A very basic but effective home gym: A barbell and 140kg of bumper plates, Squat/bench stands, bench, slam ball, dumbbells and a small range of kettlebells. The whole thing cost about the equivalent of a year's gym membership but have lasted two years so far and show no sign of wear.
Being able to lift something heavy on a regular basis over the last year has been a massive boost for my mental and physical health. You don't need expensive gear, some of my best workouts are from a metal bar wedged over a loft hatch, you just need to have something and use it.
I used to be really into body weight fitness (actually need to start it back up again). However, they still recommend most people get weights and a set of plates because there are very limited options when it comes to doing leg exercises.
I've been trying off and on to work on doing pistols. I think the primary reason people suggest a set of weights and a traditional weightlifting leg routine is because its pretty difficult to develop the strength and balance to do pistols even without weight. I got to the point where I was doing squats with an 80lb weight vest and holding another 70+ pounds of kettlebells and I still wasn't anywhere near strong enough to do unweighted pistols.
This is a great one. I got mine about 8 years ago (whoa) and it’s a gift to yourself that keeps on giving. Mine shows no wear at all, really. Bearings in the barbell still roll smoothly, no rust, no gear getting flimsy.
I’ll admit I struggle at times to use it, but it has definitely saved more than it cost me now. I sometimes get a gym membership when time is limited and there’s a good gym near where I’m working. Convenience plays a huge role in my ability to work out. Having 3 kids at home makes the home gym really hard to use!
I bought a squat rack, barbell, 280lbs in plates all from Titan Fitness. It's the perfect match between cost and premium. It has it's blemishes, but it's much cheaper than Rogue. I'm doing a PPL split for about 8 month and lost a lot of weight but also got a lot stronger.
I built out the basic home gym over the pandemic, but gyms in my town have dropped the mask mandate and I can't wait to get back in. I'll continue both, and the home gym improved the last year of my life immeasurably, but I've always like going to other gyms. When I lived in the city, I made the rounds among the different gym locations available to me.
I guess I'm back to having the best of both worlds.
I live on the 5th floor and have 160kg of weights + barbell on my balcony. Got that during corona when all the gyms closed. I do squats, deadlifts and overhead presses.
I mean, I wouldn't do it if the building (and the balcony) isn't a modern overbuilt masterpiece.
The only drawback is that I really need to put the weights gently otherwise I'm pretty sure neighbors would complain.
Being able to lift something heavy on a regular basis over the last year has been a massive boost for my mental and physical health. You don't need expensive gear, some of my best workouts are from a metal bar wedged over a loft hatch, you just need to have something and use it.