The Best Weight Sets for Bulking Up Your Home Gym
Building a strength-centric setup for at-home training? Get everything you need for PR-busting success with these premium barbell and weight plate combos.
Dick's Sporting Goods, The Strength Co., Amazon
Sometimes, you just can't beat the classics. Despite the amount of fancy, high-tech home fitness equipment out there, the traditional barbell and weight plate combo is still a go-to for many fitness enthusiasts. With weightlifting continuing to grow as a popular training discipline, more and more people are turning to the iron to sharpen up their physiques.
Yet still, there’s something about training at home that caters to a lot of individuals. Maybe they don’t want to subscribe to a membership they might not like. Maybe they’ve had bad experiences with unethical gym-goers. For these individuals, a proper at-home weight set can be just the ticket.
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BEST RUBBER-COATED WEIGHT SETXMark 365 lb. Olympic Weights Set with Blackhawk 7-foot Olympic Barbell Read More
Before you load your cart with just any set, though, there are some factors to consider. Features like plate composition, barbell type and overall weight included can help you get the most out of training — and your investment.
What to Consider When Choosing Your Weight Set's Plates
One of the most important decisions you need to make when buying a weight set for your home is which plate style to choose. Most sets are available with either cast iron or bumper plates, and whichever you opt for can influence how you arrange your home gym setup, how many plates can be stacked onto the barbell and other factors.
Cast iron weight plates are the traditional silhouette you'd probably think of when picturing a barbell setup. These dishes can be thinner than rubber or urethane-based weights, allowing for more plates to fit on a traditional barbell. Because of the iron construction, though, you need to be wary of where you set up your strength training space. Cast iron plates can rust if exposed to moisture, so damp basements might not be the best home — although a little rust can certainly enhance that rugged look. Additionally, cast-iron plates will make much more noise than bumper plates, which is something to consider if you don't want to irritate any children or pesky neighbors.
Bumper plates are typically made from a rubber or urethane base, which can help improve durability and lessen potential floor damage when dropped. Some bumpers can be thicker than their cast-iron counterparts, so if you're maxing out with multiple 45s on the bar, you may run out of sleeve at some point. When looking at bumper plates, it's also important to consider the sourced material used in manufacturing. Brands will oftentimes use recycled rubber in weight plates, which can carry a strong odor. Virgin rubber is available but can come with a higher price point.
What to Consider When Choosing Your Weight Set's Barbell
Barbell weight sets can cater to a lot of strength enthusiasts but can be especially helpful for newcomers due to their one-stop-shop nature. Because of this introductory aesthetic, most sets will come equipped with a standard or Olympic weightlifting bar. Measuring 7 feet in length and roughly 29 millimeters in diameter at the shaft, these barbells will weigh either 20 kilograms or 45 pounds and are a great option for a multitude of exercises. These barbells will often feature medium knurling and two marks per the International Powerlifting Federation (32 inches apart) and the International Weightlifting Federation (36 inches apart).
Naturally, as you progress in your strength training journey, you may want to invest in a more specialized barbell like a power bar or deadlift bar, but for a majority of athletes, these standard barbells will be more than capable of handling your workout intensity.
How Much Weight Should Your Weight Set Include?
While the weight total you choose depends entirely on your fitness goals and experience — no sense in getting 600 pounds of weights when you'll never lift that much in a single exercise — I recommend looking at weight sets between 300–350 pounds in total. This is a good number, as it not only allows for some training progress but also gives you a multitude of plate sizes across different plate weights. Most of the barbell weight sets included in this roundup feature weights around this mark, and include multiple 45s, 35s, 25s and change plates, opening up your workout possibilities even further as you grow and strengthen each lift.
How We Tested
Try as I might, I have yet to build my dream estate that houses multiple weight benches, power racks and equipment setups, so testing each of these picks side-by-side has yet to come to fruition. With that said, however, my years in strength training have given me opportunities to train with a number of the below sets either as an entire unit or by individual piece. I’ve gotten hands-on with the barbells to note their knurling and spin, as well as the plates to test their durability, accuracy and overall aesthetics. Plus, in curating this roundup I sought out worthwhile kits that delivered not just efficient gear but enough weight to help you progress into that muscle-bound physique we all desire.
Now, let’s load the bar for a heavy set and get into the best weight sets available today.
