Essential equipment for home gym?

[NotSmall]

I'm buying a new house with a double garage that I want to make into a home gym, what would you consider the essentials to be?

[MatrixGuy]

Mirrors

All your barbells, plates, dumbells, etc.

Smith machine, leg curler, extension and press.

[Psychotron]

Just get a Power Rack, I think that is what it's called, and a adujstable bench plus the essential bars and weights of course.

[lucabratzi]

sqaut rack, i dont like smith machine's but if u want to be safe get one...but if ur using it for benchin i would get a bench set that can go from flat, decline and incline...

[NotSmall]

Thanks guys, I was thinking:

- Adjustable bench
- Squat rack
- Olympic bar & weights
- Set of dumbells
- Chin/dip/leg raise tower

I thought I'd get a set set of dumbells to save me having to keep putting them together but I just checked out the price of dumbell sets - unless anyone knows of a cheap place to buy dumbells in the UK I think I'll have to get a pair of handles and use weights!

I will probably treat myself to other bits & pieces like a cable machine later on but I think the above will get me going - can anyone see anything that they think I wil need?

[Gra]

Bowflex is all you need.. J/K The things you listed will get you going for sure. Also agree on the dumbell sets, fcuking expensive..

[MASTER]

Thanks guys, I was thinking:

- Adjustable bench
- Squat rack
- Olympic bar & weights
- Set of dumbells
- Chin/dip/leg raise tower

I thought I'd get a set set of dumbells to save me having to keep putting them together but I just checked out the price of dumbell sets - unless anyone knows of a cheap place to buy dumbells in the UK I think I'll have to get a pair of handles and use weights!

I will probably treat myself to other bits & pieces like a cable machine later on but I think the above will get me going - can anyone see anything that they think I wil need?

You can do all the compounds with what you've got there, so id say you are good to go! As for the dumbells, they are stupidly expensive, I couldn't believe it when my gym manager told me how much the set they have cost!

[Rocket]

- Adjustable bench
- Squat rack
- Olympic bar & weights
- Set of dumbells
- Chin/dip/leg raise tower

I would get a power rack rather than a squat rack. Than you have it all!

[lucabratzi]

one last thing i would need is a seated row machine...

[Anna Bollick]

Start with a STURDY flat bench, (not one of those bench pressing station thingies) a pair of 20" olympic dumbbell handles, and the following olympic plates:
8 ea 25 lbs
16 ea 10 lbs
8 ea 5 lbs
8 ea 2.5 lbs

That is phase one of putting your home gym together. With dumbbells alone, you can train quite effectively. If you are hardcore, add 4 more 25ers so you can make up a pair of 165 lb dummies. Remember, the handles and collars weight right at 15 lbs each. You should be able to put that together for about $300.

Phase two begins with buying a power cage. Not a power rack, but a power cage. Also you will want a 7' Olympic bar. Pick up a half dozen 45 plates, too. Now, you can safely do squats, BP, mil press, etc without a spotter, assuming you take the time to set your safety bars properly. For BP, you want them so that when the bar is resting on your deflated chest, it is also resting on the safeties. You can fine-tune this by raising the bench, using paperback books or plywood squares under the feet. You should be able to buy this stuff for another $350 or so, or more if you go for a better power cage. You don't need the lat pulley and stuff like that... just the basic, bare-bones power cage.

Phase three would have you buying a Smith machine, or another power cage and another bar. Why? so you set une up as a bench press station, and another as a squat station. Hang some rack points on the outside of the squat station for loading up a bar for deadlifts. The squat station might double for mil presses.

Not much to wear out here. A smith has moving parts, of course, but the other stuff won't wear out. It will outlast you, your kids, and your grandkids. Resale value will remain high. Iron is iron. Old iron is still just iron.

Fripperies like gloves, straps, a lifting belt, etc are nice but not essential. One doodad I really like, though, is the Manta Ray. It puts all the squatting action on the muscles on which it belongs. A mirror or two is good, too.

All this stuff will cost less than some guys pay for a year's gym membership. And you can use it forever. So just friggin GO for it, Girlfriend!

Love
Anna