This is your At Home CrossFit Gym Buyers Guide. AKA the holy bible of At Home CrossFit Gym Buyers Guide’s. If you disagree… bring it!
This is all based on my knowledge of running StoneWay CrossFit, helping friends build home gyms, and building a gym out of our Sprinter van, which we are rocking today (and have been for 3+ years so far).
In this post you’ll learn what I think are the 3 phases that you should buy your equipment based on getting the most bang for your buck.
This will be really helpful if you’re on a budget or if you want to blow it out and put together the at home CrossFit gym of your dreams right now!
*Prices are listed below, but may vary.
(Disclosure: Please note that these are an affiliate links, which means that we do earn a commission – at no extra cost to you – Thanks! If you have any questions about it, please let me know.)
At Home CrossFit Gym Phase 1
Cost $297 – $572+ (not including tax or shipping)
Dumbbells
You can get high end rubber hex dumbbells at amazon.com with free Prime shipping. This is what we have, and we haven’t noticed that they are any better or worse than Rogue Fitness rubber dumbbells.
If you can’t find dumbbells on Amazon… we definitely aren’t opposed to getting the Rogue dumbbells, but you might have to pay for shipping. If you could find a promo to get free shipping at Rogue.., you could bundle the Rogue dumbbells with your order.
When picking your dumbbell weights, you’ll want to go with whatever you’ll use most in fast moving metcons. Think about what weights would you use for a dumbbell version of Fran or any of the CrossFit Open workouts.
So far, all of the RX CrossFit Open workouts have used dumbbell weights of 35 pounds for women, and 50 pounds for men. If you’ve been doing those workouts RX, that’s what you should go with.
Where to buy:
AmazonBasics Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbells $40-120 (for 2)
RogueFitness Rubber Hex Dumbbells $7.50-309
Kettlebells
We’ve been using the same Rogue kettlebells for 4-5 years, and they’ve been great! If you’re used to training with a specific kettlebell weight, then you can probably be ok with just one kettlebell.
Just like with the dumbbells, you’ll want to pick the weight that you’ll use most in a fast moving metcon.
Right now, Emily and I each only have one kettlebell. A 53 (for her) and a 70 (for me), and we are very comfortable with those weights for most kettlebell movements. Meaning we can do 30+ American swings unbroken, 15+ snatches, and 20+ single arm bent over rows (when fresh).
But, if you aren’t as sure about weight… you might want to get two different weights (per person). Further down the road you’ll want at least two kettlebells at each size for movements that require a kettlebell for each hand. Such as kettlebell thrusters or deadlifts.
Although there are a lot of different kettlebell brands we like the Rogue because they are the most likely to be used in competitions or at other gyms. You could go with another brand, but I’d recommend getting kettlebells with the same handle dimensions as the Rogue kettlebells.
Where to buy:
Rogue Kettlebells $40-90 (each)
Jump rope
We love RPM jump ropes! And having tried a number of other ropes. The RPM spins the best, and causes the least amount of forearm pump. Which equals more double unders, faster!
However, there is a downside to the RPM ropes. The cables will break from time to time. It’s just the nature of their ropes, and because of this, you should buy a few extra cables (they are only a few bucks).
Where to buy:
RPM Speed Rope 4.0 $65
Gymnastics Rings
Having tried a number of different brands of rings, I would recommend going with the Rogue Wood Rings. They are the rings that you’re the most likely to see at other gyms (or competitions), and they are very durable and have never needed to be replaced. You might think the metal or plastic rings would be better, but (trust me) they are not!
The cool thing about having some rings is, they aren’t very expensive, you can hang them all over the place (trees, playgrounds, etc.), and you can do ring rows, pull-ups, muscle ups, and more with them.
Where to buy:
Rogue Wood Rings $72
Exercise Bands
You can use exercise bands as a sub for almost any resistance training movement, which is why we carry these with us in our van at all times, and on every single trip we take.
I suggest getting both a set of Rogue Monster Bands and Tube/Resistance Bands. You will find that you can get by with just one type, but you’ll have times that one style works better than another.
Where to buy:
Rogue Monster Bands – Start with 1-2 Red ($20.75), Blue ($17.25), and Green bands ($22.15)
Rogue Tube Bands – Complete package $75
Amazon Resistance Bands $25 – These are cheaper but lower quality. If you’re on a budget… start with these.
