My Home Gym Setup

You may be wondering what that new lift log portion of my site is. As of 12/21/2017, I’ve caught up to my 2015 goals to squat 6 plates and deadlift 8. My recently acquired home gym helped.

Pros of owning a home gym:

• No excuse to skip a workout. If you slept at home, you could have lifted at home.
• Take as long as you like. I can chill watching TV while waiting for my next set.
• Consistent equipment. Commercial plates can vary by up to 5 pounds per plate.

Cons:

• Can’t lower deadlifts quickly. I live on the second floor and the eccentric portion (lowering phase) of my deadlifts turn into slow descending Romanian Deadlifts.
• Can’t test 1 rep maxes. My squat stands don’t have safeties. If I fail, I risk pissed off lower floor neighbors.
• Unhappy roommate

The equipment (full disclosure, purchases through the amazon links will pay me commission):

1. CAP Barbell, $130
2. 245 lbs Rogue six shooter plate set, $530
3. 190 lbs Rogue add-on plates, 4x 45lbs, 2x 5lbs, ~$500 post tax w/ shipping & handling
4. Titan Fitness Independent squat stands, $270
5. CAP Weight storage, $45

Total: ~ $1475

Did I save money on gym membership fees? No, I maintain an $85 monthly Active Sports Club Oakland membership solely to play indoor basketball.

Could I have saved money on cheaper plates? Yes, I dabbled in cheap $1 per lb Golds Gym and Cap Barbell plates. However, they had a chemical-ish odor and California Prop 65 warnings. I returned them. I splurged on Rogue plates because of their precise weight, ease of handling, aesthetics, warranty, reputation for good customer’s service, and lack of cancer-chemical warnings.

Does it bother me that I can’t fail on my lifts? No, the greatest power lifter of all time, Ed Coan, advocates rarely lifting to failure. I leave 1-2 reps in the tank per set and intend to increase my lifts slowly over the years.

Thanks for reading. The next milestone is to squat 8 plates and deadlift 10.