Controversial Opinion: 5 Home Gym Items That Are a Total Waste of Money
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- Опубліковано 14 тра 2024
- There are so many videos out there telling you what you SHOULD buy, so I wanted to break down what you SHOULDN'T buy.
Of course, this is all extremely subjective and you may feel the complete opposite way about some of these. I mean, many people notoriously hate lever arms but I'm over here as the biggest lever arm stan there is.
The idea of a "budget home gym" has been beaten to the ground on UA-cam, so I wanted to try to give you a little bit more of a unique spin here.
Let me know what you agree (or disagree) with! And to get ahead of some questions, here are links to some of the specific items I mentioned in the video, listed in order.
Horse Stall Mats: www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...
Utility Lights: amzn.to/4acivJC
"Blemished" Bumper Plates: diamondpro.net/products/blemi...
Cable Attachment Set: amzn.to/4agyhTG
"MAG" Multi-Grip Attachment Set: amzn.to/4awCGBJ
Weight Tree With Wheels: amzn.to/49fIfUa
Calf Raise: amzn.to/3PIV427
Leg Extension Machine: valorfitness.com/products/cc-... (code MROSE5 will save you 5%)
I started my home gym on the cheap, but once I realized how much I enjoyed training at home, I slowly upgraded over time. I've put a lot of money into it at this point, and I don't regret it at all. My budget and goals changed over time, and my space is a reflection of that.
This is exactly what I should have opened my video with because I could not agree more. I think it serves everyone to go the cheap route to start and then build over time. I mean, in the beginning we have no idea what is the most important to us (or if we're even gonna stick with the home gym long term) so I love the idea of upgrading a little at a time
Facebook marketplace was a lifesaver for my garage gym!
Some of my finds:
TDS leg press machine- $100 (owner was moving and didn’t want to take it with him so got this for a steal.)
Hammer strength incline bench w/ spotter stand - $250
Valor seated row machine - $160
16 45lb plates - $300 (prob my favorite find)
75-100lb DB’s (in 5lb increments) - $250 (a steal, just were old and very rusty but I cleaned them up)
I have a ton of other pieces but I paid close to retail price for them. And I agree with budget friendly accessory options. Nothing wrong with Titan, Valor, Syedee, etc.. for 99% of garage gym owners. Save where you can so you can focus on more important areas like a great barbell and power rack.
Damnnnnnnn. Those dumbbells are for sure the best steal of them all, that's amazing
I bought a cheap set of rusted dumbells which happened to be pro bodybuilding MAGNUM dumbells. I got these on Craig's list for $275 (5-50 pound set). Cleaned off the rust with navel jelly, and spay painted them. They work like new, and new set of these are around $2,000. I find a lot of things used is also a good way to go.
I totally agree on the "amenities". My gym is in a cluttered old pole barn with dirt floor and no temperature control of any kind. Occasionally I invest in a bale of straw to redo the floor. Also, I have built much of my own equipment, including a sled, farmer's handles, axle bar, loading pin, etc. For "bumper plates", I repurposed some worn-out snow tires. Most people would probably hate my setup, but it works great for me and it cost very little.
I started my garage gym back in 2016, pre-pandemic/inflation pricing and was lucky enough to grab some Rogue calibrated plates, power bar and Texas DL bar since I compete in powerlifting, I wanted to train with what I compete in. But I agree, the rest can be bought cheaper. For those cable attachments, another great buy are Fat Grips, they turn those regular handles to 2" ones, great for grip strength too
Oh man, you got into the game at the right time. Pandemic forced me into the home gym life and it was a REALLY slow build because the prices and availability were so limiting at the time. But the good news is that marketplace became a goldmine because so many people bought stuff and didn't end up using it.
And I've messed with Fat Grips a long time ago, probably 10+ years ago, so I'd be curious to give them a go again.
The thing about the horse stall mats that no one talks about is the offgassing. In an enclosed place like a garage, it can get really bad.
