Building a Gym

[WARinsertname]

Hey bud, thanks for the find - that website has some good prices and on products that arent easy to find nowdays, even after considering shipping costs.

I made an order then got concerned after reading some bad reviews about products not being received (I know they could just be from unreasonable customers).

Have you ordered from them recently (since the pandemic) and received your products?

I got their trap bar last november. Came fast and shipping was good, no damage to the box or anything.

I know some guys who ordered from them before, it's TitanFitness level stuff for Canada basically. Customer service was on point before covid but now it must be a hassle.

 

[Ackmed]

I got their trap bar last november. Came fast and shipping was good, no damage to the box or anything.

I know some guys who ordered from them before, it's TitanFitness level stuff for Canada basically. Customer service was on point before covid but now it must be a hassle.

Cool, I made one order a week ago and another one today.

Maybe it'll be fine...its usually customers with bad experiences that are most vocal online. As long as they arrive or at least ship about a month after my order I'll be happy and won't bug them in between for an update.

@vision1 did you order from them since this covid situation?

 

[Robocok]

Do you really have to spend so much money for a quality bar? Could someone tell me about the differences between bars at a couple different price points?

I believe in buying quality once rather than getting junk that won't last, but spending more than $300 on a bar seems exorbitant.

 

[MatterOverMind]

IMO powder coating is a cosmetic benefit only but does look good. Unless you leave the rack outside in the rain, rust should not be an issue and even if it is, you can simply wipe down with WD-40. I would avoid paint unless you can do a professional quality job in a dust-free room. Otherwise it will look like shit and you'll just have paint flakes chipping off at any contact point. If you're welding standard black pipe, why not just leave unpainted?

You may be of the opinion that powder coating is of cosmetic benefit only, but it's not really a matter of opinion. Powder coating is much more durable than the vast majority of paint options.

Do you know where he lives? I don't, but I don't why you would think that rust wouldn't be an issue. Bare steel will rust anywhere that isn't very dry year-round. And most people don't want their racks to be oily from WD-40.

It also sounds like you're bad at painting. Specifically, prepping for paint. Paint will wear away pretty easily at contact points, whereas powder coating will not. But, it absolutely should not be flaking/chipping.

Why would anyone make a rack out of black pipe? It's meant for plumbing (usually gas), not for fabrication or structural support. And, while the iron-oxide layer may make it somewhat resistant to further rusting, the pure, bare steel welds will rust very quickly in most environments.

Not trying to be a dick, but I feel like you gave a lot of bad advice, and I would be much more of a dick to not correct it.

 

[ChickenBrother]

You may be of the opinion that powder coating is of cosmetic benefit only, but it's not really a matter of opinion. Powder coating is much more durable than the vast majority of paint options.

Do you know where he lives? I don't, but I don't why you would think that rust wouldn't be an issue. Bare steel will rust anywhere that isn't very dry year-round. And most people don't want their racks to be oily from WD-40.

It also sounds like you're bad at painting. Specifically, prepping for paint. Paint will wear away pretty easily at contact points, whereas powder coating will not. But, it absolutely should not be flaking/chipping.

Why would anyone make a rack out of black pipe? It's meant for plumbing (usually gas), not for fabrication or structural support. And, while the iron-oxide layer may make it somewhat resistant to further rusting, the pure, bare steel welds will rust very quickly in most environments.

Not trying to be a dick, but I feel like you gave a lot of bad advice, and I would be much more of a dick to not correct it.

Well the guy I was responding to seemed to be OK with the advice and if you read the back and forth after my post you quoted, I also qualify the issues you bring up. I also don't claim to be an expert but I spent several years working in construction as a pipe fitter, working with black pipe, with and around welders and with various coatings including paint, powder coat, galvanized, etc. I also mentioned that I had a rack made of welded black pipe under a covered outdoor patio that got rained on many times over 15+ years so I'm speaking from personal experience there.

At the moment, I have a powder-coated squat rack in my basement that I'm happy with. Is powder coating a nicer, more durable finish and more rust resistant? Absolutely. Is it necessary for an improvised rack to remain structurally sound over many years? No. If budget were an issue and I just wanted something that works without consideration for appearance, I'd go bare welded pipe again.

 

[Ackmed]

Do you really have to spend so much money for a quality bar? Could someone tell me about the differences between bars at a couple different price points?

I believe in buying quality once rather than getting junk that won't last, but spending more than $300 on a bar seems exorbitant.

I'm new to buying home-fitness equipment but for what it's worth I spent only $100 on a 7 foot Olympic bar. I don't lift super heavy and if I see rust, I'll chalk it up as a learning experience and replace it with a pricier one. I don't use it outdoors.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I'm new to buying home-fitness equipment but for what it's worth I spent only $100 on a 7 foot Olympic bar. I don't lift super heavy and if I see rust, I'll chalk it up as a learning experience and replace it with a pricier one. I don't use it outdoors.

