These types of videos are great! Would love to see comparisons like “Full Titan Gym vs Rogue Gym” for x amount of dollars. I am the type of person that likes seeing everything match.
Anything 'Rogue' is going to be ridiculously overpriced. I just got a pair of 25kg (55.2 lbs),calibrated & color coded beautiful set of Red Olympic plates from Northern Fitness, (Canadian here), for a grand total of $327 CAD.. They are dead on the money.... exactly 55.2 lbs... the only weights I have in my arsenal that dead accurate. Same calibrated plates from Rogue is $392, CAD not including tax & shipping, plus they are 2.7cm thick, compared to Orion's 2 cm thick.... be way over $500, JUST for two 55 pounders! Indeed, Orion is still expensive, but now I have tons of extra real estate on my bars....... 2 plates = 110 lbs+change & takes up the same space as ONE 45 lbs rubber grip plate, that's not even an accurate 45lbs, lol. I'd never spend the money Rogue wants for calibrated plates.... such a rip off! Buying Rogue is just throwing money in the garbage can.
I think most people on a budget would benefit from just doing a barbell program. Get a rack, bench, barbell and a set a full set of plates that lets you progressively overload 5lbs at a time and you would be golden for entire body workouts for a long time until you can build out your gym with new fun things. So really not far off from your recommendations, I'd just say dump the dumbbells in favor of more weight plate increments for the barbell.
Once he started to struggle to meet up with the budget while he was at the plates I was like "dude, you Don't need that pair of expensive dumbells, you need a full set of plates". If someone new to this world looks at this video they are going to make some wrong choices with their (initial) money.
@@anaclaudiagarciacalderon192 The dumbbells weren't necessarily a bad value, just didn't seem like they were needed when taking away from adding more plates. Having just 10s and 45s, your options with the barbell would be 45, 65, 135 and 155. That 65 to 135 is going to be way too big of a jump for someone trying to start from the bottom on things like bench, OHP and rows.
@@DrakeValleyOutdoors not bad value, but definitely not something mandatory for a functional home gym. I would go with a full set of iron plates, the ones with the handles on them, you can substitue a dumbell with that, but you will never (or sould't) be able to use a dumbell as a weight for your barbell.
in my area i cant find a single good deal online. I only search so i can aboid the shipping costs from rogue but either way, everyone is selling their equipment for the price they bought it for unless its some 30 yr old rusted plates
The flybird bench sucks. Few dollars more and you can get the steelbody one, and it's nearly commercial gym ready. Infinitely more stable, better materials all around, etc. Just can't easily fold it and stow it away. The power rack is the exact same one I use. It might be a bit more flimsy than the pro ones, but as you've shown in your own testing, it's pretty damn good for the price. For my home gym, I went with the Fitness Gear barbell set from Dick's (actually got 2 sets of those, one for deadlifts/rows, and one on the rack for bp and squats). Used to be $300 a year ago (now $400), for 300 lbs total. Comes with full length olympic barbell + 255 lbs of weights with handles, down to 2.5lbs plates. Also got 2 sets of cheap pulley systems (around $40 each). They work well enough with the lower weights I'm using it with. Now I'm about to get a decent adjustable dumbbell set, probably the Powerblock. Would make my life easier for sure, sick of unscrewing the damn things every time. Also, a good 2 inch ez curl bar, love the budget one I got.
As much as I love to hear your take on the new products and picks for given categories, this is what so man of your subs need and your wheelhouse, great video Coop!
Grabbed that FR series rack after the review on it last year. I have no complaints yet, and probably won’t at all. Does what I need it to, doesn’t flop around when I do pulls or chin ips on it (I have it in garage on a stall mat). It is not bolted down. I am also 235 normally (give or take depending on time of year). No issues with it handling my body weight or chins with weight belt and another 45 pounds. Most of this stuff will probably serve you well as long as you are not Brian alsruhe strong. Even then, it would not be bad to have this stuff in your garage in case you could not get to the gym. Love videos like these, can point friends and coworkers who complain about not being able to work out at gym to this and show em they can get a home set up done.
I have a home gym built from amazon, walmart and academy for around $750-$800. It’s taken me around 2 years but I have a squat rack with pull down, Flat bench, adjustable bench, barbell with 255 lbs of plates, dumbbells with 120 lbs of plates. This was all new too.
Really like this stuff. One thing I would love to see is a series of reviews or “how to build” videos around a particular set of space restraints. Such as how to build a home gym in less than 10’ square room. Of course you could do different size spaces and what works without being overly crowded. How to maximize your space.
I just got two of those everyday essentials 45s a month ago. I am still shocked by the value. Love this one, would also love to see a $2,000 version, or $1,000 for any new equipment build, and/or maybe different specialty builds, like a plate loaded functional trainer, bench, and accessories that get you close to a full gym.
I spent 2 full years in my garage gym without adjustable dumbbells or an incline bench. My DL/S/B/P went from 510/355/315/200 to 520/390/320/190 during that time, while dropping ~20 pounds of BW (~205 now). My point is: you very much do not need an incline bench or dumbbells when you're getting started on your garage gym. Spend money on the barbell. Spend money on getting a full weight set (I went with competition bumpers, so I spent over a grand, but you do not need to spend that much). I like a nicer rack, but it's not necessary, and any basic bench will do. (FWIW, I just upgraded my bench to the Rep 4100 and it's good enough to replace my Titan flat bench, which I'm selling. And I did purchase the nuobell 80's in December and they're awesome. Really delighted by how great they are.)
I guess I agree on the adjustable bench. Personally, I love having it, but it's probably one of the better parts where he could've shaved off a few dollars for more plates. A flat bench is perfectly fine for the vast majority of things I would not skip the dumbbells, though. There's so much great stuff you can do with dumbbells that can't be done with a barbell. I think Coop made the right call there
@@amunra4256 Love dumbbells! My Nuobells are legit my favorite things in the gym (the clicks are incredibly satisfying). And keep in mind, I'm coming at this from a PL/Weightlifting point of view: they're almost completely unnecessary. They are incredibly valuable for both, and necessary for bodybuilding, but they're hardly something that people should focus on out of the gate, if money is an issue (as it is for most of us).
100% agreed. The stuff in the video will maybe get people moving if that's all they want. A heavy set of plates and a bar with something as simple as a half rack and cheap af bench will get someone from 0 to national championships if they're so inclined.
I ended up spending a little over $1000 for my setup. I ended up getting the REP AB-4100 bench and got the rack at $199, which then went up to $291 the day after I ordered it. Also got the Everyday Essential 160lb plates package at $299. My nearby Walmart also carries the Everyday Essential plates so if I need to get more, it's just a short trip
I went with a DIY wooden power-rack (with a single pulley), it allowed me to spend on a better bar and more plates (got a pair of each size). With time, I kept purshasing more 45s. When time came and the DIY hack wasn't safe for the weight, I was already confident in my routine and that it'd be a good investment, so I got the best power-rack I could. As the years have past, now I have a cross-over machine, the power-rack, the barbell and plates, a pair dumbell bars that accept my 2" plates, a Spinning Bike, lots of resistance bands, chains and a ton of stuff for mobility. Start small and grow your collection as you grow in strenght.
If I had to start from scratch, I would add Olympic Rings way sooner than I did this time. They're incredibly versatile and at, or under, $40, it's hard to beat their value!
Only if you are already an athlete. Most people wanting to workout are usually overweight and can’t do a pull-up or push-up. I don’t even know if I can use Olympic rings and I workout
@@michaelsofine I agree, rings are harder to utilize fully from the outset! However, I will say, there are so many resources, youtube included, that help with progression! If you can't do a pull-up, you can do ring, austrailian pull-ups!
