next purhase for home gym?

[Dada]

Guys, I got about $100 to spend on some more equipment. So help me spend it. I already got a decent adjustable bench, squat rack, plenty of weights (for now), and an eliptical machine.

Couple of ideas I have so far in no particular order...
chinup bar ~ $30
rubber flooring (not sure how much I need to spend for this any ideas? Want enough to fit under the squat rack and bench.)
Heavy bag - saw a free standing one for about $100 the other day. Only thing is if I get this I won't be able to afford the rubber floor and chinup bar right away. Will also need to clear out more space in the garage to fit it.
whey protein powder ~ $30 (I'm getting a little low so maybe should get some more with this $)
bicycle - could probably find a cheap bike to cruise around on and get a little extra exercise, would be fun in the warmer months.
Iron Woody bands or something similar, not sure what they cost

[Love_Deadlifts]

I would say the chinup bar is a must, then the protein, and then the bike if that leaves you enough money (i really have no idea what a bike costs).

[muddy]

Some random ideas:

1) Chin bar

Like Love_Deadlift's said, this would be high on my list.

2) Kettlebells

I've recently added in kettlebells as assist work after the main lifts. I've really enjoyed that and have been surprised how winded 5 minutes of swings can make me, and while this stuff is hard to measure reliably, I believe it has made a difference in hip and hamstring strength. If you can find some used, it might fit the budget.

3) Gym Boss

Or really anything to time tabata intervals. Then throw in tabatas every now and then with simple exercises (air squats, pushups, whatever).

4) Box squat box

Not necessarily something pricey from elitefts, but something strong and adjustable at the right height levels. Just be sure you trust it.

5) Bands/chains

How would you used the bands without a cage? Just strap them down to heavy barbells or something? If that's a problem, then maybe chains. Some home depots or oshes seem to stock the 5/8" stuff, but not all of them. It's a lot cheaper than ordering from an exercise place from what I've seen.

[Love_Deadlifts]

I got a kettlebell (50 lbs) for a christmas gift and it's definitely my favorite piece of equipment at the moment.

[RJK]

Can you raise the bar to the squat setting and do chin ups from this position. You will need to hold your feet in front of you versus behind you to keep feet from hitting ground as you desend. It is almost like hanging from bar sitting "indian style" (sorry if poor choice of words).

[Dada]

@RJK I tried doing chinups in the squat rack with my feet behind me and I am a little too tall for that. I'll have to try it with feet in front as you described. If that doesn't work then I'll definitely buy a door chinup bar.

@muddy Yeah if I got bands I'd have to connect them to a weight plate or dumbell. But maybe chains would be better for me although I'd definitely want to get some rubber flooring first since I think the chains wouldn't be good for the floor. Kettlebells would be cool but I haven't seen any good deals on them lately, the ones I looked at were pricey.

Thanks guys. I'll most likely get a chin bar unless the squat rack thing works out. I went out and got a couple of things in the meantime, a wrist roller and a jumprope. I'll see about the chinups tonight in the squat rack and go from there.

[Dada]

Well, I tried the chinups with the squat rack with feet in front. I was able to do them, so I will stick with it. Thanks for that suggestion RJK. I notice I could do significantly less reps that way though since it makes it a more strict movement. I think I struggled to get 5 reps doing it that way but can normally do a lot more. But I'm sure I'll adapt to it. I also did a few sets with the wrist roller last night and it was pretty cool, worked my grip and forearms very well - good $15 investment. And of course the jumprope is good for warming up and I can also take it on the road when I travel for a little cardio in the hotel room. Looks like I won't be able to anything else for a while, something just came up this morning and I'm going to need the rest of the money for some stuff for my house.

[LiftingNerd]

If that's a problem, then maybe chains. Some home depots or oshes seem to stock the 5/8" stuff, but not all of them. It's a lot cheaper than ordering from an exercise place from what I've seen.

On this note, if you can find chains for $100 or less that provide any sort of resistance (say 25lbs or more at lockout) let the rest of the world know because I just spend half my day scouring the internet and 5 different local hardware stores trying to find some. This is the first time in my life tractor supply let me down.

[Dada]

If that's a problem, then maybe chains. Some home depots or oshes seem to stock the 5/8" stuff, but not all of them. It's a lot cheaper than ordering from an exercise place from what I've seen.

On this note, if you can find chains for $100 or less that provide any sort of resistance (say 25lbs or more at lockout) let the rest of the world know because I just spend half my day scouring the internet and 5 different local hardware stores trying to find some. This is the first time in my life tractor supply let me down.

Yeah the chains I looked at were expensive too. But like anything else, I bet it can be found for cheap if you keep your eyes open on Craigslist long enough. After all, I ended up getting my squat rack for $40. Of course I had to drive over 100 miles to get it but in the end it was worth it. I like to use http://www.craigshelper.com/ and do a radius of like 100 or so miles to search multiple locations and see what's out there every once in a while. I think you can set it up to alert you on certain search terms also but I haven't done that.

[LiftingNerd]

I can find it cheap online for the cost of the chain but the shipping flat out kills you. I just bit the bullet and had one of the local hardware stores special order me an entire bucket (40') which comes out to around 85lbs. I currently only need half of that but it gives me something to shoot for, being able to use the whole bucket. Now that will be a glorious day.

[muddy]

The OSH near me sells both 1/2" and 5/8" galvanized chain. The 1/2" is $7.90/foot and the 5/8" is $9.80/foot. They cut it to any length off the spool for free.

Two 5' lengths of 1/2" weigh about 28 lbs, so that would run $79 a pair.

Two 5' lengths of 5/8" weigh about 40 lbs and runs $98 a pair.

That seems to be between $30-$60 cheaper per pair than what I could find online. If you see a better deal out there, let me know.

[LiftingNerd]

OSH?

[RobertN]

I also vote for a chin up bar.

As for chains, do you have a Harbor Freight store near you? They sell chains there that is fairly inexpensive. http://www.harborfreight.com

rubber flooring (not sure how much I need to spend for this any ideas? Want enough to fit under the squat rack and bench.)

I use horse stall mats. They are 3/4" thick, and are 4' x 6'. The last one I bought was $38. You can find them at most any farm supply store, CO-OP, vet shop, etc.

Here are mine:

[muddy]

OSH?

Orchard Supply Hardware (http://www.osh.com) -- not sure how pervasive they are throughout the U.S. Kinda like Home Depot, but a little more geared towards a casual home owner type doing standard projects and not any major work. But for whatever reason, the particular OSH near me happens to have a better chain section than either Home Depot. Had I not checked there, I would never had guessed they would carry both 1/2" and 5/8" stuff.

I completely agree with RobertN on the horse mats -- great flooring. Shipping will kill you, though, unless there's a warehouse nearby so you can pick it up yourself. It's heavy (100lbs for a 4'x6' section, if I remember correctly), so truck required. $38 per section is a great price if you can find it for that near you. It's closer to $45 around here.

BTW, nice setup, Robert! Which squat stand is that? Like it?

[RobertN]

I completely agree with RobertN on the horse mats -- great flooring. Shipping will kill you, though, unless there's a warehouse nearby so you can pick it up yourself. It's heavy (100lbs for a 4'x6' section, if I remember correctly), so truck required.

There are several Tractor Supply Stores in SC, so there may be one of those close to him.

A tip for moving them into your gym...... roll the short ends up into a "U" shape and secure them with a couple of ratchet straps. Makes them rigid and MUCH easier for two people to pack around.

Also, if you have an area where you think you might be dropping the bar on occasion (power cleans or ???), use a sheet or two of 3/4"OSB under the mat as "insulation".