Official Home Gym Building Thread

Soldato
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Calf raise... machine? I just stand on a plate :D

Next time the wife and I move having a bigger space than we have now is super high on the list, now that we've realised how much we like having a gym at home. I think we've made good use of the space we have now but really it's very cramped

I'm in the process of making a calf raise "step" out of timber and some grip tape. Until then we're using the garage step :rolleyes:

We've also been looking to move recently. It's been hard enough to find a place we like, but I have also added the requirement of an extra room downstairs for the gym :eek: we have no hope!
 
Associate
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Calf raise... machine? I just stand on a plate :D
Next time the wife and I move having a bigger space than we have now is super high on the list, now that we've realised how much we like having a gym at home. I think we've made good use of the space we have now but really it's very cramped
I just stand on a platform at the moment with dumbbells in my hand, but I prefer calf machines to really isolate them and takes balancing out of the equation.

As Cadder said, thanks for info and help :)

can you not do something with your existing pulley machine for Lat pull downs ?
I actually already do lat pull downs on my current machine, the problem is that the stack isn't heavy enough, and I have nothing to slot my legs under to keep me grounded when performing it.
The ATX plate loaded lat pulldown can take 180kg :)
 
Associate
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I just stand on a platform at the moment with dumbbells in my hand, but I prefer calf machines to really isolate them and takes balancing out of the equation.


I actually already do lat pull downs on my current machine, the problem is that the stack isn't heavy enough, and I have nothing to slot my legs under to keep me grounded when performing it.
The ATX plate loaded lat pulldown can take 180kg :)

ahhhh yeah you need some concrete boots! :cry:, but worth knowing re weight needed,, not sure how important lat pull downs are for me at the moment, would be for tricep pull downs, and arm curls, so prob any of the afore mentioned cable machines could work, but will think about the lats !
 
Soldato
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@Squidward thank you. I checked but they're OOS for the one I want. I'll make do with jabbing my oly bar on a towel in the corner of the room for the moment :p

Well today I picked up 80kg of 2" bumper plates for £2/kg. I'll be selling off my cast irons as these bumpers look a lot better. Also bagged a plyobox so my little garage gym is growing. Now to get the dismantled pallet timber and scaffy boards moved :rolleyes:
 
Soldato
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Wigan
Hi

Looking to buy this for our garage now that stuff looks to be getting back in stock

https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-cf475-strength-package-2-sepb2726

used to have a more basic weights set up but had to get rid due to the child so im looking forward to getting in to it again!

we have some pretty tough garage floor tiles 10mm thick but i was thinking if i should get a some gym flooring under it also, think it will be needed?

we have a treadmill on the flooring with just a roll up mat that came with it with no issues.

also any reccomendations for alternatives? dont want to spend more than this really and the 0% finance over 6 months would be nice.

cieling is 240cm so this just fits with 25cm to spare

thanks.
 
Man of Honour
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The air con installers managed to destroy the front of my gazebo gym. Good to know that I can get a replacement sidewall delivered next day, just in time before the forecast storms.

Hi

Looking to buy this for our garage now that stuff looks to be getting back in stock

https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-cf475-strength-package-2-sepb2726

used to have a more basic weights set up but had to get rid due to the child so im looking forward to getting in to it again!

we have some pretty tough garage floor tiles 10mm thick but i was thinking if i should get a some gym flooring under it also, think it will be needed?

we have a treadmill on the flooring with just a roll up mat that came with it with no issues.

also any reccomendations for alternatives? dont want to spend more than this really and the 0% finance over 6 months would be nice.

cieling is 240cm so this just fits with 25cm to spare

thanks.

Personally I’d always put in gym flooring and thicker the better if your putting weights on it. You’d think 10-20mm paving slaps would be fine with a 20mm gym flooring time on top, nope, not with deadlifts.
 
Soldato
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I bought some stable mats today. They're going over the painted concrete garage floor. Is it best to leave the deadlift/squat area as hard concrete or just do them on the mats?
 
Man of Honour
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Yeah sorry I meant underfoot. Normally deadlift stations have a hard floor underfoot and then the sides where the weights land are softer. From what I have seen anyway.

I have thinner matts where I stand. They are firm, so there is still a solid base. It also means that the bar with weights on isn't raised too much.
 
Associate
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Posts
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Hi

Looking to buy this for our garage now that stuff looks to be getting back in stock

https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-cf475-strength-package-2-sepb2726

used to have a more basic weights set up but had to get rid due to the child so im looking forward to getting in to it again!

we have some pretty tough garage floor tiles 10mm thick but i was thinking if i should get a some gym flooring under it also, think it will be needed?

we have a treadmill on the flooring with just a roll up mat that came with it with no issues.

also any reccomendations for alternatives? dont want to spend more than this really and the 0% finance over 6 months would be nice.

cieling is 240cm so this just fits with 25cm to spare

thanks.
That rack looks to be the same as the mirafit M2 which is not great.

