Advice on Building a Home Gym

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

This is specifically directed at building a crossfit home gym... but its really great advice for anyone wanting to build a quality home gym with basic strength training equipment that you can do almost anything with:

http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/cfjissue1_Sep02.pdf

sharing this because I wanted to get flooring for my home gym, and they suggested i go to a specialty farm supply shop for 4'X6'X3/4'' rubber mats rather then a fitness supply website.

This was really good advice because as far as i can tell, they are 100% the same product, both the exact same demensions and both made of recycled rubber claiming no odor. The mats on the fitness website were $75 plus shipping, and they are 34 bucks at the Tractor Supply Shop, and i can go pick them up!

I was worried about them moving around, so this almost made me go to a fitness site and spend a fortune on 1'X1' interlocking tiles. Then i discovered the mats weight about 100 lbs a piece!!! thats not going anywhere, especially when you set them up against each other. I don't even want to think about what the shipping would have cost.

Because if the money it saved me i figured i'd share it. a gym about an hour away from me closed and they are selling everything including the flooring (same demensions) for 25 a tile, but its a long ride. Might check that out.

Pretty much every peice of exercise equipment is gym quaility and there for scary expensive. Remember that this is intended for crossfitters that are going to be serriously punishing their equipment. probably most people can get away with lower quality but much more afforable equipment. in fact, if your not going to be dropping weights on your floor, you can probably get way with 1/2 or less thick flooring which might be considerably cheaper, although i priced many different alternatives and even the thinner stuff didn't beat the horse mats i don't think.

if your someone who is going to work out several times a week for many years at home, you might be happier springing for the higher quality equipment.

hope someone gets some help from this.

I am excited to start insanity the asylum vol. 2 on monday with a brand new workout area! kpp!

BigGuy47 · April 2013

Thanks for the tip. I've been thinking about adding some rubber mats to my exercise room, I'll definitely take a look at Tractor Supply.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

Thanks for the tip. I've been thinking about adding some rubber mats to my exercise room, I'll definitely take a look at Tractor Supply.

they are actually on sale this week. 42 is now 34.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

ok, so the mats from the tractor supply shop were 100% unacceptable. They had a chemical odor that made me sick to my stomach, so make sure you take a good whiff before you buy.

I went to Agway and they had better mats, had texturing on top rather then just smooth rubber, and they only smelt of rubber. They also had 1/2'' matting that was almost half the price of the 3/4'' and thats probaby good enough if your not doing olypmic style lifts and dropping the bar.

before:

after:

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

cost me about 130 to do that. haven't worked out on it yet, i'll update tonight

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

definetly liking the new area.

the mats didn't move around, and they almost felt more comfortable underfoot then the carpet. Just had far more confidence when landing then moving from carpet to carpet.

not something you really want to sit on, your *kitten* bone pokes right thru lol. push ups were also less comfortable, and plyo push ups (where you go airborne) are pretty brutal on the wrists but doable.

not sure how badly sweat effects traction yet.

JUDDDing · April 2013

I've used the tractor supply ones for years and I'm very happy with them - about 3/4 of my garage is covered with them.

The smell completely goes away after a week or so.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

I've used the tractor supply ones for years and I'm very happy with them - about 3/4 of my garage is covered with them.

The smell completely goes away after a week or so.

its also very possible that they are from two different manufactures and both happen to be sold at the Tractor Supply shop.

I don't know, the 12 i would have saved wasn't worth one work out of being sick to my stomach. even the agway ones filled the basement with a rubber smell. but it wasn't something i couldnt deal with.

glad they worked out for you though!

what other equipment do you have in your home gym ?

kavanaghev · April 2013

My husband and I are looking for mats for our home gym as well, and we will be doing Olympic lifts. The nearest Tractor Supply store is 2.5 hours away... Is it worth it to make the trip?

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

well, the only way to know for sure is to find the best price you can on a fitness sight, and then go through the check out process to see what the shipping would be.

one of the companies mentioned in the guide i posted was selling them for 75 a piece, so even if they shipped free id rather take the time to go get them to save around 40 a mat.

Google 'feed and Tac' and see if there are any other stores that come up closer. I dont' know what feed and tac means lol, but its how i found mine. i actually live in a pretty rural area tho.

Also try googling 'agway'. thats the store that i bought it at, but apparently all or most agways have a different buisness name that usually the store is known as.

THe mats weight 100 lbs each so shipping is going to be expensive, and the same really applies to weights and benches, much better to skip the shipping if possible.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

well obviously you could have it shipped from the tractor supply shop, or agway, but after my experence, i wouldn't want to buy them sight unseen, or whiff untaken lol.

there's no way i was going to workout on something that has a chemical odor that makes me want to throw up. i can still seem that odor in my SUV

JUDDDing · April 2013

what other equipment do you have in your home gym ?

A treadmill (Spirit Esprit)
A bench with incline/decline settings (and leg extension/curl and preacher curl)
A basic flat bench
A 45 degree back extension bench
A squat machine (Body Solid)
A heavy bag and speed bag
A slideboard
310 lbs olympic weight, 7 foot bar and weight stand
dumbells from 5-35 lbs (so far) with a nice rack (1/2 full)
A Lifecycle 9500 RHR that I am rebuilding

Now if only I had a cage, another 300 or so in weight, a rower, and a lat pull/row machine, but so far, the wife won't give up the other 1/4 of the garage.

