Build a HEAVY-DUTY Home Gym on a BUDGET

Im on an extremely fixed-income. Here's my home gym. A four by five pussle mat, a 50, 35, and 30 lbs kettlebell. A codura backpack with 20 to 40 lbs of weight in it. Knee sleeves, gloves, and a back brace. Oh yeah, and a pull-up bar. One day, I'll get some dumbells like those, some more kettlebells and a bench. I can sqout and bench press at the gym down the road a block away. Besides that I walk all the time and am really only in this for general fitness. I tryed the Tom Platz leg day about a week ago, and I know what im not. A body builder, lol

I have 200kg of bumpers, a barbell for me and one for my wife and a Squat stand with a pull up bar on and safeties. A few attachments for dips and whatnot and a flat bench. Its been 6 years since I last stepped into a gym, and I work out 3-5 times per week.

I lucked out right at the start of covid before everything sold out or got inflated and got a brand new Weider bar and plate set for 190 at a Play It Again Sports. Never saw those prices again. A chain from Lowe's and a pair of cable d-handles in a tree for pullups and dips, squat stands from Amazon, some cinderblocks to use as a bench, an olympic dumbbell, and resistance bands, and my backyard was pretty much a whole gym at that point. The total probably ended up around 500 for the stuff i used daily.

I found an airdyne just like yours for $35 on Facebook. It was gross and rusty, so I took it apart and cleaned and repainted it. I probably have like $70 total into it and I have a super intense cardio machine at my house now 👍🏻

This is really great info thanks

I have that bench. 100% legit and does a decline.

Great ideas here thanks 👍. Now I just need to get a house with a garage 😂😂😂

i got some good stuff at play it again sports. you can always get plates and stuff. i got a few for a standard bar i have (i gotta work up to the 40lb powerbar for benchpress) and i got some separated benchpress racks so it can go small enough to fit that bar. got a bench on amazon and some plates that were low $, or used if they had, or deals if they had. ALSO at play it again sports, i wasn't in the market for it totally but they had what was sort of a half rack. i'd been looking at power racks on amazon. so, the ones i saw were $300 at lowest or $400. THIS one, had a lat pulldown AND dip bars. $400 new, and for the other ones to have that it was closer to $500. it wasn't in perfect shape but honestly nothing that was noticable enough to go UUUghhhHHH.

got a used olympic power bar for $80 (the guy knocked down the price a bit since i was getting a lot.) and they had this foam matting that didn't smell, and that's what i decided to try for the floor. they had it marked up a bit. when i went direct to the company it was like $20 cheaper, i figured out cost to do which area in garage. smelled like hell when i got it but just today, a few days later, IT'S GOOD! a friend and i just finished laying it down and rebuilding the rack (no instructions, so i had some things backwards. fixed it once but then other stuff was backwards. ugh.) and a curl bar, and a loadable post for grip training. i got a bike last year.

point is - i friggin LOVE the new space. i'm so excited to get in there and use everything and the flooring was nuts with how much it transforms the space. i'm like.... in awe. it feels so damn official! i can't wait to get in there and train. and the current arrangement works out for the weight storage bench i built, and the path is clear for the dartboard. still gotta hang the olympic/gymnast rings i got from amazon which can almost do your whole body, calisthenics wise.

the last piece i'd like to get (i also have a climbing rope i installed) is a set of adjustable dumbbells by northdeer. the cool thing about this, is the weights are disks with a short post with threads, and screws onto the weight before it. WHY? well, no plates slipping/dropping on your face like could happen with the traditional adjustable dumbbells if it malfunctions, and i can't afford the ironmaster quicklock ones right now. did the math and trying to get 15lb-25lb or to 30lb in single dumbbells would be more money. plus, unwieldy for travel. and the northdeer one has a barbell you can use to attach to it.

anyway just listing stuff cuz i spent GADS of time researching, just trying to get minimal, cheap, effective, and i think i've about got it!


NOTE TO THE SMELL SENSITIVE:
weight plates: urethane bumper plates (expensive), virgin rubber ( might not bother you), cast iron
flooring: horse stall mats will make you die. rubber of any kind will knock you out... unless you look for virgin rubber (it's not made from recycled tires) which might not. otherwise, foam. (foam doesn't hold up as well BUT at least it's something, protects equipment vs rubber that throws out VOCs forever).
USED: used equipment is less likely to smell, since it's had time to offgass. so, even like rubber feet and stuff. and you can see if things bother you or not in person, cuz maybe it's fine. vs order heavy stuff you have to pay to send back.

migraines and nausea are no fun. idk why rubber killls me so hard but i'm not the only one. IF you aren't bothered it's great. but, you're still sucking in VOCs and that's not great for your body. ;P

Ill never go to a public gym again unless on vacation im europe or something and have no choice. Cant stand the idiots

i have a rack with pully system, a bar +ezbar, loadable dumbells, a set of rings some bands and weights. the rack also has monkey bars with different grip variations for pull ups, i never feel like i cant train a certain muscle because of limited equipment.

