Home Gym

Rusko187 · 19 Apr 2018 at 12:37

I'm in the process of making a very amateur home gym, nothing too fancy but 1 thing I've toyd(sp?) with the idea of is building a squat rack so I can use it for a variety of things.

Has anyone ever attempted this? I'm really thinking something made out of wood if that is substantial enough.

Buffman · 19 Apr 2018 at 13:14

I imagine the cheapest / most safe material to build it out of would be scaffold poles, I recall seeing a self build gym out of scaffold, which you may be able to google

samcat · 19 Apr 2018 at 13:28

How much can you lift/do you lift?

Personally, power cage over squat rack.. More uses and a bit safer.

Eg https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirafit-Power-Rack-Weight-Lifting/dp/B00QACJQWK
Max weight 250kg, £140.

Squat most of us wont ever get near to 250kg, deadlift you do from the floor (generally) so no limit (unless on suspended floor....) and Bench again you probably wont get near to 250kg.

Shrugs are one exercise where you might regularly be pulling 250+kg (or that might just be me

), but if your a way off this then something like that would be ideal.

And you dont have to design/build it yourself, with which comes all the questions of 'is it strong enough AND stable enough?'

LAST thing you want is something going wrong with your safety equipment (which is what this is) when your having a wobble at your limit of lifting. And that doubt about the kit is also a problem, stops you progressing.

If you are prepared to go second hand, have a socket set AND have a way to transport (mate with a van, suitably bribed) you can find some absolute bargains about!

Kaka · 19 Apr 2018 at 13:32

Not really worth the risk, time and effort doing a self build. And certainly not made from wood.

You could try 2nd hand if funds are limited, as there are always good used equipment on sale.

kaptainmarc · 19 Apr 2018 at 13:41

by the time you've got all the wood and spent hours making it you may as well just buy a metal pre-made one which will do the job a lot better.

and if you don't use it you can always get some of your money back by selling it on.

sovietspybob · 19 Apr 2018 at 13:52

The missus would like some form of squat rack or similar, i said when i get my garage built i'll knock something up for her in the corner of that. I'll have to see closer to the time as i have no idea about gym equipment but if i DIY it it'll be welded and bolted out of mild steel, i wouldn't want to trust wood.

Salty22 · 19 Apr 2018 at 14:37

Just buy a decent power rack mate. Worth it in the long run, if your lifting alone the last thing you wanna be doing is risking stacking yourself and a wooden rack etc giving way.

I’ve got a bodymax rack, adjustable bench, Olympic bar, metal and rubber bumper plates, cable machine (not needed but nice luxury) and some cheap adjustable dumbbells

Mr.Cookie · 19 Apr 2018 at 23:20

I agree with salty22 and am currently awaiting delivery of a bodymax cf475, my brother has a mirafit m2 both seem to hold value well on resale for when/if me or the wife get bored of it

Participant · 20 Apr 2018 at 06:25

Wood....? No.

tom_nieto · 20 Apr 2018 at 06:49

Participant said:
Wood....? No.

Absolutely!

As suggested just buy one. I don’t think I would trust anything that I built out of wood to hold a dropped bar with weight on.

The sports arena thread has a home gym thread if you want to do a little light reading.

CaptainRAVE · 20 Apr 2018 at 07:53

Wood

Psycho Sonny · 20 Apr 2018 at 17:24

Rusko187 said:
I'm in the process of making a very amateur home gym, nothing too fancy but 1 thing I've toyd(sp?) with the idea of is building a squat rack so I can use it for a variety of things.

Has anyone ever attempted this? I'm really thinking something made out of wood if that is substantial enough.

Buy second hand.

I have circa £2K worth of gear on gumtree for £600 right now.

Nobody has even peaked an interest in like 6 months.

Also put it on ebay 2 months ago and not a peep.

It's all in as new condition too.

£1300 for power rack and lat pulley attachment and the bench is a commercial one (basically built like a tank and will last forever) costs £450 new. i also have extras i have acquired over time i'm chucking in.

if you have a van and can travel to glasgow. you will get bargain of the century off me. over £1100 off the new price. basically 1/3rd of the new price, 2/3rds off.