Home Gym of the Week: A Done-For-You Basement Home Gym in Ann Arbor

Before: Staying Active, On Their Own Terms

Brian and Susan are in their 70s, and they have no plans to slow down.

They had just finished building a new home in Ann Arbor, with an unfinished basement waiting to become something. They wanted it to become a place that helped them stay strong, mobile, and independent for years to come.

At this stage of life, staying active is not about chasing personal records. It is about keeping up with the people and the life they love. Steady movement, mobility work, and physical therapy are what keep that going. The last thing they wanted was to manage a basement build on top of everything else.

Goal: A Space Built Around Their Bodies

Brian and Susan wanted a dedicated space built around how they move and what they need.

Room to do physical therapy and mobility work. Equipment that is safe, simple, and easy to use. A finished basement that feels good to walk into and easy to keep up with.

Most of all, they wanted to keep moving, stay independent, and do it all from home.

Build: From Unfinished Basement to Finished Gym

We started the way we always do, by understanding how they wanted to use the space.

The basement started out unfinished. We handled the finishing work and built the gym around how they move, with safety, durability, and comfort leading every choice. No subscriptions, no giant touchscreens, and nothing they would never use.

Here is what went into their build:

• Rubber flooring with underlayment for comfort and a safe surface underfoot
• A Forged functional trainer and an adjustable bench for strength, pulling, pressing, and physical therapy style work, all in a controlled, safe way
• A treadmill, an elliptical, and a bike for cardio, chosen because they are durable, simple to use, and do not lock you into any monthly memberships
• A layout designed for safe movement, mobility work, and physical therapy

Every dollar they spent on cardio went into build quality and reliability, not into a screen or a forced subscription.

And here is the part that makes it done-for-you. Every Forged build includes:

• Professional design consult
• White glove delivery and full installation
• Forged Owner's Program service visit
• Extended protection

This is the kind of build people choose when they want to keep moving, keep doing their physical therapy, and stay independent at home for years to come.

After: Independence, Steps From Their Bedroom

Brian and Susan never had to become the general contractor for their own gym.

Now they have a finished basement gym built around staying active. A place to do their physical therapy, work on mobility, and keep moving on their own schedule, just steps from their bedroom. When they saw it finished, they told us it turned out even better than they had pictured.

What Brian and Susan Had to Say

Here is what Susan shared after the build:

"From start to finish Brendan at Forged Fitness helped us to create the perfect exercise space. He worked within a budget and offered solutions and equipment that worked perfectly for our needs. The installation was amazing and the followup has been excellent to-date. Can't say enough positive things about Forged!"

That is the goal of every build we do. The right equipment for how you actually live, installed and supported so you can simply use it.