Expanding Home Gym- Recommended Items?

[tralfamadorian]

I'm looking into expanding my home gym and am getting ready to set up my craigslist alerts for when the xmas presents and new years resolution equipment start to list in the next month or so.  Critiques?  Suggestions?

What I have:
treadmill
ankle weights
jump rope
box
flat bench
weight mat
bike for outdoor riding
yoga mat

What's I'm looking to get:
Conversion to use my bike inside or spinning bike
Dumbbells, bar and plates
Power tower
Set of bands for pull up assist (presuming I might have to buy this new)

My knees have started to bother me a lot so I'm looking to substitute some of my standard exercises (running, jumps) for others that will give my knees a break as well as incorporate more exercises with weights instead of just body weight. 

Cardio-
I would like to change out several days of running and jump rope for cycling.  Sometimes I bike outside but I can't don't always want to due to sub-optimal weather, high traffic times, etc.  I'm setting up craigslist alerts for a cycling bike, stationary stand or bike rollers.  Does anyone have experience with rollers?  I've read that they're great but I've never used them.

Weights-
I presumed that I was going to gather some dumbbell handles, bar and plates but looking through my local craigslist, I'm seeing those adjustable dumbbells popping up a lot.  I've never used them before.  Are the adjustable ones a good substitute?  Or should I just wait for traditional pieces or a set to come up?

Tower-
So, I had no idea that the do-dad at the gym that only I seemed to love to use was called a power tower until I started to wish I had one at home and googled it.  I like to use it for band assisted pull ups and dips but most of all for the leg lifts.  I have scoliosis and can't do a bunch of ab exercises without back pain.  But with the power tower I find I can more easily hold my upper body in a static position, eliminating back pain, while getting a great ab workout.  I only have room for one tower/cage. 

[tralfamadorian]

Now I have "Powerblocks"...

Thanks for your input- I hadn't thought of that!

[neo von retorch]

Agree with above - I have a set of dumbbells, and on the shelf they're on, they don't take up a huge amount of space, but to get a full set is pretty expensive, so something like Power Blocks is probably a better bet. Seems you like variety and have everything but the kitchen sink. It probably comes down to personal preference, but I prefer a single rack that can be used for squats and bench press (with a separate, mobile bench) and then barbells and plates. Generally not cheap unless you find some good CL items! Have you done squats? I know that they a) can be hard on knees if you do them wrong and thus b) sound scary if you have knee trouble. But done right, I've personally found that they've greatly reduced my knee and lower back issues, because they do such a good job of building up all the major and minor muscles needed to support those areas.

[AshStash]

I also use Powerblocks and love them. I like having small weight increments available to me and more than anything I love how fast they are to change. I used to have spinlocks and plates and they were just so slow to change out for my purposes (namely, following along to youtube videos and doing drop sets). The Powerblocks have absolutely been worth the money to me--I outgrew my first set and am on to my second pair of Powerblocks. I'm hoping Santa brings me their Large Compact Weight Stand for Christmas!

If I had unlimited space and no plans to ever move again, I'd have a full weight rack of dumbbells and a set of magnetic microload plates to add to them. Until then, I love the Powerblocks, but the Ironmasters also get excellent reviews. They are slower to change weights but have the feel of a traditional dumbbell. Some people don't like the cage-style handle of Powerblocks, so it may be worth going to a store and seeing if you can try a few different models. The Bowflex SelecTech adjustable dumbbells get pretty bad reviews (long and bulky, safety issues with weight plates falling off, lots of plastic components) so I have always steered clear of those.   

I have a friend who is a pretty serious cyclist and swears by rollers but I haven't tried them myself. Your plans for your home gym sound amazing! I'm jealous :)

[neo von retorch]

Oh - that's a really good point. My dumbbells are in 5 lb increments, and it can be REALLY hard to go up 5 lbs on arm workouts where you're targeting three sets of five (or ten or twelve) reps. You add 5 pounds and suddenly you're like THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE OMG! So if the Power Blocks have more granular adjustments, that's awesome :)

[AshStash]

Oh - that's a really good point. My dumbbells are in 5 lb increments, and it can be REALLY hard to go up 5 lbs on arm workouts where you're targeting three sets of five (or ten or twelve) reps. You add 5 pounds and suddenly you're like THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE OMG! So if the Power Blocks have more granular adjustments, that's awesome :)

5 lb increments just don't work for me for upper body workouts either! Which makes sense--it's kind of crazy to do something with 5lbs and then your next increment is double the weight at 10 lbs.  The Powerblock website lists all available weights achieved under "more info" or something like that on the page for each model. One thing to keep in mind is that the different models also change at different speeds. Some change really quickly in 5 lb increments and more slowly in 2.5 lb increments. Some are fast change in 10 lbs and slower at 2.5, 5, and 7.5. It just depends on if you have to change the "adder weights" in the handle or not. It's all still very fast but is another factor to consider if speed is a priority when choosing between the various options.

