Being an enthusiast of all things muscle, one of the most
frequent topics of conversation among my friends and coworkers is working out and resistance training.
Those who know me best are aware of the gym
that I built in my home’s two car garage several years ago.
I am frequently asked if the monetary investment was worth it, if I work out as often as I had originally intended and if I am able to get as good a workout with my home gym equipment as I had in a commercial gym.
I am frequently asked if the monetary investment was worth it, if I work out as often as I had originally intended and if I am able to get as good a workout with my home gym equipment as I had in a commercial gym.
Below I will discuss
the pros and cons of having a home gym, the worth of the financial investment a
definitive answer to the question “It is worth it."
TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read): My Amazon Powertec home workout equipment recommendation page.
Background
First, I’ll give you a little background. Like most of my readers, I have been lifting
weights and exercising regularly in some form or fashion since I was a teenager.
My first love was bodybuilding. Admittedly, my desire to increase my
muscularity and definition was greatly influenced by my desire to attract those
of the opposite gender, which in my case were females.
I learned very early on that incorporation of squats and
deadlifts into my workout program was of utmost importance in my quest for
aesthetic muscle. As my body
grew, I became increasingly passionate about muscle building and decided to
devote every free moment to bodybuilding research and planning.
It wasn’t long before I became a certified
personal trainer and later spent many years helping others achieve their
fitness goals. Ultimately, I held a
middle management position at a major commercial gym and had the authority to
select and purchase exercise equipment and accessories. I also consult a major police department on the design and layout of their fitness center and fitness and wellness program.
Through the training and experience I gained from my years
in the fitness industry and the 15 years as a competitive powerlifter and strength coach, I learned a great deal about the quality and effectiveness of most of
the workout and exercise equipment that is on the market.
I used this expertise to build my dream gym
in my home’s two car garage. The gym is
complete with a power cage with dip and chin stations, lat pull-down tower with
high and low cables, Texas Power Bar, Jump Stretch bands, chains, various cable
attachments and nearly one thousand pounds worth of Olympic plates.
I put a lot of thought, time and research in developing my
gym. First, I had to purchase my
equipment from a manufacturer with sturdy, reliable equipment that backed their
products with a warranty.
The power cage
had to accommodate and withstand heavy loads and it had to have the ability
to be secured to the floor and not rock when hundreds of pounds of iron are
thrown on the rack after a set of squats.
Additionally, the holes that accommodate the safety bars had to be in
fairly small increments for optimal height selection for floor presses, lock
outs and rack pulls.
Second, I had to consider cost consistent with quality. I knew from my years in gym management that
gym equipment manufacturers often rely on their brand name to establish their
prices.
I needed a reputable company
that produced quality equipment at an affordable price. I conducted a cost/benefit analysis and
determined a price range that I was comfortable with. Below is an example of the formula that I
used:
(G) Commercial Gym Membership = $55 per month
(F) Fuel and Vehicle Mileage Travelling to Commercial Gym =
$40 per month
(T) Tolls on Route to Commercial Gym = $16 per month
G+F+T = $111 per month x 12 months = $1,332
I was spending $1,332 per year on average traveling to my
commercial gym and maintaining my membership.
I considered the fact that I generally only used their power cage, bench
and dumbbells therefore the benefit of various types of equipment really didn’t
weigh much into my decision making process.
At the time, I expected that I would still be a muscle devotee for at
least five more years (likely many, many more) but for the purposes of my
calculation I used five years in my calculation. The result looked something like this:
$1,332 per year x 5 years = $6,660
I was likely to spend well over $6000 over the next five years
maintaining my gym membership and travelling to work out five times per
week.
I felt that calculation alone
justified investing in a home gym. I was
confident that I could purchase high quality gym equipment for less than that.
Cost
For me, the most important component to my home gym
was a power cage, also called a power rack. If I could do no other
exercise, I knew I needed to squat.
Having my own heavy duty power cage would allow me to squat and perform
other big movements like bench presses and shoulder presses. So, my research began with and centered on a
power cage.
I determined that the prices of power cages ranged in price
from about $400 to over $1000. I was
instantly able to spot those that were of inferior quality by the slender uprights
and inadequate width and depth.
Some of
the higher quality power racks were built for heavy commercial gym use,
something that I did not require as only a few people would regularly use my
equipment.
After hours of Internet research, phone calls to equipment
dealers and professional contacts and price comparison analysis, I settled on a sturdy power cage built
for light commercial gym use.