Let them air out outside for a week and they're good to go with no remaining smell
the mag grip alternatives. How long have you had it? I hear that the duality of the knock is not good. More specifically, the rings start to warp and bend after using them for a while. That's why I am thinking of getting the MAG grips. Just wanted to get your experience.
I've been building up my home gym for a while now. I also visit Amazon or Facebook marketplace frequently to get equipment. Although I just installed need recessed LED lighting myself and plan to add some larger mirrors and new paint to spruce it up a bit. 💪🙂👍
One thing that is super easy to do if you have the space for it: ✨make your own attachment and rack.✨ Voilà!! Done, I made my own power rack, my own surplus strength style pulley system, bar attachments for T rows, and a bunch of other attachments. I used gauge 7 steel (3/16 thick) to make all of my attachments and the rack, whereas commercial racks and attachments use 11 gauge steel and are even powder coated. All of this cost me "drum roll, please" around $1600!!! 365 LBS worth of Weight plates and barbell included! Put it at 2000$ with the set of trulap adjustable dumbbells
I'm starting making my home gym, and the first thing I got was an adjustable bench with a leg curl / laying hamstring curl attachment for $50. I got a brand new Olympic bar for $60 as well. That's the place to watch.
Good roll-up of cost saving measures. I have owned those MAG knockoffs and found myself frustrated with them. They are definitely NOT the same. Awesome video!
nice video - I quite like to DIY - I made my own cable setup just by getting some pulleys, cable, and hooks - tie it onto some plates, throw it over the power cage I have, and voila, I can do pull downs, face pulls, tricep extensions, etc. for probably £15 - it's not perfect, but it gets the job done
I tend to wait for stuff I want to pop up on Marketplace. I've saved thousands that way, and I've been able to purchase commercial equipment priced similarly to the cheap stuff on Amazon.
My tastes have changed as my gym has matured. I went cheap on plates at first, but then I discovered the vintage weights FB group and replaced my generic plates with vintage York plates (milled and deep dish). I hesitated to buy Prime attachments when I started, but after finding some MAG grips on Marketplace, I wanted to compare them to ROT8 handles. I'm finding it easier to justify the premium to support American manufacturing these days.
Now that my home gym is well established, I've splurged on two machines that aren't really made non-commercially and can be somewhat rare to locate secondhand (kneeling leg curl and pullover). I'm also selling a lot of my linear strength curve equipment in hopes of replacing them with pieces that let me manipulate the strength curve and are multipurpose.
Going cheap isn’t always good- but what you can afford will do - as long as you use it is what counts
This was great! Glad I found your channel!
As a heads up, the Nike plates turn yellow in the sun and it wrecks the aesthetic, which was the whole point of paying extra for them really.
I bought a Mikolo budget rack off Amazon with a pulley system. Upgraded to aluminum pulleys and I love it. Does everything I need it to and it cost me $900 in total. Supports all the weight I need. One day I will upgrade to a rep rack but this works for now and didn’t break the bank.
Budget racks can be awesome. I feel like I need to dedicate a video to just racks, because it's a really nuanced topic. You can get awesome deals, but you gotta pay attention to the details. I had bought a cheap bare-bones rack when I started, only to learn years later that it was compatible with virtually nothing. To making sure you have a rack that you can add attachments to is huge (although in your case that seems like the work is already done for ya)
@@MattRosenman yes, I will agree with you… finding attachments for it is a pain and definitely a con. But it’s my first rack and works for now! Great vids, keep em up! 💪🏼
If you need thicker padding on a machine, get an electric stapler, some vinyl for the pad and maybe some wood and lag bolts. Go to someplace like Hobby lobby and buy firm foam. It's not cheap, but soft foam is a waste of money. Rip off the pads, strip them, add the foam pad and staple the vinyl on. Use whatever the pad had underneath or cut up some 2x6 or bigger to make wood pads for the foam. Use lag bolts or some other bolts with nuts to attach the pads. Note well, you cannot attach nuts to bolts after the vinyl (usually) so that's why lag bolts are good.
