How to make a gym space in my basement??

[rendiana-jones]

I rent a small house; I pretty much have no room to spare, and very little money. The basement is a decent size, but unfinished and generally not pleasant to be in. I can't do much, since I rent, but my husband is pretty unhappy with the weights being in the living room. 

 

Any tips on making part of the basement a functional and livable weight are?

 

Key points about he space:

 

*It can be damp

*The floor is not smooth

*It has flooded in the past and is kind of dirty as a result

*I can't make permanent changes

[I-Jo]

hmmmm sounds like it's time for a gym membership.  on of the local gyms here is 19$/month

if the area isn't pleasant- you aren't going to want to work there AT ALL and you're training will suffer.

 

Trust me- I have a similar space and thought I could train there but no way.  too miserable.  So I just pay for a gym membership- much happier. 

[rendiana-jones]

Between my work hours and the cost a gym membership really isn't feasible. It would have to be a 24 hour place, and all of those are either expensive or waaaay more uncomfortable for me than the basement. 

 

Like, one whole wall is a window onto a strip mall uncomfortable. O.o

[WifeyB]

Have you thought about 'functinally hiding' the weights in the living room wnen you're not using them? Depending on how big they are, I bet you could google some great ways to make an end table from an old something-or-other that could double as storage and as something you both could use on a day in, day out, basis?

If the basement really is the best option, I'd get some large plastic totes ($12-$24 ish) to store what you have in to keep them dry. And check out Play it Again Sports for those rubber weight mats. They're thicker, help with impact, you see them in gyms all the time. Bonus: rubber does alright with moisture and it ok to put them on most suffices. They're generally sold in sections, so I'm sure you could find one suitable or your space/ budget.

Or, cut a deal with your hubby! "If you let me keep my weights up here and continue my workouts upstairs I'll let you have more closet space/ not bother you for anything for at least one hour after you come home from work/ rub your shoulders for 20 minutes on Thursday nights/ fill in the blank with something he'd like that you could commit to" Put contingencies like if you have company you'll move everything downstairs (hey! A move-the-weights-downstairs workout built in!) And something so he will feel like you've taken his big toe in consideration when he stubs it on your weights next time.

Don't be discouraged or angry at his request. Tight spaces and budgets are tough! But you'll get there. I'll keep thinking and if I get another idea I'll repost.

[rendiana-jones]

I'm thinking rubber mats, a source of music, and figuring out some way to hang curtains or something around the workout area. Just to get some color/hide the dinginess. 

 

Not sure how to hang anything like that in a basement, though. 

[Raikas]

What about just putting down garage-type rubber flooring and considering the walls to be industrial-style and just adding a floor lamp or two rather than hanging anything?

[rendiana-jones]

I'm not sure considering the walls "industrial style" would make me enjoy looking at them any more, but I suppose I can always try it before trying to figure out how to make curtains happen.  

[Waldo]

What kind of weights are you talking about? Do they fit in a closet?

You could also learn to work without weights. I do fine, and in my situation a gym membership is not feasible (or at least, real frickin far from ideal), likewise barbells are infeasible, we lack a garage, basement, or any sort of useful space for it.