Go Big AND Stay Home: How To Build Your Ultimate Home Gym

Home workout equipment is a billion-dollar industry, filled mostly with consumers who buy a Thigh Blaster, use it for two weeks, and then add it to their growing collection of useless crap under the stairs. This collection, of course, is hidden behind an old Gazelle Fitness Flyer masquerading as a coat rack.
This article is not for such people. If you're such a person, take your SuperAb Bomber 3000 and bomb it down your pie-hole.
This article is for people like me: people who want their own space to get bigger, better and stronger, people who can't stand fancy commercial gyms which ban chalk, good music and any type of training that might be considered useful. Ultimately, this is for people who love training, whether it's for bodybuilding, powerlifting or sport.
If you sound like me, you might be the perfect candidate for your own home gym. If you have the dedication, a small investment of cash and space can help you hit your goals. Divert dollars from your extra vehicle and invest in something you'll use every day. Invest in your own gym.
I'm here to review the vital equipment, help you set up and offer important safety tips.

Atmosphere Is Everything

Before we even touch equipment, visualize and choose your space. Ideally, you'll have free reign to affect your gym's look, feel, and sound. My training space is a 2-car garage. The walls are painted, posters are up, the speakers are loud, and it's basically built to keep me motivated.
Important note: I haven't spent a lot of money building my sick training sphere. In this game, money isn't king. I've made certain training tools myself. Others I've found on Craigslist, paying pennies on the dollar. I've borrowed from friends and family. I'm diligent about hunting for sales and used items at sports stores.
Only rarely do I pay full price for something if I can find it or build it cheaper. It's important to have patience. A gym is something you can build over time, starting with the essentials.
Once you establish your space and budget, you can begin to build. I recommend starting with the following 5 essential pieces of equipment.

1. Barbell And Weights, You Dumbbell

While it's the most important, a barbell is usually easy to find. There are two main types of barbell: standard and Olympic. Standard bars are one inch in diameter, with 1-inch holes through the plates. They're fair for light applications but aren't suitable for heavy lifting. The bars bend easily and usually can't hold more than 200 pounds.
Olympic bars are typically 7 feet long with a rotating, 2-inch-diameter sleeve. These bars are made for heavy weight and big, ugly, compound lifts. They're beautiful.
As for weight plates, you can find them almost anywhere. New 'in-store' costs are typically $1 per pound. Search flea markets, the classifieds, and check with friends or family: You can easily find used plates for less than 50 cents per pound.
Sales are also helpful. I was able to find about 900 pounds new for $180 at an after-Christmas sale. Three-hundred-pound barbell sets that normally run $200 were on clearance for $60. They had three left; I bought them all.
The bar is arguably the most important piece of equipment in your gym. Most barbell sets come with an inexpensive Olympic bar, usually chrome plated and rated for approximately 400 lbs. These are fine for beginners and a good place to start, but in time the sleeves will fall off and the bar will probably bend.
If you're fairly advanced and strong, I wouldn't recommend using such a bar for heavy lifts. A good bar is difficult to damage and is 100% worth a little extra cash. If you take care of them, there are many good bars in the $150-300 range that will last indefinitely.
To set up my garage gym, I had 3 'beater bars' that came with my holiday weight sets. I quickly damaged all 3: two bent during squatting, and one had the sleeves come off during cleans. Fortunately, on Craigslist, I found a $60 Power Bar rated for 1,500 pounds. I also invested some money into a Pendlay HD Nexgen bar, about $300. This bar was designed for Olympic lifting, has a lifetime warranty on it, and is tested to 2,500 pounds!

2. Rack Up Your Gains

A power rack is the centerpiece of a home gym. Nearly anything important can be done within one, and they add a considerable measure of safety. The pins will save you if you miss a lift, and the J-hooks allow you to perform nearly any free weight move. Many racks have attachments - such as dip and pull-up bars - to increase their functionality.
One objection to a rack I frequently hear is that it takes up too much space. If you have room for a 7-foot bar and a bench, then you have room for a rack. If you need a little extra clearance, donate the wife's old wardrobe. It's for a good cause.
You can find new racks on the low end for less than $500. For most users, these will be just fine. My first rack was from Powertec, and it was home to many lifts greater than 600 pounds.

