Creating a home gym (sorry, a bit long)
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Sumiblue
Posts: 1,597 Member
I belong to Planet Fitness currently. No frills but so far I can do my workouts there. There is only one squat rack & no power cage. I'm starting to get frustrated with the gym, though. I have to wait for the rack sometimes. I don't have much time for workouts so can't just go do an hour of cardio. I'd like to be able to work out more days & have more flexibility. I'm a SAHM just getting back to work. I'm an artist and have a huge commission that will takes months to complete. My current gym time slot will get eaten up by work as I need to utilize the half day my child goes to preschool. I am thinking of purchasing a used squat bench with Olympic bar & weights. I have a (small) room at home I could use & think maybe I can workout during her naps or after dinner. Anyone else ditch their gym for home gym & has it been good, bad or the same for quality of workouts?
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So I typed out this really long answer about how much I love my home gym but I clicked the wrong button and it went away! Arg! So I'll try to summarize.
I hated going to the gym because it adds so much time with going over there and back and you have to wait on equipment to be free and likely the person that just got done with it didnt pick up after themselves and left their sweat all over everything. Ew! So I much prefer to workout at home because you just put on whatever you want and walk into your workout room and bam you are working out. Nobody else to deal with, can play your own music and not deal with an ipod with headphones and wires getting all tangled up. I can close the door and its just me and my equipment and its my time. No distractions, no interruptions, just me thinking about my next set of reps. I dont have kids so I can't attest to those kinds of distractions, but as long as she sleeps well, then you should be able to get a good weight lifting session in (I usually take about 30 min).
Check Craigslist for a good deal on used equipment. I asked for a Titan power rack and an inexpensive weight bench for Christmas but my husband found a good deal on a much nicer power rack with a weight bench and Oly bar. I can't wait to get it setup in there so I can get rid of my current makeshift setup! I also have an elliptical machine that I 'borrowed' from my sister so I can also do cardio on off days. I say 'borrowed' because I hope to never have to give it back!0 -
I canceled my gym membership to workout at home. I bought my oly bar and plates used and my husband built me a power rack out of wood. It's pretty sturdy. I love it because I can workout whenever I want to, wear whatever I want to, take as long as I want to, and do other things in between sets (like run a load of laundry or play with the dog, etc). The only downside for me is that I'm limited by the equipment I have; my workouts all have to use the barbell or body weight. Though, I am asking for a set of adjustable dumbbells for Christmas, so that might help!0
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I hate gyms. In the past, everytime I went to one for a few days, I ALWAYS ended up sick. I'm also not a group-oriented person, and hate crowds. So, I was never consistent with exercise when I went to a gym. We've slowly put together a nice home set up over the past few years. I beyond love it! We have a power rack, adjustable bench, oly bar, and plates. Most of our plates were purchased at garage sales or flea markets. They were rusty, but we were able to clean them up. We have some dumbbells and kettlebells. My husband built various sized boxes for squatting. My husband (because he's crazy) also has chains and bands he adds to the bar at times. Like katro111, I love the flexibility of wearing what I want and doing it whenever I want, and fitting in household chores during my rests.
...I'm anxious for May to get here so I can get back to my lifting! Oh, and to meet my baby girl also
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Ok, I'm feeling better about this idea! Thanks for the input. I'm not worried about not having access to cardio machines because I could do a kettlebell workout (YouTube video) or skip rope. Or run or bike on the bike path near my house. I do very little cardio now. Just some burpees or walking to warm up. My designated room is a small bedroom. It's big enough for the 7ft bar as long as I don't swing it around a lot, not likely. I use videos a lot to look at proper form or to try new stuff. My gym doesn't have free wi-fi. I feel like at home I could set up my iPad for videos and to make videos of my own form. I'm getting a little self conscious at the gym now that I am lifting heavier weights. When I set up my 150lb DL suddenly there were a bunch of guys hanging around. the only issue I can see now is where to put the sleeper sofa that is in the room,currently. I'm going to have to move stuff around!0
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I got turned off to gyms years ago because of germs too, I seem to catch things too easily sometimes. I started off with a golds gym rack, bench and starting set of weights, to 110 lbs, have added a lot of plates, 3 45's, 2 25's 4 10's 2 more 5's and a couple of pairs of fractionals. My latest purchase was a power rack which is great for squatting and being safe, I went all the way up to 200 lbs. without it, but if I had ever fallen backwards I would have had no support...forwards I had safety bars to throw it on. I tried to get stuff off Craigslist but it would be gone before I could get it, so don't tell anybody when you find something and reply immediately.0
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@bruerin, congrats on your May news! I wish I had started lifting after I had my girl. I'm still trying to lose the baby weight, 3 yrs later. I didn't even gain that much! It's getting better now, though
Thanks! Lifting will get you to where you want to be, for sure! Your bicep looks fantastic--imagine the changes you will see one year from now! I was sad that I had to stop lifting due to some complications early on, but now I'm taking advantage of the break and exploring other hobbies/interests. This break (and reading about everyone's accomplishments over the past few months) has made me excited about getting back at it once she is born.
