> a rack and weights will pay for itself in saved gym fees after a couple years That's been my solution. If you take into account resale value, it'll actually

> a rack and weights will pay for itself in saved gym fees after a couple years That's been my solution. If you take into account resale value, it'll actually pay itself off much faster - especially if you're willing to wait for good deals. I think I was able to put together a full set of weights + another set of 45s for less than $1/lb. I'm using a cheap bar and a cheap rack, so the whole thing cost me less than $800. I estimate that I could sell it all today for $600 for sure, and probably get back all my money if I was willing to wait 1-2 months. The other big advantage of using a home gym is wait times; I used to go to a commercial gym, where the wait time for a rack was often more than 30 minutes at peak times. As long as you don't need machines (lat pulldown can be very nice), a rack at home can make gym time much more efficient.