Go to mirafits site and get the following imo:
M3 Rack (Best rack on the market for the price by far)
M3 Olympic Barbell
M3 Bench
Bumper plates
For the cable machine get the mirafit standalone dual pulley when it's back in stock (£250)

I appreciate this is slightly over budget, but you can get the cable machine later and the M3 rack is absolutely top notch.

15 or 20mm rubber tiles are ideal. Drill your rack in to the floor either way.
 
Associate
Joined
27 Jun 2009
Posts
490
Hi

Looking to buy this for our garage now that stuff looks to be getting back in stock

https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-cf475-strength-package-2-sepb2726

used to have a more basic weights set up but had to get rid due to the child so im looking forward to getting in to it again!

we have some pretty tough garage floor tiles 10mm thick but i was thinking if i should get a some gym flooring under it also, think it will be needed?

we have a treadmill on the flooring with just a roll up mat that came with it with no issues.

also any reccomendations for alternatives? dont want to spend more than this really and the 0% finance over 6 months would be nice.

cieling is 240cm so this just fits with 25cm to spare

thanks.
That rack looks to be the same as the mirafit M2 which is not great.

Go to mirafits site and get the following imo:
M3 Rack (Best rack on the market for the price by far)
M3 Olympic Barbell
M3 Bench
Bumper plates
For the cable machine get the mirafit standalone dual pulley when it's back in stock (£250)

I appreciate this is slightly over budget, but you can get the cable machine later and the M3 rack is absolutely top notch.

15 or 20mm rubber tiles are ideal. Drill your rack in to the floor either way.

i concur what Squidward states here, i have the M3 rack its a beast, i have the 208cm high 90cm deep version, but they do various sizes, also re the bench, my bench is the same as the m3 bench (from extreme fitness), but the seat material is different, believe the M3 one is shiny/vinyl like, but the extreme fitness version is like a grippy material, there are various incantations out there, even different coloured frame ones, so the choice is yours,

i am also waiting for the M3 pulley to come into stock, Q3 this year apparently,

re bolting the M3 down, guess it depends on the weights your using, but mine isn't bolted, they do a stabilization bar for it, that fits at the bottom rear of the frame, but its out of stock, however they also do a fat pull up bar which is in stock so i bought that to use for now in its place, but its not shown in the photos as only just fitted it,

FTd2ffB.jpg x4l0GZo.jpg
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2006
Posts
20,860
Location
Wigan
That rack looks to be the same as the mirafit M2 which is not great.

Go to mirafits site and get the following imo:
M3 Rack (Best rack on the market for the price by far)
M3 Olympic Barbell
M3 Bench
Bumper plates
For the cable machine get the mirafit standalone dual pulley when it's back in stock (£250)

I appreciate this is slightly over budget, but you can get the cable machine later and the M3 rack is absolutely top notch.

15 or 20mm rubber tiles are ideal. Drill your rack in to the floor either way.

M3 cage, adjustable bench and bar with 2 x 5kg, 10kg and 15kg and clips comes in at £1150.

The cable machine can wait tbh. Can pick up some more weights in a month or two.

Any difference in rubber and crumb rubber plates?

Thanks for the help
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Mar 2011
Posts
5,417

I thought about getting a full rack like the M3 instead of the M210 half rack but one of the reasons I didn't was I thought putting it this close to the wall would make pressing in it difficult...? What do you do with the safeties? Spin the bench around and rack the bar on the uprights furthest from the wall or something else?
 
Associate
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27 Jun 2009
Posts
490
I thought about getting a full rack like the M3 instead of the M210 half rack but one of the reasons I didn't was I thought putting it this close to the wall would make pressing in it difficult...? What do you do with the safeties? Spin the bench around and rack the bar on the uprights furthest from the wall or something else?

good question, one of the reasons i haven't bolted the rack to the floor, is i haven't decided how im going to use it, currently im pressing at the same place where the bar is, but lower, im trying to get these spotters to use there
https://mirafit.co.uk/mirafit-m3-safety-spotters.html
i dont like the spotters that come with the rack, but they are there low down to help provide stability, the sleeves on them are quite heavy,, to be honest I am currently nursing an injured rotator cuff, so weight wise theres not enough on the bar to squash a rat! :) i have seen people press from the inside of where the bar is, so you would lift up and towards you to press, but not tried that yet, doesnt look right but i guess its easier re rackin the bar!

obviously ive got the battle ropes at the back as well, so that presents a challenge if i where to press from the back!, i dont think i have enough room to pull the rack forward enough to clear them,

so in answer to your question being ropes or the vicinity of the wall, yes it would be difficult pressing from there, they do an extension rack though that would go behind the rack that you could put wights and various things on, but again its all about space management, hope whats above makes sense and helps
 
Soldato
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14 Mar 2011
Posts
5,417
It does, cheers... I have the half rack with the extension/weight storage that you get for that and then just use arm spotters off the front similar to what you describe. Should really post a picture at some point just keep forgetting!

It's funny how many of us even on here are waiting for that same Mirafit pulley system - I've got a bad feeling it's going to be hard to secure one when they do get them in :s
 
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