Official Home Gym Building Thread

[Martynt74]

Top man thank you! ---

Hi chaps,

First time poster so please go easy. I'm looking to kit out my 3x3m space (could potentially go bigger - 3x3.5/4m if worth it).

I've heard good things about Mirafit stuff. I'm considering this power rack:

Mirafit M200/M200S Power Rack With Barbell and Weights Set

Start your home or garage gym today with this M200 Series Power Rack Set. Includes a choice of either M200 or M200S rack, M3 barbell with collars and either 60kg, 100kg or 150kg of our black rubber bumper plates. Available in orange or black finish.

mirafit.co.uk

And then potentially some dumbbells - again, probably a set with stand.

I've also come across a peloton with a broken screen for 150. Is that a good deal? Are they ok bikes on their own? I have a 40" TV I intend to put in front of the bike. This'll likely be for my wife more than me.

I also like the workout rowing machines give. But this may be a squeeze?

Please...any thoughts? I'm looking to maintain current 100kg/6ft - swapping some tub for some more muscle mass and strengthen up my core. My wife will be looking to maintain weight and tone up.

Interested on thoughts on space too. Theoretically I can go much bigger - are there layouts for various sizes showing what gear is best bang per sq foot?

Edit; also, gym floor - is the Mirafit flooring tiles ok? They're 300 quid cheaper than Duramat (mainly for garages though to be fair).

Depending on budget/space. Consider adjustable dumbells. You can get the automatic ones, or ones you load plates onto similar to a barbell. They keep flexibility open, although standalone ones are better if you can afford them. Just can get expensive to have a full set, as for 15kg you're basically rebuying 12.5kg dumbells and then a bit extra, whereas with adjustables you're only buying the incremental value and re-using the previous weight.

Peloton sounds decent and would be nicely adjustable for both of you. I wouldn't worry about the lack of screen as long as the rest of the functionality could be used to controlled via buttons/app?

 

[LiE]

Adjustable dumbbells are very space efficient and very good value compared to buying the same weight increments in fixed dumbbells.

These are the ones I’d be eyeing up.

Adjustable Dumbbells

Buy Adjustable Dumbbells at Assassin Goods. Check Price and Buy Online. ✓ Free Shipping ✓ Cash on Delivery ✓ Best Offers.

assassingoods.com

 

[dlockers]

The M3 package looks solid. If you look on Facebook market and ebay there are m3s for sale too, and mirafit barbells/ bumper plates if you want to save some £££.

I would pass on that M2 package above based on the reasons in my original post.

I sized my m3 package by the height of my space. Depth wise I went for 90cm, as 60 felt to shallow for me, but it is workable.

Thanks -

I'm thinking 2.08m x 0.9m rack 999.95 - I can fit the 2.3M version and it's only £50 more, but that feels harder to sell on (worst case) / I'm only 6ft.

Then it wants £100 for the accessory pack - this is:

• M3 Battle Rope Anchor Attachment
• Set of four M3 Resistance Band Pegs
• Pair of M3 Weight Poles - chrome
• Pair of M3 Fractional Weight Poles - chrome

I assume weight poles are needed to store the weights on the rack - the Resistance Band Pegs might be a bit more expert than I need right now. And likewise the Rope Anchor attachment is a bit expert.

Although separately the Weight Poles are £70 so it's "only" £30 for the band begs and rope anchor. Not sure that is value for money tbh as I will probably never use them.

The bench adds £250 which separately is £280 so that seems "OK". Is it a good enough bench though? I assume these come up all the time quite cheap 2nd hand?

 

[Dominic-Toretto]

Thanks -

I'm thinking 2.08m x 0.9m rack 999.95 - I can fit the 2.3M version and it's only £50 more, but that feels harder to sell on (worst case) / I'm only 6ft.

Then it wants £100 for the accessory pack - this is:

• M3 Battle Rope Anchor Attachment
• Set of four M3 Resistance Band Pegs
• Pair of M3 Weight Poles - chrome
• Pair of M3 Fractional Weight Poles - chrome

I assume weight poles are needed to store the weights on the rack - the Resistance Band Pegs might be a bit more expert than I need right now. And likewise the Rope Anchor attachment is a bit expert.

Although separately the Weight Poles are £70 so it's "only" £30 for the band begs and rope anchor. Not sure that is value for money tbh as I will probably never use them.

The bench adds £250 which separately is £280 so that seems "OK". Is it a good enough bench though? I assume these come up all the time quite cheap 2nd hand?

Firstly, I would just get the rack that is the right size for you (which sounds like the 2.3M) , because in all honesty all gym equipment is hard to sell second hand due to it's size and weight essentially making it collection only. The only exception to this was Covid in which gym equipment was selling like hotcakes. Make sure you have enough headroom on the 2.3M if you are planning on doing any pullups etc.

