Setting up a home gym

cdahl383
cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I decided to redo the one side of my basement and create a small home gym for myself since our community center gym is starting to go downhill. I used to workout at Ballys years ago, but now with kids when I get home from work, I like to just stay home, not drive out to a gym and be gone for 1-1.5 hr.

I've almost completed the set of dumbbell weights and got a rack for them, and just got some more dumbbells, a really nice adjustable weight bench, a tricep bar, and an EZ curl bar with some weights for a great deal off of Craigslist. I also ordered up a couple nice workout mats to go under the weight bench.

Just wondering if any of you could post up some pics of your home gym to help give me some ideas on how to set it all up. I'm on a budget for all this right now since my wife is staying home with our kids for a few more years before returning to work, so any ideas on how to save some dough on cardio equipment or flooring is also appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any ideas/pics!

Replies

  • DannyPeligro
    DannyPeligro Posts: 10 Member
    You can get a lot of mileage out of a kettlebell for cardio. Also a good set of elastics is a good investment for resistance training.
  • beaches222
    beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
    bump
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct0YbOSjpZY
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL21yxtM1quiTfs3_ffbqoswhuhvw00Ra6

    Lots more on his channel. Have a look!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    squat rack and a barbell. Weight plates going up to at least 300 lbs.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    I have purchased good quality nearly new Reebok rower, Kettler Elliptical and York Exercise bike on ebay and gumtree for less than £150 total, so many people buy this stuff new and never use it so bargains always available.


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  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    I would think wanted ads in the local paper or Craig's list would bring a lot of like-new equipment out of local garages and basements.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    I don't have pictures that will show the whole setup - but I have (in a basement room which doubles as a place to watch tv for the teens and my gym...)
    An adjustable bench, set of powerblocks up to 50lbs each - not the best buy, they are bulky and akward - a set of dumbells would have been better...
    Some loose dumbells in popular sizes, a set of kettlebells - 15, 20 and 25lbs), and olympic bar and a few plates - will get more as strengh and finances improve:bigsmile:
    A whole bunch of dvd's - P90X, Cathe Friederichs slow & heavy, Chalene Xtreme and some kettlebell wokouts...
    Gym mat - cheap colour blocks, easy to replace - mirror tiles on the wall (a friend renovated and I got them for free) and the set of cute little barbie weights which started me off on this crazy path:bigsmile:
    Pull-up bar that attaches to the door, push-up stands and a few resistance bands (outgrew them)
    What I will have to get as soon as finances allows is a squat rack - hubby might run out of patience if he's interrupted to help get the stupid bar off my shoulders every now and then...:bigsmile:
  • cwatts0
    cwatts0 Posts: 51 Member
    I don't have any pics either, sorry .. but made the same move as you to a basement gym to save me some time. All I have bought so far is a squat rack, barbell, 285lbs of weight, adjustable bench, 5 horse stall mats (1 inch thick rubber to protect my floor). This allows me to do all the major lifts (deads, squats, bench, overhead press, row). I want to add some big dumbbells but that will come with time. I also have a stationary bike for some cardio when its crappy out .. and to warm up.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566 Member
    I don't have pictures that will show the whole setup - but I have (in a basement room which doubles as a place to watch tv for the teens and my gym...)
    An adjustable bench, set of powerblocks up to 50lbs each - not the best buy, they are bulky and akward - a set of dumbells would have been better...
    Some loose dumbells in popular sizes, a set of kettlebells - 15, 20 and 25lbs), and olympic bar and a few plates - will get more as strengh and finances improve:bigsmile:
    A whole bunch of dvd's - P90X, Cathe Friederichs slow & heavy, Chalene Xtreme and some kettlebell wokouts...
    Gym mat - cheap colour blocks, easy to replace - mirror tiles on the wall (a friend renovated and I got them for free) and the set of cute little barbie weights which started me off on this crazy path:bigsmile:
    Pull-up bar that attaches to the door, push-up stands and a few resistance bands (outgrew them)
    What I will have to get as soon as finances allows is a squat rack - hubby might run out of patience if he's interrupted to help get the stupid bar off my shoulders every now and then...:bigsmile:
    [/quote

    How do you like the pullup bar that attaches to the door? I have been wanting something but would like cheap and easy.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I really recommend an elliptical cross trainer, the cardio burn is brilliant both on MFP estimates and using my HRM. I wasn't prepared to pay local gym prices so bought one on ebay for less than a months membership.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    [
    [/quote

    How do you like the pullup bar that attaches to the door? I have been wanting something but would like cheap and easy.

