So I'm new and need some help designing an entry level home gym. I was hoping that some cash would help get this thread a little bit of extra attention. In 2 weeks or when im done, I'll send off 50 bucks to whomever makes the most constructive post(s) in the thread as measured by which suggestion i take via paypal or money order or make a 100 dollar donation to the charity of your choice in your name. Perfectly happy sending it to a mod or long time poster to hold in escrow. I'm sure the collective brain of these forums is infinitely better than whomever i could find working at Dick's. If this takes off, I'll do the same thing for help with nutrition and a workout plan.

I'm very new at this and have spent 3 hours without much headway when it comes to creating a plan, so let me try to give the relevant information so others might be able to help direct me.

About me:
I'm a 27yo professional. Extremely thin, 5'11 135. I'm also unusually disciplined(I held out on sex for 4 months to prove a point to my girlfriend.) I'm very comfortable making a $3000 investment in a home gym. In fact, I'd prefer to make a bigger investment than smaller one as that will help motivate me to use the equipment.

The space:
15x20 finished basement. Biggest problem is is relatively low ceiling clearance. 96 inches.

Needs:
I need help figuring out what it is i need to a certain extent. I prefer new equipment and prefer purchasing online. I think I need:
Rack
Bench
Flooring
Dumbbells
Something for Cardio(Outdoor running is not an option in the winter where i live.)
Mirrors
Other things im sure im missing.

Goals:
For the gym, I'd like to have a space that is safe to use and aesthetically pleasing. My personal goal is to gain 15 pounds by june 2009 and to fully document it in the johnstonefitness tradition. Naturally, I'd like to get the best possible value for my money and im willing to expand the budget if neccessary.

I will answer any and all questions that might be relevant in this mission. Thank you!

Steve

I have the same issue you have with ceiling height and I cannot overhead press in my basement. I bought a cheap $150 squat rack for my garage so I can perform all of my overhead pressing out there. If you go this route, buy a cheap bar to keep in your garage - you can get one in a 300 pound weight set. Buy a nicer bar to store in your basement. When winter comes around, you're going to have to suck it up.

Must Haves:

Power Rack
Bench
Barbell

*You probably don't need a top of the line barbell right away, but get a pendlay or something of similar quality if you can. The pendlay is lifetime guaranteed. The crappy bars they include in the 300 pound weight sets will probably suffice for awhile.

Plates
Horse Stall Matting

*Dumbbells can always come later. A barbell and plates should be purchased first.

*I personally hate mirrors. I see no reason to look at myself when I'm squatting a heavy poundage. If you prefer bodybuilding or something then maybe you might want them.

It's up to you how much you want to spend on your bench and squat rack. You can get a Powertec Rack for $350 or you can get an elitefts rack for anywhere from $900 on up. The same goes for a bench. I purchased my bench off of craigslist for only $100 while it originally sold for $450. Elitefts has some super nice benches for $700-900.

*You may want to get some better, tighter collars. I upgraded from the spring collars which loosen up over time to the bulldog Troy collars.
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=114&pid=1664

You could also build your own squat rack with whatever options you want.
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=CT&pid=681&cid=

Check this article out, it tells you pretty much all you need to know.
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/sick-of-your-gym2.htm

Last but not least, get a stereo. Music can have a profound effect on your training.

As far as cardio, I don't know, do whatever you want. Since you don't want to go outside to do cardio in winter, get a treadmill if that suits you. I use the prowler for my "cardio". It probably isn't your thing if you don't like lung busting, crazy man, neighbors will think you are nuts, cardio. It also turns the driveway orange from the scraping. I wouldn't recommend dropping $500 on it if you aren't going to consistently use it. Here's my thread about it.

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=42267

I'm very new at this and have spent 3 hours without much headway when it comes to creating a plan, so let me try to give the relevant information so others might be able to help direct me.

About me:
I'm a 27yo professional. Extremely thin, 5'11 135. I'm also unusually disciplined(I held out on sex for 4 months to prove a point to my girlfriend.)

low ceiling clearance. 96 inches.

You're in luck. My ceiling is 78 inches anywhere at home I can work out.

Get a good barbell and set of plates. A pair of light (15#), moderate (30#) and heavy (65#) dumbells.

Get a squat rack or power cage.

Get a good bench. Such as the Ironmaster Super bench.

Get flooring so you can deadlift and do other floor-agressive movements.

Get some steps. You can actually use those plastic aerobic steps if you get the sturdier sort ("The Step", "Reebok", etc.)

The whole deal should be way less than your $3000 budget.

Something for Cardio(Outdoor running is not an option in the winter where i live.)

Barbell step ups will do that as well as anything and better than many things. Single leg deadlifts are also excellent cardio.

For $3000, I'll sell you my entire personal training studio. For the cost of transportation, I'll deliver it anywhere in the US. Right now it's in a 20x20 two car garage. All equipment is used but not abused, sturdy and functional free-weight based machines and commercial-grade cardio equipment. Let me know if you are interested... I can provide a detailed list of the equipment with photos.