With the 4 post rack, you can use storage poles, but they might get in the way of some exercises depending on what your doing, based on this I have recommended the storage trolley Mirafit sells instead, it will also make your rack feel more spacious. If wall mounting is an option, you could wall mount the plates using the M3 storage bar sold separately.

I would get the following:
Mirafit M3 Power Rack with Barbell and Weights Set (Rack + Bar + 100KG Weights): £999.95
Mirafit Portable Bumper Plate Trolley Rack: £129.95
Bench: Bulldog Gear - Adjustable Bench 2.0 with Adjustable FID /Zero Gap: £445
I know the bench is expensive, but it is way better than the Mirafit M350 and is money very well spent. That bulldog gear bench is one of the best benches you can buy and will suit your M3 perfectly. The bulldog gear is a 55kg bench and feels rock solid, the Mirafit M460 54kg, and the Mirafit M350 40kg. If you want to stick with Mirafit Benches I recommend the: Mirafit M460: £549
Total With Bulldog Gear Bench: £1574
Total With Mirafit M460 Bench: £1678
How does this look for you? Regarding the accessories don't get them if you have no use for them, Start with the fundamentals.

 

[dlockers]

Firstly, I would just get the rack that is the right size for you (which sounds like the 2.3M) , because in all honesty all gym equipment is hard to sell second hand due to it's size and weight essentially making it collection only. The only exception to this was Covid in which gym equipment was selling like hotcakes. Make sure you have enough headroom on the 2.3M if you are planning on doing any pullups etc.

With the 4 post rack, you can use storage poles, but they might get in the way of some exercises depending on what your doing, based on this I have recommended the storage trolley Mirafit sells instead, it will also make your rack feel more spacious. If wall mounting is an option, you could wall mount the plates using the M3 storage bar sold separately.

I would get the following:
Mirafit M3 Power Rack with Barbell and Weights Set (Rack + Bar + 100KG Weights): £999.95
Mirafit Portable Bumper Plate Trolley Rack: £129.95
Bench: Bulldog Gear - Adjustable Bench 2.0 with Adjustable FID /Zero Gap: £445
I know the bench is expensive, but it is way better than the Mirafit M350 and is money very well spent. That bulldog gear bench is one of the best benches you can buy and will suit your M3 perfectly. The bulldog gear is a 55kg bench and feels rock solid, the Mirafit M460 54kg, and the Mirafit M350 40kg. If you want to stick with Mirafit Benches I recommend the: Mirafit M460: £549
Total With Bulldog Gear Bench: £1574
Total With Mirafit M460 Bench: £1678
How does this look for you? Regarding the accessories don't get them if you have no use for them, Start with the fundamentals.

Thanks for all the help mate, really appreciate it. I'm just double checking I'm not getting carried away though.

I have a friend who is stacked and he only has this:

Mirafit Home Gym Rack Package

Strength train at home with this Mirafit Gym Rack Package. Includes power rack with cable system, adjustable weight bench, landmine, Olympic barbell and 100kg of bumper plates. With a wide range of exercise options, you'll enjoy every workout!

mirafit.co.uk

Is it really going to be 'bad'? I see your utopia gym but I'm very much a beginner.

 

[Dominic-Toretto]

Thanks for all the help mate, really appreciate it. I'm just double checking I'm not getting carried away though.

I have a friend who is stacked and he only has this:

Mirafit Home Gym Rack Package

Strength train at home with this Mirafit Gym Rack Package. Includes power rack with cable system, adjustable weight bench, landmine, Olympic barbell and 100kg of bumper plates. With a wide range of exercise options, you'll enjoy every workout!

mirafit.co.uk

Is it really going to be 'bad'? I see your utopia gym but I'm very much a beginner.

No worries mate. I have used the M100 and the M200. You can train with them, but they feel very home gym and have compromises. The M3 and gear I sent above is better than most commercial gyms. I'm a big believer in buy once and buy it right. For £400 extra I really would get the M3 setup. It's so much nicer to use, more solid, more attachments and more confidence inspiring.

 

[Scuzi]

No worries mate. I have used the M100 and the M200. You can train with them, but they feel very home gym and have compromises. The M3 and gear I sent above is better than most commercial gyms. I'm a big believer in buy once and buy it right. For £400 extra I really would get the M3 setup. It's so much nicer to use, more solid, more attachments and more confidence inspiring.

Agree with this. I briefly used an M100 setup before buying an M4 rack and the difference is night and day. The M100 had noticeable flex, and getting used 3-4 times I week I'm not sure it would hold up over time. I can do dips off the side of my M4 and it doesn't budge. The M3 wouldn't be much different.

