So many times I've tried to figure out how I can afford to convert my 2 car garage into a 4 car garage so I have more gym space. Spoiler: I can't afford it.
Totally true, housing around the world is getting out of control. The USA doesn’t have inflation or housing prices like Canada … Canada can be 50% higher than before covid , the states don’t have that
Probably spent about 10k on my home gym (2k if you ask my wife 😂) but in all seriousness its been the absolutr best thing for me. Im more consistent, dont have to worry about other people, cleanliness, commute time, can work out during my kids naps. Im in the best shape of my life.
the only thing that irrelevant would be the reasoning applied here, but there's still other reasons that i personally applied to my decision, in fact the kid thing was an added bonus, but ask yourself: 1. when do you plan to stop working out 2. do you value your time 3. does the gym you attend provide something you can't live without it can't duplicate at home 4. do you make a living training/coaching because that's reason enough (maximize profit) 5. if something were to happen and you could no longer go to the gym (financial, close etc) what would you do
Reason I build my home gym was for my, at the time, toothpick thin 13 yo. Now he’s 15, weighs 215 lbs, and out lifts half the people at the gym he goes to
Find a local non-budget gym in your area and move the monthly fee in to an account specifically for gym equipment. Pretty soon you'll be the envy of all the gym nerds in your area.
@Snerdles That's what I did. Turns out the gym that was most appealing to me in my area was $200 /mo. That was the point where I decided to build my home gym and gave myself a $200 /mo budget. I tossed in some extra from Christmases and bonuses and such, but that's the financial foundation for my gym purchases. Makes it easy to justify to the wife.
Used market is HUGE so many people get out of it. Spent $700 got an Ohio bar, rogue women's bar, 2 cheap cap bars, a rack, a bike, over 800lbs in plates, dumbell, kettlebells, a bench, jump box, a pulley system, and even some shitty foam floor mats.
My dude, this is why I really wish you'd review more cheap products. Yeah, the $5000 racks with every bell and whistle is cool and all, the $3-4-5000 treadmills, all that stuff. But most people aren't buying that for home gyms, most people can't afford that for their whole setup let alone an individual piece. We need more cheap product reviews!
You can always build over time. Save a little money every paycheck for gym upgrades. Flipping gym equipment can also be a viable option to finance a home gym
@@BJerrellyeah but you don't need to, and most people don't want to. I'm a software engineer and make a shitload of money, yet I still bought a 500 euro rack, used rubber mats and used iron plates. Just because you have money, doesn't mean you have to waste it on unnecessary crap.
I love this video! Home gyms are priceless because of the time that it allows me to spend time with my family while also improving my health and doing something I love. You can’t make those memories in a commercial gym.
I put a gym in my garage this year and I am so happy I did! I workout more often, with better results, my wife and kids love it, I reward myself with more equipment, and it’s a huge reminder of the goals I have set for myself! Coop you are a big reason I took the leap. Thank you!
Endless medical bills due to being a physical wreck are way more expensive than a home gym. It’s way easier to be consistent at home than going to a gym.
Never been a better time to have a home gym - tons of selection at almost any budget level and tons of great deals on the second hand market for used equipment
Home gyms are absolutely worth it to me. Coops point about buying what you will use is spot on. Buying equipment that works multiple muscle groups is the strategy I used (except I also bought a seated calf raise machine that only works one body part). I personally think it is cheaper today to build a home gym because you have more competition for equipment makers than 10 years ago which drives down price and increases innovation.
Building a home gym has been the best decision I’ve ever made. Started with the basics like you said and upgraded over time. For me personally going to a commercial gym was intimidating and ultimately deterred me from working out. Having a home gym, you don’t have to feel self conscious cause you can’t lift as much as the person next to you, especially for beginners. Also don’t have to worry about inflated egos in a home gym. Just a little bonus.
Avoiding many of the personalities at the gym has been one of the biggest benefits for me, and that was even before the day of TikTok and everyone wanting to take videos at the gym. The last time I was in a commercial gym, years ago, it was a vile, toxic cesspool.
Message from a decade ago is the same as now. PATIENCE. I’ve been slowly building my space for 2 years at nearly $0 out of pocket thanks to marketplace flips.
20 years ago I was grandfather'd in to a $50/year all-access membership at one of the "middle-tier" gyms. I slowly stopped going there, in favor of my office's small fitness center. But just 3-4 weeks ago I was finally able to achieve one of my "dreams" and build my own home (garage) gym -- Thanks in large part to *COOP* ! While it cost me over $1000 to build -- or 20 years of the gym membership -- you can't put a monetary value on *my time* and the convenience factor. No more time-consuming commutes or parking issues, no more crowds, no more looking over my shoulder being mindful of others wanting to use equipment, no more restrictive gym hours, I can put in work at any point in my day when I have the energy. The one & only drawback is the lack of climate-control currently -- but what's a little bit of added degree of difficulty😁💪
For many of us, you can put a very real number on the time savings. I'm self employed. If I spend an extra hour a day commuting to the gym, I lose an hour in my day I could be billing someone for my time. Add up all those hours, at my rate, and it's a very significant amount of money each month just for a drive to the gym and back, not to mention wasted time finding open equipment and such.
My home gym is nothing crazy. Barbell with plates, squad rack, adjustable dumbells, and regular ones, 2 stall mats, 2 benches, a couple of resistance bands, and a couple of other little things. I love it! I have all I need!
A home gym is absolutely more expensive than going to the gym but like you said it doesn’t factor in the time saved and convenience. Biggest waste of money for home gyms are people trying to have the best/commercial quality equipment. Most people simply don’t need the high quality stuff like Rogue and Eleiko to get a good workout in
Without a doubt, time is the biggest thing for me. I think I've spent around $2K over the course of 20 years. Now I work out every day (cardio or weights depending on the day) and quickly back to home life. On days where I don't feel like slinging weights around, then its pushups, squats, chin-ups and a run around the neighborhood... Would have taken me 2 hours round trip with a gym membership. Who has time for that when you have work and kids? Because of the consistency, my health is better as an old fart than it ever was when I was young.
I got the majority of my stuff second hand for pretty solid prices, compared to new. I am able to work out any day I want from home, doing virtually any kind of workout I want. Love it. Wouldn't trade it for anything (except new equipment lol).
My wife and I are so proud of our home gym. Most of it was built up through Facebook marketplace and free stuff people were just getting rid of. We hardly bought anything brand new. And then to speak of the kids part… all of kids now use it. Our son has his boys over and they all go down there and talk about their PR’s. Our daughter’s both use it, but especially our oldest who was never really into fitness before. I can’t recommend the home gym enough!
Started small during the pandemic, bought and sold many equipments throughout the past 4 years. It is definitely a hobby but I workout pretty much every day so it’s a healthy hobby. But the best part of having a home is TIME TIME TIME!
TIME: you nailed it. I think I calculated that it will take me almost 30 years to see a break even on all my home gym gear versus commercial gym fees. I don't care. I get up at 5am, have some coffee, head down to my basement and just start lifting. Not only do I save time on commuting but as I finish each workout I tee up my workout for the next morning so I have no set-up time either. I will never go back to a commercial gym.
For me, its the time i spent getting ready to the gym, and the journey to my gym, finding parking and stuff, whereas if at home i can sip my coffee between sets, prep my meal while im taking my break, crank the music up, go shirtless, play with my pets a little, and most importantly i dont have to sacrifice my workout just because the machine i planned to use for my workout is all occupied.
