Home Gyms

[6.8SPC]

Advantages of home gyms:

1] You can literally put the last set away then go right to the kitchen and immediately start mixing your diabolically complex post-workout cocktail! My counter is like a wet-bar only with supps. instead of booze.

2] You can grunt, scream, swear, dump chalk on the floor, slam weights, etc. as much as you would like ( you may still get strange looks from your pets, lol)

3] No waiting for some guy to finish his 5x5,super German Volume workout because you want to use the Hammer press(I got 30 more sets to go,ok?)

4] No dirty, sweaty benches that smelly old raisin men forget to wipe down.

5] No 'skinny-fat' aerobics types critiquing your form on deadlifts (that's too much weight your heart will explode,lol)

6] No EFT membership dues (dammit the rent check bounced cause I had to pay Gold's) Ok maybe I should just learn how to balance my checkbook

7] No silly 'core' people doing handstands or rubber band curls on a swiss ball.

8] Shall I go on...?

I bought home gym equipment last year and may never go back to training in a commercial gym (at least the sissy ones as there are some impressive hardcore gyms and owners on here ). There are of course disadvantages as well, but I definitely prefer training at home recently. Oh, my setup is simple, I have a Powertec rack with chin and dip stations, 400 lbs. of weight, and a powertec incline-decline adjustable bench. Just the basics, but I am still able to do all the essential compound lifts and I am still growing! Anyone else a home gym-er?

 

[Dad]

Think it's a great idea!

We're building a new garage this coming Spring and putting in a decent power rack, deadlift platform, glute/ham raise machine, reverse hyper machine, lat pulldown, and dumbells up to 150.

Mom and I both train closer to powerlifter style (Westside) and DC, so most fitness chains don't have what we need - not to mention the idiot personal trainers, and the rest of the dummies that always seem to be in yuor way doing 65 lb. bar curls in the rack when yo want to squat!

 

[LATS]

ever since i sold my gyms, i have trained at home.. will never go back.. i took the equipment i wanted and gutted the garage (leveled the floor , put down rubber floor, heat ect)..
i have a powder rack with cable set up
dumbells to 120, smith machine
1500 pounds in jade grip free weights
leg press
numerous benches
dip/chin station
numerous cable attachments
ez curl and olympic bars, ect..
i train late at night so i just walk to the side door and flick on the light.. it is awesome.. spit on the floor, turn up bad 80's music.. all good..

 

[6.8SPC]

It sounds like both you guys have/will have a badass setup. Good to know I'm not the only hermit of iron!

 

[engbulldog]

I also have been lifting @ home for the past 3 yrs. Now since working out @ home I've gone from 155lbs to 205 lbs and all I have is 2 straight bars,seated calf,40lb.db,80lb.db, 2- eazy curl bars, 2- flat benchs,and my greatest idea ever 2 cinder blocks so i can do shrugs! Me and the wife just went looking @ a leg press but they want $1300 so its gonna have to wait untill Dec. but hey what I have works

 

[Paul Bunyan]

I quit raining in commercial gyms years ago. The last one told me I was scaring the members with too much weight on the bar. WTF? So I bought a bunch of equipment with my training partner and we put it in his basement. I have stuff in my garage and basement. My other training partner has all of the strongman equipment at his house. That's 3 different places I train at each week.

PB

 

[6.8SPC]

I quit raining in commercial gyms years ago. The last one told me I was scaring the members with too much weight on the bar. WTF? So I bought a bunch of equipment with my training partner and we put it in his basement. I have stuff in my garage and basement. My other training partner has all of the strongman equipment at his house. That's 3 different places I train at each week.

PB

Scaring the members? That's too funny.

 

[oldfella]

All of you guys make valid points as to advantages of training at home. When ever anyone comes and looks at my gym I make sure to tell them that "This Is A Gym, not a Fitness center". Real weights, real lifters and a home gym atmosphere! You guys all sound like you have good setups.....Congrats for that!

