Platform (6’x8’) – 3 layers of 1/2” plywood and one layer of 4’x6’ stall mats ($50). Two layers plywood, one layer stall mat (two mats side by side), one top layer plywood. All screwed together then into sub-floor.
Jump Box – A staple assistance exercise from the very beginning of my athletic career. Initially it was just jumping to try to get my head to touch the ceiling, then came the group silliness of stacking two metal milk crates on top of each other, then stacking bumper plates on top of that. Now I’m a bit smarter and use this nice foam jump box ($100) that accommodates 20, 24, and 30 inch jumps. Unlike solid wood or metal jump boxes, it doesn’t hurt on fails. That makes commitment to jumping higher easier. I add more height increments by setting the block on the floor, or on the platform, to go up or down 2 inches (block on floor, jump off platform to subtract block on platform, jump off floor to add). When I need over 32”, a rarity, I put three equal thickness bumper plates under the block on the platform to add inches stably.
Climbing Rope – I hated the rope climb in junior high. Now they are sort of fun and challenging. I have a 15 foot rope ($61) anchored to the truss of my barn gym (11 feet). Take particular care to make sure you rig your rope according to manufacturer recommendations (and that those recommendations make structural sense), you do not want to have the rope attachment fail when you are at any height above the floor.
Kettlebell – I have one, a 35lb one that I play around with and use when I’m doing CrossFit to claw back work capacity after layoffs.
Dumbbells – I have two 25lb solid hex dumbbells and two Olympic plate loaded dumbbell handles that I use in the same way and for the same purpose as the kettlebell.
Gymnastic Rings – I used to do dips on chairs at home. Now I do them on gymnastic rings ($40) suspended from a steel support spanning two arms of my gym’s roof truss. Doing some other child level ring skills is occasionally fun, just to see if I can still do them.
Jump Rope – I use an inexpensive cable jump rope ($8.99) periodically for conditioning, mostly single under intervals as fast as I can go for one to five minutes (repeated). I do double unders as part of a workout only if I do a CrossFit event, as they are always included. I do practice them a tiny bit since I suck at them so badly. I think I’m adding about 1.33 successful reps per year. In 3 more years I’ll hit 10 in a row.
Rower – I started rowing on a Concept 2 ($1390) when I was rehabbing my back post spinal tumor removal and was contemplating giving rowing a go for KSU Crew in 1992. It’s the best rowing tool, other than being on the water, bar none. However, a C2 is pricey and since I use the rower only for basic conditioning, I don’t need a bunch of computer settings or connectivity strokes per minute and total time are all I need. To save dollars and space, I use a smaller footprint and much cheaper rower ($400, it was $100 cheaper when I bought mine) and have used the same rower for the past eight years. This rower will not be great for taller people.
Pull-up Bar – I put a stud mounted Pull-up bar (the system I used is no longer available) under the mini-barn-gym’s loft. For anyone else but me it would be too low. Mounting a pull-up bar to deal with the forces applied by kipping pull-ups needs consideration as to how the bar is mounted and as to whether the structure the bar is mounted to can deal with those forces without failing. While my mount is stated to be suitable for wall mounting, I chose ceiling mounted to provide a larger available space for my feet to swing, and to not place a bunch of torque on my walls. I used to use the Iron Gym door jamb bar ($26), it was OK for strict pull-ups or chin-ups, but after two years in the same place the door trim on both sides of the door had moderately deep indentation damage from it's crossbar (an inexpensive fix with a visit to Lowes or Home Depot). It went out in the trash when I moved out to the boonies.
Medicine Ball – An innocuous and fun little torture device. Mine is a 20lb reboundless ($29).
Shot Put – Used outside for explosive power work, occasional competition, and fun. I have a 5kg shot ($24.95) appropriate for my age group.
Yoga Mat – Do I, as a lifter, do Yoga? Of course and I really think it’s a useful gym teaching skill for any trainer or coach. If you stretch, you are essentially doing Yoga. My thick Yoga mat ($39) makes seated, prone, or supine postures more comfortable, and with proper selection of mat, more stable. Thinner ones are cheaper and they are available at virtually any department store or sporting goods store. If you are tall and wide, or just like more space to roll around, you can find wider than standard Yoga mats ($36, this one is 3 feet wide but thinner than mine, there are even wider ones available).
Clock/Timer – For timed workouts and just knowing what time it is. The big bright display ($38) on mine makes counting down the seconds before being done easy to see, and it shows up on videos I submit for scoring.
Stopwatch – For outdoor intervals on the driveway’s 60 meter runway. Super cheap stopwatches ($6.99 or less) can be found everywhere.