Having your own garage gym is great for getting extra workouts in during the week or on days where you can’t make it to the gym. And for some, the garage gym IS your gym.
For those who are thinking about buying some equipment for the garage, we’ve compiled a list of our garage gym essentials to get you started…all for under $1,500!
Let’s take a look at the equipment you need to do everything from Olympic Weightlifting to a CrossFit met-con with gymnastics, barbell cycling and conditioning elements…
The Rogue Bar 2.0
The Rogue Bar 2.0 is the “go to” bar most CrossFit gyms. It is a great multi-purpose barbell that can used for Olympic weightlifting to a CrossFit metcon to powerlifting. The black zinc coating looks great and the knurl is sharp enough to have a solid grip on the bar, but not too sharp that it cuts into your hands. It also comes with a lifetime warranty.
Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates
Most gyms buy the Hi-Temp bumper plates because they will handle the daily grind of members using (and abusing) weights. However, for your home gym, we actually recommend the Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates. The HG 2.0 series is actually cheaper than the Hi-Temp plates, has less bounce when dropped from overhead, thinner width than Hi-Temps allowing more weight on the bar and they look nicer (in our opinion).
We recommend going with either the 260-pound or 350-pound sets depending on how much weight you plan on moving.
Cost: $425 for 260-pound set or $545 for $350-pound set
Rogue Spring Collars
If you’re just starting out and have a limited budget, the Rogue Spring Collars are budget friendly. They get the job done and cost less than $10. If budget is not an issue, the OSO Elite Collars are the way to go. They do not move, even on workout like Grace where you are dropping the bar from overhead repetitively.
Cost: $9.50 for Rogue Spring Collars or $57.95 for OSO Elite Collars
Rogue RML-3W Fold Back Wall Mount Rack
If you have a barbell, you will probably want to squat. And if you’re in your garage, space is probably limited. A great solution for this is the Rogue Fold Back Wall Mount Rack. When not in use, you can fold it up against wall giving you your garage space back. When you’re ready to workout, unfold it and you’re ready to go.
What makes the Fold Back Wall Mount Rack great is that it also comes with a Quick Attach Pull-up Bar so it takes care of both squats and pull-ups in one piece of equipment. In addition, depending on your space availability you can choose between 21.5″ or 41.5″ rack depth.
And if you want to make your garage stand out even more, you can customize your rack by picking from 11 different colors for an extra $45.
Cost: $495 for 21.5″ Black Powder Coated finish or $540 for 21.5″ custom color rack
Rogue Kettlebell
The kettlebell can be used in so many ways – Russian or American Swings, snatches, farmer carries, turkish get-ups, goblet squats…the list goes on and on. Rogue makes their own line of kettlebells that feature a powder coated finish and a smooth,comfortable handle.
While one kettlebell will give you a lot of options, we recommend buying two of the same weight if you can fit it in your budget. Two kettlebells give you even more ways to use them.
Cost: $62.50 for 53-pound kettlebell or $47.86 for 35-pound kettlebell
SR-1 Rogue Bearing Speed Rope
The jump rope is a great conditioning tool and for many just beginning CrossFit the double-under is a skill that takes a while to get the hang of. Why not get one for your garage and spend some time getting them down? The SR-1 Rogue Bearing Speed Rope is a great jump rope for beginners and the advanced alike, but without the high price tag that comes with some of the premium ropes out there.
Accessories
Once you have a bar, weights, squat rack, pull-up bar, kettlebell and jump rope, it is time to think about some accessories that are nice-to-haves. Things like chalk, tape, weight belt and gymnastics rings.
Chalk
Rogue sells a box of 8 blocks of chalk. It’s your standard chalk, nothing fancy, just gets the job done.
Tape
We really like Goat Tape. It is really sticky so it doesn’t fall off once you get sweaty, yet is flexible enough to feel comfortable. Show your support for CrossFit with CrossFit-branded Sticky Goat Tape (it’s the same price as Goat Tape branded tape).
Weight Belt
When the weights start going up, you might want to invest in a weight belt. The Rogue 4″ Nylon Weight Belt is great for several reasons. First, the 4″ width is not too big or small and works with heavy deadlifts, back squats or even Olympic lifts. Second, the velcro latching system is very secure while allowing you to adjust the tightness on the fly, even in the middle of a metcon. Third, the price can’t be beat.
Gymnastics Rings
You have a pull-up bar as part of the rack you suggested, but gymnastics rings are great because they require additional stabilization to keep them from swinging. Hang them from your pull-up bar (or buy a Rogue Ring Hanger) and do ring dips, ring rows or ring push-ups. With the Rogue Ring Hanger and a high enough ceiling, you can even do muscle-ups.
For under $1,500 (excluding shipping costs), you can build your own garage gym that will give you endless combinations of movements to keep your met-cons fresh and exciting. Here’s the rundown of all the equipment we recommended and the cost.
After you get your garage gym up and running, we’d love to see your set-up. Tag us on Instagram, @thebarbellspin.
- The Rogue Bar 2.0 ($255)
Start your garage gym for under $1,500! - Rogue HG 2.0 Bumper Plates ($425)
- Rogue Spring Collars ($9.50)
- Rogue RML-3W Fold Back Wall Mount Rack ($495)
- Rogue Kettlebell ($62.50)
- SR-1 Rogue Bearing Speed Rope ($21.95)
- Rogue Chalk ($11.99)
- CrossFit Sticky Goat Tape ($11.98)
- Rogue 4″ Nylon Weight Belt ($18.99)
- Wooden Gymnastics Rings ($72)
- Shipping*: $102.97
- TOTAL COST (with shipping*): $1,486.88
