Squats in my cute little gym.
I don't know why I did not blog about this earlier, but this is my home gym! One of my favorite things to do at home is lift in my backyard. I can't think of the right words to describe why; there's just something special about it. Anytime, whether it is to the sunrise, in the hot summer afternoons, or in the wee hours of the night. It is just a pleasant feeling to lift outside wearing anything I want.
The first CrossFit equipment I got was a pair of rings last summer. I used to take them to the neighborhood park all the time so I can work on ring dips and muscle ups. As I got more into CrossFit, I started toying with the idea of owning more equipment and turning my backyard into a gym. Eventually I did it! It has been almost a year since the transformation, and I could not be more satisfied. My backyard gym gets good use, my equipment is still in great condition, no complaining neighbors, and nothing is broken yet, haha.
The first CrossFit equipment I got was a pair of rings last summer. I used to take them to the neighborhood park all the time so I can work on ring dips and muscle ups. As I got more into CrossFit, I started toying with the idea of owning more equipment and turning my backyard into a gym. Eventually I did it! It has been almost a year since the transformation, and I could not be more satisfied. My backyard gym gets good use, my equipment is still in great condition, no complaining neighbors, and nothing is broken yet, haha.
Before: My yard when I first moved in.
After: A couple Rogue shipments later...
Here is a list of equipment I have at home. Most are from Rogue since their products are well-made and can be left outdoors, under most weather conditions. I did a lot of product research and price comparisons both online and locally, beforehand. I ended up getting most of my equipment online. At the time this was the best bundle for the buck I could find out there. My backyard gym was gradually built; I did not buy everything all at once. For example, I waited until Rogue's black Friday deal before buying plate storage and accessories. The total cost of gym was about $2k, which really isn't that much considering what I got!
Equipment: - I want to say the equipment was really easy to assemble but I did not do it haha... thanks Mickey!!! That being said, most things came as is, except the rack and the pull-up bar, which did not take long to assemble at all.
Here is a list of equipment I have at home. Most are from Rogue since their products are well-made and can be left outdoors, under most weather conditions. I did a lot of product research and price comparisons both online and locally, beforehand. I ended up getting most of my equipment online. At the time this was the best bundle for the buck I could find out there. My backyard gym was gradually built; I did not buy everything all at once. For example, I waited until Rogue's black Friday deal before buying plate storage and accessories. The total cost of gym was about $2k, which really isn't that much considering what I got!
Equipment: - I want to say the equipment was really easy to assemble but I did not do it haha... thanks Mickey!!! That being said, most things came as is, except the rack and the pull-up bar, which did not take long to assemble at all.
- Rogue ES-1 Econ Squat Stand - this is Rogue's cheapest squat rack. Totally outdoor friendly. I got this one so that it can fit underneath the covered area so I can still do stuff if it is raining
- The Rogue Bar - my squat bar and also the 20kg men's bar
- The Bella Bar - ladies bar yea yea
- Rogue Bumper Plates by Hi-Temp - Like the squat rack also weather-proof. I have 350# of these plates. May not seem like much, but it's enough for me.
- After trying the Rep Fitness bumper plates, these are the ones you should get. When I upgrade to kilo plates, I will be replacing my pound plates with the Rep Fitness ones.
- Rogue Fractional Plates - so I can make any weight I want. I love these little guys. They are a little expensive though. I actually got these because they were out of the 1.25# plates set. So happy I did since I totally prefer these.
- York Legacy Precision Milled Olympic Standard Plates (10#, 5#, and 2.5# sets) - I got 2 sets at each weight, except for the 5#'s. I got 3 sets of those. These were much cheaper off of SportsKids.com. I also got free shipping and 20% off or something for liking them on Facebook. So Asian.
- Rogue Spring Collars (2 pairs)
- Rogue Flat Utility Bench - back when I benched press. Now this is used as a chair, haha.
- Rogue Wood Rings - my favorite pair of rings!!
- Stud Bar Pull Up Bar - you can do kipping pull-ups on this
- Rage Competition Kettlebell (24kg) - I got this along with the wall ball at the CrossFit Games last year for a super good deal. The two together costed less than the website price of the KB alone!
- Rage 14# Medicine Ball (14#) - I don't think I would have got this or the KB if they weren't such a good deal.
Accessories:
- Rogue Dip Belt - it's yellow!
- Catalyst Athletics Nylon Lifting Straps - they come in HOT PINK and black!
- Rogue Chain Kit - I think I got these because of the Rogue Black Friday sale
- Box Weighted Vest (+45#) - I got this since I didn't want to use the communal one at the gym, haha
- Rogue Ab Mat - might as well throw this in too
- Set of Safety Spotter Arms - just in case. Come to think of it, I really didn't need this
- GSC Gym Chalk - favorite chalk brand. You can get a cheap paint bucket at Home Depot and turn it into a chalk bucket
- Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller - my favorite foam roller on the market
Storage and Outfitting:
- Rogue Vertical Plate Tree - I got these with wheels too. I think I would be pretty unhappy without this. I really like it since it saves a lot of space and it is easy to remove and store weights. It even has room for my metal plates.
- 1/4" Tough Rubber Rolls (4 rolls) - Rubber flooring was the most expensive thing I got for my gym, even with free shipping and promo codes. I got this off of rubberflooringinc.com. Each roll is 4'x10'. These are more expensive than the horse-stall mats sold at tractor stores (~$40 for a 4'x6') but they are a lot lighter and significantly easier to move around. I didn't have to glue this to the floor, despite only being 1/4" thick. They stay in place very well. It is easy to clean and is rain proof.
Pictures:
5. Then the pull-up bar.
6. The baby rack.
7. Populating.
8. Rain proof accessories storage.
9. Love this plate storage tree! Space efficient and easy to remove and store plates!
10. Barbells stored inside.
11. Nothing like working out in my backyard!
That is my cute little home gym! Makes me happy to lift here every Sunday morning. The only thing that would make this better is if the ceiling was a lot higher so that I can hang high rings for muscle ups. Until I buy a house with additional garage space and high ceilings, I am very happy with what I have. If you are in the area and want to workout in my backyard, let me know. I like visitors.