Official Home Gym Building Thread

Psymonkee said:
Still fighting for space in my garage! :(

Apparently we need to keep some decades old hand tools that belonged to my grandad because pancake. Seriously! No sentimental attachment or anything :\
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Old tools always come in handy!

If you have some rafters, perhaps board them so you can store stuff in the ceiling of the garage?
 
Psymonkee said:
Already full of boxes of an undetermined nature! :(

Gonna go nuts at the weekend and tidy some more space!
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before i started buying my home gym stuff, i had to spend 4 weeks clearing out my garage, it was literally packed with stuff from top to bottom, side to side.

you could even sell anything metal as scrap metal at a local dealer. you will be surprised how much money it's worth, especially if your never going to use the stuff.

people for some reason love hoarding crap they have no intention of using because they spent money on it. my dad wanted to keep a metal lifting trolley thing he hadn't used in 15 years, because it cost £50 from b and q.

even the stuff he made me keep, i have been slowly getting rid of, its not as if he even remembers what any of it is.

i also spent a full week clearing out the attic, i wanted everything gone, but he wanted to keep a lot of crap which has been sitting there doing nothing for 15+ years.

it's all going to have to go when the extension is done, otherwise he is going to have to keep all the crap in his own room, then we will see how he likes keeping all that useless junk for no reason.

fair enough if your storing something useful, but if you haven't used the stuff in over a decade, then it has to go.
 
Spot on.

My mother for some reason wanted to keep the ancient Sony CD changer that had been in her two previous cars which worked with the head unit until that recently popped it's cloggs. She's had a new headunit for about 2 months now and is buying a new car.

Despite Sony no longer making HU's that use that CD changer connection she still wanted me to remove it so she could keep it for the future incase she ever used it with a headunit. I had to explain over and over that it was now worth nothing due to being about 15 years old.

The amount of 'just in case' stuff people keep is staggering.
 
Advice on mat options

Wonder if someone could advise on their thoughts on the below different mats. Both come in around the same after shipping. I think I've seen the Vulcan before, but with the dimples facing down. Just wondered if Mat 2 would offer more traction.

Mat 1

Mat 2

It's funny that I've been on & off this forum for years, but never thought it would be such a good resource for setting my home gym up.

Thanks
 
halo1234 said:
Wonder if someone could advise on their thoughts on the below different mats. Both come in around the same after shipping. I think I've seen the Vulcan before, but with the dimples facing down. Just wondered if Mat 2 would offer more traction.

Mat 1

Mat 2

It's funny that I've been on & off this forum for years, but never thought it would be such a good resource for setting my home gym up.

Thanks
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no problem, thats what the thread is intended for, helping out people who want to set up a home gym, the proper way.

i would go for strength shop mats personally.

https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/rubber-gym-mat-6-x3-12mm-thick.html

they will need to be doubled up when dead lifting heavy though as even though they are 12 mm, they feel a bit too thin for my liking (i also have 17mm mats which are much better for dead lifts but they cost 3 times as much so better off doubling up and save a 1/3).

there is a few people on here that have gotten these mats and they are the best value for money option i find. but as i said, you may find you want to double some of them up, so order a few extra. in future i will doubling all of mine up, the full lot.
 
Thank you, that sounds like the way forward. I'm going with the 'Premium Strength Package', from powerhouse. Now my dilemma is my gym membership runs out early feb. However there 10% off this weekend. I'm wondering if they will have a sale early Jan too? I'm also trying to locate a good GHR machine.

Thanks again
 
Also what are peoples thoughts on this bench

I'm just concerned about the capacity & warranty. So I'm currently 103kg & 1RP 165kg. The people at the shop are very helpful & confirmed it was rated to 800lbs.

Just wondered what people thought.

Thanks
 
halo1234 said:
Thank you, that sounds like the way forward. I'm going with the 'Premium Strength Package', from powerhouse. Now my dilemma is my gym membership runs out early feb. However there 10% off this weekend. I'm wondering if they will have a sale early Jan too? I'm also trying to locate a good GHR machine.

Thanks again
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GHR is expensive and i would recommend holding off if money is an issue and get the essentials first then get one later on.

iirc powertec and body solid do some good ones

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/back_machines/powertec_hyperextension___roman_chair/12178_p.html

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk..._roman_chair_back_hyper_extension/7102_p.html

there are a few other companies which do some good ones too

strength shop (the mat place) has some really good ones too, look through their site.

halo1234 said:
Also what are peoples thoughts on this bench

I'm just concerned about the capacity & warranty. So I'm currently 103kg & 1RP 165kg. The people at the shop are very helpful & confirmed it was rated to 800lbs.

Just wondered what people thought.

Thanks
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your 270kg of weight now, in the future you should be more, personally if it was me, i would be looking at a 1000lb bench just to be on the safe side. you will be keeping it for life i presume, so better to spend a little extra imo and be safe than sorry
 
For the rack I feel I'm ok with the CF475. My max squat is 180kg & the unit is rated to 363kg. I just struggle to feel confidant in the bench doing what I need it too. The bench top is supported by 2 thin struts & I don't feel comfortable with that. I can't find a bench from powerhouse that looks up to the job. So I'm going to try & order the rack, pulley & weights from there & find a bench elsewhere.