For anyone who might be interested in the stainless steel Rogue RM-6 It was $3500 (or was it $3800?? Either way it was one of those lol) BEFORE Covid and is now $6485. Ridiculous increase.
@@shane2863 REP is coming out with stainless steel uprights soon and you KNOW they will be a better price than $6485. If they could get it down to about $4000-$4500 That would be so freaking awesome.
I love my home gym. Just having that space right there, no commute whenever you want it…. Man it’s just awesome. That in itself is worth so much to me. I feel blessed I have a home gym ❤
I've been in my house for 16 years so I have been building my home gym for 16 years (except for replacing stuff that wears out, I am done). The best part about a home gym is no obnoxious influencers in your way filming.
Best thing I ever did. In 2020, I started with old rusted weight equipment. The only thing I found that I could afford to buy that year were strength bands. I made it happen in my living room for 8 months. Little by little , piece by piece , it’s all set up in the garage. It’s not super expensive and elaborate like some of the garages Coop showcases. But I’m very happy with my equipment. It keeps me wanting to walk to the garage and get a workout in. More than any gym membership ever did for me.
I am very happy with my home gym. I sometimes use it for proper work outs, but I also use it for smaller work outs or excersize snacks etc, things I would normally never go to the gym for but now that I have it I do. So walk into the home gym, do a set of curls. Or use the pull up bar, do some bench pressing and go out again. Just very convenient
I started weightlifting when I was 12 years old. I did it after a childhood friend transformed from a skinny kid into a muscular teenager over a 3-month summer vacation. When I asked him how he did it, he showed his 120 lbs of standard weight plates and a barbell. He taught me what he knew about weightlifting, and I eventually talked him into selling his weight set to me, which I bought for $10 in 1968. I had to carry the 120-weight set to my home, over a mile away. I did it a few yards at a time, and I was sore for many days after I eventually got it to my home, which I carried every foot of the way. I now have 4 home gyms: a garage gym, a basement gym, an extension room gym, and a backyard patio gym. However, all I really need is a vinyl-covered concrete barbell weight set, a pair of spin-lock dumbbells (even though I own rubber-coated hex dumbbells from 5 lbs to 100 lbs, power block adjustable dumbbells, standard weight dumbbells, and Olympic dumbbells), an adjustable bench, and an adjustable kettlebell.
I do love my home gym but I keep my “gym” membership at the local church camp thing right up the road…I do enjoy having an air conditioned track to b able to run
Built my home gym last year and it has absolutely changed the way I train, for the better. Also there’s nothing like not being away from home but still being able to workout.
It’s not only the comparison on the membership it could be the comparison on fuel to get there and miles on the car going back and forth. That was actually the biggest reason for me building a gym as we moved house when prices of fuel rocketed and it was at that point easier and cheaper to start building one than driving to my nearest gym
We love our home gym, yes there have been some large purchases but we have built up other things over time and our kids get to see every day (except rest day) that training is normal
It is absolutely doable to build something useable and not go broke. The only really unnecessary expensive items I have are my calibrated bumpers and powerlifting discs which are pretty much all you get in America if you prefer KGs. It's taken me 7 years to get the setup I have now and I'm not really adding much at this point. Next up is a set of monolift arms and maybe a set of roller j-hooks. It will depend on what Rogue and a couple other companies have for holiday sales.
I’ve been stoked to build my home gym for the past 4 years. Since the pandemic I’ve scored majority of my equipment from marketplace. Luckily for me I live in Hawai’i so theirs a lot more people around me who buy expensive equipment but never use it. I’ve scored a full Rouge Power Rack with bench , Ohio bar , and other misc equipment for under $500. Same guy sold me a set of Nautilus weights ranging from 10’s to 45’s. Depending on your location you can score some insane deals - just takes time and a quick trigger finger
I enjoy not having to worry about other people and that I don't have to carve out as much time in order to workout, ie be the healthy that I want to be. I don't have to worry about what to wear to the gym, how to do my hair to go to the gym, how make face looks or the grunts I may make when lifting weights, etc. I don't need to worry about people since it's my personal gym. Then, Time and motivation is usually where people fail in their workout endeavors. If you can maintain the motivation, the time required is also easier to manage.
because of all the chinese companies, machines for home gyms are cheap as never before. If u consider the inflation of 10 years most pieces are cheaper than 2014
I've always had a home gym and used it. When my kids were little, little, it was easy to get them to come try fun stuff, but then they started becoming resistant to the idea until my boys balls dropped and THEN they started getting serious about training, so you have to be prepared to "go with the flow" a little bit and realize that exactly what it looks like to have your kids working out with you will change over time.
Home gym, yes. I have two 50-lb kettlebells, two 35-lb kettlebells, a 30-lb bell, and a pull-up bar, a dip station. I also have a 12 pc puzzle mat, a 40-lb vest, a backpack with a 25-lb rectangular plate in it, and assorted ankle/wrist weights. Oh yeah, and an ab wheel. For what I do, it's a pretty complete setup. I also have a great non corporate gym I belong to locally. Great video.
With my Mikolo Power Cage, barbell, Flybird bench, 260lb worth of plates and Rep QuickDraw Dumbells, I’m all in about $1800. In my opinion, that is ABSOLUTELY worth it. I can do barbell movements up to 305lb and dumbbell movements up to 60lb.
Totally worth it for me. It removes all the friction involved in working out somewhere else which made it possible for me to actually adhere to a workout plan. Most folks seem to prefer condensing their suffering into a single hour+ long block at the gym. I prefer to split it up over the course of the day into smaller 15-20 minute blocks, and if I had to leave the house for each of those, even a short 10 minute round-trip travel time to a commercial gym would add up massively.
It’s definitely worth it for me. I never got the chance to lift weights consistently in college and even once I graduated I wasn’t able to as I just didn’t have the time. A lot of us work, take care of the kids, etc. and to make time to drive 20-30 minutes to the gym, workout for 45- and hour due to wait times for a squat rack or bench etc, plus now a return 20-30 minute drive home was exhausting. Now I’m able to walk into my garage, no commute time, lift weights for 30-35 minutes since I’m not waiting for anything (can also superset) and I’m done. I don’t always have 2 hours, but I can definitely make time for 30 minutes. I also get it done during my lunch break since I WFH, which I could never do before. It’s amazing for consistency.
Now more than ever having a home gym makes sense. Time is a huge factor...time commuting and time waiting for a machine to be available. After the pandemic the market has expanded so much with unique specialty products, cheap products and new companies entering the market. Take BOS for example (my favorite non American company) with their innovative products. And to think the owner almost shut down the company and then overnight the pandemic showed he was in the right place at the right time. Having a home gym is like being a kid in a toy store with so many cool options. Best of all you are staying healthy by working out.
Hell yeah.. it's still worth it. For me, I don't like dealing with people. I like having equipment tailored to what I want. I like the convenience of not having to drive to the gym. I can also get my family involved.. my grandkids love it.
Excellent financial advice to save up over time before buying equipment. In a time when almost everything is purchased on finance, this is wonderful advice!
I've spent around $2400 over 4 years and have probably more than I need, but I'm always excited to use my equipment. Worth every penny. Eyeing a shoulder press/side lateral machine and a lever belt squat I don't have room for or need ...
