UK homegym novice

[Bossdk]

Hi all, planning to set up my first home gym. I have read a lot on US forums but Titan, Rogue, etc are all US brands. I have seen Bodypower Titan at Fitness Superstore London, and Bodycraft F430 at Fitshop in London, both made my shortlist, but looking to understand options out there. Anyone around London who has Mirafit, or ATX 655, I would be interested in trying out.

Space matters. My space is not defined yet as I am making offers on houses in Greater London, just want to ensure the one I buy has sufficient space to do squats, bench, stand up military press, deadlift. Pullups can be done in the garden. And if I have space for deads I can do rows and rack pulls.

I have squatted low bar to 275 and intend to go up to 315, bench at 200 intend to go up to 250. Deadlift at 315, intend to go up to 405.


1. Is it a must to bolt Bodypower Titan or Bodycraft F430 to the floor, and how easy is it to do that? Can I have them non bolted?

I have never tried Rogue folding rack. Are there UK options available from other brands? Are the support arms good enough for above weight? Is it too cumbersome to fold/unfold every session.
Do typical garage shed floors in the UK have any issues while deadlifting 140 -180kg? Do they need reinforcement?

On deadlift platforms, there are these mats -
Accessories Heavy Duty Rubber Mats

This is a platform https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395333835...3ABFBMpqiM_95k

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/405319432...Bk9SR6aojP_eZA

Any advice on these , is one better than the other for a DL upto 405?

Many thanks is advance

[Jason Donaldson]

For the platforms: Are you able to obtain MDF plywood and livestock stall mat where you are? If so, I would guess you could build yourself a platform for cheaper than the ones you're looking at. Wood glue and screws will be enough to assemble these into a platform. Two layers of 3/4" thick plywood (or better yet, three), with one layer of 3/4" stall mat on top is enough. If you're planning to have the space, then a full 8' x 8' platform is a good size to accommodate a rack and a bench, with room for deadlifts and power cleans/snatches.

Bolting down your rack is a safety issue. It doesn't need to bolt into the floor, however, but the platform on which you're lifting. If you build your own platform, this is easy enough - you use a large enough screw to fit into a bracket attached to the rack, and long enough to penetrate your mat and most, but not all of the plywood. You do not want the rack changing position or falling over.

I am curious why you're selling yourself so short on how much you can get your weights up to.