For 90%+ people , the much simpler (and thus better) option would be a set of adjustable dumbbells like Nuobells and an adjustable bench… maybe a door pull-up bar. This combination is no muss , no fuss, minimal space and assembly, has enough loading and exercise variation for most people unless your goal is to be a powerlifter or you are just super strong. But most people won’t be able to do 80lb shoulder presses or split squats
Timing COULD NOT have come at a better time. I just moved out, and had a garage I wanted to turn into a gym and had no idea where to start. You are a legend
At a $1000 budget, I would probably just invest in a nice set of dumbbells and a quality bench then fill in the rest with cheap pieces to do bodyweight cardio. The jump rope is the play.
Dumbbells can be nice for upper body training but for lower body, you're not gonna get much further than split squats and the amount of money you'd have to spend to make this last a while would be ridiculous. A set of bar and plates (with enough weight to last more than a couple months) with a cheap rack and bench is the way to go. I got my cage, bench, first barbell and 240-ish kilos in weight for just a bit more than this budget as a bundle deal and I'm still using this stuff (minus the bar, got a better one for cheap, later), 13 years later.
@@MellonVegan different strokes for different folks I guess. With a rack, bench and barbell/plates, you can do heavy compounds and not much else. There are pros and cons to both scenarios hence the dilemma of a $1000 budget for a home gym!
Totally agree. Not sure about everywhere, but up here in Toronto I see a set of power block sport (90 pounds) listed for 700 USD (before negotiation). I have seen plenty of pretty good benches at around 150. Those all in one home gyms are sold used all the time for cheap too - great for a low and high pulley, along with leg extensions/curls. All in all, this setup will let you do practically everything (outside of heavy squats and heavy deadlifts), and do it conveniently.
I would suggest a lot of you guys don't restrict yourself just to amazon if you want to min-max your budget. This exact month I got a rack that is the same OEM as HulkFit for $250, a somewhat mediocre but safely designed incline bench for $60, and most important of all, same iron plates from CAP for the smaller weights but at an actual good price and then the same bumpers mentioned in the video but snagged a pair of 35 bumpers as well for much under what they went for everywhere else. All of those plates totaled up to 225 lbs at just over $300!
Coop, one thing you can also order is a 2" pipe at 7' length. That's what I have used the last few years. It's cheap as dirt and it's basically an axle bar. That way you save on a bar and can use Olympic plates on it.
Just to clarify for posterity, it's actually 1.5" pipe. Pipe is sized on the internal diameter, not the outside. 1.5" pipe has about 1.9" outside diameter.
As a mechanical engineer it would not make sense to recommend he buy based on ID (internal dia.) as the OD (outside dia.) could vary massively resulting in being unable to slide the plates on in this case the OD is the one that will define if it is compatible with Olympic plates
@@richard6812 That's great, but when you go to your local hardware store and tell them you want 2" pipe, they're gonna give you black schedule 40 pipe, which won't fit weights. If you tell them you want 1.5" pipe, it will fit Olympic plates. Ideally you would go to a steelyard and buy schedule 80 1.5" pipe, which is 1.9" OD, but not everyone has access to that or can stomach the extra price. If you go on OD, what exactly will you buy? 2" DOM? That only fits a really sloppy cast iron plate, and not even all of those.
@@victorstatz4232 Yup, that keeps it simple! Still gonna end up with the same result though, which is 1.5" pipe, not 2" pipe like people might mistakenly think.
The most expensive part of most home gyms are the weights, meaning tools that allow you to use the same weights in the most ways are worth their weight in gold. $120 - 2.5, 5, 10, 25 iron olympic weights $200 - 10, 25, & 45 bumper Olympic weights $100- Olympic barbell $60- Two Olympic plate loadable dumbbell $35 - Olympic plate loadable kettle bell $300 - budget power rack $50 - budget plate loadable cable system. $50 - rubber bands $25 - Dip bar power rack attachment $65 - Flat bench Everything you could need for under $1000
Hi Reno! Fancy seeing you here. I agree. I'm on a powerlifting program and dumbell work is useful but I would definitely rather have more barbell weight cus you can do a form of any dumbell workout with a barbell but not vice versa
Yield strength is the limit before plastic deformation occurs (won't return fully to it's original unloaded form.) It will be experiencing bending before it reaches it's yield strength. Manufacturer's would be providing a more useful value if they were comparing yield strength, as that's the point you really don't want to cross unless you are going to junk your bar. Tensile strength is the load before you snap and crash!
You may have a good point, however, I'm confident Coop knows the difference. I believe his focus was encouraging folks (newbies) to pick up a decently speced bar rather than listening to a company's subjective marketing for weight ratings. Yes, tensile and yield strength are different, but that difference likely means very little for most of us average non-elite lifters, especially if we get a decently speced bar as Coop suggests.
A cheap and very versatile piece of equipment to complement what's here is a landmine attachment that has a 2" end designed to fit into weight plates. You can stick a 45lb bumper plate in a corner, drop the attachment into the hole and do a ton of great exercises. One other hack is if you have vertical barbell storage with 2" receivers you can also drop the landmine attachment into that to avoid finding a clear spot to brace a weight plate against. I've got a plate carrier that has 2" barbell receivers that works perfectly for that.
Here's the same budget that checks all of the boxes: 300# Bar+Plate Set @ Dick's, Academy or Walmart typically retails for $400, but they frequently go on sale for $50-100 off Fitness Reality 810XLT or Progear 1600 (same rack) for less than $300 on Amazon or Walmart Rep AB-3000 bench for $300 on their site. That hits $1k at full price, but if you get something on sale, you'll have money left over for loadable dumbbell handles and a jump rope. I reccomend finding another $250 for Titan's Wall Mounted Pulley Tower (tall), too.
I can recommend the synergee eco bumper plates. they are pretty budget at 84 bucks for 2 45 plates. if your trying to stay at 1000 budget the extra savings over the everday plates will go a long way.
I bought the Synergee regional in black phosphate for my Olympic lifts because of the spin. I have had it for 2 years and it has been a great bar. I would highly recommend it for anyone.
Dip/pullup stand, bands, then dumbbells and bench. Bands are underrated for pump work and Bulgarian split squats are as fantastic as they are brutal. Cheers and thanks for the content!
Old school standard adjustable dumbbells and a adjustable standard chair. Walmarts for about 350 bucks but what's priceless is the will power to put the work in and study old and new forms of training.
You probably wont see this but thank you so much for doing this. I have a small place and even smaller budget but I love the gym and always wanted to have one at my place and eventually know I am saving money by not spending a monthly gym membership. THank You again
People need to do a good job of visiting thrift stores and they can get great items. I just bought a $1000 Schwinn Airdyne bike for $35. I have previously bought over 400lbs of plates. I just make sure that I check in regularly. There are deals out there :)
The only thing I would have changed is drop the adjustable dumbbells, and just get some bands and more weight for the barbell. That's what I did, to save for a quality high weight adjustable dumbbell later.
Hats off Coop this is one of your best, if not the best, videos you have done! Despite all the talk of inflation, prices in the UK on Amazon still seem to be a fair bit lower than here in the UK.
I snagged a cap adjustable "CAP Barbell Multi Purpose Adjustable Utility Bench Color Series" it was 54 bucks on sale when I got it the other week. perfect for my budget set up. Its not great with the seat to flat bench gap. But 50 bucks and a sturdy adjustable I can't really complain.
Me and a buddy got about 1000 lbs of steel plates from a scrap yard for free. Just had to clean them up and paint them. Some yards will charge about 10 cents a pound. Some just won't sell anything out of the yard. But, it's worth looking into.
Recently Built a very nice home gym for around 1k. Facebook market place is your best friend. Everyone who bought equipment when the gyms were closed is selling them off for way cheaper.
