As mentioned in our previous post, our home gym has been the core and backbone of many flat purchase and reno decisions.
For context, we frequently work out and took our fitness seriously, but we realised we spend a lot of time traveling to and fro gyms. Hence, having a home gym would save traveling time and allow us to get in our workout whenever we wanted. We also wouldn’t have to waste time waiting to use equipment in a crowded gym.
These are the key items in our home gym, which you may take reference from! But do note that what goes into your home gym will depend greatly on factors such as room size, your workout preferences etc.
Home Gym Non-negotiable
Gym floor mats (from Taobao)
Cost: S$350.08
It’s easy to get excited about all the equipment you’re going to fill your home gym, but a non-negotiable that you should plan for first is unfortunately none other than your gym floor mats.
Gym floor mats are not only meant to protect against slips and falls, but most importantly absorb the impact of your weights and reduce noise, while protecting your equipment and original tiles/vinyl from damage.
Even if you’re not planning to install a smith machine or all-in-1 trainer, we still highly recommend getting gym floor mats – at least for sections of the floor where you’re planning to do weighted workouts.
In case you accidentally drop your weights, you’re less likely to damage your original floor and get complaints from your downstairs neighbours. If you accidentally trip and fall, your injuries are likely to be less severe as well.
We checked local prices and found them way too expensive, considering that we wanted to cover the entire room’s floor space to protect our vinyl. We chose to buy our gym mats from Taobao and install them ourselves to save cost.
Get the gym floor mats here.
Our home gym equipment
1. Bodyx MFORC All-in-1 Trainer (from Homegym.sg)
Cost: S$5,690
While it is possible to get basic exercises (arguably also the best!) done with dumbbells, we wanted to expand our workout options. The answer to this in a space as tiny as ours was none other than an all-in-1 trainer.
We visited the Homegym.sg showroom to understand more about the different options before settling on the Bodyx MFORC All-in-1 Trainer. We initially considered the more popular Force USA, but the staff recommended BodyX instead as it is a reputable Korean brand with similar functions – but cheaper!
In addition, we also bought:
We’ve done a full review of the Bodyx MFORC All-in-1 Trainer if you’re keen to find out whether it’s worth the investment. In general, we find that it gives us quite a bang for our buck and covers most workouts that we would do in the gym. It costs less than the popular Force USA, so that helps too!
Get the Bodyx MFORC All-in-1 Trainer here.
2. Adjustable Dumbbells and Dumbbell Rack (from Taobao)
Cost: S$367.55
We use a range of weights depending on muscle groups, and the weights we lift are likely to increase over time (if we’re progressively overloading…!) Our solution to the lack of space was to buy adjustable dumbbells!
These are very useful in Singapore home gyms due to our tiny homes. If you’re not looking for a smith machine or all-in-one trainer, just the good old basics with dumbbells, this is definitely worth the investment.
We initially had some concerns about the plates being loose or clanking together, which is a common complaint about adjustable dumbbells. Local adjustable dumbbells are also very expensive, which made us rather hesitant about buying.
Luckily for us, we managed to find a Taobao store with glowing reviews & affordable prices, so we bit the bullet and ordered during the 11.11 sale!
These Taobao adjustable dumbbells we share here are working amazingly well for us despite our constant use, so we highly recommend getting these ones if you’re looking to build a well-furnished home gym despite the space constraints.
The dumbbell rack is another purchase worth considering if you don’t want to have to always bend or squat down to grab your dumbbells. We also bought our dumbbell rack from Taobao to save costs!
Get the adjustable dumbbells here and dumbbell rack here.
3. Spin bike (from Shopee)
Cost: S$229
This bike was not purchased specifically for the home gym – it was something Tofu V purchased during the lockdown period when she couldn’t go out to exercise but still wanted to be able to workout at home.
It has served her pretty well over the years and still works even after so many years, which is pretty incredible! The only downside is that she bought it when it was on sale, but since then the price has gone up so it’s not as cheap as it used to be anymore.
Get the spin bike here.
4. Treadmill
Cost: S$1.549
We bought this recently as a new addition to our home gym as we discovered that it was difficult to get in runs (and sometimes walks) with a newborn on our hands.
It’s foldable and can be quite compact! There is also no strong smell and takes the impact of running pretty well.
Get the treadmill here.
5. Yoga mats, exercise bands, kettlebells etc.
These were also purchased by Tofu V during the peak of her home workout days, mostly purchased on Shopee and all brought over to the tofu house!
Most of the items are pretty ordinary and you can get any random ones from Shopee, but the main one that we think is worth investing in is the Manduka eKO 5mm 71” Yoga Mat – EBB 2.0. This was a gift for Tofu V who enjoys her yoga workouts as much as her strength routines!
Technically we don’t do yoga in the home gym area itself as the space is limited – we do it in our living room where there’s more space. But if your home gym allows, do consider getting one of these mats that provide strong grip and prevents you from slipping during your workouts.
Get the Manduka eKO 5mm 71” Yoga Mat – EBB 2.0 here.
P.S. If you’re planning to build a home gym but are worried about the financial cost, don’t fret! Homegym.sg has kindly offered a promo code for our followers and readers. All you need to do is quote <thetofuhouse> when you make an enquiry with them over Whatsapp!
Do also let us know if there is anything about building a home gym in Singapore that we haven’t answered! 🙂
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