Home made gym made easy

[MMA Maine-iac]

I've gotten most of my ideas from this guy. No, I am not this guy.

http://homemadestrength.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-than-just-squat-stands.html

The directions are simple and easy to follow. I'm not a carpenter by any means. I got a tool kit last year for Christmas and I put them to good use.

The squat rack cost about 50 bucks to make. I added the safeties myself. They're common sense on how to install. Took about three days to make, and most of that was just letting the concrete dry.

The bench also cost about 50 buck to make. Took a day. Supposedly can support close to half a ton.

I've been piecing the weights together for a while. That'll be the most expensive thing to acquire, but Craigslist is golden.

Here it is. Sorry for quality of pics. Basement lighting blows.

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

This is my next project.

[YT]6dy5eyMDt3c[/YT]

 

[ironwolf]

I love it, thats awesome. I've been looking into aking a rack, somthing like that would be awesome but im in an apartment in the center of a massive city so I dont have an awesome dungeon to workout in, just an extra room.

Good work, looks nice.

 

[oyaji poi]

Why does it say "deadlift" on the wall?

 

[JudoChop!]

I dont trust a wooden power rack. I know wood can be very strong if assembled properly but Ill stick with steel. I was very fortunate to get an amazing deal my my half rack and weight set on Craigslist several years ago. Might have been the steal of the century. I still troll Craigslist and I never find anything close to as good of a deal as I got.

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

Why does it say "deadlift" on the wall?

You can't see it, but underneath "Deadlift" it says "Barefoot". Was a note to my sons for when they lift. :icon_lol:

 

[Ethan]

That's awesome.

I'm unfamiliar with your posting so I was half expecting some kind of TRX infomercial type door frame thingy. Pleasantly surprised.

 

[Thunderkopf]

Looks great, Maine-iac. Looks like it'll get the job done for sure. Just a little tip: if you don't want to spend a crap ton on a dumbbell set (believe me, those things are expensive as hell), get a pair of olympic size dumbbell handles instead: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Olympic-Dum...338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bbc57f0a

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

Looks great, Maine-iac. Looks like it'll get the job done for sure. Just a little tip: if you don't want to spend a crap ton on a dumbbell set (believe me, those things are expensive as hell), get a pair of olympic size dumbbell handles instead: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Olympic-Dum...338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bbc57f0a

Those are on the lists of things to get. I've thought about selling my DB's in order to get the handles and some weights to fit them.

Powerblocks and Ironmaster are out of my price range right now. I can never find them on Craigslist.

Probably before I begin on the power rack, my next project will most likely be a GHR.

Thanks guys for the compliments.

 

[Thunderkopf]

Those are on the lists of things to get. I've thought about selling my DB's in order to get the handles and some weights to fit them.

Powerblocks and Ironmaster are out of my price range right now. I can never find them on Craigslist.

Probably before I begin on the power rack, my next project will most likely be a GHR.

Thanks guys for the compliments.

These are also great as well: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-40-lb-Adjustable-Dumbbell-Set/21672511

Standard size dumbbells. Cheap too. The handles are thin for my tastes, so I use the Fat Gripz on them.

 

[ssdd]

The small dumbbell handles are better to work with, but then you end up with 2 sets of plates. I have the oly size dumbbell handles from sports authority and they are super cumbersome, and the collars are a bitch to lock down. The whole sleeve actually fell off one of them when I was using it once, since it's held on with an allen bolt. Fortunately it didn't land on my foot or anything. I would avoid cheap, adjustable olympic sized DB handles.

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

These are also great as well: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-40-lb-Adjustable-Dumbbell-Set/21672511

Standard size dumbbells. Cheap too. The handles are thin for my tastes, so I use the Fat Gripz on them.

My nephew had a pair of those, and I did like the feel of them.

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

The small dumbbell handles are better to work with, but then you end up with 2 sets of plates. I have the oly size dumbbell handles from sports authority and they are super cumbersome, and the collars are a bitch to lock down. The whole sleeve actually fell off one of them when I was using it once, since it's held on with an allen bolt. Fortunately it didn't land on my foot or anything. I would avoid cheap, adjustable olympic sized DB handles.

