I recently got a new, higher paying job, and I have some money to throw around. I've also got a lot of room in my unfinished basement which would make for a good home gym, pretty spacious. I really HATE going to the gym, especially now with the warm seasons incoming and a lot of crowding.
So I was thinking of the basics I'd need, even though I have more cash, cost is still an issue, so what I'm looking for is mainly multi-purpose, cost-efficient stuff. Here's a list of what I'm thinking (already have a treadmill).
-Barbell. Is there a specific brand/type I should get? It needs to be light enough to use for lunges and the bench press, but sturdy enough to support deadlift and squat weight.
-Dumbell set. Though I don't support the Bowflex equipment, they did have an interesting looking dumbell rack setup, any opinions on that or other stuff?
-Bench. There's probably a million suitable pieces to satisfy this bare requirement, but do you know of a sturdy bench that can be shifted into an incline?
-Squat rack. I can use this for chin ups, dips, squatting, etc. It shouldn't be too expensive, pretty basic framework.
-Weights! What's a cost-efficient weight set for use with the barbell? My gym has a seperate bar for the deadlift weights, which are also different from the bench bar/weights. Is this simply variability, or is it an actual exercise/safety issue?
I know machines are frowned upon, but does anyone have any reccomendations for stuff like the lat pulldowns, etc.?
I don't expect this one post to satisfy my answers, obviously I have to do 90% of the searching myself, but if anyone with home equipment or experience in the subject can shed some insight or offer good brands, it'd be much appreciated.
So I was thinking of the basics I'd need, even though I have more cash, cost is still an issue, so what I'm looking for is mainly multi-purpose, cost-efficient stuff. Here's a list of what I'm thinking (already have a treadmill).
-Barbell. Is there a specific brand/type I should get? It needs to be light enough to use for lunges and the bench press, but sturdy enough to support deadlift and squat weight.
-Dumbell set. Though I don't support the Bowflex equipment, they did have an interesting looking dumbell rack setup, any opinions on that or other stuff?
-Bench. There's probably a million suitable pieces to satisfy this bare requirement, but do you know of a sturdy bench that can be shifted into an incline?
-Squat rack. I can use this for chin ups, dips, squatting, etc. It shouldn't be too expensive, pretty basic framework.
-Weights! What's a cost-efficient weight set for use with the barbell? My gym has a seperate bar for the deadlift weights, which are also different from the bench bar/weights. Is this simply variability, or is it an actual exercise/safety issue?
I know machines are frowned upon, but does anyone have any reccomendations for stuff like the lat pulldowns, etc.?
I don't expect this one post to satisfy my answers, obviously I have to do 90% of the searching myself, but if anyone with home equipment or experience in the subject can shed some insight or offer good brands, it'd be much appreciated.
