Thread: Opinions on the best home set

Try core training with a medicine ball
that will not only strengthen your torso,
but can assist flexibility, and add some muscle

Is that like twisting and shit?

sorry, again, I have never weight-lifted "correctly" before.

For abs I usually do sit-ups. Yesterday I tried holding a 10 pound plate behind my head with both arms while doing them, it made it much tougher. That's pretty much all I do for abs. Lying on your side and doing "side crunches" (I guess that's what you'd call them) help out too.

Do you know of a site that has all the different ab exercises I can go to?

Originally Posted by Gardon

Thanks man.

By the way, do you get a lot of buyers for your computers?

No problem.

We're not exactly a huge business at the moment, but we're steadily getting more customers. I can get you a good deal if you're interested in one.

Go to exrx.net for form on pretty much any exercise. Stumptuous.com is another personal favorite of mine.

If you can afford it, I'd get an adjustable power rack... Chances are if you're working out at home, you'll be alone... A power rack would be safer than anything else.

Originally Posted by Seanp156

If you can afford it, I'd get an adjustable power rack... Chances are if you're working out at home, you'll be alone... A power rack would be safer than anything else.

Yeah, but like I've said before, I spent $40 on a pair of steel sawhorses. They're adjustable and they each hold 1,200 pounds. There's your power rack. If you go back or forward enough that the weights aren't stopped by the sawhorses, you probably shouldn't even be attempting to touch that kind of weight then. I've been saved many times by them and have found very valuable uses for them. Just my opinion though.

lot of good suggestions here...
if i could build a gym..i would have

squat rack(for squats and military presses)
smith machine (very versatile and dont need a spot)
adjustable bench
pull up/dip machine
bb and dbs with plenty of weights
prob somethinng to do cardio on

Thank you everyone

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

Yeah, but like I've said before, I spent $40 on a pair of steel sawhorses. They're adjustable and they each hold 1,200 pounds. There's your power rack. If you go back or forward enough that the weights aren't stopped by the sawhorses, you probably shouldn't even be attempting to touch that kind of weight then. I've been saved many times by them and have found very valuable uses for them. Just my opinion though.

Thing is in a power rack, you can do overhead pressing and jerks with the pins set high.

Originally Posted by PreMier

Thing is in a power rack, you can do overhead pressing and jerks with the pins set high.

True enough, but I would rather save myself a few hundred dollars and work around that. If you can afford a good power rack though, then more power to you.

So power rack, squat rack, flat bench (for bench press), the bar, dumb bells... am I missing anything?

I would also get a chinup bar. They're a pretty cheap addition to a home gym that allows for some good movments. Another option is a chinup/dip station. Much more expensive, but certainly nice to have. To go along with one of these items, a belt allowing you to chain some plates from yourself would be very valuable as well.

Do you know of any good online stores that offer this kind of equipment? I went to the local stores and they really didn't have anything good (mostly home gym stuff)

power-lift.com
elitefts.com
nybarbell.com
power-systems.com
performbetter.com

Originally Posted by PreMier

Thing is in a power rack, you can do overhead pressing and jerks with the pins set high.

Very true, but if you have a squat rack you can probably get underneath the bar enough to do these too. Strange you'd mention that - I'm thinking of replacing my front squats in my routine with overhead squats and adding snatches. I just need to practice my form like there's no tomorrow...

what do you think of this machine?

http://megafitness.com/mega-smith-with-bench.html

Originally Posted by Gardon

what do you think of this machine?

http://megafitness.com/mega-smith-with-bench.html

Excessively expensive. I also think smith machines are garbage.

Personally I'd never, ever buy a machine for my home gym unless it was a treadmill or other cardio machine or I had to rehabilitate. Keep in mind that I'm obsessed with functional strength, and things in real life aren't conveniently placed on pulleys and levers and crap...

Well then how do I get my squat rack, my power rack, my "set", my whatever? Should I just buy them separately and hope they work?

What's the average price for things like these?

Originally Posted by Gardon

So power rack, squat rack, flat bench (for bench press), the bar, dumb bells... am I missing anything?

If you got a power rack, I would think you could just forget the squat rack. Also, for benching, maybe get an adjustable one so you could do decline, flat and incline.

From that list, plates are missing, but I'm sure you meant to put those down.

What exactly do you mean by "hope they work?" Squat and power racks aren't used in conjuction with each other...

http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/

http://www.ivanko.com/

http://www.werksanusa.com/

http://www.uesakabarbell.com/index.htm

So I could just buy the power rack and the bench? I could use the bench with the rack, right?

And ya, I meant the weights too. Those were a given :P

Damn, bars on every site are really freaken expensive. I might as well go outside and make one myself. 200+ dollars?

IMO

If I had to buy a home setup it would be like this...





BOOM... DONE!

Originally Posted by Gardon

So I could just buy the power rack and the bench? I could use the bench with the rack, right?

And ya, I meant the weights too. Those were a given :P

Correct, you can use the power rack for just about anything you do with a barbell.

Thanks everyone

Bahh.... one more thing I swear

How's this for a bar? Quality and pricewise-

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...id=112&pid=604