Home Gym-ers: Check in!

[JM Aggie08]

My wife and I are expecting our first-born here in a few months, which I suspect will throw a wrench in my regular gym routine

In attempt to avoid the proverbial "Dad Bod," I've decided to purchase equipment for home use:

Titan Fitness X-3 Power Rack (going to bolt down in the garage)
Upper and lower pulley system for rows/lat pulldowns (and all attachments I use)
Adjustable bench
Titan Fitness deadlift platform
260lbs (I'm weak AF) Olympic bumper plates
200lbs adjustable dumbells
Misc. Accessories (yoga mat, 3/4" gym flooring tile, etc)

Future Purchases:

Magnetic rower for warming up/cool down
Leg curl/extension machine


All told, I'll recoup my costs for the above in ~2 years gym membership savings alone. Wife is also looking forward to getting in on the action -- will probably get her a 5' barbell once she's up to starting.

What do you have at home?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Good luck is all I can say. It's not about having the equipment nearby and accessible IMO, it really just boils down to mindset. It's a lot like diet.

Personally I would try to use the baby as much as you can for your exercise - get a legit jogging stroller B.o.B one for instance and run around with them.

The problem with gym equipment and such is that you're going to have a baby around, you're not going to be comfortable doing weight sets and using an elliptical with them in the room when they are running around like crazy. So your only chances to use it are before they wake-up (hah, goodluck there) or after they go to bed for the most part.

 

[Fritzo]

I've had a Bowflex clone for about 5 years and use it for 30 minutes in the mornings while watching the news, then I hit the gym 3 times a week. I'm 48 now and it's kept me muscular and trim. You may be overdoing it on the home equipment. Get a $10 Planet Fitness membership and use their equipment. Lot cheaper and a safer investment. (Gyms are actually nice too!)

 

[JM Aggie08]

Good luck is all I can say. It's not about having the equipment nearby and accessible IMO, it really just boils down to mindset. It's a lot like diet.

Personally I would try to use the baby as much as you can for your exercise - get a legit jogging stroller B.o.B one for instance and run around with them.

The problem with gym equipment and such is that you're going to have a baby around, you're not going to be comfortable doing weight sets and using an elliptical with them in the room when they are running around like crazy. So your only chances to use it are before they wake-up (hah, goodluck there) or after they go to bed for the most part.

Absolutely -- mindset and making time are going to be 90% of the battle.

I was a fat child growing up; that's enough motivation to make things work.

 

[Fritzo]

Absolutely -- mindset and making time are going to be 90% of the battle.

I was a fat child growing up; that's enough motivation to make things work.

Yeah- I was skinny growing up, but by the time 25 hit the pounds started creeping on. Got into size 38 pants in my mid-30s. Been wearing 34s for years now. Seeing my 70 year old dad weigh 280lbs, hobbling around, and taking a cereal bowl of meds every day is motivation for me to keep healthy.

 

[purbeast0]

Once I had a kid my gym routine didn't change at all. It's just an easy excuse for people to use, but if you want to continue to work out you will find time to do it.

I don't workout at home, I go to a gym, 4x a week, Monday through Thursday.

 

[snoopy7548]

I just use the small gym at work. It's enough for me, and it's easy to go to the gym when you don't have to drive anywhere first.

 

[evident]

p90x, insanity, and the easier routines have kept me going for the last few years. all i have is a pull up bar and dumb bells. No massive gains but I am not a fat ass either, which is unbelievable for my crappy diet the last year ( basically going out to eat 5x a week and drinking).

 

[deadlyapp]

I'd actually think about not building out a home gym, even if it seems like a fun hobby to do. In my experience (and I've built and sold my home gym 2-3 times now) it's far easier to skip a workout when you don't have to commit to driving to the gym - even if the gym is only a few minutes away. In addition distractions are much more regular and you may never get a great workout. If the cost benefit seems in your favor, then you're probably either going to an expensive gym and not getting the benefit, or you're not planning on equipment that you would like.

If you're set on the gym no matter what, then my recommendations are:
- Rather than a power rack, get a more comprehensive rack system like the ones that Rogue sells (you can get them much cheaper than rogue) which will give you far more flexibility in attachments
- Skip any pulley systems. Anything you can do with a pulley you can do with DB / Barbell / pull up bar and if you can't handle your own weight on pull ups or something, then get some resistance bands for assistance
- Get more plates than you think you need, or at least plan on adding on later. I'm not sure what your body weight is, but you should easily be able to deadlift 2x your weight and do multiple reps at 1.5x your weight.
- I don't see a bar in your list. I'd spring for a quality olympic bar designed for "functional fitness". There's tons on the market now, rogue is probably one of the more well known names.
- Adjustable DB are good, but expensive. If you are as weak as you say you are, 200# is probably overkill. You could perhaps get the adjustable handles and sets of 5# and 2.5# change plates to cover up to 30#, and then I'd focus on a couple of real pairs of DB - eg 40# / 50# / 60# which usually cost about a dollar per pound. Far easier to use in my experience
- Don't bother with a leg curl / extension machine. Fixed position machines like that are really dumb for 95% of people unless you're really really trying to focus on an individual muscle. I would move a rower (concept2) or an air bike (assault air or xebex or schwinn) to the top of the list. There's so much more that you can do above and beyond just "warming up".