Like cars, there are a wide variety of racks with various add-on options. Check out the Forums to browse reviews and get an idea of what you might want.
Some things to consider on your power rack:

Hole Spacing: Spacing can vary from 1-4 inches. To understand why this matters, imagine bench pressing and then failing on your last rep, getting pinned by the weight. 1-2 inch hole spacing allows you to complete a full range of motion in your press without hitting the pins, while still giving you the option to dump the weight in an emergency. 4-inch hole spacing could mean that the pins are either too high (limiting your range of motion) or too low (you can't dump the weight).
 
Strength: Consider your abilities versus what the rack is made to handle. Are the joints welded or bolted? How strong are the pins? They should be at least 1-inch thick and able to hold more than 1,000 pounds with no problem. Can the rack tip or must it be bolted to the floor?
 
Accessories: Racks can come with pull-up/chin bars, dip attachments, band pegs, even pulley systems for a complete home gym set up.
 
Dimensions: If you've been around a few racks (wink, wink), there are a few things to notice regarding dimensions. One is depth. Short racks take up little space, but allow little movement within.
Width is also an issue. Generally, racks will be 46-50 inches on the inside dimension. If they are too wide, you may have a problem hitting the uprights when racking weight. If the rack is too narrow, you may not be able to get your feet wide enough for certain lifts. Know what you want.
Additionally, consider height. If you have limited room to play with, shorter racks are available. Alternately, if you wish to be able to do a standing press over your head, you will need either a very tall or open rack.
As with any equipment, look for deals and used items in your area. Like your bar, the rack is an investment. Racks are durable and customizable, and a little extra money goes a long way.
My training partner and I built my current rack by hand. It weighs approximately 400 pounds. We bought that much steel from a junk yard for $50. I had a friend help me weld it to the dimensions I desired. We added band pegs on the bottom and installed a 300-pound weight stack in the back. The weight stack came free from a company that had a piece of broken equipment. I also added chain safeties and a pull-up bar. My total cost, so far, is roughly $200.

3. Bench It, Kid

Certain movements require you to lie down, such as a bench press. This is an area where I'd definitely shop around. You can probably find something decent if you're diligent.
Again, pay attention to what you need. Most of the benches in circulation are meant to support a couple hundred pounds. If you're a serious lifter, you might load 600 pounds on your bench (including your body weight), so you'll want to avoid the cheap MegaMart benches.
Again, watch for gym auctions, sales, classifieds, etc. If you can't find anything used, many new benches are reasonably priced. Ensure that the bench is the correct height for you by lying on it and placing your feet flat on the floor. You should be able to drive through your feet. I would also recommend getting an adjustable bench.
What if you can't get a bench right away? No problem. Many of the exercises you might do on the bench can be done on the floor (a floor press, for example), or you can build your own strong and inexpensive bench. A couple scrap pieces of lumber and some cinder blocks can hold a house. They'll work well for a makeshift bench.

4. Dumbbells, You Dummy

With dumbbells, you've got a wide variety of options at numerous price points. Dumbbells are just as versatile as barbells (or more), although you can't load resistance the way you can with a bar. The most economical dumbbells will be plate-loadable dumbbells. They come in both Olympic or Standard, which makes it easy to match your barbell plates. (Make sure you have enough "change" weight, of course. Extra 2.5 and 5 pound plates are helpful.)
If you're on a budget, I recommend opting for standard handles. These small weights are the most common at garage sales and buried in people's closets. I've been able to collect more than 200 pounds of dumbbell weight at almost zero cost this way.
Your next option is selectable dumbbells, such as those made by Bowflex and PowerBlock. These are usually expensive and not nearly as durable as the cast iron and steel mentioned above. However, they are a good option for those limited in space. Typically, it will be hard to find these in heavier sizes.
Your final option, if you have both the money and the space, is to set up a commercial-style dumbbell rack. While this is awesome, it will cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and take up far more space than the $100 plate-load system. Fixed dumbbells are also more comfortable and considered safer by some.