I've been thinking of selling this for a while now, and $3000 was my planned asking price. So maybe this post was meant for me???

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'll start compiling them into something that more resembles a complete plan when i get home from work.

For $3000, I'll sell you my entire personal training studio. For the cost of transportation, I'll deliver it anywhere in the US. Right now it's in a 20x20 two car garage. All equipment is used but not abused, sturdy and functional free-weight based machines and commercial-grade cardio equipment. Let me know if you are interested... I can provide a detailed list of the equipment with photos.

I've been thinking of selling this for a while now, and $3000 was my planned asking price. So maybe this post was meant for me???

Phillydude,

This is definitely interesting, and i think we would be remiss not to discuss it further. The biggest difficulty, however, is going to be transportation. I'm located in omaha, nebraska and that may make a deal cost prohibitive. Before I ask you to take pictures etc, can you estimate the weight/volume of the equipment? If you're flexible on dates, sometimes you can get a deal on LTL freight. Alternatively, I'll check on uhaul style rentals from philly to omaha, I have a bunch of hertz vouchers that i probably wouldn't otherwise use and i think they have some large trucks available.

I think a mirror is a good idea....not for vanity...but for checking form on some exes.

You're 135lbs. 5' 11".

You want to gain 15 lbs.

I'll bet you're an Ectomorph.

So.....with this in mind you'll want to do exes that produce mass.

You won't need (for now) a whole bunch of equipment for specialization moves.

The best mass moves are with freebars.

So you basically don't need an all-in-one gym with stack plates etc.

You need:-

A really good bench. Get a good one right off the bat...one that you won't have to trade in later on because it's too light in construction etc.

A barbell (or three).....and a set of weights with a good selection of plate sizes. The advantage of having multiple bars to use is that you can have them allready set-up for use instead of loading/de-loading every damn time.

Bumper plates....if you're lifting at home and want to save the floors.

Heavy rubber matting.

A clock. Big-face dial and set up so that you can see it from anywhere in the room.

Good lifting shoes......don't train in crosstrainers or running shoes or any soft-bottomed sole. there are good lifting shoes out there...but if you're stuck...get Chuck Taylor Lo-top Converse All-Stars.

A rack or cage with SAFETIES. A must for working out at home.

I use a Body-Solid MultiPress rack...it is very good.

But there are times when I'd like a cage also...for added safety reasons.

Go with Olympic plates.....much wider choice on Olympic bar types than 1" standard.

If you're an Ecto trying to put on mass...I wouldn't be knocking myself out on cardio.....so maybe an eliptical is all you need if you absolutely must have a cardio machine.......

A Multi Press Body Solid rack will fit your ceiling height.

But I'd go powercage if I was in your shoes...because a cage is a little bit safer than the Multi-Press rig.

Hopefully there's one out there that will clear 96"

I'd get dumbells too.....I use made-up dumbells and SelecTechs. I use SelecTechs but I am not endorsing them. Neither am I endorsing Iron masters or Powerblocks.

As a recommendation I would buy 5 or 6 pairs of good quality DB handles and some extra plates (mostly "tens") and make them up. Big plates on dumbells do not work so well for a number of exes in terms of arm clearance/mobility.

If you use good quality quick-lock collars ( and I mean good quality)...
it's easy to add incremental weights on dumbells and barbells without them slipping.

Some barbells I have, the base weight is allready "locked" in place at alltimes with fixed collars.. I have one, for instance, that is fixed at 70lbs....I just add weight with the quicklocks for more weight.

But not all quicklocks are created equal...especially the "spring" type ones. I like the older cast iron jobs with the "L" nut on them for a lot of applications.

I would also that a pair of Powerhooks can be mighty handy for doing heavier DB work like DB Bench press etc.

Bar
Squatcage with pullup bar
Set of rings to do dips
Bumpers
Concept 2 rower
Dynamax medicine ball to gauge squat depth
Weight belt

Don't bother with a bench... Standing press and weigted dips will get you where you want to be, and then some.
Bumpers will save your floor. Build a cheap platform for fifty bucks also.

Squats, presses,Pullups, rowing, cleans, deads, and milk. You'll get big.

Before I ask you to take pictures etc, can you estimate the weight/volume of the equipment? If you're flexible on dates, sometimes you can get a deal on LTL freight. Alternatively, I'll check on uhaul style rentals from philly to omaha, I have a bunch of hertz vouchers that i probably wouldn't otherwise use and i think they have some large trucks available.

I put everything in a 15' box truck when I bought it from the previous owner and moved it to the current location. I have time available to drive it out there. I can send you digital video with audio descriptions of everything so you can see what you'd be getting... give it some more thought and let me know if you want me to shoot a tour.

Option 1

http://www.fitcore.com/products/strength/Titan_T1.htm

Olympic Barbell with Olympic Plates
Set of dumbells (20-50 would probably be good at your weight)
And you're set.



Or Option 2
Same as people above are saying:
Olympic Bar and Plates
Power Cage
Good Bench
Set of Dumbells


I personally prefer Option 1 for the variety, but it's also a lot more money.

