Official Home Gym Building Thread

Martynt74 said:
Also, spot the weakling who's gone for the dumbells with shorter 10cm sleeves which leaves barely enough room to add weight :p

I worked out i can fit 3x5kg plates per side which gives me a 35kg in total. That's enough for me and if i need higher then i might pick up a single longer sleeved one for things like single arm rows where the extra length is less cumbersome.

I must say you can really feel the step up in quality with these which are from the M3 range vs the lower end stuff.

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20kg bumper on each side, sorted :D
 
Martynt74 said:
Also, spot the weakling who's gone for the dumbells with shorter 10cm sleeves which leaves barely enough room to add weight :p

I worked out i can fit 3x5kg plates per side which gives me a 35kg in total. That's enough for me and if i need higher then i might pick up a single longer sleeved one for things like single arm rows where the extra length is less cumbersome.

I must say you can really feel the step up in quality with these which are from the M3 range vs the lower end stuff.

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Click to expand...

I have the same exact ones... they are good. The collars will hold weights on even if they are only half-on the sleeve. I have the grey hexagonal plates Mirafit make and can fit 2x5kgs on each side but that's the maximum for those - if you had thinner steel plates I reckon you could fit more than that

Frankly though I don't really often do dumbell work that is that heavy so it's fine for me
 
Yeah, i have 4 of the thin white steel 5kg plates so i think i'd be able to add another one on at least as they're 17mm each, although not sure i'll ever need to. Good to know they'll still be ok whilst only half on too should i ever get to that level.

Similar to you i think i'll mainly do bar work as it's cheaper to add weight since i only need 2 plates for a plate each side, vs 4 for dumbells to keep balance.

I soaked some of the plates in vinegar last night and a decent amount of rust has come off, so hopefully once painted they'll scrub up fairly well.
 
Tidied the gym a little, painted the walls, bought an extra 50kg of weights - probably need to buy a few more but for now this will do. I will buy some adjustable dumbbells at the end of the month - I need ones that go to at least 40kg (more would be nice). The cable has been such a nice accessory exercise for me.

I might also buy a box for split squats, sure I can use the bench, but it doesn't half dirty it/damage it. I'm tempted to get some mirrors (it might also get the wife interested in the gym as it helps her with form etc...) - but nothing expensive just some laminate stuff.

 
Not worth just some loadable dumbells like i picked up? That way you can use your existing weights. Keeps costs down nicely was my logic.

I also saw the Mirafit split squat stand which appealed to me, but not sure i can justify more money on this until i'm confident of use, especially with limited space.

Adjustable too, and a decent pad to keep the ankle not at a weird angle.

https://mirafit.co.uk/mirafit-singl...d2I2ZydFAA_eqIaT706umUBoCm-AQAvD_BwE#447=5439

Used one here too depending on location
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19487793...Edrr70qByhgDLgoeeW9L-mgBb1OI47IhoCTHUQAvD_BwE
 
@Freefaller you have the perfect opportunity for wall mounting your weight storage and freeing up some floor space!

Also in terms of adjustable dumbbells my vote goes to the powerblocks, considering your needs they are one of the few that go all the way up to 40kg per hand. I would consider if you need to go this high with an adjustable set, and maybe supplement with a pair of stubby adjustable dumbbell handles, although i think the added extra cost is worth the convenience for you.

Check out sweatband.com

https://www.sweatband.com/products/...1-adjustable-dumbbells?variant=39835643019462

Base set £499.99 (up to 22.7kg per)
stage 2 £161.49 (increases cap to 31.8kg per)
stage 3 £169.99 (increases cap to 40.8kg per)

£831.47 - not cheap but neither would normal DBs if you went that route and brought them all separately.

One key bit of advise with adjustable DB's is dont go for a fix length set, if you do, you may as well go with the loadable handles and save some money.

Oh and paint that floor!! stops a load of dust kick back and is worth the effort :D
 
Yeah I need to seal the floor - but that means emptying the gym when the weather is nice - so need to bide my time.

I did toy with getting a set of DBs - but a handful but I think an alternative would be interesting. Maybe I can try loadable handles as an interim?

Yes I should think about wall mounting the weights. How sturdy are wall mounts?

@Martynt74 good call about that split squat stand, £40 seems well worth it.

I tend do only do 4 main exercises which I spent 80% of my session on (squats, deads, bench, shoulder press) then the 20% of the session is on accessory work, but I think I want to rebalance it to 70:30 as I feel that would be beneficial.

I do need another set of 25kg plates but they're also expensive.

Hmm I need to think about it. I allow myself £500 per year on gym kit so I have some time to think about it! :D
 
I dont personally have any wall mounts so cant comment, but ive seen plenty on a Garage Gym facebook page loaded up with 50-100kg of plates each, big chunky bolts help, so 3 each side of the rack would move then cover everything.

In terms of loadable DB's the biggest downside is the long fixed handle length. I cant praise my powerblocks enough, or even the other adjustable DBs out there that adjust in size depending on loading, its such a nice QoL element.

A basic rule of thumb for most weights out there is £2 per 1KG so if you factor that in to the range that a set of adjustable covers you are easily saving money even buying brand new.

While they may never be sold, they will be an investment, and even if they cost a bit more, they will resell.

You other option is to scour FB market place or ebay and keep an eye out for a good deal.
 
I'm not on Facebook!

Don't mind buying gym stuff. But will do some research. I might increase the size of my garage a little too to give me more space but one thing at a time!

Thanks for the info :)
 
Martynt74 said:
Hey, i got the above rack and built it over lunch. Do you have any idea what the holes are at the front. I don't see any reference anywhere, but seems odd that they're there!

Also how smooth are the threads for the adjustments? There's a few where the thread doesn't feel right on mine and wondering if that's a common issue or not.

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Landmine attachment
 
Freefaller said:
I'm not on Facebook!

Don't mind buying gym stuff. But will do some research. I might increase the size of my garage a little too to give me more space but one thing at a time!

Thanks for the info :)
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I think you might be able to search FB Market place without being on facebook. Not 100% sure, but its truly a great place to pick up bargains, it seems like most of the ebay/gumtree crowd have migrated over to there due to ease of use.
 
Syla5 said:
I think you might be able to search FB Market place without being on facebook. Not 100% sure, but its truly a great place to pick up bargains, it seems like most of the ebay/gumtree crowd have migrated over to there due to ease of use.
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Might get the wife on the case as she's quite good at that stuff. Thanks for the idea.
 
Syla5 said:
A basic rule of thumb for most weights out there is £2 per 1KG so if you factor that in to the range that a set of adjustable covers you are easily saving money even buying brand new.
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Is that the going rate for second hand plates? Since treating myself to new plates, I'm considering selling my old ones as I could do with clearing up some space.
 
Street said:
Is that the going rate for second hand plates? Since treating myself to new plates, I'm considering selling my old ones as I could do with clearing up some space.
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I found it depends on the type.

I bought some of the cast iron plates that a lot of metal fabrication places were knocking out over lockdown and they tend to be closer to £1/kg

Then there's an ex commercial dealer locally that sells tri grip rubber plates for £1.50/kg

Then proper rubber bumper plates seem to be a notch above that again.
 
Try facebook market place and join a few specific groups and you can share the add in there. No fees selling that way and you are hitting a target audience. Garage Gym UK is a good starting page and go from there. I sold my GHD in less then a week after doing that.
 
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