IMO barbells and gym equipment are like BJJ gis. At the extreme low price point, you might find some junk that falls apart early but the majority of stuff does the job just fine. At the extreme high price point, you can find incrementally better quality product but whether or not you need or want to pay the premium is up to the consumer.

Unless you're lifting very heavy weight and trying to compete (if you are, I'd defer to the experienced powerlifting/weightlifting bros on here), most equipment from say, Dick's Sporting Goods will work fine. IMO a $100 Olympic barbell will do the job for years unless it's a fluke. Even if it develops small rust spots, it will take many years before it degrades to the point that you can't use it anymore. For context, steel sheeting, I-beams, steel pipes used in new construction often has rust spots in the warehouse - and these are used in applications where those pieces of steel critically support many tons of load.

If you're like me and just about everyone else I know with a home gym, you will eventually upgrade to better equipment because you WANT to not because you NEED to.

 

[Robocok]

IMO barbells and gym equipment are like BJJ gis. At the extreme low price point, you might find some junk that falls apart early but the majority of stuff does the job just fine. At the extreme high price point, you can find incrementally better quality product but whether or not you need or want to pay the premium is up to the consumer.

Unless you're lifting very heavy weight and trying to compete (if you are, I'd defer to the experienced powerlifting/weightlifting bros on here), most equipment from say, Dick's Sporting Goods will work fine. IMO a $100 Olympic barbell will do the job for years unless it's a fluke. Even if it develops small rust spots, it will take many years before it degrades to the point that you can't use it anymore. For context, steel sheeting, I-beams, steel pipes used in new construction often has rust spots in the warehouse - and these are used in applications where those pieces of steel critically support many tons of load.

If you're like me and just about everyone else I know with a home gym, you will eventually upgrade to better equipment because you WANT to not because you NEED to.

What's the sweet spot as far as value/performance in your opinion? Best bang for your buck? Would like one decent bar for squats, deadlifts, bench, etc

 

[Ackmed]

IMO barbells and gym equipment are like BJJ gis. At the extreme low price point, you might find some junk that falls apart early but the majority of stuff does the job just fine. At the extreme high price point, you can find incrementally better quality product but whether or not you need or want to pay the premium is up to the consumer.

Unless you're lifting very heavy weight and trying to compete (if you are, I'd defer to the experienced powerlifting/weightlifting bros on here), most equipment from say, Dick's Sporting Goods will work fine. IMO a $100 Olympic barbell will do the job for years unless it's a fluke. Even if it develops small rust spots, it will take many years before it degrades to the point that you can't use it anymore. For context, steel sheeting, I-beams, steel pipes used in new construction often has rust spots in the warehouse - and these are used in applications where those pieces of steel critically support many tons of load.

If you're like me and just about everyone else I know with a home gym, you will eventually upgrade to better equipment because you WANT to not because you NEED to.

I watch for a few things when it comes to adjustable benches (like 12" pad width, decent weight capacity) or a rack (decent weight so its sturdy) but when it comes to bars and plates I'm not picky at all! If a plate says 45 lbs it's pretty hard to get wrong! Or as long as the bar is standard weight, length and thickness I cant tell the difference either.

 

[ChickenBrother]

What's the sweet spot as far as value/performance in your opinion? Best bang for your buck? Would like one decent bar for squats, deadlifts, bench, etc

I've been using the Rogue B&R bar for about 3 years and have been very happy with it. It's <$300 and I got it with the rack, bench and some plates with free shipping during Black Friday when I was setting up my home gym. I use it 2-3x/week for squats, deads, bench, OHP, bent-over rows and have added cleans/power cleans and snatches as well. I also did my homework and checked out a lot of options at different price points including specialty gym supply stores as well as lower end department store equipment.

I have buddies that swear by the Rogue Ohio bar ($285 on their website) and I think they're nice too but I prefer the knurling and feel of the B&R bar. I know you pay a premium for Rogue but this bar feels better than most bars in public gyms - the ends spin cleanly and smoothly and it's a good multi-purpose bar for a home gym IMHO.

That said if you're on a budget, a cheapo discount store barbell may not feel quite as nice but will get the job done just fine. The most noticeable difference to me is that cheaper bars tend to have a very smooth chrome finish which isn't as grippy. But if I wanted to save $200 on a barbell, I'd get a cheap barbell and put some cloth sports tape on it - that's what I did on my B&R bar to cover the knurling in the middle that was shredding my neck doing cleans.

Whippiness/bar flexibility can be a big factor for Olympic lifts and DL but I don't compete and just train for general fitness.

 

[vision1]

@vision1 did you order from them since this covid situation?

Placed the order, waited a month, never heard back from them.
Then about 6 weeks later they just cancelled the order without telling me, I only found out because I found a credit on my visa statement. Piece of shit company.

That being said, I have an old forklift I've been using as a rack for squatting and benching. Still waiting to find a good barbell to buy.
Also made a pretty cool dip station / plate storage frame.

In regards to how much needs to be spent on a barbell, I used a $100 barbell for about 10 years. I had other gym memberships so it wasn't continuous use but it held up fine. The chrome will chip off and the collars don't spin and the knurling is sharp and the bar has zero flex ... but it never once bent with use up to mid 500s.

