Hi Bryan... yes, the bridge is key.... even for me, with 4 years of CrossFit under my belt in 2020, the COVID isolation to my home gym allowed me to dial in on my olympic lifting mechanics and get stronger and more efficient in these lifts before going back into the CrossFIt community post covid. So many ways to bridge! Thanks so much for your comment and for reading! :)
Dark Horse rowing is THE reason why, at 55 yrs old, 5'4, and 130# I can actually keep up with the best of them in the CrossFit gym! If you don't have the physicality, technique is King and I got that from all the videos I watched for years from them. So glad they are still going strong!!! I highly recommend a Concept 2 rower for anyone's home gym - beginner or advanced. Thanks so much for comment and for reading!!! -Dr. Carla
Hello! Thanks so much for your comment and for reading! I can absolutely relate... covid is when I built out my gym as well. Agree, it is so awesome to have the equipment for days I need more flexibility or just need to get in my own zone.... thanks so much for sharing. It's inspiring to hear what others have done. :)
Hi Irina! Yes! I'm a huge fan of the adjustable dumbbells... that was my first purchase for my own home gym.... and yes, there are a multitude of tempos, exercises, asymmetric movements, etc. It's a great start. ... and for those who want to take it a step further and add plyometrics, for example, a stable box/step set and a jump rope are easy and space-saving and adds variety. ..and the options continue depending on one's goals and preferences. For me, my Olympic barbell set and my pull-up rig are my favorite items. Thanks so much for reading and for your comment! :)
Great tips here. Consistency depends on context and I've definitely had seasons where working from home versus joining a gym have been more beneficial to my training. For example, just this week I decided to leave my gym of 3.5 years (!) to invest in an at home setup. Why? We moved! My gym is now an e-bike ride away and I do e-bike share, which means some additional friction if there aren't ebikes parked by our home. So an at-home strength setup is more conducive to consistency in this chapter.
No complaints. The move also means means I have closer access to trails for hikes/walks/runs and have safer cycling routes nearby. So fewer gym sessions for cardio :-)
Great example of matching the environment to the goal. Consistency isn’t about the best setup. Its about the lowest friction setup for your current season. Sounds like you traded commute friction for built-in movement. That’s a win.
A set of adjustable dumbbells at home can carry you for years, because weight is only one variable in progressive overload. Playing with tempo and rest periods is enough to keep progress moving, and then you have the whole array of single-leg exercises to throw in. Not an argument against the gym, just saying that a good set of dumbbells is plenty.
Load is just one lever—tempo, volume, rest, and unilateral work can take you a long way with dumbbells. The gym adds options. Dumbbells cover the essentials.
I love it when the research backs up what we intuitively know: the best program is the one you do! Whether that’s at home, with a trainer, or as part of a community — if you stick with it, you’ll see results!
I live in the country and workout at home. My choice. A rowing machine. My motivation and education coming from Shane Farmer @darkhorserowing. Rowing with the intention he teaches offers such variety in stroke rate and drag to promote incredible strength. The workout is proven to improve VO2 max and hit 82% of the body’s muscles. Literally life changing! Thank you Shane!
Thank you for sharing. I’m going to check out Shane Farmer. I have a rower in our garage - but I rarely use it. Maybe this is the motivation that I need
When my gym shut down in 2020, I was forced to train at home—and that’s when I realized just how much I relied on barbells and a squat rack. Bodyweight workouts weren’t enough; I could actually see my thighs shrinking.
In 2021, my company offered an extended $1,000 wellness stipend, and I used it to invest in a squat rack. At the time, my gym was still operating under COVID restrictions, which meant I was limited to training in a small 8×8-foot space—even though it technically had a rack. My home setup quickly expanded from there, and now I do all of my training at home.
That said, I do miss the change of environment and the energy of working out with other people. This winter, I spent two months out of state and joined a gym similar to the one I used before building my home gym. The sense of community was incredibly motivating, and I genuinely miss that aspect.
Still, the flexibility of training at home—being able to work out whenever I want and adjust sessions based on weather—has been hard to beat. I have a full squat rack setup with barbells, Olympic plates, adjustable kettle bells, set of dumbbells (cheap from Craiglist), trap bar, plyo boxes, TRX, med balls, bands...I even have a sled. I recently moved into a new place and I relocated my home gym from my basement to my two car tandem garage - I have enough space to set up turf and do sled marches.
Great setup—and a great example of the tradeoff. Home gym = consistency and control. Gym gym = energy and accountability. Most people struggle to get either. You’ve built both just in different seasons. This shows: it’s not the equipment. It’s the commitment.
