Home gym.

[Lone Wolf]

Planning to make my own home gym; I'm a lifeguard for the Wave Waterpark and have saved up my paychecks. Have a budget of a little more than $500.
Would have had a $1k budget but gas money, gym, and food take a big chunk of it.
Any way, planning on buying a squat rack, an incline bench press, and a flat bench press. Was thinking if I should just buy one of those adjustable benches and bench using the squat rack instead of buying the whole bench press setups like in gyms. Basic compound movements is what I have learned to do. But for leg day, besides squats, what replaces leg extensions or leg press? I'm still a little a bit on the fence about this because in gyms you can do tricep extensions, cable crossovers, lat pulldowns, etc. Trying to find places where I can buy that setup where you can pulldowns and pushdowns. Any advice?

[rocky36]

Planning to make my own home gym; I'm a lifeguard for the Wave Waterpark and have saved up my paychecks. Have a budget of a little more than $500.
Would have had a $1k budget but gas money, gym, and food take a big chunk of it.
Any way, planning on buying a squat rack, an incline bench press, and a flat bench press. Was thinking if I should just buy one of those adjustable benches and bench using the squat rack instead of buying the whole bench press setups like in gyms. Basic compound movements is what I have learned to do. But for leg day, besides squats, what replaces leg extensions or leg press? I'm still a little a bit on the fence about this because in gyms you can do tricep extensions, cable crossovers, lat pulldowns, etc. Trying to find places where I can buy that setup where you can pulldowns and pushdowns. Any advice?

500 will not buy you much at all unless you get lucky and find some craigslist stuff for cheap, remember no matter what benches or racks or anything else you buy. You still have to buy the weights and you can figure about 1$/lb for new and thats being conservative.
If you are determined to go with the home gym idea try to find used weighs and equipment, get a basic bench and a squat rack and a barbell with enough weights. You can make the bench and incline or decline by putting plates or wood under one side. You will have to stick to the basics until you can afford to add more to your home gym

[Lone Wolf]

500 will not buy you much at all unless you get lucky and find some craigslist stuff for cheap, remember no matter what benches or racks or anything else you buy. You still have to buy the weights and you can figure about 1$/lb for new and thats being conservative.
If you are determined to go with the home gym idea try to find used weighs and equipment, get a basic bench and a squat rack and a barbell with enough weights. You can make the bench and incline or decline by putting plates or wood under one side. You will have to stick to the basics until you can afford to add more to your home gym

Looking through Craigslist, people are selling benches for $100 or $60 but in terrible condition. I'm looking for one of those gym equipment auctioning sites right now and checking out some articles on bb.com, if I don't find anything I might as well hold my money and save up some more or still pay $30 a month at 24hr.
I really hope I get lucky and find some equipment.

[Lone Wolf]

Found some good equipment:
Barbells- http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-Oly-Power-Black/dp/B005PGBFQW/ref=sr_1_48?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1368770335&sr=1-48&keywords=bench
e-z curl-http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-OB47B-Olympic-Curl/dp/B001NDL9FS/ref=pd_sim_sg_11
rack:http://www.amazon.com/Power-Squat-Deadlift-Bench-Racks/dp/B004UMM4QC/ref=pd_sim_sg_9
Still can't find a proper bench and some dbell sets/plates.
Still trying.

[ghost]

the other thing you can do...which i have done for my home gym... is make your own equipment.

[Saeger]

^ this, If you can make your own do it equipment is expensive. That being said I have made this happen. I found a bench and 300 lbs of olympic weights awhile back and spent maybe 350 on it, but it was a steal. Since then I have acquired a AB/Pullup rack with dip handles and 70 more lbs of olympic weights as well as a curl bar and about 180 lbs worth of smaller weights that will only fit the curl bar. I did all that for under 500 and off of craigslist/ garage sales, friends and patience. You can get it done if done right. Get your bench and a good olympic set of weights, that is most important, you can do all the major stuff with that. Bench, dead and squat as well as some excessory stuff. Yes I know squatting is more complicated if you only have a bench but thats how I did it and I have went up over 100 lbs on my squat on that simple set up. Also it is garage sale season, get in your car and drive, you may be surprised at what some people are selling.

[Ernie Lilliebridge Sr]

Tuff spot to be in, isin't there a good gym close to home? Just wondering why you would choose to workout at home over a gym? We trained for many years out of our basement, but the energy of a room full of hungry lifters is hard to beat!

[Lone Wolf]

Tuff spot to be in, isin't there a good gym close to home? Just wondering why you would choose to workout at home over a gym? We trained for many years out of our basement, but the energy of a room full of hungry lifters is hard to beat!

