If I was going to buy equipment for a home gym and was on a budget, here is what I would do.
First of all, I would get a good bar, one suitable for things like powercleans and also for lifts like the squat/bench, etc. something I know ill still be happy with 20 years from now, something that will never need to be replaced. If i thought that general training or powerlifting were going to be my main things... id probably buy a chapman bar. If i knew that i wanted to powerclean, possibly do some fooling around with the olympic lifts i would buy a Pendlay weightlifting bar. Either are good life-long investments, one is just a little more geared towards the O lifts. Chapman bars will run around $450 depending on who you buy them from, the Pendlay bar is $349 unless someone gives me a real good reason to give them a better deal. Either have a lifetime guarantee, and if anything goes wrong, even 10 years from now, will be replaced or repaired by the manufacturer. Dont skimp on the bar, its the single most important piece of equipment.
Now, if this taps you out, you would put some plywood on the floor to stand on, go to a used equipment place like Play it again sports and get some cheap metal weights and then do the exercises that this limited equipment allows till you have more money.
metal plates are always usefull, never wear out, and the sheet of plywood can be used later to help build a real platform when you get the money together to do it.
when you get a little more money together, i wold go to the Werksanusa.com website and buy a starter set of bumper plates for $335, this would include a pair of 10k plates, a pair of 15kg plates, and a pair of 20kg plates. you always need bumpers.
when you save a little more, you could go to midwestbarbell.com and email susan and get her recomendations for a squat rack/bench setup. she has good ones that are fairly cheap.
along the way somewhere you will need to build a platform to lift on, maybe find some used dumbells that are plate-loaded and adjustable, and pick up some more used metal plates when you find them cheap.
at this point, youve got a good home gym, everything you will ever need, although you will probably still add a little thing here or there as needed or wanted.
but, buy a good bar first, even skimp on the weights if you have to. buy a good set of bumpers second... then get a squat rack next, and bench if possible. if you really dont have the money for a squat rack, spend $80 and get a pair of squat stands... if you KNOW you will never do powercleans get the bar first, the metal plates, and the squat stands. honest to god, with a good bar, enough metal plates, and a pair of squat stands, youve got just about all you need. add a set of bumpers and a bench, and your better equipped to get big and strong than the average golds gym. most golds gyms dont have any decent bars, dont have bumpers, and some dont even have a decent place to squat.
thats how i would do it.
TE=BiggT]Honestly, I don't think very much of any peice of exercise equipment from Wal-Fart.....if you're planning on taking training seriously and you're not going to screw around, buy quality equipment and think of it as a life-long investment.....if that is just not possible now, join a gym or a local YMCA with a weightroom.[/QUOTE]
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
