Basic Equipment for a garage gym geared towards SS/Strength Training?

[Dastardly]

I wouldn't bother with the kind of dip bars that attach to a rack unless you get them for free. They seem clumsy and akward to use, will probably break.

[Tamara Reynolds]

I wouldn't bother with the kind of dip bars that attach to a rack unless you get them for free. They seem clumsy and akward to use, will probably break.

The Rogue Matador is bomb proof. My 130 kg lifter can do dips on it without it budging. On the other hand, he is too tall to fit on most free standing dip bars because he's over 6'5.

[Chebass88]

If you want your wife / kids to join in - make sure the equipment is suitable for them. An experienced, well-known coach might be able to get them to squat properly within 10 minutes, but amateurs (like myself) are not so successful. As a result, my wife is doing goblet squats & dumbbell presses instead of barbell exercises. Perhaps with time we'll use the barbell, or buy those nice round York DBs.

I'd recommend a big fan - like a Patton or the equivalent. Getting some air moving in a hot garage is well worth it.

[notetaker888]

Thanks for all of the feedback!!

I suppose my budget is around $1500-2000AUD for everything if I can swing it. I suppose I'm looking at it, from the point of view, that I'd like to see the most investment out of it - if I can do the majority of "general" lifts with the bare essentials, that could cover my wife, myself, and kids when they are getting older - so I don't have to buy more equipment, on top of their school training.

I know my wife is very keen to lose some KGs, so I'm hoping to give her a dose of strength training with weights and rowing. I just have to make sure the working area is aesthetically pleasing, or else she will dread going into the garage.

I think I've got a strange complex, where I'd like to purchase the equipment new - or near new, so it looks modestly new, and clean - and not totally warn out. I want to make sure that it's sturdy, so the bar, etc doesn't fall on my wife/kids. I do hope to grow old with my beloved power rack/equipment. Anyone heard about the ForceUSA Power Rack?

The only thing I have to do is make sure the equipment will (at max) suit a 194cm tall male, all within a garage with a 2.4metre floor to ceiling height.

Any ideas on how to muffle the sound during racking on squats, and the descent on deads/powercleans?

[DV]

The mats someone mentioned should make it less noisy - and importantly easier on your plates - when you put the bar on the floor from a dead/clean. I worked out in a (fairly shitty) power rack for the last year, but now I only have squat stands. Can't say it makes much difference for doing the lifts in SS. It's awesome to have a rack, but more important to have, a good bar. If your budget allows for a rack, then great. But if it doesn't then squat stands are really just fine.

And if you want your wife (and maybe kids) to start lifting, then a woman/technique bar and light bumpers are probably a worthy investment.

[Chebass88]

Is your garage attached to the house, or is it a separate structure? My garage is a separate structure, and noise muffling is of no concern. Simply closing the side door & main door are sufficient to muffle most noise. I am also respectful of my neighbors, and do not blast music or drop weights like a Crossfitter. Any time after 8PM, the main door gets closed - I wouldn't want to hear my neighbors clanging around weights, so I don't subject them to it.

Regarding descents on deadlifts / cleans - in my opinion, you should be in control of the weights at all time. To me this means carefully lowering deads & cleans. For now, I only have metal plates. My clean / deadlifting area consists of two small pieces of rubber flooring material (so I don't damage my plates). If I were to drop my weights, I would significantly damage them & crack the garage floor as well. The noise from re-racking - just teach yourself to do it carefully & under control. Problem solved. If Starr & company can do demonstrations with metal plates on gymnasium floors - I can do a powerclean or two on a cement floor.

The cleanliness aspect - a couple of rags, a bottle of cleaner, and a couple of rattle cans can completely transform the appearance of your home gym. Any equipment that can stand up to the weight you should be able to lift will be perfectly suitable for your wife and kids (unless they are much stronger than you). I just painted my power rack - in retrospect, having someone do it professionally would have been better, but at least it is done.

[KAG]

I have several $550 bars at my gym. I also have a CAP 1200 lb power bar that I got at Walmart with free site-to-store shipping for $147. It doesn't have center knurl, but it spins just as well as my two $300 bushing bars.

This bar? Other than free spinning sleeves, how is the knurl and how much whip does it have? Is it suitable for powerlifting and Olympic lifting?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barbel...eeves/19866874

Wal-Mart has quite a few new bars and equipment since the last time I checked their website.
Any experience with any of these?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barbel...r-Bar/19866873

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Troy-Barbe...c-Bar/19201233

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Troy-Barbe...c-Bar/14042350

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Troy-Barbe...c-Bar/14067707

http://www.walmart.com/ip/York-Barbe...e-Bar/20581229

http://www.walmart.com/ip/York-Barbe...e-Bar/20581259

[tcul1972]

According to Rip, any bar in the $200 price range is shit. I don't know how true that is as I have only touched two Olympic bars in my life. My cheap name unknown craigslist bar with the plastic sleeves and my new RPB.

