Setting up a home gym

Cushioned floor mats! Especially if your unfinished basement is still just a cement floor!

I was doing a modified boot camp routine at work (trainer came in over lunch) and the only "padding" in the fitness center at the office was the commercial grade carpet. There are individual mats available but they got in the way of other exercises and people so I didn't use them very often. Needless to say my knees and back were killing me. I've now switched to his 5AM indoor class that's at a martial arts center so they have those thick padded mats on the floor - no more knee and back pain!

ETA - Obviously aTV with a DVD player if you plan on doing any DVD routines I have a treadmill in the spare room so if I'm not running outside, I can watch the morning news.

I recomend not having mirrors, you want to focous on form and be distracted by the mirror, also you want to pay attention to rest periods so you dont take to much time messing around between sets. The thing i had to go back and do is put thick rubber floor matts down to prevent damaging the floor when i drop weights. I also found having a clock around with a timmer on it is very helpfull. The other thing i like is i put a lock on the door, keeps little ones away from weights and allows me to stay undisturbed.

For a basement, I'd want as much air and light as possible.

Would make sure ventilation is as good as you can get it (clean out ducts), check for condensation & seal up any cracks, & get a dehumidifier if you need one.

Light: I'd have a number of light sources at different levels. I'd use bulbs like this (I know they're not eco, but they make everything feel so much better): http://www.elightbulbs.com/library/sylvania_soft_pink_light_bulbs_from_service_lighting.cfm

Disagree with no mirrors, I find them useful to catch unconscious form mistakes... I'd put them everywhere, actually - if you've got a window with any light at all, I'd put them strategically around the room as well to get that sunlight bouncing all over.

Make it as comfortable and ordered as possible. Invest in storage that makes sense for you, for loose things. (Cupboards with doors = less dusting, but slightly more annoying access than open shelves, I don't know what your best tradeoffs are!).

I think it's worth shooting for a coherent colour scheme if you can (stark walls or things not working together would bother me a lot).

But air and light quality would top my list.

edit: if there's any damp at all, would avoid fibres on the ground.

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Also - would just have a think about how you're likely to move about the room. Don't block your probable path, give yourself a good amount of clearance around things, etc.

And, if you think you'll keep them alive, a couple of plants make any space more attractive (we experience the fractal patterns in green things as calming, and while you want energy, it's ideal to approach a workout with a relaxed vs stressed attitude, I feel anyway.. )

Oh and I'd tidy up any wires (I forget what the word for the thing is that basically staples it along the floor edge, but that.)

Now you have all the regular equipment its about matts, mirrors and if you can - a TV.

I just got all my kit sorted, had a mirror and loaded up a bar for deadlifts (a fairly good weight but not my most). I did the deadlift and realised I didnt have a mat to drop it on if i needed to! i was there with a full extension wondering what to do! i had to do a controlled drop and risk injury so i didnt damage the floor or weights. Think about all of these things!

The TV and DVD player instillation was definately worth it. Now I have all of the stuff in place and can do my P90X in the gym which is perfect!

I have a hook for my towel and a whiteboard to track my lifts. I also have a tack board with pictures on it going back about 2 years for motivation. A good set of shelves for smaller plates, bands, chains, and other accessories. The next thing I need is a pair of good racks for the plates I use regularly. I will have to build a set to accommodate my small weight room. Are you considering any additional equipment, like a plate stack or cable pulldown?

I just got all my kit sorted, had a mirror and loaded up a bar for deadlifts (a fairly good weight but not my most). I did the deadlift and realised I didnt have a mat to drop it on if i needed to! i was there with a full extension wondering what to do! i had to do a controlled drop and risk injury so i didnt damage the floor or weights. Think about all of these things!

If you can't return the weight to the floor safely, you're lifting too heavy. A deadlift is both an up and down motion. I don't understand why so many people drop the bar when deadlifting.