Home Gym Rack & Weights

[Beach_Stache]

I was thinking of getting a home squat and bench rack for the garage.  Our public gyms (rec center) is now open at around 25% capacity I believe, but I really don't want to go back in, seems like shared equipment is asking for it.  For the last 6 months I've just been doing dumbell bench and incline and then pullups, less weight and more reps and that has done it's job, but I honestly don't see myself going back to the gym anytime soon and while I may be maintaining I'm really not increasing at all.  I was thinking of trying to get a simple rack that I can slide my adjustable bench to and be able to do olympic barbell bench and incline, then also have a place to do squats and deadlifts.  When searching for these things it seems like a rack would be $400-1000 and the rubber plates (would want rubber for garage floor) go about $2/lb which seems crazy to spend $100 on a single 45 lb plate. 

My rec center gym seems to upgrade weights and equipment every year so I have no clue where all these extra equipment goes to die???  I have no problem buying used, I don't need much, but would like to add in a rack and proper bench w/plates.  Does anyone have any experience w/buying used gym equipment?  I think I found a rack on amazon that seems reasonable but the olympic barbell prices and reviews are all over the place as well as the rubber weights.

Any help on others who have setup a home gym at a reasonable price would be much appreciated!

[swashbucklinstache]

start by reading what you get here:
https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aforum.mrmoneymustache.com+%22home+gym%22&rlz=1CAHKDC_enUS749US749&oq=site%3Aforum.mrmoneymustache.com+%22home+gym%22&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.12632j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

if that doesn't work, just google this entire line:
site:forum.mrmoneymustache.com "home gym"

In short:
consider horse mats instead of rubber/bumper plates.
consider, if you're comfortable, following online plans to DIY a rack
definitely buy used plates. for the most part, weights are weights
you are thinking this right now, and so are a million other people. Buying new is difficult because things are flying off the shelf. Buying used right now might require paying above retail.

[slappy]

Maybe ask the rec center if they sell their old stuff? I feel like buying used might be tough right now since everyone probably has that idea, but then again I haven't really looked into it. Are you on facebook? You could post an "in search of" on your local pages.

We have a home gym with all the stuff you mentioned, plus a treadmill, and it's amazing. We got lucky with ours in that my company was offering a fitness reimbursement at the time that included gym equipment. Now it just incomes gym membership. 

[AMandM]

Pre-pandemic, my daughter bought a rack and some weights from Craigslist, and added more weights later. She put rubber mats on her garage floor. Now several members of the extended family regularly lift. It's been great.

[GuitarStv]

DIY rack and bench with some horse stall mats on your floor (moving them into your house should be a pretty good workout all on it's own)!


Just requires some very basic carpentry skills, a few 2x4s, some buckets, and some cement and nails.  You can buy some adjustable saw horses to use as safeties.  I've been using them for almost ten years now and have had more than 300 lbs in the squat rack pretty regularly with no problems at all.  Safeties work, although it's pretty rare I've needed to use them.

[Laserjet3051]

I bought used good plates for my barbell off craigslist a few years ago. Deeply discounted!

[CptCool]

Used weights (iron) can be had for approximately $0.5/lb on average. Don't pay more than that, but can sometimes find better deals.

Used weights (bumper/rubber) can be had for approximately $1/lb. The overall supply is much lower for these weights, so it's hard to find steals, but they can be sometimes found lower than $1/lb.

If you buy from an individual, it's possible you can finagle a deal that is even better than what's listed above if you buy everything they have - this is also a great way to get a bench/rack/etc if needed.

Just scour the used websites like criaglist, offerup, marketplace, etc and you'll be able to put together a full gym yourself. I also second using rubber horse mats like others have mentioned. The mats + bumper plates make things like deadlifts so much quieter for everyone else in the household and will protect your cement/wood floor in case you ever need to bail out from a lift outside of a rack

[Beach_Stache]

Thanks everyone!  I was able to get some on Facebook Marketplace for $290 for 225 lbs plus an olympic barbell and clips!  I have old iron weights and dumbells for adjustable from like 25 years ago when I was in high school that I can use for dumbells, then I bought a rack from Amazon for $250, so all in all I think a pretty good inexpensive home gym!  We used the leftover rubber floor mats that we used for the kids playroom so they don't mess up the floors.  I'm very excited about the rack coming to finish off the set soon!  Thanks for everyone's help!

[mm1970]

Used weights (iron) can be had for approximately $0.5/lb on average. Don't pay more than that, but can sometimes find better deals.

Used weights (bumper/rubber) can be had for approximately $1/lb. The overall supply is much lower for these weights, so it's hard to find steals, but they can be sometimes found lower than $1/lb.

