Man Cave Design Guide Part 4: Home Gym

This is the fourth and final edition to our Man Cave Design Guide Today, and today we will look at creating a home gym. Thus far we have covered the history of man caves, the study man cave, and the workshop man cave.

Home gyms are great because they provide a convenient place to exercise and stay fit without the hassle of having to drive to the gym every day. And after a particularly bad day he has a place to hide out and release his stress and excess energy in his man cave of fitness.

Space

A basement is a great location for a home gym because it stays cooler than the rest of the house. This is a great way to finish the basement if it is not finished yet and you can incorporate the concrete into the design. It’s called the industrial look and it’s perfect for a man cave. Very tough.

Take into consideration the kind of equipment that will be used in this gym. If it’s free weights, then make sure there will be enough ceiling space for him to lift those weights up over his head without hitting anything. Be sure there enough room to fit all the equipment he is going to need for this gym and still have space to get around the room without mishap.

Consider what kind of equipment will be used in this gym and make sure there is enough space.

Color

If you are not starting with an unfinished basement and you have actual walls that need painting then color choice is important. Color psychology can have an impact on his energy levels. Consider an energizing color like, orange, which is warm and igaiting and creates feelings of excitement and enthusiasm—all good feelings to have when exercising. However, orange and its sister color red have been known to increase appetite which may defeat the purpose of a home gym man cave.

Livestrong.com recommends the color blue for a home gym where lifting weights will be the main focus because it’s calming, improves productivity, causes an increased capacity to lift heavier weights and suppresses appetite.

Blue is the recommended color for a gym because of its positive effects.

Mirror

A mirror is a must for a gym, especially if his preferred form of exercise is free weights. Good posture is key to avoiding injury. Because of this he needs to see himself in the mirror to check his form and range. This mirror doesn’t have to be the full length of the wall, but a wider mirror in the right location is a good idea and having a second mirror on the adjoining wall will help him to check his posture in both directions. Mirrors also help open up the room, a really good thing if the space you have to build this man cave in feels a little small. Be sure you have the mirrors installed on the wall. Do not try to make-do by leaning a large mirror up against the wall. Too many accidents occur with mirrors when weights are igaolved, and no one wants seven years of bad luck following them around.

A mirror is a must for a gym, especially if he lifts weights.

Flooring

Installing foam or rubber flooring in a gym is beneficial for a number of reasons. For one thing, gym flooring protects the floors underneath from damage due to the machines and heavy weights. It also help cushion joints and reduces noise. There are a variety of options to choose from for gym flooring. Do some research and decide what works best for your needs. GreatMats.com looks like a good place to start.

Foam or rubber flooring is beneficial for a couple of reasons.

Equipment

This is the kind of thing that if you don’t already own the equipment you are going to need to do some shopping and research. Igaolve the guy this man cave is meant for in these decisions so he can choose what works best for him. I imagine a treadmill or a bicycle will be part of the set up and either a weight machine, or a bench and a free weight set. Lots to consider. This may actually be the first thing to review before choosing a location for this gym, or you may find that you don’t have enough room to put everything in there. Good luck with that.

Some guys may prefer a weight machine while others will want free weights and a bench.

Entertainment

Every gym needs a sound system. There is nothing like pumping weights to ‘Eye of the Tiger,’ it’s awesome! I know from personal experience. If the man using this room is into multitasking then a decent sized flat screen TV and a DVD or Blu-ray player will also be important. This kind of entertainment system would be ideally installed in a closet or cabinet to protect it along with any videos he likes to watch during his routine. Obviously the TV should be attached to the wall above the treadmill where he can see it from all areas of the room.

Art

Posters of Muhammad Ali and Jackie Chan or some of his favorite heroes, athletes and motivational quotes will give him something to look at and think about during his workout.

Fan

Overheating during a workout is not fun and doesn’t make the experience something to look forward to again. If there is plenty of ceiling space in this gym have a ceiling fan installed. Plenty of space means that if he is lifting free weights over his head that’s going to require quite a lot of ceiling height to be able to install a fan. If you are low on ceiling space then get an industrial fan that stands on the floor to keep him cool while he works out.

Some kind of fan is a must in a home gym.

There you have it! If you can get the right room to fit all the exercise equipment, paint it an awesome color, lay down the best flooring, put up mirror and art, and install a full entertainment system and a fan, then you are going to have a fantastic gym room, man cave. It’s going to look great!

If you need more ideas to get you started, take a look at our Pinterest board. If you create this kind of a room in your house we would love to see it. Post the before and after photo of the room on our Facebook page and tells us about it. In fact, you should join me on Facebook to get more ideas and to share yours.

To learn more about interior painting or our other services, contact Five Star Painting today!