Guides / Gym and storage · Updated
Garage gym setups, drawn to scale
Every rack, mat, rower and bike is its maker's own size. The garage sizes are the standard ones builders and plan sellers publish, not measurements of real garages, which nobody publishes. Measure yours and check it in the layout calculator.
Estimate for planning only, not professional advice. Check the manufacturer’s instructions, your local code and a licensed professional before you buy, build or install. Use at your own risk. Terms.
Short answer
One bay of a two-car garage holds a power rack, a barbell and a rower, and a car still parks in the other bay: in a roomy 12 × 24 ft half, or a tight 10 × 20 ft one. The ceiling decides the rack: an 8 ft garage takes a 90 in rack on mats, and a 7 ft basement needs one about 71 in tall.
Half a two-car garage, 12 × 24 ft
- Rack
- Bar, 86¾ in
- Room to use it
- Grid: 1 ft
One bay of a 24 × 24 ft garage, so a car still parks in the other. The rack goes against the back wall, away from the door’s track and opener.
| Rack | Rogue R-3BT power rack, 90⅜ in tall, 53 × 40 in |
|---|---|
| Ceiling | 96 in (8 ft): 95¼ in over ¾ in mats, 4⅞ in above the rack |
| Mats | 9 Rogue 4 × 6 ft mats, 12 × 18 ft, 900 lb |
| Rower | Concept2 RowErg: 9 × 4 ft with room to use it |
| Floor used | 51 sq ft by the equipment and its clearances, 18% of the space |
Half of a tight two-car garage, 10 × 20 ft
- Rack
- Bar, 86¾ in
- Room to use it
- Grid: 1 ft
One bay of a 20 × 20 ft garage, the smallest two-car size The Plan Collection lists. The same rack and rower still fit, with mats two wide instead of three.
| Rack | Rogue R-3BT power rack, 90⅜ in tall, 53 × 40 in |
|---|---|
| Ceiling | 96 in (8 ft): 95¼ in over ¾ in mats, 4⅞ in above the rack |
| Mats | 6 Rogue 4 × 6 ft mats, 8 × 18 ft, 600 lb |
| Rower | Concept2 RowErg: 9 × 4 ft with room to use it |
| Floor used | 51 sq ft by the equipment and its clearances, 25% of the space |
A whole one-car garage, 12 × 20 ft
- Rack
- Bar, 86¾ in
- Room to use it
- Grid: 1 ft
The smallest one-car garage, 12 × 20 ft, given over to the gym. The squat stand is the tallest piece here, so it needs most of an 8 ft ceiling.
| Rack | Rogue SML-2 squat stand, 92¼ in tall, 49 × 48 in |
|---|---|
| Ceiling | 96 in (8 ft): 95¼ in over ¾ in mats, 3 in above the rack |
| Mats | 9 Rogue 4 × 6 ft mats, 12 × 18 ft, 900 lb |
| Rower | Concept2 RowErg: 9 × 4 ft with room to use it |
| Bike | Peloton Bike, 54 × 23 in plus 24 in on every side |
| Floor used | 103 sq ft by the equipment and its clearances, 43% of the space |
A whole two-car garage, 24 × 24 ft
- Rack
- Bar, 86¾ in
- Room to use it
- Grid: 1 ft
A 24 × 24 ft garage: the lifting half on mats, cardio on the other, and open floor by the door for stretching or a sled.
| Rack | REP PR-1100 power rack, 85 in tall, 58⅛ × 48½ in |
|---|---|
| Ceiling | 96 in (8 ft): 95¼ in over ¾ in mats, 10¼ in above the rack |
| Mats | 9 Rogue 4 × 6 ft mats, 12 × 18 ft, 900 lb |
| Rower | Concept2 RowErg: 9 × 4 ft with room to use it |
| Bike | Peloton Bike, 54 × 23 in plus 24 in on every side |
| Floor used | 106 sq ft by the equipment and its clearances, 18% of the space |
A basement corner with a 7 ft ceiling, 10 × 12 ft
- Rack
- Bar, 86¾ in
- Room to use it
- Grid: 1 ft
A low ceiling rules out most racks: a 90 in rack won’t stand up under 7 ft. The 71 in Titan T-2 does, on ¾ in mats.
| Rack | Titan T-2, 71 in, 71 in tall, 57 × 50 in |
|---|---|
| Ceiling | 84 in (7 ft): 83¼ in over ¾ in mats, 12¼ in above the rack |
| Mats | 4 Rogue 4 × 6 ft mats, 8 × 12 ft, 400 lb |
| Floor used | 20 sq ft by the equipment and its clearances, 16% of the space |
Start with the ceiling
Measure at the lowest point over where the rack will stand: the door track, the opener or a beam, not the middle of the ceiling. Take off the mats, then compare it with the rack.
| Rack | Height | Footprint | Ceiling it needs on ¾ in mats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titan T-2, 71 in | 71 in | 57 × 50 in | 71¾ in or more |
| REP PR-1100 power rack | 85 in | 58⅛ × 48½ in | 85¾ in or more |
| Rogue R-3BT power rack | 90⅜ in | 53 × 40 in | 91⅛ in or more |
| Rogue SML-2 squat stand | 92¼ in | 49 × 48 in | 93 in or more |
That's room to stand it up, not to do pull-ups on it or press overhead under it. The a basement corner with a 7 ft ceiling plan shows what fits when it's tight.
Plan your own
Put in your ceiling, the room and the equipment in the garage gym layout calculator. Count mats for any size floor with the gym flooring calculator, and check bar and plate sizes in the barbell and plate guide.
Where the numbers come from
- Rogue Gym Mat, 4 × 6 ft, ¾ in
- REP 4 × 6 ft mat, ¾ in (47 × 71 in)
- REP rubber tiles, 2 × 2 ft, ⅜ in
- REP rolls, 4 × 25 ft
- REP: gym flooring guide
- Rogue SML-2 squat stand
- Rogue R-3BT power rack
- REP PR-1100 power rack
- Titan T-2, 71 in
- Concept2: RowErg dimensions
- Peloton: Bike dimensions and space
- BodyCraft: T400 footprint, ASTM F2115 clearances
- Family Home Plans: one-car garage plans
- Garage Living: how much room you need to park
- The Plan Collection: garage design guidelines