Step 3 in Building a Home Gym: Take Inventory of What You Already Have

Before buying anything new, be clear about what you have. Collect all your existing equipment (if any) and examine it. Is it in good condition? Is it what you want and need? 

Ask yourself:   

• What can I work with? Know what you have so you don’t waste money buying doubles. 

• Is there anything I can donate or sell? You can sell old equipment online and put that money toward new gear that you love. Wondering where to donate gym equipment? Reach out to the nonprofit Pull Your Heart Out, which provides gym gear to people in need. 

• Do I need to repair or replace anything? REP equipment has great warranties.  

In addition to analyzing your gear, do an inventory of where you’re at and where you want to be. Look ahead at your goals and growth. If you already have a power rack but it can barely handle today's top set weight load or has minimal versatility for expansion, you might want to sell it and make space for something that won’t hold you back.  

Once you know where you’re at and where you want to go, then you can start to get a clearer picture of what you need to do to get there.   

How to Take Inventory of Your Home Gym Equipment 

Make a list of all the equipment you currently own, including dimensions and any special requirements (e.g., electrical outlets). On this list, you may want to organize it in categories, such as:  

Size of equipment  

• Large equipment: Treadmills, ellipticals, power racks, weight benches, cable machines, free weights. 

• Medium equipment: Dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, specialty equipment. 

• Small equipment: Mats, jump ropes, resistance bands, foam rollers, straps, belts. 

Condition and maintenance

Note the condition of each item and if any maintenance or repairs are needed before setting them up in your home gym. This also includes style, if you are designing an aesthetic gym.  

Create a Wish List 

Now that you know what you have, make a quick wish list of everything you would like to eventually have in your home gym. This is not a shopping list – yet. This is time to dream. Organize your list in categories (yeah, we love a spreadsheet!), such as:  

Essential vs. nice-to-have.

Ask yourself the following questions:  

• What are your home gym must-haves?  

• Which pieces would you like (if not now, some day in the future)?  

• Priorities, priorities, priorities! We recommend ranking your wish list on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the most important home gym essentials and 5 being the least.  

Space. 

You may also benefit from rating your wish list by size, with 1 having the smallest footprint and 5 having the largest.  

Price. 

If you’re on a tight budget, you can also rank your wish list by price, with 1 being the most affordable and 5 being the most expensive.  

These (relatively objective) systems can help you make smart choices in step 6. For example, if there’s something that rates 1 across the board (like barbell clamps, which are essential, small, and inexpensive), that’s an easy yes when you’re loading up your cart.   

Need Help?

We love to organize. If you feel overwhelmed, try this super simple spreadsheet! 

Step 4: Set up a budget 

 Return to "Building a Home Gym: Everything You Need to Know"