For a variety of reasons, it's getting more difficult to find/make time for the gym. I was going 5 days a week, but now that is down to 2 or 3 days a week.  The one that was 5 minutes away from me closed down recently, the next closest ones are a half hour away and frankly me making it to that one just isn't happening, the logistics alone won't allow that, than there is the price.  These all have a $100.00 or more new member fee and the monthly prices are in the $40.00-$50.00 price range.

I turn 48 this year, and I've gained a lot of momentum over the 18-24 months in terms of getting fit, and as I approach the big 50 this is becoming more and more important to me, but these days getting into the gym is proving to be more challenging than ever due to logistics and time.

My employer actually has a fairly nice gym, but logistics also don't allow me to go as often as I would like to do that.

Since I still have the drive to workout and get fit, thats leading me to the direction of a home gym..

Just tossing ideas around on what I would equip this with, and this is sort of the list I have at the moment.

rowing machine
adjustable bench
squat stand
dumbells (already have these actually, from 10 lbs to 40 lbs).
bar/plates
bosu (for balance training)

These purchases would probably be spread out over the next 12-18 months, with the rowing machine and adjustable bench bought this year, everything else the following year...

Do it.

Hard to beat a good gym.  Mine is a half hour from my house but only 10 mins from the office.  I'm there at 6AM grinding hard before work.

I'd get a used power cage, bench and Oly bar and plates and call it good.  You already have dumbbells.  You might want an ez curl bar with Oly ends for some accessory lifts too.

Nailed it.

I love my home gym.



I'd go with a power rack, skip the bosu ball, and do fixed bench. I'm not sure I see the utility in an adjustable, and they're never a solid as a good fixed bench.

I just got a Powerline PPR200X Power Cage and I've got the Lat Tower attachment coming.  You can do A LOT with that set-up.  

Maybe the most versatile thing I have so far is my IronMaster Super Bench. The thing is like the transformers of benches.

For rubber flooring I've been purchasing 4 x 6 foot rubber horse stall mats from Tractor Supply Plus at $40 a mat.  I've probably got about another month or so before I'll have it all put together.

Home gym definitely will save me time once I have it fully operational.  No waiting in line ever for something to open up. No shitty music. No distractions. No added commute time driving. No having to carry a huge gym bag and then empty it and refill it constantly.

I'm going to get a SONOS Play 5 for my tunes and should even have a flat screen TV down there at some point. Thinking of editing together some real kicks ass action clips and playing them with a sweet series of songs that can play through while I workout.  

between Craig's List and Lowe's and home Depot my home gym rocks. I agree with the above power rack, flat bench, and EZ bar.

I also suggest a heavy bag, a dip station, pull up bar and a sled to push pull. I built my power rack, dip bars, and my sled. I also have a tractor tire that I pull while sprinting up hill as a finish to leg day.

The best decision ever was to go home gym. I have less than 600 bucks in my set up, but I am continually adding to it.

I built outdoor pullup bars in my back yard.  Also building an oly lifting area for my wife, indoors.  Just ordered her a new bella bar and a bunch of bumpers today.  But she will also be able to use it outside since that room opens to where the pullup bars are.  It's not going to be a replacement for going to the gym, but it will be nice for her some days to just stay home and work out all she wants.

Nice.

I'm hoping my wife will workout more and actually get interested in weights when my home gym is done. She gets real self-conscious for some reason at a gym and I don't know why she's at the lower end of her BMI.  Of course, I don't see many women ever stray away from the cardio areas into the male dominated world of free weights.

We started out that way.  Just a few things at home for when we did not want to go to the gym. My wife an I work in opposite directions from our house so one of us always had to drive extra to the gym.  Soon we lifted at home more than the gym.  We decided to cancel our gym membership now we stick our monthly gym in a savings account and use it to buy more gear when we get enough cash.  We have a pretty nice setup going now.