Home gym project.

[PhilJohn]

Love this. I prefer the no frills dungeon (in a good way) style gym. No fluff, just equipment to get it done.
Did you do some powerlifting in the past? Pics on the wall.

I really like that too. Just looking at it makes me think of the Rocky movie where he goes complete savage in Russia and out runs the KGB guys in the car, then yells "DRAGO " up in the mountains. lol

 

[lis2323]

Yeah, I'm reduced to doing push-ups on my knees these days. I can do some regular push-ups, but I can actually hear noises coming out of my left shoulder when I do. Probably not good...

Mush when I started doing push-ups again my shoulders clicked each time. Nothing hurt but it was very unnerving. Apparently (in my case) it was ligaments snapping. It did that for the better part of a year.


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[drivesitfar]

LIS: if you have time can you post up a few pics of your gym for this thread cause it's one of the nicest home gyms i've seen?

PJ: if you have any questions just ask and if I can't answer them maybe one of the other guys can.

how old are your boys? do they have many friends who would be using it too or are you pretty rural and it might just be you and your boys working out and using your awesome gym?

 

[PhilJohn]

My boys are still small. 8 and 10. My oldest has little interest, but my youngest seems to be already interested. Time will tell but I would have loved something like this when I was an 8th grader.

 

[mmb617]

Love this. I prefer the no frills dungeon (in a good way) style gym. No fluff, just equipment to get it done.
Did you do some powerlifting in the past? Pics on the wall.

I was lifting at home using a rickety little bench and one of those 110 lb weight sets sold at Sears for a while before I joined a commercial gym in 1978. I had a decent BP for my bodyweight so I entered a Bench contest late that year and got hooked on competing. The following year I entered my first full power meet.

That was 43 years ago and since then I've lifted in 45 meets, the most recent in December 2019. I've said I was retired from competition a couple times but always seem to find another meet I want to enter.

At 69 years old now I can still lift about 65% of what I could do in my prime which for me was when I was 39-40 years old. I still lift 3 days a week and can't imagine ever stopping.

I really like that too. Just looking at it makes me think of the Rocky movie where he goes complete savage in Russia and out runs the KGB guys in the car, then yells "DRAGO " up in the mountains. lol

I've never been one to desire a fancy gym. I only need the basics. Give me a squat rack, a good bench and a platform for deadlifts along with enough weights and that's all I need.

Back when I was lifting at the commercial gym just about everybody there was into body building and the platform for deadlifting was in need of repair as it had big ruts. The owner wouldn't fix it because hardly anybody else used it. So in 1981 I decided to build my own gym in my basement and that's where I've done all my training ever since.

I've had fair number of friends who lifted with me over the years, sometimes we had as many as 4-5 guys lifting there at a time, but only one guy stayed the course. I met Joe at the commercial gym way back when and he was also interested in lifting for power rather than for looks so we started training together. When I moved to my home gym he came with me. Over the years he became not only a good reliable lifting partner but also my best friend. Now we're two old farts who are still lifting together and laughing about our "Glory days".

 

[mmb617]

My boys are still small. 8 and 10. My oldest has little interest, but my youngest seems to be already interested. Time will tell but I would have loved something like this when I was an 8th grader.

My son lifted with us for a year or so when he was 15 then lost interest. He started lifting again at 18, again for a year or so, then quit again. He showed a lot of potential both times but just wasn't into lifting weights.

He does realize the benefits of staying fit though and is careful about his diet and does cardio work regularly. He's 29 years old now and has a physical job so I kind of understand his maybe not wanting to lift weights.

Lifting isn't for everyone and your boys are still pretty young, so as you said time will tell. I think my earliest interest in lifting was when I was in my early teens and some of the older guys in my neighborhood had a really rough gym in a garage. Sometimes they'd let us kids mess around with the weights. I think I was in the 9th grade when I got my first set of weights. So that would have been 55 years ago.

 

[drivesitfar]

MMB: great story and good for you for sticking with a healthy routine that has lasted a lifetime.

PJ: since your boys are still young i'm not sure what the MODERN THINKING is, but a decade or two ago it was to wait until your kids were 12 or 13 before they should lift weights. that said we all grow at different pace. heck I grew 8 inches from 17-19. even though i was only 5'7 as a Junior in High School I could hold my own, but I probably developed sore shoulders and elbows cause i tried to lift as much as the guys that were over 6 foot and 250 pounds.

so maybe get them into sports they like when this Covid BS sorts out and running, swimming, yoga, rowing, and other good cardio and stretching exercises until their bones are ready to put on some muscle.

another thing that will motivate them is watching you cause kids always copy their parents and not always just the good stuff so do your best to be a good example which by the quality of your equipment and posts I'd say you are.