[Tamara Reynolds]

This bar? Other than free spinning sleeves, how is the knurl and how much whip does it have? Is it suitable for powerlifting and Olympic lifting?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barbel...eeves/19866874

Wal-Mart has quite a few new bars and equipment since the last time I checked their website.
Any experience with any of these?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barbel...r-Bar/19866873

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Troy-Barbe...c-Bar/19201233

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Troy-Barbe...c-Bar/14042350

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Troy-Barbe...c-Bar/14067707

http://www.walmart.com/ip/York-Barbe...e-Bar/20581229

http://www.walmart.com/ip/York-Barbe...e-Bar/20581259

Yes, that one. I don't know anything about the others.

I haven't used it for Olympic lifts because it's a men's bar. But, I had my guys snatch and clean with it, and they couldn't notice a difference in the spin between it, the B&R, the Pendlay HD and the Wright HD. The knurl is similar to the Wright HD. Not as soft as the Pendlay/B&R knurl, but not something like the Texas Power Bar that will tear the fuck out of your hands. I will say that the one small issue with the knurl is that it stops just before the collars exactly like a TPB. This isn't a problem for the vast majority of lifters, but I have a 6'5 lifter who snatches with his grip out to the collars. I can't speak to the whip because I haven't used it for Olympic lifts.

As an Olympic weightlifting bar, the problem is that it has powerlifting marks. As a powerlifting bar, the problem is that it doesn't have center knurl. But, plenty of people don't like the B&R for weightlifting because it is 29mm and has center knurl.

So, as a compromise bar, it's a decent bar. For the price, it's an EXCELLENT bar. I bought it to have as a bar for front squats because I don't like having center knurl for front squats, and as every weightlifter at my gym front squats twice a day, we need more than two 20 kg bars without center knurl.

Now, it doesn't compare to a bearing bar. Then again, I am someone who notices a drastic difference between my Pendlay bearing bar and Pendlay bushing bars when I snatch and clean, and people who don't really give a shit about weightlifting might not care.

To be clear, I have a 20 kg B&R, two 20 kg TPBs, a 20 kg Wright HD, a 20 kg Pendlay HD, two Pendlay 15 kg HDs, two Pendlay bearing bars, a Rogue junior bar, and some other crap/technique bars. I've lifted on a lot of different bars. I wouldn't tell people here that this was a decent bar if it wasn't. You just need to understand that you aren't getting a $500+ bar, but it's certainly as good as my Wright HD.

[KAG]

I think I've got a strange complex, where I'd like to purchase the equipment new - or near new, so it looks modestly new, and clean - and not totally warn out. I want to make sure that it's sturdy, so the bar, etc doesn't fall on my wife/kids. I do hope to grow old with my beloved power rack/equipment. Anyone heard about the ForceUSA Power Rack?

Well if you insist on new then you're going to get half of the equipment for your budget. Be prepared for that.

I personally can't understand why you would want to buy new stuff just so it looks new. I just want to get stronger, not impress anyone, so 95% of my stuff is used. As far as your concern about a powerrack somehow crumbling and dropping the weight on someone, it literally won't happen in your lifetime or your kids more than likely. A rickety old powerrack will outlast all of us as long as it isn't rusted all the way through, which would take a whole lot of neglect.

Any ideas on how to muffle the sound during racking on squats, and the descent on deads/powercleans?

To quiet down deadlifts and powercleans you'll need horsestall mats on the floor, and for it to be truly quiet, you'll need bumpers.

Racking squats shouldn't be loud, but if you think it's too loud then the only thing I can think to do is wrap heater/radiator hose around the rack pins. That might help a little.

Yes, that one. I don't know anything about the others.

I haven't used it for Olympic lifts because it's a men's bar. But, I had my guys snatch and clean with it, and they couldn't notice a difference in the spin between it, the B&R, the Pendlay HD and the Wright HD. The knurl is similar to the Wright HD. Not as soft as the Pendlay/B&R knurl, but not something like the Texas Power Bar that will tear the fuck out of your hands. I will say that the one small issue with the knurl is that it stops just before the collars exactly like a TPB. This isn't a problem for the vast majority of lifters, but I have a 6'5 lifter who snatches with his grip out to the collars. I can't speak to the whip because I haven't used it for Olympic lifts.

As an Olympic weightlifting bar, the problem is that it has powerlifting marks. As a powerlifting bar, the problem is that it doesn't have center knurl. But, plenty of people don't like the B&R for weightlifting because it is 29mm and has center knurl.

So, as a compromise bar, it's a decent bar. For the price, it's an EXCELLENT bar. I bought it to have as a bar for front squats because I don't like having center knurl for front squats, and as every weightlifter at my gym front squats twice a day, we need more than two 20 kg bars without center knurl.

Now, it doesn't compare to a bearing bar. Then again, I am someone who notices a drastic difference between my Pendlay bearing bar and Pendlay bushing bars when I snatch and clean, and people who don't really give a shit about weightlifting might not care.

To be clear, I have a 20 kg B&R, two 20 kg TPBs, a 20 kg Wright HD, a 20 kg Pendlay HD, two Pendlay 15 kg HDs, two Pendlay bearing bars, a Rogue junior bar, and some other crap/technique bars. I've lifted on a lot of different bars. I wouldn't tell people here that this was a decent bar if it wasn't. You just need to understand that you aren't getting a $500+ bar, but it's certainly as good as my Wright HD.

Thank you for the in depth response.