I am so sick of commercial gyms at the moment. I've just got back to it after a long overhaul, recovering from gladular fever. In the time I've been away, they have destroyed my gym. What used to be 2 power racks and 2 squat racks is now a smitch machine and a bunch of weird air resistant machines. All the good old people have gone, and have been replaced by metrosexual skinny muppets who spend their whole time talking about how they really like this girl, and want to ask her out. The old instructor, who helped me put on 8kgs in 8 weeks has gone. Now its a bunch of 20 yr olds who dont know crap about working out. The bodyfat percentage scales are gone. The boxing bags are dead, way too light for anything other than boxercise. There are adds on every surface for every supplement under the sun. So as you can tell from my rant, im ****ed off. They upped the prices, and I dont have the time to travel to another gym, this one is next to where I work. I work looooooooooooong hrs, so I need somewhere quick and easy to get to. So I have decided to give up commerical gyms for dead. The Old school training methology has been sucked out. All anyone cares about now is doing pussy exercises that dont even make you sweat. I've been researching and I've decided that a home gym will be economical in both time and money. I can have the equipment I want, I can work out when I want, and wont have to wait for use of the weights. I want a Bench, Pull up Dip bar, Power Rack, incline bench (for ab work) an Olympic bar, Trap bar, and dumbells. Anyone with their own home gym care to give me some advice. Where are good places to get good quality equipment, that dont cost an arm or a leg? What do I need? etc etc.
Bro I feel your pain. The gym I belong too has been on a 'new client recruitment drive' - which means they haven't fixed the several holes in the plaster that wanna-be bodybuilders have chunked out because they never learned how to control their DB's on the way down. Instead of that they must have been in the 'attention whore groaning and moaning class' - pffttt.. all with 50lb DB presses?!?!?! Losers. They've now moved the squat rack by the elevator (don't even get me started) - so everytime someone who doesn't want to break a sweat by going up or down the stairs comes out I almost brain them with Oly bar. Poor planning on their part. What else - oh yes... we too have every damn surface plastered in advertising. Usually Addidas ads - that... while beautifully shot on location somewhere exotic... have SFU to do with working out!! They converted about 400sq. ft of the free weights area into conference tables to do their sales pitches with their new victims that they're locking into mega packages that 99% of the people will only use once or twice and then be locked into paying for the next 2 years. Aggravating stuff all of that. My bro is who is actually the director of PT is helpless to do anything - because all of the directives on who the gym should be run are coming from the corporate headquarters. Maybe it's just that he has the serenity to accept what he cannot change... me... I voted with my feet and took myself and my companies membership (6 of my employees) and cancelled it straight off. I'm tired of the BS of the brain dead people at the front desk... of the lack of maintenance to the equipment... on and on and on... So what's crazier is they didn't even bat an eye or seem to care that 6 members with Platinum packages (the best they offer) were walking out. They were willing to lose all that revenue for the cost of fixing a few holes - having their PT's educate boneheads in how to lower DB's and rerack weight plates and maintain the minimal expense of the boxing bags. Soooooooooooooo crap.
NK, I have had to improvise my gym in the backyard because of student teaching and not really being able to work enough to pay for a gym. I am lucky enough to have the high school athletes gym available when I want after school but due to having family obligations and having to work part time, I can't always make it after doing student conferences and whatnot after class is over. I bought an Olympic weight set from a used sporting good shop I got a free monster truck tire from calling the Michellin tire shop that dealt with semis and tractors I got a rail road tie (the big thick square wooden pole things) and I cemented them into the ground for squat stands or push pressing stands Full size keg is cheap I have a cheap bench, but I reinforced it with cinder blocks in two places Other than that...here's a really cool link- http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenandoah/Grunt/Isotonic.html
Go for it NK. The *only* advantage I've ever found working in a commercial gym is the presence of other people can often be an inspiration to work harder. Weigh that against the numerous advantages of your own gym and there's no competition. From the way you've worded your post, you seem to be looking to get separate powercage, chin-up station and dip station. Many powercages will have a chin-up station built in, and some will have a dip station. Getting all three integrated could save you cash and space. Even if you don't get one that has an integrated dip station, it's pretty easy to improvise one inside the powercage itself. I did this with mine - let me know if you want more details. Also, you say you want a bench *and* an incline bench? I got an adjustable flat / incline / decline bench for ~£100 (probably 200 of your dollars?) that's rated for up up 1000lbs. Probably better than two separate ones.
