Home gym on a budget

gothchiq

Okay, at the end of the summer we're moving out of this complex to an actual house. No more free gym. So I plan to create a home gym downstairs. Now I am on a fairly tight budget so it's gonna be all about freecycle and Craigslist, snapping up things that others are selling off cheap because they didn't use it. What kinds of equipment do you guys recommend? Elliptical and weight bench... or are there other things I should be getting?

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DopeItUp

Depends on your budget. Cheap power rack, bar, plates and a bench will get you far. I bought most of my stuff on Craigslist for 30-40% of new purchase price. Some even cheaper than that.

vixtris

You can find plenty of cheap stuff on craigslist. If you are looking to lose weight, I would suggest some type of cardio machine you enjoy as well as some weights, be it with a barbell or dumbbells.

CrimsonDiva7

All you need is your body and the SWORKIT Lite app

navyrigger46

You need a barbell, plates, and a rack of some kind that'll allow you to do presses and squats. I picked up a combo rack, bar, and 465 pounds of plates used for $150 used, added a second bar for $50, two pairs of dumbell bars, a curl bar and 165 pounds of plates for $75 and an incline/decline bench for $25. It's a pretty sweet setup, you just have to dig through the classifieds every day and be patient.

Rigger

jennifer_417

I would get a power rack with a barbell and plates, a bench, and an elliptical.

yirara

For me, the essential thing is a good, big enough floor mat. Not a small thin yogamat but something that is wider and about twice as thick. Everything else is nice to have but not a must.

ninerbuff

I bought WOSS suspension trainers for my outdoor bootcamp at $30 a piece. As much as a pain as it is switching plates, a good solid set of plate removeable dumbells is good to have. An adjustable bench and treadmill would be the others.
Personally this is what I have in my home when I can't go to the gym.

I got a great deal on it back in 2004.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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TFaustino67

your budget? your goals?

Commander_Keen

Go for a Bench, and Bow flex barbells/dumbbells adjustable,

gothchiq

To answer the question, my budget is that I can't spend more than $100 on any individual piece of equipment; my goals are maintaining cardio fitness and increasing strength. Thanks guys.

Dawn410

For $40 on Amazon you can get a good set of resistance bands, and an other $15 will get you a ropeless jump rope. You can do amazing workouts. Jumping rope is great cardio, and harder than it sounds. The resistance bands can meet your weight training needs. I would also invest in a large full body mirror to watch your form. If you can save up and get a good one, rowing machines provide an excelent full body workout!


Any other equipment I would buy off craigslist. but I wouldnt spend anything on cardiovascular equipment. You can run, do jumping jacks, run stairs, jump rope, for free.

mbaker566

@Dawn410 has great suggestions.
you could get a few low weight dumbells for cheap on craigslist or a second hand gym store

and you can do body weight work. there are videos online and dvds you can buy

kwtilbury

I'd start with a set of variable weight dumbbells (such as SelectTech) and a bench. You can gradually add other items - power rack, olympic bar, plates, cardio equiment, etc.

gothchiq

I forgot to mention I'm arthritic and can't do high impact anything. If I can find a used elliptical for cheap.... I can be patient until someone is practically throwing it at me lol! XD

Dawn410

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-free-low-impact-cardio-workouts-for-beginners/

mbaker566

gothchiq wrote: »

I forgot to mention I'm arthritic and can't do high impact anything. If I can find a used elliptical for cheap.... I can be patient until someone is practically throwing it at me lol! XD

I'd highly suggest yoga. it's as low or high impact as you want

I know it's not at home but consider going to the pool and swim

demoiselle2014

Dawn410 wrote: »

For $40 on Amazon you can get a good set of resistance bands, and an other $15 will get you a ropeless jump rope. You can do amazing workouts. Jumping rope is great cardio, and harder than it sounds. The resistance bands can meet your weight training needs. I would also invest in a large full body mirror to watch your form. If you can save up and get a good one, rowing machines provide an excelent full body workout!


Any other equipment I would buy off craigslist. but I wouldnt spend anything on cardiovascular equipment. You can run, do jumping jacks, run stairs, jump rope, for free.

Just out of curiosity, what would you need a ropeless jumprope for? Why not just jump up and down while rotating your wrists?

gothchiq

ropeless? I have never heard of this! If I were able to jump at all, lord knows, I would probably be doing it as it's a cheap way to burn many calories. But my youth and cartilage are gone lol so I am all about the low impact way of doing things. A stationary bike is something the doctor recommends, and I currently use one in the gym. I feel like I get a better workout overall on the elliptical, but I do like them both.

As a kid, jumping rope was fabulous. Heh, many memories.

gothchiq

Scored a NordicTrack for $4 at a yard sale, have located someone who will be willing to sell me her recumbent bike that she no longer uses (tested it out, nothing wrong with it). Now I just need the weights and I'll be good to go!

pondee629

CrimsonDiva7 wrote: »

All you need is your body and the SWORKIT Lite app

And you already have your body.

jersey_54

We have a in house gym, only costed us little over 5. 500 pound plates, Barbells, Bench, squat rack.

gothchiq

but I *like* machines! Well actually I like variety. Some machines, some walking, some weights.... I like watching entertainment out of my smartphone (or any screen I control) while working on machines. It makes the time just fly.

_Bropollo_

First items to grab:
-Bench with an adjustable back
-Adjustable dumbbells (the kinds with the screw ends you can add weight plates to)

I would then hunt for a deal on a power rack, an Olympic bar, and then just start grabbing plates for the Oly bar whenever you can find a good deal on them

gothchiq

Yes I definitely need those!

lemmie177

If you're already serious about lifting weights, I can only repeat what everyone else is saying about getting an Olympic set. I managed to snag a full set (bar + ~450lb of plates) for just over $100 checking craigslist everyday. Added a FID bench from walmart for ~$50. All the power racks I saw were out of my budget plus I had a low ceiling to contend with, so I got squat stands with safety rails instead. Much cheaper, but not as foolproof as a full rack.

If you're not already using the barbell at your current gym, then you could probably start with just adjustable dumbbells and a bench until you decide you need heavier weights.

For flooring, I got interlocking foam tiles off ebay. I've heard horse stall mats make for great, cheap gym flooring as well.

gothchiq

oooh excellent. I can do 100.

trisnic

A wooden box and a yogamat is all you need, until you stay getting fit then you need a wall too.... This enables you to do yoga, burpees, pushups and box jumps.. Once you fitness improves you start walking up backwards with feet first and hands on floor up the wall as an exercise. Not long after, 40 bucks will have made you a handstanding calisthenic beast. No machine can come equal

MsJulesRenee

Bought an elliptical on craigslist, stopped using it because it was hurting my knees! It was the only cardio machine I had so it was frequently used. Suggesting you get something that is versatile like a treadmill where you can adjust the incline and speed so it's not the same motions every day.

gothchiq

Found a NordicTrack for 4 bux at a yard sale. wait, I already said that. So the husband wants a treadmill... I hope there will be a similar deal. It's coming together.