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Nice!

What is the grey machine in front of the garage door?

It’s a seated leg press

Ah okay, it's hinged not sliding. I figured it was a leg press but couldnt see how that would slide haha

Very envious of your space and equipment.

Very nice!

Thanks guys. Always moving stuff trying to find the best use of space.

Bump for New Years resolutioners who might have put together something for the new year

Not new, and I think I’ve posted pics here before, but here’s (most of) mine:

love the cartman poster!

Cleaned up the place a bit. Got rid of the cheapo foam flooring. Upgraded the dumbbell rack to a heavier duty unit that I could actually fit all my dbs on. Also got a new bar thanks to this and the barbell thread. My old bar is just some generic POS Cap bar. I got a Rogue Echo and am very impressed. The knurling is like magic the way it sticks to your hand. I know I probably should've gotten an Ohio bar or some other model but this thing is damn nice for what I'm used to.

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The Echo should work just fine.  I am rocking a boneyard Ohio with wonky knurling.

Probably the smartest thing I ever read on Reddit was "Don't worry about the name on the bar, grab that bitch like it owes you money and get to work."  

My modest submission.  Tractor Supply mats get looking a little funky from the sawdust.

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correct answer is Ohio power bar

Nice setup. Tons of different things to break yourself on!

A few months back, I bought an Echo bar from Rogue, It's a decent bar, especially at the price. But, no center knurling.

I didn't think there was likely much difference the center knurl would make.

Wrong. There is a difference, it's not dramatic, but I do notice when doing squats.

I put a wrap of skateboard tape on it to get the same effect as the knurl. But the next bar I get will have center knurling. YMMV.

What pulley machine is that?

Serious question, what's the advantage of a home gym?  To me, economically, it makes more sense to put money into a gym membership ($50 month) than into all the equipment, which looks expensive.  Is it convenience?   I get distracted when I'm at home so going to the gym seems more motivating.  Not putting it down, just trying to understand.

You could get a rack/weights/bench for ~$600.

Convenience, no nasty gym equipment, don't have to deal with idiots, and convenience.

I work out when I want to, and don't have to budget in an extra 20-30min for travel time. I can do a 90min workout at home instead of a 60min workout at a gym.

I have a home set-up but go to a gym once a week for coaching.

On slow days, we share weights, on busy days we're sharing weights, platforms and bars.  Cause I'm spoiled at home, I fucking hate sharing.

But mostly, it's convenience.  It takes an hour round trip to get there.  At home, my dog hangs out in the corner, I can raid the fridge for something to drink between sets, I don't wait to use the squat rack and I can pick the music.  I'm considering trying remote coaching just to avoid that one day a week.

Take you 30 months to make up $1,500 investment in gear.  But it's the intangible value for me.

What they said. Plus you can workout naked. OK kidding. I mean you *could*.
I like not having to deal with meatheads or share equipment.  I also work from home most of the time so its easier to just go out to the garage when I'm ready.

I am liking the echo bar. Its interesting feeling a bar that actually flexes. My cheapo bar has pretty much zero flex. The lack of center knurling hasn't been a problem. I have squatted with it twice now. Granted I squat about as much as a 12 year old girl.

Titan Pulley tower.  There are a half a dozen different companies selling the same setup.  Titan just happened to have the best sale on black friday.  The trolley piece that moves up and down on mine was welded warped and required a bit of work to get smooth.  A real PITA, but its really nice to have now.

https://www.titan.fitness/wall-mounted-pulley-tower.html

I felt that way for a while. I liked going to the gym and working out with people that have similar goals, etc.

But then it got to the point where I was needing to skip workout because I didn't have time.

My gym is right down the street from home, but even if I went there right from work and got there at 5:30, it was a struggle to be home by 7:45 or so. Took time to change, stretch/warm up, work out, change, and drive home. I often had to wait for a rack or bench to open up. The other thing was, my gym has a main room and a "functional room" where the bumpers are. So deadlifting/cleans have to be done in that room, squats/bench/press can be done in the main room with the (only two) racks. However the gym does crossfit style classes in that functional room, open only to the members with more expensive memberships. They started adding more and more classes, to the point where I could only deadlift on Wednesdays, and I had to be out of that room by 6 which meant leaving work earlier and rushing to get going. Oh and they don't allow any chalk.

