• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Post Pics/Description of Your Home Gym

kalrith

kalrith

Diamond Member
We have a post like this in the AV Forum, so I thought I'd start one here as well. I mentioned in another thread that I'm looking to build my home gym in the near future. I'd like to see what kind of setup you guys have.

Pics would be great, but even a list of equipment would suffice. Also, please mention if you exclusively work out in your home gym, or if it's just a supplement to your gym membership, friend's home gym, etc. Feel free to list your WTB list as well.

Here's my current setup:
KTM mountain bike with road tires on bike trainer
Folding weight bench (similar to this)
Dumbbells: 3, 5, 10, 20, 35, 50
SS book (it's on it way 😀)
​
I know it's not much, but at least it will get my body used to some of the exercises, allow me to improve my form, and give me a chance to read through the SS book. It'll also let me prove to my wife that I'm going to consistently exercise this time around (I've fizzled out several times in the past), which is a requirement for buying more equipment.

Here's my WTB list (hopefully I can find all this on Craigslist):
Horse-stall mats (for the floor)
Power rack w/ safety rods
Bench
Olympic bar and weights (300 lbs. or more)
Pull-up bar if the power rack doesn't have one
​
Getting that should be a MAJOR improvement over what I have now, and I plan to use the SS 3x5 routine once I get it. I'm sure I'll add to it over time, but it'll be all I need for right now. I'll post pics once I have a respectable setup 🙂. I might post some pics of my bike later if I get the chance to take some or dig out some old ones.

So, what kind of setups do you guys have or plan to buy in the near future?
 
Last year, I split my workouts between three places: a gym near my house, the gym at my workplace, and my basement. The gym near my house was pretty damn cheap and was mostly useful for their nice treadmills, heavy dumbbells, squat racks and pull-up bars. The office gym was not terribly useful in the beginning, as all it had was a treadmill, some dumbbells and a bench. However, I convinced the office manager to get a power rack (with pull-up bar at the top), a barbell and some iron plates. To this, I added my own Pendlay Econ Barbell and a 230lb bumper plate set. This allowed me to use the office gym for all my power lifts (squat, deadlift, bench), o-lifts (clean, snatch), and most of my CF metcon workouts. Finally, my housemates and I kept some equipment in the basement, including a 100lb punching bag and stand, jump rope, 25, 35, and 45 DB's, gymnastics rings, treadmill, and stationary bike.

A few months ago I moved across the country into an apartment building, so I had to sell or leave behind most of that equipment. Now I do all my workouts at an actual Crossfit Gym, which is a lot more expensive, but also has all the equipment I need (including lots of stuff I never had access to before) in one convenient place.

BTW, you may want to check out the Crossfit Equipment Forum: lots of people there discuss what equipment to buy and post pics of their home gym setups.
 
24 Hour Fitness - 2x a week, full body workout

4 days a week - using the first picture running in the second (ok well not so much trails all the way, but just outside) 🙂

<img src="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs154.snc3/18135_560980513835_44405554_32728531_4430914_n.jpg">

<img src="http://www.justinjbyrne.com/images/tigersmilk/02.jpg" height=450 width=600>
 
Last edited:
brikis, It sounds like you had a really nice setup going. Hopefully I can slowly build upon mine and have a great workout space like that. Thanks for the link to the CF forums. While I'm not specifically doing CF, it'll be useful to see what they've got (and their garage-gym articles were most insightful).

HN, I'll go ahead and post this link directly to your post from that thread (hopefully you don't mind).

RagingB, Which VFFs are those? Did you do some barefoot running first to see if you liked it? I've been thinking about getting the KSOs, but I don't want to drop that much money on them without making sure that I'm going to like the experience. A place in town will let me go for a quick job before buying them, but I'm not sure that would be enough to make the decision.
 
kalrith said:
brikis, It sounds like you had a really nice setup going. Hopefully I can slowly build upon mine and have a great workout space like that. Thanks for the link to the CF forums. While I'm not specifically doing CF, it'll be useful to see what they've got (and their garage-gym articles were most insightful).

HN, I'll go ahead and post this link directly to your post from that thread (hopefully you don't mind).

RagingB, Which VFFs are those? Did you do some barefoot running first to see if you liked it? I've been thinking about getting the KSOs, but I don't want to drop that much money on them without making sure that I'm going to like the experience. A place in town will let me go for a quick job before buying them, but I'm not sure that would be enough to make the decision.
Click to expand...

Hey kal - those are the KSO Trek's, and in the background, my old Brooks Adrenalines. I tried barefoot twice - not completely barefoot though - my first time was a one miler in a pair of old thin socks. The second was a 4 miler in two pair of socks. I gotta say - you feel every rock, twig, bump in the road, etc when you go what was essentially barefoot.