Portable Workout Mat
We bring one of these Rogue Individual (Dollamur) workout mats everywhere (and keep another one at home)! They are great for creating a smooth surface for double unders (without ruining your rope), sit-ups/v-ups, floor presses, push-ups, burpees, and so much more!
These workout mats are super durable, and roll up to be pretty portable.
You will see these in a ton of our pictures because we use them almost every day!
Where to buy:
Rogue Individual Mat (by Dollamur) $70
At Home CrossFit Gym Phase 2
Cost $930 – $1500+ (not including tax or shipping)
Sandbags
These are one of our favorite tools, and in some cases could be pushed up into Phase 1. Picking up a heavy, odd object is so functional that it’s silly to not use these regularly.
We love using sandbags (or D-Balls) for cleans, front squats, carries, holds, deadlifts, and more. And would buy them before barbells because they are less expensive and take up less space.
NOTE: When you buy sandbags from Rogue the filler/sand is NOT INCLUDED. Buyer beware! But you can get play sand from Home Depot for $5 x 50 pounds.
Where to buy:
Rogue Strongman Sandbags $85 (100lbs) – $90 (150lbs) NOT including filler
D-Ball
These are very similar to the Sandbags, and you probably only need one or the other. I would pick a sandbag over a D-Ball, but you might have another opinion that makes more sense for you.
Where to buy:
Rogue MK D-Ball $180 (70lbs) – $400 (150lbs)
Barbells
Go find yourself a nice Rogue barbell that you’ll have for life.
If you’re not sure which to pick… get yourself an Ohio Bar (men) or Bella Bar (women). They are great bars that will last you forever, and reasonably priced.
Later on, if you get into some high level Olympic lifting… you can get yourself one of the higher priced lifting bars.
Where to buy:
Men’s bar: Ohio Bar $285+
Women’s bar: The Bella 2.0 $215+
Bumper Plates
With bumper plates you have a couple things to consider… do you want to go with the lowest price (which will be a very good product), or go with something a little fancier.
If you’re VERY strong, the fancier option (below) will be thinner, and allow you to load more on the bar for a deadlift or back squat (500lbs +). Where you might run out of space with the Hi-Temp’s. #StrongPersonProblems
We have been abusing the heck out of the Rogue Training 2.0 plates for over a year, and they’ve held up great! We went with these to save on space.
Where to buy:
Rogue Bumper Plates by Hi-Temp $435 (210lbs) – $700 (350lbs)
Rogue Color LB Training 2.0 Plates $645 (210lbs) – $960 (320lbs)
Barbell Collars
Just save your money and frustration by buying OSO Barbell Collars. They are a little more money, but they work really, really well! And in many years, I’ve only had to replace one of them (that bent by dropping a weight on it).
And they come in lots of fun colors!
Where to buy:
OSO Barbell Collars $50
Squat Rack
Having a durable, high quality squat rack is an essential addition for anyone that has a barbell!
A squat rack will allow you to do… squats 😉 (front, back, overhead, etc.), bench press, and any other movement you don’t want to take from the ground.
Our preferred brand is Rogue, and Rogue’s lowest price Monster Lite rack is great! The SML- 1 squat rack is easy to move around, and reliably strong for big squatters.
If you are looking for a squat rack that will allow you to do strict pull-ups… look into Rogue’s SML-2/3.
Where to buy
Rogue SML-1 70″ Monster Lite $425
Wall ball(s)
Always pay more for a high quality wall ball! Trust me! I’ve seen so many discount wall balls that are lopsided or fall apart quickly. And there is nothing more frustrating than using a lopsided wall ball during a tough workout.
I would stick with Rogue or Dynamax wall balls, and have had great experience with both of these balls ;-).
And just like the dumbbells, you’ll want to get the weight that you’ll use in most of your fast moving metcons. You can get heavier walls balls later.
Where to buy:
Rogue Wall Balls $90-123
Dynamax Wall Balls $106-165
Plyo Box
If you have something that you can use as a plyo box then you absolutely don’t need to buy one. And that’s what we did for a long time. But it sure is nice just have a really sturdy box handy.
Make sure you buy a box that has three different sizes. We prefer the box that can be 30″, 24″, or 20″ depending on what side you have it flipped to.