AND if you have choices where or who your boys can spend time with when they are not at home help them make the better choices cause "they are who they hang out with".

i'm guessing you've worked out before since you are buying top of the line equipment. yes?

what are your workouts if you don't mind sharing or if you want some ideas just ask cause there are a few members here like MMB that have been working out for years.

have a great day everybody!!

 

[PhilJohn]

I come from an athletic background. I was lifting since I was 15.

Joined the Marines, focused more endurance/cardio than anything else.

Left the service, resumed lifting.

5 years ago my spine started to fall apart, got it corrected last year.

I wont be able to clang and bang like I am used to doing. This will be all new to me in the way I approach things. I plan on focusing on a couple things. Diet, probably the biggest, lighter weights/more reps with better form, HIIT and cardio. I guess I will learn as I go.

 

[drivesitfar]

PJ: as all workouts and exercise it's a personal thing and do what is best for you and what you like to do is also important.

one of my most used and favorite pieces of equipment is this TEETER UP inversion table https://teeter.com/product/fitspine-lx9-inversion-table/ that I just picked up about 6 months ago.

i've been using an older version that was actually invertalign inversion table that TEETER UP now owns and this is their latest version. I started hanging about 2005 cause I didn't want to take ADVIL daily for sore back and I learned to hang 5 minutes a day (no fancy exercise while hanging like Mr. Teeter does) and just a full hang.

it took me about 2 weeks to build up to the 5 minutes cause my old 6'3 225 frame body had the ill effects of age, a lot of golf and gravity. once I did I now play a game of suduko while hanging.

I haven't taken any ADVIL for back pain since I started hanging (only for a headache if maybe I ate or drank the wrong stuff or now a little knee pain) and i'm sure my kidneys are happier. I used to buy the 100 Advil gel tablets every 2-4 weeks at Costco before hanging.

the chair I gave you a link for goes on sale for $50 off now and then, but even at full price if you have a sore back and can and are willing to hang to fix it that price is a lot cheaper than pills or surgeries. there are a couple threads in free parking where we talk about inversion tables if you haven't tried it.

good luck with your body and of course the gym and the boys which all should be a fun ride as you get on this train of life.

cheers (I also drink a gallon of homemade ice tea daily which maybe has a little to do with the amount of posts I make and extra energy)

 

[Augus7us]

Phil, what did you use for you floor? I'm building a small gym in my basement and have been debating on what is best.

 

[drivesitfar]

Augus: while Phil's floor is nice i'm sure it's pretty spendy and comes in rolls. i'll let him discuss what he has.

I helped a ton of people start up gyms (home and commercial) and if they spent too much on equipment and didn't have enough funds left for flooring too they'd buy 3/4 inch rubber horse mats that used to sell for $35 for a 4x6 piece. I see prices might be up during the Covid a bit with all the regular gyms closed, but if you are near a horse tack and feed store they usually carried them to put on the mud at the barns.

just an FYI. almost any rubber product is very heavy in rolls or mats. I think these 4x6 mats I mentioned weighed about 90 pounds each.

good luck

 

[lis2323]

If you are buying 4'x6'x3/4" rubber mats make certain you get the ones that have ribbed bottoms. This will allow the floor to breathe somewhat.

These will generally be more accurate in dimensions and square as opposed to regular horse mats. The 3/4" mats only weigh 100 pounds but are awkward to handle.




They are easy to cut to size with a sharp razor bladed tool and a straight edge. Don't listen to the morons on YouTube who suggest using reciprocating saws etc. LOL.


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[drivesitfar]

LIS: I guess you CANADIANS didn't have the same cutters cause our HORSE MATS were pretty square. i know the 1/2 inch gym rubber mats that were 4x6 feet had the better bottoms, but I've seen more than a few horse mats and i'm not sure I ever saw any of the 3/4 inch thick ones like that.

also JUST 100 pounds. OMG until I started folding them in half and carrying them from the middle I couldn't lift one by the edge.

ALL: another option if any are still made are these 2x2 1.5 inch rubber gym mats that have drainage or air gaps in their bottoms. I had just enough to put a layer of them on top of the 3/4 mats already on my garage floor and they make a ton of difference in my back after standing out there for hours.

cutting any of these thick mats is a lot of elbow grease and I've tried the circular saw and jig saw and like LIS mentioned neither worked worth a damn. I did use the scraper blade on my Fein multy tool to cut the 1.5 inch thick ones and it's a bit tough to get a straight down and across cut, but a lot easier than a utility knive I used to use on the 3/4 thick ones.

