How to Build a Home Gym: 6 Critical Pieces of Equipment
Hopefully, you’re already aware of the impact proper weight training can have on testosterone levels and bodily androgen utilization.
(In case you’re not, go back and read how a basic resistance training routine increased resting testosterone levels by 40% in just 4-weeks and how strength training impacts androgen receptor density).
If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room or empty garage to put some equipment in, you might be able to put together a killer home gym with just few pieces of equipment…
…And in this article, you’ll learn about the six pieces of equipment that are plenty enough to build an impressive, ripped, testosterone oozing physique at home.
1. Olympic Bar and Weight Plates
No gym would be anything without a sturdy Olympic bar with good grip.
Obviously, you also need plenty of different size weight plates.
These alone allow you to workout pretty much the full body. When combined with power rack and some protective flooring…
…Bar and plates allow you to do;
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Overhead Press
- Snatches and Clean & Jerk
- Bicep Curls, Rows, Etc.
Any semi-good bar should do, but I recommend you to get one that can carry heavy enough loads and has a good grip. When it comes to weight plates, again, cheap plates that fit your bar should do.
2. Adjustable Dumbbells
Any good gym has a wide variety of different size dumbbells.
But for your home gym, it’s not the most cost-effective method to purchase tens of different size dumbbells. Doing that would easily bring your costs up to thousands of dollars, not to mention the amount of space they’d take.
Modern engineering allows you to get some very sturdy adjustable dumbbells for a much cheaper price. Like the popular ones from Bowflex, which go up to 52,5 lb.
So what can you do with dumbbells? Bunch of movements. Side laterals, flyes, DB bench press and DB incline bench (if you get adjustable seat), military press, rows, etc.
3. Sturdy Power Rack
This piece of equipment is probably the most versatile thing there is for a home gym.
It allows you to do just so much, without taking that much of space.
Many look at a power rack and think; “oh place to squat”, but there’s more to it.
Provided that you have a barbell and some plates, a sturdy power rack with good adjustability allows you to not only squat but also do overhead pressing, rack pulls, chin ups, hanging leg raises, muscle ups. And if you add in an adjustable seat, a power rack is perfect for bench pressing and incline to press, it even works for seated military presses.
When it comes to racks, you should definitely invest in quality steelwork. For less than $400 that gets you one of the best-rated power racks out there , which basically turns your garage into a fully functioning weight-room.
4. Dip Stand
There aren’t many better multi-joint movements than weighted dips.
It’s an excellent upper-body exercise for chest growth, tricep growth, and to build overall mass in the shoulder area.
Not only that but it also perfectly suits a testosterone optimized training routine, like THOR-program, and it’s overall a pretty bad-ass movement to master (hanging few hundred lbs to a belt and crushing some dips is definitely going to turn some heads).
Getting a quality dipping station that gets the job done isn’t expensive either, you can get one with just little over hundred bucks.
5. Adjustable Seat
I have mentioned the adjustable seat a few times already in this article.
It adds versatility to the power rack by allowing you to turn it into a bench pressing station and it allows you to do many different seated and laying exercises with the dumbbells.
What I like about the Bowflex adjustable bench is the fact that it looks very sturdy with wide legs, and it goes from 17-degree decline all the way up to 90-degree incline. The removable leg hold-down brace also makes it easier to do decline work.
I personally made the mistake of investing my money into a cheap used seat some time ago, and it didn’t take long for me to toss it away due to being far too unstable for lifting any heavier weight or doing decline DB presses…
…Would I have access to one here, I’d buy the Bowflex adjustable bench.
6. Protective Flooring
If you have your home gym in a garage, you might not care about the floor…
…But if it’s just a room in your house, or maybe a rental space that you don’t want to damage, consider getting some protective flooring for an area to deadlift in.
Some simple mats could do as well, or you could invest in a puzzle flooring specifically designed for the purpose.
Some hardware stores also sell bitumen mat that you can cut into the desired length, which at least here in Finland, is easily the cheapest solution.
Conclusion on Home Gym Equipment
If you set your home gym to build up with the equipment mentioned in this article…
…You will get a safe, sturdy, and lasting workout space for your personal use for a price of less than $1,5k.
That may seem like a big chunk of cash, but considering the benefits it brings (personal lifting-space for possibly a lifetime without having to pay gym memberships), I’d say its a very sound investment.
Ali Kuoppala