If you buy from an individual, it's possible you can finagle a deal that is even better than what's listed above if you buy everything they have - this is also a great way to get a bench/rack/etc if needed.

Just scour the used websites like criaglist, offerup, marketplace, etc and you'll be able to put together a full gym yourself. I also second using rubber horse mats like others have mentioned. The mats + bumper plates make things like deadlifts so much quieter for everyone else in the household and will protect your cement/wood floor in case you ever need to bail out from a lift outside of a rack

Ha, around here people are trying to charge $2-$3 a pound.  It looks like a few people are actually going to the local store when they get a shipment and buy and bunch and try to mark up the price.

Just today:
adjustable dumbbells: $50 for the bars (two)
$1.50 per pound for the weight. 

Actually, it might be worth it for two 10-lb plates and two 1.25 lb plates. Not sure they'd fit our adjustable dumbbells. (My husband has capped out.  He finally started working out, and now with our 2 sets, we can get up to 34 lb on each dumbbell).  We could really use 40 lb.  And 17.5 lb.  And 12.5 lb.  I look, occasionally...

The set of 40 lb dumbbells on FB marketplace is listed at $140.

[GuitarStv]

Exercise equipment in general has been very expensive around here since covid and the lockdowns.  A lot of sporting goods stores were completely wiped out of stock early on, and used prices have been very high on things like heavy bags, boxing gloves, double ended bags, etc.  Don't get me started on bicycles. . .

[NextTime]

Exercise equipment in general has been very expensive around here since covid and the lockdowns.  A lot of sporting goods stores were completely wiped out of stock early on, and used prices have been very high on things like heavy bags, boxing gloves, double ended bags, etc.  Don't get me started on bicycles. . .

I went to the local bike shop back in May to get break levers for my sons bike. The bike section was practically empty. Maybe 30% of what they had last year and majority were e bikes. They didn’t have the levers and told me they could order them but didn’t know when they could get them because their supplier was out.

I ordered some from Amazon, which had plenty in stock, as soon as I got home. Perhaps they should look into having more than one supplier.

I told my neighbor, an avid biker,  the story of the empty store  the very next day. I said all they really had were e bikes in there. He said “Not anymore.”  Apparently someone broke in the night before and took off with the bikes they had left. Or at least some of them.

[pecunia]

Surgical tubing can be set up for resistance exercises.  It takes up less space.  It can be used for traveling.  It may work as a temporary solution.  It is kind of like the Bowflex in a way.  Less money.

[bloodaxe]

DIY rack and bench with some horse stall mats on your floor (moving them into your house should be a pretty good workout all on it's own)!


Just requires some very basic carpentry skills, a few 2x4s, some buckets, and some cement and nails.  You can buy some adjustable saw horses to use as safeties.  I've been using them for almost ten years now and have had more than 300 lbs in the squat rack pretty regularly with no problems at all.  Safeties work, although it's pretty rare I've needed to use them.

Badass. I would be afraid to rack the bar if I had a lot of weight on it though.

[GuitarStv]

Badass. I would be afraid to rack the bar if I had a lot of weight on it though.

Thanks!

It's actually very stable up to around 310 lbs (which is the most I've ever needed to put on it).  The buckets each weigh about 80 - 90 lbs and the wood for the uprights is another 30-40 lbs.  You could probably knock it over if you really tried but it is difficult to do accidentally.  You would have to push them more than about 30 degrees forward.

[Mr. Green]

DIY rack and bench with some horse stall mats on your floor (moving them into your house should be a pretty good workout all on it's own)!


Just requires some very basic carpentry skills, a few 2x4s, some buckets, and some cement and nails.  You can buy some adjustable saw horses to use as safeties.  I've been using them for almost ten years now and have had more than 300 lbs in the squat rack pretty regularly with no problems at all.  Safeties work, although it's pretty rare I've needed to use them.

I used the old thread on this site to build those exact "rack" stands. About $50 in materials and they work great as long as you don't need a bunch of adjustable positions.

[GuitarStv]

DIY rack and bench with some horse stall mats on your floor (moving them into your house should be a pretty good workout all on it's own)!

Just requires some very basic carpentry skills, a few 2x4s, some buckets, and some cement and nails.  You can buy some adjustable saw horses to use as safeties.  I've been using them for almost ten years now and have had more than 300 lbs in the squat rack pretty regularly with no problems at all.  Safeties work, although it's pretty rare I've needed to use them.

I used the old thread on this site to build those exact "rack" stands. About $50 in materials and they work great as long as you don't need a bunch of adjustable positions.

Yes, the adjustable position thing is where I made my mistake on them.  I built them at just the right height for me, but when my wife later wanted to use them it's too high for her.  I just spot her, but this means she can't work out on her own.  If I was smarter I'd have built 'em an inch or two lower and then we both could have used with no problems.