Hi Coop, just wanted to mention a 6ft standard barbell might not clear the j cups on a standard rack depending on the rack. A budget 7ft standard barbell definitely will, 7ft barbells also tend to have a higher weight capacity.
I debated a shorter barbell but unless it’s a specialty barbell or a woman’s barbell it won’t fit on the rack. Then there a cons like less weight you can load and smaller grip
I bought an entire set from york barbell last year and i found the value worth it, x2 cast iron 45lbs, 35lbs, 25lbs, 10lbs, 2.5lbs, and 4x 5lbs, a york Olympic bar, as well as spring clips, was around 400 bucks and its extremely good value imo, being a 300lbs set you have as much weight as you need and can just add more to the bar as you progress. If you want dumbbells too you can get Olympic loadable dumbbell handles and use the plates from the set on them as well. For a bench at 200 bucks I recommend the weider xrs 20, which comes with an adjustable incline bench, a rack, attachable spot bars, and most importantly imo the bench also has an attachment that lets you load on standard or Olympic plates and do leg extensions, hamstring curls, and has a preacher attachment and handle that comes with it that lets you do preacher curls, rows, etc. So far everything I just mentioned comes to around 700, maybe 800 with the dumbbells handles. If you wanna do pullups you can get a doorframe pullup bar for pretty cheap or you can get a tower that lets you do pullups, dips, leg raises etc for around 150-200.
Just ordered bench, 90lbs adjustable Dumbbells and rubber mats for $650. Already have a pullup bar and old school adjustable Dumbbells. *i dont squat with a barbell and dont have the space for a rack Wasn't motivated to go to the gym lately since it's so busy after work. And for full body split this is all i need for the most part
*Coop, you can grab a bare steel Ohio Bar out of the boneyard right now for $195. They've been available in the boneyard for months. No center knurning, BUT, its still going to be a very good starter bar AND be much better quality than anything you'll find on amazon, barbell wise.*
Best video in a long time. Ferraris are nice to look at but we got to drive Chevy, Fords, and Hondas everyday. Great to see you going back to how this all started.
If anyone's in need of some budget-friendly bumpers, there's a company in Kentucky called Homegrown Lifting. They're hi-temps so they're pretty thick plates, but I got 190lb of weight for $252. Shipping was $90 (I live in the midwest), but if you live in the area then I believe they also offer an in-store pickup option to save on shipping. They're good quality plates and made in the USA! I'd love to see Coop do a review if he hasn't already to get the out for these guys a little more.
Personally I think getting a better adjustable bench is worth it. If it makes your workouts less of a hassle to deal with then it's worth it. This is coming from someone who bought a cheap bench and regretted it.
Just bought a 300lb barbell and plate set for $300 new. I'm no where near pushing the limits of any barbell yet so it'll work for a while, then 255lbs of plates alone are worth the 300. If you have a Dunhams Sports near you, give them a look. I've seen them have this sale each of the past 3 months.
I've been using a cheap golds adjustable bench and squat rack as my home gym for the past 10 years but its finally falling apart. I bought a 300 lbs of cheap plastic weights filled with concrete to go with it and a Olympic barbell off ebay. It ain't pretty but its served me well over the years. Watching your videos is getting me excited to spend all my money on a new setup!
Thanks for the advice searching locally! Just found a gang of rust free steel Olympic plates for $150 off marketplace!! Pairs of 45s, 35s, 25s, etc etc all the way down to 2.5!!!! Score!
Awesome, I am in the process of building a 400 sqft gym, I am a retired veteran with 40+ years of service, I am really not sure what to add in my gym, looking at approx. $5,000 budget to start (I can always add more later), than I want to do a video on workouts for 60+ year olds on how to bring sexy back. Thank you for you time.
I think a video like this would be good in context of a basic strength program such as 5/3/1, where all you need is the rack, flat bench, barbell and plates. You can totally change your physique and your life on that program with that equipment, and at a very low cost.
Started my garage gym with the fitness reality squat rack that I got for a Christmas gift from my parents. 5 years later, that thing is still holding strong.
The video from 2 years ago is the first video I watched on this channel and got me started on my fitness journey. I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if not for those budget recommendations.
If you are a Costco member you can get a 300lb olympic weight set for $300. (2) 45 (2) 35 (2) 25 (2) 10 (4) 5 and (2) 2.5, 45 lb 7 ft bar. Bar isnt elite, but for beginners or less serious lifters its fine and gets the job done.
Great adjustable bench is the Barwing that now sells for $150. It is one of very few items where the cost has decreased in the past two years. On any of these items it pays to check for issues and whether the vendor supports them as most do not. One that does have support for customers is the Titan T-2 and it has 1" holes so a Yes4all accessory will fit.
Here’s my alternative: I would forget the dumbbells and go for a full set of barbell plates (2x45,25,10,5,2.5) and two kettlebells, one 55lb and one either 72 or 80lb. Add a set of gymnastics rings for $30. Admittedly not as good for pure bodybuilding as dumbbells, but much better for athletic / sport specific training if that is your goal. Definitely spend time looking for used plates. I would prefer a better, more stable flat bench over a cheaper flimsy adjustable one. As a beginner, flat bench and standing overhead press/push press will get you where you need for a long time. incline press is not a necessity until you become more advanced IMO. Do not get a 1” bar under any circumstances. It is wasted money. They don’t hold resale value and neither do the plates. They can’t hold as much weight and an average male will quickly outpace that bar (like within a couple months easily even starting from zero). Plus they don’t allow the plates to spin which matters a lot. I made this mistake starting with a 1” bar set from Dick’s and benching from a milk crate in my parents garage. As an overweight 20 year old having never played a sport in my life, and I Had to upgrade almost immediately and had to sell the 1” for pennies on the dollar. If you think you can only afford the 1” bar, it’s going to cost you more. Forget it. You will be better served doing push-up/pull up and other calisthenics progressions for free for a couple months until you can save up for a real barbell. Or, buy a single heavy kettlebell (55lb or more if you are male) and get good with it, you’ll have it for life.
You'd save more money by ditching the Olympic-sized bar and the Olympic plates. I know, I know, I can hear the comments. But with my standard setup, I was able to go to 220lbs when starting out. If you've never lifted, this is a good beginner and budget setup. Just at some point, those standard bars can't take the weight. When deadlifting with one, I thought it was going to snap in my face all the time. I have all rouge stuff now, but for a year and a half, standard weights helped me get there.
When I was starting out, I deadlifted 300lbs with a 1" standard bar, but it did permanently bend the bar a bit My opinion, better to get a decent bar and buy more plates over time (which you'll likely have to do anyway) than it is to get a few more plates and eventually have to replace your bar
I wouldn't start with just 220 lbs. Every single (scrawny) guy who has ever lifted at my homegym could deadlift more than that from the very start. And by the time you outgrow the tiny bar, it's just wasted money. I'd say the best option is to get a decent enough 50mm bar, a lot of plates and some half rack and bench from a reputable budget dealer (not Amazon). That'll last a lifetime.
Tbh, I would not scrimp on dumbbells, the time and space saved from the newer automatic adjustable dumbbells is well worth the extra money. Save the task of plates loading and unloading task for the barbell. You will NOT regret it, because the old way of dumbbell plate loading gets annoying fast and is highly inefficient.
How are you saving any time? You have to rest between sets anyway... I really never saw the point of those things. Expensive, bulky, awkward and more prone to breaking. Plus if you ever need more weight, you gotta buy a whole new set. With standard adjustable dumbbells you can just buy a longer set of handles and a few extra plates. I have 3 different sizes of handles, tons of plates, and a weight tree to neatly/compactly store it all... all for a fraction of the cost. Unless you really value playing around on your phone between sets, seems like a huge waste of money to me.
