LOG # 106
Speed Bench
135lbs 10x3
Secondary work:
Decline chest press: 185lbs 3x6
Cable shoulder press: 20lbs 3x7
Triceps pushdown: 60lbs 3x11
Lat pulldowns: 115lbs 3x10
Machine rows: 120lbs 3x12
Hypertrophy for glutes:
Low bar wide stance squats: 135lbs 4x10
BB lunges: 100lbs 5x5 each leg
Hip abductor: 160lbs 3x12
Alright I need some pointers/tips for a home gym I will be putting together since me and hubby are moving with my mom for the time being, and the backyard is HUGE.
I’ve managed to place bricks fairly even enough and wide enough to support a squat rack. I might have to go over it again and level the dirt, so nothing is tipping or moving.
As far as weights go everyone can give me thoughts/opinions on equipment to use. Name brands or whatever else.
These are all the things I’m going to save up and get by Christmas hopefully:
Squat rack (preferably one with pull up attachments)
Two Barbells: Both Olympic probably
2 or 3 kettle bells ranging in weight
Dumbells. Going in increments of- 25,35,45, and 65 for the time being.
Bench
Chains
Giant tire for flipping
Plates: only getting 25s or 45s. 4-6 45s, and 2-4 25s.
Haven’t calculated the entire price yet but I’m working on it.
Are there any materials that I should look for when picking out stuff?
Will this fair well against the elements? Or should I look for an awning or covering as well?
Some of things I already have, and some of these things, I can find just by asking my dad or my brother.
So any help would be super duper appreciated. And does this look like a good initial setup? Or are there some essentials I’m missing? I’ll add more to the collection as I get more money.
You’ll definitely want at least an awning. A shed would be better. Quality of equipment wise, Elite FTS is an out and out winner. For value, see what you can source from private sales, closing or renovating gyms, etc. I also wouldn’t bother with chains, a tyre and kettlebells.
My list would be
That’s all you need, and limiting it to those items will mean you have more money to spend on quality products. Additionally, limiting yourself to those items will make you train more efficiently.
For the platform, will it fair well if there’s bricks under it? I do want to eventually just have some concrete poured into a slab, but I’ve got to work with what I’ve got at the moment.
Would eBay be a good place to look? Or Amazon?
As long as there’s so gym floor tiles it’ll be fine.
Neither Amazon nor EBay for equipment. Honestly, I’d recommend contacting Elite FTS directly and giving them the list I gave you. See what they can do. Try Sorinex as well, and talk to Mike at Lifting Large.
Should I get the plates from there too? And sorry you said that twice already, I’m not completely paying attention lol.
Also I kind of want to get some color bumper plates just to practice my C&J and Snatches particularly… I’m probably only going to go up to 35lb plates with that. Is EliteFST a good place too?
You’re looking at 2000-2100 for the lot from EFS.
Unless you have money to burn, forget bumpers, chains, kettlebells, etc. They’re completely unnecessary.
Here’s a screenshot of what I’d pick
Okay good to know.
To be honest I’m paying all of this myself. So I don’t even have nearly half of that money to spend. I mainly just want something I can improv on. I am by no means going to attempt to do anything heavy with the home gym. I’ll save all the maxing out and heavy stuff for the gym. My mom and husband probably want to use it too, so I’m trying to keep them in mind (if they don’t like it they won’t use it, I will but I’d like for them to be included)The rack I can most def. get from Elite, But I’m willing to get something cheaper, and then work my way up from there for perhaps the prowler, and the plates. The platform and power rack I can get for sure though.
I can for sure drop 1,000$. After that I’m struggling.
If you ditch the plates and prowler it gets you to 1200, and EFS may be able to help you out if you talk to them. That’ll get you a great bar, bench and rack. Plates you can get cheaper probably, they’re the least important. Prowler ditto. Hell, even a wheelbarrow with heavy shit in it would work and they would cost very little.
I can def. do that. 4 months should be easy to get there, maybe a month more or so.
I just wanna get something very durable and safe for my mom and my husband.
My stepdad and Husband offered to build everything for me, but the max would be 500lbs it can withstand, because they want to do it with wood. But wood is such an iffy material to use even if I cover it. I do appreciate that they are willing to do that but idk.
And I will be pissed if that thing breaks apart on me.
