Official Home Gym Building Thread

Brianc · 13 Jul 2011 at 22:43

Psycho Sonny said:
the strengthshop mats arrived and they are very good for the price, very different from my £60 mats and i got these when they were on offer at £17.99 now back up to £19.99 (excluding shipping), dont think they will be up to the job of having 150kg deadlifted on them, due to it being recycled rubber and thinner.

Hi Sonny, hope you don't mind me posting here, but I'm the owner of Strength Shop, just thought I'd give my thoughts on the mats.

We have a gym in the warehouse as well, so use a large amount of the kit there, including the mats. We used to have 18mm stable mats that were about 30kg each if I remember correctly. When we moved, we sold them off and now use only our own rubber mats. Weight-wise, they're 13kg each, much easier to shift when need be. But more than that, they're better at absorbing weights dropped (when used with bumpers anyway, which is what we use 99% of the time). Durability-wise, we've been using them nearly daily for a year, and they're still as good as new. This is with deads up to about 250kg, but also circus dumbells up to 64kg, and atlas stones up to 150kg being dropped on them (we do double up for the DB's and stones though).

Anyway, sounds like a good set up you've got, all the best with your training!

Psymonkee · 14 Jul 2011 at 16:12

I know I keep posting about this but now I'm at least in the right thread!

I was all set to get an olympic bar + squat stand but after some tidying of the garage it is now looking pretty darned empty!

Had a rethink of my plans and I'm now quite interested in a rack - what's good to go for here? I seem to recall Powertec being popular?

^TANK^ · 15 Jul 2011 at 21:18

All sold now.

Boxing equipment :
(1x) BBE ULTIMATE PROFESSIONAL HEAVY DUTY BAG 4FT.
(1x) Pro Box Commercial Punchbag Bracket.
(1x) Pro Box Six Leg Swivel Punchbag Chains.
(1x) Super Pro Mitt - open thumb Large.
(1x) adidas Focus Mitts - Maya - 10". Curved Hook and Jab Pads.

Gym equipment :
(x1) Body-Solid Cable Crossover Machine.
(x1) Body-Solid GPR370 Multi-Press Rack
(x1)1Motive Fitness MFET010 Programmable Elliptical Trainer
(x1) Body-Solid Flat/Incline/Decline Bench

Bodypower Cast Iron Olympic Discs :
(x8 )1.25kg (x4 )2.5kg (x4 )5kg ( x2)10kg (x8)15kg (x6)20kg (x8 )25kg (x4)50kg

Bodypower Pro-style Dumbbell pairs :
5 kilos, 25 kilos, 35 kilos, 45 kilos, 50 kilos, 60 kilos

Accessories :
Bodypower UK Chinning Bar/Chin up Frame.
Bodypower Olympic Dumbbell Handle (x2), with four collars.
Bodypower Olympic EZ Curl Bar with with two collars.
Bodypower 7' Olympic Bar (700Kg / 1500lb Rated)
Body-Solid "Pro-Grip" Multi Exercise Bar
Body-Solid "Pro-Grip" Revolving Straight Bar
Body-Solid Olympic Weight Tree & Bar Rack
Bodypower Extra Long Lat Bar with swivel.

Skillmister · 15 Jul 2011 at 21:39

Psycho Sonny · 24 Jul 2011 at 12:44

Brianc said:
Hi Sonny, hope you don't mind me posting here, but I'm the owner of Strength Shop, just thought I'd give my thoughts on the mats.

We have a gym in the warehouse as well, so use a large amount of the kit there, including the mats. We used to have 18mm stable mats that were about 30kg each if I remember correctly. When we moved, we sold them off and now use only our own rubber mats. Weight-wise, they're 13kg each, much easier to shift when need be. But more than that, they're better at absorbing weights dropped (when used with bumpers anyway, which is what we use 99% of the time). Durability-wise, we've been using them nearly daily for a year, and they're still as good as new. This is with deads up to about 250kg, but also circus dumbells up to 64kg, and atlas stones up to 150kg being dropped on them (we do double up for the DB's and stones though).

Anyway, sounds like a good set up you've got, all the best with your training!

wow, honoured to have a actual home gym equipment business owner posting in here.

that mats are good, dont get me wrong, in fact for the price they are the best you can get. it's just that for me im a perfectionist and yes, i will most likely be doubling them up in future, as i dont want to risk damaging my equipment.

the fitness superstore mats cost me like £60 each (excluding delivery), your mats like £22 each (including delivery), therefore i can buy 3 of your mats for the same price (triple them up if i was insane) so yeah doubling up still works out a lot cheaper and you end up with better mats overall when doubled up.

any chance you could post some pics up of your gym equipment? would love to see what stuff you have.

also make sure you tell us when you have specials on, like those mats.

i would highly recommend any home gym owner getting your mats and doubling them up (still works out cheaper)

Psycho Sonny · 24 Jul 2011 at 12:56

Psymonkee said:
I know I keep posting about this but now I'm at least in the right thread!

