Best CrossFit Equipment for Your Home Gym
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CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness program that is geared towards conditioning and strength training. The movements in CrossFit are familiar to many lifters and include squatting, pushing, pulling, and lots more bodyweight movements.
Most of the workouts and the more advanced versions of them usually take on a new interesting take on traditional movements such as push-ups.
These lifts are all done for a predetermined amount of time as per most HIIT (high-intensity interval training) training routines to generate as much fat burn and stimulate as much muscle growth as possible.
Traditional lifting usually states and amount of reps to shoot for whereas CrossFit is more concerned with the time and energy being put in.
It’s a pretty brilliant way to ensure maximum exhaustion and it’s tough, rewarding, as well as extremely sweat-inducing. An amazing choice for anybody looking for some serious fat burner programs.
CrossFit has been controversial over the years but it’s my firm belief that any effort taken to become healthier far outweighs indecision and procrastination. The first step or any step for that matter in improving yourself is always difficult but always rewarding.
Since you are committed and willing, we need to get you some proper equipment, much like a professional in his/her trade, a tradesman is nothing without their tools.
Weights, racks and benches will be our tools, and sweat and gains will be our results!
Without any further delay let’s jump right into the best equipment I could find to provide you with maximum results from your CrossFit workouts.
Power Racks
The legendary squat rack. I’ve seen fights started over the availability and use over the squat rack at the gym, boy do I not miss that. An absolute must in any gym - period.
Regardless of what style of lifting and exercise, a good squat rack will make for a solid foundation for building serious gains. You will find yourself within the confines of its metal bars quite often as it is most certainly the king of all gym equipment.
Rogue R3 Power Rack
In my opinion this Power Rack right here is one of the best purchases you can make in your CrossFit career. Rogue has always produced great quality equipment and this rack is no different.
I cannot find any issue with it as it handled all the weight I throw around easily.
The R-3 offers superior durability and versatility, but it’s also the most compact member of the R-Series, with a 24” inside depth and an overall footprint of just 53” x 34”.
This makes the Power Rack incredibly well suited for smaller spaces such as gym’s with little floor space or garage/basement gyms.
The rack comes with multiple additions as well as a shorty version that is 6” shorter to accommodate for those smaller spaces.
The website is very user-friendly and offers plenty of addons for a one-stop shopping kind of deal.
Keynotes of the Rogue R3 Power Rack;
Titan T3 Power Rack
Next up we have the Titan T3 Power Rack. Everything about this rack felt very similar to the Rogue R3 except just a little bit worse.
The craftsmanship is obviously not as good as can be seen in the welding.
That being said, this is still a fantastic piece of equipment and our runner-up for best Power Rack out there seeing as it is significantly cheaper than our top choice while still meeting all expectations.
The Rack itself is not made in America as opposed to the R-3.
That may not matter to some but I feel it important to support local and more sustainable options. This has nothing to do with the quality but I felt the need to mention it.
As with the R-3, the T-3 comes with tall and short options and takes up the same 24”x 36” footprint. The same accessories as the R-3 are included with a few less customization options on their website.
Keynotes of the Titan T3 Power Rack;
Weightlifting Bar
If gym equipment is our tool for building muscle and strength then the Barbell is our hammer. The base on which we stack our weights, this solid piece of metal better be well...exactly that! Solid! I found lots of options but the two I will present to you represent the premium and economy categories.
Rogue Ohio Bar
The Rogue Ohio Bar is our premium version in this category.
Although fairly expensive, it is clear great time and care was taken in producing these units.
All of the bars are CNC milled in Ohio and there is great pride behind this solid product.
Rogue never pulls any half-measures and they prove that by giving you a lifetime warranty on the bar failing and bending.
That’s what I call faith in a product. On their website, Rogue offers many different color schemes for their bars which is a nice touch. The extra color adds a lot of pop to the product and really brings it together as a fine premium product.
CAP Olympic Barbell
As mentioned before, here is our economy selection, the CAP Olympic Barbell.
Although not as sleek and polished as the Rogue Ohio Bar, this CAP barbell does everything the competitor can.
At the end of the day, a barbell is almost always just a barbell, and even the Olympic part of the name shouldn't scare you off either.
Now I understand we are looking at a more economic version but that one line does not exactly scream confidence.
That being said, they post the bar’s limit at 700 pounds. If any of you are throwing around 700lbs in your home gym using an economy bar...well, I’d love to see what shape it’s in.
For most use cases I am more than confident in the CAP’s capabilities, especially after using it during one of my sessions. The finish on the bar wasn’t nearly as nice as the Ohio Bar but as far as doing the job, no complaints here. It a great budget-friendly bar to add to your home gym arsenal.
Weights
AmGym Olympic Bumper Plates
So following our analogy so far, if the bar is the hammer then our weights must be the nails.
Options for weights are fairly straightforward and there are few bells and whistles to add to bumper plates, apart from some aesthetics.
I chose the AmGym Olympic Plates as my go-to choice as they are simple, cost-effective, and just a small step behind Rogue in terms of quality manufacturing.
My point is, you cannot go wrong with whichever set of weights you choose. The weights increase in thickness as weight: 10lb (0.93in), 15lb (1.3in), 25lb (1.79in), 35lb (2.45in), 45lb (2.89in), 55lb (3.58in)
Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebell
This next product has got to be one of my all-time favorites. It is such a cool, sleek and wonderful idea, the Bowflex SelectTech 840 kettlebell.
