Total body work out equipment

MrsWashington82

Hi guys, My husband and I are interested in creating a home gym in our basement. We are beginners and want to invest in equipment for a total body workout, any suggestions?

Habiteer

Power rack or squat rack
Olympic bar
Weight plates
Bench

Those pieces of equipment will give you the best results for your entire body

GauchoMark

There is no "piece" of equipment that will do everything. Those claiming to do so, are not going to work that well. Things like a Bowflex are OK for light use, but will only take you so far before you get frustrated with it. Not that a Bowflex or similar doesn't have its place - I wouldn't mind having one in my basement - but you'll need some more stuff. In my opinion, a home gym is all about getting a good workout without breaking the bank or taking up your entire house. With that in mind, you want to make choices based on flexibility - you don't want to buy a specialized piece of equipment that is only good for one thing.

I would go with a decent power rack. Power racks in general are superflexible, provide some of the best free weight exercises you can do, and are safe. If you are at home, no one will be around to yank the bar off you if you get in trouble, so set your safeties! I prefer a full rack (front and rear posts) because they are stronger and safer. I use a Deltech brand, which I find to be good enough for home use and cheapish.

Get a decent set of 2" steel plates and an Olympic bar. If you keep an eye on Craiglist, you can find this used. Many times people will be selling a garbage bench and rack, but the weights will be decent. In many cases they don't realize that the weights and bar are the only thing they have of value. Buy the set and dump the bench and flimsy rack if you need to. I actually managed to re-sell the bench and rack to recoup some money. If you buy used, cosmetic issues and MINOR rust is OK, but be sure any chrome is not peeling, the surface of the bar is smooth, and the ends spin freely. Peeling/flaking chrome will cut you or cause metal splinters.

Get a GREAT bench. This is probably the most important purchase. I use an Ironmaster Superbench with attachments. It is quite awesome, but I wish it was about 2" shorter and I'm 6' tall. I'd suggest you take some time on the bench - go to the gym and find one you like and measure it so you know the dimensions of what you like.

A great addition to that would be a set of dumbbells or adjustable dumbbells like the bowflex or ironmaster ones. A non-adjustable set is ideal, but they are expensive and you might not have that much room. If you go adjustable, the bulkiness of the dumbbells makes a difference - I find the bowflex ones to be a little too bulky for some exercises - I've never used the other brands. Along with a good bench, dumbbells are a great, flexible workout.

Another great addition would be a High/Low cable pulley trainer. These are just SO flexible and you can do some pretty specialized movements. I'd love to have a single stack, wall mounted cable in my gym. Something like this would be awesome - http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product2_10151_10751_1004621_-1_2018524_2018521_2018521_ProductDisplayErrorView but is way too complex and pricey for a home gym.

Finally, you might want to add some piece of cardio equipment. Treadmills are a good solid choice, but might be hard to justify if you live where you can just walk/run outside often. Ellipticals are good if you like them. Bikes - meh. But, if you want a full body cardio exercise that you can't easily just do outside, get a rowing machine. I have a Water Rower Club and can't complain - https://www.waterrower.com/us/shop/club.html

So, it really depends on how much space you have, your budget, and your goals, but you can build a pretty competent gym.

For me, even with all that stuff, I still have a gym membership and prefer to go there. I only use the home gym when I am really low on time. I just mentally work out harder at the gym, and strength training is all about intensity. Plus, there is a social aspect that I miss too.

ashjongfit

I really love powerblock dumbbells! They are on the pricey side BUT SO WORTH IT! They have add ons if you get the right model that bump the weight to 90lbs or more a hand. They have attachments to turn them into a kettle bell, or a straight bar!

They are great because you can turn any workout into total body! Plus they are adjustable, grow with you and take up very little space!

mitch16

We set up a small home gym more along the lines of a plyometric workout: we have a TRX, some kettlebells, medicine balls, weighted bars, plyo box, and a bosu ball. Perfect for getting a quick strength workout in, and not terribly expensive. Before my injury (ACL tear/replacement surgery) I liked to run outside, and it was nice to just come home and finish up rather than driving to the gym. After my injury everything we have is suitable for using in my rehab.

We still belong to a gym as well.