Lifting in the morning wasn't an option because of life responsibilities -- we got a GSD puppy in April and he goes to work with my fiancee, so I am the one who gets him up and out in the AM for exercise/training and gets his food together (he eats raw, so it's a bit more time consuming than just dumping kibble in a bowl). Similarly, if I am getting home at like 8 three or four nights a week from the gym, she has been with him for 12+ hours, and I still need to shower/make food/eat. If she wasn't home and I wanted to go work out, I'd have to crate the dog for 2+ hours.

So I started thinking about it in October, and finally ordered stuff in November and took advantage of Black Friday deals. It's been a month and a half now of working out at home and I love it. I think I have about $1800 into it. I can lift 5 or 6 times a week, and can even split workouts up to make it fit in timewise (for example, last night I didn't get down to the basement until 7:30, so I only squatted and deadlifted, pushing OHP off til tonight). No waiting for equipment, no time wasted in the car, and I can get random stuff done between sets. I can listen to whatever music I want at whatever volume I want instead of having to have headphones in. I can deadlift in socks if I want to, and use as much chalk as I want.

I still have my gym membership because there is some equipment there I don't have at home (cables, cardio, strongman stuff, etc) and I don't have the ceiling height to do snatch and jerk (I have to OHP with a bunch of 10lb plates haha) but the time spent there is way less.

I still can't seem to get the pupper (Hank) on board with deadlifts though

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I'm finding that working out at home with a good gym set up save lots of time and I can crank the music....and I'm not getting the latest cold / flu bug all the kids/moms bring into the gym with them.

Here's a couple of new items... I picked up a used Free Motion leg press, for when I'm lazy.  And my new favorite machine... Reverse Hyper.  This is from Titan and it was cheap..well, cheaper than the alternatives. I'm kinda like, "where have you been all my life".  If you haven't tried one, you need to. I fell like it really really fixes any low back issues and strengthens that region better than anything else I've tried.  I can't wait to build up the weights and see how much it affects my deadlifts.

Ugh, I want to try a reverse hyper in the worst way, I just don't want to buy one.

There's only globo gyms and crossfit gyms in my area. Not interested in working out on machines, not interested in injuring myself for fun. I also have a pretty hectic schedule, so the freedom of having my power rack and some accessories in my garage to work out on my own time is worth it alone.

I ended up buying a whole set of dumbbells, kettlebells and a rower for my wife to use, but I could have easily gotten by with just a power rack, barbell, bench and some plates. Going expensive and getting all Rogue stuff, that would add up to ~$1500 if I did it without a sale, which would ay itself off after less than three years of a gym membership. A similar setup from Titan would save ~$500 which would make the time it takes to pay itself off vs. a gym membership a year sooner.

The Echo is an Ohio with only 1 knurl Mark per side and a bright zinc coating.  I wish Rogue offered one for a bit higher price with a lifetime warranty.

Has anyone done a “how to” thread about building a home gym? I’m wanting to get into lifting at home and I’m curious about which equipment to start with.

I’ve already got some dumbbells and a concept 2. I’m thinking with a bar, some plates and a rack I could have a pretty nice garage gym setup. There’s just so many options when it comes to those three things that I’m unsure where to start.

Also it seems like Rogue has a pretty good Black Friday sale. Do they do an Independence Day sale as well? I may try to have some saved up so I can get a good start on the more expensive equipment then.

If I did my home gym over, I would have ordered a rogue R-3 rack with a utility bench 2.0, the x43 multigrip crossmember, matador attachment, and safety straps. You get free collars if you order certain bars with the rack, and I would go with the B&R 2.0 bar as it's a great all-around barbell for a home gym. For plate size I'd go with the echo 2.0 160lb bumper plate set with an additional set of 10lb plates l two sets of 45lb plates. This will let you work up to 405lbs, which is a good goal to set.  A set of long plate storage posts to bolt to the rig will keep all those plates off the ground and help keep the place rack stable. All this is about $2400 shipped.