 

[Jkillah]

I know there are DIY wooden squat racks and power racks on youtube that would probably get you by.

As for barbells. IMO, boneyard bars from Rouge can't be beat for quality and price.

During the beginning of the pandemic I bought a titan barbell for $99 of of Amazon because it was the only barbell I could find. It's actually not bad other than it has very passive knurling. I have since replaced it with a Rouge Ohio power bar.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Placed the order, waited a month, never heard back from them.
Then about 6 weeks later they just cancelled the order without telling me, I only found out because I found a credit on my visa statement. Piece of shit company.

That being said, I have an old forklift I've been using as a rack for squatting and benching. Still waiting to find a good barbell to buy.
Also made a pretty cool dip station / plate storage frame.

In regards to how much needs to be spent on a barbell, I used a $100 barbell for about 10 years. I had other gym memberships so it wasn't continuous use but it held up fine. The chrome will chip off and the collars don't spin and the knurling is sharp and the bar has zero flex ... but it never once bent with use up to mid 500s.

View attachment 791928

That's a nice dip station - did you copy an existing design or design it yourself? Either way, looks like you have legit welding skills.

But using a forklift as a squat rack is McBain (from the Simpsons) vs. the Commie-Nazis level shit. That might even be more hardcore than Rocky pulling an ox cart in Siberia.

 

[vision1]

Thanks. Mostly designed it myself, I just referenced the big name manufacturers (elitefts, rogue) for rough hand dimensions.

Haha it's definitely not the safest piece of equipment but it's nice having complete adjustability with the arm heights.

 

[Ackmed]

Thanks. Mostly designed it myself, I just referenced the big name manufacturers (elitefts, rogue) for rough hand dimensions.

Haha it's definitely not the safest piece of equipment but it's nice having complete adjustability with the arm heights.

Lol necessity is the mother of invention! I'm guessing you were looking around your warehouse thinking of what you can use then saw the forklift resemblance and it set off the idea!

Thanks for the info on fitness Avenue. Wasnt what I was hoping to hear but one positive is I now cant he disappointed because I'm not expecting to get anything, so ite a win vs neutral situation for me now lol.

It sucks that I now beed to wait for non-arrival before I shop for the same things from elsewhere but it's not a huge deal given the environment we are in.

 

[Ackmed]

Placed the order, waited a month, never heard back from them.
Then about 6 weeks later they just cancelled the order without telling me, I only found out because I found a credit on my visa statement. Piece of shit company.

Sorry to hear.

I havent received anything yet but hopefully I might be in luck. I made 3 separate orders - one for a plate tree, another for Olympic loadable dumbells and a third for olympic collars.

I got notification in about 2 weeks from each other that they've created a shipping label, and one of them now says in-transit with a tracking number.

It's crazy that I feel lucky just for maybe getting what I paid for but its such a gong-show with buying fitness equipment nowadays.

 

[Zankou]

Do you really have to spend so much money for a quality bar? Could someone tell me about the differences between bars at a couple different price points?

I believe in buying quality once rather than getting junk that won't last, but spending more than $300 on a bar seems exorbitant.

It’s less about durability and more about the grip.

Once the weight starts getting heavier, a high quality knurl is amazing, and cheap bars will feel terrible by comparison.

250-450 is about what I’d expect to pay if you aren’t doing serious Olympic lifts. SS is awesome but expensive and can be done without.

 

[deadshot138]

Do you really have to spend so much money for a quality bar? Could someone tell me about the differences between bars at a couple different price points?

I believe in buying quality once rather than getting junk that won't last, but spending more than $300 on a bar seems exorbitant.

Get a Texas power bar. $300 and it'll handle anything you throw at it. Bars like Kabuki Strength sells are more for commercial gyms and whatever. You don't need a $700 squat bar but you also don't want a piece of shit either.

 

[spdrew2143]

Texas power bar is a little more whippy than the ohio power bar. Most people prefer to squat and bench with the opb and deadlift with the tpb. Unless youre moving some big weights 500+ you wont notice much of a difference.

 

[cincymma79]

Hi Guys,

I asked some of these questions in the Gear Section but I think there's more home gym knowledge in F13.

1) The main piece missing in my gym right now is a squat rack. I've decided to go with a half rack. I have no problem putting the money into a decent rack but everything is sold out at the moment so I may fabricate my own. How important do you guys think powder coating would be? The quotes I've received to powder coat a rack are around $275cad. Is that worth it or could I just put on some coats of paint? Maybe make two pairs of J-hooks so I'm not moving them constantly and scraping up the tubing.

2) What's your favourite multi-purpose barbell for under $500? Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Bench, Cleans, Snatches. 300-400 would be ideal.

3) What's the ideal height for hanging a heavy bag? I have pretty tall ceilings and I'm not sure what's considered too high. I mean the height of the top of the chain, not the height of the bag.

Thanks

I can get you a rack if this post inst old as hell. Titan is selling them too