5. Your Power-Up Platform

A simple platform can be a great blessing. It will protect your equipment and your floors, and will deaden much of the sound caused by clanging weights. If you perform deadlifts or Olympic movements, you should definitely put down a platform. Otherwise, you can easily crack concrete, even through a rubber mat.
Platforms generally consist of a couple sheets of plywood with a top made of rubber, or rubber and hardwood. They typically cost hundreds of dollars, but you can easily make one for far less than that. Generally, platforms are 8x8, though you can make them to any size. Here's how:
First, find the rubber. I chose 3/4" thick horse stall mats from a Western supply store. You will only need one sheet, typically around $40, if you're going to use a wood insert on the top. If you want your platform to be completely rubber, get two sheets.
Here's the hitch: while you can cut everything to size, my stall mats were only 4x6 (as opposed to 4x8). Side by side, two mats would be 8x6. Since 6 feet is plenty of room, I decided to skip the headache of trying to fit my mats into an 8x8 area and built an 8x6 platform instead.
Next, depending on the size of your platform, you'll need 2-4 sheets of plywood. For mine, I used 3 sheets and cut one of them in half. I laid them lengthwise on the ground so I had two 8x6 layers of plywood. Then I put the rubber across the plywood.
If you want a wood insert on top, cut your single piece of rubber into sections that are 2-feet wide. These will be placed on the edges of the platform, where the weights will strike. Then you will place a piece of 4-foot hardwood between the rubber sections.
Next, screw everything down or it will move as time lapses. As with your rack, you have multiple options with your platform. Your rack can even be bolted down into it (saving you from bolting a rack directly into the floor). I installed band attachments on mine, which do double service since they hold the platform together. Regardless of how you set it up or even if you buy one outright, I consider the platform to be a must-have for a complete home gym.

Lift Heavy, My Friends

With these five essentials, you're ready to begin your home gym domination.
Stand on your platform and shout. This is your space. You've got your own gym, your own equipment and your own plates.
Lift them wisely.
By Matt Biss

How to Gain Muscle without Lifting Weights

Training routine for beginners

Usual training routine i recommend for beginners, also Arnold's favorite:

Mon, Wed, Fri 

Chest:
Bench press 5 x 6-10
Flat bench flyes 5 x 6-10
Incline bench press 6 x 6-10
Cable crossovers 6 x 10-12
Dips (body weight) 5 x failure
Dumbell pullovers 5 x 10-12.  

Back:
Wide-grip chins (to front) 6 x failure
T-bar rows 5 x 6-10
Seated pulley rows 6 x 6-10
One-arm dumbell rows 5 x 6-10
Straight-leg deadlifts 6 x 15

Legs:
Squats 6 x 8-12
Leg press 6 x 8-12
Leg extensions 6 x 12-15
Leg curls 6 x 10-12
Barbell lunges 5 x 15

Calves:
Standing calf raises 10 x 10
Seated calf raises 8 x 15
One legged calf raises (holding dumbells) 6x12 

Forearms:
Wrist curls (forearms on knees) - 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls - 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine - to failure

Abs: 
½ hour of a variety of nonspecific abdominal exercises, done virtually nonstop. 

Tues, Thurs, Sat 

Biceps: 
Barbell curls 6 x 6-10
Seated dumbell curls 6 x 6-10
Dumbell concentration curls 6 x 6-10  

Triceps:
Close-grip bench presses 6 x 6-10
Pushdowns 6 x 6-10
French press (barbell) 6 x 6-10
One-arm triceps extensions (dumbell) 6 x 6-10 

Shoulders:
Seated barbell presses 6 x 6-10
Lateral raises (standing) 6 x 6-10
Rear-delt lateral raises 5 x 6-10
Cable lateral raises 5 x 10-12

Calves , Forearms & Abs: 
Same as Monday, Wednesday, Friday workout 

Mariusz Pudzianowski

Marius Pudzianowski is my favourite athlete, so i copied this text from http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com so you can read it and leave comments. Enjoy:

