If you’re short on space but still want to have a home gym, then you can definitely build one on your balcony.
It won’t be as big as a traditional home gym, but with the right design and equipment, it can be enough to help you stay fit and toned.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the best practices for setting up a home gym on your balcony, as well as the design considerations you need to keep in mind.
Let’s get started!
Can You Set Up a Home Gym on Your Balcony
It is possible to turn your balcony into a personal home gym, but there are certain conditions and challenges to consider.
To start, take a look at your balcony’s structure and size. Does it have a roof? Balconies without a roof will require coverage on top before you install any gym equipment.
Also, what exercises do you normally perform? Minimal equipment means you have more space for movement.
Plus, the load limit of your balcony also matters. You can’t store additional equipment that goes over the load limit of your building.
So, do you have enough space for all basic equipment, or will you have to invest in an all-in-one home gym unit?
Most gym equipment offers similar benefits that you can bundle into a few exercises. For example, a basic set of kettlebells can allow you to perform a variety of workouts if your balcony provides the space.
The functionality of your balcony gym can also depend on your fitness goals and objectives. Are you looking for muscle mass or focusing on cardio? Perhaps you want to shed some pounds in the right places while gaining muscle in other areas.
It would help if you considered additional factors like weather, sun, rain, cool temperatures, hot days, etc. Equipment that cannot tolerate outdoor weather should not be placed in your balcony home gym.
Alternatively, you may have to install a weather-resilient cover or additional construction to protect the machines.
Your balcony can become a useful and minimalist gym if you carefully study different factors and requirements like these before you begin the installation.
Is It Worth Turning Your Balcony into a Gym?
Turning your balcony into a home gym can prove to be extremely worthwhile if you don’t otherwise have the extra space for the purpose.
It leaves the rest of your house free and spacious. Also, you don’t have to clutter your garage with cardio machines and bulky equipment.
Balconies with pleasant views can also turn your workout sessions into enjoyable hours.
The primary challenge with balcony exercises is the accommodation of equipment and ensuring adequate area for movement.
Turning your balcony into a gym can be stressful, tiring, and troublesome if you do not address these practical issues.
You can construct a personal gym in other rooms of the house. However, this implies clearing out the rooms and their contents.
For most people, your home and its rooms already serve specific purposes. Changing a bedroom into a training space overnight isn’t feasible.
However, an existing balcony is a good place to install machines and equipment. You only need to pick a design, and you can begin straight away.
What Are the Dimensions of a Balcony Gym?
Balcony gym dimensions may vary from home to home. However, it’s best to have a movement space that’s more than your height across the space.
For instance, if you’re about 5’11”, your balcony gym’s minimum dimensions may remain at 6′ on all sides. That’s enough space to comfortably stretch out your arms or lie down without having to fold your knees and arms.
The extended size of the area matters less as long as you have more than the basic minimum area.
Most balconies in modern homes measure about 9′ long and go in about 4′ deep. While the width isn’t ideal, the length, in this case, is quite enough.
In dimensions like these, the trick should be to spread the equipment over the length rather than along the width.
You can accommodate various items and machines with the correct placement without making the area excessively clunky or crowded.
That doesn’t mean that all balconies come with dimensions of 9’x4′. Standard sizes can often vary largely from these dimensions.
Regardless of the exact measurements, your goal should be to occupy the area to an optimum level.
So, the crucial qualities here are the careful choice of equipment, organized sets and regimens, and a willingness to operate within the available area.
However, if you have access to a larger balcony, extend your home workout beyond these minimum dimensions to allow for a more convenient workout and plenty of room to move around.
Balcony Gym Equipments
The ideal gym equipment for balconies is those you can move in and out when you wish. Free weights you can take out to the balcony or shift back indoors are a good example.
Here’s a breakdown of some common but practical equipment options for home exercises.
- Rubber mats that provide grip, comfort, and water resistance. These mats can allow you to perform a heavy weight training regimen or serve as a yoga mat.
- Resistance bands are ideal additions to any gym setup on your balcony or at a sprawling commercial gym. They can isolate muscle groups, allow basic stretching, or even support corrective exercises.
- Kettlebells are a must-have for compact gym setups because they allow full-body workouts for both beginners and experts. Look for models with superior cast iron with flat bases and wide handles.
- Stationary cardio machines will serve as go-to units in any workout session.
They’ll occupy a little more space than free weights, but you can start and end any session on these machines.
Start with a basic exercise bike or treadmill and upgrade to an elliptical trainer or an all-in-one home gym unit later.
- Get a handy set of adjustable dumbbells you can play around with on the balcony. For advanced trainers, adjustable dumbbells will let you scale up your workout even within the limited confines of the balcony.
- Finally, a bench should be mandatorily part of your home gym. They allow a wide variety of stretches and non-equipment workouts. More importantly, they can bring intensity and enhancement to any dumbbell or kettlebell exercise.
Balcony Gym Setups
Here are some viable options to create a balcony home gym focused on a particular fitness goal or routine.
General Fitness
For overall fitness, tone, and maintaining a good shape, you can utilize the following equipment in almost any balcony size.
- Resistance bands
- Adjustable dumbbells and kettlebells
- Pull-up bar
- A workout bench
- A primary cardio machine (Exercise bike, rowing machine, etc.)
Weightlifting
The following weightlifting items should fit snugly in any standard 6′ x 6′ balcony.
- A squat rack
- A workout bench
- A barbell with adequate weight plates
- Adjustable dumbbells or kettlebells
Cardio & Bodyweight Exercises
You can conveniently perform basic cardio movements and dedicated bodyweight exercises on most balconies. Consider getting these items:
- A basic cardio machine (rowing machine, exercise bike, treadmill, etc.)