My kid is too young for weights right now but sometimes she gets up early and walks into the garage when I’m working out. I have a section of my white board that is for her to color with dry erase. It just shows her that exercise is normal.
Coop, thank you so much for calling out the financing aspect. Tired of these companies pushing this predatory lending services. I have got to call out your other channel GGR everything for mentioning it is available for a barbell. To their credit, they have not mentioned it since that one instance so I think feedback was heard.
If your budget is not large, buy from second-hand sites or flea markets. Usually different things are offered in an advertisement. If the price is low, buy everything. Keep what you can use, and sell the surplus from the lot. It takes some effort and time, but after a considerable amount of time you will have everything you want at a very low price or even for free.
The time and energy that I save by having a home are priceless. No crowds, no loud crappy music, no working in with other people, no potential for sitting in someone's bodily's fluids, no driving to and from the gym, and I could on and on. It was expensive to build and I still want to add a few more pieces of equipment, and I don't regret it. I wish that 100+ pound dumbbells and some equipment that I want were cheaper.
Built my basement gym in May for $8k- I love it, and have been way more consistent with my workouts these last four months than I have the rest of my life. It’ll pay for itself over 7 years between the cost of the gym my wife and I went to, and the transportation costs.
2024 garagegymmer here 😂 and its worth it. not only do i like the excitement for my next purchase, as coop mentioned. i save 2,5 hours of time PER DAY on traveling . besides traveling, coop could have mentioned that I always had to go after working hours which is 928488384848484 people at the gym at the same time in rush hour. Now I wake up early morning, train, shower, drink a cup of coffee, bring my kids to school and go to work. guess what, whole evening time for the wife 😂👌🏽. Homegym was the best purchase ive done in a long long time.
Picked up an Ethos rack, barbell, bench, #550 in weights and heavy bag $600 on FBM… the rest is history. I’ve since acquired a full 5-100# dumbbell set and FTX functional trainer. Canceled my LA Fitness membership. Haven’t looked back. Open 24/7 and the squat rack is always open. Only thing I miss is a few of the people I met along the way
Didn’t think about the time and travel when I bought my equipment . I would say it’s viable for consistency. I got all that money out there I feel obligated to use it . The days you don’t feel like going got that much easier because it’s one step out the door to get it in . Many pros to the home gym beyond what the naked eye can see
Those Reppin dumbells are my carrot right now... i want them... and that 125lbs... but i have 90lb powerblocks that are getting the job done and $1200+ is rough. Solid content, thank you!
That's exactly what I do. I buy a little equipment at a time. And I wait even a little longer to buy the best. I take pride in owning better equipment than the commercial gyms.
I did the math. Between my membership and my gas going back and forth, it was going to cost me nearly $1,000 per year to go to my local planet fitness which is the closest gym to me. I bought an all in one smith machine functional trainer, 360lb bumper plate set from Amazon and a few attachments for $3,000. It just made sense to workout at home in the long run.
As someone who's built an apartment home gym, I've done well just by keeping an eye on the facebook marketplace deals in my area. I've gotten a lot of great equipment for a fraction of the new price. At this point, my gym is as expensive as my square footage allows
planning soon to buy just an adjustable bench and adjustable dumbells for the upcoming rainy and busy days, so i train at least those days.. just that covers a lot of exercises
I started building my home gym in 2007 and it is still a work in progress. The best part for me is that I workout with my kids. My 12 yr old is training to be better in sports and my 8 yr old is training to , as he says "be jacked". I am sure he got that term from his older brother. Me? I just want to stay healthy and strong.
I got up to benching 375 with a sears narrow upright bench with a pully set up on the back. Used it in a carport rain snow or shine. A bar hung off the rafters for pullups. 31 was my best. Military's off the ground because thats all I had. Could grab 200 and get 4 strict reps. That was 40 years ago. Still at it but moved to a spare bedroom. About to buy me some cool shit. I earned it.
I’m a female and love my own squat rack, barbells, dumbbells, etc. so glad I don’t have to rush off my squat rack and whatever equipment you buy it yours 😊 I’m now looking for a leg curl and leg press machine, but really not necessary 😂
Time and convenience. From the perspective of a shift worker, if I had to drive to a gym, then drive back, I'd be skipping gym days every time I felt off. It becomes very easy to simply fall off entirely under that.
I calculated my annual cost of merely driving to and from the gym, and since I live decently far into the country, the nearest gym is roughly an 18 minute drive away (which during rush hour can be up to 30 minutes one way) and a 36ish minute round trip. When converted to a $ amount per trip, it averages about $5.50 in gas per day to get there and back, which adds up to $143.45 per month or an astounding amount of $1721.50 PER YEAR when going to the gym 6 days a week. The second I found this out was when I knew I had to build a home gym. This also doesn't take into account the wear and tear on your vehicle or the time spent driving, which is around 187 hours or almost 8 ENTIRE DAYS of JUST driving to and from the gym. Absolutely insane.
A home gym is one of the best things I have done for my fitness and wellbeing. Especially with a small child with a compromised immune system at home. Public spaces are infection risks. Don't buy gym equipment on credit. Don't buy junk you will never use, it sits in the corner of your gym. Buy what you need, when you need it.
Building my home gym was totally worth it. Love it every second I am in there. Problem is, after some time training and being consistent I want to upgrade (saved a lot and got very basic cheap equipment). Well...knowing way more about training and exercises now, I have higher standards and would like a quite versatile home gym. That said, I have veeeeery limited space. Long story short, it is very expensive to upgrade to higher tier equipment with high funtionality. Tldr: Worth it. Comes with the motivation to upgrade (=cost) xD
Looks like the Bells of Steel one is a good one. Saw it at Home Gym con and a few of my buddies have it. Like how it mounts to the back or front of a rack instead of inside it
Also, the MAXUM Fitness SX2 all-in-one rack + smith (w/vertical leg press) + functional trainer (w/articulating arms). Nothing else quite like it on the market!
Home gym is %100 worth the investment. I’m down in my own gym in my house everyday with my 2 and 5 year old. Yes my 2 year old broke two finger when he tipped over a 25 lbs plate on his hand but he is better for it haha. Also my daughter has hit banged just about every part of her body climbing on it all, but they both LOVE going to play in the Gym. I’d do it over again every time. I got everything except my NuBell’s used. I got. 20k gym for less than 5k.
I think there is also a point to make with the use market. Gym membership, once paid it gives you nothing. If you build a homegym overtime some of the equipment retain value for a long time. If for any kind of reason you need to not have the gym anymore, you'll get some money back.
I built one this past April. Got a Fray Fitness rack and 250 1:1 double stack with aluminum pulleys. Plus some walmart bumper plates, a set of Trulap dumbells. some jammer arms Rep bench. I add here and there. Best investment, workout atleast 3 times a week sometimes more. I would have never have gone to the gym driving the crowds not worth it.
I used to have a Carport home gym with squat rack, bench, rack of dumbbells, Olympic bar & weights, heavy bag etc. I don't have the room for all that at my new place so I've had to drastically down size my home gym. My budget home gym now consists of dip bars, pullup bar, kettlebell, couple 35lb dumbbells and a shit ton of loop style resistance bands. Exchanged the hanging heavy bag for a standing bag and grappling dummy. Having a home gym doesn't have to be expensive. A person can make it work with without all the heavy equipment. Depends on how much work you're willing to put into it with what you got or the room for what you got.
great video coop, hope to hear your opinion on the force usa c10 . i think the sliding bench alone is a gamechanger and less gimmicky than most leg press attachment
Home gym: pull up bar $30, puzzle mat $25, parallel bars $35.... $10 jump rope, squat rack would be nice but it takes up so much room, a pistol squat is great for legs or split plyo squat burpees.