 

[PhilJohn]

Phil, what did you use for you floor? I'm building a small gym in my basement and have been debating on what is best.

Amorim® 3/8" Rubber Sports Floor 4 ft. Wide @ Menards.(Silver flake). They have red, blue, white flake as well. Pretty simple install but the stuff is sort of pricey. 52 ft roll ran me just under 800.00, Used double sided tape under.

For the deadlift platform rubber squares (2 x 2 x 1.5) from titan fitness (free shipping). The OSB boards were purchased from Home Depot, 4 layers of water based poly on top finishing board. Frame from Rogue fitness to finish it.

Like I said, a little pricey, but I figured I will only have 1 chance to do the floor once all the equipment is placed and my OCD would never forgive me if I didn't.

 

[.mike.]

Yes, Ive been looking at that same one for the past month but they have stayed sold out. The price now is 1200.00 dollars, compared to Rogue's lat pull of 3k plus.

How do you like it so far? Any complaints? Does the seat get in the way of doing bicept curls or is it managable enough to get that movement? Im seriously considering getting that machine.

It feels great. Just as smooth as the Rogue Monster lat pulldown at my commercial gym. You can do bicep curls, there is a roller for it just under the seat. You will need to use a length of chain to get the ROM correct, otherwise you may bottom out the stack travel. It's my favorite piece from Titan. Pulleys are high quality, and zero issues assembling. It came in a crate and was superbly packaged. If I had a complaint, it would be the coarsness of the powder coat makes wiping it down a bit difficult since it snags the terry cloths.

 

[.mike.]

3/4 stall mats are great, but build a platform or stack mats if you are deadlifting heavy and repeatedly, as you will crack the slab underneath the mats.

Zane's Leg blaster is cool and I'm sure it was innovative at the time, but it's 2021 and there is all sorts of newer and more versatile equipment available. You can replicate the movement using a Squat Safety Bar and a set of handles or barbell on a power rack. It's called a Hatfield Squat. If you want to spend $$$, the adjustable Kabuki bar has tons of positions to target all sorts of squat muscle groups.

 

[strength_and_power]

3/4 stall mats are great, but build a platform or stack mats if you are deadlifting heavy and repeatedly, as you will crack the slab underneath the mats.

Zane's Leg blaster is cool and I'm sure it was innovative at the time, but it's 2021 and there is all sorts of newer and more versatile equipment available. You can replicate the movement using a Squat Safety Bar and a set of handles or barbell on a power rack. It's called a Hatfield Squat. If you want to spend $$$, the adjustable Kabuki bar has tons of positions to target all sorts of squat muscle groups.

After 5 years of deadlifting on just a 3/4” stall mat in my old gym where we had women pulling close to 500# and several guys over 800# and tons of folks in the 6-700# range, there was no cracking. The more plates you add, the more surface contact and the bottom of the plate is less than 2 feet from the ground, unless your concrete is piss poor, you won’t have issues.
Kabuki/Duffin makes some nice equipment, definitely proud of it for sure. A few friend’s have his adjustable safety squat style bar. It takes a wrench to change the clocking. After a week or two o playing with it, it gets old and has stayed in the same spot since.


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[drivesitfar]

S&P: are you still competing? are you also still building gym equipment? I used to love seeing your pre packed meals you'd post that you took to your events so you didn't have to eat fast food or restaurant meals on the road.

ALL: I never dropped my bar, but I had over 3,000 pounds of plates and dumbells in my garage and no cement cracking.

I also remember at 60 years of age selling my 165 pound (330 total) Ironmaster adjustable dumbbell set to a big 6'6 300 pound football player and he wanted to take the dumbbells out a few 5 pound plates at a time. I put all the plates on a their handles picked them up and set them on his tailgate and he brought out the empty stand. I told him I'd put them on the floor of his truck if he wanted me to and I said if he couldn't lift them as is he could remove plates when he got home. I do remember that LOOK he had when I carried them to his truck.

we all work out differently that is for certain and what works for one person isn't always best for the other. I have to say my hardest workouts when I was lifting pretty heavy was YOGA cause i'd fill 2 towels full of sweat in an hour's workout and at 65 degrees and not HOT YOGA.

hope you all had a great weekend!!