[MissPeach]

I did my gym setup before the pandemic but I wasn't finding good deals on Craigslist or through secondhand places like Play it Again.

For a rack I really recommend going with something good like Rogue. I bought a cheap one and really regretted it. Luckily I was able to sell it and it had gone up in value during the pandemic. But I didn't feel great using it as it was really wobbly.

If space is an issue look into PRX. That's what I'm planning to do next. They have racks that fold into the walls.

You didn't say what sort of lifting you do. I find plates are usually easier to source from local companies. The ones in my area have their own 'brand' of places that ran similar to what I saw on craigslist for new. I got that for most of my lifting. I do some lifts where I need bumpers too so I just got cheap Titan bumpers - not a full set. I mostly use them to add the height to my bar and then add the cheaper plates to add weight.

[Beach_Stache]

I got the below rack:
https://www.amazon.com/Fitness-Reality-Multi-Function-Adjustable-J-Hooks/dp/B084P72GYX/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=fitness+reality&qid=1601927007&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-12
It's working out really well so far.

I got 225 lbs of bumper weights from Facebook Marketplace for $290, along w/an olympic barbell and clips which seems like a great deal!  They have some miles on them but they weight what they are supposed to!  I have a bench I got from my brother in law and then some old iron adjustable dumbells that I used to use 20+ years ago in high school, then some pads that we lined our kids playroom in since they literally bounce off of the walls!  Then I got a few cheap kettlebells and accessories like bands and stuff to do triceps extensions and things like that, so all in all we've got everything we need and at around $550 for the weights and rack, and then maybe another $100 for other accessories and we're all set!  I find that in the first 2 weeks I'm over-doing it just b/c I'm so excited at all the extra exercises I have the ability to do!  So I've got to remind myself to slow down a bit.

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

[facepalm]

"

In short:
consider horse mats instead of rubber/bumper plates.
consider, if you're comfortable, following online plans to DIY a rack
definitely buy used plates. for the most part, weights are weights
you are thinking this right now, and so are a million other people. Buying new is difficult because things are flying off the shelf. Buying used right now might require paying above retail.

Stall mats are a good surface for dropping bumpers. You don't really need them otherwise. I used to build cheap Olympic platforms with 4 x 8 sheets of plywood and stall mats. They took tons of abuse.

Under no circumstance should you drop regular iron plates and bar onto any surface. No bar (even a weightlifting bar) can stand the repeated stress.

[GuitarStv]

"

In short:
consider horse mats instead of rubber/bumper plates.
consider, if you're comfortable, following online plans to DIY a rack
definitely buy used plates. for the most part, weights are weights
you are thinking this right now, and so are a million other people. Buying new is difficult because things are flying off the shelf. Buying used right now might require paying above retail.

Stall mats are a good surface for dropping bumpers. You don't really need them otherwise. I used to build cheap Olympic platforms with 4 x 8 sheets of plywood and stall mats. They took tons of abuse.

Under no circumstance should you drop regular iron plates and bar onto any surface. No bar (even a weightlifting bar) can stand the repeated stress.

My preference is to never drop any weight ever.  (I pay for my equipment.)

Horse stall mats are a great idea though because accidents do occasionally happen, and you'll damage your floor if a hard plate hits it.

[swashbucklinstache]

"

In short:
consider horse mats instead of rubber/bumper plates.
consider, if you're comfortable, following online plans to DIY a rack
definitely buy used plates. for the most part, weights are weights
you are thinking this right now, and so are a million other people. Buying new is difficult because things are flying off the shelf. Buying used right now might require paying above retail.

Stall mats are a good surface for dropping bumpers. You don't really need them otherwise. I used to build cheap Olympic platforms with 4 x 8 sheets of plywood and stall mats. They took tons of abuse.

I'd agree with this, generally. No harm in getting mats for your platform anyway, of course. Whatever you do just don't be the guy lifting with no mats AND no plywood, even if you don't plan on dropping anything, because someday you might make a mistake or fail a rep and destroy your floor.

Under no circumstance should you drop regular iron plates and bar onto any surface. No bar (even a weightlifting bar) can stand the repeated stress.

This is definitely true for weightlifting/oly movements. If you plan on dropping weights from overhead you should be using bumpers, full stop. If you're just deadlifting under a reasonable amount of control, imo you're fine with iron/steel plates + a platform (of wood or mat or both). Especially if we're talking about < 200 lb deadlifter just getting started on a cheapo bar, since when they become a 300 lb deadlifter they can buy bumpers and repurpose those irons for squat/bench only. Then when they become a 500+ lb deadlifter they go back to irons and a deadlifting bar they expect to wear out over a half decade for exactly the reason you mention, since that much weight in bumpers won't fit =).