I am a few years away from your position while I finish up grad school, but when I get there, here is what I am going to do when constructing my own home gym on a budget:
Initially, I will buy a power rack with a platform, an adjustable bench, and a couple of bars from Elite FTS. This will all come out to ~$1,500. I will also buy 2 45 lbs bumpers and 2 25 lbs bumpers. Those are the only items that I will buy new initially (it would be all I can reasonably afford to purchase new at that time, most likely). I plan to find a set of used iron plates (4-45s, 2-25s, 2-10s, 2-5s, and 2.5s if included but not necessary) that are of a credible brand/manufacturer and at least aren’t rusted. They aren’t too difficult to come across. I already have an adjustable cast dumbbell set with an ez curl bar, which you can easily find used as well, and are fine for a budget instead of buying multiple dumbbells initially.
Now that is just what I plan on doing. If you prefer to buy everything new, that’s your call. However, if you do decide to buy everything new…
@MarkKO gives some great advice, but I don’t think you need to buy this many 45 lbs plates to begin with. Total that’s $600 dollars worth of plates + shipping for tonnage that you probably won’t be using anytime soon. 6 iron 45 lbs seems fine, especially since you plan on getting some bumpers eventually.
And while a prowler is a great tool to use, I don’t see it on your list of things, so I don’t think you need to make it an initial purchase if you’re on a budget.
Aaaaand during the time it took me to write that out, you guys addressed some of the points already hah.
@lil.greggy Nothing to worry. The reinforcement helps me not to forget. Lol. And I definitely want to go with that plan, at least for the power rack, TPB, and bench. Like mark said.
The prowler is something I REALLY want, but I just realized I have a husband and step dad, who are pretty handy, so I’d probably help them make a prowler. I’ve seen a lot of people make them on YouTube tutorials.
As far as the deadlift platform goes, you can also assemble those yourself so that’ll be another project I can work on with the guys.
The shed/awning is another thing I keep skipping over because that costs money too. However I think I can get a decent priced awning for 100$ or less if I really search. Then later I can just help build a shed.
And for the plates I honestly wasn’t even intending on going past 315 for at home stuff (I’ll leave the heavy max attempts for the gym). However there will be two guys here and while they aren’t powerlifters or weightlifters, a decent year of lifting will get them fairly stronger than me without even trying (that’s what I think in my head at least) So I do want to get maybe 2 more sets of plates.
Sounds good! While I can’t wait to assemble my own, I am not looking forward to that bill. I was gonna add in some 2.5 lbs plates to my recent order for other gear on Elite FTS and just two 2.5 plates increased my shipping cost by $40 bucks lol… No thank you
I wonder why equipment is so expensive. I can think up of a few reasons, but I still want to know.
I’m not either. But it gives me some peace of mind to know it’s money I purposefully used for that sole purpose. My Husband isn’t really someone who takes interest in things unless it’s constantly around him to stimulate him, but this is something I know for sure will help the entire house. Specifically my mom. She used to be a track runner/sprinter, and a dancing doll for bands. So she isn’t shy to the fitness game. Step dad used to be a boxer so he understand training to an extent (got his ass whooped a lot so he opted out).
Kelby on the other hand did Martial Arts, but nothing he did in highschool incorporated weight training or conditioning. My mom and stepdad are people who like complexes so that’s the main reason I want bumper plates, maybe some battle ropes, and a tire. The main stuff we talked about here is specifically for me because neither three of them have the skills to properly use it without coaching. I realize I’m no althelete but I do have the brains and intelligence to make myself understand programming and form one way or another on my own. Not saying my family or husband is stupid, but they just don’t really…get it. You know?
I do remain optimistic about them though. Hence that’s why I want to make sure they have enough weights to progress. And if they don’t then they just don’t (more for me lol) And I realize my patience isn’t long enough for that just yet. Plus I’d be a lot calmer if they were in an air conditioned facility, with a trainer, and even concrete flooring. This Texas weather is nothing to play with. I’ve been outside long enough during walks and hill sprints that I usually do. But they are not, and I would hate for one of them to fuck themselves up trying to do what I do in this Heat.
Glad to see you making fitness and health a household effort and trying to get them more involved in your programming. One day when I have kids I hope to make exercising a part of our bonding. My parents live healthy and active lifestyles, but weight lifting just ain’t their thing.
I can understand that. I do my best not to force anything on anyone, but I don’t want them to just get extremely sedentary.
