Building my first home gym. Looking for tips.

[TonyGunsling]

Hey guys. Im considering building my own home gym. Ive been considering many pros n cons.
Some being, 2 ppl 1 gym vs shoulder to shoulder in my gym. But the cost of building vs my bases gym being free. But my music and rules vs theirs..

So where should i start!?

A bench and some dumbbells!?
Hah!

I want a power cage with cables/pulleys and bumper plates round plates+ rubber floor for deads. I dont do much oly lifting. At least not right now. I am doing a Wendler 5-3-1 version. Bodybuilding.

Thinking a precor adjustable bench and bowflex dumbbells to save space.

Any recommendations for a new home gym builder i can get would be great. Im trying to build for options and variety but used and cheap is what im looking for too.

 

[Devildog_]

Rogue fitness. Legit equipment starter packages for cheap ish

 

[kenpoengineer]

Craigslist, garage sales and eBay. Some manufacturers run specials to take advantage of. Rogue and Ironmaster are my favorites. Old York weight plates are built like tanks and are true to weight marked. Here is my gym:

Feel free to ask questions.

 

[PaulBlack]

A good solid heavy duty rack/cage (new or used) and a good solid bench with free weights, can take most people farther than they ever dreamed possible.
Slowly adding toys over time (depending on budget) using a little ingenuity and a nearby home improvement store has helped me add some other things quite cheaply.
As was mentioned "Craigs list", as lots of people buy fitness stuff, but the whim lasts for only a few months for a good majority and looking to get out from under stuff makes for good bargains.

 

[KrisL]

Swear I saw low quality cages (for people that squat <500) on amazon for $300-ish.

 

[OnionKnight]

Craigslist, garage sales and eBay. Some manufacturers run specials to take advantage of. Rogue and Ironmaster are my favorites. Old York weight plates are built like tanks and are true to weight marked. Here is my gym:

<img src="http://anabolicminds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98586"/>

Feel free to ask questions.

That is art. Beautiful art

 

[mountainman33]

Amazon has some decent stuff fit cheap. Craigslist is good but you need to keep up your searches to find the good stuff. A pull up bar is a must too for a home gym. Home depot supplied all my parts for mine.

 

[TonyGunsling]

Wow. Your making me wanna go hard!

Yeah im gonna check amazon. Wish i had brought my parents nautilus cable system for all my supporting lifts. But thats like 2000 miles away for me. Damn. Ill post up if i ever make anything of this! I hope!

 

[asooneyeonig]

Craigslist is awesome for cheap stuff but you have to be patient. Also make DIY websites and home depot your friend. I am handy with power tools after years of home improvement projects and I build some of my equipment now and do it for pennies on the dollar.

Galvanized pipe is way stronger than you think. I have loaded up 1,000lbs on an axle made from it. Was nearly no bend at all.

I'm about done with a yoke using 4x4s om the bottom with 1.5" galvanized pipe for the uprights and cross bar. I'll finish it for under 100bucks.

I have seen wooden racks built with 4x4 and 2x4.

 

[herderdude]

Estate sales sometimes have great deals as well. My full setup cost less than $1000 and it's dealt with some really heavy lifts over the years. That said, I have a rack, a bench, a barbell, plates, a knockoff prowler and that's it. That's all I need, and I'd argue to the death that it's all anyone needs for any goal.

 

[Bodymekanics]

Damn... seeing all these home gyms makes me want to go out and build my own! Too bad I live in an apartment without that opportunity. However, I am thinking of renting out a space and building a personal training gym. Might just have to take a few of these awesome suggestions!