Basement gym on a budget

A good source to build your basement gym on a budget is TITAN fitness. This article will walk you through the details.

A rack on a budget

If you want to get a rack on a budget there is always Craigslist, eBay, and facebook groups. This has a lot to do with patience, negotiation, timing, and willingness to use equipment that someone else has used before. Watch out for shipping costs on these and try to buy local. Otherwise, you might be surprised how much you are paying when you accepted the shipping. All of a sudden your bargain might be as attractive as you have thought.

Especially for a rack, I am not a huge fan of rummaging through the bowels of the internet. In the end, your rack will be your safety net when everything else has failed. If you buy from one of the mentioned sources, make sure that you can personally inspect the items before agreeing to the purchase. Especially if it is a good price, but not a "just get rid of it for me" kind of deal.

If you want new equipment in the USA on a budget which is good quality, go with TITAN Fitness. TITAN is a clone of Rogue Fitness at about half the retail price. Take this as a general rule which does not apply item by item. On your entire gym outfit, you probably will save about half the cost on a comparable shopping basket from Rogue. that being said be aware that there are more reports about TITAN than with Rogue on quality issues. These are usually related to the welds, finishes of color or packaging. Be careful with equipment from TITAN which needs a lot of welding work like MUlti grip bars or safety bars. The quality of those is often reported to be poor. For a rack, barbell, and plates you can still go to TITAN to save a considerable amount of money if you don't mind running a higher risk of small quality issues. Keep in mind, you are probably getting twice as much stuff out of $1000 from TItan than out of Rogue. The rack options you have from TITAN are:

You can read more about the different models and their measurements in the article "which rack to get from TITAN for under $500"

A full rack on a budget

When you are looking for a full rack from the TITAN budget between $300 - $500 to get what you want. I prefer a full rack as I am quite tall and wide and like to take big steps on my walkout. If you are a smaller lifter or take fewer / smaller steps you might also be fine with a half rack. You can try these different versions at your local gym. If you want to store your plates on the rack while you are lifting I think a full rack is your best bet. When you decide for a full rack the depth and width are usually 49". When you are browsing Titan you can get a full rack out of them:

These different products differ in how thick the steel is that they are made of and what accessories can go with them. For more details, you can read "which Rack to get from TITAN for under $500".

A half rack on a budget

When you are looking for a half-rack on a budget and go for TITAN you should be willing to put somewhere between $200 - $400 on the table. Half racks can be great when you do not have that much space available. You usually would have little weight stored on them while you are exercising. They also leave very little room for any accessories in the future. If you are small and have space around the rack, this is a good choice. If you are big and inexperienced you might not want to start with a half rack. YOu need to know what you are doing with a barbell are be under supervision to limit your space for working in a half rack.

These different products differ in how thick the steel is that they are made of and what accessories can go with them. For more details, you can read "which Rack to get from TITAN for under $500".

Fold rack on a budget

A folding rack is the option of choice whenever you want to be able to use the room when you are not exercising. The idea sprung from garage gyms. A folding rack can be folded to the wall after use. This way you save budget and space. The trade-off is that you can not store any plates on the rack or use accessories with the rack. You can also not bolt it to the floor which makes it rockier if you are aiming to do kipping pull-ups.

These different products differ in how thick the steel is that they are made of and what accessories can go with them. For more details, you can read "which Rack to get from TITAN for under $500".

Barbell on a budget

If you want to get a barbell on a budget the best sources are Craigslist, Facebook, and eBay if you have the time and a hand for striking a bargain. YOu have to be a savvy negotiator, patient and also willing to take it on the chin if the merchandise does not live up to its hype. I am personally not great at this as I prefer to buy new equipment. If you want to know how to do up used barbells and root through the internet you can learn one or two tricks from Coop at Garage Gym reviews. If you want something new at a reasonable price tag you can turn to TITAN Fitness.

You can buy a good barbell from the following sources:

Rogue Fitness
Kabuki Strength
Eleiko
Titan Fitness

The list can be made longer than this, but this will suffice for the sake of argument. Rogue Fitness has good stock, good quality, and a brand name to go with it. There is also a wide array of barbells you can choose from. However, they are also pricy in the sense that quality control, producing in the United States, warranties and reliable stock and shipping have their price. It is not the source to get the cheapest basement, but beginners who have no clue where to go will get their money's worth out of it without buying trash. Rogue equipment usually gets very positive feedback. Some exceptions were the Slinger, the first release of the lat pull down, and ropes. When Rogue brings out something new, wait for the V2 of it is not pressing. Rogue usually does some minor fixes in the V2 which have a big impact on usability. If you are undecided between an original or a V2, go for the V2. The only cost slightly more, but the improvements are usually more than worth the money.

Next on the list is Kabuki strength. Kabuki Strength is run by powerlifter Chris Duffin. All of his bars and equipment are a little lower in stock compared to big names like Rogue and TITAN. You likely have to wait a little more to get your delivery. In return, it is a lot more likely that your equipment was made to order and not just repackaged or taken from a heap of equipment that has been in the warehouse for x amount of months. The highest acclaimed product from Kabuki that I know of is the Duffalo bar. TITAN has a clone of this bar which is called the Bison at a 5th of the cost. The quality is poor and here you see the strength of Kabuki. If it is oddly shaped and produced in lower numbers, Kabuki is the way to go.

Eleiko has been the leading brand in barbells for decades until it was challenged by newcomers like TITAN, Rogue, and Kabuki Strength. Especially in the world of Olympic barbells, Eleiko is seen as the gold standard. The Olympics are officially equipped with Eleiko plates and barbells. Eleiko has recently made a move to discontinue their affiliate program and removed prices from their web page. They want you to talk to a sales rep and not just order yourself. This is good when you want to build an entire gym for the first time and have no clue. That is also great if you have the change to afford the best in the business. It is not so great for a home warrior who has to explain his/her budget to their spouse. If you want to outfit your facility to train the nex Olympians and need an experienced strength team to help go with Eleiko. Otherwise, go with Rogue or TITAN.

There is a wide arrange of barbells available from TITAN. A full line up of the barbell would be:

TItan is a great in-between option as it is not as much money as with Rogue, but the quality is in the same range. Especially for the bars which do not need a lot of welding are made from a straight piece of metal.

All-purpose barbell on a budget

The all-purpose barbell of choice on a budget would the ATlas bar from Titan.

Olympic barbell on a budget

Pick the Olympic model from TITAN.

Summary

TItan is a great choice to be gentle on your purse while still getting good equipment. If you are a powerlifter looking for special equipment beyond the basics, pay Kabuki Strength a visit. Olympic weightlifters who want to fit out a gold medal-worthy facility can start at Eleiko. If you want great quality on everything and now your prices upfront, go with Rogue.