T Nation

Home Gym Equip?

Bodybuilding
#1

I am currently nearing the completion of construction of my house, I have set a side a gym with two rooms and double doors running from one to the other. One for aerobic the other weights.

For the aerobic section I have ordered treadmill, cross trainer, bike and rower. For the weights room I have ordered a power rack with olimpic bar and weights, dumbells going from 2.5 to 40 kg’s at 2.5 intervals, incline deline bench,EZ bar, ball and punching bag.The weights room if 192 square feet.

So my question is, as I would class myself as a beginner to inter mediate weights lifter, is my choice of weights lifting equipment correct???

#2

[quote]cumminsg wrote:
For the weights room I have ordered a power rack with olimpic bar and weights, dumbells going from 2.5 to 40 kg’s at 2.5 intervals, incline deline bench,EZ bar, ball and punching bag.The weights room if 192 square feet.

So my question is, as I would class myself as a beginner to inter mediate weights lifter, is my choice of weights lifting equipment correct??? [/quote]

So far, you have the basics needed.

I would have considered the adjustable dumbbells and super bench from Ironmaster. It would have saved you money and space, and you would have some very high quality equipment.

An addition I made to my home gym was adding the lat/row attachment to my Body Solid power rack. This is one of the best things I’ve done (besides the Ironmaster dumbbells and super bench). The lat/row attachment allows me to do many more exercises than I was previously able to do and has given me more variety and more complete workouts.

#3

I second the comment from Mr. Dogg about the dumbells. Fixed weight is limiting, especially since grown men outgrow the 40’s darn quick. If you get fixed weight and believe you’ll stick with a program it’s worthwhile to go up to 100’s if you have the money.

Otherwise I would just get a spinlock set of dumbell handles and a couple hundred pounds of standard weights.

#4

Outgrow 40kg’s, crikey didnt think one would outgrow 40kg dunbbelss that quick…looking at my last workout schedule…I was bench pressing 8 reps with 26.2 dumbbells in each hand

#5

[quote]cumminsg wrote:
Outgrow 40kg’s, crikey didnt think one would outgrow 40kg dunbbelss that quick…looking at my last workout schedule…I was bench pressing 8 reps with 26.2 dumbbells in each hand[/quote]

You very well may outgrow them within a few months. When I bought the Ironmaster adjustable dumbbells, I also purchased the add-on set. They come standard with 75lbs and now I can go up to 120lbs each. I haven’t used that much yet, but as soon as I start using lower reps, I will easily need 90-100lbs or more!

#6

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
You very well may outgrow them within a few months. When I bought the Ironmaster adjustable dumbbells, I also purchased the add-on set. They come standard with 75lbs and now I can go up to 120lbs each. I haven’t used that much yet, but as soon as I start using lower reps, I will easily need 90-100lbs or more!

[/quote]

40kg is 90lbs. As a beginner, getting dumbbells heavier than that rather than getting a glute ham bench or a dipping station, would be misdirecting their efforts IMO.

Getting some sort of cable stack is definitely a good idea though.

I would also recommend getting a set of bands, they are awesome for prehab movements as well as providing accommodating resistance to regular lifts.

#7

Do you have a place for chins and dips? I picked up a “power tower” that does chins, dips and hanging leg raises.

I got bands from iron woody that are great.

I don’t know if you have it in Ireland, but I got a lot of great used stuff for my home gym on craigslist.org. Good luck!

#8

My personal opinion, have two olympic bars. That way you don’t have to switch out the bar as often for diff. exercises.Thats what I did.Some might call it being lazy but when I was going between exercises it helped me out by being able to keep my intensity up w/o having to take to long a break between exercises to switch weights.

#9

[quote]Jillybop wrote:
Do you have a place for chins and dips? I picked up a “power tower” that does chins, dips and hanging leg raises.

I got bands from iron woody that are great.

I don’t know if you have it in Ireland, but I got a lot of great used stuff for my home gym on craigslist.org. Good luck!

[/quote]

Thats weird that u mention that, I had a VERTICAL KNEE RAISE/DIP/CHIN UP on my purchase but I went with the extra dumbells, I couldnt cope with having to change dumbells as I move up weight.

Although I might just get it, Gym bill is up to ?6K thats $7.8 so don’t want to push it. However I have gone with advice on this thread and have got the lat weights attached to the power rack ( see pic attached).

They originally made a mistake on my bill, they gavve me quote on excel, the excel sheet was not adding up all the cells, when they copped on they agreed to honour it saved me ?1,500. Anyway my current order for my gym is

Bremshey Treadmill & Bike Package
Horizon Endurance Pro 500 Elite
Horizon rowing machine
Power rack with lat bar and low row bar
Body Solid Flat/Incline/Decline Bench
140kg Olympic Set
4ft Punch bag
Large Comfort mat
Gymball
Olympic Curl Bar
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 2.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 7.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 10KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 12.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 15KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 17.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 20KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 22.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 25KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 27.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 30KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 32.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 35KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 37.5KG
PROSTYLE DUMBELL 40KG
RACK(HOLD 9 PAIRS EACH )

#10

You can always keep an eye out for deals and add to your gym as you go along. THat’s what I’ve been doing. I am hoping to stumble on a full set of db’s for cheap one of these days. Right now I just have adjustable ones and I tend not to use them as much.

I also found a t-bar row, seated calf raise and back ext bench on ebay for great prices. Didn’t really need them, but they’re nice to have.

I have a bunch of pics of my home gym in my profile if you’re interested. Good luck!

#11

[quote]APE. wrote:
My personal opinion, have two olympic bars. That way you don’t have to switch out the bar as often for diff. exercises.Thats what I did.Some might call it being lazy but when I was going between exercises it helped me out by being able to keep my intensity up w/o having to take to long a break between exercises to switch weights.[/quote]

Agreed.

I bought a Texas Power Bar to go with my fitness store Olympic bar, and having two bars comes in handy often for supersets or when working with partners.