It's worth it! About to order a rogue bar. I'll be at about 1600 for everything so far. That money is worth the time I get to spend with my wife in the evenings. I don't commute to a gym now.
The best thing that I have found about building up the home gym qith my buddy from work is that I get to train how I want in the ways that I want. I still end up driving 20 minutes because it's in his garage but only things we don't have are cardio machines and a functional leg press. All in, probably about a 12-15K gym. I have about $6,000 invested. For me to split off I would have to buy plates. I have zero problem driving 20=30 minutes to go get my lifting in. I have found the most expensive things involving home gym/training is specialty equipment and dumbbells. The former is almost never on secondary market and is always on the higher end of the scale. Comes with the territory. I have 6 bars, 5 of which definitely fall into the specialty category, and around $2,000 invested in them. I did all of this in 2020 and 2021 for the most part. Prefab dumbbells expense is obvious. I bought a pair of 110 and 115 lb rubber dumbbells in Oct 2020 to help round out the set (which goes from 10 to 120, minus 90 and 105). Cost about $735 ($160 shipping) total, shipping included. I did a check of the price last year and found the price was above $1,200. I really, really hate marketpalce and the secondary market with a passion. I'm not a haggler. I'm not into haggling for a better deal. THAT is not worth the time investment. I imagine there are better places to be for it than others. I just know that Iowa is a desert for the equipment that we need. Keeping the cost of a home gym down is easy enough but desiring variety and the ability to cycle lifts in and out (which is necessary for those of us who do conjugate) drastically really starts amping up the cost.
A lot of people don't realize that with the ease of having a home gym 20 steps away from the couch can become an issue of procrastination. Not everybody, but everyone I knew that had a home gym, including my dad, RARELY USED IT. I find going to a public gym a commitment to exercising, where as, with a home gym, you can just say....well, I can just work out anytime I want, I'll do it later. The transit, the prep, and the timing matter a lot more going to a public gym, forcing you out the door more often in my opinion. We all aren't alike in that mindset, but I know a lot of people are like me and should realize before building an expensive home gym that you may rarely use it for this reason. Another thing about going to a public gym is it can be a introverted persons idea of a social venture to be around people but not conversing with them. Realize sooner rather than later if you like that "social" aspect of it because not everyone likes solely their own presence. Misery loves company, and sometimes just being around other people when your on the treadmill for 30+ minutes kind of helps pass the time quicker.
Built my first home gym 4 years ago for about 2k euro. I'm planning to completely replace everything in it next year, so I figure I'm getting a total of 5 years of life out of it, which makes it about 400€/year, which is definitely cheaper than a commercial gym around here. The reason I'm rebuilding it next year is that I want a bigger squat rack, cables, specialty bars, etc. For the rebuild, my budget is about 10k euro, but I also expect it to last a much longer time. In the end, I think the cost will still be quite similar compared to commercial gyms, when averaged out over the years. But then on top of the commercial gym membership cost, there's the time aspect, as well as fuel for transportation, etc, so I'm still comfortable with telling myself it's cheaper to have the expensive home gym 😁
Home gym is 1,000% worth it. Took me a while to get where I’m at now (which still isn’t much). Started the home gym journey when COVID first started, but as you said not financing is crucial and if you have an imagination you can do so much with so little. For the longest time we had 1 barbell and a set of 45lb bumpers and a set of 25lb bumpers and resistance bands. HIIT circuits all day. Then got a bench and cheap squat stand with a pull up bar on it from academy sports which is what we still have but now have 360lbs worth of bumpers and set of dumbells from 5lb-50lbs 2 barbells a variety of kettle bells and landmine posts that go into a stack of plates. I’ve been active my entire life, wrestled K-12, football, track and martial arts, joined the Marine Corps out of high school ect. So fitness and embracing the suck has always been a huge part of my lifestyle. The best thing to see, as you mentioned, is my young kids watching my wife and I work out and see them over in the corner doing pushups or air squats or even when we’re just chilling in the middle of the day they want to show us how many of whatever exercise they can do. It’s great, well worth the time, money, and memories to come. We’re looking into a legit rack for the garage now debating between the rogue or prx folding system. Kind of leaning prx now that it’s not over $1,000 dollars more and only a few hundred bucks more. I think the spring assist and one pull pin break down may be worth it. I see you wear a KC hat a lot. Much to KC and boulevard brewing. I grew up north of KC. Keep up the excellent videos man they’re great
The key factor that was not discussed that makes the home gym financially viable is the fact that you can resell the assets. Most of my gym was bought used and I could probably resell it for about the same that I bought it for. The largest downside is that it takes up a bunch of your home that could be used for other things.
Getting kids involved is huge. Workout at home will show them example of healthy choices. Start small - dumbbells, bench, resistance bands and make sure you are a person who will use home gym. You dont need a fully equipped home gym to have workout at home, bodyweight is free. I have only few thigs, but kettlebell, it is used the most. Now I only have 16Kg, plan to add 20kg and 24kg. Not sure when and if I will ever have a rack and a barbell at home, I dont have space for it. The most expensive is equipment that you buy new and shortly after try to sell used at a half price or less. It is much easier to order something online, than it is to sell it used at a diecent price. Give away almost for free - sure somebody will come and pick it up.
The "Home" part is the only part that's too expensive IMHO 😅
So many times I've tried to figure out how I can afford to convert my 2 car garage into a 4 car garage so I have more gym space. Spoiler: I can't afford it.
No kidding, even trying to find a rental with a garage I can afford is tough in my area
Totally true, housing around the world is getting out of control. The USA doesn’t have inflation or housing prices like Canada … Canada can be 50% higher than before covid , the states don’t have that
@@CraigularjJoeWoodworks Yeah we do, housing prices on the east coast doubled in 4 years.
😂😂😂
Probably spent about 10k on my home gym (2k if you ask my wife 😂) but in all seriousness its been the absolutr best thing for me. Im more consistent, dont have to worry about other people, cleanliness, commute time, can work out during my kids naps. Im in the best shape of my life.
LOL....exactly 🤣🤣🤣
Getting kids involved is a very underrated reason to have a home gym
it's done wonders for my kids and me
Cheap labor, they can help assemble.
More time working out,
what if you don’t have kids though, it’s irrelevant at that point
the only thing that irrelevant would be the reasoning applied here, but there's still other reasons that i personally applied to my decision, in fact the kid thing was an added bonus,
but ask yourself:
1. when do you plan to stop working out
2. do you value your time
3. does the gym you attend provide something you can't live without it can't duplicate at home
4. do you make a living training/coaching because that's reason enough (maximize profit)
5. if something were to happen and you could no longer go to the gym (financial, close etc) what would you do
Reason I build my home gym was for my, at the time, toothpick thin 13 yo. Now he’s 15, weighs 215 lbs, and out lifts half the people at the gym he goes to
The cost per mile of driving to the commercial gym is the great equalizer in the financial comparison. The time saved is icing on the cake...
Also someone is going to have to buy a gym bag and better clothes than you'd work out in at home and a lock.
