THE FUNCTIONAL JUNGLE GYM
Lockdown won’t last forever, but the renewed popularity of home workouts is surely here to stay – and with it, a healthy dose of “home gym envy”. Recent months have had most of us eyeing up our gardens, garages and odd corners of our living rooms, wondering just how much space we’d need to install a squat rack. But where to start? To serve up a little inspiration, we spoke to four men who made their fantasies a reality and assembled their ideal gyms at home. Whether you’re an aspiring strongman or a bodyweight purist, a busy dad or a flexible worker, there’s something here for you. Draw up your wish list – then start building.
Andy Torbet’s body is his business. A professional skydiver and underwater explorer, he recently completed an eight-month stint as a stuntman on the new James Bond film.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Torbet’s home gym reflects this: complete with a climbing rig and ground mats, the space has been purpose built for jumping, scrambling, hanging, swinging, hitting, pulling and pretty much everything else that you might expect from a gnarly 007 fight scene.
But Torbet’s motivation for building his personal playground was far more grounded. At the age of 44, he is a freelance worker with an ever-changing schedule and two young children at home. By eliminating the need to spend precious time travelling to and from a gym, he is now better able to maximise his working week.
His home gym is situated in an outbuilding at the back of his garden, which also houses his kit store, workshop and home office. “I do what’s called ‘fitness snacking’,” he explains. “If I’m editing videos or writing articles,
I set an alarm to go off every 20 minutes. Then I’ll have a monkey about on the bars, do some press-ups, and move about a bit.”
There is a conspicuous absence of cardio equipment here. Torbet prefers fastpaced bodyweight training – though he did recently invest in a SkiErg. The floor is kept free for gymnastics and martial arts, and the gym also doubles up as a playground for his sons, who are aged three and five. They like to swing on the ropes and play on the crash mats. “It makes us all happier,” he says.
01 HIT THE BARS
Torbet designed the rig himself to make maximum use of space. “It was built by a company of ex-blacksmiths and fabricators and took a day to put up,” he says – though you can pick one up from Rogue Europe (from £1,570). The height allows him to attach rings and ropes, as well as practise pull-ups and hangs. If your budget won’t allow it, try a doorframe pull-up bar (Opti Multi £20).
02 SMACK TALK
Boxing training offers an unparalleled conditioning workout, hammering your shoulders, arms, back, chest and core. “It’s a killer,” says Torbet. “If you go properly – hell for leather, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off – you’ll be dying by the third minute.” Invest in a free-standing bag (TurnerMAX £82), or, if you’re short on space, a set of wall-mounted punch pads (RKA Target Pad £21). Also useful for exorcising post-work angst.
03 RING THE BELLS
Weight-lifting might not be the backbone of Torbet’s regimen, but that doesn’t mean he’s a stranger to heavy metal. A set of kettlebells will help you stay strong while taking up minimal space. A 16kg and a 20kg will suffice for the average man. The Wolverson Competition bell came top in MH’s kit tests (£60).
04 SKIP TO IT
Torbet doesn’t own a bike, rower or treadmill, and even the SkiErg is a new investment. “When people ask what kind of cardio equipment I use, I send them a photo of the floor and a skipping rope (RPM Speed Rope 4.0 £60). Burpees and skipping – there you go,” he says. For a quick calorie burner, add five 60-second sets of skipping to the end of your circuit.
05 ON THE ASCENT
There’s a lot of “swinging stuff” in Torbet’s gym, and it forms a key part of his conditioning work. He bought his climbing rope for less than £20. “Climb with just your arms, then use your feet as you start to fatigue, or just grab the rope and do pull-ups, swapping which hand is higher on each set,” he says. “It’s also great for grip strength.” Rope Warehouse’s hemp rope (£10.20) spares your hands the burn.