Hi Bryan... yes, the bridge is key.... even for me, with 4 years of CrossFit under my belt in 2020, the COVID isolation to my home gym allowed me to dial in on my olympic lifting mechanics and get stronger and more efficient in these lifts before going back into the CrossFIt community post covid. So many ways to bridge! Thanks so much for your comment and for reading! :)
Dark Horse rowing is THE reason why, at 55 yrs old, 5'4, and 130# I can actually keep up with the best of them in the CrossFit gym! If you don't have the physicality, technique is King and I got that from all the videos I watched for years from them. So glad they are still going strong!!! I highly recommend a Concept 2 rower for anyone's home gym - beginner or advanced. Thanks so much for comment and for reading!!! -Dr. Carla
Hello! Thanks so much for your comment and for reading! I can absolutely relate... covid is when I built out my gym as well. Agree, it is so awesome to have the equipment for days I need more flexibility or just need to get in my own zone.... thanks so much for sharing. It's inspiring to hear what others have done. :)
Hi Irina! Yes! I'm a huge fan of the adjustable dumbbells... that was my first purchase for my own home gym.... and yes, there are a multitude of tempos, exercises, asymmetric movements, etc. It's a great start. ... and for those who want to take it a step further and add plyometrics, for example, a stable box/step set and a jump rope are easy and space-saving and adds variety. ..and the options continue depending on one's goals and preferences. For me, my Olympic barbell set and my pull-up rig are my favorite items. Thanks so much for reading and for your comment! :)
Great tips here. Consistency depends on context and I've definitely had seasons where working from home versus joining a gym have been more beneficial to my training. For example, just this week I decided to leave my gym of 3.5 years (!) to invest in an at home setup. Why? We moved! My gym is now an e-bike ride away and I do e-bike share, which means some additional friction if there aren't ebikes parked by our home. So an at-home strength setup is more conducive to consistency in this chapter.
No complaints. The move also means means I have closer access to trails for hikes/walks/runs and have safer cycling routes nearby. So fewer gym sessions for cardio :-)
Great example of matching the environment to the goal. Consistency isn’t about the best setup. Its about the lowest friction setup for your current season. Sounds like you traded commute friction for built-in movement. That’s a win.
A set of adjustable dumbbells at home can carry you for years, because weight is only one variable in progressive overload. Playing with tempo and rest periods is enough to keep progress moving, and then you have the whole array of single-leg exercises to throw in. Not an argument against the gym, just saying that a good set of dumbbells is plenty.
Load is just one lever—tempo, volume, rest, and unilateral work can take you a long way with dumbbells. The gym adds options. Dumbbells cover the essentials.
I love it when the research backs up what we intuitively know: the best program is the one you do! Whether that’s at home, with a trainer, or as part of a community — if you stick with it, you’ll see results!
I live in the country and workout at home. My choice. A rowing machine. My motivation and education coming from Shane Farmer @darkhorserowing. Rowing with the intention he teaches offers such variety in stroke rate and drag to promote incredible strength. The workout is proven to improve VO2 max and hit 82% of the body’s muscles. Literally life changing! Thank you Shane!
Thank you for sharing. I’m going to check out Shane Farmer. I have a rower in our garage - but I rarely use it. Maybe this is the motivation that I need
Nothing not to love about Shane. I did it all on the YouTube videos. He does have an app as well. Amazing!
The idea of a “bridge” stands out, especially for people who need a lower-friction way to build momentum before stepping into a group.
When my gym shut down in 2020, I was forced to train at home—and that’s when I realized just how much I relied on barbells and a squat rack. Bodyweight workouts weren’t enough; I could actually see my thighs shrinking.
In 2021, my company offered an extended $1,000 wellness stipend, and I used it to invest in a squat rack. At the time, my gym was still operating under COVID restrictions, which meant I was limited to training in a small 8×8-foot space—even though it technically had a rack. My home setup quickly expanded from there, and now I do all of my training at home.
That said, I do miss the change of environment and the energy of working out with other people. This winter, I spent two months out of state and joined a gym similar to the one I used before building my home gym. The sense of community was incredibly motivating, and I genuinely miss that aspect.
Still, the flexibility of training at home—being able to work out whenever I want and adjust sessions based on weather—has been hard to beat. I have a full squat rack setup with barbells, Olympic plates, adjustable kettle bells, set of dumbbells (cheap from Craiglist), trap bar, plyo boxes, TRX, med balls, bands...I even have a sled. I recently moved into a new place and I relocated my home gym from my basement to my two car tandem garage - I have enough space to set up turf and do sled marches.
Great setup—and a great example of the tradeoff. Home gym = consistency and control. Gym gym = energy and accountability. Most people struggle to get either. You’ve built both just in different seasons. This shows: it’s not the equipment. It’s the commitment.