@@nerdstrangler4804 the easiest way I can explain it to someone who don't wish to afford one: It's like asking why someone takes a cab when the bus takes you to the same destination for 15 bucks less. Those who bought modern adjustable dumbbells were all previous owners of the 'traditional' dumbbells just like you. So considering how well it's selling, it's obvious a painpoint is being solved for thousands of workout enthusiasts ?
@@johnlee5405 Those things only go up to like 80-90lbs. It is definitely not enthusiasts buying them. Especially considering the higher weight variants are by far the least popular. When it comes to fitness equipment, the vast majority of buyers are novices. Especially with dumbbells, as dumbells are typically the first piece of equipment novices buy. Most people don't stick with weightlifting long enough to ever need upgrades, or they wind up just getting a gym membership instead.
Don't order that CAP 1 inch barbell - broke mine benching when the lockdowns started, and it doesn't even fit on a standard rack (although I didn't have one haha). Swapped it for a 1.75 inch steel pipe and drilled in some bolts to act as inner collars. Then for weights pick up an absolute ton of car disk brakes from your local autoshop for free and paint/weigh them. You'll have a 600+ lb setup for like 60 bucks in pipe and spray paint! As for strength I've squatted roughly 475 (which tests breaking strength the most with that narrow pinch point of your traps) and had no bend at all. And for weight collars those little orange home depot hand clamps work great on the pipe since it isn't 2 inches thick. It's a little sketchy looking, but works great!
if anyone is wondering, the prices have changed for weight again and the Balancefrom olympic cast iron plates are a little cheaper right now and theyre 30% off.
If you’re looking for cheap flooring, go to rural king and pick up a horse mat. They are solid rubber and like 3/4” thick. I think my 3x5 mat was like $60.. way cheaper than workout mats and much thicker
Stand alone VR for cardio! Cardio is boring this is fun... $300 plus the cost of an app gets you a workout thrill of the fight is no joke that's coming from a D1 national qualifier, 2x high school all American...
Another video idea is building a versatile set of equipment for different space requirements. How much could you condense into smaller spaces if you buy the right equipment?
I personally started with a barbell that cost me 60 bucks from cap I believe. I still use it today for 400lb deadlifts and no issues so some money could be shaved off there
It's possible if you shop around and buy stuff on sale. I bought knock off 1090 adjustable dumbbells for $385, an adjustable bench for around $100, a power tower for $116 and a nice little X-frame recumbent bike for $150. All new, all from Amazon, no shipping on anything. Top of the line? No, but good enough for me.
I ordered a Midway Olympic 45 lb 7’ bar from Titan mainly to use for bench press. Got the Hulk coated Olympic weights off Amazon. Just two 35lb and two 15lb. For me being 56 yrs old just starting weight lifting and for my 15yr old son so we’re starting light as to not injure ourselves and can buy more weight when we build our strength.
Just a note: you can buy spotter arms to put on that cap squat rack for about $35. My local Walmart has that rack for $120 and they carry those every day essential plates too.
AWESOME VIDEO!! I'm a bench press buff, so I would've sacrificed the power rack and went with a fully equipped bench press set. (bar, bench, and weight plates). Also, I'm a HUGE fan of plane old walking, so I'd get rid of the jump rope and just walk or jog for about 2 miles to get warmed up before my workout.
I’d buy the spin lock dumbells, a standard barbell to use the plates on from your dumbells, independent weight stands you can store in your closet, a good quality flat bench, and a pull-up bar. Maybe throw in resistance bands.
For under $1000 you will have to live without the rack and OB in this current climate. Spend more on the dumbbells and plates (Olympic sized so you are future-proofing in case you get an OB), plus buy a set of wall mounted stall bars (which allow you to do chin ups, nordic curls and if you buy Olympic Rings, dips as well).
Great to see for those of us that live in Hawaii where gym equipment is overpriced or won't ship. Getting that adjustable bench as a filler until back on mainland to upgrade!
I just realized I could have invested in a $3000 home gym instead of paying for a membership for the last 3 years. And all I use are dumbbells, squat rack, deadlift platform, and some lat pull-down
Cheaper bar as you haven't got the weight to justify it .Then you can get better bands which you can use ok the cage for all sorts . And buy a pulley system.
More focused on cutting than building muscle for now. I have a very small space I've filled with a treadmill, a rowing machine, and a pull-up/dip station. Gathering some more funds and ill be purchasing the cap dumbbells and the bench/squat equipment which will unfortunately have to go outside. I've came down 35 pounds since starting my fitness journey
Coop, Synergee also makes an affordable speed rope. Just picked one up and it's nice, plus it comes with an extra cable. Also, I used that CAP Barbell rack you talked about and ended up making some side braces out of 2x4s to make it stable for both pull ups and for benching. I also increased the hole diameter to 5/8" and was able to use the Titan T3 J-cups and the safety spotter arms from Wright Fitness. Between the side bracing and bolting the rack to my garage floor it worked perfectly fine for some pretty intense workouts. I have since picked up the Titan X3 rack on their scratch & dent section for under $500. And lastly, another decent option for a budget barbell is the CAP "Beast" barbell and the Synergee collars are a great value.
I was quite happy with my standard barbell for ~10 years now, like you said the dumbbell weight works on it too so it’s great for a lot of people, just got a power rack and thinking about the Olympic barbell next but I can wait as I don’t life heavy yet, maybe I’ll lift heavier now that it’s safer to lift heavy
Yet again with another great video, I have browsed for a mid range gym build and haven't seen much. Looking at spending $2,500- $3,500 on a gym, maybe a few cheaper items so I can get a little more verity as well.
These types of videos are great! Would love to see comparisons like “Full Titan Gym vs Rogue Gym” for x amount of dollars. I am the type of person that likes seeing everything match.
I agree, comparison videos from different brands at a certain price point would be interesting to see, and helpful for a lot of people
Ha awesome! Same here. I made one like that about Rogue. Great idea on Titan, etc. 🙌🏼
Ooo this
Pretty sure repfitness beats both titan and rogue in bang for your buck comparison
Anything 'Rogue' is going to be ridiculously overpriced. I just got a pair of 25kg (55.2 lbs),calibrated & color coded beautiful set of Red Olympic plates from Northern Fitness, (Canadian here), for a grand total of $327 CAD..
They are dead on the money.... exactly 55.2 lbs... the only weights I have in my arsenal that dead accurate.
Same calibrated plates from Rogue is $392, CAD not including tax & shipping, plus they are 2.7cm thick, compared to Orion's 2 cm thick.... be way over $500, JUST for two 55 pounders!
Indeed, Orion is still expensive, but now I have tons of extra real estate on my bars....... 2 plates = 110 lbs+change & takes up the same space as ONE 45 lbs rubber grip plate, that's not even an accurate 45lbs, lol.
I'd never spend the money Rogue wants for calibrated plates.... such a rip off!
Buying Rogue is just throwing money in the garbage can.
I think most people on a budget would benefit from just doing a barbell program. Get a rack, bench, barbell and a set a full set of plates that lets you progressively overload 5lbs at a time and you would be golden for entire body workouts for a long time until you can build out your gym with new fun things. So really not far off from your recommendations, I'd just say dump the dumbbells in favor of more weight plate increments for the barbell.
I couldn't have said it better myself, good job.
Once he started to struggle to meet up with the budget while he was at the plates I was like "dude, you Don't need that pair of expensive dumbells, you need a full set of plates". If someone new to this world looks at this video they are going to make some wrong choices with their (initial) money.
@@anaclaudiagarciacalderon192 The dumbbells weren't necessarily a bad value, just didn't seem like they were needed when taking away from adding more plates. Having just 10s and 45s, your options with the barbell would be 45, 65, 135 and 155. That 65 to 135 is going to be way too big of a jump for someone trying to start from the bottom on things like bench, OHP and rows.