All said - the furthest I got with my home gym was a power rack, barbell, 400# of bumpers, an oly platform and some miscellaneous stuff (resistance bands, abmats, weight vest). If I had purchased the equipment I really wanted, it would have taken me many years to recoup, even spending a crazy amount of money per month for access to a weightlifting & crossfit gym.

 

[purbeast0]

^^

Yeah my gym membership is $20/month I think, but my company gives us $25/month for fitness so I'm making $5/mo for working out anyways.

I'm with you as far as having to "go" to the gym. That is how I am too. We've had a treadmill for years and I rarely use it, although I hate running in general. My wife does use it, but there's times when I want to do a quick run at home and I just keep pushing it off and off and end up not doing it. It probably has a lot to do with me not liking running too, but had I drove to the gym to do it, I'd definitely at least do it.

With the equipment I use at the gym though, getting that stuff at home would definitely run into the thousands I'd think, just due to the various dumbells that I use and the amount of volume I put on some exercises like barbell shrugs. And I just don't have the space.

I also like going to the gym and hearing the sounds of weights and stuff banging when arriving, and also putting on my headphones and just zoning in and not hearing anything else while I'm working out.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Once I had a kid my gym routine didn't change at all. It's just an easy excuse for people to use, but if you want to continue to work out you will find time to do it.

I don't workout at home, I go to a gym, 4x a week, Monday through Thursday.

It really isn't all that easy a lot of times though. When you have a baby/toddler that you wouldn't trust with some baby daycare service at the gym, what exactly do you?

I can obviously understand though if you have a stay at home mom to watch them though.

^^

Yeah my gym membership is $20/month I think, but my company gives us $25/month for fitness so I'm making $5/mo for working out anyways.

I'm with you as far as having to "go" to the gym. That is how I am too. We've had a treadmill for years and I rarely use it, although I hate running in general. My wife does use it, but there's times when I want to do a quick run at home and I just keep pushing it off and off and end up not doing it. It probably has a lot to do with me not liking running too, but had I drove to the gym to do it, I'd definitely at least do it.

With the equipment I use at the gym though, getting that stuff at home would definitely run into the thousands I'd think, just due to the various dumbells that I use and the amount of volume I put on some exercises like barbell shrugs. And I just don't have the space.

I also like going to the gym and hearing the sounds of weights and stuff banging when arriving, and also putting on my headphones and just zoning in and not hearing anything else while I'm working out.

Awww, you mean you enjoy the loud grunts and last rep weight drops from brolociraptors shreddin' it up? Everytime I go to the gym it just reminds me that there are plenty of people in this world that we need to ensure don't reproduce if we hope to survive as a species.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I'd actually think about not building out a home gym, even if it seems like a fun hobby to do. In my experience (and I've built and sold my home gym 2-3 times now) it's far easier to skip a workout when you don't have to commit to driving to the gym - even if the gym is only a few minutes away. In addition distractions are much more regular and you may never get a great workout. If the cost benefit seems in your favor, then you're probably either going to an expensive gym and not getting the benefit, or you're not planning on equipment that you would like.

If you're set on the gym no matter what, then my recommendations are:
- Rather than a power rack, get a more comprehensive rack system like the ones that Rogue sells (you can get them much cheaper than rogue) which will give you far more flexibility in attachments
- Skip any pulley systems. Anything you can do with a pulley you can do with DB / Barbell / pull up bar and if you can't handle your own weight on pull ups or something, then get some resistance bands for assistance
- Get more plates than you think you need, or at least plan on adding on later. I'm not sure what your body weight is, but you should easily be able to deadlift 2x your weight and do multiple reps at 1.5x your weight.
- I don't see a bar in your list. I'd spring for a quality olympic bar designed for "functional fitness". There's tons on the market now, rogue is probably one of the more well known names.
- Adjustable DB are good, but expensive. If you are as weak as you say you are, 200# is probably overkill. You could perhaps get the adjustable handles and sets of 5# and 2.5# change plates to cover up to 30#, and then I'd focus on a couple of real pairs of DB - eg 40# / 50# / 60# which usually cost about a dollar per pound. Far easier to use in my experience
- Don't bother with a leg curl / extension machine. Fixed position machines like that are really dumb for 95% of people unless you're really really trying to focus on an individual muscle. I would move a rower (concept2) or an air bike (assault air or xebex or schwinn) to the top of the list. There's so much more that you can do above and beyond just "warming up".

All said - the furthest I got with my home gym was a power rack, barbell, 400# of bumpers, an oly platform and some miscellaneous stuff (resistance bands, abmats, weight vest). If I had purchased the equipment I really wanted, it would have taken me many years to recoup, even spending a crazy amount of money per month for access to a weightlifting & crossfit gym.

Agree with most of this - but just to add one other tip....

If you want to save shitloads of money on all of the above...