JUDDDing · April 2013

its also very possible that they are from two different manufactures and both happen to be sold at the Tractor Supply shop.

Could be - mine just smelled like old tires for a couple days.

funforsports · April 2013

I just built my home gym and after looking around for awhile, I found some 3'x4'x5/6" mats at home depot for $25 apiece. They probably weigh 50 lbs each so good quality as well. I asked the lady there and she said that they had just gotten them in. They have worked great for me so far and at a much smaller price.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

I just built my home gym and after looking around for awhile, I found some 3'x4'x5/6" mats at home depot for $25 apiece. They probably weigh 50 lbs each so good quality as well. I asked the lady there and she said that they had just gotten them in. They have worked great for me so far and at a much smaller price.

3'x4' = 12 sq ft

$25/12 = $2.08 per sq ft

VS.

4'x6' = 24 sq ft

$40/24 = $1.66 per sq ft

Looks like mine were cheaper, or am i doing the calc wrong (i did pay a little less then 40 but thats the regular price)?

although yours are thicker and not really much more. Plus pretty much everyone has a homedepot around, and even if they are not in stock, you can probably have them shipped to the store for free.

So thank you very much for sharing! that is probably going to be the best option for a lot of people.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

what other equipment do you have in your home gym ?

A treadmill (Spirit Esprit)
A bench with incline/decline settings (and leg extension/curl and preacher curl)
A basic flat bench
A 45 degree back extension bench
A squat machine (Body Solid)
A heavy bag and speed bag
A slideboard
310 lbs olympic weight, 7 foot bar and weight stand
dumbells from 5-35 lbs (so far) with a nice rack (1/2 full)
A Lifecycle 9500 RHR that I am rebuilding

Now if only I had a cage, another 300 or so in weight, a rower, and a lat pull/row machine, but so far, the wife won't give up the other 1/4 of the garage.

wow dude, thats a killer gym! especially jealous of the heavy bag. No pull up bar?

cage? is that like a power rack? I have to admit i don't really understand what advatage that piece of furniture gives you lol, never been showed how to use one.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

its also very possible that they are from two different manufactures and both happen to be sold at the Tractor Supply shop.

Could be - mine just smelled like old tires for a couple days.

yeah thats pretty much how the agway ones were. on the agway website they specifally said 'odor free', can't remember what it said on the tractor supply shop site

funforsports · April 2013

I just built my home gym and after looking around for awhile, I found some 3'x4'x5/6" mats at home depot for $25 apiece. They probably weigh 50 lbs each so good quality as well. I asked the lady there and she said that they had just gotten them in. They have worked great for me so far and at a much smaller price.

3'x4' = 12 sq ft

$25/12 = $2.08 per sq ft

VS.

4'x6' = 24 sq ft

$40/24 = $1.66 per sq ft

Looks like mine were cheaper, or am i doing the calc wrong (i did pay a little less then 40 but thats the regular price)?

although yours are thicker and not really much more. Plus pretty much everyone has a homedepot around, and even if they are not in stock, you can probably have them shipped to the store for free.

So thank you very much for sharing! that is probably going to be the best option for a lot of people.

No, your math is completely right. I missed the $40 that you paid, that is a hell of a deal. Most that I had seen were between $60-70.

JUDDDing · April 2013

wow dude, thats a killer gym! especially jealous of the heavy bag. No pull up bar?

Thanks!

Aside from the treadmill, which I got new but discounted after the model line was redesigned, the rest of it has been off Craigslist. If you watch the listings - you can get great deals.

No pull-up bar. I have short ceilings - so it would have to be mounted where my feet touch the ground - or I'd hit my head at the top. The kids really want one though... I'll have to figure something out for them - I'll just be happy with a lat pull machine one day.

cage? is that like a power rack? I have to admit i don't really understand what advatage that piece of furniture gives you lol, never been showed how to use one.

Yeah, same thing. For me it would be mostly a more convenient place to load my bar for curls, shrugs, overhead press, etc. Plus I like to do some front squats sometimes and I'd like to be able to drop it without the bar going out my wall.

But not a huge priority.

They are pretty good as a multi-purpose thing though. You can usually pick them up for a reasonable price and with that, some weights and a basic flat bench - you can do pretty much anything.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

yeah there is some guy on craigslist basically giving away a olympic bar and plates.

he wants 150 for the bar,45x2, and a bunch of other plates. a 7'' bar alone is over 300 bucks... plus shipping potentially.

I'd get them but money is that tight right now, hope he has them in a month or so. says hes got to move asap tho.

Plus i'm not quite to the point in my training where i really need the weights at home but it would probably be a good idea to get them this cheap

have you guys seen brand new bars for less then hundreds?