 

As the winner of five World’s Strongest Man titles Mariusz Pudzianowski stands alone as the only person to have achieved this feat, eclipsing the four wins apiece for the Icelanders Magnus Ver Magnusson and Jon-Pall Sigmarsson. His ranking in the pantheon of strength legends may be fiercely debated by WSM fans, but in statistical terms, his five WSM triumphs are thus far unmatched. In phenomenal shape, Pudzianowski set himself apart from many other ‘muscle men’ by having the strength, speed and endurance that accompanied the muscularity. When Pudzianowski made the switch from boxing to strongman, his career was watched over by his father, Wojciech. Pudzianowski senior was a talented Weightlifter and was an omnipresent figure, travelling the globe with his son and overseeing his career development. It was Mariusz’s victory in 2002 which marked the change from the Scandinavian dominance of the 1990′s and ushered in the emergence of Eastern Europe as a major player at WSM.

Bursting onto the WSM scene in Sun City in 2000, Mariusz won his qualifying group, making the final at the first attempt. Looking nothing like a WSM debutant, Pudzianowski appeared very much at home battling against seasoned WSM competitors. ‘The Dominator’ performed creditably against the likes of Janne Virtanen, Svend Karlsen and Magnus Samuelsson who were at the height of their powers, taking victory in the Deadlift Hold along the way. A fourth place finish was his reward, and Pudzianowski’s WSM timeline was well and truly under way.  Absent in 2001, the Pole returned with a vengeance in 2002. Pudzianoswki shrugged off the stifling heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur to take his first WSM crown, eight points clear of Zydrunas Savickas. The potential he showed two years earlier had now taken shape, and his performances in securing the WSM crown were an indication of what could be expected over the remainder of the decade. He won three events in the final, and demonstrated that any in event where there was moving with weight involved, he would be almost unbeatable when he was on top form. Possibly the most impressive of all was an imperious performance in the Asia Stone where he obliterated the world record and covered 127.4 metres. To all observers it was clear that he could have continued, but he chose to stop as he was already fifteen metres clear of the man in second place in the event.Another victory followed in 2003, and this one was a supremely dominant performance from the very first event in the final. Four event wins out of seven (Carry and Drag, Log Lift, Train Pull and Deadlift), and two second places made him untouchable in Zambia. In fact, his lowest placing in an event was third in the Farmer’s Walk. His margin of victory was an astonishing 20 points, with Savickas once again trailing behind in second spot. It is worth recalling that the competitors that he had distanced in this manner were of the highest calibre, but still they could not make inroads against Mariusz in Victoria Falls. Amongst them, Savickas, Vasyl Virastyuk, Samuelsson, Karlsen and Hugo Girard were all comfortably bested by Pudzianowski. With his event wins spread across moving and static events, 2003 showed Mariusz had developed into a well-rounded strongman whose weaknesses were few and far between. Following the final, a host of contemporaries were wholesome in their praise. Fellow Pole Jarek Dymek described him as ‘being from another planet’; whilst Karlsen said that he had never seen a performance like it.Two years later in Chengdu and with a host of new faces gunning for the WSM title, ‘The Dominator’ nickname never seemed more apt as Pudzianowski once again dismantled his opposition in the final. That notwithstanding, it was an uncharacteristically slow start in the final which saw him trailing the leader Don Pope by seven points after two events. One of which, Fingal’s Fingers, was to be something of a bogey event for him for a couple years. He was also six points back from  the late Jesse Marunde at this stage, and was actually only a single point from the bottom of the table. However, with his speed and strength seeming to increase year on year coupled to unrivalled stamina, the first visit of WSM to China was ultimately a memorable one for Mariusz. Following his initial disappointments in the early disciplines, Pudzianowski made no more mistakes, winning each of the remaining five events, dashing the hopes of the Marunde.In 2006, and by his own admission, Pudzianowski underestimated his opponents, particularly Phil Pfister. Thus, there was not to be a fourth victory for him in Sanya, as he was bested by a Pfister in outstanding form. He lays the blame for this defeat squarely at his own feet, believing that he was as well trained and prepared as ever, but disregarding his fellow competitors had been his downfall. Fingal’s Fingers again proved to be a stumbling block and there was the realisation that this weakness needed to be eradicated if he wanted to add a fourth title in 2007. Mariusz duly went away and turned one of his poorest events into a strength, and when he was three months away from WSM 2007, his training schedule spanned five hours a day.