I'd like to see one of the new B&R bars. I have one of the old original ones and it is my favorite bar. If you are any where near STL there is show me weights where you can find good deals on the plates and other used stuff. They sell iron plates for 0.60/lb, they've been pretty nice to me when it comes time to ring me up though...

I just went through this over the summer, and found several different ways to do it depending on budget/time.  Iron plates are the best way to keep cost down.  More experienced people will chime in and let you know where I am wrong.

Cheapest
Craigslist hunt for everything

Budget Buy
Cheap rack
Weight set
Bench
Total: ~$559

Good Value
Titan rack and bench combo Titan does not have the best quality control, but my X-2 has been great. YMMV
Rogue Boneyard Bar
Diamond Pro Bumper set from Walmart (currently OOS)
Adjustable Bench
Total: ~$1283

Don't Care About Cost
Rogue all the things
or
Eleiko all the things

$2400 is probably more than I’ll start out spending. I’m hoping to keep it between $1000 and $1500 initially, then build from there. The Echo bumpers look like a great deal, also the B&R boneyard bar.

Just wish shipping was cheaper.

This is really helpful. That Titan rack and bench looks like a really good deal. Could you expand on your comment about their QC?

I am about to start assembling a home gym in my shop.

What is the best value for mats?

I got 4x6 horse stall mats from Tractor Supply for about $30. They're a bear to move around, but they work great.

Latest editions to the home gym. More grip work Captain's of Crush Grippers 0.5 thru 2 with green and blue IronMind eggs. SlingShot and Adidas squat shoes. Attached File

If you look online at reviews, some people have had issues with missing parts or poorly assembled pieces. They have really good customer service so they send out replacements quickly.

On a another forum I frequent the owner of REP Fitness listens and engages with lifters. REP would be my choice  https://www.repfitness.com/
Placeholder for my Garage Dungeon:
Elitefts power cage
ETE Squat rack
ETE Adjustable bench
ICARIAN Hyperextension
Cybex Lat pulldown
Cybex Leg Extension
Nautilus calf raise
Adjustable bench
Powerblock Dumbbells
True Treadmill
Star Trac spinner
Heavy / speed bag
Ivanko Barbells
Mutliple powerbars
2000lbs+ Ivanko revolvers

@adamtheduke

I have that Titan combo

No real issues with the rack, just make sure to square things up before you drill your mounting holes in the slab. Mine is square at the base, but it isn't perfectly plumb or square at the top. It's imperceptible to anyone else, I only know because I built it and checked it with a tape. It is rock solid though, and the Westside safety spacing is nice. They don't number the holes, so I just printed off little labels to mark where my j-hooks and safeties go for squat, bench, press.

Speaking of j-hooks, the ones that come with it suck, so plan on buying the sandwich style ones they sell (or some other company that makes them for a 3x2)

Mine came with 4 band pegs even though they don't say that it does, so don't buy another set haha.

The bench is OK, but the feet bolt on from the bottom with 2 big (M6?) allen bolts, and they loosen up. They just screw directly to the bottom 2x2 support piece, no bracket or anything. I'm constantly tightening them down and I know at some point I am going to overtorque and strip them. If you aren't going to actually be doing incline bench, skip the combo deal and just buy a better flat bench from Rogue or something. Or just skip the combo regardless and pay a bit extra for a better incline bench from someone else. That Rep Fitness adjustable looks like the feet attach more intelligently.

The price that combo is at now is the same price I paid during their Veterans' Day sale, and it was the same price on Black Friday, so I don't think it gets any cheaper. Titan gives you reward points too that you can spend on other stuff. It's all free shipping so I would suggest ordering the rack, then wait til the points hit your account and use them towards the next item (whether its j-hooks or a dip bar or whatever).

@adamtheduke

The biggest complaint you will hear about Titan is the welds.  They look like they were done by a blind monkey with a coat hanger and a torch.  The ones I have dug into seem okay and have decent penetration.

The welding on the T-2 rack was pretty crappy and several parts were warped.  However, it seems to work just fine.  Actually this is a good way to describe a lot of Titan stuff, if you don't mind a little DIY it is plenty serviceable.

