If you’re thinking about building a home gym but don’t have a lot of space, you need to be mindful of what equipment you buy and where you place it. Fortunately, even if you only have 150 square feet to work with, you can still build a functional home gym.
Is it possible to build a 150 square foot home gym? Yes, it is. We hired an architect named Camila Lyons, the co-founder and lead designer of ALVA Interior and Architecture, to create floor plans for a 150 square foot home gym. You’ll have to be selective with the equipment you buy, but you can build a functional home gym even if you only have a small space.
In this article, I’ll discuss:
- The 150 square foot home gym floor plans our architect created
- What can and cannot fit into a 150 square foot home gym
- How to choose your equipment based on your goals
- What exercises you can do in a 150 square foot home gym
Table of Contents
150 Square Foot Home Gym Floor Plan
Below are two possible ways you can build a 150 square foot home gym. We created both floor plans using a fictional 15’x10’ room. The first floor plan is for strength-based exercises while the second one is for both strength and cardio exercises.
These floor plans are just examples of what’s possible in a 150 square foot home gym. The equipment you ultimately decide to purchase will depend on your goals and the exact shape of your room.
Option 1: Strength Focus
This layout is an example of a home gym for individuals with strength-based goals.
Here is a 2D version of the floor plan:
Here is how the space looks when viewed from overhead:
This is how the 150 square foot gym looks when viewed from the back:
And here is how it looks when viewed from the front:
Option 2: Strength and Cardio Focus
These designs are similar to the ones above, but they eliminate the medicine ball storage rack, which gives you more a little more room for cardio exercises.
Here is the 2D version:
Here is how the room looks when viewed from overhead:
This 3D version shows how the room looks when viewed from an angle:
And this is a 3D version of the room when viewed from the back:
Check out our complete guide to Small Home Gym Layouts.
What Can Fit Into A 150 Square Foot Home Gym?
Based on the designs above, you can fit the following equipment in a 150 square foot home gym:
- A storage rack for medicine balls (even though this is optional)
- A plyo box
- A wall-mounted storage rack for things like bands, jump ropes, and belts
- A gymnastics ladder
- A wall-mounted foldable squat rack
- A wall-mounted plate storage rack
- Dumbbells
- A water cooler or a wall-hanging punching bag
What CANNOT Fit Into A 150 Square Foot Home Gym?
When you only have 150 square feet to work with, you’ll need to stick to just a few essentials when you build your home gym.
The following pieces of equipment won’t fit into a 150 square foot home gym:
- Cardio equipment, depending on how much other equipment you put in your gym
- Multiple bodybuilding machines
- A cable station
Extras & Substitutions Based On Your Goals
1. Weightlifting
The most important thing to consider for weightlifters is making sure you don’t have a lot of equipment in your way that would get damaged if you fail a lift and the bar rolls away from you.
To make the most of your space, weightlifters should prioritize the essentials for a 150 square foot home gym:
- A squat rack
- A barbell
- Plates
- A pullup bar
- A plyo box
- Dumbbells
You can fit a lifting platform in this space, but it will be tight. You’ll have to leave out the dumbbells, kettlebells, and medicine ball racks, but you probably don’t need them, anyway. Without these storage racks, you can even fit a set of jerk blocks.
2. Powerlifting
The equipment list for a powerlifter is similar to that of an Olympic weightlifter, with just a couple of differences:
- A squat rack
- A barbell
- A pullup bar
- Plates
- A bench
- Dumbbells
A power cage is ideal if you’ll be doing a lot of heavy lifting, but if you want extra room you can get a squat stand instead. Many squat stands sell compatible spotter arms for safety purposes. If you get a squat stand instead of a power cage, you’ll also have room for a deadlift platform.
You could also include a plyo box in your home gym if you like working on explosive strength, but the only other reason I’d consider one is to do box squats. However, you can just as easily use a bench for that purpose.
I’d also recommend a matador for dips if your squat rack is compatible with one, but there are plenty of tricep exercises you can do if you’re unable to do dips.
3. CrossFit
Although some CrossFit workouts require multiple pieces of equipment, you can still complete a WOD with just a few basic pieces, including:
- A squat rack
- A barbell
- Plates
- A jump rope
- One or two pairs of hex dumbbells
- One or two kettlebells
- A medicine ball
- A plyo box
Since you’ll need wall space for wall balls and handstand pushups, I’d avoid getting a large storage rack like the one we showed in our example floor plan above. You also won’t need a punching bag or gymnastics ladder, although you can get a wall-mounted pullup bar if you have high enough ceilings.
You can also fit an Echo bike if you wanted at least one cardio machine. Just be aware that it will eat into your space, so you’ll have to make sure you have enough room to keep a barbell on the floor and move around during a WOD.
4. General Fitness
If you’re training just to stay in shape and don’t have any sport-specific goals, you can easily build a functional home gym even if you only have 150 square feet of space to work with.
You won’t be able to fit a large piece of cardio equipment such as a treadmill or a stair climber, especially if you also want to add a squat rack and bench. But you’ll have enough room to do HIIT-style training, and you can also get a jump rope for cardio workouts.