I put everything in a 15' box truck when I bought it from the previous owner and moved it to the current location. I have time available to drive it out there. I can send you digital video with audio descriptions of everything so you can see what you'd be getting... give it some more thought and let me know if you want me to shoot a tour.

The best price i was able to find on a one way 15' truck rental was 1100 bucks. I'm guessing those trucks get about 12mpg so we'd be looking at about $500 in fuel and another 300 for an airplane ticket home. I think it might be a little too expensive considering the distance. Unfortunately, the reward point voucher things i have for hertz can't be used for their trucks.

Do you have a rough guess at the weight? I'll give a LTL carrier a call tommorrow, but i have a feeling it won't be much prettier.

Although Mattback advises against the bench, I would get one anyway.

There's a lot of exes you can do off a bench.

By the way, you can rig up a dipping station in a cage pretty quick if you know what your'e doing...one that can be taken out in seconds to make way for other exes....:)

Bar
Squatcage with pullup bar
Set of rings to do dips
Bumpers
Concept 2 rower
Dynamax medicine ball to gauge squat depth
Weight belt

Don't bother with a bench... Standing press and weigted dips will get you where you want to be, and then some.
Bumpers will save your floor. Build a cheap platform for fifty bucks also.

Squats, presses,Pullups, rowing, cleans, deads, and milk. You'll get big.

Crossfit much do we?

This is actually my shopping list for my home gym when I get back to the USA. But I am getting a bench.

I've built a pretty decent home gym over the course of the last 6 months for just under your budget amount.

I'm just going to list what I've got, where I picked it up from and how much. Keep in mind this was a lot of opportunistic buying, I'm not sure I could replicate it in a shorter time frame.

Here it is:

305# Olympic set - Craigslist - $125

Cap Olympic Curl Bar - $40 - Dick's Sporting Goods

Olympic Tricep Bar - eBay - $35

6 additional 45# plates, 2 additional 35s, 2 additional 25s, 6 additional 10s, 2 additional 5s and 2 additional 2.5s - various sources - about $250

Powertec power rack from bodybuilding.com for $329.99 (shipping included). This thing is indispensible, never want to be without a rack again. Comes with a multi position chinning bar and dip handles.

80" 3 tier dumbbell rack from Jesup Gym Supply (jesupgym.com) for $145 plus shipping of $69 (to Boston)

Dumbbells from 5lbs to 100lbs in 5lb increments except for the 8s and 12s. Bought these off of eBay. There is a used commercial gym equipment store on there and they let hex dumbbells go for $.30/pound - unbelievable deal but subject to availability. They also had a full set of pro style dumbbells later on for $.45/lb. Store is called Gymco and they are located in Warwick, RI. Total = $642

Powertec 2 tier dumbbell rack and a Parabody commercial flat/incline bench for $80 from another eBay store in Warwick RI (All State Fitness)

Curl Bar Holder with three plate holder horns(Commercial) - eBay/Gymco - $37.50don't know the brand

Trotter Commercial Seated Calf Machine - eBay/Gymco - $66.

Continental Systems Light Commercial Preacher Curl Bench - eBay/Gymco - $2 (that's not a typo)

I also added 3 - 3' X 3' mirrors from IKEA for $150 or so and various wraps, gloves and straps from APT for $50

Body Solid Flat Incline Decline Bench (commercially rated) Craigslist - $60

Body Solid 90 degree short backed utility bench - Jesup Gym Equipment - $115

Olympic Plate Tree - Dick's Sporting Goods - $50

3/4" foam rubber gym flooring - Dick's Sporting Goods - $50 for 24 square feet, needed 120 square feet, total = $300

Ab Slings - APT Pro Wrist Straps - $29.99

There might be a couple of other small things that I'm forgetting but this is the bulk of it. I've been getting great workouts for the last 18 weeks with this stuff.

Looking to pick up a used cable crossover/functional trainer or cable column and a leg press when I move to a place that has room.

Hope this helps.

get a power rack with dip bars (or buy rings and straps to do dips with them) and a pull up bar

get a barbell and some plates (maybe a 300lb set plus some extra 45lbs plates)

get a utility bench

get a weighted belt with a chain so you can hang weight off you and do weighted pull ups and dips

i agree 100% with Pete, fix yourself up a good playlist that really gets you pumped for use with a stereo or iPod or combo of the two



with the bench, power rack, barbell, and weighted belt, you can do SO many good lifts. you will be able to build muscle and gain weight no prob.

if you so want to spend the money,

rubber floors would be nice too

and rubber plates would be nice if you can afford them

and a set of dumbbells lastly. get all of other stuff first. you'll build much more muscle doing weighted full body lifts and barbell lifts than with dumbbells.


as far as cardio goes, go with what you like, some like to run, some like to bike, some like to row, some like to push crap around ha

Crossfit much do we?

This is actually my shopping list for my home gym when I get back to the USA. But I am getting a bench.

you know it.