$30 a month for luxuries like spa, pool, basketball courts, etc. It's a good gym, 24hr Fitness, but people there aren't exactly "hungry". Mostly stand around talking and hogging up equipment. Doing a set after 10minutes of talking of 2 reps with shit form. Annoys the hell outta me. I'm still going till I get the funds, then I'm leaving.
To get a better sense:
A workout that should last 40minutes would last me 1hr and 45 minutes
A workout(like chest//back) that lasts 1hr-1r 30min lasts me 2hrs and 25-30minutes.

[KettleBellFreak]

$30 a month for luxuries like spa, pool, basketball courts, etc. It's a good gym, 24hr Fitness, but people there aren't exactly "hungry". Mostly stand around talking and hogging up equipment. Doing a set after 10minutes of talking of 2 reps with shit form. Annoys the hell outta me. I'm still going till I get the funds, then I'm leaving.
To get a better sense:
A workout that should last 40minutes would last me 1hr and 45 minutes
A workout(like chest//back) that lasts 1hr-1r 30min lasts me 2hrs and 25-30minutes.

You think that, home gyms still have the distractions of home very close. Easy to wander off during rest periods. Home gyms are the shit though. I have a power rack, bench, dip bar, tire, weights, db's, and bands. I love it.

[DEADn]

http://www.johnphung.com/product-reviews/1115/amstaff-tr023-power-rack-review/

I have been looking at this one but it is from Canada but manufactured in China. The U.S. equivalent is ForceUSA. The differences is the amstaff is wider and it comes with attachments whereas the other one is narrower and doesn't come with the attachments.
I am just wondering how high I should go in buying a power rack. I have an ironmaster smith machine. Go to ironmaster.com and you will see a picture of what I have. I eventually want to sell it because I am transitioning from a bodybuilding type of training to strength/ powerlifting. My squats and bench have been on the smith machine and there is a big difference between doing those exercises as free weights verses in a self spotting machine.

My ironmaster master has several attachments with it as well. Ironically, it is uses standard weights but can be upgrade do Olympic weights but putting sleeves on it yet I cannot put a standard barbell on it. Too short.

What do you think about the review link? I am trying to gauge what makes a quality power rack.

[skibasgym]

I worked for a used equpt co. and i helped many a lifter with a limited budget.
All one needs to do all your core training.
1 power rack /chin up bar
a adjustable flat bench
set of iron mind adjustable dbs and plate/these willnever come apart.

call me if you need more help
Henri
732-598-9369

[Lone Wolf]

I worked for a used equpt co. and i helped many a lifter with a limited budget.
All one needs to do all your core training.
1 power rack /chin up bar
a adjustable flat bench
set of iron mind adjustable dbs and plate/these willnever come apart.

call me if you need more help
Henri
732-598-9369


Craigslist didn't have anything and all racks are over $400. Benches could find any durable good ones. I really just looking for an incline bench press, rack, and flat bench. all I really need.

[rainman]

Tuff spot to be in, isin't there a good gym close to home? Just wondering why you would choose to workout at home over a gym? We trained for many years out of our basement, but the energy of a room full of hungry lifters is hard to beat!


$30 a month for luxuries like spa, pool, basketball courts, etc. It's a good gym, 24hr Fitness, but people there aren't exactly "hungry". Mostly stand around talking and hogging up equipment.
Sorry, but that doesn't sound like a good gym to me. I had to move gyms last year and I initially went to a place that was pretty cool; it's the gym one of this country's leading rugby teams use to train, as well as many 2012 Olympic teams during the games and the equipment was all Eleiko plates etc. The first day I was there a couple of guys were looking out the window between sets getting all stressed that they'd get rained on when they left the gym.

The place I've been at for the past nine months or so has been so much better, despite the dumbbells always being loose and the plates all over the place. Crap air con, no frills place, but one hell of a crowd. I've pushed myself harder than I ever have before lifting wise. I'm not a big numbers lifter, but despite being surrounded by guys much better than me, I love it there. For example, I got a spot from a guy last week on the bench for a couple of reps towards my maximum. He was really cool, encouraging me to push myself and giving me time. A bit later on I was on the other side of the gym and I saw him go under the bar with about 30lb more on and bang out 6 easy reps.

I'll guarantee that when you find the gym Ernie is talking about you'll make more progress with your training than by picking up a few bits of equipment and training at home.

[Ernie Lilliebridge Sr]

I've been in your spot Lone Wolf . I lifted out of B&W Gym in Chicago for 10 yrs. A hard core no nonsense bad ass GYM, not fitness club! When we moved to the burbs' it was a new world! Spent a couple grand over the years building a decent " home gym " in basement, and was cool for a few years, but we quickly out grew it! Overloaded the capacity of the power rack, bench, the bars, etc. Also the need of spotters for big lifts, we had to find a gym! I wish you the best of luck, but there is NOTHING like the atmosphere of a bunch or serious lifters killin' it to bring out the best in you and your workouts!