6 Best Budget Power Racks & Squat Racks For Your Home Gym
After spending hundreds of hours researching 145 squat racks and running tests on dozens, we found 6 budget power racks to suit your needs. We assessed each rack against 10 … Read more
There are some items of equipment that 99% of people building a home gym should buy in our opinion. They are all versatile equipment that will help you work any muscle group in the body when complimented together.
These pieces of kit will suit total beginners to lifting weights to professional powerlifters, bodybuilders, and Olympic weightlifters.
There are 4 essential pieces of home gym equipment you need to get up and running:
As soon as you have these 4 items you can do the majority of exercises in your home gym. We like to use the 80/20 rule for most things in life and these are the 20% of the equipment that will bring you 80% of the results (maybe even more!)
You can find out more about this in our guide on how to build a home gym here.
Get the basics right first.
A very close 5th essential is dumbbells.
If you buy separate dumbbells they can often end up costing a lot very quickly. However, if you are on a tight budget then some adjustable dumbbells and a weight bench is a good way to start.
This page will help you choose the best home gym essentials for you based on your budget and fitness levels.
You will not touch anything more than your barbell in your home gym. This one deserves some serious research and thought to ensure you get this right. You'll probably only ever need one if you get it right!
The centerpiece of your home gym. A good power rack means you can do more lifts such as squats and the bench press, but it is also one of the most important safety items in your gym. If you get a decent one you'll be able to grow with it and add attachments over time, which can be a huge space saver rather than buying a ton of machines.
Most people want an adjustable bench. But make sure you don't get a cheap one. These can wobble, be uncomfortable, or even be outright dangerous. A good flat bench is far better than a cheap adjustable in my opinion, but if you can afford a good adjustable bench you'll be set for life.
You'll probably end up spending the most money on your plates. It's an area you can save money but a good set of bumper plates will last forever and can allow you to do more lifts.
If you're on a really tight budget a decent set of adjustable dumbbells and a weight bench can be your whole home gym for a long time.
Not all of this section is essential. But your flooring is essential if you want your equipment to last and to make it a more usable space.
Getting your gym properly kitted out involves a few other items that most people will need. Gym flooring is essential for 99% of home gyms and it's one of the first decisions you'll need to make... unless you like moving hundreds of kilograms of equipment!
You can also find some great bargains and discounts in our Black Friday and Cyber Monday gym equipment deals here.
Barbells, weight plates, squat racks and benches make up the essential four types of equipment your home gym needs.
After spending hundreds of hours researching 145 squat racks and running tests on dozens, we found 6 budget power racks to suit your needs. We assessed each rack against 10 … Read more
We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing squat racks. We assessed each one against 14 ‘weighted’ criteria after gathering data on 35 folding squat racks. For example, ‘how easy … Read more
I personally spent over 80 hours researching 165 power racks on the market. And Steve (certified PT & gym owner) signed off on all these picks. He has worked with … Read more
We rated 52 adjustable dumbbells in 17 quality aspects and chose 9 sets worth your money. One dumbbell that blew the competition out of the water is…
We used 944 data points to compare 59 budget barbells (23 multipurpose/CrossFit, 24 Olympic, and 12 power bars). The factors are weighed to rate all crucial aspects – from steel … Read more
We analyzed and rated all the top deadlift bars in 20 quality categories and sorted them by price and intended use. The bar that surprised everyone is…
We compared every single bar REP Fitness makes, rated them all, and chose winners in 7 categories – from the classic (multi-purpose, Olympic, powerlifting) to specialty bars (curl, camber, trap, … Read more
To choose the 5 best short bars, we compared 50+ in all key aspects – from dimensions and materials to the details like knurling and bushings (sleeve spin). The criteria … Read more
I own 50+ barbells. I don’t like all of them…far from it. I’ll spill the beans and share my dislikes, but that’s only a small part of the story. For … Read more
Choosing the best squat rack can be one of the most important safety decisions for your home gym. So we have physically tried many and ran 127 racks through our … Read more