The bench on the other hand, I am not amused with.  I have the incline bench that came with the combo.  The feet screw on and it was impossible to get them tight enough to keep them from moving around laterally.  It was "okay" while sitting on the ground.  The bolts are about 5/16" in diameter, but the holes were half inch.  I finally gave up and welded them in place.  Much better.  However, when I started benching a little heavier I could not get the top to stop shifting.  I finally broke down and bought a Rep Fitness bench.  It is a completely different level of quality (and a little more expensive).  The top has started to pull apart near the logo.  The welds on the handle have cracked.

I am a glutton for punishment and bought the cable machine on black friday.  I just could not get it to run smoothly.  A search of similar issues suggested it needed to be aligned.  No dice.  Out of frustration I pulled it apart.  The "trolley" part of the machine connects to the 2 vertical uprights and was WAY out of alignment.  The two tubes that should have been coplaner were out of alignment by a lot.  A little work got it functional.

One of the pulleys on the cable machine broke.  Guess I need to contact Titan support and see how much trouble it is worth to get a replacement.

Again, Titan tends towards being a workable kit of stuff you can make perfectly functional.

Would I buy Titan again?  Maybe.  The rack is nice enough for what it is and the price was great.  I have a dip bar that is fine.  The cable machine (now) works fine and the price was right.  I would everything else from someone like Rogue or Rep.

Very very beginning of the home gym build.

I went with Rogue's SML-C2 Squat Stand, Ohio Bar and their Adjustable Bench 2.0  Picked up 160 lbs of their Echo Bumper plates, and a pair of 2.5lbs and 5lbs change plates just to get started.  
Wish it was in the budget to go for the RML-390C Power Rack but this will give me a good starting point with out dipping into savings or the home improvement budget.

Currently set up in my (quite cramped) office while we work on organizing the garage and building a wood/ rubber platform to go in there.

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I've been following this thread for a bit. About ready to buy a rack and replace my POS bench. Really like Rogue, but I'm looking for any feedback on Fringe Sports before I make a purchase.

Really helpful responses guys.  Appreciate it. Some really nice equipment and cool setups in this forum.

I started with this squat rack as well. I’ve been very happy with it. I converted mine to the hr-2 half rack so I could store my plates.
Would recommend picking up the spotter arms if you don’t already have them.

They're definitely on my list.  Along with another set of J-cups and some more plates.

Honestly im impressed tho.  I was really worried I'd regret not going with the Folding wall mount rack for its extra stability but this thing is rock solid and its not even bolted to the floor yet.    Very impressed.

First day using it was yesterday, started on a 5x5 (ish) program so it'll be a little bit before I work up to a failure point, will be picking up those spotter arms in a pay check or two.

Happy knowing this was a solid purchase that'll last.  

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@thormx538
@broken_reticle

Thanks for the great information.

Sounds like I should skip the bench with the Titan combo. For the price I’m wondering if I shouldn’t look at the Rep PR-3000. Looks like the biggest difference is the lack of included weight storage and no westside safety spacing. Just wish that I could look at them in person.

If I wind up using safety straps will I notice the lack of westside hole spacing?

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My new home gym is coming together. About to pull the trigger on Tractor Supply mats.

I'd like some opinions on 1/2" mats vs. 3/4" mats.

One is 4' x 6' x 3/4" at $47.99 each. I'd need 9 ($432).

The other is 4' x 3' x 1/2" at $20 each. I'd need 18 ($360).

Other than the nominal cost savings going with the 1/2" mat, is there a benefit?

Seems to me that 3/4" may be too thick and likely too squishy.

However, I suspect nine 4' x 6' mats would stay in place better than eighteen 4' x 3' mats.

Outside the power rack I do dead lifts, cleans, etc. so weights will sometimes be dropped.

Help me decide!

Gym in progress:

I have the 4x6x 3/4" mats.  They are heavy and a pain in the ass to move.  However, they are pretty solid and not squishy.  I am not sure I would go any thinner, but I would buy these again without hesitation.

Yeah, 3/4 inch mats are NOT squishy. In fact a 12 inch by 2 inch section would make a good slapjack. Low profile too, now that I think about it.

Yup, most of the home gyms posted use them as flooring use them for a reason. Not squishy at all, dampens the sound from deadlifts and the like.