Building my own home gym, guide me :D

[The.Juice]

Well, I canceled my gym membership to Life Time Fitness the only one close to me, and at 60$ a month + driving there after work when it's crowded w/ the 15 year olds who max 135 and then walk around was getting real old real fast. So I've decided to spend the money and start my own home gym.

My budget for now is ~$750, after reading the many threads on here how the bowflex fails, I decided not to go that route. So here's what I've put together for now, any other suggestion/comments/critiques on this is much appreciated. I have 300lbs in free weights for my Olympic bar already.

Dumbell set - ???

Bench - I can't post links, but on amazon type "bench press set" and it's the first link

Curl Bar - $45 Cap Barbell Olympic at Sports Authority

[JC_Strongman]

Power Rack, Barbell, FID Bench, Weights.

/thread.

[Galindo62]

I think the first thing you should get is a power rack

[StevenNevets]

Half rack is working just fine for me.

Start checking craigslist.

[umop3pisdn]

I've got a set of dbs, a power rack with free weights and olympic bar. That's all I ever use and I'm going to get a lat pulldown machine soon. I'm pretty sure those are the essentials for a home gym.

edit: you sure don't look 190lbs

[thebear217]

Set mine up about 6 months ago. Simple squat rack (which is soon to be replaced with a power rack), olympic barbell plus adequate weights and a good quality 'utility' bench. Job done. If you pull heavy or train olympic lifts and depending on what your floor is made of you might need a platform and/or bumper plates but I've made do so far without either.

[The.Juice]

how tall is a power rack...i'm in my basement and just a normal 8 foot ceiling

EDIT

just shy of 7 feet.

Thanks for all the help everyone. Right now, I'm looking at a normal flat bench w/ 4 different seat adjustments Vertical / Incline / Flat / Decline

Just need to find a nice set of dumbells.

[nutinbudapnut]

just get a power rack and use it as a bench
thats what my dad uses

[JC_Strongman]

Half rack is working just fine for me.

Start checking craigslist.

My pins broke on the spotters the first time I dropped a squat on my half rack. Saber style power rack > push pin anything.

[dBRAS]

op is 190

[TapouT_Jay]

check craigslist, people near your area might be getting rid of there old equiptment that you can take for free

[jrm629]

You can get a cheap power rack form sam's club. If you have one in the area, go to the website and have them ship one to your store.

[tolow4phathoess]

http://www.ironcompany.com/index.asp...OD&ProdID=2471

1 set of 15lbs dumbells
1 set of 20lbs dumbells
1 set of 25lbs dumbells

[MWZ90]

get adjustable olympic db's - they are awesome

[readyforthepain]

I've got a set of dbs, a power rack with free weights and olympic bar. That's all I ever use and I'm going to get a lat pulldown machine soon. I'm pretty sure those are the essentials for a home gym.

edit: you sure don't look 190lbs

yeah dont think he is

[EN0CK]

Spartan Sports bench for $150

Flat incline and decline benches, leg extensions curls and preacher curl, great deal. You wont even need that curl bar because you will have the preacher curl, and regular widebar is the best for building mass onto biceps.

On Dicks sporting goods, i cant put links in.

I know your price max is $750 but the bowflex select tech dumbbells are one of the best choices you can make. They are around $400 and they go up to 52 lbs.

[StevenNevets]

My pins broke on the spotters the first time I dropped a squat on my half rack. Saber style power rack > push pin anything.

Yea I don't trust the spotters for drops but I've never done that. I just use them to go to failure on bench.



For $350 I got a half-rack, olympic set, and adjustable bench w/leg attachment. Would've been so much more for a power rack.

[JC_Strongman]

Yea I don't trust the spotters for drops but I've never done that. I just use them to go to failure on bench.



For $350 I got a half-rack, olympic set, and adjustable bench w/leg attachment. Would've been so much more for a power rack.

I got a half-rack, 350 in oly weights + chinese POS bar, FID bench w/ leg and preacher, and lat attachment for the rack all for 350. And it's TuffStuff pre-china shiz so it's good quality. It just... broke. Lulz.