I bike for 3 minutes to get to my gym
Home gym has been well worth it. No lines for equipment or other ppls sweat. Best thing is my kids see it and want to be “strong” like daddy!
Preach it brother, home gym always open,play your own music ,equipment you need is never occupied. The only problem is ALWAYS wanting more stuff😁
Find a local non-budget gym in your area and move the monthly fee in to an account specifically for gym equipment. Pretty soon you'll be the envy of all the gym nerds in your area.
@Snerdles That's what I did. Turns out the gym that was most appealing to me in my area was $200 /mo. That was the point where I decided to build my home gym and gave myself a $200 /mo budget. I tossed in some extra from Christmases and bonuses and such, but that's the financial foundation for my gym purchases. Makes it easy to justify to the wife.
Exactly @@Snerdles
Used market is HUGE so many people get out of it. Spent $700 got an Ohio bar, rogue women's bar, 2 cheap cap bars, a rack, a bike, over 800lbs in plates, dumbell, kettlebells, a bench, jump box, a pulley system, and even some shitty foam floor mats.
My dude, this is why I really wish you'd review more cheap products. Yeah, the $5000 racks with every bell and whistle is cool and all, the $3-4-5000 treadmills, all that stuff. But most people aren't buying that for home gyms, most people can't afford that for their whole setup let alone an individual piece. We need more cheap product reviews!
Yes this. Or justt to add when you already have your main setup.
You can always build over time. Save a little money every paycheck for gym upgrades. Flipping gym equipment can also be a viable option to finance a home gym
@@BJerrellyeah but you don't need to, and most people don't want to. I'm a software engineer and make a shitload of money, yet I still bought a 500 euro rack, used rubber mats and used iron plates. Just because you have money, doesn't mean you have to waste it on unnecessary crap.
You add little by little
@@alfredodelacruz1864 Sure. Spend $50 on a bolt here and there, $500 per upright, and in 10 years you can finally put your rack together.
I love this video! Home gyms are priceless because of the time that it allows me to spend time with my family while also improving my health and doing something I love. You can’t make those memories in a commercial gym.
The time point is spot on. But there’s also the fact that I’m introverted and don’t like working out around people.
I’ve come a long way with my home gym. It’s definitely worth it. And yes, TIME is EVERYTHING!!!
I put a gym in my garage this year and I am so happy I did! I workout more often, with better results, my wife and kids love it, I reward myself with more equipment, and it’s a huge reminder of the goals I have set for myself! Coop you are a big reason I took the leap. Thank you!
Endless medical bills due to being a physical wreck are way more expensive than a home gym. It’s way easier to be consistent at home than going to a gym.
Dude.. inflation, supply issues, massive demand during corona. It's incredible that the purchasing price isn't higher
I love entrepreneurs.
Never been a better time to have a home gym - tons of selection at almost any budget level and tons of great deals on the second hand market for used equipment
Home gyms are absolutely worth it to me. Coops point about buying what you will use is spot on. Buying equipment that works multiple muscle groups is the strategy I used (except I also bought a seated calf raise machine that only works one body part). I personally think it is cheaper today to build a home gym because you have more competition for equipment makers than 10 years ago which drives down price and increases innovation.
Building a home gym has been the best decision I’ve ever made. Started with the basics like you said and upgraded over time. For me personally going to a commercial gym was intimidating and ultimately deterred me from working out. Having a home gym, you don’t have to feel self conscious cause you can’t lift as much as the person next to you, especially for beginners. Also don’t have to worry about inflated egos in a home gym. Just a little bonus.
Avoiding many of the personalities at the gym has been one of the biggest benefits for me, and that was even before the day of TikTok and everyone wanting to take videos at the gym. The last time I was in a commercial gym, years ago, it was a vile, toxic cesspool.
Message from a decade ago is the same as now. PATIENCE. I’ve been slowly building my space for 2 years at nearly $0 out of pocket thanks to marketplace flips.
nice to get deals out there but some people can't wait for certain deals when they want to get gains. right away.
20 years ago I was grandfather'd in to a $50/year all-access membership at one of the "middle-tier" gyms. I slowly stopped going there, in favor of my office's small fitness center. But just 3-4 weeks ago I was finally able to achieve one of my "dreams" and build my own home (garage) gym -- Thanks in large part to *COOP* !
While it cost me over $1000 to build -- or 20 years of the gym membership -- you can't put a monetary value on *my time* and the convenience factor. No more time-consuming commutes or parking issues, no more crowds, no more looking over my shoulder being mindful of others wanting to use equipment, no more restrictive gym hours, I can put in work at any point in my day when I have the energy. The one & only drawback is the lack of climate-control currently -- but what's a little bit of added degree of difficulty😁💪
For many of us, you can put a very real number on the time savings. I'm self employed. If I spend an extra hour a day commuting to the gym, I lose an hour in my day I could be billing someone for my time. Add up all those hours, at my rate, and it's a very significant amount of money each month just for a drive to the gym and back, not to mention wasted time finding open equipment and such.
@@mikeprice3174 🤝
My home gym is nothing crazy. Barbell with plates, squad rack, adjustable dumbells, and regular ones, 2 stall mats, 2 benches, a couple of resistance bands, and a couple of other little things. I love it! I have all I need!
A home gym is absolutely more expensive than going to the gym but like you said it doesn’t factor in the time saved and convenience. Biggest waste of money for home gyms are people trying to have the best/commercial quality equipment. Most people simply don’t need the high quality stuff like Rogue and Eleiko to get a good workout in
Without a doubt, time is the biggest thing for me. I think I've spent around $2K over the course of 20 years. Now I work out every day (cardio or weights depending on the day) and quickly back to home life. On days where I don't feel like slinging weights around, then its pushups, squats, chin-ups and a run around the neighborhood... Would have taken me 2 hours round trip with a gym membership. Who has time for that when you have work and kids? Because of the consistency, my health is better as an old fart than it ever was when I was young.
I got the majority of my stuff second hand for pretty solid prices, compared to new. I am able to work out any day I want from home, doing virtually any kind of workout I want. Love it. Wouldn't trade it for anything (except new equipment lol).
Learning how to weld, and taking every piece of scrap metal I get my hands on has been the best thing for my gym.
My wife and I are so proud of our home gym. Most of it was built up through Facebook marketplace and free stuff people were just getting rid of. We hardly bought anything brand new.
And then to speak of the kids part… all of kids now use it. Our son has his boys over and they all go down there and talk about their PR’s. Our daughter’s both use it, but especially our oldest who was never really into fitness before. I can’t recommend the home gym enough!
Built one from truck tires, 4x4s, and a metal pipe. Also found a giant stone in the wood. Junkyard set up was dope
Started small during the pandemic, bought and sold many equipments throughout the past 4 years. It is definitely a hobby but I workout pretty much every day so it’s a healthy hobby. But the best part of having a home is TIME TIME TIME!
TIME: you nailed it. I think I calculated that it will take me almost 30 years to see a break even on all my home gym gear versus commercial gym fees. I don't care. I get up at 5am, have some coffee, head down to my basement and just start lifting. Not only do I save time on commuting but as I finish each workout I tee up my workout for the next morning so I have no set-up time either. I will never go back to a commercial gym.