- A yoga mat or rubber mat
Balcony Gym Exercises
You can perform a host of equipment-free exercises on your balcony beside the equipment-based sessions.
Included here is a handy video demonstrating all the diverse exercises you can do in a small outdoor space.
The video contains four sets that use five distinct exercises in different combinations. Your focus should be on picking up and applying the five main exercises that make up these sets.
The combinations can change based on your expertise, experience, and fatigue resistance. However, the same five exercises can remain in your regimen throughout your progress.
You can also start switching up the exercises in different variations if you want to target specific muscle groups more than the other sites.
The 4 mountain climbers and pushup
This rep works everything from your legs, thighs, and core to your upper body. It’s intensive, but it will deliver wonders when it comes to results. The takeaways are so valuable that everyone must give this one a try.
The kickups
This one is a great exercise for your legs and shoulders too. It appears to focus solely on the lower limbs, but it can subtly work on your upper body.
The plank to pike
The plank to pike effectively combines stretching with ab workouts. Practitioners of yoga should find this one easier to do compared to others.
The reverse lunge/front kick
This combo rep is awesome for your core and counts as cardio too. It can simultaneously stretch your leg muscles while burning calories through the exertion in your legs.
The straight leg crunch & foot lift
A classic workout that serves as a dedicated core and ab exercise. This one remains a must-do for those who want to tone their abs or simply lose some extra belly fat.
This combo-regimen alone will ensure you get a proper ab exercising session and work enough of other muscle groups daily.
They also serve as a practical alternative to heavy and expensive equipment. Each exercise here relies on body weight and physical exertion rather than fancy machines to work your body.
You can also increase the intensity, increase repetitions, or use a kettlebell to enhance fat loss and muscle toning.
Plus, you can do it all on your balcony in comfort, convenience, and privacy.
Balcony Gym Benefits
Setting up a handy home gym on your balcony has various benefits.
Budget-friendly
The fit advantage of a balcony home gym is that it doesn’t require the kind of investment demanded by a full-fledged home gym.
Even a basic and rudimentary home gym setup can cost a small fortune if construction is over a wide area.
For instance, just the rubber mats alone will cost a lot if you want flooring to be comprehensive.
A compact home gym will need one large mirror at the most, while a bigger home gym will need multiple mirror installations on the walls.
A large home gym may also need more cardio equipment and dedicated workout machines to fill the space.
A balcony-based home gym will only need single pieces of the same equipment, saving money and resources.
Space Utilization
Many home gym owners may not realize this, but quite a bit of space gets under-utilized in home gyms.
The prospects of future upgrades, accommodating friends and family, collection of weights, exercise machines, and their moving parts, etc., all affect the efficient use of space.
The result is that your home gym ends up with empty spaces, exposed covering, unused floor area, poor flooring, and enough room for unnecessary equipment.
Fewer Distractions
A major problem with working out at your home gym is the disruptions and disturbances that may occur.
A balcony-based gym isolates you from interruptions and promotes concentration on the current exercising routine.
There are no fancy walls that distract you or excessive free space from resting between reps.
If your home gym is in your basement or garage, you may face disturbances from surrounding equipment or family members passing through.
Privacy and Personal Space
This advantage only appears if your balcony faces away from the road or towards the backyard.
However, if constructed correctly, a home gym out on the balcony may offer even more privacy than other parts of the building.
Yes, there are fewer walls surrounding you. But there are also fewer eyes and people around.
This means you have minimal risk of disturbing others in the building or transferring noise to the other side of the wall.
Less Damage/Wear and Tear
A home gym that’s partially outdoors may also save you on maintenance and repair costs in the long run.
Yes. There are initial construction costs that you may bear while setting up the structures or installing floors. However, balconies undergo construction meant to weather outdoor elements.
So, they may be structurally sound compared to a partition or decorative wall that often goes into a home gym indoors.
Additionally, a car, treadmill, and tool shelf in your garage will cause more floor wear and lack more space for equipment.
On the other hand, balconies with a treadmill will only serve as a home gym, not a utility wall for storing tools and old equipment.
FAQs
Can I Put a Treadmill on Balcony?
Yes. Treadmills will easily go into balconies of almost any size. Just ensure that you have an adequate area left to accommodate other items in your gym checklist.
Some treadmills come with designs that have extensions and additional parts. These designs may be more burly and imposing.
So, if you’re looking to save additional area for other equipment, choose sleek designs and options with smaller footprints.
Can I Put a Home Gym System on Balcony?
Yes. A multipurpose exercise machine is a cool addition to any space at home.
However, remember that it won’t get the protection of being inside a room. So, you may have to cover it for protection against the weather.
That aside, these machines occupy a minimum footprint on the floor, and they can draw leverage against any wall.
Instead of tucking it away in the garage, prop it up against your balcony wall and enjoy an all-in-one session with this single piece of equipment.
Do I Need to Cover Equipment on Balcony Gym?
Yes. Most things on your balcony may need a cover if they’re built for indoor use. Items without adequate weight may need reinforcement.
Alternatively, rubber floors or a yoga mat on the floor may prevent dumbbells from rolling away.
If you install a large mirror, ensure that it’s safely away from the edge.Although there may not be enough space for all your needs, the equipment installed should all have enough room and protection.
Having a storage room near the home gym is also a good idea. This way, you can shift the smaller equipment from your home gym to the storage room after your sessions.
