In the first post of this series (Building a Home Gym Version 1.0), I started the creation of my home gym in a storage room in our basement.
In the second post (Building a Home Gym Version 2.0), I cleared out the room and added some new equipment.
Version 3.0
The gym was coming together, but I wanted more. I wanted a gym that I enjoyed working out in. Additionally, since I primarily work out alone, I needed to upgrade my bench to a power rack so that I could do some of my heavier compound lifts safely (ex. Squat, Bench Press).
When I started looking online for power racks, I quickly realized that the more affordable ones were not very durable and the commercial ones were quite pricey. With a little research and some help from Google, I found plans to build your own power rack for ~$100.
I think the rack turned out great and was definitely a big upgrade from my bench. My mother-in-law then founded me a leg machine at an estate sale and I found a dumbbell rack on craigslist.
I decided to finish off the room, so I drywalled the walls, gave them a coat of paint and installed 4 can lights.
Overall I am happy with the gym. Most of the equipment was purchased used or I built it myself. Weight plates or dumbbells generally sell for $1 per pound. All of my weights were purchased on craigslist for .50 cents or less per pound. The foam flooring was also purchased on craigslist and helps warm the room and cushion the weights. The mirrors were purchased on craigslist for $10 each. I would highly recommend building a home gym for anyone who is interested in working out, has space and wants to save money on a gym membership.