How to Build Out Your Home Gym in 2025

Posted On Jan 14, 2025 By BowFlex Insider Team

Woman riding a bowflex bike and using a bowflex kettlebell

Many of us enter a new year with renewed motivation to build healthy habits or recommit to existing fitness goals. If you're setting out to create a consistent workout routine this year, improve your health, or reduce stress, building out a home gym can help you reach your goals.

Whether you have a dedicated space for working out, or just a corner of your living room, check out our tips for creating the home gym of your dreams — plus top fitness equipment picks you won't want to miss.

Fitness Equipment Basics

It's important to start with the basics. Most home gyms typically include both cardio equipment for building endurance and improving heart health, as well as strength training equipment to help build muscle, reduce injury risk, and even slow down biological aging.


Woman in a living room running on a treadmill

Cardio Essentials

First, consider your current fitness routine and any goals you've set, as well as your space requirements.

If you are focused on reaching a step goal during the day, or you're a seasoned runner looking to bring your outdoor running routine indoors, investing in a high-quality treadmill is a great place to start. This versatile piece of equipment gives you access to many different types of workouts from steady-state walking to interval training (periods of high-intensity walking or running, followed by lower-intensity recovery).

Consider key features of a treadmill before you buy, including incline and speed settings, belt size and cushioning, and user-friendly console and controls. If you're tight on space, you may also want to look for a treadmill that folds up when not in use. Additional features like Bluetooth connectivity, built-in speakers, and app integration can help enhance your cardio experience and boost your motivation on every walk or run.

If you're looking for low impact cardio, an elliptical-style machine may be the right option for you. Ellipticals provide an effective full-body workout, engaging both the upper and lower body while minimizing stress on your joints.

While most ellipticals feature upper body handles, adjustable resistance levels, and a console to track key metrics, the vertical design and compact footprint of the BowFlex Max Trainer is unique — and ideal if you're working with limited space. Combining the motion of an elliptical and a stepper, the Max Trainer lets you reap the benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) while remaining low impact.


Man in a living room using a maxtrainer

Strength Training Must-Haves

If you plan to incorporate strength training at home (and considering the many benefits to your health, you should!), stand-alone equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells, as well as home gym machines, can help you build a strength training routine that mimics the experience of the gym, but at home.

Dumbbells are incredibly versatile and allow you to complete a wide range of exercises that target most of your muscle groups. Incorporating dumbbell exercises into your workouts can improve your mobility and flexibility, boost your overall strength, and even improve your cardiovascular health.

If you're short on space, consider investing in a sturdy set of adjustable dumbbells that combine multiple weights into a single, compact pair. Adjustable dumbbells make quick weight changes between sets a breeze, reducing your downtime between exercises, and make it easier to gradually increase weight increments tailored to your own progression.

If you're looking to expand the range of exercises you can do at home, an all-in-one home gym is the way to go. Compact home gyms, like the BowFlex Xtreme 2 SE, let you perform many different exercises that target all muscle groups, from weighted squats and leg extensions to lat pulldowns and bench presses.

Some Extras

If you're looking to enhance your setup, consider investing in a multi-functional weight bench, which can support exercises like bench presses, step-ups, and incline work while reducing strain on your joints.

Depending on where your setup is in your home, you may want to consider adding rubber mats, foam tiles, or a yoga mat to reduce noise and provide extra cushioning for high-impact activities. Good lighting and using motivating fitness apps, like JRNY, can also go a long way toward making your home gym a set up that you'll want to come back to time and time again. Let's crush those fitness goals!

Our Top Home Gym Picks

  • The BowFlex T9 Treadmill is our newest treadmill, offering Apple Watch connectivity to keep your metrics in sync and QuickDial controls for rapid speed and incline changes. The 20"x60" XL deck gives you plenty of runway for every walk, jog, or run and it easily stows away when not in use.
  • The BowFlex Max Total 16 combines the low-impact motion of an elliptical with the calorie-burning power of a stepper, delivering efficient, full-body workouts. It features a 16" interactive console and space-saving design that works in any home gym.
  • The BowFlex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells replace 15 sets of weights thanks to a compact design, and allows for quick adjustments between 5 to 52.5 pounds with a simple turn of a dial.
  • The BowFlex 5.1S Adjustable Weight Bench offers six different adjustment angles, including 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, flat, and a -20° decline, providing versatility for various exercises. Its space-saving design allows it to be easily folded and stored when not in use and includes transport wheels for easy mobility.