Building A Garage Gym On A Budget

For those of you looking to build your own garage gym, I’ve taken the liberty of finding the best deals around.  The best deals doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest.  It means finding the highest quality products at reasonable prices.  Sure I can buy a $100 barbell from Wal-Mart but I’m looking for equipment that’ll last and can take the daily rigors of training.

With that said if you’re looking to build your garage gym with a budget of say $1300, here is a list of the best equipment you can find for your buck.  Lets start off with the center piece needed in all garage gyms:  the squat rack!

Guillotine: Squat Rack and Pull-Up Bar Combo

Price: $399

Company: GetRX’d

Description: The Guillotine is the all-inclusive squat, bench, dip, and pull up station. 4′ x 6′ footprint and 160LB base gives the Guillotine superior stability. Comes with Heavy Duty Spotter Arms, Dip Station, Peg Station, Fat and Regular Pull Up Bars, Plate Storage, and More. Use the (4) peg bars and insert into the Safety Arms to create a dip station or neutral grip pull up station.

Guillotine
Guillotine Squat Rack from GetRX’d

 

Rogue Echo Bar 2.0

Price: $295

Company: Rogue Fitness

Description: Machined and assembled at our Columbus manufacturing facility, the newly redesigned Rogue Echo Bar 2.0 is an economically priced 28.5mm bushing bar equipped with many of the same features as our flagship Rogue Ohio Bar.

Starting with a 190,000 PSI tensile strength steel shaft and bright zinc finish, the Echo Bar also now includes an upgraded snap ring sleeve construction and exclusive Echo branded endcaps. There are single IWF standard Olympic knurl marks (no center knurl or powerlifting marks) and 16.4” of loadable sleeve length.

Rogue Echo Bar 2.0
Rogue Echo Bar 2.0

 

260 LB Bumper Plate Set

Price: $407

Company: Vulcan Strength Training Systems

Description: Vulcan Bumper Plates are built to endure the rigors of Olympic Weightlifting and CrossFit® workouts. Unlike lower priced brands, our Bumper Plates are made of a harder and denser rubber compound. As a result, our Bumper Plates have a much thinner profile and more plates can be fit on the bar .
Others claim to have equivalent rubber hardness, but their 10 lb and 15 lb bumper plates “waffle” easily when dropped. The typical Bumper Plate has a thin pressed steel insert which will come out over time with repeated droppings. Our inserts are forged solid steel and anchored into the plate. We were the first to introduce this technology in 2011 and to this day we have replaced less than a dozen bumper plates out of multiple tons of plates sold.
One of the things you will immediately notice when lifting our bumper plates is how snugly they fit together on the bar as well as the dead blow/low bounce effect they exhibit when dropped. It’s a very noticeable sound compared to the clanking rattling noise and basketball-like rebounding you will experience with lesser brands.

 

53 LB Kettlebell

Price: $62.50

Company: Rogue Fitness

Description: Rogue Kettlebells begin as first run iron ore, not scrap, and are formed into a strong, balanced, single-piece casting with a flat wobble-free base. A clean, void-free surface and durable powder-coat finish give Rogue Kettlebells an unmatched feel.

 

Gymnastic Wood Rings

Price: $72

Company: Rogue Fitness

Description: A set of American-made Rogue Wood Rings provides a solid foundation for gymnastic strength building and beginner-to-advanced suspension training. With a textured, grip-friendly surface that works with or without chalk, wood rings have a distinct, natural feel preferred by many athletes. Rogue Wood Rings are also easy to adjust and built with American craftsmanship for lasting durability and comfort.

Wood RIngs
Wood RIngs From Rogue Fitness

 

Total Price: $1235.50 (not including taxes and shipping charges)

After weeks of research this is the best starter package I could find with a $1300 budget.  You don’t need to buy everything at once.  My best advice is to accumulate everything over time.  Spread the costs over a six month period and keep adding to your gym until you have a complete package.

Other items to consider: Stall mats, Concept 2 Rower, Box, GHD, Barbell/Weight Rack

 

 

 

Barbell Central
Josh Ortiz
Writer at  | Website

I've been an athlete since I started playing baseball at the age of 7 up until the end my collegiate wrestling career. As a bodybuilder looking to supplement my training I stumbled into a Crossfit gym and was immediately hooked. Although I still enjoy bodybuilding I find my passion has shifted to being a competitive crossfitter. My articles will take you through my journey into Crossfit. Enjoy!

Josh Ortiz

I've been an athlete since I started playing baseball at the age of 7 up until the end my collegiate wrestling career. As a bodybuilder looking to supplement my training I stumbled into a Crossfit gym and was immediately hooked. Although I still enjoy bodybuilding I find my passion has shifted to being a competitive crossfitter. My articles will take you through my journey into Crossfit. Enjoy!

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