Equipment I started lifting at home 20 yrs ago after getting jerked around at a gym. My gym fee this year was $3.00 for 1 - 80# bag of cement, to make "farmers walk" equipment. And I didn't waste any money on gas going to the gym. Last years cost was $30.00 to add 2" sleeves to all my bar handles. Might as well work the hands at the same time If you hurt you're self or get lazy for 6 months it doesn't matter, the weights are still there and already paid for. The initial fee's high, but there's no maintance fee. I bought the bench, olympic bar set and power rack one year and slowly added the rest over the years. I have about $3,000 into my home gym. I've spent less than $100 in the last 5 yrs, and most of the equipment should last me for as long as I live. It sounds like you've got the basics covered. I actualy have my "gym" in one of my bedrooms,"No basement" I have an exercise bike in the living room and a boxing bag in the laundry room that I carry outside. "I'd buy decent stuff", you will hopefully be using it for a long time, and you're life may depend on it! I still remember the "first and only time"' I got stuck with 180 #'s on my chest while benching. I bought my larger equipment from a local company that doesn't exist anymore. Most companies now cater to Machines, "YUCK". I've ordered from http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/sdh.html I ordered the bars shown, shippings heavy, but some things are hard to find. I've seem free shipping on larger items from them. They sell dip bars that you attach to a power rack. I made my own. I'd add to you're equipment these items. Dip bar and dip belt, 3' of chain with carabeener, floor mat,exercise bike, jump rope, french curl bar, and several sets of "spinner" dumbell bars. I prefer to use standard plates and spinner bars for dumbell work. I've had plates fall before, doing dumbell bench, never again. And 7' Olympic for bench, rows and squats. You can buy hex weights, but they are expensive. I have a set up to 45#'s that I almost never use. I use 3 sets of spinners instead. Heavy bag- I bought mine at http://www.balazsboxing.com I made a mistake and ordered a 100 # "hard" packed bag, I had to beat the tar out of it with a bat to soften it for my SISSY hands. It's a pro bag and is lasting well but, I probably should have just bought one at a sporting goods store for 1/3 the price. Buy a nice bike or treadmill, my bike cost about $800.00 - 5 years ago, but it's still working fine and it's so quiet I can watch tv or talk on the phone. A nice treadmill's about $3,000 and takes up more space, that's why I bought the bike. Whats also nice about lifting at home is you can customize you're stuff, and have things they don't at the gym. I have a 3" diameter bar just for reverse curls. 2" bars for dumbells, and 2" bars for chin ups and pull ups. 90 and 120# sand filled duffel bags in the laundry room for military presses, and farmer walk boxes in the garage. Don't be afraid to customize you're power rack. If it racks side to side, add some 1/4 " steel ,triangle cut plates with bolts to the corners to strengthen it. Mine's 19+ yrs old and was made out of "over" 1/8 " thick steel and is just starting to move a little more than I'd like while doing dips. My buddies rack which cost less than 1/2 of mine, was made out of 1/16 " steel and he added said steel plates and his is stiffer than mine. Most power racks come with some kind of chin up bar or you could add you're own with a thick gauge steel pipe and flat plates welded to the ends of the pipe and bolted to the rack. I've never looked back. Dave S.
I would ask your old gym where they dumped their equipment in case they have it in storage and want to get rid of it.
I've been researching it, and I'll need around $3k. Sod all, and worth every penny. I would make my own power rack, but I want a good quality one. I'm going to have it for the rest of my life, so its a good idea to get a pro made one. Im so pumped up, finally I can make a REAL gym. Nothing like working out in a dark, dank, concrete garage. Blast some tunes and scream as loud as I want. :love:
You gotta get out more! Don't pay for the crap but check out this link http://www.homegymsecrets.com/ you can get a pdf with some interesting information. For those who are broke look up sandbag training. Also shop about for people who weld and shop at your local hardware store. You can desigh a rack and get the parts on the cheap, and have a professional weld it on the cheap. Shop the flea markets and garage sales for cheap weight plates and bars. Go to you local library and check out strength books several great one have been listed by Adam.
I've been training with sand bags for awhile. They are a great for unorthodox strength training, but I really want to work with free weights aswell. Skulpt my spartan body . I've named by Gym Valhalla, got inspiration from the 2 badest nations in the world. The Spartans and the Vikings. Now I just need the equipment .
Seriously though shop around the garage sales and the flea markets, or what ever you call them in Oz. I usually gather plates in the 20 to 25 cents per pound range. The stores charge about 75 cents to a buck 10 a pound. You might have to buy your bars first but the plates you can get cheap. Don't forget your jump rope and heavy bag. I just had an epiphany regarding sandbag training. I've had a desire to find a better and usually cheaper way to get a canvas cover for my sand. I just had a thought. You take the basic bagging of the sand, you can find that here http://www.warriorforce.com/sandbagconstructionkit.pdf and cover it with an old trouser leg. Take the legs off an old pair of trousers, sew up the cuff end and stitch in velcro in a roll for the other end. As soon as I get one stitched together I'll post a pic and let ya'll know how it works out. Here is another artical by Ross that's fitting. http://www.rossboxing.com/thegym/thegym25.htm
Well I've found a pretty decent deal. It comes with a decent power rack (2 yrs warranty). Rated up to 390kgs A bench rated up to 300kgs A lat pull down An olympic bar (20kgs) and 140kgs of weights. all for $1300. What you think?
Half the amount, then you'll get American dollars. Was looking at a site and saw one for $400, I was amazed and pumped as all hell. Then I realised it was American, and in Chicago . Not much help.
I am also building a home gym. Lots of good advice so far but, one piece of equipment I have not seen listed are a set of rings. Instead of a dip and pull up station you can use the rings. Check out this site for info: www.ringtraining.com I got mine last week and they are a great investment at $65 US dollars. Instead of a treadmill or stationary bike consider a rower Concept 2 Steve
Rings are great and can be made for about 25-30 bucks, and the Concept 2E is on my drool list. Right now I have a broken piston rower that I removed the sweeps and use my cable row as the pull part.
Yeh, treadmills are pointless. Inferior to running on the road, and rediculously expensive. I'd love a concept rower, but abit out of my price range atm, maybe one day.