Be 100% sure to buy wood without any knots or you might get hurt if the wood breaks at a knot.
I worked at a small company years ago that made weight machines.
The most interesting thing you me is cleaning and maintaining especially those of us in a semi-enclosed area.
Just bought a REP 3x3 with the Ares. Expensive for sure but I crunched the numbers and it's pretty cost=efficient and I am 100% dedicated to the home gym life. There's nothing wrong with being strategically frugal with certain home gym purchases.
Ares looks incredible, I have no problem with that at all. That's a piece that you'll likely never have to upgrade so it's worth the investment
Horse stall mats are great for home gym flooring. If you are on a concrete floor they are plenty fine for an Olympic lift platform. They are what I use for my oly lift platform and been doing so for years without issue.
bought leftover competition bumpers on discount. slightly more plates than i ever need. sold all my other plates. why? I only oly lift. i have also nice crash pads and diy blocks.
it's simple. how frequently is a piece of equipment used. if not at all, get rid of it because it's worthless.
a trick is to write an inventory list, and count every time an equipment piece is used. after a month, you will see what's useless to you.
Made my own squat rack/stand and plate storage out of left over wood during lockdown, that's a good money saver but was a challenge, then bought some other bits and got given or found others ;bar, dumbell bars, plates, pull up bar, gymnastic rings, resistance bands, foam mats, punch bag and gloves, skipping rope weight vest and parallette bars (had a mirror and fan already in there) and that's it probably cost me about £250 total.
I started out budget friendly, however I now seem the polar opposite of that lately. I needed a leg machine of some sort in my home gym, however did not have the room for a Leg Press, or Hack Squat. I can't do much squatting lately after years of lifting heavy, so I still go to my commercial gym once a week only for Leg Day to do Leg Press, Hack Squat or Smith machine. I wanted to purchase a leg Extension/Hamstring Curl machine and did not want to buy something similar to yours, or one of those attachments you put on the Power Rack, I don't necessarily believe the ROM is that good compared to a regular machine. So, I bit the bullet and purchased a machine from Stray Dog Strength. Yes, it was expensive over $6,000 not including shipping. Is it worth it? Well, I sure hope so it gets delivered next week, but don't forget I have trained and competed at a high level for over 20 years and I look at my home gym as an investment. (that's what I tell my wife anyway's).
I've got a similar (non) aesthetic. Stall mats, variety plates, etc. I do use a beautiful stainless steel Rogue 28mm bearing bar with great knurl that only gets used from the floor, never from the rack. Even that I got for just over half price as a "Boneyard" special.
I love investing in a good bar, even better if you can get a deal on it. I started with the cheapest imaginable bar and upgraded real quick
I think having high quality plates is important for competitive endeavors. It’s very cheap to buy weights as a noob because you won’t be strong yet. Then as you can progress you can buy more calibrated competition plates. Having a sense of pride in your equipment definitely helps the mindset. Plus it’s comforting to know that the weight you’re lifting is actually, y’know, the weight You’re lifting. Barbells and plates are probably the most important things to spend top dollar on. Benches, racks, mats, chalk, pull up bar, by all means, go cheap. But drop a few grand on a quality stainless steel barbell and calibrated plates, and you’re set for life. Unless you get insanely strong and need to spend another grand on more plates. Which, trust me, you won’t complain. Kid in a candy store moment when you get those shiny new plates, for real 😍 walking through the Rogue showroom in Columbus is like how I used to walk through Toys R Us in the day lol
The people who buy cheap stuff on CL or FB marketplace are usually the same ones who end up giving up after a few months and reselling the stuff. Or letting it collect dust. Making a serious monetary investment in yourself and your self-improvement to help keep yourself accountable is incredibly valuable, psychologically
I put a good investment into my home gym. Dumbbell rack 5 pounds to 110 pound dumbbells in 2 1/2 pound increments, a cheap squat rack $80 and I added barbell storage racks to it so I don't have to adjust it from squats to benching. A Marcy bench with a good leg curl attachment. A 20 year old Marcy cable Machine with 400 pounds of weight plates (2 separate stacks), every pull attachment imaginable all cheap, 600 pound of Olympic plates, 320 pounds of standard plates all brands from yard sales, tread mills , spin bikes, giant floor to ceiling wall mirrors from scrap yard free no cost, pull up dip station, and 40 htz vertical vibrational plate for bone density!
