Muscle Gain Forum

Stall mats everywhere, DIY platform under the bar, bumpers for the drops. Clear and affordable. Building it this weekend, thanks all.

A DIY platform sounds more affordable than I feared.

Setting up deadlifts in my garage and worried about cracking the concrete and dinging my bar/plates. What's the best flooring and do I need a dedicated lifting platform? Trying to do it right without massive expense.

It's just tighter hole spacing in the working zone so you can set safeties and J-hooks at the exact height. Makes a real difference for bench and press.

Prioritise the things that matter for safety and longevity: Sturdy gauge steel (11 or 12 gauge) and a solid footprint Reliable safeties (pins or straps) - this is what lets you train alone Westside hole spacing through the bench/press range for fine-tuningA pull-up bar up top (most have one) You can ...

Used plates, a solid bar and rack first, gimmicks never. Perfect roadmap, thank you all - watching the local listings now.

That's exactly the prioritised list I needed.

Finally got garage space and a small budget. I don't want to waste money on gimmicks. If you were starting a home gym from scratch on a tight budget, what are the essential first purchases in order? Help me prioritise.

Leveling up your setup? Tell us what’s next—kettlebells, a rower, or more plates.
Why’s it worth it? Dream big!

Lifting at home? Show off your rig—racks, plates, or a corner bench.
What’s your must-have piece?
Pics welcome!