For me, its the time i spent getting ready to the gym, and the journey to my gym, finding parking and stuff, whereas if at home i can sip my coffee between sets, prep my meal while im taking my break, crank the music up, go shirtless, play with my pets a little, and most importantly i dont have to sacrifice my workout just because the machine i planned to use for my workout is all occupied.
For anyone who might be interested in the stainless steel Rogue RM-6 It was $3500 (or was it $3800?? Either way it was one of those lol) BEFORE Covid and is now $6485. Ridiculous increase.
3600-3800 for the rm6 would be the marketplace pickup of the year in 2024 😂
@@shane2863 REP is coming out with stainless steel uprights soon and you KNOW they will be a better price than $6485. If they could get it down to about $4000-$4500 That would be so freaking awesome.
I love my home gym. Just having that space right there, no commute whenever you want it…. Man it’s just awesome. That in itself is worth so much to me. I feel blessed I have a home gym ❤
Started home gym right before Covid. I was in shape at 35 then in my 20s. Now I’m going all out to get all the dumbbells with pulley system.
I've been in my house for 16 years so I have been building my home gym for 16 years (except for replacing stuff that wears out, I am done). The best part about a home gym is no obnoxious influencers in your way filming.
Best thing I ever did. In 2020, I started with old rusted weight equipment. The only thing I found that I could afford to buy that year were strength bands. I made it happen in my living room for 8 months.
Little by little , piece by piece , it’s all set up in the garage. It’s not super expensive and elaborate like some of the garages Coop showcases. But I’m very happy with my equipment. It keeps me wanting to walk to the garage and get a workout in. More than any gym membership ever did for me.
I am very happy with my home gym. I sometimes use it for proper work outs, but I also use it for smaller work outs or excersize snacks etc, things I would normally never go to the gym for but now that I have it I do. So walk into the home gym, do a set of curls. Or use the pull up bar, do some bench pressing and go out again. Just very convenient
I started weightlifting when I was 12 years old. I did it after a childhood friend transformed from a skinny kid into a muscular teenager over a 3-month summer vacation. When I asked him how he did it, he showed his 120 lbs of standard weight plates and a barbell. He taught me what he knew about weightlifting, and I eventually talked him into selling his weight set to me, which I bought for $10 in 1968. I had to carry the 120-weight set to my home, over a mile away. I did it a few yards at a time, and I was sore for many days after I eventually got it to my home, which I carried every foot of the way.
I now have 4 home gyms: a garage gym, a basement gym, an extension room gym, and a backyard patio gym.
However, all I really need is a vinyl-covered concrete barbell weight set, a pair of spin-lock dumbbells (even though I own rubber-coated hex dumbbells from 5 lbs to 100 lbs, power block adjustable dumbbells, standard weight dumbbells, and Olympic dumbbells), an adjustable bench, and an adjustable kettlebell.
I do love my home gym but I keep my “gym” membership at the local church camp thing right up the road…I do enjoy having an air conditioned track to b able to run
Agree, good to have both. Gym bros can help keep motivation, vs just lifting at home all the time
Built my home gym last year and it has absolutely changed the way I train, for the better. Also there’s nothing like not being away from home but still being able to workout.
I love the passion, love the stuff about setting a good example. Love it.
It’s not only the comparison on the membership it could be the comparison on fuel to get there and miles on the car going back and forth. That was actually the biggest reason for me building a gym as we moved house when prices of fuel rocketed and it was at that point easier and cheaper to start building one than driving to my nearest gym
We love our home gym, yes there have been some large purchases but we have built up other things over time and our kids get to see every day (except rest day) that training is normal
It is absolutely doable to build something useable and not go broke. The only really unnecessary expensive items I have are my calibrated bumpers and powerlifting discs which are pretty much all you get in America if you prefer KGs. It's taken me 7 years to get the setup I have now and I'm not really adding much at this point. Next up is a set of monolift arms and maybe a set of roller j-hooks. It will depend on what Rogue and a couple other companies have for holiday sales.
I’ve been stoked to build my home gym for the past 4 years. Since the pandemic I’ve scored majority of my equipment from marketplace.
Luckily for me I live in Hawai’i so theirs a lot more people around me who buy expensive equipment but never use it.
I’ve scored a full Rouge Power Rack with bench , Ohio bar , and other misc equipment for under $500. Same guy sold me a set of Nautilus weights ranging from 10’s to 45’s.
Depending on your location you can score some insane deals - just takes time and a quick trigger finger
It worths it 1000% !!! Home gym for life !!!
I enjoy not having to worry about other people and that I don't have to carve out as much time in order to workout, ie be the healthy that I want to be. I don't have to worry about what to wear to the gym, how to do my hair to go to the gym, how make face looks or the grunts I may make when lifting weights, etc. I don't need to worry about people since it's my personal gym. Then, Time and motivation is usually where people fail in their workout endeavors. If you can maintain the motivation, the time required is also easier to manage.
I completely agree with you coop, honestly if i didnt have my home gym, i wouldnt work out like at all, i cant stand public gyms lol😄😄😄
because of all the chinese companies, machines for home gyms are cheap as never before. If u consider the inflation of 10 years most pieces are cheaper than 2014
I've always had a home gym and used it. When my kids were little, little, it was easy to get them to come try fun stuff, but then they started becoming resistant to the idea until my boys balls dropped and THEN they started getting serious about training, so you have to be prepared to "go with the flow" a little bit and realize that exactly what it looks like to have your kids working out with you will change over time.
Home gym, yes. I have two 50-lb kettlebells, two 35-lb kettlebells, a 30-lb bell, and a pull-up bar, a dip station. I also have a 12 pc puzzle mat, a 40-lb vest, a backpack with a 25-lb rectangular plate in it, and assorted ankle/wrist weights. Oh yeah, and an ab wheel. For what I do, it's a pretty complete setup. I also have a great non corporate gym I belong to locally. Great video.
With my Mikolo Power Cage, barbell, Flybird bench, 260lb worth of plates and Rep QuickDraw Dumbells, I’m all in about $1800. In my opinion, that is ABSOLUTELY worth it. I can do barbell movements up to 305lb and dumbbell movements up to 60lb.
Totally worth it for me. It removes all the friction involved in working out somewhere else which made it possible for me to actually adhere to a workout plan. Most folks seem to prefer condensing their suffering into a single hour+ long block at the gym. I prefer to split it up over the course of the day into smaller 15-20 minute blocks, and if I had to leave the house for each of those, even a short 10 minute round-trip travel time to a commercial gym would add up massively.
It’s definitely worth it for me. I never got the chance to lift weights consistently in college and even once I graduated I wasn’t able to as I just didn’t have the time. A lot of us work, take care of the kids, etc. and to make time to drive 20-30 minutes to the gym, workout for 45- and hour due to wait times for a squat rack or bench etc, plus now a return 20-30 minute drive home was exhausting.
Now I’m able to walk into my garage, no commute time, lift weights for 30-35 minutes since I’m not waiting for anything (can also superset) and I’m done. I don’t always have 2 hours, but I can definitely make time for 30 minutes. I also get it done during my lunch break since I WFH, which I could never do before. It’s amazing for consistency.
My home gym is my favorite place to be. Love it
Now more than ever having a home gym makes sense. Time is a huge factor...time commuting and time waiting for a machine to be available. After the pandemic the market has expanded so much with unique specialty products, cheap products and new companies entering the market. Take BOS for example (my favorite non American company) with their innovative products. And to think the owner almost shut down the company and then overnight the pandemic showed he was in the right place at the right time. Having a home gym is like being a kid in a toy store with so many cool options. Best of all you are staying healthy by working out.
