No more waiting for equipment

[Simpske]

Putting togethor home gym. No more waiting for eq and listening to top 40. Walmart online has pretty much everything I need for under a thousand. 300 pound olympic set is 260 dollars. Bench with squat rack built in 300 dollars. Two more 45 pound plates 90 dollars. Weight tree 100 dollars.

I pay 100 a month at tge gym anyways for me and wife and daycare at 24hourfitness. So in less than a year I've recouped my cost. Can't wait to workout in my own gym without freakin earplugs stuffed in my ears.

[FltDoc06]

Built my own gym progressively over time, and whenever I am out of town and go to a commercial gym, it makes me realize how great it is to just walk up the stairs and use any/all equipment/plates that I want/need when I choose without having to take others into consideration. I do enjoy using a few extra machines/equipment that I don't have at home during those commercial gym visits, but that does not counterbalance the freedom of a home gym.

[michail71]

The Power Cage sold at Dick's is perhaps the best deal you can get price wise retail. Amazon doesn't even have anything in that range and quality. But the bench is separate.

[Simpske]

Dicks has better prices it seems. Fitness Gear 300 pound set for 209. In store pickup.

[gorbyak]

I would miss all the creepy guys working out in flannels and jeans. I totally like the idea of building my home gym but my basement is currently too cluttered. Are you buying mats? Mirrors? Craigslist is a godsend for some of this stuff too.

[mirroroferised]

I've had my home gym for years and love it. We have a family membership at our local club as well because it offers everything for the kids like karate and swimming and other activities but if we didn't do that, I'd be just as happy to spend some more money and keep upgrading at home. Nothing beats walking downstairs to workout without any distractions. You'll be happy with this decision I'm sure.

[Simpske]

I'll have to price some rubber mats. Saw some on craigslist for 50 dollars each. 1 inch thick sized at 4 foot by 6 foot.

[ajdahlheimer]

I've been a home gym guy for over 10 years now. Can't beat it.

OP did you buy the Gold's Gym brand olympic bench at Walmart?

[Simpske]

Haven't paid for anything yet. Just searching for the best mix of price/quality right now. The bench at Walmart was a Marcy Pro Olympic Bench PM-4200 for 280 dollars.

[ajdahlheimer]

Haven't paid for anything yet. Just searching for the best mix of price/quality right now. The bench at Walmart was a Marcy Pro Olympic Bench PM-4200 for 280 dollars.

Cool. Well I would recommend Gold's Gym products based on my personal use. I purchased a Gold's Gym olympic bench when I was 16 years old. Lifted heavy on the thing until I was 31. There was nothing wrong with the bench even 15 years later, I just wanted to upgrade to one that had more features like a curling station on the end and one that could be modified into a military press station. I gave my old one to a buddy and he still uses it. Since I got 15 quality years out of my last one, I definitely wanted to go with Gold's Gym again. Ended up buying one very similar to this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym...Bench/17164461 a couple years ago (except mine has a curling station/pad on the end) and I absolutely love it. $150 at Walmart. Of course, I already had the bar and all the plates. The weight is the expensive part when starting out. Barbells and dumbells are over $1 a pound now.

[Simpske]

I'll have to check out the golds gym stuff. I just checked the specs on the marcy pro 4200 on another site and the bar catches are only good for 300 pounds. So much for that bench.

[ajdahlheimer]

I'll have to check out the golds gym stuff. I just checked the specs on the marcy pro 4200 on another site and the bar catches are only good for 300 pounds. So much for that bench.

I've had 400+ on mine for what it's worth.

[broad.stance]

Putting togethor home gym. No more waiting for eq and listening to top 40. Walmart online has pretty much everything I need for under a thousand. 300 pound olympic set is 260 dollars. Bench with squat rack built in 300 dollars. Two more 45 pound plates 90 dollars. Weight tree 100 dollars.

I pay 100 a month at tge gym anyways for me and wife and daycare at 24hourfitness. So in less than a year I've recouped my cost. Can't wait to workout in my own gym without freakin earplugs stuffed in my ears.

You probably paid it back faster than expected. When estimating the time it takes to pay back the initial investment for a home gym people forget to include hidden costs. With me, my transportation and parking fees equaled my gym membership, and exceeded it if a program had me at the facility more than three days per week.

Not sure if they corrected the issue, but a few years ago Walmart plates were "around" the weight stamped on the side. Didn't listen to the warning and ended up with one 25 that was 22, and another 25 that was 26. (Took them back and got plates from craigslist.) Just a heads up so you'll be prepared to exchange them at a local store if necessary.

Congrats on the new gym. You're going to save a lot of money and time in the long run. There are a few drawbacks. Sometimes you'll go in and find some jerk who worked out the day before didn't re-rack the weights. Or the equipment manager isn't keeping up on maintenance and is taking his sweet time building a deadlift platform. Then there's the owner who won't buy a prowler. You put the request in last year, and he keeps saying "no" because of lack of space to use it inside or outside, but really you know it's because he's cheap.

[ajdahlheimer]

Broad.stance--the problem of plates not weighing exactly what they are supposed to is a common problem wherever you purchase them, actually. That's nothing new there.

[Garage Rat]

Good for you!
I have trained in my garage for the last 16 years and it is awesome.
You don't have to put up with anyone **** and can train any time.
If you have the basic stuff you are well on your way to a great home gym.

