces, including an abstract painting of Rocky and Apollo from Rocky III and a wall lined with 1980s vintage skateboards, give the room high energy and a unique feel, Thompson says, which in turn give him the energy for a great workout.


About the workouts: Thompson has all the staple pieces of equipment needed for weight lifting: power rack (complete with adjustable safety strap for spotting), adjustable benches, glute and hamstring developer, vertical knee raise, dip station, vibration platform and more than 1,000 pounds of weighted plates, dumbbells and bars.

Inspired by an idea he saw on Houzz, Thompson built his own specialized flooring for the space underneath his power rack. The wooden platform covered with interlocking rubber tiles gives him an ideal training surface for heavy lifting as well as protects the carpet.


Favorite move: Pull-ups of all types: conventional, weighted, chin-ups, neutral grip, wide grip and single arm, among others

Fitspiration: “Working out keeps me fit and strong … resulting in a more enjoyable life,” Thompson says.


Healthy Loft Living

Who lives here: Carl Cores and his wife
Location: A converted 750-square-foot (69.6-square-meter) loft above a detached garage in Chagrin Falls, Ohio

About the room: Cores says he’s always made space for fitness in previous homes, so when he saw the loft with its exposure to natural sunlight, he knew it was the perfect place for a home gym.

A local construction company helped the couple remodel the loft into a dual fitness and entertainment area. A few special considerations had to be made for safety: The wall with the pull-up station was reinforced with additional 2-by-4s, and Nike rubber gym flooring was installed to withstand the additional weight and pressure of the gym equipment. Additionally, they installed a heating and air conditioning system to help with the airflow and temperature.

Two TVs, a DVD player and a stereo add the entertainment, while the power rack, dumbbells, pull-up station, treadmill, water rower and TRX system provide Cores and his wife the ability to create personalized workouts.

About the workouts: Cores has arranged the equipment to maintain an open area in the center of the room for jump rope, yoga and all kinds of free-motion-style workouts.

Favorite move: Interval training

Fitspiration: Hand-painted writing on the wall reminds Cores: “Pain of Discipline or Pain of Regret. Take Your Pick.”

URL: Houzz Your Workout: Home Gyms That Get You Moving http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-26359.html