Hell yeah.. it's still worth it. For me, I don't like dealing with people. I like having equipment tailored to what I want. I like the convenience of not having to drive to the gym. I can also get my family involved.. my grandkids love it.
Coop rocking the peg board, Vision Quest style!
Worth every penny and time to build it up
Excellent financial advice to save up over time before buying equipment. In a time when almost everything is purchased on finance, this is wonderful advice!
I've spent around $2400 over 4 years and have probably more than I need, but I'm always excited to use my equipment. Worth every penny. Eyeing a shoulder press/side lateral machine and a lever belt squat I don't have room for or need ...
My kid is too young for weights right now but sometimes she gets up early and walks into the garage when I’m working out. I have a section of my white board that is for her to color with dry erase. It just shows her that exercise is normal.
Coop, thank you so much for calling out the financing aspect. Tired of these companies pushing this predatory lending services. I have got to call out your other channel GGR everything for mentioning it is available for a barbell. To their credit, they have not mentioned it since that one instance so I think feedback was heard.
If your budget is not large, buy from second-hand sites or flea markets. Usually different things are offered in an advertisement. If the price is low, buy everything. Keep what you can use, and sell the surplus from the lot. It takes some effort and time, but after a considerable amount of time you will have everything you want at a very low price or even for free.
The time and energy that I save by having a home are priceless. No crowds, no loud crappy music, no working in with other people, no potential for sitting in someone's bodily's fluids, no driving to and from the gym, and I could on and on. It was expensive to build and I still want to add a few more pieces of equipment, and I don't regret it. I wish that 100+ pound dumbbells and some equipment that I want were cheaper.
Built my basement gym in May for $8k- I love it, and have been way more consistent with my workouts these last four months than I have the rest of my life. It’ll pay for itself over 7 years between the cost of the gym my wife and I went to, and the transportation costs.
2024 garagegymmer here 😂 and its worth it. not only do i like the excitement for my next purchase, as coop mentioned. i save 2,5 hours of time PER DAY on traveling . besides traveling, coop could have mentioned that I always had to go after working hours which is 928488384848484 people at the gym at the same time in rush hour. Now I wake up early morning, train, shower, drink a cup of coffee, bring my kids to school and go to work. guess what, whole evening time for the wife 😂👌🏽. Homegym was the best purchase ive done in a long long time.
Picked up an Ethos rack, barbell, bench, #550 in weights and heavy bag $600 on FBM… the rest is history. I’ve since acquired a full 5-100# dumbbell set and FTX functional trainer. Canceled my LA Fitness membership. Haven’t looked back. Open 24/7 and the squat rack is always open. Only thing I miss is a few of the people I met along the way
great vid, although your price comparison between now and then isnt overly relevant as you didnt take into account inflation.
Didn’t think about the time and travel when I bought my equipment . I would say it’s viable for consistency. I got all that money out there I feel obligated to use it . The days you don’t feel like going got that much easier because it’s one step out the door to get it in . Many pros to the home gym beyond what the naked eye can see
Those Reppin dumbells are my carrot right now... i want them... and that 125lbs... but i have 90lb powerblocks that are getting the job done and $1200+ is rough. Solid content, thank you!
Preach Brother 👍
That's exactly what I do. I buy a little equipment at a time. And I wait even a little longer to buy the best. I take pride in owning better equipment than the commercial gyms.
I did the math. Between my membership and my gas going back and forth, it was going to cost me nearly $1,000 per year to go to my local planet fitness which is the closest gym to me. I bought an all in one smith machine functional trainer, 360lb bumper plate set from Amazon and a few attachments for $3,000. It just made sense to workout at home in the long run.
As someone who's built an apartment home gym, I've done well just by keeping an eye on the facebook marketplace deals in my area. I've gotten a lot of great equipment for a fraction of the new price. At this point, my gym is as expensive as my square footage allows
planning soon to buy just an adjustable bench and adjustable dumbells for the upcoming rainy and busy days, so i train at least those days.. just that covers a lot of exercises
I started building my home gym in 2007 and it is still a work in progress. The best part for me is that I workout with my kids. My 12 yr old is training to be better in sports and my 8 yr old is training to , as he says "be jacked". I am sure he got that term from his older brother. Me? I just want to stay healthy and strong.
I got up to benching 375 with a sears narrow upright bench with a pully set up on the back. Used it in a carport rain snow or shine. A bar hung off the rafters for pullups. 31 was my best. Military's off the ground because thats all I had. Could grab 200 and get 4 strict reps. That was 40 years ago. Still at it but moved to a spare bedroom. About to buy me some cool shit. I earned it.
A good start is adjustable dumbbells
Then a decent bench, you could get a lot done just with that!
Overtime save up get a squat rack
I’m a female and love my own squat rack, barbells, dumbbells, etc. so glad I don’t have to rush off my squat rack and whatever equipment you buy it yours 😊 I’m now looking for a leg curl and leg press machine, but really not necessary 😂
I need a contractor to bring in some flooring in my garage, but I've already got equipment indoors and am building out my kettlebell collection.
Time and convenience. From the perspective of a shift worker, if I had to drive to a gym, then drive back, I'd be skipping gym days every time I felt off. It becomes very easy to simply fall off entirely under that.
When you have kids, the home gym is an absolute life-saver. Free time is hard to come by, and having the gym right there gives you no excuse.
EFFICIENCY with time ⏰/workout plan 💪/ resourses 💦 🍲/ family 👪 etc, to manage the variables at home 🏡 ... 👍
I calculated my annual cost of merely driving to and from the gym, and since I live decently far into the country, the nearest gym is roughly an 18 minute drive away (which during rush hour can be up to 30 minutes one way) and a 36ish minute round trip. When converted to a $ amount per trip, it averages about $5.50 in gas per day to get there and back, which adds up to $143.45 per month or an astounding amount of $1721.50 PER YEAR when going to the gym 6 days a week. The second I found this out was when I knew I had to build a home gym. This also doesn't take into account the wear and tear on your vehicle or the time spent driving, which is around 187 hours or almost 8 ENTIRE DAYS of JUST driving to and from the gym. Absolutely insane.
A home gym is one of the best things I have done for my fitness and wellbeing. Especially with a small child with a compromised immune system at home. Public spaces are infection risks. Don't buy gym equipment on credit. Don't buy junk you will never use, it sits in the corner of your gym. Buy what you need, when you need it.
Building my home gym was totally worth it. Love it every second I am in there. Problem is, after some time training and being consistent I want to upgrade (saved a lot and got very basic cheap equipment). Well...knowing way more about training and exercises now, I have higher standards and would like a quite versatile home gym. That said, I have veeeeery limited space. Long story short, it is very expensive to upgrade to higher tier equipment with high funtionality. Tldr: Worth it. Comes with the motivation to upgrade (=cost) xD
REVIEW THE BOLT FITNESS SMITH MACHINE COOP GIVE THIS SOME LIKES SO HE WILL DO IT
I would love to see him cover smith machines and smith rack combos.
yes please review more smith machines
Looks like the Bells of Steel one is a good one. Saw it at Home Gym con and a few of my buddies have it. Like how it mounts to the back or front of a rack instead of inside it
Also, the MAXUM Fitness SX2 all-in-one rack + smith (w/vertical leg press) + functional trainer (w/articulating arms). Nothing else quite like it on the market!