I was all set to get an olympic bar + squat stand but after some tidying of the garage it is now looking pretty darned empty!

Had a rethink of my plans and I'm now quite interested in a rack - what's good to go for here? I seem to recall Powertec being popular?

are you still looking?

powertec, gymratz and body solid are all very good value for money options,

with the powertec and some of the others you can later on add a lat pulley attachment, etc.

even try second hand, gumtree and ebay, sometimes find real bargains

Psymonkee · 24 Jul 2011 at 13:46

Yep still looking since the garage cleaning has stalled temporarily (working, boo!

)

Cheers for the suggestions

Checked the local gumtree and nothing olympic available so far

Psycho Sonny · 24 Jul 2011 at 14:24

Psymonkee said:
Yep still looking since the garage cleaning has stalled temporarily (working, boo! )

Cheers for the suggestions

Checked the local gumtree and nothing olympic available so far

hmmm your location says st andrews, yeah scotland is really hard to find decent second hand stuff.

are there any small independent gyms shutting down locally? thats how i got some of my stuff, otherwise your best bet may be to try and get the rack and bench brand new and try and get olympic weights second hand.

1pudding1 · 28 Jul 2011 at 16:54

Seen this bundle locally advertised, seems good value, is it?

Powertec - Olympic Workbench and comes with OLYMPIC BAR, 2 X 20K, 2 X 10K, 2 X 5K, 2 X 2.5K PLATES

All for £250. Good value or shall I try and haggle downwards? I was thinking of buying this:- http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk...ison+Sites&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=nextag

until I saw that ad.

EdwardTeach · 28 Jul 2011 at 17:17

Nice thread guys.

Home gym is not an option for me at them moment as I live in an apartment. Within a year I expect to have moved out of Central London, to a house with garage etc and was planning to install a home gym.

We used to have a home gym at my parents house as my brother was into body-building/ weightlifting. We had a squat rack, bench, chin up/leg raise frame and a punch bag. Its gone now and I have a feeling it may have been left at the dump rather than sold!

I would imagine that it does work out cheaper in the long run than gym membership. Plus it leaves you no excuses for working out. I have never liked doing cardio in the gym, so paying for that through my gym fees is a big waste.

Whats a rough cost for: a squat rack, bench, bar, dumbells, weights up to ~150kg and a mat?

duvet77 · 28 Jul 2011 at 17:28

I'd say it depends on the bench and the bar i.e. size/load capacity of bar.

It isn't a lot of weight you're buying.

http://www.ukfitnesssupplies.co.uk/products-Powertec-Workbench-Olympic-Bench_PTWBOB10.htm

is it this bench? looks ok to me.

duvet77 · 28 Jul 2011 at 17:35

EdwardTeach said:
Whats a rough cost for: a squat rack, bench, bar, dumbells, weights up to ~150kg and a mat?

Costs vary wildly depending on quality/type/load capacity of stuff you want.

Easiest thing to do would be to go to ukfitnesssupplies.co.uk or somewhere similar and just put what you want in a basket and see what it comes to.

I paid somethink like:
squat rack - £100 (not a powerrack unfortunately)
bench - £90
olympic BB and 200kg weights - £300ish I think

Can't really remember as it was a few years back.

1pudding1 · 28 Jul 2011 at 17:36

Yeah that's the bench in the pics they posted.

They don't state the capacity of the bar, but being an olympic bar i assume it will take a lot of weight (plenty for me seeing as im only just starting to lift any weights properly and only weigh 68kg)

Psycho Sonny · 30 Jul 2011 at 13:46

squat racks are okay if you have a spotter, but if you dont and will be training alone, i strongly suggest a power rack.

this is the 2010 model of the one i have

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/power_cages/powertec_workbench_power_rack_yellow/12180_p.html

this is the 2011 model

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk..._workbench_power_rack_black_2011/13503_p.html

@ £450 it is expensive, but this will last you 50 years easy, bare in mind it also has dip bars, pull up/chin bars, optional lat pulley attachment (at a later stage), etc.

you get a lot more for your money and is a lot safer. this will also hold it's value extremely well, should you choose to sell at a later date.

i also recommend looking at body solid power racks or gymratz.

i think £500 - 700 for a home gym is the minimum spend really (i have spent over £4K on mine)

£300 - 450 - brand new rack (could possibly get one second hand for around £200)
£100 - second hand commercial utility bench (gumtree or ebay, make sure it is from a decent manufacturer, body solid, etc.)
£100 - second hand olympic bar and weights possibly 100kg worth
£50 - matting (will likely need more in future but 2 should be enough to start)

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

those are currently the best value for money mats i can find in the UK, im hoping to get some more and double them up.

squat bars do have a place, but let's say you fail on a high weight rep, there is nothing to save you from being crushed if you dont have a spotter.

i strongly suggest a power rack over a set of squat stands.

also those olympic power bench things are useless, you can only do bench press with them and that's it, with a power rack you can do over 100 different exercises.