@@DrakeValleyOutdoors not bad value, but definitely not something mandatory for a functional home gym. I would go with a full set of iron plates, the ones with the handles on them, you can substitue a dumbell with that, but you will never (or sould't) be able to use a dumbell as a weight for your barbell.
Or like a Kettlebell program with a KBK/Titan adjustable. Throw in a decent pullup bar and some rings and you're set.
Your struggle to avoid using FB marketplace is hilarious and so relatable for me
I try to avoid fb but I got the best deals through market place.
@@grantt1836 I have a FB account with no friends or pictures that I use for marketplace only
in my area i cant find a single good deal online. I only search so i can aboid the shipping costs from rogue but either way, everyone is selling their equipment for the price they bought it for unless its some 30 yr old rusted plates
My facebook market sucks no good deals near me and if there is a good deal it's a day drive to get to it.
@@stevemoore6066I do as well lol. I literally use the last name "ketplace"
The flybird bench sucks. Few dollars more and you can get the steelbody one, and it's nearly commercial gym ready. Infinitely more stable, better materials all around, etc. Just can't easily fold it and stow it away.
The power rack is the exact same one I use. It might be a bit more flimsy than the pro ones, but as you've shown in your own testing, it's pretty damn good for the price.
For my home gym, I went with the Fitness Gear barbell set from Dick's (actually got 2 sets of those, one for deadlifts/rows, and one on the rack for bp and squats). Used to be $300 a year ago (now $400), for 300 lbs total. Comes with full length olympic barbell + 255 lbs of weights with handles, down to 2.5lbs plates.
Also got 2 sets of cheap pulley systems (around $40 each). They work well enough with the lower weights I'm using it with.
Now I'm about to get a decent adjustable dumbbell set, probably the Powerblock. Would make my life easier for sure, sick of unscrewing the damn things every time.
Also, a good 2 inch ez curl bar, love the budget one I got.
As much as I love to hear your take on the new products and picks for given categories, this is what so man of your subs need and your wheelhouse, great video Coop!
Grabbed that FR series rack after the review on it last year. I have no complaints yet, and probably won’t at all. Does what I need it to, doesn’t flop around when I do pulls or chin ips on it (I have it in garage on a stall mat). It is not bolted down. I am also 235 normally (give or take depending on time of year). No issues with it handling my body weight or chins with weight belt and another 45 pounds. Most of this stuff will probably serve you well as long as you are not Brian alsruhe strong. Even then, it would not be bad to have this stuff in your garage in case you could not get to the gym. Love videos like these, can point friends and coworkers who complain about not being able to work out at gym to this and show em they can get a home set up done.
Imagine buying so much stuff for gym just for the price of an iPhone.
Kinda hard for me to get over that an iphone costs as much as an entire home gym
Depends on your goal
I have a home gym built from amazon, walmart and academy for around $750-$800. It’s taken me around 2 years but I have a squat rack with pull down, Flat bench, adjustable bench, barbell with 255 lbs of plates, dumbbells with 120 lbs of plates. This was all new too.
Wow that’s amazing
is it a pull-down with plates, i want something similar
Really like this stuff. One thing I would love to see is a series of reviews or “how to build” videos around a particular set of space restraints. Such as how to build a home gym in less than 10’ square room. Of course you could do different size spaces and what works without being overly crowded. How to maximize your space.
I just got two of those everyday essentials 45s a month ago. I am still shocked by the value.
Love this one, would also love to see a $2,000 version, or $1,000 for any new equipment build, and/or maybe different specialty builds, like a plate loaded functional trainer, bench, and accessories that get you close to a full gym.
i feel so lucky i bought 4 x 25kg rubber tri grip plates for £160 in 2019 ! they now cost 320
I'd love to see these at $2500, $5000, $7500, $10,000, etc. Killer work.
I spent 2 full years in my garage gym without adjustable dumbbells or an incline bench. My DL/S/B/P went from 510/355/315/200 to 520/390/320/190 during that time, while dropping ~20 pounds of BW (~205 now). My point is: you very much do not need an incline bench or dumbbells when you're getting started on your garage gym. Spend money on the barbell. Spend money on getting a full weight set (I went with competition bumpers, so I spent over a grand, but you do not need to spend that much). I like a nicer rack, but it's not necessary, and any basic bench will do.
(FWIW, I just upgraded my bench to the Rep 4100 and it's good enough to replace my Titan flat bench, which I'm selling. And I did purchase the nuobell 80's in December and they're awesome. Really delighted by how great they are.)
I guess I agree on the adjustable bench. Personally, I love having it, but it's probably one of the better parts where he could've shaved off a few dollars for more plates. A flat bench is perfectly fine for the vast majority of things
I would not skip the dumbbells, though. There's so much great stuff you can do with dumbbells that can't be done with a barbell. I think Coop made the right call there
@@amunra4256 Love dumbbells! My Nuobells are legit my favorite things in the gym (the clicks are incredibly satisfying). And keep in mind, I'm coming at this from a PL/Weightlifting point of view: they're almost completely unnecessary. They are incredibly valuable for both, and necessary for bodybuilding, but they're hardly something that people should focus on out of the gate, if money is an issue (as it is for most of us).
100% agreed. The stuff in the video will maybe get people moving if that's all they want. A heavy set of plates and a bar with something as simple as a half rack and cheap af bench will get someone from 0 to national championships if they're so inclined.
So glad I bought most of my equipment back in 2018. The cost increases are unbelievable.
Same. I bought my stuff early pandemic 2020 before prices soared.
Almost done with the home gym! Thanks for all the advice! Between Amazon, and marketplace, I spent about 600 and have quite the setup!
It’s never truly done, but sometimes we get to a good point to pause for an extended period of time
I ended up spending a little over $1000 for my setup. I ended up getting the REP AB-4100 bench and got the rack at $199, which then went up to $291 the day after I ordered it. Also got the Everyday Essential 160lb plates package at $299. My nearby Walmart also carries the Everyday Essential plates so if I need to get more, it's just a short trip
I went with a DIY wooden power-rack (with a single pulley), it allowed me to spend on a better bar and more plates (got a pair of each size). With time, I kept purshasing more 45s.
When time came and the DIY hack wasn't safe for the weight, I was already confident in my routine and that it'd be a good investment, so I got the best power-rack I could.
As the years have past, now I have a cross-over machine, the power-rack, the barbell and plates, a pair dumbell bars that accept my 2" plates, a Spinning Bike, lots of resistance bands, chains and a ton of stuff for mobility.
Start small and grow your collection as you grow in strenght.
If I had to start from scratch, I would add Olympic Rings way sooner than I did this time. They're incredibly versatile and at, or under, $40, it's hard to beat their value!
That's a great suggestion. Not sure I'd replace anything on this list with rings, but they would certainly be added somewhere down the road
Rings are extremely underrated.
Only if you are already an athlete. Most people wanting to workout are usually overweight and can’t do a pull-up or push-up. I don’t even know if I can use Olympic rings and I workout
@@michaelsofine I agree, rings are harder to utilize fully from the outset! However, I will say, there are so many resources, youtube included, that help with progression! If you can't do a pull-up, you can do ring, austrailian pull-ups!
For 90%+ people , the much simpler (and thus better) option would be a set of adjustable dumbbells like Nuobells and an adjustable bench… maybe a door pull-up bar. This combination is no muss , no fuss, minimal space and assembly, has enough loading and exercise variation for most people unless your goal is to be a powerlifter or you are just super strong. But most people won’t be able to do 80lb shoulder presses or split squats
For £1,000 I got:
- Hyrdow Pro rowing machine
- Peloton bike
- Adjustable dumbbells
- Water filled boxing bag
Timing COULD NOT have come at a better time. I just moved out, and had a garage I wanted to turn into a gym and had no idea where to start. You are a legend
At a $1000 budget, I would probably just invest in a nice set of dumbbells and a quality bench then fill in the rest with cheap pieces to do bodyweight cardio. The jump rope is the play.