There is a fitness goods store in Toronto Ontario, fitness avenue,they sell all sorts of new gym stuff at discount prices. In 2011 I bought a full power rack setup for $500 when it was MSRP at $2500. I got a trap bar, bumper plates,everything for under $1500 Canadian after taxes.
It was worth it at the time. Sadly I had to sell it all when I moved into an apartment.
That's insane. The silver lining is that this stuff holds its value pretty well, so I'll assume you got your money back (and some considering the great deal you got)
@@MattRosenman yeah I did. I still miss the gear
I have a bunch of mismatch plates I got on fb marketplace paired with 25-40 lb dumbbells, 2 45 pound barbells, a half-rack and a bench that inclines for $600. The plates are l: 4 -45lb (two rubber rogue and 2 iron gold’s gym) like 8 10 lb plates, 5 25lb plates 2 15 lb plates and 2 55lb rogue rubber plates. I feel like we saved a ton.
I used to have the same opinion on weight plates as you until I started weighing them. I had 4 bargain brand 45s ranging from 39-52lbs , none of them were within 3lbs of the stated 45lb weight. Same with all the lower weights, I even had a 10lb plate that didn’t even weigh 8lbs.
Saved for a calibrated set and would never go back.
Why though? Until you weighed them you didn’t know. Your muscles didn’t know either….
@@chayneznfayme very simple, because the ability to use effective progressive overload (the single most effective concept in weightlifting/muscle building) is compromised.
I wouldn’t cheap out on a bench or a power rack. But I agree with you for everything else, especially for Olympic bars.
IMO jammer arms are a complete waste of money. I bought a pair of the rogues and sold them soon after.
I've probably spent a fortune in my garage gym, commercial cable crossover machine, leg press with hack squat, as well as a leg ext/curl. Im 42 now and enjoy keeping fit .. i hardly drink and spend most of my time with my family. For me, it is expensive but it's something i enjoy. I don't go out every weekend spending £100+ on drinks. We only live once! Great video 👍
I prefer Squat, Deadlift, incline bench, curls and overhead press. Which doesn't need expensive equipment.
Titan bumper plates are a killer deal. TWO 15 kilo bumpers for like $79 shipped.
Great recommendations. Appreciate it
I saved on adjustable dumbbells. Cortex Revolock AUD$1000. I got Kogan 40kg $240…Half power rack from ALDI $200. The one I want $3000 lol. But I can’t lift heavier just because I pay $3000 for a rack lol. I did invest in a FID No gap bench with the savings though.
All smart choices. I've had a home gym for 35 years and still make small changes. If you have the space and are tired of gym fees and all the other headaches, you CAN afford to put your own gym together.
Thank you
1) people say that Interlocking gym mats are to flimsy but i had my old home gym laid out with them and had around 220 lbs in weight plus my gym equipment,
they were solid and they didn't collapse, cheaper than the horse mats if you're not dropping weight their ideal.
2) if you're into a basic bodybuilding/fitness most companies now sell a cheap Olympic barbell with weight sets or leverage machine some also come with weight sets , if buy both you have a good collection of weight plates without having to spend a lot of money
Nah. Get horse stall mats.
A painted cement floor works well. On a few places need mats
Haha, I just bought the exact same cable attachments on amazon last month. Those things work great!
Saved money by modeling after Dwight Shrutes gym for muscles. Gravel bucket squat yoke, dedicated phone book ripping station, and tin snipping.
That's the move right there.
