Skip to main content
Phone Number +1 806-576-0773
     
Country Club Villas in Amarillo TX
Country Club Villas in Amarillo TX

Building Your Workouts for an Apartment Gym

Apartment communities often include fitness centers so that residents can stay active. The gym will likely feature cardio machines, free weights, and a variety of strength training equipment, but it won't be as extensive as a commercial gym. Still, apartment community gyms have everything you need to complete a comprehensive, full-body workout, all without driving to a gym or having to pay for a membership. Take our community for example: Country Club Villas in Amarillo, TX. We have a bright & sunny fitness center with cardio machines, free weights, medicine balls, yoga mats, and professional rubber flooring for extra grip. Using a mix of weights, cardio equipment, and body-weight exercises, our residents are able to get in a full body workout using the space.

Of course, in order to take full advantage of your apartment gym, it's important to develop routines that utilize the equipment and space. Regardless of the size of your apartment community's fitness center, we can help you build robust workouts that will meet all of your fitness needs.

Cardio Workouts

Apartment gyms almost always have at least two cardio machines, and sometimes up to a dozen. These may include treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and/or recumbent bikes. Cardio machines help you maintain steady effort over time or allow you to plan an HIIT routine with varied intensity.


Treadmill, Elliptical, or Stationary Bike

First, choose your machine. Everyone has their own preferences based on their workout style and body-type. If you love to run, pick the treadmill. If your knees aren't what they used to be, a recumbent bike is ideal. Sometimes, you might even find a rowing machine which is a great way to get in cardio while also strengthening your arms, back, and core. The good news is that working cardio into your routine can be executed using any kind of available cardio equipment.

HIIT Routine

o HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. These routines mix bursts of effort with more relaxed effort in rapid, timed cycles. For treadmills, this means alternating between sprinting and walking. For ellipticals or bikes, you could vary speed, resistance, or both.

o Pro-tip: high-energy music will help you get pumped up for HIIT routines.


Long-Distance Routine

o A long-distance routine is great for building stamina. Choose a pace you can maintain steadily and go for as long as you can. Your distance and workout times will increase as you get stronger.

o Use pump up music, nature walk scenery, or entertainment to help you stay focused.

A woman is running on a treadmill with a screen and the number 4502 on it.

Movie and Cardio Routine

o If you like to turn your brain off for cardio, put on a movie, your favorite tv show, or a good podcast and push yourself as hard as you can.


Strength Training Workouts

Many apartment gyms have free weights available. You may find a collection of dumbbells, kettlebells, weighted balls, or even a weight bench. Sometimes, there is a power cage or press machine, but this is not guaranteed.


Dumbbells and Weight Bench

Dumbbells are small bar weights meant to be held in one hand each. A weight bench/barbell typically comes with a long metal bar on which you can load weighted plates. However, similar exercises can be done with either dumbbells or barbells. Choose weights that you can handle safely. Increase your reps, sets, and/or weights as your strength increases over time. A strength training workout for apartment gyms will be a combination of weighted exercises.

A gym with a purple mat and a row of exercise balls.

Straight and Pronated Curls

o Straight curls involve facing your wrists toward the ceiling. Pronated curls or hammer curls are when your hands face inwards. You can do straight curls with dumbbells or a bar, and pronated curls with dumbbells only.


Chest Press

o Chest presses are your classic bench press where you hold the weights above your chest and bend and straighten your elbows to lower and lift the weight. You can execute chest presses on the floor/without a bench if your apartment gym only has dumbbells.


Bent Over Rows

o Bent over rows involve leaning over the floor and raising the weights from a full arm extension and into your chest. Rows are a fantastic way to exercise the back and arms.


Dead Lifts

o Deadlifts involve lifting heavier weights from the ground primarily using your legs and core. This can be done with dumbbells or a barbell, but make sure to start very light as this can be a very strenuous exercise with heavy weight.


Overhead Press

o Overhead presses involve lifting the weights from your shoulders to a near full extension above your head. This is another exercise to begin with light weight in order to keep your shoulders safe and healthy!


Flexibility Workouts

Flexibility workouts can be done on the floor with a thick carpet, yoga mat, or gym mat. You can also bring your own rolled yoga mat if your apartment gym doesn't have any available. Flexibility workouts can be done with stretching, body weight, resistance bands, or small dumbbells.

A group of people practicing yoga in a row.

· Stretch and Warm Up

o It's a good idea to stretch out on the wall and floor before any workout. This prepares your muscles and tendons for exertion. Stretching improves performance, reduces workout pain, and minimizes your risk of injury.


· Yoga Routine

o Whether you practice yoga or are just getting started, you can use your gym floor space to explore your full range of motion. This can help you build flexibility and strength gently over time.


· Weighted Floor Exercise

o You can combine floor exercises with small barbells to increase the strength training elements of stretching and work out specific muscle sets.


· Resistance Band Routine

o Resistance bands can be used to do Pilates, strength, and flexibility training in your apartment gym.


Apartment Gym Tips

Using your apartment gym is a great way to stay fit with high-end equipment that’s only a short walk from your front door. Of course, like any shared space, there are a few best practices that can help you have the best time.

1· Bring your own entertainment and headphones for music or movies

2· Wipe down machines before and after

3· Pack a gym bag that travels with you
       a. Bring a water bottle
       b. Use proper workout headphones or earbuds
       c. Bring a fresh towel
       d. Have the right shoes, yoga mat, or other gear

4· Respect others' workouts

5· Build a schedule if there's competition for machines


Apartment with a Gym in Amarillo, TX

If you’re in search of an apartment with a gym in Amarillo, TX, then come visit us at Country Club Villas Apartments. Our fitness center has a treadmill, elliptical, recumbent bike, a full rack of dumbbells, weighted medicine balls, yoga mats, and a workout bench for your enjoyment. We provide many different options for building your ideal apartment gym workout. Finding an apartment with a gym is a great way to save money and stay active. Contact us to book a tour today.

Testimonials