I finally managed to scrap around $1,000 for a home gym. Moving into a new house with an unfinished basement, and even the thought of having my own gym, my own stereo, my own equipment etc, just feels great.
I’m 18, and a student in University, and the gym is free to me, but its just so commercial. No powerlifting allowed at all (no deads, snatches, free barbell squats!). I’m also taking a one year leave of absence from school to get a job, and help parents with money, so I’m taking the opportunity to finally make a home gym.
What to get! I really have no idea. I know that I’ll need a dumbbell set going up to around 125, or 150 would be nice. A power rack (which brand?) for my squatting, benching, and what not. Also, pull-ups/dip bars. Hammer Strength machines? I’ll need lots of plates, bars, etc. Just new to this, wondering what names to trust, stuff like that.
I’ll be looking for deals on the equipment via Craigislist/eBay, because new shit is probably $$$.
Buy used if possible. Not sure where you live but a few gyms in my hometown (CT) recently updated alot of the stuff and were selling the older plates for cheap. Alot of gyms are switching over to rubber coated plates.
Powerlifting wise, this place has great racks, not a mono lift but get a squat rack that has a pull up bar built on and some have dip bar attachments. Then all you need is a bench. Look for used versions of stuff like this.
As for plates, rly anything will do, heck, sears sells a 300lb weight set. Since its gonna be used, see what you can get.
Buy the best bar you can afford. With a little bit of care it will outlast you.
I’ve seen cheap bars that were as much as 33mm in diameter. Even if you have large hands, this will effect your lifts, especially DLs.
Ivanko training bar = about $700. Elieko about $900. Try Glenn Pendlay’s site. I haven’t used his equipment but he’s highly respected as a coach so I doubt he would sell shit.
Rubber stall mats from a farm supply store
are about $75 each (4’ x 6 'x 3/4").
Set of DBs about $900.
You might have to get a second job.
You can eventually add dipping uprights, chinning uprights, etc to it. If you can find a used one, even better. They’re bulletproof, and I believe the Olympic Training Center in Colorado uses them.
As much as I would also want quality gear, I suggest cutting corners and looking for a reasonable deal first. As an 18 year old college kid, I would personally not expect to have top of the line shit. I know I don’t.
That ericsgym deal looks good to start. In a few years when you get some more money, sell the old shit for half its price and buy better quality. Doing it now may only buy you a few pieces of gear. Without a power rack, bench, and barbell, there isn’t much you can do.
So basically, I would personally go for the lower-quality shit right now. Save your pennies for the better shit a few years down the road, when you can comfortably afford a complete set of it.
Regardless of what you get, make sure you have enough ventilation/cooling in there. I end up going to the gym since my little dungeon is sweltering with this damn heat.
If I had to do it all over again, I would buy a powercage first and foremost. Add a bench, oly bar, 500lbs of weights, and a set of powerblocks that go up to at least 45lbs. With that setup you can do endless movements. Buy it all used, and you should be able to have it come in around 1k.
[quote]burbanky wrote:
Buy used if possible. Not sure where you live but a few gyms in my hometown (CT) recently updated alot of the stuff and were selling the older plates for cheap. Alot of gyms are switching over to rubber coated plates.[/quote]
Not to hijack this thread but why do you think so many places are switching over
Rubber plates have a less hardcore look to them than raw iron plates - I imagine to a nervous guy getting the gym tour who’s thinking of signing on, it appears more ‘modern’ for want of a better word and they make less noise and dont clang together. At the end of the day, it’s all about $$ for a commercial gym.
FWIW when I set up my own home gym, I had the option of raw iron plates or rubber coated - I went with rubber. Meh 20kg is 20kg and I could afford the slightly extra cost.
A guy at my work is selling a weider bench with an olympic bar and 255 pounds of plates for $200. I live in eastern PA and used to live in the baltimore area and its about a 2 hour drive. If your interested Ill get his contact info for you and you can try to work something our with him, Im willing to be he will drop the price if you make him an offer since its been for sale for a while now.
Look on craigslist. This past weekend I bought 9 pieces of gym equipment and 3 olympic bars for $200. This included an Icarian decline benchpress, a Cybex (not for certain) incline benchpress, 2 utility benches that IMO is heavier duty than the ones elitefts sells, a Pioneer lat pulldown with a 250# stack, an olympic flat bench press and some other items that aren’t all that heavy duty. They came out OSU’s weightroom or so the guy told me. Yeah, they need some paint and upholstery but this was a once in a lifetime find. You can find some great deals if you keep your eyes open.