Here is a list of equipment I recommend for anyone who is training for general health purposes:
- Squat stand
- Barbell
- Plates
- Bench
- A few pairs of hex dumbbells or a set of adjustable dumbbells
- One or two kettlebells
- A jump rope
5. Bodybuilding
If you’re a bodybuilder, most of your training will need to be done with free weights if you have a 150 square foot home gym. There’s just not enough room to fit multiple isolation machines, especially if you also want a squat rack and bench. However, you can get one machine that allows you to train both upper and body to complement your free weights training.
Pieces of equipment that I’d recommend for bodybuilders with a 150 square foot home gym are:
- A squat rack
- A barbell
- A bench
- Adjustable dumbbells
- An all-in-one resistance machine
Equipment For A 150 Square Foot Gym
Must-Haves for a 150 Square Foot Home Gym
The 8 essential pieces of equipment for a 150 square foot home gym are:
- Squat rack
- Barbell
- Plates
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebells
- Bench
- Resistance bands
- A jump rope
1. Squat Rack
In a smaller space, you’ll need to be mindful of the size of your squat rack. A full power cage would fit in a 150 square foot room, but you wouldn’t have a lot of extra space if you also wanted to add a dumbbell storage rack or a cardio machine.
Our floor plans above showed a foldable squat rack. If you’re interested in this type of squat rack, I recommend the PRx Performance Profile Squat Rack. It has a 1,000lb weight capacity, and even when it’s fully extended, it only requires four inches of space. However, your ceiling will need to be at least 95” high.
To save even more space, you can get a squat stand instead of a power cage. I recommend the Rogue SML-1 70” Monster Lite Squat Stand. It also has a 1,000lb weight capacity, but it only stands at 6’ tall and can fit in rooms with low ceilings.
Check out more recommendations on squat racks for small spaces in my article 7 Best Squat Racks for Small Spaces.
2. Barbell
How you train will dictate the type of barbell you should get. A standard 45lb Olympic barbell like the Rogue Ohio Power Bar is good for both powerlifting and general strength training.
Weightlifters and CrossFitters will need a different kind of barbell that is ideal for snatches and clean and jerks. I recommend the Rogue Bella Bar 2.0 for females or the Olympic WL bar for males. They’re both designed for the Olympic lifts, but the Bella bar can also be used by anyone with small hands who has trouble fitting their hands around a larger barbell.
3. Plates
How you train will also determine the type of plates you get. For most home gyms, I recommend bumper plates since they don’t make as much noise and won’t cause as much damage to your floors.
I’ve been using the Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates for almost four years now, and I highly recommend them. You can tell they’ve been used, but there’s no significant damage to them that hinders their performance. I’ve also been fortunate so far to have not caused any damage to my garage floor when I use them.
Depending on your training goals, you may also want to consider steel or rubber-coated plates. Check out my article Bumper Plates vs. Metal Plates vs. Rubber Plates (Pros and Cons) to help you decide which ones are best for you.
4. Dumbbells
While you won’t be able to fit a full rack of dumbbells in a 150 square foot home gym, you can fit a couple of pairs of hex dumbbells or a set of adjustable dumbbells.
For adjustable dumbbells, I recommend PowerBlock dumbbells. They’re pricey, but the cost is worth it. I have them in my own garage gym and it’s easy to change my weights mid-workout. They’re a bit too bulky to use for some CrossFit WODs, but they’re great for strength training.
For hex dumbbells, I recommend the rubber hex dumbbells from Titan Fitness. They’re available in 5-100lbs and have knurled handles so you can maintain a good grip on them even if your hands get sweaty.
5. Kettlebells
Kettlebells are good to have in any home gym because you can use them for both strength and conditioning. You won’t be able to fit a full rack of kettlebells in a 150 square foot gym, either, but you can definitely fit one or two kettlebells.
I’m a big fan of the Rogue Kettlebells. I have one in my garage gym, and it’s shown no signs of wearing down. And even though it gets humid in my garage in the summers, it’s never rusted. I also like the matte finish because I never have to worry about my grip slipping when my hands get sweaty.
6. Bench
Fortunately, benches don’t take up too much space so you can easily fit one in a 150 square foot home gym. You can get either a flat or incline bench. I like having an incline bench because it offers more versatility, but it really comes down to personal preference.
I recommend either the flat bench or adjustable bench from Fringe Sport. They both have high weight capacities and they both take up less than five feet of space. They weigh 50lbs and 67lbs, respectively, so you can easily move them around your home gym if you need to.
7. Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are good for small spaces because they don’t take up a lot of room and you can use them as a substitute for many exercises that you’d do on isolation machines. For example, I like to loop a resistance band around one of my squat stand posts, then loop the other end around my ankles and lie on the floor or my bench to do hamstring curls.
I’ve had the WODfitters resistance bands for several years and I highly recommend them. They haven’t stretched out too much and I use them for my warm-ups for almost every workout. You can purchase them individually, but buying them as a set is more cost-effective.