 

[drwost]

I too train at home. I like it better sometimes because it's always there. I don't have to "go" to the gym. I don't have a lot of equipment and sometimes I miss the variety. Sometimes I miss looking at the chicks! It does suck when I am benching and the dog comes in and starts liccking my face! I like doing bench dips with my daughter on my lap! She gets mad when I have to stop!

 

[tkav1980]

i live in a condo, and although i dont need a couch by fiancee wouldnt like a smith machine in front of the tv, come on squats and family guy at the same time it doesnt get any better..lol...but i did find a really hardcore gym. 100lb plates 225lb dumbells 6 power racks! your allowed to have chalk and if you wanna plug in your ipod and blast godsmack go right ahead. it makes me wanna go to an la fitness and just start smacking salesmen.lol but as soon as i buy a real house(kinda expensive where i live so itll be a while) ill go home gym, but till then im verry happy where im at.

 

[6.8SPC]

i live in a condo, and although i dont need a couch by fiancee wouldnt like a smith machine in front of the tv, come on squats and family guy at the same time it doesnt get any better..lol...but i did find a really hardcore gym. 100lb plates 225lb dumbells 6 power racks! your allowed to have chalk and if you wanna plug in your ipod and blast godsmack go right ahead. it makes me wanna go to an la fitness and just start smacking salesmen.lol but as soon as i buy a real house(kinda expensive where i live so itll be a while) ill go home gym, but till then im verry happy where im at.

That's cool you at least have a good gym to train at. Where I live gyms like these are few and far between.

 

[Schutzhundk9]

I had a sweet home gym until my divorce when I had to sell the house. Now all my equipment is in storage and I'm going to Golds for anyone looking into a home gym I would like to recommend the Ironmaster dumbells. They are adjustable but are 100% pro dubmell quality. They adjust from 5-120lbs each.

Check them out at www.ironmaster.com The best thing about them is that they only take up a 2'x2' space (and come with a free stand) A full dumbell set from 5-120 would take up like 20' of wall space.

 

[6.8SPC]

I forgot about this thread! I am a turncoat and have also started training at a commercial gym. It is small, about 2000 sq. ft., but it has way more equipment than I have at home. The great thing is that there is never anybody there when I go in the a.m. and it is a 5 min. walk from my house. Home gyms are cool, but the smaller non-chain gyms also have their charms.

 

[econstruction]

Just wanted to bump this thread. My gym was just bought out so i'm building a home gym of my own and love the points made.

 

[ginalyn]

for gym music and workout music, I recommend european dance music.......

it's ALWAYS the best motivational tool for me...

.....and you don't have to tell anyone at the office if u just listen to it on the mp3 player at the gym ....

.... here's a compilation series on itunes that I recommend:

**broken link removed**

 

[nartic]

I also work out at home. I have a Incline/Decline Bench with a chin up/pull down bar an a preacher bench with a curl bar an a tricept bar with 500 or more pounds of weights I only use free weights.

 

[nartic]

The only downfall is not having the variety you have at the gym.

 

[sup]

I still have my old home gym equipment in my parents basement.

full squat rack, 800+ of olympic bar weights

the bench I have sucks tho but my dad likes it for some damn reason.

free weight lat pulldown/row machine, ez curl bar, and assorted dumbell sets up to 85#

My mom got a bowflex that she likes better.

 

[tattoojr]

I have a great home gym, with many machines, benches a stereo and a frig. The only time I use it is when I miss a work out or I'm doing so assistance work. I love my gym( the other one) I get good advice from the owner and spots when I get heavy. and we have our own room with its own stereo and as long as there ain't no bad cussin on the CD you can play whatever you want. J.R.

 

[K1]

I have everything I need right at my house...Best thing I ever did!! Can't remember the last time I went to a gym?!

After working 9-10hrs/ed, who wants to go home just to leave again to go to the gym...Just go down stairs, turn the 15" speakers on and hit the weights!!