Whether you do daily hardcore workouts or just an occasional session, you're probably going to get tired by the end of the workout; otherwise, you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough. This means you'll want a place to sit down and get a drink of water or relaxed, either as a break during the workout session, or afterward. Instead of sitting in an uncomfortable patio chair, build a daybed using this tutorial by Ana White. Then, relax in comfort when your workout is done or during your breaks.

Just because you have an outside gym doesn't mean you can't have standard indoor equipment. Get an outdoor power tower like this from Amazon so that you can do your workouts either outside on this or inside on an indoor version of this. It's designed to weather the elements, so you can put it under a canopy and use it any time of year. Try putting some space heaters out or putting it in a shed during cold months if you want to use it year-round.

It can be hard to keep gym equipment outdoors. You may be wondering if you've lost the ability to exercise on benches and use exercise machines. After all, they're not generally designed for being out in the elements. Instead of avoiding this kind of equipment altogether, use the advice in this article by David Kiesling from Two Rep Cave to learn how you can maintain different types of equipment outside without excessive wear from the elements.

A fitness bench is an essential part of a gym since it gives you the option to do any number of exercises, but you may hesitate to put one outside. Instead of taking the chance of putting indoor equipment outdoors, you can get this outdoor fitness bench from Amazon. It's meant to handle weather without getting damaged or rusted, so it should last much longer than indoor equipment would, and you can leave it outside all year if you need to.

Training ropes are a great fitness tool, but they're often too big to put in a home gym. Since your gym is outdoors, you can use up as much space as you need, and you've probably got enough yard space for this rope. Since the cord is designed for outdoors, it won't be damaged by sun and rain as quickly as some equipment, and you can get a lot of use out of it. It comes with an anchor, though you may have to see if the materials provided work for the surface you're anchoring it to.

Exercising outside is an amazing and healthy feeling, with abundant fresh air and sunlight, plus the ability to run, jump, and do cardio exercises in an open space. That said, some gym equipment shouldn't stay outside for long, and there will be times when you want to move indoors, such as when it's raining and you want to exercise. Use the instructions in this article by Don Vandervort from Home Tips to learn how to build a shed for your equipment and even a little sheltered exercise. You can also get shed kits or hire somebody to build a shed.

Instead of looking for equipment that's designed for the outdoors, try getting gear that's light and portable so that you can store it and bring it out when needed. Some of your equipment will still be permanent, such as pullup bars and weight benches, but you can get a portable gym like this one from Amazon for other exercises. This gym can easily be stored in waterproof containers or in your home and brought out as needed so that you can still exercise outside.

If you want your outdoor home gym to rival any indoor one, you'll need gym mats to cover the deck, patio, or porch you're using for bodyweight exercise and cardio. These will help cushion you during exercises, particularly if you're using a concrete patio. Try getting foam mats like these ones from The Home Depot that’re designed for indoor or outdoor use. They can also lock into place in any shape or size you want so that you can customize the mats to cover your whole space or to only cover the area you need them in the most.

If you have any equipment that's not bolted down, you'll probably want a place to store it, either because of rain and snow or only for convenient storage. Instead of packing everything up and carrying it inside every time you use it or leaving it scattered around, build a waterproof outdoor storage box. You can make a storage bench using these instructions. While it won't be completely waterproof, it'll keep things reasonably dry and give you a place to sit when you need a break from your workout.

If you have your equipment set up on a patio, you may run into the issue of water pooling up in places it shouldn't. Think about setting up interlocking floor tiles like these ones from The Home Depot to keep your equipment from sitting in pools of water. These tiles will keep you and your gym equipment up off the ground and allow water to drain so that you can use the home gym soon after it rains, too. You'll want some mats over it to make it more comfortable.

One of the awesome things about an outdoor home gym is that there are few limits to what you can set up. You don't have to worry much about space, so you can set up neat exercise equipment and courses like this hanging obstacle course. This is a fun and unique way to exercise, and you can involve your children if you have any. The system has equipment of varying levels of difficulty, so don't feel like it'll be too challenging if you're only working out casually!

You'll need places to store your equipment, and outdoor storage containers will be the most convenient choice. Gym equipment can be expensive, though, so consider getting storage containers like this one from Walmart that can lock. This will keep your equipment fairly dry and prevent any possible thefts so that you can have a convenient and secure home gym in your yard. Most outdoor storage isn't 100% waterproof, so only store things that can handle some temperature fluctuation and dampness.

Mirrors are typical fixtures in gyms and home gyms, because they let you look at your posture and the exercises you're doing to make sure you're doing everything correctly. That said, how do you set up mirrors outside? Check out this article by DIYer and blogger Kezzabeth to learn how she set up a mirror wall outside. While her mirrors were for a garden, you can use a similar method to make a gym mirror wall in your outdoor home gym.

If some of your equipment needs to be stored inside in the rain, or can't stay outside all winter, you don't want to have to store gym equipment in your house. You can build a shed to store equipment and maybe give yourself a little space for doing exercises indoors when it rains. If you don't have enough experience to build a shed yourself, don't worry; you can buy a kit like this from Amazon to make your shed from. If you're still unsure, you can hire somebody to build a shed from the kit.

If there's a chance that you'll want to exercise after dark, you can still do so in an outdoor gym as long as you have decent lighting. Regardless, you'll want lights you can turn on if you need to go out to the gym at night. Consider getting Alexa-compatible wifi plugs like this from Amazon so that you can turn on lights remotely or set a timer to turn on lights and deter potential thieves.

Pull-up bars are one of the best pieces of home gym equipment for people who worry about upper body strength, but they usually attach to a ceiling, so how can you have one outside? Read this article from Fitstream to learn how to build a pull-up bar for an outdoor gym. It's freestanding, but the supports will sink deep enough that you can safely use it outside without worrying that it'll tip over or get damaged. It's also designed to be weatherproof so that you don't need to worry about rust and weather damage.