Dumbbells can be nice for upper body training but for lower body, you're not gonna get much further than split squats and the amount of money you'd have to spend to make this last a while would be ridiculous. A set of bar and plates (with enough weight to last more than a couple months) with a cheap rack and bench is the way to go. I got my cage, bench, first barbell and 240-ish kilos in weight for just a bit more than this budget as a bundle deal and I'm still using this stuff (minus the bar, got a better one for cheap, later), 13 years later.
@@MellonVegan different strokes for different folks I guess. With a rack, bench and barbell/plates, you can do heavy compounds and not much else. There are pros and cons to both scenarios hence the dilemma of a $1000 budget for a home gym!
Agreed
@@MellonVegan You got it at 13 year ago prices too...
Totally agree. Not sure about everywhere, but up here in Toronto I see a set of power block sport (90 pounds) listed for 700 USD (before negotiation). I have seen plenty of pretty good benches at around 150. Those all in one home gyms are sold used all the time for cheap too - great for a low and high pulley, along with leg extensions/curls. All in all, this setup will let you do practically everything (outside of heavy squats and heavy deadlifts), and do it conveniently.
I would suggest a lot of you guys don't restrict yourself just to amazon if you want to min-max your budget. This exact month I got a rack that is the same OEM as HulkFit for $250, a somewhat mediocre but safely designed incline bench for $60, and most important of all, same iron plates from CAP for the smaller weights but at an actual good price and then the same bumpers mentioned in the video but snagged a pair of 35 bumpers as well for much under what they went for everywhere else. All of those plates totaled up to 225 lbs at just over $300!
Coop, one thing you can also order is a 2" pipe at 7' length. That's what I have used the last few years. It's cheap as dirt and it's basically an axle bar. That way you save on a bar and can use Olympic plates on it.
Just to clarify for posterity, it's actually 1.5" pipe. Pipe is sized on the internal diameter, not the outside. 1.5" pipe has about 1.9" outside diameter.
As a mechanical engineer it would not make sense to recommend he buy based on ID (internal dia.) as the OD (outside dia.) could vary massively resulting in being unable to slide the plates on
in this case the OD is the one that will define if it is compatible with Olympic plates
@@richard6812 That's great, but when you go to your local hardware store and tell them you want 2" pipe, they're gonna give you black schedule 40 pipe, which won't fit weights. If you tell them you want 1.5" pipe, it will fit Olympic plates. Ideally you would go to a steelyard and buy schedule 80 1.5" pipe, which is 1.9" OD, but not everyone has access to that or can stomach the extra price. If you go on OD, what exactly will you buy? 2" DOM? That only fits a really sloppy cast iron plate, and not even all of those.
@@fencingrocks3 walk in with a 2.5 lb plate and see what fits. No need to ask anyone anything then. A standard barbell collar would work too.
@@victorstatz4232 Yup, that keeps it simple! Still gonna end up with the same result though, which is 1.5" pipe, not 2" pipe like people might mistakenly think.
The most expensive part of most home gyms are the weights, meaning tools that allow you to use the same weights in the most ways are worth their weight in gold.
$120 - 2.5, 5, 10, 25 iron olympic weights
$200 - 10, 25, & 45 bumper Olympic weights
$100- Olympic barbell
$60- Two Olympic plate loadable dumbbell
$35 - Olympic plate loadable kettle bell
$300 - budget power rack
$50 - budget plate loadable cable system.
$50 - rubber bands
$25 - Dip bar power rack attachment
$65 - Flat bench
Everything you could need for under $1000
Home gym grows with you. Buying enough to get started and growing it over the years is definitely the way to go.
Honestly I’d rather go without the dumbbells and get more weight for the barbells if I was stuck to the budget
Hi Reno! Fancy seeing you here. I agree. I'm on a powerlifting program and dumbell work is useful but I would definitely rather have more barbell weight cus you can do a form of any dumbell workout with a barbell but not vice versa
Tensile strength is the load the barbell can handle before breaking, yield strength is the limit before bending
Yield strength is the limit before plastic deformation occurs (won't return fully to it's original unloaded form.) It will be experiencing bending before it reaches it's yield strength. Manufacturer's would be providing a more useful value if they were comparing yield strength, as that's the point you really don't want to cross unless you are going to junk your bar. Tensile strength is the load before you snap and crash!
Gotta get that MTS degreeee
You may have a good point, however, I'm confident Coop knows the difference. I believe his focus was encouraging folks (newbies) to pick up a decently speced bar rather than listening to a company's subjective marketing for weight ratings. Yes, tensile and yield strength are different, but that difference likely means very little for most of us average non-elite lifters, especially if we get a decently speced bar as Coop suggests.
A cheap and very versatile piece of equipment to complement what's here is a landmine attachment that has a 2" end designed to fit into weight plates. You can stick a 45lb bumper plate in a corner, drop the attachment into the hole and do a ton of great exercises. One other hack is if you have vertical barbell storage with 2" receivers you can also drop the landmine attachment into that to avoid finding a clear spot to brace a weight plate against. I've got a plate carrier that has 2" barbell receivers that works perfectly for that.
Here's the same budget that checks all of the boxes:
300# Bar+Plate Set @ Dick's, Academy or Walmart typically retails for $400, but they frequently go on sale for $50-100 off
Fitness Reality 810XLT or Progear 1600 (same rack) for less than $300 on Amazon or Walmart
Rep AB-3000 bench for $300 on their site.
That hits $1k at full price, but if you get something on sale, you'll have money left over for loadable dumbbell handles and a jump rope.
I reccomend finding another $250 for Titan's Wall Mounted Pulley Tower (tall), too.
I can recommend the synergee eco bumper plates. they are pretty budget at 84 bucks for 2 45 plates. if your trying to stay at 1000 budget the extra savings over the everday plates will go a long way.
Saving this for later, these are my favourite kind of videos that you do 🔥
I bought the Synergee regional in black phosphate for my Olympic lifts because of the spin. I have had it for 2 years and it has been a great bar. I would highly recommend it for anyone.
Mad respect when you started talking tensile strength.
Go flat bench, 10, 25, 35 set plates...set of rings too. Cut back to a $150 on sale barbell...the weight set is lite anyway.
Dip/pullup stand, bands, then dumbbells and bench. Bands are underrated for pump work and Bulgarian split squats are as fantastic as they are brutal. Cheers and thanks for the content!
Bands are for pregnant women and geriatrics.
@@johnboylan3832 Hey John, pull deez nuts off your jaw, gottem
You can buy spotter arms for the cap squat stand for roughly 40 bucks
Old school standard adjustable dumbbells and a adjustable standard chair. Walmarts for about 350 bucks but what's priceless is the will power to put the work in and study old and new forms of training.
Cap iron plates 2” cheaper at Academy for whoever is interested
You probably wont see this but thank you so much for doing this. I have a small place and even smaller budget but I love the gym and always wanted to have one at my place and eventually know I am saving money by not spending a monthly gym membership. THank You again
People need to do a good job of visiting thrift stores and they can get great items. I just bought a $1000 Schwinn Airdyne bike for $35. I have previously bought over 400lbs of plates. I just make sure that I check in regularly. There are deals out there :)
This account is legit! I share his videos all the time for my buddies and I.
The only thing I would have changed is drop the adjustable dumbbells, and just get some bands and more weight for the barbell. That's what I did, to save for a quality high weight adjustable dumbbell later.
Hats off Coop this is one of your best, if not the best, videos you have done!
Despite all the talk of inflation, prices in the UK on Amazon still seem to be a fair bit lower than here in the UK.
