Building a Home Gym

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hi
My gym membership is running out in Oct. and I’m thinking I want to get set up at home. Just wanted some input on a couple things.
I looked at a 300lb. Olympic weight set for $228.00 and I have read that you need an expensive bar but honestly I can’t see much difference. Is it really justifiable to spend extra coin on a better bar? As far as the plates go I’m sure their fine. I’m not planning on dropping them from waist high clean and jerk style.
Also, as far a a bench go’s, I do decline presses at the gym but alot of the benches I was looking at don’t decline much so I wonder why? Do most BB not do decline presses? Is their another excercise that does the same thing?
I was pricing a power rack but I’m not sure I want to spend $500 on a half dozen 2X2 square bars. I can build it for $150 and a few hours with my drill press so I might go that route.
Thanks for your time ppl…

mig

2

A good bar is well worth every dime you put into it. The cheap bars don’t last to long if you are seriously lifting and they can also be dangerous.
http://www.ivanko.com/products/html_stuff/article4.html
Ivanko makes a good bar, there is also the texas powerbar that is very reasonable. Spend the coin on a good bar and shop around for used plates and dumbbells. Someone is always selling their home gym for pennies on the dollar.

3

As Sybold says, plates are plates, pretty much (for Olympic, but if you go standard, be aware that Ivanko standard is slightly larger than every one else’s). And if you plan on going heavy, the better quality bar is a must.

And if you have the skill and equipment to put your own cage together, go for it. I got mine 2nd hand for $150.

Depending on the floor surface your gym will be on, I’d suggest going with stall mats or bumper plates. Stall mats might be the better choice, as it will protect the floor from dumbell drops as well. Don’t get them at a gym supply chain. Instead, go to a feed and tack supply store – much cheaper. Two 4’x6’ mats minimum.

4

I recently put together my own home gym. I didn’t spend thousands of dollars on the best quality stuff, but I did get some good stuff that will last a long time and suit my needs.

As for a power rack, you can find them for less than $500. I paid $264 for a Body Solid power rack that does what I need. Sure, I’d rather have the Elite power rack, but I don’t have the money to spend on it. So shop around for a power rack. Body solid, Powerline and others make good racks for under $300. Some offer free shipping online as well.

I was going to get a bench that had incline, decline and flat settings, but they were expensive. I bought just a flat bench, and you can easily make it decline by putting two, 45lb plates under the end of it (CW recommends this).

As for an Olympic bar and set, I got the standard 300lb set from a local sporting goods store for $115. It has a lifetime guarantee and will suit my needs, as I won’t be squatting or deadlifting more than 400lbs at any point (I’m 5’4", 150lbs). So it suits me just fine. If you’re going to be using more than 400lbs in any lifts, or if you’re going to be competing in powerlifting (or using Olympic lifts), then you may want to upgrade to a better bar.

You can put together a nice home gym for under $1,000 and have almost everything you need.

I spent about $600 and it includes: power rack, flat bench, Olympic weight set, EZ bar, several hex dumbbells, weight tree, and black mats. In addition to that, I already had Swiss balls, medicine balls, dragging sled, over 100lbs in Olympic free weights, jump rope, kbells, chinup bar and pushup bars.

So you can do it for less and have good quality stuff. Also, you can make a few things yourself if you have the tools and know-how.

5

It really depends how serious you are. It’s hard to beat a quality bar. If you are really going to use it daily(or at least every other day), then you should suck it up and buy a quality bar that will last. You dont want your bar to bent within the first year of home workouts.

Plates are a different story. Get them local to avoid shipping charges. And if you can get them used. Weight is weight and unless you do any dropping or throwing I don’t see why you need expensive plates.

As far as declines go, just get a quality flat bench. When you want to do declines just throw two 45 lb plates under the leg. This will give you plenty of decline and save you from buying two benches.

I guess you could build a power rack if you have the tools and the skills. I don’t really think there is a substitute for a quality rack. There is just so much you can do with on thing. And I don’t know if I trust a home-rack to spot me when I have 500 lbs on my back.