*You can also find instructions for building your own plyo box. So, if that sounds interesting to you… a Google search will give you tons of info.
Where to buy:
Rogue Flat Pack Games Box $125
At Home CrossFit Gym Phase 3
Cost $2800 – and possibly much, much more depending on rig/rack size (not including tax or shipping)
Best At-Home Rig/rack
When you’re ready to step it up, get yourself a nice freestanding (or wall mounted) Rogue system.
My FAVORITE at-home rig is by far the V2 Castro Rig with 1 Speal pull-up bar, a Rogue Socket Monster Lite bar, ring station, rope station, and 2 wall ball targets (see below for example). Speal Pull-up 2.0 bars are the best that I’ve used for pull-ups and muscle ups.
The rig/rack system you’ll have to setup based on your gym size and setup you’re looking for, but if you need any advice, just hit me up. This is fun stuff!
Also, any of the Rogue systems will be great if you decide on one of their other rigs/racks.
A rig/rack system will allow you to do pull-ups, bar muscle ups, squats (from a rack), and any other thing that could benefit from a barbell rack. Not to mention all of the accessories that Rogue offers (dips, ring muscle ups, wall ball targets, etc.).
Where to buy:
V2 Castro Rig $2130 (not including Speal bar or wall bar targets)
– Speal Pull-up 2.0
– Rogue Socket Monster Lite Pull-Up Bar $125
Other good rig/rack options
Infinity Rig $1550+
Infinity Wallmount $1150+
Air Bike
This is probably the most effective cardio tool that you can buy. And you want to MAKE SURE you get either a Rogue Echo Bike or an Assault Airbike. The other brands will not do you justice.
My choice is the Rogue Echo Bike, and that’s what we have in our home gym. The Assault Airbike is easier, but I think the Rogue Echo Bike is smoother and feels like it’s built better. We love our Echo Bike, and will buy more of them as our home gym expands!
Where to buy:
Rogue Echo Bike $750
Assault Airbike $749
Rower
By the time you have a rower and air bike, you have a super legit gym setup. Good work! We will only buy newer Concept 2 rowers. These are fantastic machines that will be great for many years.
If you can find a deal on one of these lightly used after a CrossFit competition… you are a rock star! If this deal comes available, don’t wait, buy! They will sell out soon!
Where to buy:
Concept 2 Rower $900
Rubber Mat Flooring (Amazon)
If you have a good gym space… you could add rubber flooring back in phase 1 or 2. You might also find a deal on flooring before you’re ready, and in that case, BUY IT!!! Just make sure that ALL of your flooring is going to be the same. It’s a huge pain in the butt if you have to piece together flooring of different thickness or patterns
Where to buy:
Rubber Mat Flooring on Amazon $184 (for 4 mats)
Your local hardware or feed store is also a good place to look if you have a truck or way to haul heavy mats.
Optional Accessories
Climbing rope
If you have 12-20 feet for a climbing rope… get one! This is some serious functional fitness right here, and fun for all ages!
Where to buy:
Climbing rope $77-132
SkiErg
These seem to be really popular right now, and although they are cool, I think that unless you’re a competitor… they are probably a waste of space and you’re fine with a rower and/or air bike.
Where to buy:
Concept 2 SkiErg $950
GHD
A GHD is a great piece of equipment, but you need some training to use it correctly, and it takes up a large amount of space. So, I would only recommend getting a GHD if you are an advanced athlete with a lot of gym space.
Where to buy:
Rogue Abram GHD 2.0 $695
Extras
Buy Extras of everything!!!! – at this point you will have everything you need for almost any workout that a good program could throw at you. But you might want to workout with friends, or have a few extra weights for getting really strong. 🙂
Conclusion (you now have an awesome home gym!)
This is a template to get your started (and finished) on your journey of having an AWESOME home gym!
Everyone’s needs are going to be a little different… you might be super strong and need more weights, or you might be buying for two people that want to workout at the same time…
And with enough money you can make all of your home gym dreams come true!
Also, I’m here for any and all questions. Just let me know what you need.
*above could be affiliate links. I get a small commission if you click through them and buy, but they in no way make the products cost anymore. If you decide to use them please let me know so I can thank you. Affiliate Disclosure