# Building home gym



## forbes88 (Dec 22, 2009)

Morning all!

Ive just bought a house and I'm going to use the spare room as a gym instead of going to the gym. I'm asking for your suggestions on benches, I don't want one of these York or pro power £50 jobs I want a good size Olympic style one that can take a decent weight!

My budget for the bench is about £200 as I've got to get plates and a bar. Not entirely fussed if it inclined or declines but if anything incline would be a bonus.

Or I can go down the utility bench and squat stands route? What's people opinions on this ?

I'm also going to get a bike and treadmill the rooms big so can have alot of equipment

All advice and suggestions will be much appreciated

Thanks Andy


----------



## A-BOMB (May 4, 2012)

not got enough height for a power rack? thats what would be first on my list.


----------



## mygym-mytemple (Jun 8, 2012)

Yeah as abomb said power rack

I've trained at home for decades! Used all sorts of kit but bought a rack in September and never looked back, if only I got one earlier it would of saved me a fortune in time and money


----------



## forbes88 (Dec 22, 2009)

Yeah that's what first popped into my head but I haven't got the height. I might be building a garage so il have one in there if I do.


----------



## mygym-mytemple (Jun 8, 2012)

In that case buy a utility bench and stands and sale the stands at a later date if yo get a rack.


----------



## Lukeg (Mar 6, 2011)

forbes88 said:


> Yeah that's what first popped into my head but I haven't got the height. I might be building a garage so il have one in there if I do.


How small is your ceiling?... my power rack is 2m and in my garage but would easily fit in the house


----------



## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

If you've no room for a rack (like me), then these are awesome:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodymax-CF415-Squat-Spotter-Catchers/dp/B003UU66M8

Great for benching, OHP, rack pulls, etc as well.


----------



## forbes88 (Dec 22, 2009)

I'm not sure il have to measure it when I'm home as offshore at the minute

The cheese: that looks good it's defiantly an option! What's it like to bench with? Do the spotters go low enough?

I've seen these squat stands

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=150742261697&index=19&nav=SEARCH&nid=79548191261


----------



## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

forbes88 said:


> The cheese: that looks good it's defiantly an option! What's it like to bench with? Do the spotters go low enough?


I've got a York bench and the catchers are set on the 3rd lowest setting. You'd have to have a really low bench and no chest to need to go lower. The spotters are set on the 3rd lowest setting as well. I don't need to extend my arms to replace that bar at that setting either.

In all the time I've had them (2 years) I've only had one hairy moment and that was when I was OHPing, had the spotters set too high and didn't put the bar back properly. But the catchers did exactly what they're supposed to do and stopped it from crashing down onto the floor (where it would probably have smashed the end off my treadmill).

I've used the catchers to failure on squats, OHP and bench press loads of times (just about every chest and shoulder session I work to failure) and they've never let me down.

Honestly, as a piece of kit, I can't recommend them highly enough and I'd never lift without them.


----------



## Guest (Feb 16, 2013)

The Cheese said:


> If you've no room for a rack (like me), then these are awesome:
> 
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodymax-CF415-Squat-Spotter-Catchers/dp/B003UU66M8
> 
> Great for benching, OHP, rack pulls, etc as well.


I'm tempted at that. Need to measure the ceiling in the room I would use but that is deffinetly an option! And the price as well!


----------



## George-Bean (Sep 8, 2010)

I love home gyms, get some pics up asap mate ;-D


----------



## AAlan (Oct 30, 2012)

I have the same bodymax rack that The Cheese posted the link up for. I cant fault it, have had it about 4 months and yet to have a problem with it. It's nice to have the peace of mind that you have the security of the spotter catchers when going heavy training alone.


----------



## George-Bean (Sep 8, 2010)

Building a home rack is a very simple thing to do, I made mine from 3x3 hardwood.


----------



## AAlan (Oct 30, 2012)

George-Bean said:


> Building a home rack is a very simple thing to do, I made mine from 3x3 hardwood.


I know that it would probably more than take the weight but I just wouldn't have the confidence to trust one made from wood fully. I like to see metal around me when I am working alone.


----------



## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

Just to give some idea on the catchers (photos are a bit crap but they'll give you the general gist).

Set up for bench:



















Set up for squatting:


----------



## longjohnchafage (Dec 29, 2012)

George-Bean said:


> Building a home rack is a very simple thing to do, I made mine from 3x3 hardwood.


have you got pics? where did you get the design? and how much did it cost? (puting together a home gym on a tight budget)


----------

