Here is a list of what I have in my modest home gym and some places you can purchase your own. Works great for those exercise programs that emphasize free weights like OSNB .
Take a look!
Table of Contents
Ironmaster Dumbbells
I went with the Ironmaster DBs - it’s been over 10 years and still going strong. The compactness of these DBs allow you to do quite a few more DB exercises than other adjustable ones.
I still want to get the kettlebell attachment for the Ironmaster dumbbells but all in all Iām pretty happy with my home gym now. The bench is really what takes up the most space and the wife is happy with the small footprint of the workout area.
Ironmaster Superbench
So eventually I splurged and went with the Ironmaster Superbench with a few attachments. I purchased mine before the new Pro style bench came out.
The new pro style is a bit more stable by having larger/wider legs and it isn’t as tall (high off the ground). As a middle height sort of guy, if the pro was around when I bought my bench I would have got that one.
It’s been about 9 years now and still good as new!
The attachments are useful but I don’t use the dip attachment much anymore. I’ve moved onto gymnastic rings hung from the pull up bar of the CAP 1/2 rack, it’s a bit further down the list!
Attachments
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Dip Attachment |
Crunch Attachment |
Olympic Barbell w/ weights
Got mine from Craig’s List
For some reason you can find quite a few more fitness items than usual just after New Year’s š¼
I just looked for Olympic sized barbells. Olympic sized is better overall, much easier to get the weights on/off and the weights are more common as well. If you want me to get envious go for the bumper plates š
Unless you start getting into the heavier weight (300+) ranges, brand names don’t really matter (my bar is a crappy CAP barbell). It’s a 7' long 45lb bar of metal, it doesn’t have to be pretty. Just make sure it isn’t bent. I paid around $30 for mine and when it bends, (if I can’t find an old york classic for around $50) I’ll get the Rogue B&R for $300.
BTW The Olympic style weights and barbells have 2" diameter sleeves/holes
CAP Barbell “Rack”
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Regular |
Deluxe |
I didn’t like the spindly stands that you can see being sold here and there, I also wanted something high enough that I can put a barbell on for squats.
The CAP power rack (it’s really a squat stand) is inexpensive and for novice/intermediate lifters. GET A BRIGHTLY COLORED ONE I didn’t know and got just the black one which is rated for 300lb, the powder coated ones are rated for 500lb.
BTW Those vertical bars in the back are for weight & bar storage (1 bar for each).
If you have gymnastic rings (which I do) you can hang them off the pull up bar for ring pull ups/dips!
The deluxe version includes the safety bars and pegs at the bottom to attach resistance bands too.
Element 26 - Weightlifting Belt
You won’t need a weightlifting belt when starting out. To debunk a popular misconception, lifting belts aren’t there to protect your back, they help you lift heavier weights!
The belt gives your abs something more to push against when you are lifting heavy. This extra ab pressure lets you lift heavier weights.
I went for this, crossfit focused, nylon one because it is more comfortable than leather and the crossfit community tends to beat up their equipment. So, comfortable + durable = score!
BTW on the crossfit side - if you go for pull ups, perfect the strict pull ups before trying kipping ones…
Element 26 - Knee Sleeves
These help support and keep my knees warmed up. I liked the weightlifting belt so much I also got their knee sleeves š
I’m impressed by how high quality these sleeves are! I got a medium sized one and they are a snug fit, especially nice since my thighs are on the larger side but my knees are thin.
These are the ones I went for Element 26: Compression Knee Sleeves 6mm Neoprene Been going strong for 2 years now AND it has a lifetime warranty!
Bodylastics Resistance Bands for cable work (pull downs, rotator cuff work, etc.)
I got the Bodylastics brand bands . They were highly rated on multiple forums and had their patented “anti-break” technology.
Basically the bands have a long cord in the center, so that if it ever breaks the cord stops the band from snapping back and taking out an eye.
Over the years I’ve had 2 bands break on me and the cord really did stop the band from going anywhere. No painful welts or anything… just a slow break.
Gymnastic rings
That is why I picked up a pair. They aren’t very pricey and are quite nice. If you stick with bodyweight work, you don’t need much else. But they require quite a bit of strength and skill to do the harder bodyweight movements.
I got mine from gymnasticbodies but they don’t seem to make them anymore. Made from a hard plastic instead of wood.
I would get these if I needed a replacement :)
321 STRONG - Refillable Chalk Ball
When you start lifting heavy, you feel your hands starting to slip, chalk like this will help keep you dry. I like how smooth 321 Strong chalk feels and it’s refillable!
I used gloves for a bit but the chalk was quicker and I just had to wash my hands afterwards. Much easier than trying to wash a pair of stinky gloves after a while…
Floor padding
Even though my setup is in the garage, I didn’t want to crack all the concrete that is in there! I had to get some floor mats that I could use pretty roughly without having to replace them every couple of years.
I ended up having hodgepodge of different floor mats lying around. I really like the 3/4 inch (20mm) ones. I would highly recommend you can get mats of that thickness. They don’t make mine anymore but these look just like them… makes me want to replace my hodgepodge.
That’s pretty much all I have in my modest home gym! Hope you found it helpful!
