Muscle Gain Forum

It's a weekend project - couple sheets of ply, some rubber, a hardwood strip down the middle. Way cheaper than a commercial platform and just as good.

Horse-stall mats are the go-to - thick rubber, cheap, durable, protect both the floor and your plates. For deadlifts specifically, a simple DIY platform (plywood base + mats/hardwood centre strip) gives a solid, level surface and saves your bar and floor. Cheap to build.

Fair - they're not for slamming. For controlled work they're great. If you're doing heavy destructive sets, fixed hex are tougher, but for most home training adjustables are perfect.

For a small space, adjustables win easily - one pair replaces a whole rack and the floor space is night and day. The good ones (dial or selectorised) are quick to change. The only downsides: they're bulkier per dumbbell and you don't want to drop them.

Solid steel, good safeties, Westside spacing, fits my ceiling, bolted down. Mid-range is fine. That's exactly the buying checklist I needed, cheers.

Westside spacing - hadn't heard the term, that's useful.

Ready to buy a power rack as the centrepiece of my garage gym. There's a huge range in price and I can't tell what's worth paying for. What features actually matter and where can I save? Don't want to over- or under-spend.

Prioritise the stuff that lets you train hard and safe. My order on a budget: A power rack with safeties (non-negotiable for solo lifting) A barbell (a decent 20kg, don't cheap out badly here) Plates - buy by weight, second-hand cast iron is fine and cheap An adjustable bench Flooring/horse-stall ...

You’re slaying it—nooks to garages! RippedRookie—kettlebell’s a champ—swing ‘til you sing! SwolePatrol—foldable rack’s dope. Drop a pic or your dream piece—keep this gym tour rocking!

You space-saving legends— foldables, bands, kettlebells—killing it! BulkBeast—try foam pads for quiet drops. RippedRookie—grab bands, cheap and mighty. Who’s got a pic of their tiny setup? Let’s see it!