Another consideration is that the 60x60mm M3 will be compatible with other manufacturers accessories, giving you more options if you want to buy second hand or make additions at a later date.

 

[LiE]

Saw this the other day, worth a look.

Primal Personal Series Ultimate Half Rack with Lat Pulldown & Low Row

Introducing the Primal Personal Series Ultimate Half Rack: a versatile and comprehensive workout station designed to elevate your training experience. Crafted with precision and ingenuity, this half rack offers a range of features to enhance your fitness journey. Key Features: Complete Equipment...

www.primalstrength.com

 

[dlockers]

No worries mate. I have used the M100 and the M200. You can train with them, but they feel very home gym and have compromises. The M3 and gear I sent above is better than most commercial gyms. I'm a big believer in buy once and buy it right. For £400 extra I really would get the M3 setup. It's so much nicer to use, more solid, more attachments and more confidence inspiring.

Yeah fair enough. His did look a bit lightweight and if this is on par with commercial or better I can see the 400 being worth it. I'm not sure I can afford the fancy bench tho - maybe something I get cheap initially and then buy later

Agree with this. I briefly used an M100 setup before buying an M4 rack and the difference is night and day. The M100 had noticeable flex, and getting used 3-4 times I week I'm not sure it would hold up over time. I can do dips off the side of my M4 and it doesn't budge. The M3 wouldn't be much different.

Another consideration is that the 60x60mm M3 will be compatible with other manufacturers accessories, giving you more options if you want to buy second hand or make additions at a later date.

Thanks. Are you saying the 60cm width is more compatible?

Saw this the other day, worth a look.

Primal Personal Series Ultimate Half Rack with Lat Pulldown & Low Row

Introducing the Primal Personal Series Ultimate Half Rack: a versatile and comprehensive workout station designed to elevate your training experience. Crafted with precision and ingenuity, this half rack offers a range of features to enhance your fitness journey. Key Features: Complete Equipment...

www.primalstrength.com

Haha....please someone tell me if this is better, lol.

 

[Dominic-Toretto]

Yeah fair enough. His did look a bit lightweight and if this is on par with commercial or better I can see the 400 being worth it. I'm not sure I can afford the fancy bench tho - maybe something I get cheap initially and then buy later


Thanks. Are you saying the 60cm width is more compatible?


Haha....please someone tell me if this is better, lol.

The M3 is 100% on par with commercial. You can get a cheap bench to start with and upgrade later.

He's referring to the hole size on the m3 not the depth.

The m3 is better than the primal force rack.

 

[dlockers]

Turns out someone is selling an M3 rack for £400 nearby... so that's £150 saved. I can then get an 7ft bar and plates for £430 from Mirafit, and then just need a bench. Seems a decent saving because it comes with the storage poles (£35) too.

I can't quite work out whether there is a pricing glitch or I am missing something, but rack + bar set seems cheaper separately than in the package:

Item 1 + 2 = 980
Item 3 = 1050.

I can get the rack for £400; so 400+430 = 830. That leaves decent budget for a bench.

 

[Martynt74]

You get the barbell collars in the set, but they're not too expensive. Worth adding though as nicer than the spring clips for me.

Depending on space, might be worth swapping for the 6ft international bar. The internal section is the same but you lose some length off the weight plate sections. Was worth it for me just for moveability.

 

[dlockers]

You get the barbell collars in the set, but they're not too expensive. Worth adding though as nicer than the spring clips for me.

Depending on space, might be worth swapping for the 6ft international bar. The internal section is the same but you lose some length off the weight plate sections. Was worth it for me just for moveability.

Yeah that's a shout, highly unlikely I'll need the space of a 7fter lol.

---

Good news today I made the purchase of the rack -- the chap is probably going to play games as I paid via eBay and he has said he wants bank transfer or cash; we'll see if he concedes. Does anyone know the charges eBay apply to receiving CC payments?

I also scored big time on the floor.... there was a chap selling 14sqm of BLK Challenger 1mx1m 20mm floor tiles for £400...I asked if he could split, and he ended up just doing the lot for 250 (I was planning on 260 for Saberfloor 9sqm). That means I can do a 4M section of the workshop instead of just 3M. I am one tile short from tiling a full 5Ms though which is annoying, lol.

 

[Martynt74]

Yeah that's a shout, highly unlikely I'll need the space of a 7fter lol.

Yeah, just make sure it's the 6ft International. The Non International versions reduce from the centre bit which affects compatability with some racks.

EDIT - Also remembered Mirafit have an ebay store for seconds (or at least a 3rd party who sells their stuff)

Security measure

www.ebay.co.uk