Help Getting Started with a Garage Gym?

quote:

---

rack, bench, bar, weights, and a cardio bike

---

this is really all you need

garage gym reviews and youtube channel is a great site

you want to use horse stall mats for flooring

some other items to think about

gymnastic rings offer tons of versatility

adjustable weighted vest combined with rings offers tons of exercises

1 or 2 kettle bells, proll 36lbs and 53 lbs and if you wanted a 3rd 70lbs. Great for tons of things

bands from elitefts and the handles from wodfitters

other than that you are going to have to do your own research. GOOD LUCK!!! oh and the garage gym is never done!!

What kind of lifting will you be doing? Powerlifting, Olympic lifting, strongman or just general strength training?

I would recommend starting with the basics.. squat stand/rack, bar, plates, pull-up bar. Then, add on as you go.

Get into the habit of using the basic setup before you go buy every little thing you might want.

Garage gym reviews is great. Start surfing craigslist and FB marketplace.

Rogue is high quality made in the USA. Rep fitness is good stuff too. Titan is cheap and pretty good for most people.

I would splurge on a high quality barbell like from Rogue or American Barbell. I wouldn't want a titan barbell.

I’m holding out hope that Rogue does Matte Black Friday again this year

I made my own rack out of 4x4s. Google Buff Dudes power rack and there is a video showing you how to do it.

I made one for about $700-$800. Just a squat rack with pull-up bar, heavy duty bench, about 300 lbs of weight, cheapish adjustable dumbbells(the screw collar kind), and foam floor mats. Some stuff came from Amazon, some from Facebook Marketplace.

Things to not skimp on:

Power Rack. Get a quality one that is either 1” or 5/8” hardware and you’ll never need to replace it.

Barbell. If you’re in a garage in Louisiana, bite the bullet and get stainless for rust resistance. Get a barbell that works for your needs (I recommend Rogue Ohio Bar for oly and Ohio Power Bar for powerlifting style).

Weights. Bite the bullet and get bumpers. Versatility is king in garage gyms and bumpers are simply more versatile and will be more resistant to corrosion.

Bench. This would be the one place that has some price decisions. A cheap flat bench can be found on Amazon that will serve you well. If you want an adjustable, spend the money on a good one.

Priorities after that (in my opinion, not everyone is the same):

1. Olympic Rings
2. Weight vest
3. Dumbbells. I have powerblocks but have heard good things about nuobells. While regular separate DB’s is certainly best, in a garage gym space and versatility is limited so adjustables are going to work better for most.
4. Kettlebells. You can also get kettlebell attachments to the powerblocks if you get those.
5. Dip attachment
6. Rowing machine/bike

While I may have forgotten something, pretty much anything after this is a luxury item. Many people go for GHD items, I went for specialty bars.

There are a lot of different companies and price variations, but I’ve abided by the saying “buy once, cry once.” There is no doubt in gym equipment more likely than not the more expensive item is going to last you longer.

Tiers of brands:

Sorinex
Rogue
Rep Fitness
Fringe Sports/Fray
Titan

If buying American is a concern to you, you’ll want to avoid Rep and Titan as the majority of their products are made in China.

KYUbell

These are pretty badass because you can do multiple exercises with them. Three different grips on them. Pretty multifunctional, but cost a touch.