Home Gym

I think everybody should have some fitness equipment in the house.  Whether that is a yoga mat or 1000# of power lifting plates and a barbell is the decision that I have struggled with.

When I was a teenager, I had a Sears bench and about 150# of weight on a hollow barbell which was quickly bowed.  As an adult, I have trained almost exclusively in commercial facilities, but eventually thought I wanted some stuff at home.

I started piecing together gym equipment when I found a flat bench at a yard sale for $25.  I did not know what I wanted to do with it, but it was too good a deal to pass up.  I also picked up a couple hundred pounds of standard plates and barbell at a yard sale for $20, but am not sure what I want to do with them.

When the girls were in gymnastics, I bought them a gymnastics mat and and an incline mat.  I enjoyed them more than they did.

After that, my goal was to build out a Crossfit style gym.  I grabbed an Olympic barbell and bumper plates.  I bought a pull up bar/dip station that I replaced with a fold away rig.  

Then I started getting odd ball stuff like plyo boxes, wall ball, kettle bells, gymnastics rings, climbing rope, abmats, sandbag and paralettes.

For a while I had a Glute Ham Developer, that I ended up selling due to size and lack of use.

The last item I picked up were Atlas stones.  I would like to have a loader tire around 250#, but have fortunately held off on that purchase.

I do not use the equipment much right now as I currently have a Crossfit membership.  

I really feel like long term, I will always prefer a $20-$40 membership somewhere instead of having equipment at home.  That being said, commercial spaces will rarely have rings, rope, paralettes, GHD or strongman equipment.  I can live without most of that stuff.

A dedicated power lifting space would be really nice.  The advantage of being at home is being able to drop weights and use chalk with reckless abandon.

• Platform (Rogue 8x8 $255)
• Competition bench/squat rack (Rogue Combo Rack, $2500)
• 20 kg barbell  (Rogue Chan Bar Cerakoe, $395)
• 275# of weight (4x45, 2x25, 2x10, 2x5, 2x2.5)
• $295 for 160# Rogue HG 2.0
• $140 for 90# Rogue HG 2.0
• $44 for 5.0# pair change plate
• $33.50 for 2.5# pair change plate.  

This works out to $900 for the bar and plates, $255 for the platform and the big wildcard is $2500 for the bench/squat rack.  An alternative would be to get a squat stand for $300-$600 and a flat bench.  If I have the opportunity, I will definitely set up a dedicated basement gym in a future home.  I could even pull it off in our current home if I get rid of the sofa and recliner.  

• Raptor Fitness Supplier Oly Platform ($649)
• Raptor Series 2"x3" Squat Stand ($235)

Could also get a homemade platform on Craigslist for around $100.  Although it would probably make more sense to make my own for a given space.  Squat stands could similarly be found for $150 on Craigslist.

With this, I would still like to add a ceiling mounted pull-up bar.

This set up could be supplemented with atlas stones and loader tire set up outside.