Should read prices in the US… 😉
I snagged a cap adjustable "CAP Barbell Multi Purpose Adjustable Utility Bench Color Series" it was 54 bucks on sale when I got it the other week. perfect for my budget set up. Its not great with the seat to flat bench gap. But 50 bucks and a sturdy adjustable I can't really complain.
Me and a buddy got about 1000 lbs of steel plates from a scrap yard for free. Just had to clean them up and paint them. Some yards will charge about 10 cents a pound. Some just won't sell anything out of the yard. But, it's worth looking into.
Recently Built a very nice home gym for around 1k. Facebook market place is your best friend. Everyone who bought equipment when the gyms were closed is selling them off for way cheaper.
Hi Coop, just wanted to mention a 6ft standard barbell might not clear the j cups on a standard rack depending on the rack. A budget 7ft standard barbell definitely will, 7ft barbells also tend to have a higher weight capacity.
I debated a shorter barbell but unless it’s a specialty barbell or a woman’s barbell it won’t fit on the rack. Then there a cons like less weight you can load and smaller grip
I bought 300lbs of balancefrom plates and a barbell for $130 from an Amazon return warehouse. All still brand new. Total win
I really enjoy seeing what you come up with in a certain budget range. It's also enticing for people to start up a home gym.
I bought an entire set from york barbell last year and i found the value worth it, x2 cast iron 45lbs, 35lbs, 25lbs, 10lbs, 2.5lbs, and 4x 5lbs, a york Olympic bar, as well as spring clips, was around 400 bucks and its extremely good value imo, being a 300lbs set you have as much weight as you need and can just add more to the bar as you progress. If you want dumbbells too you can get Olympic loadable dumbbell handles and use the plates from the set on them as well. For a bench at 200 bucks I recommend the weider xrs 20, which comes with an adjustable incline bench, a rack, attachable spot bars, and most importantly imo the bench also has an attachment that lets you load on standard or Olympic plates and do leg extensions, hamstring curls, and has a preacher attachment and handle that comes with it that lets you do preacher curls, rows, etc. So far everything I just mentioned comes to around 700, maybe 800 with the dumbbells handles. If you wanna do pullups you can get a doorframe pullup bar for pretty cheap or you can get a tower that lets you do pullups, dips, leg raises etc for around 150-200.
Just ordered bench, 90lbs adjustable Dumbbells and rubber mats for $650.
Already have a pullup bar and old school adjustable Dumbbells.
*i dont squat with a barbell and dont have the space for a rack
Wasn't motivated to go to the gym lately since it's so busy after work.
And for full body split this is all i need for the most part
*Coop, you can grab a bare steel Ohio Bar out of the boneyard right now for $195. They've been available in the boneyard for months. No center knurning, BUT, its still going to be a very good starter bar AND be much better quality than anything you'll find on amazon, barbell wise.*
Best video in a long time. Ferraris are nice to look at but we got to drive Chevy, Fords, and Hondas everyday. Great to see you going back to how this all started.
If anyone's in need of some budget-friendly bumpers, there's a company in Kentucky called Homegrown Lifting. They're hi-temps so they're pretty thick plates, but I got 190lb of weight for $252. Shipping was $90 (I live in the midwest), but if you live in the area then I believe they also offer an in-store pickup option to save on shipping. They're good quality plates and made in the USA! I'd love to see Coop do a review if he hasn't already to get the out for these guys a little more.
Personally I think getting a better adjustable bench is worth it. If it makes your workouts less of a hassle to deal with then it's worth it. This is coming from someone who bought a cheap bench and regretted it.
Just bought a 300lb barbell and plate set for $300 new. I'm no where near pushing the limits of any barbell yet so it'll work for a while, then 255lbs of plates alone are worth the 300. If you have a Dunhams Sports near you, give them a look. I've seen them have this sale each of the past 3 months.
I've been using a cheap golds adjustable bench and squat rack as my home gym for the past 10 years but its finally falling apart. I bought a 300 lbs of cheap plastic weights filled with concrete to go with it and a Olympic barbell off ebay. It ain't pretty but its served me well over the years. Watching your videos is getting me excited to spend all my money on a new setup!
Thanks for the advice searching locally! Just found a gang of rust free steel Olympic plates for $150 off marketplace!! Pairs of 45s, 35s, 25s, etc etc all the way down to 2.5!!!! Score!
Add a tennis ball for landmine exercises
Awesome, I am in the process of building a 400 sqft gym, I am a retired veteran with 40+ years of service, I am really not sure what to add in my gym, looking at approx. $5,000 budget to start (I can always add more later), than I want to do a video on workouts for 60+ year olds on how to bring sexy back. Thank you for you time.
I think a video like this would be good in context of a basic strength program such as 5/3/1, where all you need is the rack, flat bench, barbell and plates. You can totally change your physique and your life on that program with that equipment, and at a very low cost.
Love this idea!
Started my garage gym with the fitness reality squat rack that I got for a Christmas gift from my parents. 5 years later, that thing is still holding strong.
The video from 2 years ago is the first video I watched on this channel and got me started on my fitness journey. I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if not for those budget recommendations.
Coooooop!!! Thank you, and keep doing the lords work my man!
If you are a Costco member you can get a 300lb olympic weight set for $300. (2) 45 (2) 35 (2) 25 (2) 10 (4) 5 and (2) 2.5, 45 lb 7 ft bar. Bar isnt elite, but for beginners or less serious lifters its fine and gets the job done.
I substitute the squat stand and CAP barbell and buy more weight plates and maybe a 53lb KB.
I appreciate the content Coop!
Keeping my peeps content with the content!
@@GarageGymReviews Good one, Coop!
"KONtent" with the "Kuntent".
Great adjustable bench is the Barwing that now sells for $150. It is one of very few items where the cost has decreased in the past two years. On any of these items it pays to check for issues and whether the vendor supports them as most do not. One that does have support for customers is the Titan T-2 and it has 1" holes so a Yes4all accessory will fit.
Here’s my alternative: I would forget the dumbbells and go for a full set of barbell plates (2x45,25,10,5,2.5) and two kettlebells, one 55lb and one either 72 or 80lb. Add a set of gymnastics rings for $30.
Admittedly not as good for pure bodybuilding as dumbbells, but much better for athletic / sport specific training if that is your goal.
Definitely spend time looking for used plates.
I would prefer a better, more stable flat bench over a cheaper flimsy adjustable one. As a beginner, flat bench and standing overhead press/push press will get you where you need for a long time. incline press is not a necessity until you become more advanced IMO.
Do not get a 1” bar under any circumstances. It is wasted money. They don’t hold resale value and neither do the plates. They can’t hold as much weight and an average male will quickly outpace that bar (like within a couple months easily even starting from zero). Plus they don’t allow the plates to spin which matters a lot. I made this mistake starting with a 1” bar set from Dick’s and benching from a milk crate in my parents garage. As an overweight 20 year old having never played a sport in my life, and I Had to upgrade almost immediately and had to sell the 1” for pennies on the dollar.
If you think you can only afford the 1” bar, it’s going to cost you more. Forget it. You will be better served doing push-up/pull up and other calisthenics progressions for free for a couple months until you can save up for a real barbell. Or, buy a single heavy kettlebell (55lb or more if you are male) and get good with it, you’ll have it for life.
Fitness Reality power rack is on sale for $199.99 w/ Prime shipping right now. Just picked one up for about $215 total
You'd save more money by ditching the Olympic-sized bar and the Olympic plates.
I know, I know, I can hear the comments. But with my standard setup, I was able to go to 220lbs when starting out. If you've never lifted, this is a good beginner and budget setup.
Just at some point, those standard bars can't take the weight. When deadlifting with one, I thought it was going to snap in my face all the time.
I have all rouge stuff now, but for a year and a half, standard weights helped me get there.
