Weather it's your first try at the iron or you are a seasoned vet, you may have decided to train at home. There are a lot of advantages to training at home.

    (1) Your gym is open 24 hours
    (2) There is no wait for the equipment
    (3) Your the biggest guy in the place
    (4) No dues
    (5) No 'roid rangers stalking around
    (6) The sweat on the equipment is yours

     All kidding aside, the commercial gym is not necessarily a bad experience. I have trained in many gyms over the years. Some people use the gym as a social outlet while others need the motivating atmosphere found in most gyms. If you are self motivated with time at a premium home training may be for you. It is a decision that I have never regretted.

     So where does one start? Following are 3 basic questions and a good place to start. How much space is required? What kind of equipment do you need? How much will it cost?

THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Space - How Much Space Is Required?

     The space required for a home gym is not as much as one might think. My gym is contained within a 10x12 foot area in my basement. If you have a similar space somewhere in your home then you are ready to get started. Purchase a carpet remnant to fit your area and have the edges bound. If you are in an unfinished room such as a basement, you may want to paint the walls to remove some of the dreariness. Basements are perfect for home gyms because the floors are solid and can support your weights and equipment. Also basements are away from the main living spaces. Clanging weights, grunts and groans and the occasional failed max attempt won't disturb the rest of the house.

Equipment -What Is The Minimum Equipment Required?

     Your number one priority is safety, number two is compactness and number three is versatility. Because you will most probably be training alone, you will need strong and steardy equipment that offers a safe training environment.

    The Bench ($80-$180)- This is such a basic piece of equipment that considering it's features for the home gym might be overlooked. Your bench should be sturdy and able to incline. If you find one that both inclines and declines you will have a very versatile piece of equipment. Because this bench will be serving more than one purpose, it will have moving parts. What you will be losing in rock hard steadiness you will be gaining in versatility. The feel of a non welded bench is something you will get used to and since your home gym space is limited it will be worth the compromise. It should be well padded and sufficiently wide enough so that your shoulder blades do not dig into the edges of the bench. You may even consider a leg attachment. This not a mandatory item but if you like performing leg extensions or leg curls you may want to put this on your check list.

     The Power Rack($250-$700)- I said that safety is your #1 priority and a bench by itself is pretty unsafe. Even a set of uprights to rack the weight are far from adequate. You will never be able to push yourself to your limit if you are worried about being crushed under the bar in a failed attempt. To give you the safety and confidence to push yourself to a new PR your home gym will require a self spotting device like smith machine or power rack.

     The smith machine is a good piece of equipment but limited in its application and range of motion. A power rack imposes none of these limitations. Combine a power rack with a good bench and you have a combination that will keep you growing and fits into our model for safety, compactness and versatility.

     Basic Weight Set ($150-$300)- If you are just starting out a basic 110 pound Olympic weight set with rotating collars should meet your needs. As your training progresses you will want to purchase some additional plates. Four 25s and a couple of 45s should be enough to supplement your initial weight set. A typical Olympic 300 pound weight set consists of :

One Knurled 84" chrome Plated Bar
Plates ( 2 - 45 lb,2-35 lb ,2-25 lb, 2-10 lb, 4 -5 lb, -2 1/2 lb)
2-Spring Lock Collars

     Weather you are adding weight or buying your first set it is best to buy metal or rubber coated plates. The plastic coated cement variety will quickly crumble. A metal set will last a lifetime.

    Chinning bar ($20)- Without a pull down apparatus, chins are the most effective way to work your upper back from the overhead position. If you have purchased a power rack you can use the horizontal bars connecting the uprights for chinning otherwise you should purchase one that attaches between two door jambs.

    Calf Block - A calf block for doing calf raises is a good item for your gym. You can make one from lumber bought at any lumber store. List dimensions here.

     Odds And Ends - Some other items that you may want to include in your home gym are a power lifters lifting belt, lifting gloves, lifting straps and a weight belt for adding extra poundage to chins, dips and calf raises.

Beginners Home Gym Checklist
12 x 12 area
110 to 300 pound weight set
Extra weight
An adjustable bench
Power rack
Chinning bar
Calf block
Lifting belt
Lifting gloves
Weight belt
Wrist straps

Productivity Tools

     Training Log - Whatever your training goals, a log of your workouts is essential to track your progress and continue to make upward progress. Your log can be as simple as a spiral bound note book or as impressive as a software program that tracks your training progress. In either case you will want to organize your log by date with columns for each set, number of reps, the weight used and any comments about the set that would be important for determining the next weeks workout.

     Accessory Rack - The accessory rack will help you keep your small space neat. It can be made from a small piece of peg board with hooks. Hang your belt, gloves, wrist straps etc on the rack for easy access.

     Full Length Mirror - An inexpensive full length mirror will help you keep your form strict and motivate you as you pump out reps. Place the mirror in a place where you can see yourself do the majority of your exercises. If you are using a power rack an ideal place for the mirror is on the wall behind the rack.

Productivity Checklist
Training Log
Accessory Rack
Full Length Mirror

Home Gym Extras

     Everyone is looking for a magic bullet that will transform them into the next "Schwarzenegger" or "Yates". The following items although optional for the basic home gym setup and not magic bullets in themselves will increase your training productivity.

Easy Curl Bar
Extra Weight
Dumbbells
Dipping Bars
Pulldown Machine
Trap Bar
Safety Squat Bar
Vertical Leg Press

Advanced Home Gym Checklist
12 x 12 area
110 to 300 pound weight set
An adjustable bench
Power rack (optional)
Chinning bar (optional or not needed if you have a power rack)
Calf block
Lifting belt
Lifting gloves
Training Log
Accessory Rack
Full Length Mirror (optional)
Easy Curl Bar
Extra Weight
Dumbbells
Dipping Bars (optional)
Pulldown Machine (optional)
Trap Bar (optional)
Safety Squat Bar (optional)
Vertical Leg Press (optional)