[tralfamadorian]

Completely agree on the challenges of 5lb increments only- especially the triceps! 

It's great to hear positive experiences about the powerblocks/ironmaster adjustables.  I'll keep my eyes open for a good price on a set.

[tralfamadorian]

Have you done squats?...

Yes, I've done squats and am aware of proper form.  But I haven't done weighted squats in several years, which predates my knee pain.  So...I wasn't sure if weighted squats would be on the table for me or not.

[tralfamadorian]

I have a friend who is a pretty serious cyclist and swears by rollers but I haven't tried them myself.

Good to hear!

[horsepoor]

Oh - that's a really good point. My dumbbells are in 5 lb increments, and it can be REALLY hard to go up 5 lbs on arm workouts where you're targeting three sets of five (or ten or twelve) reps. You add 5 pounds and suddenly you're like THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE OMG! So if the Power Blocks have more granular adjustments, that's awesome :)

5 lb increments just don't work for me for upper body workouts either! Which makes sense--it's kind of crazy to do something with 5lbs and then your next increment is double the weight at 10 lbs.  The Powerblock website lists all available weights achieved under "more info" or something like that on the page for each model. One thing to keep in mind is that the different models also change at different speeds. Some change really quickly in 5 lb increments and more slowly in 2.5 lb increments. Some are fast change in 10 lbs and slower at 2.5, 5, and 7.5. It just depends on if you have to change the "adder weights" in the handle or not. It's all still very fast but is another factor to consider if speed is a priority when choosing between the various options.

I don't know if they would work with PowerBlocs, but my gym has magnetic weights in small increments that can just be slapped on the end of a dumbbell to add 1-2#.  They might even have .5# increments.  Seems like they would be more versatile?

Personally, I love kettlebells for my home gym because they're compact and really versatile, but not sure if they would work with your back issues. 

I have a very basic squat rack and barbell, several kettlebells, a Bosu ball, yoga mat, old chair for yoga, and a very sturdy/heavy coffee table that I can do pushups and jump on and off of.  Would love to swap out the squat rack for a power cage with a cable attachment though.  Overall it's a pretty good setup.  If I could get more disciplined about doing full workouts at home, I'd probably try to find a used Concept rower, but my gym membership is only $18/month, and I focus and get in a better workout at the gym most of the time, so I don't plan to invest any more money in the home gym.

[AshStash]

I think the magnetic plates work with any dumbbell as long as it isn't coated, so they work with all of the Powerblocks except the Urethane series. I was actually just reading reviews of them a few weeks ago to see if I wanted to ask for a set for Christmas :) The ones I've seen are pricey but probably worth it for the added versatility if you have compatible dumbbells.

[Laserjet3051]

I've got to second the suggestion on PowerBlocks. These adjustable weight dumbells were a great investment, durable, and compact with a very small footprint. Keep your eye out on CL for a used set.

[spooky105]

Instead of the tower, I vote for a cage/rack that has a pull-up bar across the top. Could be free standing (good idea to anchor to the ground) or wall mount. Couple that with a bar and plates and you can cover all the big lifts, knock out pull-ups (with band assist as required), leg raises while hanging from the pull-up bar, and add a matador (dip handles that mount to one side and can be removed).

The amount of space you have to work with is a key factor, but if you're looking at a power tower I'd imagine you can make it work. Some examples of what is out there from Rogue, though many other options exist (and most manufacturers can custom cut to fit height requirements, etc.):

http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-w-4-4-wall-mount-rig
http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-r-3w-fold-back-wall-mount-rack
http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-s-3-squat-stand-2

[jamaicaspanish]

I'll second (or third) the PowerBlocks.

And add: I have a used SoloFlex that you can pick up for $50-100 on craigslist.
It's a sturdy flat/incline bench, a roman chair, a dip station, and a pull-up bar.
If you want to used the bands for a full-body workout, you can.
You can also modify it to use free weights.
The bonus is footprint--it's much smaller than a full cage.

[kpd905]

If you can't find Powerblocks, look for the Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells: http://amzn.to/2hMPp9P

They go from 5 to 52.5 pounds each, with 2.5 pound increments in the first 25 pounds, then 5 pounds thereafter.  You can actually get 2.5 pound increments all the way up if you just have one side heavier than the other, because you adjust both sides of each dumbbell.

It takes maybe 10 seconds to change the weights on both dumbbells.