This is something I am really passionate about. I feel that way too many people spend enormous sums of money to join gyms and then are thoroughly confused due to the excess availability of equipment.
What do you really need that you can get at a gym and can't get home? Training partners. But we all know the average quality of training partners in the modern gym. Honestly, if you can find just one motivated guy to workout with, you have everything you need. And gyms are the worst places to find them. Its not that hard, try to find sportsmen, bodybuilders and power-lifters. These guys are all pretty driven and have a solid work ethic.
So what do you really need other than a good training partner?
I have 3 home gyms listed below. Home gym 1 is the best option. All are cheap, specially when split among 2 or more guys.
Home Gym 1-
This gym assumes you have space- either a basement or a backyard.
1. Pull Up bar with overhead clearance- (If you Build One it should cost you less than 300 Rs)
This is an indispensable piece of equipment. It can be used for pull ups, bodyweight rows, leg raises, muscle ups etc. . . Every exercise you can come up with on the bar is excellent.
2. Gymnastic Rings- (You can make them out of cloth, should not cost you more than 200 Rs.)
These can be suspended from the pull up bar and can give you a range of movements that will build unreal power. Ring pushups, ring flys, bodyweight rows, decline rows, back levers, front levers, iron cross, ring muscle ups the list is endless.
3. Barbell (Olympic) with over 200kg weights- (A decent set bought from a good Indian Manufacturer will cost you about 3000Rs- Do not buy a bar and weights separately, that will cost you up till 10,000Rs)
Olympic barbells are better for home gyms as they are more versatile. They can be used for squats, front squats, overhead presses, clean and jerks, snatches, deadlifts, rows, curls and so much more.
4. Rubber Mat (If You are indoors)-
All Your Lifting Should be performed on this mat as otherwise you might break the floor. If you are building a gym outdoors, this will not be an issue.
5. Squat Rack (BUILD ONE)
Because if you buy a rack, you will use it to set up for presses and deadlifts and later, curls. Its better to have something you can just do squats with. The only other use of a rack are partial deadlifts, which can be achieved by using the mats or by placing the bar on the enormous plates you have. You can also use tires.
If you have great self discipline and cash go ahead and buy one. But it will cost you a lot in India. Its a whole lot cheaper to build a rack.
There is a simple way to build a rack. Purchase 2 steel ladders. If you are doing this outside, simply prop the ladders against your back wall, such that the distance between them is about the same as that which would be between the plates. The angle should not be too steep. About 45 degrees is right. Now hammer two tent pegs at the base of each ladder, so that the ladder cannot slide downwards. Also, the base of the ladders should be hammered into the ground. If you are doing this indoors, use cement.
Then cement the top to the wall. Now at the step of the ladder where you will place the bar, hammer the upper rung of that rung such that it bends upwards. It will create space for the plates to neatly fall in and set them in place. Your home built rack is ready! This whole set up will cost you less than 1000 Rs in India.
Simply place the barbell with one plate there. Then load em' up! You can also use this set up for bench presses. Just bend the rung of a lower step and place the bench between the ladders.
6. Ordinary Bench-
You do not need a proper bench, as you have your rack. You can bench press off this, just pad the surface with a towel. Such a bench will cost you 500 Rs.
7. Skipping Rope
8. P.T Shoes
This entire set up will cost you less than 7000 Rs MAX.
Home Gym 2-
This set up assumes you have cash but no space.
2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, are the same. You will buy a squat rack, and a door way pull up bar. The Squat rack will be one of those economical on space racks, which are just two pillars with pins, with a solid base. It will cost you a bit.
Home Gym 3-
You have neither money nor space.
1. Build a pull up bar using rope and a pipe.
2. A Towel
3. A Basketball
4. Skipping Rope
5. Slippers
6. Cloth rings you made from an old T Shirt.
7. A Ham Glute Raise machine made from a pipe, rope and bubble wrap. Wrap the pipe till its really thick. Tie it to the end of your bed such that there is space just enough for your foot between the padded pipe and the mattress. You should be able to wedge you foot in really well. Before you say its impossible to do this, I use this set up myself. I will take a photo of it and upload it.
You will focus on the basics of calisthenics-
1. Pull Ups
2. Bridges
3. Rows
4. Push Ups
5. Handstand Push Ups
6. Pistol Squats
7. Hanging Leg Raises
8. Ham Glute Raises.
All the items required for this set up can be found in the junkyard.
Now you have no excuses.
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