Given your tight schedule, I really think that once you figure out the logistics of setting up the actual room, you will love having it right there. Start with the bare bones that you need, and build it as you go. Check garage sales, Craigslist, newspaper classifieds. Even ask for items you are interested in for Mothers' Day and your birthday.
Hopefully, massage97 will chime in (and post more photos)...I'm envious of her awesome home gym. It looks like a mini commercial gym. She may be able to offer good advice on how/where to score the best deals!
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Thanks! My room is tiny but I can get a sturdy bench/squat rack and 7' Oly bar in there and still do the lifts. I will probably have just enough room left over for stretching, yoga, etc. I found all of this for sale on CL not too far away for under $200, including weights!0
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I would love to see photos of your home gyms
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So, I negotiated with a guy on Craigslist to buy his power cage, Olympic bar, (2) 45s, (2) 35s (2) 25s and bench for....wait for it-$325! I'm so psyched! My husband thinks I'm nuts but he will like this set up. He doesn't even use his gym membership and I can get rid of mine, now. I'm hoping I can pick it all up sometime tomorrow. It has a pull up bar, too. It just fits height-wise in the room with about 8inches of head space.0
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-and it's fairly new. They guy bought it and then moved out of CT for NYC and had to join a gym there.0
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YAYAYAYAYAYAY! Post pics ASAP, please! 0
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Phase 1 is complete. I'm financing this home gym by selling a valuable old Venetian mirror I have had for years but no longer need. We don't have any spare cash to buy the gym otherwise. But, it worked out. Sold the mirror this afternoon and now I have to drive to another town to get the power cage. Cannot believe that this is all happening on the same day! And for the same money, practically. I'm feeling a wee bit guilty for having to rearrange the whole house to accommodate this thing. Not that much, though
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We put a used (Gumtree) power rack and the weights in our bedroom - only space available right now. It's the best decision we've made!0
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I workout at home too, in my basement. I commute about 2.5 hours a day and there getting to a gym for workouts would be very difficult.
I am slowly building up our gym. We have a treadmill and stationary cycle (to workout during the long Canadian Winters) various dumbbells, barbells, plates, and a bench. My next purchase will be a power rack. Maybe next year. I am very happy to workout at home. I do miss some of the perks of gym membership like sauna in the winter and easy access to a PT to assess my form when lifting but I guess I could contract PT if necessary.
Right now all of our equipment is just scattered in our unfinished basement. If anyone has pics they could post that would be awesome 0 -
The power cage I bought is called Proviction (is that a word?). I did not get an instruction manual with it so I have been trying to figure out how to put the dang thing together. I found a video on YouTube of a guy putting one together and at one point he zeros in on the instruction sheet. I finally made some progress last night and got 3 base pieces and 2 verticals attached before our little girl went to bed. I hope to finish it today. I *really* want to get a workout in! I love saunas but my current no frills gym didn't have one anyway. I just take nice, long, scented epsom salt baths after a hard workout. I will post a photo of my home gym once I get it all put together.0
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What fun! I googled the Proviction cage--it looks really nice!!0
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It only looks distorted because of the camera angle. I would need mirrors to get a better shot head on.0