6

I bought a 300lb set from Dicks for $99, then I got a Texas Power Bar from my old High School coach. I also bought a used bench (incline and flat in one unit) from the high school. Next came a Body Solid rack, which has never let me down in 5 years of extremely heavy lifting. I got some adjustable dumbell bars and I was set. I could’ve gone on with just that as my base, which I did for a while, then slowly I added on…
Next came the bumpers and a York Competition bar…

7

Natedogg wrote: “As for a power rack, you can find them for less than $500. I paid $264 for a Body Solid power rack that does what I need”

Thanks…Its great you US folk can buy stuff so cheap but here in Canada the cheapest I’ve seen is $500 for basic model and easily $800 for better quality. As for making my own, I can use steel thats at least twice as thick as what I’ve seen.

You know I just love this site and the people here are awesume.

mig

8

Check out Elite’s article, Sick of your Gym. http://www.elitefts.com/documents/sick-of-your-gym2.htm

As for a bar, use the normal one till you bend it. Then shell out for a power bar, and keep the bent one for rack pulls, deadlifts, and any heavy pulling work.

Getting out of a commercial gym is awesome! You are going to love it!

9

A lot of good advice already, but I’ll throw in my own experience as well. I put together a home gym a couple of years ago and got a cheap 300lb set for $115. It was just a start and I knew that I would be getting more weight and a better bar. Well…I’m currently in the process of ordering an Ivanko bar, because the bar that came with the set has started falling apart. The plating has started coming off and I have metal shavings all over my spare bedroom/home gym. This will just not do. Also, the cheap bars will not hold as much weight. The one I currently have had a sticker on it that said don’t put more than 300lbs on the bar. I go over 300lbs on leg work every week and frankly it scares me to death that the bar is going to snap and send splinters into me spine. The damned thing is alread bent too. My advice to you would be to get a good bar even if you don’t plan on going over 300lbs.

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Thanks for all the input everyone. Much appreciated.

mig

11

I’d like to strongly second what brider said - get some stall mats. Compared to anything else you’re purchasing, they’re cheap. And frankly, you’re not getting them for your floor, you’re getting them for you, particularly your knees. For the home-gym, it’s one of the best things you’ll ever do for yourself.
Tractor Supply has them at their web-site (search for “rubber mat”). I didn’t see any Canadian locations, so check with your local farm-goods store.

Good Luck.

T.E. Young

12

Mig - i agree w/everyone, getting out of a commercial gym is the best! I started in my dad’s garage, i had no friggen room in there at all! i started w/ a 300lb wt set from costco - it was a cap set, but i loved it! i did dead lifts, barbell hang cleans, barbell rows, barbell curls and bw exercises

eventually, i snagged stuff from e bay and off the local paper from people closing their gyms -

now i bought a new house, converted the 2 car garage into a gym - only complaint is low ceilings, so no barbell overheads, and my kettlebells are literally 2 or 3 inches from the ceiling

i bought a power rack from sorinex and had them custom design the height to fit my garage - i snagged all commercial equipment used from e bay or the paper as mentioned before - i hit a lot of gold mines so be patient and wait for a good buy - i have 1k lbs of ivanko olympic plates, i bought them for 175 $$!! a paramount adjustable bench from flat to incline & vertical, 3 sets of kettlebells, an ivanko bar (i donated the cap bar to my old middle school), hex d-bells and & pro style d-bells from a gym that closed down…an ivanko dumbell rack that holds 10 pairs of dumbbells - i snagged that baby for 110$, retail is 600 something bones! a dip bar, med balls, stability ball, 2 pulling sleds, sand bags…
so, trust me, be patient, people often sell stuff b/c they gotta get rid of it and just wanna make a quick buck
regardless, you dont need all this,home depot is great - i bought chains from there and set myself up with chains for suspended chain push ups,i’d be fine w/my a barbell, kettlebells, my sled, sand bag and pushing my truck - like i said, i was in a crammed garage space with simply a barbell when it all started - and my workouts were awesome - have fun & create your own dungeon, don’t let anyone steal your thunder, so create your own world my friend!

-zach-