In the works, my friend. Have used it A LOTTTTT. - Coop
Home gym is %100 worth the investment. I’m down in my own gym in my house everyday with my 2 and 5 year old. Yes my 2 year old broke two finger when he tipped over a 25 lbs plate on his hand but he is better for it haha. Also my daughter has hit banged just about every part of her body climbing on it all, but they both LOVE going to play in the Gym. I’d do it over again every time. I got everything except my NuBell’s used. I got. 20k gym for less than 5k.
I think there is also a point to make with the use market. Gym membership, once paid it gives you nothing. If you build a homegym overtime some of the equipment retain value for a long time. If for any kind of reason you need to not have the gym anymore, you'll get some money back.
I built one this past April. Got a Fray Fitness rack and 250 1:1 double stack with aluminum pulleys. Plus some walmart bumper plates, a set of Trulap dumbells. some jammer arms Rep bench. I add here and there. Best investment, workout atleast 3 times a week sometimes more. I would have never have gone to the gym driving the crowds not worth it.
They are cheaper than ever in Australia...we used to pay ridiculous amounts for the lowest quality stuff.
I used to have a Carport home gym with squat rack, bench, rack of dumbbells, Olympic bar & weights, heavy bag etc.
I don't have the room for all that at my new place so I've had to drastically down size my home gym. My budget home gym now consists of dip bars, pullup bar, kettlebell, couple 35lb dumbbells and a shit ton of loop style resistance bands. Exchanged the hanging heavy bag for a standing bag and grappling dummy.
Having a home gym doesn't have to be expensive. A person can make it work with without all the heavy equipment. Depends on how much work you're willing to put into it with what you got or the room for what you got.
great video coop, hope to hear your opinion on the force usa c10 . i think the sliding bench alone is a gamechanger and less gimmicky than most leg press attachment
Home gym: pull up bar $30, puzzle mat $25, parallel bars $35.... $10 jump rope, squat rack would be nice but it takes up so much room, a pistol squat is great for legs or split plyo squat burpees.
It's worth it! About to order a rogue bar. I'll be at about 1600 for everything so far. That money is worth the time I get to spend with my wife in the evenings. I don't commute to a gym now.
The best thing that I have found about building up the home gym qith my buddy from work is that I get to train how I want in the ways that I want. I still end up driving 20 minutes because it's in his garage but only things we don't have are cardio machines and a functional leg press. All in, probably about a 12-15K gym. I have about $6,000 invested. For me to split off I would have to buy plates. I have zero problem driving 20=30 minutes to go get my lifting in.
I have found the most expensive things involving home gym/training is specialty equipment and dumbbells. The former is almost never on secondary market and is always on the higher end of the scale. Comes with the territory. I have 6 bars, 5 of which definitely fall into the specialty category, and around $2,000 invested in them. I did all of this in 2020 and 2021 for the most part. Prefab dumbbells expense is obvious. I bought a pair of 110 and 115 lb rubber dumbbells in Oct 2020 to help round out the set (which goes from 10 to 120, minus 90 and 105). Cost about $735 ($160 shipping) total, shipping included. I did a check of the price last year and found the price was above $1,200.
I really, really hate marketpalce and the secondary market with a passion. I'm not a haggler. I'm not into haggling for a better deal. THAT is not worth the time investment. I imagine there are better places to be for it than others. I just know that Iowa is a desert for the equipment that we need. Keeping the cost of a home gym down is easy enough but desiring variety and the ability to cycle lifts in and out (which is necessary for those of us who do conjugate) drastically really starts amping up the cost.
A lot of people don't realize that with the ease of having a home gym 20 steps away from the couch can become an issue of procrastination. Not everybody, but everyone I knew that had a home gym, including my dad, RARELY USED IT. I find going to a public gym a commitment to exercising, where as, with a home gym, you can just say....well, I can just work out anytime I want, I'll do it later. The transit, the prep, and the timing matter a lot more going to a public gym, forcing you out the door more often in my opinion. We all aren't alike in that mindset, but I know a lot of people are like me and should realize before building an expensive home gym that you may rarely use it for this reason. Another thing about going to a public gym is it can be a introverted persons idea of a social venture to be around people but not conversing with them. Realize sooner rather than later if you like that "social" aspect of it because not everyone likes solely their own presence. Misery loves company, and sometimes just being around other people when your on the treadmill for 30+ minutes kind of helps pass the time quicker.
Built my first home gym 4 years ago for about 2k euro. I'm planning to completely replace everything in it next year, so I figure I'm getting a total of 5 years of life out of it, which makes it about 400€/year, which is definitely cheaper than a commercial gym around here.
The reason I'm rebuilding it next year is that I want a bigger squat rack, cables, specialty bars, etc. For the rebuild, my budget is about 10k euro, but I also expect it to last a much longer time. In the end, I think the cost will still be quite similar compared to commercial gyms, when averaged out over the years. But then on top of the commercial gym membership cost, there's the time aspect, as well as fuel for transportation, etc, so I'm still comfortable with telling myself it's cheaper to have the expensive home gym 😁
Home gym is 1,000% worth it. Took me a while to get where I’m at now (which still isn’t much). Started the home gym journey when COVID first started, but as you said not financing is crucial and if you have an imagination you can do so much with so little. For the longest time we had 1 barbell and a set of 45lb bumpers and a set of 25lb bumpers and resistance bands. HIIT circuits all day. Then got a bench and cheap squat stand with a pull up bar on it from academy sports which is what we still have but now have 360lbs worth of bumpers and set of dumbells from 5lb-50lbs 2 barbells a variety of kettle bells and landmine posts that go into a stack of plates. I’ve been active my entire life, wrestled K-12, football, track and martial arts, joined the Marine Corps out of high school ect. So fitness and embracing the suck has always been a huge part of my lifestyle. The best thing to see, as you mentioned, is my young kids watching my wife and I work out and see them over in the corner doing pushups or air squats or even when we’re just chilling in the middle of the day they want to show us how many of whatever exercise they can do. It’s great, well worth the time, money, and memories to come. We’re looking into a legit rack for the garage now debating between the rogue or prx folding system. Kind of leaning prx now that it’s not over $1,000 dollars more and only a few hundred bucks more. I think the spring assist and one pull pin break down may be worth it. I see you wear a KC hat a lot. Much to KC and boulevard brewing. I grew up north of KC. Keep up the excellent videos man they’re great
The key factor that was not discussed that makes the home gym financially viable is the fact that you can resell the assets. Most of my gym was bought used and I could probably resell it for about the same that I bought it for. The largest downside is that it takes up a bunch of your home that could be used for other things.
Getting kids involved is huge. Workout at home will show them example of healthy choices.
Start small - dumbbells, bench, resistance bands and make sure you are a person who will use home gym. You dont need a fully equipped home gym to have workout at home, bodyweight is free.
I have only few thigs, but kettlebell, it is used the most. Now I only have 16Kg, plan to add 20kg and 24kg. Not sure when and if I will ever have a rack and a barbell at home, I dont have space for it.
The most expensive is equipment that you buy new and shortly after try to sell used at a half price or less. It is much easier to order something online, than it is to sell it used at a diecent price. Give away almost for free - sure somebody will come and pick it up.