Build your own gym-Part 2

How To Build Your Ultimate Home Gym: Part Two

   If you've already broken free of big box gyms and built your own hardcore home training space, learn what equipment to add next—and how to build it!


    Assuming you've already read part one of my "Build Your Ultimate Home Gym" series, your bases are covered: Your rack and bench are set, you have a solid bar, and you probably have a pile of mismatched plates.

   Championship programs have been built on the simplicity of such a setup. Heck, too much equipment may even distract you from your most productive work! With that said, there are a few more pieces of excellent iron a home trainee can add to his or her gym.

Bumper Plates

     In my opinion, a gym that lacks bumper plates and a platform is only out to get your money and has no concern at all for your progress. Most gym chains won't let you use bumper plates correctly, even when they have them available.

True story: I was training a ranked competitive weightlifter on clean and jerks with bumpers on a platform, and management asked us to stop due to noise complaints. Yet another reason to break free from the big box gym!

   Bumper plates are rubberized weights. They allow weights to be more safely dropped when doing Olympic-style lifts, and they reduce the amount of noise resulting from iron plates.

  Bumper plates also are better for your bar and will protect your equipment and floor. These advantages make legitimate training facilities shell out the big bucks for them, as well as make them one of the most desired items for the home-trainer. Depending on your budget, you generally will have three options for bumper plates.

1 / Competitive Weightlifting Discs

      If you ever watch Olympic weightlifting, you've seen the colorful competition discs. These top-of-the-line bumpers feature a rubber body around a metal core. They're typically color coded, and all plates from 10-25 kg (or 25-55 pounds) are the same diameter. This way, when doing Olympic lifts, pulls, or deadlifts, the bar is always the proper distance from the floor. A proper bumper is about 17.7 inches in diameter, but heavier weights will be thicker.

    These types of bumpers are highly regulated for the bar opening, and they're guaranteed to be within 10 grams of the labeled weight. This makes them expensive. However, these bumpers feature a higher-density rubber for less bounce, and are made to survive. Competition bumpers are the nicest option, but expect to pay $3-5 per pound, or more.

2 / Economy Bumper Plates

    Economy bumper plates still have the proper diameter, but are usually made of recycled tire rubber and don't have the tight weight tolerances that competitive discs have. Economy bumpers are usually black, and they're quite a bit thicker than the nicer sets, which can limit how much weight you can stack on the bar.

   Most gyms and high schools use economy bumpers to save money. If abused, however, the metal collars may slip out. From a training standpoint, there is no serious difference that would result from using these bumpers over higher-quality sets. Expect to pay in the ballpark of $1-2.50 per pound.



3 / Ghetto Bumpers!

    I have to give my love to the poor man's ghetto gym. One pair of inexpensive 45-pound bumpers will probably cost you more than $150, but if you go ghetto, you can make your own for only a few bucks!

   First, go to your local salvage yard and find a pair of identical wheels—in the ballpark of 16-18 inches (with the tires on, obviously). You may be able to get these for free. If not, you can probably purchase them for under $5. Not only is this size approximately the same as a normal bumper, but the weight is similar, too. I had 17-inch wheels that came in at an even 45 pounds.

You will quickly notice that the opening in the wheel is far too large for your bar. You will need a pair of 10-pound weights and the proper hardware. Drill a few holes into the 10-pound weights and bolt them in place to the wheel. Alternatively, if have the right shop setup, you can weld them in place. You now have wheels that should properly fit on your bar!

Quick Tip: If you don't want to buy a full set of bumpers, get as many 45s as you need and use your regular iron plates with bumpers on the end.

Bands

   Bands are extremely versatile. Home gym or not, I tell everybody to buy some. Today's bands are not your Aunt Chloe's exercise doo-dahs; the bands I'm talking about can provide up to 200 pounds of dynamic resistance! Bands have been popularized by powerlifters and coaches, who use them to radically increase the strength levels of elite athletes. They are good for adding dynamic resistance to your bench or replacing an entire cable column; they are also extremely portable.

    Normal bands are 41 inches long. They come in a variety of widths and resistances. For bench pressing, a pair of micro-mini bands will only cost you a few dollars each. They could be used for assisted pull-ups, squats, deadlifts, good mornings, triceps push-downs, and a hundred other things.

   Some manufacturers make shorter, 12-inch bands specifically for the deadlift and bench press. These bands are easy to set up for those lifts, but they aren't as versatile as full-length bands.

Suspension Strap System

     Suspension systems have recently become popular. Strap systems allow you to assume certain positions for bodyweight exercises like rows, presses, and more. Suspension training doesn't offer any resistance beyond your body weight, though it does make great stabilization training.

    If you want to outfit your home gym with a suspension system, you don't have to shell out $100. Instead, visit your local hardware store! I found a pair of six-foot straps for less than $10 each, each rated to support more than a ton (2,000 pounds). They even had loops sewn in that work as handles.

