Minimum Equipment for a Gym?

[halexis91]

Hi Ladies,

I'm thinking of investing in a home gym for convenience. Theres a good sized garage at the side of the house so I'm planning to set it up there.

A friend of my boyfriend is giving away a bench/squat rack with leg mechanism for leg raises, barbell with weights and dumbbells with weights. He's not sure how much weight in total but its no less than a 100kg. I also already have some resistance bands.

Basically I want to know if this is enough equipment to be able to continue making progress at home? I don't want to change to a home gym if I'm not able to afford enough equipment to get a good workout in.
For example I wont have cables, are the resistance bands a good enough substitute?

Thanks x

[LunaLifts]

Absolutely. I started with just a pair of DBs, then a bar, then worked on collecting plates. Once I had enough plates for my lifts, and to progress on them, I make a rack, and safeties. No bench yet, but you've got all of that, and then some. Anything else you could need at some point would just be more plates, but it sounds like you wouldn't for quite some time.

You can run most solid routines with the free weights alone.
And if the bands provide enough resistance, yes they can sub for cables. If they aren't enough resistance/you need more resistance for certain exercises, they're relatively cheap anyway. I think Walmart even has a band that goes up to 60lbs of resistance, and DSG has a range of them from like 10 to 100.

[anandagirl]

All I want is a power rack, barbell and weights. That is all I need, that is all I want. Everything else is fun bells and whistles, but the compound barbell stuff is where it's at. I would need more then 100kg for deadlifts and maybe someday squats, but for everything else, it's plenty

[halexis91]

Amazing, thanks for the replies ladies. I'm quite excited to start building up now.
I'm going to see the equipment this weekend so will let you knowhow I get on.

I've got to a point now, I'm so sick of waiting for equipment at the gym and feeling like I'm wasting my valuable time waiting around.

Luna, do you still attend the gym or do you do all workouts at home now?

Anandagirl have you started collecting any little bits for your home gym yet?

[aquamarine84]

Plates are easily aquired so don't let that part hold you back.

Personally, I started with a 16lb bar, a set of 4lb dumbbell handles, a bench and a few assorted plates. Since then I've also added a freestanding squat rack, EZ bar, a second identical set of dumbbell handles and now have over 250lbs of plates. I do plan on adding a hex bar and maybe going to a power cage. The good thing about a home gym is that you can add equipment as you need it.

Having said that, one of my CPT classmates pointed out I had almost completed my certification and had never had a formal gym membership. I now use my home gym maybe once a week. Waiting on equipment isn't so bad really, and I have access to machines I'd never dream of owning on my own.

[LunaLifts]

Luna, do you still attend the gym or do you do all workouts at home now?

I've never regularly attended the gym since I've been lifting (almost 3 years), I've probably been to a gym a half dozen times (including hotel gyms, all but two visits were while on vacation).
I still don't have all I'd like, but between a bar, plates, and and the DIY rack/safeties I can manage a solid routine.

[anandagirl]

Anandagirl have you started collecting any little bits for your home gym yet?

I have not small town, that stuff never seems to be around at garage sales, etc. and we aren't in our forever home so I'm not going to buy full priced anything. In the meantime I will dream

Let us know how it all goes!