Saying all this the bodymax stuff only has a 12 month warranty.

This bench might be up to the job.

Thanks again for the help
 
halo1234 said:
For the rack I feel I'm ok with the CF475. My max squat is 180kg & the unit is rated to 363kg. I just struggle to feel confidant in the bench doing what I need it too. The bench top is supported by 2 thin struts & I don't feel comfortable with that. I can't find a bench from powerhouse that looks up to the job. So I'm going to try & order the rack, pulley & weights from there & find a bench elsewhere.

Saying all this the bodymax stuff only has a 12 month warranty.

This bench might be up to the job.

Thanks again for the help
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if your looking at that sort of money, then you should get the same bench as me

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...decline_benchfull_commerical_grey/7080_p.html

i have that bench - rock solid

i also have the preacher curl attachment and the leg developer attachment.

powertec attachments will fit too, like the pec fly and leg press

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...bench_leg_press_accessory__npton/14085_p.html

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...rtec_workbench_pec_fly_accessory/11756_p.html

these attachments are expensive, so i have yet to buy the above 2, but i know for a fact the pec fly works with the body solid bench, i recommended it to my cousin and he got it, fits perfectly, so i assume the leg press will do also.

lifetime warranty on bench, cant get better than that.
 
Thanks guys, put my order in. Went for the CF430 Bench in the end after reading the reviews here & on other forums. Just need to sort the garage out now.

Thanks again
 
I'm going to put up some before & after pictures once it's nearly complete. I've got some time off from the 19th onward. So I have all my stuff arriving then.

I collected some 4x6 20mm stable mating today for the floor. Must be 40kg per mat!

Thanks again
 
halo1234 said:
I'm going to put up some before & after pictures once it's nearly complete. I've got some time off from the 19th onward. So I have all my stuff arriving then.

I collected some 4x6 20mm stable mating today for the floor. Must be 40kg per mat!

Thanks again
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i have 2 mats which are 4x6 foot and 17mm, they were easily 35kg+ and a struggle to carry on your own, because they wriggle a lot.

solid mats though, i wish i had a cheap supplier of stable matting near me, i have looked around but found strength mats the best option really, even though i will need to double them up, it still works out cheaper than the 17mm mats i have.

i should have a new home gym in 2012, the garage will be getting re-built into a part of the home, made larger too and connected to our hallway, as well as our new bigger kitchen, and a new downstairs toilet/shower wet room.

basically as soon as i finish my workout i can go straight into the shower, then straight out into the kitchen.

can't wait, it's going to be a dream come true, my gym will then see a lot more usage.

my bro has also just recently started using my weights, think he just turned 16 a month back.
 
I've been training with just dumbbell exercises because I don't have a bench but now I feel like I want to take it a step further and get a bench.

Problem is my budget will only be limited. I only have a small set of free weights at the moment so I'd have to buy heavier ones.

How much could I expect to pay for a beginner setup?

Cheers
 
Tom_D said:
I've been training with just dumbbell exercises because I don't have a bench but now I feel like I want to take it a step further and get a bench.

Problem is my budget will only be limited. I only have a small set of free weights at the moment so I'd have to buy heavier ones.

How much could I expect to pay for a beginner setup?

Cheers
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dumbells you need iron masters really

http://www.valleyfitness.co.uk/Adjustable Dumbbell/quicklock-adjustable-dumbbell

£475

put it this way, my dumbells cost me roughly £1.3K second hand for a full setup, brand new would have been £3K easy.

so iron masters are the best option.

then if you feel you have outgrown the weight you can buy an add on attachment.

http://www.valleyfitness.co.uk/Adjustable Dumbbell/quicklock-120

£250

or buy them at the start

http://www.valleyfitness.co.uk/Adjustable Dumbbell/quicklock-120-combo

£675


with this kit you can also use it as a kettlebell, all you need is the handles, they use the same parts.

http://www.valleyfitness.co.uk/Adjustable Dumbbell/adjustable-kettlebell

£100 per kettlebell (you only need one, but you could use 2 since you will have enough to make 2 and work with a partner, but some people do use 2 at the same time for some exercises).

a bench your also looking at roughly £200 for a half decent one. it depends on what you want to use it for? do you need it to be compact, fold away, or will it be kept out in the open?

body solid do a very good fold-able bench which can fit under, beds, in closets, etc, which is good if you need the space.

matting is going to cost you another £150 roughly i would say also, i would double up the strength mats and buy 6 of them.

so if your looking for a bench, dumbells and matting your looking at £850 ish.

which tbh is a lot of money for such a basic setup. i would recommend leaving the dumbells, buying a rack, a bench and an olympic barbell kit and matting, which should come to around £1K. then in 2 years time buying iron masters.

a home gym is expensive if you want the proper equipment, it's really only for hardcore lifters i would say. you would be much better off joining a gym tbh.
 
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