    With these straps suspended from my pull-up bar, I can perform virtually any movement I would do with the more expensive systems: dips, presses, rows, extensions, single-leg squats, and so on. I also use one of the straps for sled drags, making the cheap purchase even more useful.

   For people with a power rack, the straps offer one final benefit. If your rack doesn't have one-inch hole spacing, add some high-strength chain to your straps to quickly convert them into an additional safety within your cage! The chain allows minute adjustments in your safeties, giving you a great array of training options. Certain movements I used to do off of pins, such as good mornings, are much better when done off the strap-chain setup.

by Matt Biss

Build your own gym-Part 1

Go Big AND Stay Home: How To Build Your Ultimate Home Gym

Sick of sissy commercial gyms and the gimmicks of the home workout industry? Build your own insane training space with these 5 pieces of essential equipment.


       Home workout equipment is a billion-dollar industry, filled mostly with consumers who buy a Thigh Blaster, use it for two weeks, and then add it to their growing collection of useless crap under the stairs. This collection, of course, is hidden behind an old Gazelle Fitness Flyer masquerading as a coat rack.

    This article is not for such people. If you're such a person, take your SuperAb Bomber 3000 and bomb it down your pie-hole.

    This article is for people like me: people who want their own space to get bigger, better and stronger, people who can't stand fancy commercial gyms which ban chalk, good music and any type of training that might be considered useful. Ultimately, this is for people who love training, whether it's for bodybuilding, powerlifting or sport.

     If you sound like me, you might be the perfect candidate for your own home gym. If you have the dedication, a small investment of cash and space can help you hit your goals. Divert dollars from your extra vehicle and invest in something you'll use every day. Invest in your own gym.

   I'm here to review the vital equipment, help you set up and offer important safety tips.

No you're not hardcore,unless you lift hardcore.

Atmosphere Is Everything

     Before we even touch equipment, visualize and choose your space. Ideally, you'll have free reign to affect your gym's look, feel, and sound. My training space is a 2-car garage. The walls are painted, posters are up, the speakers are loud, and it's basically built to keep me motivated.

Important note: I haven't spent a lot of money building my sick training sphere. In this game, money isn't king. I've made certain training tools myself. Others I've found on Craigslist, paying pennies on the dollar. I've borrowed from friends and family. I'm diligent about hunting for sales and used items at sports stores.

    Only rarely do I pay full price for something if I can find it or build it cheaper. It's important to have patience. A gym is something you can build over time, starting with the essentials.

   Once you establish your space and budget, you can begin to build. I recommend starting with the following 5 essential pieces of equipment.

Ain't pretty, but it'll do the trick.

1. Barbell And Weights, You Dumbbell

     While it's the most important, a barbell is usually easy to find. There are two main types of barbell: standard and Olympic. Standard bars are one inch in diameter, with 1-inch holes through the plates. They're fair for light applications but aren't suitable for heavy lifting. The bars bend easily and usually can't hold more than 200 pounds.

      Olympic bars are typically 7 feet long with a rotating, 2-inch-diameter sleeve. These bars are made for heavy weight and big, ugly, compound lifts. They're beautiful.

     As for weight plates, you can find them almost anywhere. New 'in-store' costs are typically $1 per pound. Search flea markets, the classifieds, and check with friends or family: You can easily find used plates for less than 50 cents per pound.

    Sales are also helpful. I was able to find about 900 pounds new for $180 at an after-Christmas sale. Three-hundred-pound barbell sets that normally run $200 were on clearance for $60. They had three left; I bought them all.


2. Rack Up Your Gains

   A power rack is the centerpiece of a home gym. Nearly anything important can be done within one, and they add a considerable measure of safety. The pins will save you if you miss a lift, and the J-hooks allow you to perform nearly any free weight move. Many racks have attachments - such as dip and pull-up bars - to increase their functionality.

      One objection to a rack I frequently hear is that it takes up too much space. If you have room for a 7-foot bar and a bench, then you have room for a rack. If you need a little extra clearance, donate the wife's old wardrobe. It's for a good cause.

       You can find new racks on the low end for less than $500. For most users, these will be just fine. My first rack was from Powertec, and it was home to many lifts greater than 600 pounds.


3. Bench It, Kid

     Certain movements require you to lie down, such as a bench press. This is an area where I'd definitely shop around. You can probably find something decent if you're diligent.

     Again, pay attention to what you need. Most of the benches in circulation are meant to support a couple hundred pounds. If you're a serious lifter, you might load 600 pounds on your bench (including your body weight), so you'll want to avoid the cheap MegaMart benches.

     Again, watch for gym auctions, sales, classifieds, etc. If you can't find anything used, many new benches are reasonably priced. Ensure that the bench is the correct height for you by lying on it and placing your feet flat on the floor. You should be able to drive through your feet. I would also recommend getting an adjustable bench.

     What if you can't get a bench right away? No problem. Many of the exercises you might do on the bench can be done on the floor (a floor press, for example), or you can build your own strong and inexpensive bench. A couple scrap pieces of lumber and some cinder blocks can hold a house. They'll work well for a makeshift bench.