Yea no. That valor fitness leg extension is crap. The pop pin broke the same day put it together. I returned and went with titan fitness a few years ago when it was only around 400. I also purchased the valor fitness calf machine but that one is good also few years ago when it was cheaper. I agree with pretty much everything else you said. I spent the most money on my weight stack pulleys from bells of steel thanks to you lmao😂. They are amazing though.
Damn really?? This thing has held up great for me. But cant deny that valor isnt the top tier of quality so it's not super surprising either. Getting Titan at that price is an absolute steal
I use jammer arms for calf raises to save the dedicated calf raise
Yeah, the calf raise machine is actually something I'm probably gonna end up ditching in the near future. Bought it during the pandemic because at the time it was about $80 and too good of a deal to pass up, but certainly unnecessary if you have other options
Great video ty for the upload
Can’t argue with any of that. I’ve gone bougie with some of my accessory equipment it was fortunate to find good, used equipment. Certainly can’t imagine wanting to spend big bucks on plate storage. Some will shame you for buying knockoffs instead of from the company of origins but not me.. I look at it like this- they weren’t gonna get your money either way more than likely. Would probably go knockoffs or nothing at all.
I hear that. A lot of times the brand-name stuff is notably better, but if I can get 90% of a product for 50% the price, I'll typically do that every time. I have certain brands I'll gravitate towards, but sometimes the stuff just isn't worth it.
Nice Dom Mazzetti reference at 2:52 ! ! !
😂 my 2013 self would have been pissed if I cut that out
I rocked the stall mats for years. No issues other than the expansion and contraction during the changing of the seasons but ultimately... they worked great. That said when I moved to my current house I put half inch rubber flooring rolls down in my entire garage and damn.... it's nice. It's been 2 years - and I don't know why but - zero expansion and contraction during the different seasons. That said other than the SUPER clean look does it have any true benefit over stall mats.... not really. And honestly.... cost per sqft.... rubber rolled flooring isn't that much more expensive. It's not as thick but - it really doesn't need to be.
That's fair, I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me a little bit that there's a gap in the center of my 4 mats during the winter. But not enough to really make me do anything about it haha. If you know you're building out your entire garage to be a gym, I totally see the appeal of the flooring.
I agree and thumbs up but I must say be careful because affiliate link guys will look for you. They are easily identified because they are tattooed with all of the affiliate brands
I don't mind affiliate links at all if you truly stand behind a product. But there's certainly a fine line. I have affiliate links myself but I'm never going to push a product just to try to make a buck. All I want to do here is be as helpful as possible, youtube is never going to be a major source of income for me so I'd rather just focus on helping people when I can.
In a way, it's weird that you have to pay for "weight". One for the philosophers.
A.weight is a weight it doesn't matter if they match or not you done it the correct way. you don't need a lot of equipment to build a physique
Same same. Weights are weights. Use, cheap new ones, old ones. Same same. 👍🏼👍🏼. Kg or lbs does matter. Just bought assisted pull-up/dip machine 474 at Walmart
Walmart is clutch if you can snag a good deal on some of this stuff. Great move
For people buying horse stall mats, be sure to let them air out because gosh dang do they stink for a bit.
When you're not being picky on plates what it also means is your stuff is VERY likely not actually the weight it says. Tolerances can vary dramatically, you can end up with a 45 that weighs 42, and a 45 that weighs 48.
steel wheel weights and a grinder are your friend
But I love my home gym so much I want to spoil it rotten! I will go cheaper on smaller things like cable attachments but I’ll also go expensive if i see it being innovative or high quality like my tricep strap or dip handles. This video is clearly not for me 😂 but thanks for sharing!
Hahaha I get that! It's funny because I think we go through different stages as home gym owners. Many of us (myself included) start out with the bare-bones cheap options, then slowly build it up over time when we learn what is most important for us. In my case, spending way too much money on a lever arm setup haha. But other people want top quality off the jump and go all-in on Rogue. The one thing we can all agree on is that there is no wrong way to home gym.
