Need opinions on home gym

rdkstar

Just started building my own home gym in garage. I was going to local gym for awhile. The Local gyms don't have power racks. I've only squatted with 70 lbs because that was the maximum weight that felt comfortable of lifting over my head and onto my back.

I got dumbells and bench. Picked up Olympic barbell set today (yippee). Power cage is suppose to arrive next week (double-yippee). I also have a stability ball.

Anyways, here are my questions.

1. I'm buying those gym mats to put on floor which are expensive. Do I put power rack on the mats or mats around the cage like inside cage standing area? Id figure I would buy only a few now and add some at a later time.

2. My plans are to do stronglifts (squat, bench, overhead press, Deadlift, rows), hip thrust (per bret contreras) and attempted chinups. Might buy resistant bands to help with that. Might do something with stability ball. Is this enough? Will I get to all my muscles with this plan.

3. I was doing MWF at gym but now I have equipment at home should I do it more often. Should I do splits, light/heavy days, or anything? Hate to have my pretty new weights just sit in garage not being used. Lol

4. Any future equipment recommended. I can get lat attachment on power rack - maybe next year.

5. Any other advice for my gym.

Thanks everyone. I've learned so much on this site.

Cherimoose

What is your goal?

vorgas

1. I'm buying those gym mats to put on floor which are expensive. Do I put power rack on the mats or mats around the cage like inside cage standing area? Id figure I would buy only a few now and add some at a later time.

Save yourself a fortune. Go to a tractor/farm supply store and buy horse stall mats. Same material. Fraction of the cost.

2. My plans are to do stronglifts (squat, bench, overhead press, Deadlift, rows), hip thrust (per bret contreras) and attempted chinups. Might buy resistant bands to help with that. Might do something with stability ball. Is this enough? Will I get to all my muscles with this plan.

Stronglifts is a fantastic beginners weight lifting program. Will it be the last workout you ever do? No. But in terms of getting up and running, hard to recommend anything over it.

3. I was doing MWF at gym but now I have equipment at home should I do it more often. Should I do splits, light/heavy days, or anything? Hate to have my pretty new weights just sit in garage not being used. Lol

Muscles grow while they are at rest, not in the gym. Let them rest. In the beginning, you are going to get the most bang for your buck doing big compound moves over isolation moves. And when you get to where you are squatting over your body weight, you won't be asking questions about heavy, lol You can always do some light aerobics on off days. Walk/jog, etc.

4. Any future equipment recommended. I can get lat attachment on power rack - maybe next year.

Figure out how to do hyperextensions, reverse hypers, etc. Lots of stuff you could use. Depending on space, keep your eye out on CL for a good set of select-weight dumbbells.

5. Any other advice for my gym.

Bumper plates.

shor0814

1. I'm buying those gym mats to put on floor which are expensive. Do I put power rack on the mats or mats around the cage like inside cage standing area? Id figure I would buy only a few now and add some at a later time.

5. Any other advice for my gym.

Thanks everyone. I've learned so much on this site.

Instead of going direct to the floor with the rack create a lifting platform and put the rack on or around it. Sort of a tongue inside the rack with a platform on the outside. You can kind of see it in my picture.

I built a T shaped lifting platform out of 3/4" plywood and mats. I took a 4x4 piece and a 4x8 and placed them in a T shape. I laid another 4x8 over the other two pieces (the I part of the T). I glued and screwed the pieces together. This left room for 4x2 pieces of mat on the ends where the plates sit. Just glue them to the plywood and put weights on to keep them in place. Everything is now at the same height and you can deadlift just outside the rack and have a nice solid surface inside for your other lifts.

You stand on a hard surface and you can let the bar down a bit harder on the mats without cracking things. Then you don't need bumper plates (but I still like them instead). This also lets you lift barefoot with a bit of warmth underneath.

I wanted the tongue to sit inside the rack but I didn't feel like ripping the plywood so I put it on top. I can screw it down if I want to later.

You have everything you need to start and for quite some time to come. Adjustable dumbbells are great, especially the Ironmaster or Powerblock, but you do pay a price for them. I second the Craigslist suggestion.

rdkstar

What is your goal?

First, I need to lose some more body fat and I'm doing that through eating less. I'm hoping to reach maintenance in December. I want to build more muscles and do a minimum of 5 unassisted chinups.

Vorgas and Shor0814 - thanks so much for the advise. I keep checking craig list but haven't seen anything good pop up yet.