Official Home Gym Building Thread

EdwardTeach said:
Joining a gym is not an option for me, as I look after my kids full time and would never get the chance to go.
I used to have a bench and a bunch of weights etc and my brother had a power rack. I found it suited my personality - I was much more likely to work out if it was possible to do at home.
The last 7 or so years I have been living in London in apartments and it has not been practical to keep any weights. In December I bought a house with a garage, so home gym is finally an option again. In the meantime my parents have given away or thrown away all the gym equipment that was left at their house! therefore there is a chance that I will get some compensatory payment from them to by new equipment.

What are the rough cost I am looking at (non-second hand)

450 for a power rack
~ 150 for a bench
~ 150 for some weights
~ 50 for a bar
~ 30 for a rubber mat

so around 800 minimum spend?
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http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/premium-strength-package.php

£800 without mats
 
AndrewNR said:
On a budget it's a good call but personally I would spend an extra 20-30% and get a better rack and bench.

Also the clanging of weights would annoy me hence why I chose rubber weights (which are more expensive)
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I agree (although I can't comment on the rack, I ended up with a slightly more expensive one).

The bench is solid enough my only comment is it's a little higher than I would have liked.

It's worth ringing places if you're paying up front, as mentioned I ended up with a more expensive rack for virtually the same price because they ran out of stock.
 
You would need to spend at least £120 on mats, £180 if you wanted to deadlift outside of the rack and £240 if you wanted a separate area outwith the rack to do other stuff like dumbell or kettlebell work. You would obviously need to buy dumbells which can easily set you back £100 to several thousand depending on the route you decide to take.

http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...y_rubber_gym_mat_182_x_121_x_17cm/9267_p.html

two of those will only just about cover a power rack

they are decent mats, there are cheaper options (but they aren't built as well) out there but you need to put the research in yourself and read this thread if you want to find decent alternatives for slightly cheaper.

I have spent over £300 on mats alone for example and I need more.

it depends on what your looking for in a setup, do you want dumbells? how do you plan on working legs? preacher bench? leg press? etc I could easily spend £100,000 on a home gym no problem.

a half decent commercial gym will have had at least 10 times that amount spent on it, that is why usually the best option is to go to a commercial gym, so you can do everything and are not limited by the small amount of equipment most people buy for their home gym because they are keeping to a tight budget.
 
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I just use:
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-studio-gym-mat-6-x-4-x-1.php

and then for deadlift/rows one of these each side outside of the rack:
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-rubber-interlocking-floor-mat.php

£85 + £22, so £107 all in. This is probably the budget option but does the job. I'm pleased with the £11 mats, they're pretty heavy and feel like they will take a lot of abuse. The £85 mat is good and can fit my rack on (although it "hangs" about a cm off the mat each side because the mat is only 4' wide) and has no movement/hasn't torn etc in the 6 months I've had it.

I think there are better options for power rack mats out there than the one I linked but for deadlifting/rows I think 2 x the £11 mats will be fine, at 50cm x 50cm there's plenty of room to 'land' a lift, unless you're dropping it from height in which case it might bounce/roll off.
 
kcon1 said:
bump

what bars do you guys use?
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I've got this 6ft one (270kg cap.) - http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/olympic_bars/bodypower_6_olympic_bar_/3204_p.html

they also have the 7ft version rated at 320kg - http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...7_olympic_bar_320kg___700lb_rated/3202_p.html


Changing the subject I am after some kind of squat / power rack that I can also bench in to fit in my garage trouble I have the garage is only 78" high and all full racks seem to be around 80" tall.

I have come across this http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk...catchers.php?gclid=CKSApoPat70CFQ_HtAodzzUA4w

But I think the spotters would be too high for benching.

At the moment I have some basic squat stands and a York Diamond bench which is great but I need something with spotters now I'm upping the weights.

Anyone got any suggestions please?
 
I have come across this http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk...catchers.php?gclid=CKSApoPat70CFQ_HtAodzzUA4w

Anyone got any suggestions please?[/QUOTE]

Looks ok but I'd find trying to 'land' a squat/press on there tedious after a while.


I'd spend a bit more and get this one: http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-cf480-heavy-duty-multi-press-walk-in-squat-rack.php

Or try and find a similar one with better (longer) catchers as I'm not sure how great the ones above will be. Unlike the one you listed (250kg limit) the one I have listed is 180kg limit.
 
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Forget both of those and get yourself a decent power rack. If you can't afford one then either save a bit more or get one on interest free finance.
 
Most of the guys in here are too scared to step in their respective home gyms unless they have hi-viz, hard hats, and catchers rated to 3* their genetic squat 1RM potential. ;) :D
 
mrthingyx said:
Most of the guys in here are too scared to step in their respective home gyms unless they have hi-viz, hard hats, and catchers rated to 3* their genetic squat 1RM potential. ;) :D
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safety is important, i'd rather do it safely than at all.

i would like to see what would happen to macho guys doing a 1RM squat outside of a rack and all of a sudden get dizzy or light headed or stumble, etc? anything can happen, something could fall out your pocket causing you to trip or go off balance, etc.

good luck lifting weight when your paralysed or dead.

would you tell a mechanic hes scared because he won't fix your car because his ramp is out of commission and your willing to hold it up using jacks? no he's simply not stupid enough to put himself in a position where if something does go wrong he's a goner.

i've only ever had to rely on my catchers once and that was because I was doing a squat contest at the time, otherwise they have never been used. they are there in case something goes wrong, much like health/travel insurance.

would you advise everyone buying health/travel insurance that they are pansies and should just man up and not do stupid things which could end with them being in hospital? i don't think so.

that's what my rack is - insurance.
 
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Not quite. From my perspective.

Lifting should start before a person gets anywhere near the gym: that is some heavy stuff going overhead, hanging off arms, etc. so putting the body in such a 'compromised' position isn't something to take lightly.

This means taking ego out the equation and knowing what you want to achieve, and how you want to achieve it.

If I need to bail, then I will. I am fortunate in that I have a lifting platform to do so, but from my perspective, learning how to bail is just as important as learning how to lift in the first place. Yes, I am weightlifter, so bailing is something I get a lot of practice on, but nevertheless I treat my bar - and the (paltry) weights I lift - with a huge amount of respect.

If you're going to push 1RMs and your head isn't in the right place, not only will you not make the lift, but you will probably injure yourself, too, and no amount of Gucci gear will save you. :)

Bear in mind I don't bench, as it's a silly lift. ;) :D
 
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