4. Dumbbells, You Dummy

    With dumbbells, you've got a wide variety of options at numerous price points. Dumbbells are just as versatile as barbells (or more), although you can't load resistance the way you can with a bar. The most economical dumbbells will be plate-loadable dumbbells. They come in both Olympic or Standard, which makes it easy to match your barbell plates. (Make sure you have enough "change" weight, of course. Extra 2.5 and 5 pound plates are helpful.)

    If you're on a budget, I recommend opting for standard handles. These small weights are the most common at garage sales and buried in people's closets. I've been able to collect more than 200 pounds of dumbbell weight at almost zero cost this way.

     Your next option is selectable dumbbells, such as those made by Bowflex and PowerBlock. These are usually expensive and not nearly as durable as the cast iron and steel mentioned above. However, they are a good option for those limited in space. Typically, it will be hard to find these in heavier sizes.

     Your final option, if you have both the money and the space, is to set up a commercial-style dumbbell rack. While this is awesome, it will cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and take up far more space than the $100 plate-load system. Fixed dumbbells are also more comfortable and considered safer by some.

5. Your Power-Up Platform

     A simple platform can be a great blessing. It will protect your equipment and your floors, and will deaden much of the sound caused by clanging weights. If you perform deadlifts or Olympic movements, you should definitely put down a platform. Otherwise, you can easily crack concrete, even through a rubber mat.

    Platforms generally consist of a couple sheets of plywood with a top made of rubber, or rubber and hardwood. They typically cost hundreds of dollars, but you can easily make one for far less than that. Generally, platforms are 8x8, though you can make them to any size. Here's how:

      First, find the rubber. I chose 3/4" thick horse stall mats from a Western supply store. You will only need one sheet, typically around $40, if you're going to use a wood insert on the top. If you want your platform to be completely rubber, get two sheets.

    Here's the hitch: while you can cut everything to size, my stall mats were only 4x6 (as opposed to 4x8). Side by side, two mats would be 8x6. Since 6 feet is plenty of room, I decided to skip the headache of trying to fit my mats into an 8x8 area and built an 8x6 platform instead.

    Next, depending on the size of your platform, you'll need 2-4 sheets of plywood. For mine, I used 3 sheets and cut one of them in half. I laid them lengthwise on the ground so I had two 8x6 layers of plywood. Then I put the rubber across the plywood.

   If you want a wood insert on top, cut your single piece of rubber into sections that are 2-feet wide. These will be placed on the edges of the platform, where the weights will strike. Then you will place a piece of 4-foot hardwood between the rubber sections.

   Next, screw everything down or it will move as time lapses. As with your rack, you have multiple options with your platform. Your rack can even be bolted down into it (saving you from bolting a rack directly into the floor). I installed band attachments on mine, which do double service since they hold the platform together. Regardless of how you set it up or even if you buy one outright, I consider the platform to be a must-have for a complete home gym.
A good platform—politicians need one, and so do you!

Lift Heavy, My Friends

 With these five essentials, you're ready to begin your home gym domination.

Stand on your platform and shout. This is your space. You've got your own gym, your own equipment and your own plates.

Lift them wisely.

by Matt Biss

ARMageddon 2013: Forearms To The Forefront

Perform the following exercises rapid-fire, moving quickly from one to the next. Repeat for a total of three sets. I won't give specific rep ranges here because fatigue will come faster as you go. Perform each exercise to total or near failure.

EXERCISE 1// THE WRIST ROLLER

Start with the weight at the bottom and roll up the rope slack using a turning grip motion, one hand after the other, repeating all the way up until the weights hit pipe. Then, return the weight back down by rotating your wrists in the opposite direction. Up and down equals one rep. Disclaimer: This will burn. Oh, will this burn!

EXERCISE 2// CABLE WRIST CURL

Pick up a straight-bar attachment from a cable station hold it at the end with one hand. Lock that side's elbow at your side so that the two halves of your arms form a 90-degree angle. Keep that elbow locked and your wrist in a neutral position; turn your wrist up and then turn it back down, going past neutral so that your palm faces down. Once you reach failure, switch hands and do the same number of reps.

If you don't have access to a straight bar, a dumbbell will work, too.

EXERCISE 3// PALMS DOWN WRIST CURL

I like to perform wrist curls with a straight bar while resting my forearms on a preacher pad. This fixed position will keep me from cheating. Hold the straight bar in front of you with your hands over the top about 8 inches apart, thumbs wrapped underneath. Move your wrists up and down, as far you can go, until the bar is ready to fall out of your hands because your forearms burn so freakin' much. That's one set.

EXERCISE 4// BARBELL BEHIND THE BACK WRIST CURL

Stand holding a barbell at arms' length behind you, arms hanging from shoulder width, palms facing back. Rolls your wrists up as far as you can-and the range of motion will be pretty short. At the end of each wrist curl, return your wrists to a relaxed position without letting go of the weight. Shoot for 10-15 reps or failure, whichever comes first.

by Craig Capurso