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Are you looking for carport gym ideas? If so, this article is for you. A carport provides a very good opportunity to have an extra living space to do your workout. This is a great idea for anyone who does not have the same time every day or has days when they can’t get out of work until late at night and don’t want to drive home from working out. It will also save you money on a gym membership!
Note these are not necessarily garage gym ideas – though many of these can be used in your garage as well.
Also, note that you’ll have to take extra measures in a carport gym compared to a garage gym – entirely because the carport has no sides (well. it may have one!) to weatherproof and make secure your gym equipment.
Carport Gym Ideas
Here’s a summary of the best carport gym ideas:
- Tarp one or more sides of the carport
- Lay rubber horse stall mats on the exercise area.
- Mount exercise equipment on a solid wall next to the carport.
- Buy gym equipment that uses vertical space, or can fold against a wall
- Reinforce one of the carport roof beams to take heavy equipment.
- Create a privacy screen between your gym and the street.
- Erect a small shed or store in the carport to secure the equipment when not in use.
- Ensure some or all of the gym equipment can be moved and put away
- Use equipment that is fully weatherproofed
- If you’re new to home gyms, start with the equipment essentials
For more on all of these carport gym ideas, read on below.
Among the best carport gym ideas include having free weights, a pull-up bar, and a weight bench. You could also install a treadmill or an elliptical machine if you have the budget and space. Just bear in mind the space you’ll need to accommodate your car. These pieces of equipment don’t necessarily have to be weatherproof, depending on the design of your carport, and where you place the equipment.
What is a Carport Gym?
A carport gym is basically a gym or a collection of exercise apparatus that gives you a workout in a carport. This is a great solution for anyone who wants to have their gym but doesn’t have the space or money to get one installed in their home.
The best part about having a carport gym is that you can use it anytime and not worry about disturbing others while working out.
You should, however, not confuse a carport gym with a garage gym. The difference between the two is that a garage gym is in your garage. By their nature, garage gyms are in enclosed spaces in which you could place equipment that doesn’t need to be weatherproof. A carport is not the same thing as a garage, although they are similar in some ways.
Note that when setting up a carport gym, you have to consider factors like the weather, wind, rain, or snow that could potentially affect your workout, as there may be no sides to the carport. You also have to remember some of the safety concerns while doing an outdoor gym session. For more pros and cons on carports, check out this post here.
Carport Gym Idea #1: Tarp One or More Sides of the Carport
As the typical carport is open-sided – possibly with the exception of the side next to the house or garage – you might find it more comfortable to secure a tarp around one or more of the open sides. This will cut wind and sideways rain when you’re working out.
Carport Gym Idea #2: Lay Rubber Horse Stall Mats on the Exercise Area
Define the area you need to exercise – this could be as small as 6 feet by 12 feet – and lay rubber horse stall mats. These will not only provide a measure of impact resistance when exercising but also allow you to use the area for parking your car when not exercising.
Carport Gym Idea #3: Mount Exercise Equipment on a Solid Wall Next to the Carport
Unless you have a freestanding, or temporary, carport, it’s likely to have one side consisting of a solid wall – either next to the house, or the garage. Use this to mount the heavier gym equipment, such as free weights, and to make best use of the space.
Carport Gym Idea #4: Buy Gym Gquipment that Uses Vertical Space, or Can Fold
You can use this wall to mount heavy equipment, for example, a folding power rack, and free weight racks, as shown in this video:
Carport Gym Idea #5: Reinforce One of the Carport Roof Beams to Take Heavy Equipment
This may not be necessary, but you’ll need to check that the support beams for the carport will take additional weight. Steel beams and supports are likely to be strong enough to allow you to mount such equipment as chin up bar and gymnast rings, but if in doubt, don’t risk your carport!
Just remember to secure any equipment hung on racks on the wall – or they may disappear!
Carport Gym Idea #6: Create a Privacy Screen Between Your Gym and the Street.
You may want to exercise with a degree of privacy, so why not organise your carport gym behind a temporary tarp – which, as described above, will also give you a measure of protection from inclement weather.
Many temporary carports/car tents have removable sides, such as this one. Click the image to get more detail.
Carport Gym Idea #7: Ensure Some or All of the Gym Equipment Can be Moved, and Put Away
This may be necessary anyway if you need to share the area in the carport with your car. See below for an idea to do this efficiently, but one approach is to use a compact multi gym in a box – like the one reviewed in the video below:
Perhaps a more modest way of starting your carport gym is to get a gym in a bag, such as this one, which is highly rated by its users (click image for more detail):
Carport Gym Idea #8: Erect a Small Shed or Store in the Carport to Secure the Equipment.
If you’re using moveable equipment, such as free weights, exercise bands, or ropes, you’ll want a place to store them, especially if you share the carport space with your automobile. One idea is to place a shed or store against one side of the carport, not only to get them out of the way but also to secure them from theft.