Hunt Craigslist like crazy. People love getting rid of their exercise shit because
1) They never use it or
2) They are moving and it's too much / too heavy.

 

[zinfamous]

Personally I would try to use the baby as much as you can for your exercise

...and so the mind wanders.

 

[purbeast0]

It really isn't all that easy a lot of times though. When you have a baby/toddler that you wouldn't trust with some baby daycare service at the gym, what exactly do you?

I can obviously understand though if you have a stay at home mom to watch them though.




Awww, you mean you enjoy the loud grunts and last rep weight drops from brolociraptors shreddin' it up? Everytime I go to the gym it just reminds me that there are plenty of people in this world that we need to ensure don't reproduce if we hope to survive as a species.

So your wife is never at home? You are with your child by yourself 24/7? I find that hard to believe.

I'm not even sure what you are talking about with your last comment.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

So your wife is never at home? You are with your child by yourself 24/7? I find that hard to believe.

I'm not even sure what you are talking about with your last comment.

No, it's just a matter of wake up, get ready for work, go to work, come home, make dinner, clean-up dinner, give baby a bath, feed baby nightcap bottle, put baby to bed.....

So by now it's usually ~8:30 for us. Not exactly in prime spirits for one of us (since the other has to stay home with the kid) to go the gym at that point.



Also if you don't understand my last comment that is scary. That tells me you're the brolociraptor that drops weights on the last rep and makes loud grunting noises.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

...and so the mind wanders.

Yeah, you know, use her as a lifting weight to do chest reps.

Not sure what you were thinking....

 

[purbeast0]

No, it's just a matter of wake up, get ready for work, go to work, come home, make dinner, clean-up dinner, give baby a bath, feed baby nightcap bottle, put baby to bed.....

So by now it's usually ~8:30 for us. Not exactly in prime spirits for one of us (since the other has to stay home with the kid) to go the gym at that point.



Also if you don't understand my last comment that is scary. That tells me you're the brolociraptor that drops weights on the last rep and makes loud grunting noises.

So basically you are making an excuse why you can't go to the gym. Got it.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

So basically you are making an excuse why you can't go to the gym. Got it.

Sure bud. Sure.

Again I ask, does your wife work?

 

[purbeast0]

It's irrelevant if she works or not. You're just making an excuse. It's okay. You're in the majority.

"Not exactly in prime spirits" is your excuse. It's okay. You've already made up your mind.

Tomorrow I am going into work late because I'm getting my hair cut at 9am and can't go after work since I have to stay a little later. Know what I'm doing? Getting up at 6:30am to go to the gym and coming home and showering before I go get my haircut. I could easily make an excuse and get the extra sleep.

 

[spacejamz]

Hope you stick with it and your gym equipment doesn't turn out to be a fancy clothes hanger...that happened to my 'friend'....

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

It's irrelevant if she works or not. You're just making an excuse. It's okay. You're in the majority.

"Not exactly in prime spirits" is your excuse. It's okay. You've already made up your mind.

Tomorrow I am going into work late because I'm getting my hair cut at 9am and can't go after work since I have to stay a little later. Know what I'm doing? Getting up at 6:30am to go to the gym and coming home and showering before I go get my haircut. I could easily make an excuse and get the extra sleep.

It's incredibly relevant. It's very much a determining factor of if you're exhausted at the end of the day or not.

I tend to put my head to the pillow for bed by 10:00, the gap between 8:30 and 10:00 isn't exactly substantial time and 9 times out of 10 we still have shit that needs to get done along with standard stuff prior to bed. I'll admit - we can do something. We can bust out a P90x video or something where you don't need an actual gym and maybe get 20 minutes in - but expecting everyone to always have the extra time to devote to driving to a gym, working out, and going back is a bit naive.

That's also incredibly nice that you have the privilege of having that amount of leverage with your employer. Not everyone else does.

 

[purbeast0]

Go workout before "your day" gets started. Problem solved. Then you can be exhausted at the end of the day and relax then go to sleep.

I get up by 6am every day for work, leave around 2-2:15pm then go workout. Then I'm at home watching my son until like 7-7:30pm every day by myself then my wife gets home from work and I still have to do the husband/daddy thing until my son goes to sleep which is usually around 9-9:30pm. Then I either work on side projects or relax for a bit. Side project has been ramping up recently because we're launching a major app in the next month or so. Then I'm in bed by 11:15pm or so.

When our son was first born by the time I went back to work 2 weeks later I was back on my 4x a week routine lifting. Then when I would get home my wife would take some time to exercise.

There is always time. It's just what you want to do with it.

 

[deadlyapp]

Let's stop the infighting for no reason. Jesus y'all probably do need more gym to work off your frustrations.

Agree with Craigslist / offer up finds. I let my platform go for about half what it cost me to make it, my bumpers sold for less than a dollar a pound, and I sold my rack for about half what I bought it for. Also look for local crossfit gyms that are either closing or upgrading equipment. Easy to get serviceable equipment on the cheap.

 

[highland145]

9am

WTH is this layabout shit.


kidding, pur

 

[Herr Kutz]

I have 6 dumbbells of various weights and a pull up bar.