Before Covid, about two-thirds of our garage became an office and a gym. It’s where the day job happens, where the early sessions happen, and where the darts come out when the work’s done. Everything I need is a few steps from the desk.
Why a home gym
CrossFit pushed me physically and mentally, and I wanted that without the drive, the opening hours or waiting for kit. Working fully remote made it an easy call: if the gym is next to the desk, there are no excuses.
The lifting zone
The heart of the room is a Bulldog Gear rack fixed to the wood-panelled wall, with coloured bumper plates stacked underneath the drawers and a full rack of Bulldog Gear hex dumbbells beside it. The pegboard keeps the small stuff off the floor: change plates, handles, a rope, bars, belts and lifting shoes.
Next to it is the Bulldog Gear mirror cable station. Mirror on the front, pulleys either side, and it keeps the room feeling bigger than it is.
The engine room
The cardio corner sits by the doors to the garden. A Zwift Ride on a KICKR CORE, with a TV and tablet on the wall for rides, and an RPM Power air erg mounted on the wall beside it. Doors open, fan on, and it’s the best spot in the room.
The oche
Darts crept in and never left. A Winmau Blade 6 in a lit Arsenal surround takes pride of place in the middle of the wall, with the throw line marked out on the floor and the darts lined up on the shelf.
The desk
The office corner is a sit-stand desk, two screens, a comfy chair and a whiteboard full of PRs where I can see it. The signed Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey poster and the Emirates print keep me honest. A white Monster is usually somewhere nearby.
What I’d tell anyone building one
Get the floor right first: rubber tiles make the room. Store everything on the walls so the floor stays clear for training. And put the gym where you already are. If it’s next to your desk, you’ll use it.