[Simpske]

Just not having to hear that boomy discotech aerobics music is going to be worth it. Even with headphones on I could feel that thumping reverberating in my spine. I will miss the hot tub and sauna though after my workouts.

It'll be fun just converting the basement into a workout room. Give me something new to obsess over.

[scullin]

Check out craigslist before going to a retail store. You cna get some ridiculous deals from people that are moving or just decided to stop lifting etc. I'm talking about .10 cents on the dollar is what I've paid for most things I've bought on craigslist for my home gym.

[michail71]

Dicks has better prices it seems. Fitness Gear 300 pound set for 209. In store pickup.

I don't like their bars though. I had one of them and it gave me all kinds of problems. The chrome flaked off of it way too much and was always coming unscrewed.

[Mike Spitzer]

Remember the classic 10 station UNIVERSAL gyms that were popular in the 70s and 80s ?
You saw them in Pumping Iron, pro gyms and college training rooms

I bought one in great shape from a gym going out of business for $500

I have it in storage in Virginia right now.
the reason ?
We have lived in South Florida for 30 years and hate to see how exponential urban growth has changed (ruined) the area.

So we hope to become Snowbirds
Live 8-9 months per year on some isolated land way out in the country at least 30 miles from nearest town (thus a need for home gym) and then spend only winters in Florida (but not South Florida any more)

Have not been able to start construction yet (the last 5-6 years of America's rapid decline have set up back) - but hopefully one day.

Michael Spitzer - Author - FITNESS at 40,50,60 and BEYOND

[tkdnj]

I recently added two things that put the finishing touch on my home gym:

Cable cross over machine - only about $400 since it uses your own free weights; I absolutely love it; very smooth for the price
http://www.amazon.com/Powerline-PCCO.../dp/B000VCHDSY

Leg Press / Hack squat combo
http://www.gymstore.com/Body-Solid-L...s-glph1100.htm

[DrivingIron]

A home gym is the way to go. Also, like others have stated look at Graigslist for gym eqiuptment.

[Fishman15]

You probably paid it back faster than expected. When estimating the time it takes to pay back the initial investment for a home gym people forget to include hidden costs. With me, my transportation and parking fees equaled my gym membership, and exceeded it if a program had me at the facility more than three days per week.

Not sure if they corrected the issue, but a few years ago Walmart plates were "around" the weight stamped on the side. Didn't listen to the warning and ended up with one 25 that was 22, and another 25 that was 26. (Took them back and got plates from craigslist.) Just a heads up so you'll be prepared to exchange them at a local store if necessary.

Congrats on the new gym. You're going to save a lot of money and time in the long run. There are a few drawbacks. Sometimes you'll go in and find some jerk who worked out the day before didn't re-rack the weights. Or the equipment manager isn't keeping up on maintenance and is taking his sweet time building a deadlift platform. Then there's the owner who won't buy a prowler. You put the request in last year, and he keeps saying "no" because of lack of space to use it inside or outside, but really you know it's because he's cheap.

Yea, the gym owner can be a cheap skate at times. Another thing you forgot to mention the home gym was lacking is the young, smokin hot hotties in tights smiling at you like you are 25 again...haha! Seriously though, I like to see other peoples routines and lifting techniques...

[baker]

I got all my racks and benches at Dicks. Got the weights at Play It Again Sports. Oly stuff at good prices.

[FltDoc06]

BTW - places like Play It Again Sports sometimes have good deals. I have a bench from there and I recently got 45lb plates about 25% less that you could buy anywhere else.

[JOHN GARGANI]

SIMPSKE: eventually, it may look like this:







yes, I am totally spoiled...

[Simpske]

Ended up getting a golds gym xrs20 and a Olympic cap 300 pound set to start. I'm sure there will be more to come, kinda like chrome on the Harley. You can never have enough.

[supersplish]

It's nice to have a home gym for those days when your schedule is a little cramped or the weather is bad, where you might not make it over to a public gym. Usually can fit the compounds in even on an otherwise very busy day.

[ajdahlheimer]

Ended up getting a golds gym xrs20 and a Olympic cap 300 pound set to start. I'm sure there will be more to come, kinda like chrome on the Harley. You can never have enough.

Very nice looking set there, Simpske. That's a step or two up from the one I bought (and I absolutely love mine). I would recommend adding a Power Tower to your home gym. They are very affordable and it is amazing how many different exercises you can do on them. I always tell people that if I ever got to a point where I was not able to lift heavy anymore---I would just do exercises on my power tower and still be ripped. Pull-ups, dips, push-up, leg raises, etc. Things are sweet.

http://www.getgoldsgym.com/fitness/e...utm_medium=cpc

[mcours2006]

It's a good start. You'll keeping building it. I started with wooden benches and squat racks I built myself out of P/T wood so I could put them outside in the winter and bring them into the garage in the summer. I had a 300lb set of Oly weights and that was it for the next 20 years. They weren't pretty but they worked.

[GuyJin]

OP, that's a good start for a home gym. I use kettlebells mainly due to space limitations and health problems, but if I had the space I'd go with the simple power rack, bench, chin and dip bar and a boatload of free weights. You can't go wrong with the basics.