How To Build a Home Gym In The Garden (2026): Aki’s $1,660 Shed Setup

• Learn how Aki built a home gym in her garden shed for just $5,800 and get inspired to create your own space for convenient and confident workouts.
• Discover the benefits of building a home gym, like Aki did, including prioritizing mental health, staying consistent with fitness routines, and customizing your workout space to your unique needs and preferences.

If you’re someone who’s passionate about fitness and looking for inspiration to build your own home gym, Aki’s story is a must-read.

Aki is the successful managing director of The Literary Consultancy, an editing company that helps writers develop their work and she’s also the founder of several social initiatives. Aki lives in a village in the Hertfordshire countryside and has two dogs who struggle with being left alone for too long.

Aki found herself struggling to stay consistent with her fitness routine while dealing with personal loss and a busy work schedule. Follow Aki on her Twitter account, where she boasts an impressive 12K followers: @AkiSchilz

That’s when she decided to take matters into her own hands and build a home gym in her garden shed.

The Setup: A Flat Pack Shed and Some Electrical Work

Aki’s home gym is housed in a flat pack shed that she and her partner built in their garden.

The cost of the shed, including base and roofing materials, was around £2.5k ($3K). Aki’s partner and his dad put it together over a weekend of good weather, and it cost £900 to get it fully functional and connected to the electrics. This included the purchase and installation of lighting, sockets, heater, fuse box, and the cost of an electrician.

Total garden shed cost = £3.4k ($4,200)

The Equipment: Weightlifting and Functional Training

Aki’s gym setup includes a range of equipment, including a barbell, weight plates, kettlebells, resistance bands, and a TRX suspension trainer. She also has a bike and treadmill on her partner’s “half” of the gym shed. Aki uses the space mainly for weightlifting and functional training, focusing on feeling strong rather than aesthetics or competitions.

She enjoys the freedom of being able to train on her own terms and around her busy full-time job.

Fitness for Mental Health

For Aki, working out is not just about physical health, but also mental health. She believes that staying active is essential for a healthy mind, heart, bones, and joints, especially as she gets older. Aki doesn’t see herself as an athlete or an expert, but as long as she loves it and has the privilege of movement, she plans to keep doing it.

Her home gym has been an incredible boost for her mental health, particularly after a challenging year of personal loss. Working out helps her stay steady and focused.

Home Gyms for Convenience and Confidence

For Aki, building a home gym was a way to overcome the challenges of busy work schedules, anxiety in communal gym settings, and caring for her dogs. Her home gym setup has allowed her to stay consistent with her fitness routine, prioritize her mental health, and feel confident in her own space.

If you’re someone who’s looking for convenience and confidence in your fitness journey, building a home gym might be the way to go.

The Challenges: Waterproofing and Rusty Equipment

While Aki’s home gym setup has been a game-changer for her fitness journey, it hasn’t been without its challenges.

One issue she’s faced is keeping the shed waterproof from rain and internal damp.

Her barbell has also started to get rusty, which is a reminder that home gym equipment needs regular maintenance and care.

Home Gym Equipment

• Rack: Again Faster Power Rack Package £900 (sale price) includes:
  • Power rack
  • Bench
  • Barbell Bumper plate pairs (5kg/ 10kg/ 15kg/ 20kg)
  • Safeties Barbell collars
  • Mirafit pair fractional plates 2.5kg £30
  • Landmine extension £28
• Kettlebells: Various Brands Kettlebells (6kg/ 8kg/ 10kg/ 16kg) £80
• Dumbbells: Dumbbell pairs from eBay (5kg/ 7kg/ 9kg/ 10kg/ 12.5kg) £200
• Dumbbell rack from eBay £40
• Resistance bands £50
• Rhino yoga blocks £12
• Yoga mat £11

Total Home Gym Cost = £1,351 = $1,660

Total garden shed cost = £3.4k = $4,200

Garden Shed Home Gym Photos