Advice on Small Home Gym Options

From what I have seen the ones that look like this:

Tend to be pretty good. The bench is well supported by the “strut”. The ones that have the slide and pin don’t seem to be as good.

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I bought this functional trainer from Costco and it’s been a game changer. While I do have a Titan Yoke (I got for space, used as squat rack), barbell and bumpers, you can do pretty well with just the 552 Bowflex adjustable dumbbells and a 60 and 80lb KB. I sometimes won’t even use the barbell for workouts.

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Regarding racks, if space is the major issue, Rogue has some pretty cool looking folding racks. That might not work though if you’re renting the apartment since they have to be attached to the wall.

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During COVID I put together this ~30 square foot apartment gym consisting of:

  • Barbell, plates, and landmine post
  • Adjustable dumbbells
  • Wall-Mounted Cable Machine
  • Wall-Mounted Pull Up Bar
  • 16k, 20k, and 24k Kettlebells
  • Cheepo Step Up Box/ Bench thing
  • Bands, Rings, and a TRX

It certainly got the job done. I had initially purchased a low-profile wall-mounted squat rack, but one of the studs I would have had to mount it to had electrical wiring on it (see outlet behind the weight tree in the photo) so I decided to skip the rack and go for the pull-up bar instead.

Honestly, if I had to do it again I’d skip the barbell because it was annoying to set up and not much fun to use with how cautious I had to be because I lived on the 7th floor. I also would have gotten two adjustable kettlebells rather than the three different sized ones. Otherwise, I was happy with the set up.

EDIT: If you’re concerned with wall-mounted options, you can do what I did and confirm with your building manager that mounting “shelving, etc.” is allowed per the terms of your lease. I have since moved and fully repaired all damage caused by the equipment in a couple of hours spread over a single weekend. It was a much easier project than I anticipated – equivalent to taking down some shelving or a mounted TV.

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+1 for Rogue folding rack with baby swing attachment.

They also make a slide attachment and bubble blowing prowler sled that looks like a lawn mower.

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I’ve ordered this one. Appearantly made for heavyweight, still practical and able to even make decline! And also easy storage under the bed when not in use. Was fairly expensive around $400 - but found it on sale for nearly half the price. A great bench based on reviews for apartment use.

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An impressive and nice looking gym you’ve got there! We are sharing similar opinions.

No matter how much a proper rack is first priority - under normal circumstances - I have a hard time seeing myself perform heavy squats or deadlifts in my apartment. I thus agree that a barbell and weights is a lower priority based upon my conditions. That being said, a landmine is very usable equipment.

If I change my mind, I will definitely go for a fold up rack. But - I honestly think I would prefer a solid cable installment because of the great variety and ease of use.

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That seems like a good start, pretty much what I had at the start of the pandemic. I did acquire a weight vest early on to be able to go heavier on dumbbell squats.

If you are interested in motorized options, you might check out the ads for a machine called Vitruvian Form. They look intriguing. It is basically a platform that you stand on, and work against cables that come up from the floor. So any barbell exercise that you can perform from your feet could be done on the machine. It offers up to 400 lbs of resistance, and the AI will automatically upload negatives if that is what you want. But the company is based in Australia, not sure if it is available in Sweden.

The neat thing is the form factor. It is flat enough that you could slide it under a bed, so great in a small apartment.

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You can cover off most of the body on the TRX, you can load with additional weight beyond bodyweight. You can do single leg work. You can do some pretty cool ab variations on it. Your best bet is to have a look at either YouTube of their website to get a better idea of how it works tbh

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Always remember the golden rule of hypertrophy:

Hypertrophy is stimulated by choosing an exercise which challenges the target muscle, at 3-30RM, and taking it to within 5 reps of concentric failure. The exercise is question should be limited by muscular fatigue, as opposed to technical or metabolic fatigue.

If you can do that with a TRX, you’re golden. However, your options are probably limited:

  • Single leg / pistol squat
  • Single leg hamstring curl - maybe double leg if your hammies aren’t super strong or you run the reps high
  • Sissy squat
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Heavy duty Powertwisters my hobby lol.

Many great suggestions I would prioritise somewhere you could do unweighted reverse hypers for time and a good back extension machine. Glute ham raise is nice too. All quiet for home use.

Of course a push sled too.

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For cheap and compact back stuff… barbell and dumbell rows and pull ups

When I spent some time in an apartment, I discovered it was a short trot to a playground. So, the workout was:
-Interval sprints to the playground
-Pullups and dips on the equipment
-One-legged squats using a swingset leg for stability
-Sissy squats using a swingset leg for stability
-Interval sprints back from the playground

Rainy days were done at home:
-Kettlebell volume ladder:
10, 9, 8…2, 1
Swings and pushups supersetted;
-Kettlebell volume ladder:
10, 9, 8…2, 1
Swings and goblet squats supersetted

Other times, a workout I got from T-Nation (but I used a DB instead of KB):
20 minutes of one-handed snatch–
15 seconds right-hand
15 seconds rest
15 seconds left-hand
15 seconds rest

Revisiting this thread, as I am looking for a dip bar to complement my home gym with. I have come to conclusion that my weak bench press needs to be adressed appropriately.

Stability is important, as it will need to withstand my body weight (209 lbs/95 Kg) + weighted dips (which most models seem to manage). Therefore, it needs to be high enough (for weights to move freely). Choice of width is beneficial but not a must. Any other bonus feature is great. Also, I assume you should aim for larger handles for grip.

Am considering these for $100 (especially if a fit training partner to compete against, comes along with the package):
41l+smPwNYS.SL500

Not necessarily looking for a (more expensive) power tower, as I already have an excellent door mounted chinup rack with several bars/grips.

Anyone having suggestions or experiences to share re great, priceworthy dip stand/bar?

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please help me remember did we speak about this in another thread?

Not that I can recall. I have used the search feature on forums re dip bar/stand with no luck, before posting this. Can you please guide me to the thread you think of?

My ramblings on home gym setup are featured in this thread - with great suggestions from several regulars re other choices of equipment. Which is why I’m asking again. The force is strong in this community…

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I couldn’t find it either.

The thing the bar pictured is missing to me is a step.

I like to step up set my arms then start doing dips.

I have this one. I have had it 2.5 years. I have used it several times per week since I got. It is still in great shape. I am 6ft tall and 250lbs (sometimes) and dip with an extra 90lbs in plates.

Tall enough so the plates can hang. push-up handles on the bottom.
This is what I mean by the step…

ezgif.com-crop (1)

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I have a cheap one I bought from a company called Ultimate Body Press years ago. It is light weight and can be collapsed for easy storage. I’ve used it with up to 250LBS load (body weight plus added weight), and it was just fine. It was tall enough for me, but I am short, only 5’5”.

Compared to some of the others shown in this thread, it is very lightly built. But my experience suggests these things don’t need to be built like a tank to be adequately functional.

FWIW….

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