Starting a home gym

[Midwest Viking]

Well, my gym membership is just about up, and since I am moving in about 8 months, I am not going to sign another 2 year contract. I am just going to start buying equipment, and working out at home, this way, its available any time of day, I can save gas $, save on membership fees, etc.

Well, the first item I am going to buy is an olympic bench with a incline/flat/decline adjustment, ofcourse an olympic bar to go with it, and about 350-400 lbs of weight.

I saw the bench, bar, and weight at D!ck's sporting goods, the bench felt very solid, has a nice wide back, etc.

But, I have never bought weight equipment from Dick's before. Has anyone ever had any experience with their weight equipment, or know if it is worth buying?

[number twelve]

i bought some db;s from them. quality.
i would recommend getting a powerlifting cage and an independant adjustable bench.

[kaberle_15]

You couldn't workout a deal with your gym to sign for a few months?

I trained at home for a while and had a lot of equipment, bench press, smith machine, dumbbells 20lbs-135lbs, preacher bench, universal machine.....and it was convenient having everything in my basement but after a while I adapted to a lot of exercises and needed to go back to a gym to get more variety and break out of my plataeu. Stuff at dick's is good but dont get used to training the same at home because eventually you will get used to the workouts and wont see the gains as much.

[outofthebox]

there are actually a few good past threads on this subject...i want to say they were posted around nov last year when guys started talkin about what their families were gonna get em for Christmas....there were some good pics of some of the guys home gyms....pretty ridiculously nice toys that college students like myself just cant afford =x run a search on it

[gixxerboy1]

I sell fitness equipment for a living. Dick's stuff is absolute garbage. Even there weights are cheaper made. If you actually weight them a lot are off.

To do a nice home gym with decent equipment is a lot more the joining a gym

[WEBB]

i enjoy going to the gym...its my time...its kinda a social event too, if i had to train at home i dont know if i would give it all i had or would enjoy it as much...

[Midwest Viking]

I really like going to the gym too, but, as much as i like it, i am independant enough, and focused enough when it comes to training that I don't need that atmosphere.

Well, I have heard the weights don't fit flush, and may be off in weight, and I have seen the cheap bars bend, but what about the bench specifically? It seemed very solid. very basic, not fancy, just a metal olympic bench.

Plus it is more in my price range.