Membership at the local gym turns out to be so expensive that I'm much better off just getting some better equipment and continue working out home. I already have dumbbells, and I plan to get a barbell and moar weight-plates. There's only one more detail I'm wondering if I should invest in: A bench.My economy isn't that good, but having a bench does seem useful, as my chair/bed/floor aren't good enough replacements in some cases. So how important is it really to have a bench? If so, what makes it so important? Is it really worth investing in for someone who hates investing?Pic related, seems like the perfect bench to me, as it can be adjusted to decline, flat, incline and chair, which should cover all my needs.
>>51675craigslist.com ALWAYS has someone selling a lot of equipment, good starter sets. Look for a powerrack stand with or without a bench (if without then invest in a bench.You'll want the powerrack because there are safety pegs usually for when you do presses and can't go up all the way to unload.
>>52145Also, be on the lookout for olympic bars vs standard bars. they are better quality (and harder to bend) than standards. If the set comes with weights then fine, if not then instead of forking over almost $500 for a set of 300 buy anything that comes with 300 pounds of weights and resell the parts you don't need if possible, or give to a friend etc..
I got a used cheap olympic bench similar to the one in the picture with barbell, dumbbells and some weights from ebay. It's by far not as good as the one in the picture but it's enough for me right now. The price was the same as 3-4 months of gym membership, though the minimum membership is afaik 6 month.If you get some used gear and in the future you decide to get a gym membership you can still sell your gear without a big loss.
>>52173Plus, you can hold on to the equipment for more than a few years if you take care of it and keep everything tight like it should be. It's much more economical than a Gym. Plus:No linesNo assholesNo distractionsNo Kenny GNo rules
>>52175Mostly the reason I started building my own gym. So far I have a squat rack, bench, pull-up bar, dips, rope, sled, sand bag, and weights for about ~150.