 

[strength_and_power]

S&P: are you still competing? are you also still building gym equipment? I used to love seeing your pre packed meals you'd post that you took to your events so you didn't have to eat fast food or restaurant meals on the road.

ALL: I never dropped my bar, but I had over 3,000 pounds of plates and dumbells in my garage and no cement cracking.

I also remember at 60 years of age selling my 165 pound (330 total) Ironmaster adjustable dumbbell set to a big 6'6 300 pound football player and he wanted to take the dumbbells out a few 5 pound plates at a time. I put all the plates on a their handles picked them up and set them on his tailgate and he brought out the empty stand. I told him I'd put them on the floor of his truck if he wanted me to and I said if he couldn't lift them as is he could remove plates when he got home. I do remember that LOOK he had when I carried them to his truck.

we all work out differently that is for certain and what works for one person isn't always best for the other. I have to say my hardest workouts when I was lifting pretty heavy was YOGA cause i'd fill 2 towels full of sweat in an hour's workout and at 65 degrees and not HOT YOGA.

hope you all had a great weekend!!

My last meet was right at a year ago, 800 squat, 565 bench, 605 deadlift. Weighed in 24 hours prior to start of meet per the rules at 259#, was 276# day of meet.
I haven’t stopped building equipment, I’ve put up a few pieces for sale on FB marketplace and kept my prices at pre COVID and still had people wanting to haggle which I have zero patience for. I have a core group of prior customers, some going back to 2005 that don’t question my pricing and if they refer someone my way, they all do a great job as gatekeepers and only let the serious through. Some recent and past pieces








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[briann898]

strength_and_power, looks terrific. Especially those chains, which is outstanding idea for the gym.

 

[mmb617]

Rubber mats for the floor are nice but they're also expensive. The only place heavy weights would hit the floor in my gym was the deadlift platform. The floor in the basement is concrete and I built a platform for deads by placing 2x6's side by side to fill a 4x8 area then attached a sheet of OSB on top. This would hold up for years and when the top got too beat up we'd just replace the sheet of OSB. The 2x material that forms the base can be scrap pieces so that keeps the cost down.

We never intentionally dropped a loaded bar from any height while deadlifting as that could get you disqualified at a meet. I can still hear the meet promoter emphasizing that at the rules clinic. He said "If you can pick it up, you can set it down".

 

[herz]

I REALLY like the folding tower concepts that have become all the garage/man cave rage. I would love to have the ability to fold my, even though it would stay down 99% of the time, just the ability to fold it out or the way would be stellar.

Posts like this make me glad I'm doing research before pulling the trigger

 

[crepr12]

Rogue makes some great looking stuff...i'm trying to wrap my head around their prices...what price health....

 

[mepstein]

Rogue makes some great looking stuff...i'm trying to wrap my head around their prices...what price health....

Cheap if you use it, expensive if you don't.

 

[crepr12]

Very True....Been a gym rat most my life...Covid19 (my excuse) chased me from the gym and I'm just now trying to get some other equipment besides the tread mill the wife and I wear out....

 

[lis2323]

Cheap if you use it, expensive if you don't.

Also true of memberships. [emoji1]


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[cstmg8]

Making a floor for my squat rack. Got it cut to fit, drilled and countersunk, applying the stain and poly tonight.
Has anyone tried polyurethane over a vinyl decal?

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[lis2323]

Making a floor for my squat rack. Got it cut to fit, drilled and countersunk, applying the stain and poly tonight.
Has anyone tried polyurethane over a vinyl decal?

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It will probably work but may not be durable depending on your vinyl material and cut width.

I use laminated decals.




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[PhilJohn]

It will probably work but may not be durable depending on your vinyl material and cut width.

I use laminated decals.




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Sure does! Did it two weeks ago and turned out great!

 

[drivesitfar]

S&P: thanks for the pictures of some of your equipment. i'm guessing Covid has the lifting competitions shut down or did you retire? if you are just waiting for the next competitions to resume when do you think that will be. nice looking numbers and what place did you finish in that meet?

LIS: I always like looking at pics of your awesome gym where your homemade equipment probably is better made than the expensive quality commercial grade equipment you found for your gym.

I know your gym has a pretty good size space, but those big mirrors even make it look a bit bigger.

how did you attach your TRX straps to your ceiling cause your picture doesn't quite show that.

i love the professional laminate gym stickers you have made too!!