Nice to hear a serious lifter not make rogue out to be the best and only option. I have lots of titan fitness stuff and its great

I’ll keep this in mind when building up my home gym

I love my Treadmill, it is easy to fold for small spaces and it was so easy to assemble. Not only am I enjoying my workouts but my grand daughters use it for P.E classes.

hahaa "the liar of the antisocial lifter"
(i really felt those examples you gave, too, lollll)

I'm in San Antonio too !!!! :))

the only thing u really need in a home gym is....anger ....raw emotions....some.more anger mixed with some regret and saddness with a feeling of wanting her back....after this all u need is some dumbells a bench and a olympic bar with some heavy ass plates

Like your ideas. Also I like bumper plates. I like X-Training makes very good quality bumper plates and power racks

Buy used.
Iron plates are still expensive but machines are cheap.
Since virus lock downs ended I have gotten so much stuff for free or nearly free.
Things I've gotten
free- stair climber, spin bike, fan bike, strong man log roll, pull up assist machine
$20- pec deck
$100- seated leg curl & extension, vertical leg press, compact hack squat machine

you can easily turn your rack into cable machine with a simple pulley and a cable. you can then use your plates or dumbells to load

As a former cardio-skipper, I can assure you that adding a Golden Retriever to my home gym has cured that problem.

Loving the newer content, Alex!

i wish i had money and a home

Great video. Love your gym.

Gyms are getting pretty bad, they’re just so overcrowded nowadays

Gyms are getting pretty bad, they’re just so overcrowded nowadays

Man i need to get those dumbbells. I have the bowflex 55lb adjustable dumbbells i bought them at walmart for $58 each now a pair is around $490. 55lb just isnt enough weight, they are very odd to adjust and they are extremely large and clunky. I do not recommend them at all not even for a beginner.

just found a pair of adjustable dumbbells (5-52) on offerup for 100 bucks!!! and a startrac bicycle for 100 bucks also!!! its possible to find steals trust...might take some time of searching/patience

I’m surprised you never mentioned any strongman equipment. When I made my home gym during Covid the first implements I got my hands on were kegs and sand. I got 6 empty kegs FOR FREE! And you can get serious work done with just those

Cardio machine? Just run outside

For most people I recommend Iron Master bench. It cost a bit more but when you inevitably want to add exercise variety it has a whole ecosystem. I’ve had mine almost 10 years with leg extension and decline leg holder without issues.

Covid made prices explode and people on second hand sites want msrp for their junk…

10/10 smile great form try to make the eyes bulge more tho

This is what I like. Get what you need for the cheapest price possible.
I don't need to buy all expensive stuff for home gym.
I'd rather save my money and spend on something unrelated.
Expensive equipment won't get you bigger.
At the end of the day, it's just weight, why spend so much money?
It's all up to your will that makes difference.

Honestly really needed to hear those smiling cues. Definitely gonna get those personality gains.

Want to build a garage gym but i leave in Brazil unfortunely

Great video. I am always confused why everybody says craiglist. In my area there is barley anything posted on craigslist from private owners. I find Facebook Market Place for my location has a much better inventory from private owners.

I went with the Titan X-3 Flatfoot 6 post rack. Best upgrade for my home gym.

This was probably one of the best home gym explanations iv ever seen. love the home gym set up bc I don't like going to big commercial gyms either, goal is to one day have a home gym set up to.

When I started my home gym in 09 I got the sears special, bar + 300lbs for $300.....the collars broke after a couple months. I would definitely get a decent bar and cheap weights

Ha watching this on Memorial day..fortunately back in Feb 2020 I cancelled my gold's gym sub ( good timin for me eh lol) and when I bought my home a few months later was blessed to have a 22X28 shed in backyard which obvi I turned into a gym!

Facts I just workout at home now

Cool😊

Ali Express. Everything comes from China anyway, save about 30-40% in the middleman mark-up. You need to do the leg work though.

Question, if youre in outer space and cant travel to a gym, why would you prep for a contest that you also could not attend? 👀👀😂😂 great video thank you!!

Awesome video. I couldn't agree more with your minimal approach. Ive seen plenty of elite athletes who train with the bare minimum equipment (like you showed) that are A LOT stronger and workout much harder than your home gym warrior who has a full shop filled with all the new age crap and put in weak workout.

This is the best video!