8. A Jump Rope
Since you can’t fit a lot of cardio equipment in a 150 square foot home gym, a jump rope is a great tool to have at your disposal. It doesn’t take up any space, and you can easily get your heart rate up just by jumping rope for 10 minutes.
For an affordable yet quality jump rope, the WOD Nation Speed Rope is a good option. It comes with two cables: one that’s 2.2mm thick and one that’s 3.3mm thick. The thinner rope is ideal for speed work while the thicker rope is ideal for individuals who are proficient at jumping rope or doing double unders and want an extra challenge.
Optional Equipment for a 150 Square Foot Home Gym
The 5 optional pieces of equipment for a 150 square foot home gym are:
- A cardio machine
- An all-in-one resistance machine
- Medicine balls
- A lifting platform
- A plyo box
1. A Cardio Machine
Some cardio machines, such as a large treadmill, will make your space feel cramped. It’s possible to fit one in a 150 square foot space, but if you truly don’t need one, I would use the space for other pieces of equipment.
However, a spin bike or an elliptical machine wouldn’t take up as much room. For a spin bike, I recommend the Schwinn IC3 indoor cycling bike. Its dimensions are only 45”x23”49”, so you can put it close to a wall and leave the middle of your room open for other workouts.
If you prefer an elliptical, I recommend the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Machine. Its dimensions are 70.1”x28.2”x63.2” so it has a small footprint, and it comes with 22 preset workout programs and 20 levels of resistance.
For CrossFitters who can only fit one piece of conditioning equipment in their home gym, I’d recommend the Rogue Echo Bike. A rower would take up too much space and not give you much room for other movements if you were doing a WOD that had rowing, thrusters, and double unders, for example.
2. An All-in-one Resistance Machine
Since 150 square feet is too small of a space for multiple isolation machines, you can get an all-in-one machine that allows you to train both upper and lower body.
The Body-Solid G6-BR Bi-Angular Home Gym is pricey, but it’s a solid machine that you can use to train the pecs, shoulders, lats, upper back, and quads. It is a large machine, though. Even if this is the only isolation machine you put in your home gym, you may not have room for other large pieces of equipment such as a power cage.
3. Medicine Balls
Medicine balls are useful for CrossFitters so you can do wall balls, but I don’t consider them a necessity for most home gyms.
If you do want a medicine ball for CrossFit WODs, I recommend the Rogue Medicine Balls. I used them when I belonged to a CrossFit box, and even after being used several times per week, they held up for years. They’re definitely strong enough to last for a long time in a home gym.
4. A lifting Platform
Whether or not a lifting platform will fit in your 150 square foot home gym depends on how much other equipment you put in the space. If you only have a squat rack, a bench, and some plates, you can fit a platform.
However, I’d only recommend purchasing a platform if you strictly do powerlifting or weightlifting since you’ll need the space to move around if you do CrossFit or HIIT workouts in your home gym.
If you do decide to put a lifting platform in your home gym, I recommend the Rogue Deadlift Platform for powerlifters and the Rogue Oly Platform for weightlifters. Both platforms are designed to absorb shock and vibrations and will protect your floors from damage from heavy weights being dropped on them.
5. A Plyo Box
When you only have 150 square feet to work with, you need to maximize every inch of space in your home gym. Plyo boxes don’t take up a significant amount of space, but unless you’re a CrossFitter or an athlete who likes to practice explosive movements like box jumps, a plyo box isn’t necessary.
If you do want a plyo box, I recommend a foam box such as the Rogue foam box. It has a dense foam core interior, which helps the box stay upright when you land on it. It’s wrapped in softer foam padding that not only protects your shins if you fall but also makes landing on the box easier since it softens the impact.
What Exercises & Workouts Can You Do In A 150 Square Foot Gym?
Even though 150 square feet is a small space, there are plenty of exercises you can do, including:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Lunges
- Snatches
- Clean and jerks
- Bench presses
- Overhead presses
- Rows
- Pullups, if you have high enough ceilings
- Bar muscle ups, if you have high enough ceilings
- Core work
- HIIT workouts
Other Gym Floor Plans
- 500 square foot home gym
- 400 square foot home gym
- 300 square foot home gym
- 250 square foot home gym
- 200 square foot home gym
- 120 square foot home gym
- 100 square foot home gym
Final Thoughts
Although you have to be selective with what equipment you purchase, it is possible to build a 150 square foot home gym.
The floor plans and equipment lists I included above should give you a good idea of how you can structure your home gym. The equipment you add will depend on your goals, but you can add both free weights and a piece of cardio equipment to a 150 square foot room for a well-rounded home gym.
About The Author
Amanda is a writer and editor in the fitness and nutrition industries. Growing up in a family that loved sports, she learned the importance of staying active from a young age. She started CrossFit in 2015, which led to her interest in powerlifting and weightlifting. She's passionate about helping women overcome their fear of lifting weights and teaching them how to fuel their bodies properly. When she's not training in her garage gym or working, you can find her drinking coffee, walking her dog, or indulging in one too many pieces of chocolate.