ALL: remember to remove most of the weight plates off your olympic and standard bars when you are done working out each day, cause even leaving 50-100 pounds of weight on these expensive bars will bend them and the cheaper bars will have a huge bow in them eventually.

you can consider it part of the cool down exercise part of your workout and the warmup portion when you put the weights back on the next time you need to.

 

[bassbone52]

that ZANE LEG BLASTER is a good safe way for boys (and you) to do squats and getting a good workout without lifting a ton of weight or using an old style hip sled. frankzane.com is about the only place you can find it I think cause they rarely if ever come up used anymore. Frank was Mr. Olympia just prior to Arnold in case you hadn't heard of him before.

good luck!!

Actually, Frank Zane was Mr. Olympia just after Arnold (1977, 78 and 79). He was 5' 9" and usually competed at about 185 pounds. Now, guys his height compete at around 280. Total freaks.

 

[lis2323]

S&P:



how did you attach your TRX straps to your ceiling cause your picture doesn't quite show that.

In the photo it is mounted to a horizontal beam with a bracket I fabricated.










I also made a bracket to accommodate the door mount loop that comes with the TRX.




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[rlanicek]

Rubber mats for the floor are nice but they're also expensive. The only place heavy weights would hit the floor in my gym was the deadlift platform. The floor in the basement is concrete and I built a platform for deads by placing 2x6's side by side to fill a 4x8 area then attached a sheet of OSB on top. This would hold up for years and when the top got too beat up we'd just replace the sheet of OSB. The 2x material that forms the base can be scrap pieces so that keeps the cost down.

We never intentionally dropped a loaded bar from any height while deadlifting as that could get you disqualified at a meet. I can still hear the meet promoter emphasizing that at the rules clinic. He said "If you can pick it up, you can set it down".

Check out the Rubber Stall Mats at Tractor Supply. $26.99 for a 1/2" thick 4' X 3' mat.

 

[drivesitfar]

BASS: technically we are both correct that Frank ZANE was Mr. Olympia both before and after ARNOLD, but you are on your toes cause that was 100 years ago it seems and you are the first to say that.

speaking of Mr. Olympia I used to love seeing Ronnie Coleman with his shirt off competing or not and sad to see what has happened to him from doing too maybe heavy squats and hip sled workouts. I wish him all the best in his struggles cause he seems to always be smiling and he tried his best.

LIS: that's maybe the best homemade TRX set up i've ever seen. WELL DONE!!

 

[nadogail]

I built my own stuff from plywood, water pipe, scrap steel and welding rod. Concrete in #10 cans makes a decent weight.

 

[strength_and_power]

Actually, Frank Zane was Mr. Olympia just after Arnold (1977, 78 and 79). He was 5' 9" and usually competed at about 185 pounds. Now, guys his height compete at around 280. Total freaks.

Total chemistry experiments might be more appropriate. [emoji16]. And I have nothing against chemistry and any of the sciences.
It is pretty interesting to compare a strength focused powerlifting type training program against a bodybuilding/ size program although Ronnie Coleman did a lot of squats and deadlifts in his training and he obviously had success onstage.


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[strength_and_power]

S&P: thanks for the pictures of some of your equipment. i'm guessing Covid has the lifting competitions shut down or did you retire? if you are just waiting for the next competitions to resume when do you think that will be. nice looking numbers and what place did you finish in that meet?

to.

Several meets did get canceled or postponed. My typical work/travel schedule pre Covid usually only allowed me to do 2-3 meets a year providing I stayed healthy. I have some long term powerlifting goals that I am focusing on so the next few meets will really be just stepping stones towards hitting that goal. I probably finished first in my weight class which isn’t saying much as there usually isn’t more than 1-2 people per weight/age class. I’ve given away or donated to charity most of my trophies I’ve won over the years except for a few that are either really cool or have special meaning


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[cstmg8]

Got the maple down in the rack. Looking for the right decal/stencil, then I'll poly over that with a couple coats.

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[MushCreek]

I built my own stuff from plywood, water pipe, scrap steel and welding rod. Concrete in #10 cans makes a decent weight.

That's mostly where I'm at. I made dumbbells out of water pipe with PVC slipped over it so they can rotate. I made a series of weights using concrete over a PVC sleeve. Plastic paint pails worked great for molds. I was going to The Y when the pandemic hit, and you couldn't get equipment anywhere. I'm all set at home now, so I probably won't bother going back to The Y.

 

[mscott32]

How much room do you assume it will take to fit all the stuff you want for your home gym?

Im looking into building one myself, but unlike you i don't have quite as much space, so i think i may have to decide to drop a few things i thought i could fit initially...