Anaheim in 2007 duly saw Pudzianowski claim title number four, and put him a step closer to achieving his stated goal of five WSM wins. Aside from the victory, Mariusz’s showing in the Fingal’s Fingers was his personal highlight. Although he placed behind countryman Sebastian Wenta (who broke the world record) his time of 31.15 seconds was an astonishing 22 seconds faster than he managed in 2006. Whilst Mariusz was never reserved when celebrating, his joy at conquering the event was plain to see, screaming in delight as he was given his time. When this performance was added to his first places in the Loading Race and Car Walk, and his other second place finishes in the Safe Lift, Car Deadlift and Truck Pull, it was another demonstration of his famous ‘Polish Power’. The accolades from his peers continued, with Samuelsson opining that Pudzianowski is ‘really fast, extremely strong and probably the most efficient strongman there has ever been’. Terry Hollands, a man who competed against Mariusz on many occasions stated in 2007 that ‘every event is a good event for Pudzianowski, there are no weaknesses, no chinks in the armour.’
2008 was the year in which he secured his record breaking fifth WSM title. An injury sustained during the Fingal’s Fingers in the qualifying round hindered him, and Derek Poundstone, on his WSM debut very nearly spoiled the party for Mariusz. Pudzianowski had trailed Poundstone since the end of the second event, but clawed his way back to take the historic victory on the fifth Atlas Stone. It was not the rampaging display seen in previous years, but it was a determined one and coming out ahead of the red-hot Poundstone gave Mariusz tremendous satisfaction. Malta in 2009 was the last time Pudzianowski competed at WSM. He came up against the returning Savickas, and the battle that WSM fans had been waiting for since 2004 was resumed. Going into the final event separated by two points, the Lithuanian’s superiority on the Stones saw him take his first WSM title. There were no excuses from Mariusz, with the acknowledgement that the superior competitor had triumphed.Between 2002 and 2009 Mariusz Pudzianowski was quite simply the man to beat at WSM. He became the yardstick for success and even in the years when he was not the defending champion, the majority of competitors knew that if they were to beat him, they would almost certainly take the big prize. Even people who were only vaguely familiar with strongman seemed to have an awareness of ‘the Polish guy from World’s Strongest Man’ which in itself is a major accomplishment. In the years when he didn’t emerge on top, he was never far away, with one fourth place and two second places also on his résumé, losing out in final event deciders against both Phil Pfister in 2006 and Zydrunas Savickas in 2009.  The combination of self-confidence and ability that underpins all great champions was possessed in abundance by Pudzianowski. His contest history illustrates this, and as simplistic as it sounds, he loved to win. This applied whether it was at World, European, national or even regional levels. Crucially, however, he maintained that hunger for a sustained period of time and this kept him at the top of the sport. Whilst some of his victories may have looked comparatively straightforward, his training routines which underpinned them were legendary in their duration and frequency. There is little doubt that this suffering paved the way for his multitude of successes. Pudzianowski himself said that ‘If you want to be the best you have to sacrifice yourself and concentrate on just one thing.’ Five WSM victories are a testament to the fact that he practiced what he preached.

The Dominator - Mariusz Pudzianowski

In my years of training i came across people and events that deeply motivated me in my progression as an athlete and so as trainer. World Strongest Man (WSM) is the best indicator of human strenght and endurance, and National Football Leauge has the most agile and fastest athletes on Earth.

For upcoming WSM events visit  http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/

Useful sites for training equipment

If you are serious about training and want to take your training to next level, or you are just starting and want to buy some new and quality equipment, you should consider this sites:

www.power-systems.com
www.gymsource.com
www.escapefitness.com 
www.fitness-superstore.co.uk
www.trisports.com