Garage gym for powerlifting

This is an overview of items to get for a garage gym geared towards powerlifting. If you are interested in more detailed you can refer to the posts in the related articles section.

Goals

Whether a home gym makes sense for you depends highly on your personal goals. Gym memberships can be very cheap, especially if you make no use of the classes or trainers. So check your goal set and some factors before deciding on big expenses for a home gym.

Distance to gym
Opening times
Self-motivation
Current discipline

The distance to your gym is one of the impactful factors whether a gym makes sense or not. The further away the gym door is from your own the more sense it makes to switch to a home gym. Once you commute an hour to your gym it will definitely be beneficial to start a home gym.

If you work shift it will also help to have a gym that is open 24/7. Most gyms are not open 24/7 with a few exceptions. Combine this with long commutes and you get the idea.

Motivation can be a tricky topic. As long as you can stay motivated and push the workout without external motivators you are a good candidate for a home gym. So ask yourself seriously whether you will keep up the routine once you are home with no official appointments.

The last thing to look at is how disciplined you are about your attendance. If you continuously hit three times a week already or more you can look into it. If you think you will be more disciplined by having a home gym that is usually not what happens.

Rack

If you are a big powerlifter I would always recommend a full rack. A full rack will have the base and weight to take a heavy beating. Half racks might not provide this kind of stability. The Rogue RM4 or 490C might be good companions for you.

Barbell

Powerlifters do not need bearing on their barbell which cuts the costs considerably. Two good options are the Rogue Ohio power bar and thor bar. The thor bar is a little prettier, while the Power bar is a workhorse that has recently been IPF approved.

Plates

Your garage gym for powerlifting will fare best with steel plates. As you will not drop them from overhead or go for many repetitions you need the most amount of weight in the smallest space possible. Steel plates will do just that for you.

Hip belt Squat machine

This is a big price tag but it will protect your lower back from injury. You might justify this machine in the second round of investment into your garage gym if you have space.

Bench

Avoid shortchanging your bench. You will use it often and as soon as it gets wonky it can get very annoying to use. Get a sturdy, big bench that can take a beating. The Rogue adjustable bench might be a good option if your budget allows for it.

Platform

Adeadlifting platform can simulate what you will do in competition. You can also use with bands on the deadlift, also it is often said that this option is overrated.

Storage

Think about extra shelving for plates, kettlebells, and dumbbells ahead of time. Order is important in your home gym to remain disciplined and get results. So be ready to keep it clean.

Summary

You can save on the barbell and plates for your garage gym for powerlifting compared to a weightlifting gym. With this money saved invest a little more into the bench and rack to protect yourself.