Good to know.

 

[RawHawg]

Very nice TS, cool pictures. I have a homemade setup out here in the country; luckily my friend is a welder. I used to bench press off a reinforced picnic table seat with no rack, I started at the bottom position and hung the weights from chains. At first it seemed shaky, but after training with it for awhile my bench definitely improved and I eventually did my best which was 365 for 2 reps.

 

[Aikidoka]

Very nice TS, cool pictures. I have a homemade setup out here in the country; luckily my friend is a welder. I used to bench press off a reinforced picnic table seat with no rack, I started at the bottom position and hung the weights from chains. At first it seemed shaky, but after training with it for awhile my bench definitely improved and I eventually did my best which was 365 for 2 reps.

I know from experience that after a workout your upper back is pretty sore depending on how many reps you do.

 

[JudoChop!]

So I work at a commercial door hardware supplier. We have our own welding shop where we weld our steel frames and prep our steel doors. I've welded a bit, and while Im not great I can weld and grind well enough to weld up a power rack if I so desired. Also, there is a great place in Minneapolis to get steel and just about any other metal in all kinds of shapes, sizes and gauges. Discount Steel will even cut your items to the exact length down to the 1/16".

I figured I'd price out Rogue's Monster squat rack to see how much money I would save if I decided to build that exact rack myself. Here is what I found. For all the necessary steel needed, cut to length, the pull up bar (just one), nuts, bolts, washers and safety bars I would be looking at a total of about $600-$650. This doesnt include J-hooks. I would by those as I wouldnt want to risk making shitty j-hooks myself. Rouge's monster J-cups are about $80. I could buy most of this (not the Rogue J-hooks) through my work and avoid paying tax . So that puts the rack with hooks at about $700 for the sake of this argument.

This also doesnt include finishing of the rack. I can prime the rack for free at my work, but I would have to buy some paint. Or, if I wanted it to be as close to the real thing I could get it powder coated. I got one quote at close to $300 to have this powder coated. Although, if I shop around Im sure I could get that closer to $200.

This rack from Rogue is somewhere in the $900+ range. So while money can be save it isnt as much as one would think especially when you factor in the labor that needs to be put into building a rack.

There are things I could do to lower the cost. Go with painting over powder coating, get slightly smaller safety bars, build my own J-hooks, use thinner gauge steel, but at the same time I already have a powertec half rack...so I only want bigger and heavier. I legitimately want a monser rack. My work doesnt buy much from Discount steel so we dont really get any price breaks. Getting the steel for cheaper is really the only way to save any more money on this.

 

[FyrFytr998]

Judochop makes a great point. I thought about doing my own rack, but in the end the cash outlay couldn't be justified for single rack.

 

[JudoChop!]

Judochop makes a great point. I thought about doing my own rack, but in the end the cash outlay couldn't be justified for single rack.

Yeah, it can be done while saving money. But when I factor in my own times worth...the few hundred dollars I save isnt worth it. To weld, grind, and drill all of those holes will take quote some time. Then factor in priming and painting...I'd rather buy one for $750-$900 then spend $650 and 10+ hours.

 

[HulkSmashes]

http://www.titandistributorsinc.com...ment/hd-titan-power-rack-with-2-x3-tubes.html

Is the R3 really worth the price difference vs the above. $400 plus tax, free shipping.

 

[JudoChop!]

http://www.titandistributorsinc.com...ment/hd-titan-power-rack-with-2-x3-tubes.html

Is the R3 really worth the price difference vs the above. $400 plus tax, free shipping.

Thats actually a really good deal. Its 2" x 3" tubing opposed to Rogue's 3" x 3" but its still 11 gauge steel. The bolt on hardware might be a bit smaller, but thats negligible for a home use rack.

After reading the comments it sounds like most people who are familiar with both say that it is not in the same league as an R3...but it doesnt need to be. Not if you are looking to save money.