My friend has 1000 dollars to spend towards a home gym, and he’s considering getting a bowflex. I’m trying to convince him otherwis, and I need y’alls help. Where and what can he get for 1000? I’m thinking an olympic set, a power rack with a bench for incline and flat bench, and then some powerblocks. If anyone knows where to get this stuff cheap, and what he can get for 1000, it would be much appreciated. Thanks
Yes, power rack/squat cage, free weights, flat bench or adjustable. Adjustable dumbbell handles if you want to go cheap, Power Blocks if you have the money. Good choices. Buy the weights at a sporting goods store, ie no shipping charges. Caps brand is super cheap. But get better quality bars and other equipment off the net. New York Barbell seems to be good. Search for their site with google. Ironmind has top notch bars and dumbbell handles.
Steve is right, and so are you. If he is going to move any weight at all, and will be working out alone at least some of the time, he needs a power rack. NY Barbell is at newyorkbarbells.com
I highly recommend New York Barbell equipment their prices are reasonable but their quality is exceptional. Depending on where you live you may be able to find a store that sell their brand. You won’t find NYB in major sporting goods stores, at least here in Philly NYB they aren’t. Good Luck!
I think you are right on with what to get. It should be relatively easy to get that for 1k. Look in the yellow pages under Exercise equipment-specialty retailers. Also, ebay has some steals going on every so often, just stay away from having it shipped, you need to pick it up or you’ll get soaked on shipping.
Hell, I wish I’d had $1000 to start my gym. With $500, you can get a bench that has a built in pulldown, leg-extensions,preacher curls, and “squat rack” (which is useless for squats, but really helps on bench presses without a partner), 300 lbs of weights (sports authority is probably local and cheap enough), and some spin-lock dumbbells and barbells. I saw a decent home squat cage for sale for $149 at Sports Authority the other day, btw. Throw in a pullup chinup bar for around $25, and you’re set.
This is coming from a broke college student, but if you want to save money on a home gym, spend a saturday afternoon scouring garage sales for stuff. i got an adjustable bench, power rack, and olympic set for about $150 total.
$1000 is a couple years at a good gym. Being around knowledgable and helpful people on a daily basis in the gym is invaluable. I would try to convince your friend to join a gym over anything. Tackle him before he pays for a SoloFlex of BowFlex. Do what it takes. Friends don’t let friends…
bodysoild power rack + adjustable bench + lat machine plus Barbell and weights should put you around 1 grand. i powerblocks are cool but not worth for your friend right now. you might look into another adjustable bench though. the incline flat decline from bodysold that i have shakes… all the other stuff is solid though
Brent! What a timely post!
I just saw the new “Bowflex-Ultimate” commercials…the men and women hardbodies they had on them were AMAZING! I have to give “Bowflex” some Kudos. 1) They’ve survived the Exercise Equipment wars going on close to 20(?) years 2) They have an awesome marketing machine that works WITHOUT ever directlysaying (but implying VERY hard!) that the models got their unbelivable shape simply by using the “Bowflex”. 3) They can get their hands on some of the most awesome hardbodies around.
What I wish is that we could somehow get the routines that these models really use to get in such phenomenal shape. (Probably won’t happen, though…I would imagine that “Bowflex” has some stipulation in their contracts that doesn’t allow that type of thing. Wonder if Chris or T.C. know much about this area of the “Biz?”).
I agree with the choices the other guys have listed. But let me warn you…the “sexiness” and marketing sauvy of “Bowflex” is probably going to suck your friend in. (Nothing too “sexy” about a Power Rack!). Those guys could sell the proverbial ice chips to the inhabitants of the North Pole!
Ouch! I almost forgot that there are some very passionate “Bowflex” defenders on this site. So I wanted to answer the question right up front: "How do I know that those Hardbodies didn’t get the bodies they have simply by using the “Bowflex?”
Look, guys…with the Marketing Juggernaut that those guys have, that fact would have been exploited to the Nth Degree by now. Those models got those bodies the old fashioned way; Pushing Iron (not “rubberbands”), Cardio, Diet, and picking the right parents…that’s it…
Sam’s Club had a Weider set: squat rack, pull-up bar and high-pulley attachment, low-pulley attachment, bench that does incline and decline, preacher bench, 300 lb. Olympic barbell set and EZ-curl bar. I don’t remember the price but it was cheap as hell. Definitely less than $600 and had a 1-year guarentee. I’m not sure about the quality though.
One more time: BOWFLEX IS FOR FAGS!!!
You should be able to get all that for $1000 easily. My fiance and I are looking into home gyms and while we don’t need the ability to do every exercise known to man, we do need a wide variety.
Our current plan is this:
Olympic weight set (45lb bar, 300lb weight, in 5lb increments) $99 (closeout at copeland sports, new is $179)
Cap Barbell FM-3008 Stinger series ($249 +$80 s&h http://www.armyourbody.com) but I know he’s sold it on eBay for $171 plus shipping.
While this setup probably isn’t optimal for hardcore bodybuilding, I wouldn’t imagine a bowflex is either.
Also, eBay (http://www.ebay.com) has a pretty good selection and if you’re lucky someone living in your area will be selling off all their stuff and won’t want to ship it.
Good luck and search for weight bench or power cage on the internet, you’re bound to get something.
Get an adjustable bench, olympic bar and plates, squat rack or cage, and an adjustable dumbell set. There is a great article in this months Milo that explains in detail how to build a lifting platform. And with the money left over go buy a big fat steak to eat after your first lifting session good luck
Get an Olympic Barbell set (the 300lb set at most sports stores will do)some kettlebells, sandbags, 80-165lb keg for dino lifts, power blocks are pretty cool and a solid squat rack.
Mike Mahler
As stated elsewhere, you can easily get what is needed for the grand, probably with some spare change. I don’t think I’ve spent that much on what I have.
Go for a decent lifting cage and bench. Don’t have to go real fancy here. Having a chinning bar built into the rack is convenient. If the cage comes with a dip attachment, good. Otherwise get a dip station (or build one from pipes as I did, though it really doesn’t save that much $). DON’T skimp on the bars. Get quality. The plates you can get anywhere. In Washington, we have “Play it Again Sports” that’s a resale place where you can get plates pretty cheap (they have cages and other stuff as well). You may have something similar in your area. Add a dip belt and a low pulley station (or this may be built into the cage as well), and you’re set.