I was already a huge fan of the selectTech dumbbells that Bowflex offers.
I find them super useful and quick to use, they are just a bit unwieldy.
This is not the case with the 840 kettle bell. The kettlebell itself is on the larger side as it is capable of holding up to 40lbs.
Following Bowflex’s naming scheme, the 840 Kettlebell can be adjusted from 8 - 40lbs. Even when only using 8lbs the entire housing of the kettlebell comes with it.
This is my only issue with this type of design, however, if you can overlook or better yet are not bothered by the unwieldy size, the Bowflex kettlebell is a great product. It replaces 6 different weight bells and comes with 24 trainer-led exercises that will get you jumpstarted.
One key note with any Bowflex SelectTech equipment is that it is very sensitive to dropping. So if you find you are the type to drop your weights, perhaps consider a more durable, budget option.
Accessories
Bowflex 5.1S Stowable Bench
Enough with the analogies, I cant think of anything. We all need a bench to utilize our equipment to its maximum potential.
If you did not get a bench with your squat rack or If you are strapped for floor space and find your bench turns into a clothes rack rather quickly then I’ve got a great choice for you.
The Bowflex 5.1S Stowable Bench is a fantastic solution to an all-around good bench.
It adjusts to 6 different settings, 30, 25, 60, 90, 0, -20 degrees.
The Stowable Bench can handle up to 600lbs of weight and the best part is it was designed to be stowed vertically, saving you almost twice the amount of space as a regular bench and half the struggle of putting it away. I’ve had one for years, it’s a solid choice as with most of Bowflex’s products.
Titan Wall Mounted Chin Up Bar
I heard you are into CrossFit, guess that means you do a lot of chin-ups? No?
Don’t have anywhere to do them? Well, now there are no more excuses, Titan has made for your benefit, the wall-mounted chin-up bar.
A simple no-nonsense steel bar designed only for one thing, holding your weight as you struggle for dear life to reach the top.
It has a 500lb capacity, making it more than enough for any unassisted pullups, chin-ups, you name it.
It comes with intuitive mounting brackets and is a mile above any door-mounted chin-up equipment you may be using currently.
I highly suggest getting a proper bar to lift yourself on if not using a power rack. The stability, security, and certainty of not ripping the bar off the door is well worth the money.
I once had a bad experience pulling my custom-made chin-up bar out of the wall, let’s just say I don’t mess with that anymore.
Cardio
Rogue Echo Bike
Cardio is the bane of most lifters’ lives, it is tough, it is sweaty, and there are no gains or pumps insight.
Still, it must be done, and if it must be done then you may as well feel comfortable doing it.
The Rogue Echo Bike is a monster of a bike. Coming in at 350lbs, I could barely move the thing when I was cycling at my full speed, it felt incredibly stable.
On the flip side, moving the bike around the gym was no more difficult due to the cleverly installed wheels that once tilted upwards slightly, make moving this behemoth around look like a joke.
The bike comes with an LCD Display and is compatible with Polar heart rate monitors. A nice touch I noticed was that the bike is built using genuine Shimano Bike Parts which is a very quality bicycle and bicycle part manufacturer.
This was unexpected and felt good knowing Rogue didn’t go out on their own but consulted an expert in the field and worked together for the best possible solution for the client.
Bowflex C6 Bike
If you are not interested in a behemoth of a bike then a very viable alternative is the Bowflex C6 Bike.
A very elegant and classy-looking piece of equipment, as is expected of Bowflex.
The bike feels partially like a brand-name article of clothing to show off with its refined design and color palette.
The bike is extremely quiet as it uses 100 micro-adjustable magnetic resistance levels to control difficulty.
Not only that but it comes with all the bells and whistles such as blue tooth connectivity to its backlit LCD metric console, and Bluetooth enabled heart rate armband.
The C6 bike is compatible with most Peloton, Zwift and Explore the World style apps and training videos, making this a great choice for somebody stuck at home wanting to get out there and make some connections and group workouts with like-minded home-stuck folks.
VersaTex Multi-Purpose Rubber Floor Mat
Last but not least we need a good foundation for everything to sit on.
Recently I did a review with all sorts of choices of gym flooring, one of those choices being the VersaTex Multi-Purpose Rubber Floor Mat.
Now I know, what you are all still saying, “it looks like a typical yoga mat." Wrong, it’s for general gym purpose and it does a great job at what it was designed for.
The reason this mat makes my list is that it is versatile and most importantly for anyone making their own home gym, economically friendly.
Sure, it’s not the fanciest choice, and you might be hung up on the fact that it doesn't look high quality, but when your gym flooring is set-up, you won't have to worry about damaging your floor.
For its economical value, I think the VersaTex Multi-Purpose Rubber Floor Mat is the best all-around choice for flooring your home gym.
Now that we’ve gone through some products and in certain cases multiple options I hope you can make an informed and confident decision towards your next purchases of CrossFit equipment.
Keep in mind too that a lot of this equipment is not exclusive to CrossFit and can be used in all sorts of different workouts, from traditional strength training to resistance training and stretching.
Sometimes we hang the occasional shirt on our equipment but it never stays there for long am I right!? Because you are a machine that never stops! Just kidding, we all need breaks occasionally and there is nothing wrong with that.
If you find that you take a bit of a hiatus from working out, know that your equipment will be there, ready to use when you get back because you treated yourself to the best of the best and it won’t let you down.