Psycho Sonny · 30 Jul 2011 at 13:54

they also do a package deal

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...ttachment_and_utility_bench_2011/13549_p.html

and you can put it on interest free 36 month plan.

36 months finance

The customer can pay for goods by monthly instalments over a fixed term period, provided all the instalments are paid at the completion of the term, no interest is payable. You can start paying for your fitness equipment 1 month after delivery of goods.

10% Deposit: £99.90
Remaining Balance: £899.1036
Monthly Installments: £24.97
Total Amount Payable: £998.82
Typical 0.0%APR

£25 a month, the only thing missing is a olympic weight set and matting, bare in mind this is for a power rack, lat pulley and a bench and is the brand new 2011 model.

if your on a tight budget this could help, or maybe even making your own "package" and putting it on one of their plans.

Psymonkee · 30 Jul 2011 at 15:45

Hmmm worth considering!

Have just finished clearing the garage out and can fit a rack/oly bar in there which makes me very

Will a rack be ok stood on a concrete floor or would you recommend something better?

MarkST · 30 Jul 2011 at 17:01

Psycho Sonny said:
they also do a package deal

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...ttachment_and_utility_bench_2011/13549_p.html

and you can put it on interest free 36 month plan.

36 months finance

The customer can pay for goods by monthly instalments over a fixed term period, provided all the instalments are paid at the completion of the term, no interest is payable. You can start paying for your fitness equipment 1 month after delivery of goods.

10% Deposit: £99.90
Remaining Balance: £899.1036
Monthly Installments: £24.97
Total Amount Payable: £998.82
Typical 0.0%APR

£25 a month, the only thing missing is a olympic weight set and matting, bare in mind this is for a power rack, lat pulley and a bench and is the brand new 2011 model.

if your on a tight budget this could help, or maybe even making your own "package" and putting it on one of their plans.

Would that system give me an all body workout? Because it looks very tempting with the Finance option.

Thanks.

Psycho Sonny · 30 Jul 2011 at 22:33

Psymonkee said:
Hmmm worth considering!

Have just finished clearing the garage out and can fit a rack/oly bar in there which makes me very

Will a rack be ok stood on a concrete floor or would you recommend something better?

the rack should be fine, but tbh mats from strength shop cost £20 each, sticking it on concrete will possibly scratch the bottom of it.

the whole point of the mats is to protect your equipment, if your going to be deadlifting or barbell rows, etc the weight is going to be hitting the floor, so you want mats their to protect your olympic plates more so than the rack, but i would also want my rack protected.

you may also damage the concrete floor, deadlifting 150kg right now and safe to say, the floor would be ruined with that kind of weight and so would my plates.

there was a guy in the gym rats thread who has a rack in a "bedroom" i think and he was loading his bar, but forgot to load it evenly and was only loading one side, the weights went flying with gravity in play and put a hole through his floorboards, this was only 20-40kg worth of weight as well. had he had a rubber mat there, it would have been fine.

Psymonkee · 30 Jul 2011 at 22:41

Cheers, shall factor in some matting into my budget too

Bar/Rack/Mats - doable for £600?

Psycho Sonny · 30 Jul 2011 at 22:54

MarkST said:
Would that system give me an all body workout? Because it looks very tempting with the Finance option.

Thanks.

its a power rack and lat pulley and a bench.

you will also need an olympic bar, olympic weights (should be able to get a bar and weight set for £200-£300) and matting (£100).

with that you will be able to do 1000 different exercises, squats for legs, rowing for back, tricep pull downs, etc.

here is a video showing you just some of the possible exercises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1R1HUCvs8I

that is the older model above, in the below video is the newer model, notice the much thicker spotter bars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpcdryTcY5A

this setup will allow you to do 99% of exercises very safely, the only exercise i can think of which you cant do is preacher curl and leg extensions, but im sure you can buy an attachment for the bench which allows you to do them.

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...workbench_curl_machine_accessory/12176_p.html

for preacher curl

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...ec_workbench_dip_press_accessory/11757_p.html

for dip press (the rack already comes with dip bars)

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

pec fly accessory

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...ec_workbench_leg_press_accessory/11755_p.html

leg press accessory

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...orkbench_leg_lift_accessory_2011/13509_p.html

leg lift accessory

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/bench_attachments/powertec_workbench_accessory_rack/12413_p.html

accessory rack

bare in mind you dont actually need these, the same muscles can be worked out using the rack and lat pulley, but these provide additional ways of doing them which may be easier. you also do not need to buy these straight away, you can buy the package first then in a years time, start to buy 1 accessory every 3 months or so. the only accessories i have are leg developer and preacher curl. i may get more in future or i may not, just depends on how i feel.

i regularly add to my home gym every couple of months, sometimes i spend £15 on a new attachment for lat pulley, sometimes i spend £100 on mats, or sometimes i go all out and spend £1k on dumbells. with a home gym, you can always expand at your own leisure and within your means. like i say i have probably spent £4K in total but that has been spread out over a period of maybe 3 years.