    It's great - I got in on Amazon for about $20 - put it together myself in about an hour and it works great...Had to screw two brackets (that came with it) into the wall above the door, and the pull-up bar itself hooks over it....
    When I'm done with it, I just unhook it and put it away so I can close the door....
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Gym-Total-Upper-Workout/dp/B001EJMS6K

    i have this, it's great. perfect for what it is. i'm kinda heavy though, so i have to tighten the screws on it once in a while.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    Thanks for all the great ideas and suggestions everyone! I've had good luck with getting things off of Craigslist and from Play It Again Sports so far. Most of the dumbbells I've purchased have been for 50 cents a pound which is pretty good and I got a great adjustable bench the other day off of Craigslist for only $70 (retails for $280 new). I put some Mothers Back to Black (stuff for car plastics and vinyls) on the cushions and cleaned it up and looks good as new.

    I'm not sure if I can fit a squat rack and all that in my basement, I'll have to check the dimensions of that stuff. My basement only has 82-83" of height. I know some of those things are pretty tall. I can do almost all my exercises with dumbbells but it would be nice to get some extra stuff down there like you guys have.

    I was originally going to get some rubber floor tiles for the entire half of my basement that I'd use for the gym, but then I saw how expensive it'd be! I think I'm going to just put some nice carpet down there like I always wanted to do and then just get some mats for the areas where I'll be using the weights. I think in the end that will be cheaper and whenever we move it'll be easier to convert that back to a regular area vs rubber floor tiles.

    I'd like to get a nice elliptical machine down there but I just dont think I have enough clearance down there unfortunately. I think I'd be limited to a smaller treadmill or exercise bike. I see quite a few good deals on Craigslist so I'll check into those more when I"m ready to get one of those.

    I'm continuing to use our community center gym for now until I get everything set up in the basement. My membership is good until January, so I should have it all done by then.

    Anyway, thanks for the ideas and if anyone has some pics I'd love to see them.
  • CharlotteAnneUK
    CharlotteAnneUK Posts: 186 Member
    you might also try freecycle. I have been moving my home gym from the upstairs bedroom to a log cabin at the bottom of the garden as there is a lot of noise when you go jumping about and in the tidy up, have had stuff that I was disposing of and found people looking for stuff and giving away stuff on there.

    Asuming you are in the UK of course.....
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    I'm actually in Michigan in the U.S.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    Just stopped into a local carpet shop today and got set up to have my basement measured and stuff on Monday. Just doing the one half so it wont cost much and it will really freshen the basement up. I think once I get the carpet installed and the cool posters hung up on the wall it'll really look nice down there!
  • tamadrummer001
    tamadrummer001 Posts: 71 Member
    Instead of a squat rack, you can get a couple of good sized jack stands/pipe stands (ridgid brand or whatever) and use them to hold the bar for squating. Cannot possible get the legs you would want without a good squat day......

    I don't have my own gym but I am planning it out now and watching craigslist for the equipment.

    I always see elliptical machines and bikes at local produce stands that sell junk as well as at the flea market and yard sales
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    I haven't gotten around to taking pictures but my husband just built me a power rack for less than $200. I've picked up weight off of craigslist, garage sales or Play It Again Sports. I also cleaned out my shed and traded a bunch of stuff we don't use for an Olympic Bar at Play it Again so nothing out of pocket for that. I have foam padding on the floor in front of a shelving unit and the squat rack right next to that. On the shelving unit I have my workout notebook, instructional books that I refer to for form or exercises, DVD's, DVD player, small TV, exercise bands, chalk and other misc. junk I use in workouts. Mostly I use the square open space for cardio and barbell work that doesn't involve the cage or some yoga and stretching. The cage is my happy place.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    Just did my first workout in the basement today, man was that fun! I blasted the entire Appetite for Destruction album by Guns N Roses along with some AC/DC and didn't have to worry about offending anyone or anything. I still want to add a lot of things down there, but for now I have enough to get started. I can definitely see getting into this working out at home stuff, sure beats having to drive somewhere and being gone for hours at a time.

    I agree, I'd like to get some sort of squat rack or cage down there at some point, but I don't know what I can do with my ceiling clearance. I have like 81-83" or so which isn't that much for big items like that. I dont know if they make a half cage or something but I'll see what I can find over time and expand as $$$ permit. I'm trying to do this on somewhat of a budget right now so I'm picking up equipment off of Craigslist and Play It Again Sports for way cheaper than new. It's worked out pretty good so far.

    I want to get a nice treadmill or bike down there soon as well so I can wake up a little early and do my cardio before I even go to work. That way that part is knocked out of the way right off the bat.

    My old basement tiles are kind of sucky too, all beat up and old, so I'm getting new commercial grade carpet down there to help spruce it up a little and keep the floor from being so cold and stuff. Should get that installed sometime next week which will look cool. The local place by my house has really good deals on carpet rolls in their warehouse so it shouldn't cost very much at all.

    Thanks again everyone for the suggestions and stuff, keep them coming, and if you have any pics of your own personal home gym I'd love to see them for some additional ideas!

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