Building a fully equipped weightlifting home gym is at the top of the bucket list for most Olympic weightlifters and functional fitness athletes. And rightly so. Finding gyms that are fully equipped for Olympic lifting is difficult and you’ll often have to queue for the kit due to high demand. So, if space and money is no issue, building a fully equipped weightlifting home gym is a no brainer!
What Barbell Should I Pick for My Gym?
Which Barbells are Best For a Weightlifting Home Gym?
For a weightlifting gym, you need specialist Olympic barbells, like the Showtime Barbells, which come in both the 20kg Male competition weight and 15kg Bar Female competition weight variations. Order whichever barbell weight is appropriate for you.
What are the Benefits of a Specialist Olympic Weightlifting Barbell?
• Barbell Spin - One of the key features of Olympic barbells versus other barbells, like power bars, is the extra spin you get from the centre of the bar that aids in the turnover in your clean and snatch.
• Barbell Whip - Olympic barbells have a natural bounce that occurs at certain loads that helps you move faster in your extension and out of your catch position in the clean and snatch.
• No Centre Knurling - Power bars have a centre knurling to grip the bar to your back in a back squat. But for front squats and cleans, we don’t want this because it can irritate the skin on your neck.
What Weight Plates Should I Pick for My Gym?
Which Weight Plates are Best for a Weightlifting Home Gym?
For weightlifting, a non-negotiable is Bumper Plates for your barbells. You shouldn’t use non-bumper weight plates, like powerlifting plates or general gym plates.
What are the Benefits of Bumper Plates for Weightlifting?
• Safe Dropping - Bumper plates, as the name suggests, can be dropped, bounced and bumped off the home gym flooring. This is essential because it means you can finish reps by safely dropping the bar to the floor, rather than trying to carefully lower a weight, which can be dangerous.
• Plate Diameter - All bumper plates have a standard diameter. This puts the bar at a standardised height up your shin in the start position. Consistently practising from this standardised height is important if you want to be good at weightlifting from the floor.
What Jerk Blocks Should I Pick for My Gym?
How Do Olympic Weightlifters Use Jerk Blocks?
• For training high volume jerk work – For lots of people, progressing in the split jerk can be tricky because it is difficult to train high volume or multiple reps at a time due to the technique and strength required to re-rack a heavy split jerk. Using blocks to remove this from the equation is an easy way to progress your split jerks, letting you spend more energy on the actual exercise.
• For block cleans and block snatches – Block variations are a great way to practise getting under the bar, without the fatigue of lifting from the floor.
What Flooring Should I Pick for My Gym?
If one is to drop bumper plates, the floor must also be suitable for weights to be dropped on it. 40mm is our recommended thickness for this to protect the floor underneath, the bumper plates and the bars.
What Gym Storage Should I Pick for My Gym?
Why Do You Need Storage in your Olympic Weightlifting Gym?
Weightlifting is more space absorbing than other lifting sports. This is because you need additional space around the lifting area to account for failed lifts or the bar bouncing uncontrollably when you drop it. It is therefore essential that you maximise floor space with good gym storage including Barbell Storage and weight plate storage rack or plates tree.
Essential Olympic Weightlifting Home Gym Accessories
• Barbell Collars – With weights being thrown overhead, plates being securely held onto the bar with collars becomes even more important, both for safety, and for higher level performance.
• Change Plates – Weightlifting is a game of fine margins. Making 5-10kg jumps in weight is not always doable. Being able to make smaller jumps is essential for progress. Aim for as wide a variety in change plates as possible.
• Chalk Bowl – Weightlifting is a particularly chalky sport. It can be messy if you don’t have a chalk bowl to apply it to your hands in. Keep it off the floor by getting yourself a chalk bowl.
If you enjoy your weightlifting, but don’t have access to a fully equipped weightlifting gym, why not make the investment in a home weightlifting gym? You only need enough space for yourself, and you will never have to wait for the specialised kit again.
For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.
