After about two months of gym workouts, and in anticipation of a busy winter, I decided to turn part of my basement into a home gym. I've already got an elliptical (a friend drops it off today at my house), so this will (at least partially) take care of the cardio, and I've got a fitness ball which I intend to give a try, and some sort of abs apparatus (the most basic one), but I am now facing a dilemma as to how to perform the real stuff - the weight training.

Most of the multi-gyms sold here are very basic (for example, no smith machine, so can't go real heavy with the barbel), but yet take up lots of space. I am inclined to just get a decent bench and a set of dumbbells, maybe a barbell as well. What do you think? What would you look at when choosing a bench? What companies are considered the top stuff (especially in Europe)? Also, what do you think of devices such as "Total Gym"? I'm skeptical about it, but who knows?

The main goals for me right now are loss of weight and building up strength.

Where you live in Europe ?

Where you live in Europe ?

I actually live in Israel, but there aren't many people here from Israel, and the supply here is more similar to that in Europe than that in the USA, that's why I mentioned Europe.

I would get a power rack, a FID bench, an olympic barbell, an EZ bar and dumbells.

Stuff from Body solid, Powertec, Lamar, ....

Unfortunately, no Power Racks this side of the Med :(. I guess I'll have to do with the bench, the dumbbells and the barbells, Olympic and W (must get a Preacher attachment for the bench in order to use this one, right?). Does it make any sense at all to buy an Olympic barbell without a rack, considering I will be training alone?

A FID bench + dbells + EZ bar + a straight barbell

I would get also a pull up/dips station like that unit :

http://fitnessfactory.com/Item.aspx?ItemID=515&ItemLabel=GVKR82%3a+Body-Solid+Vertical+Knee+Raise%2c+Dip%2c+Pull+Up

With a good olympic barbell you can load it with more weights than a classic bar.

Thanks, CASABLANCA! Good idea about that pull ups/dips station. I was thinking of buying one that attaches to a Swedish ladder.

How much room do you have? I have a section of my basement that is pretty small that I put a Marcy smith machine in. See this post: http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=38645

After having a regular bench, some elastics and a bunch of freeweights, i found that without a spotter I could never get those last reps in that are so important. Thats why I felt a smith machine was the only way to go. Compared to others, the Marcy 3105 is not as big I found. Plus, you can remove the bench and save a bunch of space when it is not in use.

Good luck!

How much room do you have? I have a section of my basement that is pretty small that I put a Marcy smith machine in. See this post: http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=38645

Yep, I've seen that thread. Some impressive machine you've got there. Unfortunately, it is not being imported to Israel, and if it were, it would cost an outrage.

I agree about the benefits of the Smith, but I guess the circumstances are against me on this one, so I'll have to take it slow with lesser weights.