The best, lowest price workout equipment was developed and manufactured with
enough strength and durability to accommodate constant use at a commercial gym
with limited traffic and use.
Now, I’m a
big guy who needs some room to maneuver. I settled on a Powertec power rack $900 and could be delivered with no charge for shipping.
As an added benefit, the power cage came with
a chin and dip station, which eliminated the necessity, and cost, of have to
purchase them separately.
Of course, to get the most out of my power rack, I would need
to shop for a quality bench, preferably with the ability to adjust to different
degrees of incline. My bench needed to
be wide and sturdy and have enough stability to prevent me from falling over
when performing heavy bench presses.
My search for a bench was almost as extensive as my power
cage search. I again found a pretty wide
price range for adjustable benches.
They
were generally priced between $100 and $400 and varied in quality. After extensive
research, I came full circle and settled on a Powertec utility bench. Not only did it meet all of my preferences,
the bench was designed for special Powertec attachments for a preacher curl
bench, leg extension, leg curl and my favorite - a weighted dip attachment.
In the end, I paid about three hundred bucks
for my bench, not including any attachments.
Of course I needed a bar and plate weights so first I purchased a specialty Olympic barbell.
I did some shopping
around and ended up buying two 300 lb. Olympic sets to start. That gave me a total of three bars and, after
adding a couple hundred extra pounds worth of plate weights, nearly 1000 pounds
of iron to throw around.
These are the basics.
Over the years I’ve purchased attachments for my Powertec utility bench
and other implements, but the above equipment was enough to keep me content and
allowed me to confidently perform my favorite movements including:
- Heavy Squats
- Heavy Rack Pulls
- Heavy Bench Presses
- Heavy Overhead Presses
- Chin Ups
- Dips
- Floor Presses
- Pin Presses
- Squat Lockout
- Heavy Shrugs
- Heavy Rows
My initial cost to build a gym in my home’s two car garage = $2,300.
Cons
Assembly- Although the assembly instructions included in the
equipment packaging was simple and easy to understand, it took the better part
of an afternoon putting together the power cage and utility bench.
The reason I list this as a con is because I
was eager to get started with my new equipment and by the time I put it
together I did not have time to use it due to a scheduled obligation.
Space Requirements – I have a fairly large two car
garage. While I am still able to park my
two full-sized sedans inside, there is no extra room. The vehicles must be removed for me to use
the equipment.
Pros
Cost – My initial cost for my gym was approximately the same
as two years’ worth of my gym membership and travel expenses. I broke even on my investment three years
sooner than I had originally anticipated.
Time – I have saved about three hours per week by working
out in my home gym. I no longer have to
pack my gym bag, drive to the gym and go through the check in process when I
arrive. I have almost no excuse to miss a workout.
This point alone has prevented me from missing a lot of workouts over the years that I may have missed otherwise due to no motivation to exercise, time or slight fatigue.
Convenience – I can lift whenever I want, for as much time
as I want. There have been many
occasions when I’ve woken up in the middle of the night, walked into the garage
and banged out a couple quick sets, as long as the cars weren’t parked in the
way.
I am also able to get some chores
done between sets on days that don’t require my complete concentration in the
gym.
Lack of Distractions – My biggest gripe with commercial gyms
are all of the distractions. I do not
like to talk to anyone except my partner while I am lifting. The music is usually terrible and there is
invariably someone curling in the squat rack.
In my home gym I don’t have to talk to anyone, I can select the music
that I like and I don't have to wait for machines to be available.
Is It Worth It?
Yes, without a doubt. The
benefit of cost, time savings, convenience and ability to manage time more
efficiently are the primary reasons that I confidently make this statement.
I can also tell you that my equipment has not
become “an expensive clothes hanger” and I still use it regularly. I am able to move big weight like I did in
the commercial gym and perform as well, or better, in my home gym.
Recommendation
 |
I have been endorsing these two products for
a long time to friends and family members.
I have used dozens of power racks and weight benches over my lifting
career and these two pieces rank among the best. They are the foundation of my home gym and I continue
to add accessories and attachments which add to their benefit.
These pieces of equipment and other affordable home gym equipment is available from Powertec on Amazon.com, which provides fast, easy processing of orders.
In the interest of full
disclosure, if you purchase these pieces of equipment or anything else using
the links I’ve included on this page, I may receive a monetary commission. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate it if, and when, you decide to make this investment that you use the links included on
this page.
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