Home Gyms

[DaMacker]

I was wondering if anyone here knew anything about home gyms? I'm looking to purchase either a weight stack machine, a leverage gym, a smith machine, or a bad ass weight bench and a bowflex or something. I'm probably going to spend around the 2 - 3 grand range, so if anyone knows of any particular brands that are better, or has any expertise in this area, your 2 cents are appreciated.

 

[Funkster]

I don't know anything about brands, but I can tell you this much, stay the fuck away from Bowflex, Smith machines and any machines in general.

If you have the space (it sounds like money isn't an issue) then a good quality power rack, bench and olympic barbell set is probably the way to go.

 

[mixicus]

I second Funkster. If you review the routines on this site, almost everything could be done with his list. Add in a pull up bar on the power rack and your good to go.

Quick look over at Dave Tate's site for prices

Power rack and adjustable bench $1200
Texas Power Bar $165
300lbs of plates $285
Total ~$1650 plus shipping (maybe $500)

Leaves you plenty of space under your $3K limit for a few DB's, rubber mats and supplimentary gear.

 

[Mav3rick]

All the information you need has already been said. A power rack, bench, and Olympic weight set are all you need for strength development. If you are a body builder or have other fitness goals then it may vary in equipment that you may want to purchase. It all depends on your objective. I, however, would steer as far away from machines as I can.

 

[rEmY]

I second Funkster. If you review the routines on this site, almost everything could be done with his list. Add in a pull up bar on the power rack and your good to go.

Quick look over at Dave Tate's site for prices

Power rack and adjustable bench $1200
Texas Power Bar $165
300lbs of plates $285
Total ~$1650 plus shipping (maybe $500)

Leaves you plenty of space under your $3K limit for a few DB's, rubber mats and supplimentary gear.

you can get a lot cheaper than that too. a lot of the elitefts stuff is very high quality, in fact, more than most people probably need.

http://www.midwestbarbell.com/catalog/

http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/

 

[Urban]

shit... I wish I had 2-3 grand to drop on a new gym. Power rack, barbell, thickbar, adjustable bench, dipping station, diping belt, Dumbells, fat dumbells, Dumbells to hack into blockweights, and still have enough money to buy 500 lbs in weights and some more grip shit.

 

[BackBrainKick]

You home gym enthusiasts can also consider buying used gear...lots of people are out there had the same idea, and for whatever reason decided to clear their garages out..

...here in So.Cal, we have Cal Stores, and also Craigs List-shit, even the classifieds are good-as long as you dont care about pretty equipment, you might as well save a few bucks and use it towards something useful...like a heavy bag maybe?

 

[wenispinkle]

shit... I wish I had 2-3 grand to drop on a new gym. Power rack, barbell, thickbar, adjustable bench, dipping station, diping belt, Dumbells, fat dumbells, Dumbells to hack into blockweights, and still have enough money to buy 500 lbs in weights and some more grip shit.

seriously....then i could actually have enough weight to do less than a set of 10 deadlifts

 

[Barut]

you might as well save a few bucks and use it towards something useful...like a heavy bag maybe?

Awesome post.

 

[wenispinkle]

or if you decide to go with the bowflex, you might want to reconsider and take up gardening instead, 2000 bucks buys alot of plants,trees, and fertilizer

 

[Gunny Highway]

they sell this powerrack for $429 at http://www.newyorkbarbells.com I think a saw a few powerracks in the low $300's there. Then all you need is a basic barbell + olympic plates. You could afford all that working at a minimum wage job for a week.

 

[wenispinkle]

im savin up to buy one of those sumo power racks i saw somewhere....its just the catch bar and a hook for the weights....minimalist but its still mother fucking $210. squatting heavy without stapling yourself to the floor comes at a price

 

[CarnalSalvation]

I have that rack, very nice piece of equipment for 400 and change.

 

[Fedorable]

I have that rack, very nice piece of equipment for 400 and change.

how's the pull-up bar on that thing?

 

[CarnalSalvation]

That part blows ass I'll admit. The handles are spaced too close for a wide person like me, and they're all padded and shit. It's good for parrallel grip chins though.

 

[LCDforMe]

I got this bench press thing (I forget the brand) but it has the ability to go from regular to incline to a straight back position. On the end, it has a contraption for like leg extensions for your quads and hammies. It was a good buy I guess. I put it in the attic though to make room for the jet skis during the winter.

 

[Henry Swanson]

I got this bench press thing (I forget the brand) but it has the ability to go from regular to incline to a straight back position. On the end, it has a contraption for like leg extensions for your quads and hammies. It was a good buy I guess. I put it in the attic though to make room for the jet skis during the winter.

I had one of those before but I hate those leg extension attachments so I took mine off.

 

[Funkster]

I had one of those before but I hate those leg extension attachments so I took mine off.

Same here, I just never bothered adding it on as space was an issue and I was never going to use it anyway.

 

[grapplers gym**]

You would also do yourself some good by picking up some duffel bags and making sandbags for training. You can also use tires and old logs for some great GPP and strength training. Kettlebells are great and take up little space. If your looking to train for grappling I would save your money and stick to the things that will help you on the mat.

Ya everyone likes to bench but when you out doing 5-15 minutes of straight sandbag work you will find yourself in better shape and stronger than you would with the 3x5 routines.

Just my 2 cents

 

[trooper77]

I LOVE my Bowflex. I purchased it 3 years ago and wouldn't trade it for anything. BUT, I also train alone and it allows me to lift until muscle failure without fear of dropping anything on my head. If you have a training partner, then I guess it's a matter of preference. I certainly gained a lot of size/strength after switching to the Bowflex. It also saves a lot of time in transitioning from one excercise to the next.