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

Do you think the cage offers significant advantage over these?

http://www.ironmind-store.com/Vulcan-Racks-III-Squat-Racks/productinfo/1217/

you can get attachments to turn it into a chin and dip station, but thats pobably close to another 300

ilovedeadlifts · April 2013

have you guys seen brand new bars for less then hundreds?

nothing good. depends on the area you live in though.

I spent about 300 (shipped) on my Buddy Capp Texas Power Bar, and it's been worth every penny.

mdizzle99 · April 2013

You can get the OB86 bar which is a good entry level bar new for under $150. Otherwise, those Buddy Capp bars are great at the price. Unfortunately quality used barbells very rarely come up for sale in my area. Probably because the people that buy them can use them forever.

Regarding your earlier comment about the tractor supply co mats, those are a very popular choice in the bodybuilding community. Most people say the smell goes away or it was never there to begin with. Some people recommend washing them off really well and leaving them outside for a few days before you lay them in your gym.

and yes, a cage offers very significant advantages over those squat stands. Am I reading that link correctly? Over $500 for those squat stands? You can get a decent new cage for that price and a great used cage.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

have you guys seen brand new bars for less then hundreds?

nothing good. depends on the area you live in though.

I spent about 300 (shipped) on my Buddy Capp Texas Power Bar, and it's been worth every penny.

i believe then mention a brand name 'capp' in the guide i posted.

you mention 'nothing good'.

Is there an alternative out there that is still 45 lbs, fairly sturdy, 7'' yet somehow inferior and hence significantly cheaper?

I don't ever see myself loading up the bar with like 500 lbs or anything.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

You can get the OB86 bar which is a good entry level bar new for under $150. Otherwise, those Buddy Capp bars are great at the price. Unfortunately quality used barbells very rarely come up for sale in my area. Probably because the people that buy them can use them forever.

Regarding your earlier comment about the tractor supply co mats, those are a very popular choice in the bodybuilding community. Most people say the smell goes away or it was never there to begin with. Some people recommend washing them off really well and leaving them outside for a few days before you lay them in your gym.

and yes, a cage offers very significant advantages over those squat stands.

what advangates are they? i mean i see its a much beefier peice of furnature but i really don't understand how to use it other then to rack your weights.

I'd like to not get a flat bench with a rack (for portability and space issues), i was going to get these because i could use it with a flat bench and also use them for squats.

what kinda issues should i look out for when buying a used bar? not sure what could go wrong with it.

No_Finish_Line · April 2013

Am I reading that link correctly? Over $500 for those squat stands? You can get a decent new cage for that price and a great used cage.

lol yeah, the **** is hella pricey. i was figuring you were just going to have to pay to play if you wanted gym quality stuff.

and after seeing bars at 300, didn't necessairly seem out of that ball park.

if you have time and you don't mind, could you post up some links for better priced alternatives?

mdizzle99 · April 2013

I'd recommend starting here:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=113942001

The general consensus is that you need a rack, bench, and olympic weight set to get you going. Some of the primary advantages of a rack over those squat stands are safety and versatility. If possible, I would prioritize those things over portability any day. Although cages are larger, their footprint really isn't much larger than a bench and squat stands.

Craigslist is a great place to find good quality equipment at a great price, but I recently picked up a new powertec cage for $420 shipped.

And for most people, an Ivanko or Pendly barbell is great, but not necessary. Most people could get away with a used 300# pound set with any bar that is straight for quite a while. If you do want a new barbell that is highly regarded yet inexpensive, I still recommend the Cap ob86 barbell.

Lance_K · April 2013

bump

JUDDDing · April 2013

If you watch for awhile, you should be able to get a cage and a 300lb set of weights with a bar for < $500.

For weights, bar included (not premium), the going rate on craigslist seems to be about .50 a pound - any deal there or under is worth it IMO.

Premium bars are nice and will last forever, but non-premium bars are, IMO, fine unless you are doing huge weights. The main differences seem to be the weight capacity, the roller quality and the smoothness of the chrome (makes it more "slick" when you put weight s on).

$500 squat stands seem really over priced unless you need 1000 lb capacity. And for benching - I'd rather have a bench that is connected to the stands (mine is not (it's basically a combo bench and stands) and I spend a lot of time re-adjusting/centering them).

ItsCasey · April 2013

I'll be honest and say I don't know enough about the different brands to make quality judgments, but I got a 300-lb CAP Barbell set at Academy Sports and Outdoors for $200. It's a 45-lb, 7-foot Olympic bar with 255 lbs of weights (2 X 45, 2 X 35, 2 X 25, 2 X 10, 4 X 5, 2 X 2.5). Max capacity for the bar is 500 lbs. If I were a dude or a competitive lifter, I might've sprung for something fancier, but so far, this set is good enough for me. But I have seen the exact same set elsewhere online for as much as $500.

****'s Sporting Goods has a set just like the one I have (but a different brand) for a little over $200.

mdizzle99 · April 2013

Per my first point that safety is a big advantage of a cage over squat stands or similar equipment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NE2EAobY8k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BmU8PCq5h0

Both videos end fine, but seeing them makes me happy I have safety catch bars spotting me as I work out inside a cage. Too bad can't embed youtube videos...

Advice on Building a Home Gym

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