Garage Gym Basics
Looking to set up a home or garage gym? Want to make sure you avoid any missteps in the process? Not sure what bar or rack to buy? I’m here to help. I’ve written countless articles, handled tons of equipment, read and watched every review, and I am here to pass on what I know to be true about setting up a home gym to you. My Garage Gym Basics series will cover some of the initial things you should think about and understand before buying ANYTHING for your garage gym.
I cover planning and budget, used market tips and tricks, and some detailed FAQs and more to help you think through your space, budget, and goals.
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Garage Gym Starter Pack
Below you can find my current Garage Gym Starter Pack. These are the items I’d recommend you grab to start a quality home gym on a budget. If you want to dig deeper on any category, you can check out my Equipment Buying Guides where I have laid out full length articles with a lot more to think through and options for each.
You can rest assured that anything I recommend is something I wouldn’t hesitate to put in my own gym, or recommend to a friend. If you are here, reading this, I consider you a friend.
If you’d like a one-on-one consultation with me, no problem, I’ll do that too. Fill out this form and I’ll help you build out a gym that meets your needs.
Rack
The REP Fitness PR-5000 won r/HomeGym’s Rack award, and is one of the best racks you can buy.
Bench
The REP Nigthhawk is current best bench for MOST people. And it will have attachments very soon.
Bar
The Rogue Ohio Bar and Ohio Power Bar are excellent options, and even better in their Boneyard.
Plates
Bumpers are my new recommendation, and these are the best at a fantastic price.
Save 5% w/ Code: HGLGarageGymComp24
Lighting
Make your gym look great and enjoy being out there with better lighting. Science approved!
Flooring
Horse Stall Mats are the inside secret of the home gym community for flooring.
Organization
Well selected storage allows you to fit more, use more, and really pull the space together better.
Cleaning
Cleaning your gym makes it look good, and extends the life of your equipment. Clean that floor!
Cooling
If you live anywhere that gets warm, this is a simple reminder to cool it down a little.
The Garage Gym Basics
You can most certainly find cheaper equipment than what I will recommend. Amazon is loaded with options. But again, I’m only recommending what I would put in my gym or recommend to a friend. Take a look at this post to see what happens with bad equipment. And that was a $300 BENCH!
Will There Only Be Affiliate Links?
Short answer, no. I am going to recommend the companies and products I recommend, whether I make anything off of it or not. Take a look at my reviews and you’ll notice the same thing. Over the past several years I believe I have proven my abilities to write a review, recommend a product, and all around support a company based on the product/company itself, not the dollars they kick back to me. You can check out my stance on affiliates here.
I hope you find this to be true as well. If you do not, please let me know. I want to make sure I am being honest, transparent, and authentic.