When I was starting out, I deadlifted 300lbs with a 1" standard bar, but it did permanently bend the bar a bit
My opinion, better to get a decent bar and buy more plates over time (which you'll likely have to do anyway) than it is to get a few more plates and eventually have to replace your bar
I wouldn't start with just 220 lbs. Every single (scrawny) guy who has ever lifted at my homegym could deadlift more than that from the very start. And by the time you outgrow the tiny bar, it's just wasted money. I'd say the best option is to get a decent enough 50mm bar, a lot of plates and some half rack and bench from a reputable budget dealer (not Amazon). That'll last a lifetime.
Tbh, I would not scrimp on dumbbells, the time and space saved from the newer automatic adjustable dumbbells is well worth the extra money. Save the task of plates loading and unloading task for the barbell. You will NOT regret it, because the old way of dumbbell plate loading gets annoying fast and is highly inefficient.
How are you saving any time? You have to rest between sets anyway...
I really never saw the point of those things. Expensive, bulky, awkward and more prone to breaking. Plus if you ever need more weight, you gotta buy a whole new set. With standard adjustable dumbbells you can just buy a longer set of handles and a few extra plates.
I have 3 different sizes of handles, tons of plates, and a weight tree to neatly/compactly store it all... all for a fraction of the cost. Unless you really value playing around on your phone between sets, seems like a huge waste of money to me.
@@nerdstrangler4804 the easiest way I can explain it to someone who don't wish to afford one: It's like asking why someone takes a cab when the bus takes you to the same destination for 15 bucks less.
Those who bought modern adjustable dumbbells were all previous owners of the 'traditional' dumbbells just like you. So considering how well it's selling, it's obvious a painpoint is being solved for thousands of workout enthusiasts ?
@@johnlee5405 Those things only go up to like 80-90lbs. It is definitely not enthusiasts buying them. Especially considering the higher weight variants are by far the least popular.
When it comes to fitness equipment, the vast majority of buyers are novices. Especially with dumbbells, as dumbells are typically the first piece of equipment novices buy. Most people don't stick with weightlifting long enough to ever need upgrades, or they wind up just getting a gym membership instead.
Don't order that CAP 1 inch barbell - broke mine benching when the lockdowns started, and it doesn't even fit on a standard rack (although I didn't have one haha). Swapped it for a 1.75 inch steel pipe and drilled in some bolts to act as inner collars. Then for weights pick up an absolute ton of car disk brakes from your local autoshop for free and paint/weigh them. You'll have a 600+ lb setup for like 60 bucks in pipe and spray paint! As for strength I've squatted roughly 475 (which tests breaking strength the most with that narrow pinch point of your traps) and had no bend at all. And for weight collars those little orange home depot hand clamps work great on the pipe since it isn't 2 inches thick.
It's a little sketchy looking, but works great!
the last version of this video you made (pre-pandemic) was how I found your channel. dope content man
if anyone is wondering, the prices have changed for weight again and the Balancefrom olympic cast iron plates are a little cheaper right now and theyre 30% off.
Please do a $2k, $3k, $5k and $10k version of this video!
If you’re looking for cheap flooring, go to rural king and pick up a horse mat. They are solid rubber and like 3/4” thick. I think my 3x5 mat was like $60.. way cheaper than workout mats and much thicker
Stand alone VR for cardio! Cardio is boring this is fun... $300 plus the cost of an app gets you a workout thrill of the fight is no joke that's coming from a D1 national qualifier, 2x high school all American...
Another video idea is building a versatile set of equipment for different space requirements. How much could you condense into smaller spaces if you buy the right equipment?
I personally started with a barbell that cost me 60 bucks from cap I believe. I still use it today for 400lb deadlifts and no issues so some money could be shaved off there
It's possible if you shop around and buy stuff on sale. I bought knock off 1090 adjustable dumbbells for $385, an adjustable bench for around $100, a power tower for $116 and a nice little X-frame recumbent bike for $150. All new, all from Amazon, no shipping on anything. Top of the line? No, but good enough for me.
Pro tip I got from Ross Enamait.
On the jump rope get a hallway rug to keep the jump rope from ripping.
Ooh, great tip and love Ross!
I ordered a Midway Olympic 45 lb 7’ bar from Titan mainly to use for bench press. Got the Hulk coated Olympic weights off Amazon. Just two 35lb and two 15lb. For me being 56 yrs old just starting weight lifting and for my 15yr old son so we’re starting light as to not injure ourselves and can buy more weight when we build our strength.
Just a note: you can buy spotter arms to put on that cap squat rack for about $35. My local Walmart has that rack for $120 and they carry those every day essential plates too.
AWESOME VIDEO!! I'm a bench press buff, so I would've sacrificed the power rack and went with a fully equipped bench press set. (bar, bench, and weight plates). Also, I'm a HUGE fan of plane old walking, so I'd get rid of the jump rope and just walk or jog for about 2 miles to get warmed up before my workout.
I spent 1600 for a cage rack, 1000lb test bench, barbell, 350lb bumper plates, landmine, band pegs.
I’d buy the spin lock dumbells, a standard barbell to use the plates on from your dumbells, independent weight stands you can store in your closet, a good quality flat bench, and a pull-up bar. Maybe throw in resistance bands.
Nice video Coop. Highly recommend sandbags too. Can get one hell of a workout with those.
For under $1000 you will have to live without the rack and OB in this current climate.
Spend more on the dumbbells and plates (Olympic sized so you are future-proofing in case you get an OB), plus buy a set of wall mounted stall bars (which allow you to do chin ups, nordic curls and if you buy Olympic Rings, dips as well).
Great to see for those of us that live in Hawaii where gym equipment is overpriced or won't ship. Getting that adjustable bench as a filler until back on mainland to upgrade!
I just realized I could have invested in a $3000 home gym instead of paying for a membership for the last 3 years. And all I use are dumbbells, squat rack, deadlift platform, and some lat pull-down
Cheaper bar as you haven't got the weight to justify it .Then you can get better bands which you can use ok the cage for all sorts .
And buy a pulley system.
More focused on cutting than building muscle for now. I have a very small space I've filled with a treadmill, a rowing machine, and a pull-up/dip station. Gathering some more funds and ill be purchasing the cap dumbbells and the bench/squat equipment which will unfortunately have to go outside. I've came down 35 pounds since starting my fitness journey
This is the greatest video for me right now thanks for the upload.
This video was extremely helpful! I'd love to see what you'd recommend with a higher budget ($1,500 - $2,500). Great video.
Simply buy the same stuff, but twice
Great video! The plates went from $135/pair, when the video was made, to $196 a pair!
Coop, Synergee also makes an affordable speed rope. Just picked one up and it's nice, plus it comes with an extra cable. Also, I used that CAP Barbell rack you talked about and ended up making some side braces out of 2x4s to make it stable for both pull ups and for benching. I also increased the hole diameter to 5/8" and was able to use the Titan T3 J-cups and the safety spotter arms from Wright Fitness. Between the side bracing and bolting the rack to my garage floor it worked perfectly fine for some pretty intense workouts. I have since picked up the Titan X3 rack on their scratch & dent section for under $500. And lastly, another decent option for a budget barbell is the CAP "Beast" barbell and the Synergee collars are a great value.
I was quite happy with my standard barbell for ~10 years now, like you said the dumbbell weight works on it too so it’s great for a lot of people, just got a power rack and thinking about the Olympic barbell next but I can wait as I don’t life heavy yet, maybe I’ll lift heavier now that it’s safer to lift heavy
Love these kinds of vidoes. Thank you!
Yet again with another great video, I have browsed for a mid range gym build and haven't seen much. Looking at spending $2,500- $3,500 on a gym, maybe a few cheaper items so I can get a little more verity as well.