Home Gym Q

[PECDEC85]

I plan on starting a home gym which will be used by friends and family as well as my self. Nothing major, just the equipment used for major core lifts. I don't want that bow flex or ab crunch shit, I'm only wondering what "real equipment" you guys would suggest. Bench, squat rack ... thinking about getting a Lat machine (cable type, not sure if there are any other, it has weights at the end, not medal rods or bungee cords), dip bars ... anything else???

Thanks,
DB

[bonebreaker]

What does your budget look like, (how much can you spend)? BB

[voneber]

You need at least a few dumbbells of some sort just so you can do some of the things you can't do with a barbell.

[The_Jarhead]

I picked up everything I needed for good prices.
A squat rack with an attached upper and lower pulley and bench with leg attchment, wide pull down bar, close grip bar, and rope - $300
400lbs of olympic weights with bar - $150
200lbs of standard weights with 4 dumbbell bars w/spin locks and ez-curl bar w/ sping locks. $75
Made a pull-up bar out of threaded steal pipe - $15 at Home Depot
Heavy bag with boxing wraps, gloves, and a jump rope. - $75

I have everything I need and all under what my old gym membership cost for year.

[Racer814]

Originally posted by The_Jarhead
I picked up everything I needed for good prices.
A squat rack with an attached upper and lower pulley and bench with leg attchment, wide pull down bar, close grip bar, and rope - $300
400lbs of olympic weights with bar - $150
200lbs of standard weights with 4 dumbbell bars w/spin locks and ez-curl bar w/ sping locks. $75
Made a pull-up bar out of threaded steal pipe - $15 at Home Depot
Heavy bag with boxing wraps, gloves, and a jump rope. - $75

I have everything I need and all under what my old gym membership cost for year.

pretty much what I have down to the heavy bag.....also have accumulated a lot of plates and dumbells.......probably want to get a couple more 45's.....I know 400 is alot but having two more sure makes it easier....I dont have to rob plates off my cable pull

[Buffindiandude]

One thing I highly recommend is to get a set of dumbbells that are "pre-made," i.e. you don't have to assemble them out of plates every time.

I didn't do this - I have one of those 1 foot threaded bar pairs on which you have to add 1-inch weights and lock to get the weight you want. Let me tell you - I spend half my workout time switching between weights. If I had to do it over, I would spend on getting a full set of dumbbells and a rack for them. Look in the paper - you may be be able to pick up a second-hand set cheap.

If you must get an "assembled" dumbbell, at least get the one with quick clamps instead of the threaded locks. Threading and unthreading the locks to change weights becomes real old real soon.

And lastly, if the dumbbell parts are chrome-plated, check the chrome plating quality. Mine are real shoddy and peeling off and every other day, I get a chrome sliver in my finger.