Carport Gym Idea #9: Use Equipment that is Fully Weatherproofed
Even the most substantial carports are likely to be subject to adverse weather at times, so at least some of your gym equipment should be weatherproofed If you have to leave it exposed, such as the bench below (click image to get more detail):
Or, get waterproof covers for your gym equipment, such as the cover below (click image for more detail):
Carport Gym Idea #10: Start with Essential Equipment
If all this is new to you, you may want to start small, with the essential equipment. Check out the recommended basic gear below.
Start small; perhaps with a selection of free weights between 5 and 30 lbs, and a flat bench.
What Modifications are required to a Carport to Create a Carport Gym?
You may need to make several modifications before creating a carport gym and a workout space. Here are some of them:
Sides
Your carport sides don’t necessarily need to be solid but you may want to reinforce at least one of the sides of your carport to make it more stable and you may want to hang some of your exercise equipment there, so the sides have to be strong enough.
Be careful that you don’t run foul of local bylaws which may require you to get a permit if you construct a solid structure like a garage, or fill in the sides of a carport with side material. Check with your local authority.
If your carport roof is hung from the side of your house, you could hang the heavy equipment pieces on the wall of the house, rather than create a new solid wall.
Similarly, if the carport is built next to an existing garage, you could use the garage wall for the equipment, even though it’s sheltered by the carport.
Alternatively, if your carport is in front of your garage, you’ll have to consider whether you’ll block access to the garage doors by placing the gym equipment in the carport. If this is the case, you may be better of using the garage for your gym equipment instead.
For weatherproofing the sides of the carport – or at least to keep the wind and driving rain out – you could consider buying a large tarp and securing it to the carport supports and roof.
One other idea is to use a tarp or side material to create a degree of privacy if your carport faces onto the road. This will need to be removable if you want to continue to use the carport to park your car.
Flooring
Your carport floor also has to be strong enough to handle every piece of equipment. Given it should be designed to take heavy weights as well as the weight of your car, it should be strong enough to handle individual pieces of equipment.
Ideally, the carport should have a concrete floor or even reinforced concrete, but it may, like mine, consist of compacted shingle on earth.
In any event, you may want to add some extra support to the floor or put down a rubber mat or rubber tiles to protect the surface and make it easier to clean.
One popular option, and relatively cheap, is to use rubber horse stall mats; these not only provide a soft, yet strong, material underfoot if you are exercising, but also allow you to drive your car over them.
Roof
The roof of your carport gym is also important. You need to make sure that it is strong enough to hold any equipment you may hang from it, such as a pull-up bar. If you’re at all in doubt, use a power rack, or a solid wall if one is handy, to hang the heavy gym equipment.
Lighting
The lighting of a gym is important. You will likely want to add some extra lighting in your carport gym, especially if you plan on working out at night.
Tips for Making Your Carpot Gym More Comfortable In Bad Weather
To make your carport gym more comfortable during bad weather, you can add some extra features to it. For example, you may want to cover the sides of your carport with a tarp or canopy if they’re not already covered and put up some windbreakers down each side as well. This will help protect you from the elements and keep out the wind and rain.
How Much Space is Required to Make a Carport Gym?
You don’t need a lot of floor space to make a carport gym. A typical carport gym measures about 10×10 feet, or 100 square feet, but you can make it smaller or bigger depending on your needs. Obviously, the more equipment you have, the larger space you will need. And don’t forget your car!
One idea is to hang everything on a wall – in the case of a carport this is likely to be the wall of the house or the garage, against which the carport is positioned. If you have a temporary, pop-up carport, you’re not going to be able to do this.
What Equipment is Required for a Carport Gym?
The kind of equipment you will need will depend on the exercises you will be doing and your personal preference or workout style.
For general fitness, you could choose a range of cardio equipment, such as skipping rope, stationary bike or running machine, if your budget stretches that far.
If you wish to build muscle, weights will be the obvious choice.
Some of the basic equipment you will need includes:
- A flat, adjustable bench
- A pull-up bar
- Free weights or dumbbells, which can be stored against one of the sides of the carport on vertical dumbbell racks
- Jump ropes
- Heavy weights with bar
- Treadmill or elliptical machine (cardio machine)
- Yoga mats or other flooring material
- Medicine ball
- Kettle bells
- Squat or power rack
How Much Would It Cost To Create a Carport Gym?
The modifications you need to make to the carport will cost anywhere between $100 and $500. The cost of the equipment you need for your carport gym will depend on the type of equipment you want to purchase. Basic equipment will cost between $500 and $700, whereas more expensive equipment can cost up to $2000.
Here’s a video showing how you can achieve a gym for under $500:
Final Thoughts
A carport gym is an easy project that can be completed in just a few hours. You can make it as simple or complex as you like, and it is a great way to get in shape without leaving the comfort of your home.
If you don’t have a carport, and are thinking about building one or buying one, why not check out our Buyers’ Guide to Heavy Duty Carports. Alternatively, you might consider getting a DIY portable garage to start with, which is big enough to house a home gym. Check out our Buyers’ Guide to Portable Garages here.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your carport gym today. With the ideas above, you have everything you need to get started.