I got the Trek's and love it. It takes some time getting used to it, esp if you're switching over from heel/toe, but if you're a natural forefoot/midfoot, it should be a much easier transition. (Although one friend who is a natural midfoot striker has switched recently to VFF's (from racing flats) tells me it's a beating on his calves...there's some transition period, so expect to go much slower until you can take it.

If you're on the fence, throw on a few pair of socks and head out for an easy one/two miler. If you like the feel of that (minus the crap you step on) then you'll like VFF's. If not, stick with what you have.

I will say, I was a heavy heel/toe striker for 3 years. Made the transition to forefoot, then ran in the VFF's for two weeks until I attended the workshop to get my RRCA cert. They made some points about not trying to change people's natural form, so I went back to my old cushioned shoes and heel toe and bam, the day I go back I get ITBS and have been out ever since. 🙁 Have done some very light running in my VFF's since (short miles) and kept up my cardio on the stairmaster since, but been trying to do some stretches, hip strengthening exercises, and giving it some rest. I'm somewhat of a believer about the research around the barefoot movement now that I had this happen. But to each his own, I ran for 3 years that way with only plantar fasciitis to show for it. I recommend it though.

(ok enough thread jacking, sorry OP)
 
Last edited:
Don't apologize; I gladly welcome your input! Something as simple as shoes and a road or trail can easily comprise 50% of someone's home gym, so I think it's very applicable to this thread. Your running sounds a lot like mine. I was a heavy heel/toe striker for years until I started reading on this forum about running form and especially barefoot running. I made the transition to forefoot (although I'm out of practice right now) and have been wanting to try barefoot running.

I'll try your suggestion of running in a couple pairs of socks whenever we get some nice weather (since running with numb feet might be dangerous 😛). If I like it, then I'll have to save up for some KSOs (I don't think I'll need or be able to afford the Treks) after I buy the equipment on the WTB list.

Since we're on the topic of shoes (or lack thereof), what do you guys wear (or not) on your feet when you lift and do cardio. I plan to lift barefoot or possibly in VFFs if I get them. I'll be running in my not-so-great Nikes until I decide whether to go barefoot, get VFFs, or get another (better) pair of running shoes.
 
kalrith said:
I've been thinking about getting the KSOs, but I don't want to drop that much money on them without making sure that I'm going to like the experience. A place in town will let me go for a quick job before buying them, but I'm not sure that would be enough to make the decision.
Click to expand...

I've been running in VFF KSO's for a little under a year and can add the following comments:

* Walking the first day in VFFs is a blast. It was really fun going over different surfaces - concrete, gravel, dirt, grass, puddles - just to see what they felt like. Not to sound like a lame commercial, but you really do re-discover your feet once you stop wearing padded sneakers.

* Running the first day in VFFs was not as fun. I always had a heavy heel-to-toe stride in sneakers, so getting used to a light midfoot landing took a while. Unless you already do a midfoot landing, expect lots of calf soreness and a big drop in mileage. Having said that, now that I have a hang of proper running technique, I'd never go back.

* Working out in VFFs is awesome. They are far better than sneakers for deadlifts, power cleans, OH press, and IMO, even sprinting & jumping. The only time I don't wear them while working out is for heavy squatting, as squat shoes with a hard, wide, flat sole and raised heel are a better suited for that task.
 
Here's what I have:

Hoist brand bench (adjustable) + rack
6' (35#) bar
curl bar
ParaBody lat pulldown machine
Dumbell rack (15#-40#)
Various plates (4x45#, 6x25#, plus several smaller weights)
LifeFitness stationary bike
Landio treadmill

It helps that my company pays $400 as a wellness benefit per year, plus my wife runs a local gym so we have gotten some wholesale deals and free retired equipment.

I love having equipment at home because I'd hardly ever get to work out otherwise. For example, I worked from home twice this week. A couple of days ago, every time I came upstairs from my office I would do a set of curls. My arms are pretty sore today, best curl workout I've had in a while. Today I did lats and triceps, I'm sure I'll be feeling it this weekend.
 
I hear you about being able to work out at home when it's difficult otherwise. My 10mo son is a major reason for me wanting to work out at home. I drop him off at daycare in the morning and then go straight to work. I can't drop him off any earlier, so a morning workout is out of the question unless I can work out at home (or I'd have to get up at something crazy like 3:30 in the morning to drive to the gym, work out, and then drive home).

My son goes to bed really early (6:00 to 6:30), so I wouldn't even see him in the evening if I went to the gym on the way home. Driving back to town to work out would increase my time spent by 45-60 minutes, which would greatly reduce my free time in the evenings. On the weekends I can fit in a work out when my son is napping.

Obviously my wife could stay at home while I go to the gym, but she wants to exercise too and doesn't want all the caretaking responsibility to be on her shoulders, and I still don't want to waste all that driving time. So, a home gym is the perfect fit for me, whereas a gym membership is obviously the best choice for a lot of other people.
 