Tapcons and some hooks for that wall are not that expensive 😂 you could make your own storage for like $10
This is perfect for new home gym buyers. People waste so much money on useless stuff. Like a med ball haha. Also those knockoff mag grips rule and remember weight is weight no matter the name.
Weight is weight, exactly. I think it's easy to get caught up in wanting the latest and greatest for your home gym but in reality we're gonna be constantly improving our home gyms for as long as we have them. Might as well start cheap and if you absolutely have to upgrade down the line, then go for it
@@MattRosenman this is right on well the money haha. I couldn’t agree more.
Was that the 99 dollar open trap bar from Wal Mart?
In reality you just need a good power rack a Texas power barbell, 3pairs of 45lbs a pair of 25lbs pair of 5lbs and a pair of 2.5lbs
Sure, it depends on your goals. To start out you for sure only need a rack and a good bar, that's exactly how my home gym started too
Roger that
I even got 33's 😂 I love it!
AKA 15 kg
My priorities are absolute opposite from yours I will I’m nice plates. I need everything on the wall and all that matters that you have is just not gonna work with me. I will just not work out in the gym that is messy like that with all Different place and everything sitting on the floor
I like this - fuck the hype, work getting done is all that's important.
Adjustable dumbells. I bought a set of the wal mart ones and theyre still going strong after 3 years.
I’ve got a full gym but it took me 25 years to complete. I have bought several things on marketplace for cheap. I did buy a hip bridge from Amazon for 550.00 and am not happy at all. It’s poorly designed.
Horse stable mat is good for a deadlift station
Most sensible home gym video I’ve seen
Appreciate that!
Plates.
None of them match.
You should take some time and weigh each plate and sharpie onto the plate its actual weight.
Love the Dwight Schrute flag!
lever arms are useless. you can do the same exact movements with a functional trainer.
Ahh man! 33’s are sick! I wish I had them
Haha, they're okay. It does come in clutch on the rare occasions where adding 35 pounds seems too heavy 😅
33lbs. plates work best.
Ya know, they've been treating me pretty well
I can always tell when a home gym is a man cave that no woman ever steps foot in when there is zero invested in storage and there is crap lying around everywhere.
Dude‘s jacked💪👍
My 2 cents: I built wooden platforms like Alan Thrall for deadlifting and olympic lifts. Not overly expensive. Also, my plates…. who uses 35lbs plates????? Don’t use them and that will save money. I have 2 no name 45 lbs plates. All my other plates both steel and bumpers are York. Love them. The no name plates…..they weigh 46 lbs. For some reason that bothers me. But they were half the price of the York plates which are all pretty tight regarding weight. You don’t need the machines for isolation movements, though I have a reverse hyper which I use for more than just reverse hypers, and I spent $$$ on a wide selection of dumbbells (up to 100 lbs) that I use for accessories. Probably could have saved a lot of money and space buying adjustable dumbbells. But I saw a UA-cam video of a guy spilling plates off an adjustable dumbbell on his face and decided I’d like to remain pretty.
I'd love a platform but 1) I'm not the least bit handy and couldn't build it myself if my life depended on it and 2) I don't have an extra inch to give in my basement with my ceiling height.
I actually have the Nuobelle adjustable dumbbells and love those. Not sure what kind of adjustable dumbbells you saw in the video, but I haven't had any issues with this kind of locking dumbbell vs the plate-loaded type
Personally I'd spend premium money not to have the Nike logo on them.
I love my lever arms especially to use for belt squats 🦾
Just tell everyone you’re poor. I am too…
Never listen to anybody that bought weider crap and put stickers in his weights.😂 what a waste of 8min
Lmfao, bro needs fancy Eleiko stuff to simply lift heavy sh*t 😂
You can lift concrete stuff and get jacked, some of y'all really depend on your privileges huh?
He made valid points though. Don’t hate, stay positive
I think your money should be spent in bars and bench. Everything else can be cheap including the rack cause no one here is Eddie hall
Was looking for your videos, got any?