Most people who build a basement home gym in Walled Lake, MI start with the gym. Anthony started with a DM. He'd been following Forged on Instagram for a long time, and one day he finally sent us a message. He and his wife both work full time, they have a toddler at home, and getting to the gym just wasn't happening the way they wanted. Forged handled the whole done for you project, from design to install.
At a glance
- Location: Walled Lake, Michigan (finished basement)
- Who it is for: Anthony and his wife, a busy young family
- The goal: A real gym at home so they could stop missing workouts
- Investment level: A serious, low five figure basement build
Before: Training, Just Not Enough
Anthony and his wife were still training. Just not as often as they wanted. With a 2 year old and 2 full time jobs, getting out the door to a gym felt like one more thing that never fit in the day.
They were already renovating their basement, and a home gym was a big part of the reason why. Anthony was a little hesitant at first. Then he saw how we design a space, and that's what got him to move forward.
The Goal: Open Floor and Everything They Need
They wanted a full gym they'd actually use, without it feeling crammed. Anthony was clear about one thing: keep as much open floor as possible. So the treadmill sits tight to the wall, the dumbbells line the side, and the cable machine gets its own spot in a cubby off the main room.
The Blueprint: We Design It First
Before we build, we design. Our Home Gym Design and Fit Blueprint measures your room to the inch. It gives you an honest equipment plan and checks that everything will fit through your doors and stairs. Here's the top down layout we made for Anthony's basement, about 13 by 17 feet with a cubby off the side for the cable machine.
The Blueprint is a paid design step. If you move forward with a build, the full cost goes toward your project.
Want to know what your basement could hold?
Building the Basement Home Gym in Walled Lake
Anthony hadn't decided on a couple of things before install day, and that's fine. He wasn't sure if the cable machine should sit flush with the front of the cubby or all the way against the back wall. So before we loaded the weight stack, we brought him downstairs to see it in place and make the call. Same with the dumbbell racks. We set them out empty first so he could see the spacing before we loaded them up. See our home gym design and install process for how every build works.
Anthony's build included:
- A half rack with a dip attachment and plate storage
- A 260 pound set of black bumper plates, plus change plates
- An Olympic barbell and an EZ curl bar, with a wall bar holder
- A Forged dual cable functional trainer
- A Forged Pro adjustable bench
- Rubber hex dumbbells from 5 to 80 pounds, on 2 commercial dumbbell racks
- A treadmill
After: Their First Workout Was That Night
Anthony and his wife were pumped when it all came together. They told our crew it had been tough getting to the gym and feeling like they never had time for themselves. Now the gym is downstairs. They planned their first workout for that same night.
FAQ: Basement Home Gyms in Southeast Michigan
Can I see the equipment in place before it's final?
Yes. If you're not sure where something should go, we'll set it out and let you decide before we lock it in. Anthony picked his cable machine spot after seeing it in the room.
Can a cable machine fit in a small cubby or alcove?
Often, yes. We measure the space and check there's room to use the cables on both sides before we put it there.
Do you work in Walled Lake and nearby towns?
Yes. Walled Lake is just up the road from our Novi showroom. We work within about 90 minutes of Novi, including Commerce Township, Wixom, West Bloomfield and the rest of Metro Detroit.
Want a gym like this? You don't have to manage design, contractors, flooring, deliveries, and install yourself.
We've helped over 3,000 people build their home gym, with a 5.0 star rating from our clients, and we work within about 90 minutes of Novi, Michigan. Read what our clients say.