Here are my pics:

-iron gym pullup bar and rings
http://i49.tinypic.com/n3rybt.jpg

-20lb vest, 35lb and 53lb kettlebells, parallettes, jump rope:
http://i45.tinypic.com/vrtx08.jpg

-the parts to the parallettes can be reconfigured to do some other stuff, for example this grip "machine" (loosely based on the one Bruce Lee used 🙂)

-C2 rower, model C:
http://i47.tinypic.com/2wevqxz.jpg

-And the shoes (does seem like an excessive amount seeing them all together)
http://i50.tinypic.com/2501etc.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/kar0np.jpg
 
I have a power rack, adjustable bench, 300 lbs with olympic bar, 5-50lb dumbell pairs in 5 lb increments, then a pair of 70 lb dumbells, and finally a road bike on a trainer. And a big mirror to behold myself. These are on commercial grade rubber mats.
 
Location:
Unheated detached garage. Way too cold in the winter, so I joined a cheap gym near by. I much prefer to workout at home, so my frequency and workouts are suffering this winter.

Power rack:
Bought new. love it!!
http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/92563.html

Bench:
Bought used from Play-it-again sports for $65.
http://www.bodysolid.com/Home/item.cfm?id=497

Weights:
300 lb no-name Olympic set. NOT! When I benched first time at the gym, I tried my normal weights and couldn't complete 5. Embarrassingly lifted the bar left and right to slide the weights off and make a racket. Then I figured out my Olympic bar is only 32.5# - not 45#! So all along I was lifting 12.5# less than I thought. I assume the marked plates are correct. Bought off craigslist.

Also bought 6 2" washers from fastenal.com. Each is about 0.625 lb, so I can increase in 1.25 lb increments. Terrific!

Also, 340 lb of standard plates, and assorted bars from my Dad and brother-in-law. Some rust, want to clean them and re-paint.

Flooring:
Concrete for now. Have some foam type flooring from sports authority, haven't put it down yet.

Shoes:
Socks when at the gym. flat slippers or sometimes regular sneakers when at home.

Tunes:
23 year old Boombox from when I was about 12. Old school!
 
kalrith said:
We have a post like this in the AV Forum, so I thought I'd start one here as well. I mentioned in another thread that I'm looking to build my home gym in the near future. I'd like to see what kind of setup you guys have.

Pics would be great, but even a list of equipment would suffice. Also, please mention if you exclusively work out in your home gym, or if it's just a supplement to your gym membership, friend's home gym, etc. Feel free to list your WTB list as well.

Here's my current setup:
KTM mountain bike with road tires on bike trainer
Folding weight bench (similar to this)
Dumbbells: 3, 5, 10, 20, 35, 50
SS book (it's on it way 😀)
​
I know it's not much, but at least it will get my body used to some of the exercises, allow me to improve my form, and give me a chance to read through the SS book. It'll also let me prove to my wife that I'm going to consistently exercise this time around (I've fizzled out several times in the past), which is a requirement for buying more equipment.

Here's my WTB list (hopefully I can find all this on Craigslist):
Horse-stall mats (for the floor)
Power rack w/ safety rods
Bench
Olympic bar and weights (300 lbs. or more)
Pull-up bar if the power rack doesn't have one
​
Getting that should be a MAJOR improvement over what I have now, and I plan to use the SS 3x5 routine once I get it. I'm sure I'll add to it over time, but it'll be all I need for right now. I'll post pics once I have a respectable setup 🙂. I might post some pics of my bike later if I get the chance to take some or dig out some old ones.

So, what kind of setups do you guys have or plan to buy in the near future?
Click to expand...

Good setup
Make sure you go with an all rubber olympic bumpers not olympic plates because apparently any plate with a 2" diameter is considered an "olympic plate" whether it is all metal, metal with rubber coat or all rubber. I've even seen those crappy hexagonal ones referred to as olympic plates.
 
Concept 2 erg, Specialized road bike, black burn POS trainer, total gym 11000 with the ''resistance elevator'' stand thing, weigth bar for it, old ironmaster rack system and 300 lbs of weights I rarely use anymore. I never go to a gym, all at home or on the road.
 
Sorry for the dust but I haven't gotten around to it.

This is my free weights. I've since spun it around for more room at the head end.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/skacre/048.jpg

This is my pullup bar. You can see the damage done to the door frame from previous pullup bars right under it. So for anyone who is curious, that is what can happen, just keep an eye on the padding and reinforce it if necessary.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/skacre/008.jpg

Here is my 8 year old treadmill that took a beating during basement construction...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/skacre/010.jpg

And here is what creates my view from treadmill / what it looks like.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/skacre/012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/skacre/013.jpg
 
Carpeted floor for calisthenics
Elliptical for indoor cardio
Cheap Road bike & Mountain bike for outdoor cardio
New Balance shoes w/ custom inserts so my feet don't hurt

That's pretty much it 🙂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top