Home gym equipment

[OwnyTony]

Do you guys have any suggestions on a home gym?  I personally have my heart set on the Titan.  What do you guys think and have you heard of it?

[darylbowden]

Do you guys have any suggestions on a home gym?  I personally have my heart set on the Titan.  What do you guys think and have you heard of it?

I use a pair of asics, a stability ball and the floor(for pushups).  Frankly, I don't know anyone who has one of those all-in-one gyms that actually uses it.  I like my workouts to be free and non-cluttering.

[somegirl]

I have a Total Gym and I do use it regularly (yes it's the Chuck Norris one ).

Mostly I do jogging and bicycling though.

[c_rex]

eliptical machine, stair master machine, multi-position "flat" bench, crunch bench, Nautilas multi-weight dumbells, bicycle, and an 80 lb. heavy bag.  okay, so only my wife uses the stair master... that thing is evil.  we looked at the all-in-one machines but the maintenance/assembly is daunting.  I like the design of this one though.  And it's pretty cool how Titan Boy turned into a girl during his/her workout.... you don't get that option on every piece of equipment.   

[DanTheMan]

personally I'd advise against buying a home gym. why? cause its too easy to skip your workout at home. Initially you think you'll workout more cause its convenient, but there ends up being too many distractions and you don't work out at all and it becomes a storage rack. YMMV


otoh, that one looks pretty cool. bet you it has a huge easy referance wall chart to configure to the workout

[Xiphias]

I have set of dumbells that can be adjusted from 20 to 50 lbs + a physioball. The physioball really taxes the muscles since platform is unstable.

[IZ]

I had a home gym in my first house with the following: 

-bench that converted from flat to incline to decline. 
-400lb Olympic weight-set, including a 45 bench bar and a 25 bar for curling
-20 & 45lb dumbells
-dips stand
-cable machine for curls, tricep extension, back rows, pull-ups, lat pull-downs and a few other exercises..also used as squat rack!
-jumprope
-rubber power bands

Everything was from Play-it-Again and cost me only a few hundred bucks!!   It only took up 1/4 of the garage so the bike and a car fit in perfectly. 

[silentbob]

I used a power cage at home for many years.

http://www.nextag.com/power-cage/search-html

Works great and it is much cheaper.  Nothing beats free weights.

[OwnyTony]

I used a power cage at home for many years.

http://www.nextag.com/power-cage/search-html

Works great and it is much cheaper.  Nothing beats free weights.

At first, I was looking at a decent power cage.  Then a smith machine.  Then some sort of hybrid that had multiple workout accessories.  Then i stumbled upon the Titan.  I really like the "small" foot print relative to all the different muscles i can work out on it. 

[oldschoollion]

what are your goals?i
f you are dead set on a cage, the racks on the top row have been abused by a number of strength athletes
http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/powerracks.html
a good oly lifting bar
http://store.wfwclub.com/plates.html
used plates can be found for less. for li guys in the market
http://www.fitnessplus.com/servlet/the-385/USED-Olympic-Plates/Detail?sfs=955c2532

you could also get a lot out of less/no cost items like military duffel bags filled with small stone or sand (contractor bags inside duffle), heavy but liftable stones can be found for free, smaller stones could be used as shotputs and held for time to work your grip, and gripwork can be done with protein cans filled with rice or sand to lift or hand grab/extentions inside.  if you could get  used 5/8 chain, 29 links average 20lbs and that number links is used as standard for most trainers that use them, they can be added to bars with a 1/4" chain or caribinered to d rings and used as db's and put over shoulder for weighted dips.  there is a ton of low cost, low space alternatives that will kick your butt and build muscle.  not to mention lifting outside is very nice  .

[Speedbag]

personally I'd advise against buying a home gym. why? cause its too easy to skip your workout at home. Initially you think you'll workout more cause its convenient, but there ends up being too many distractions and you don't work out at all and it becomes a storage rack. YMMV

Yes, they make great places to dry clothes. 

[XiaoNio]

Having gotten into Olympic lifting, I'd say all you need is a platform (that you can make yourself), a bar, some bumper plates and a squat stand.  Simple, space efficient and probably the best at making you strong and fast.

Otherwise, all you need is a power cage with a pull up bar attached to it.  Add in a bench if you really want and that's pretty much all the equipment you'll ever need.  You can do more with a barbell than you could ever get out of cables and machines.

[Sinister]

Adidas trailrunners, speedrope, hill for sprinting, flat spot for burpees...looking to add a tractor tire and a 12# sledgehammer.  Once I get a nice garage, I want to add a Thai heavy bag and a couple tatame mats.

[c_rex]

Adidas trailrunners, speedrope, hill for sprinting, flat spot for burpees...looking to add a tractor tire and a 12# sledgehammer.  Once I get a nice garage, I want to add a Thai heavy bag and a couple tatame mats.

burpees!?  ... this sounds like my Saturday evening, post working in the yard, cool down exercise next to the fridge.  What's it look like when you do it?

[fwtcc]

This all sounds pretty excessive.  Granted my goal is to stay lean with a build not get huge, but push ups can be done in about a thousand varieties.  Find some good running routes with good hills.  Sit ups are another thousand variety exercise.  Get some 25 lbs dumb bells and you can do arms with them lots of reps for the muscles that can do more and a low enough weight to where you can exercise about everything.