Over the years, I’ve picked up a fair bit of gear for my home gym. See, I like training at home because it allows me to train the way I need to train, not the way some gym owner thinks I should train. I can buy things like axle bars, landmines, farmer’s handles, and so on because I want to use them and not hope that an owner will see the wisdom of this kind of training.
I’ve even talked about just how easy it is to build up a home gym.
That, however, was well before COVID-19 closed every gym in the country and created a run on plates, barbell, dumbbells, and just about everything else fitness related.
I’m really ready for sanity to return.
Look, I’m not going to get into the whole COVID-19 debate. Is it the second coming of the Black Plague or a mild irritant for most of the population? I honestly don’t care right now.
What I care about is just how hard it is to add quality pieces to my home gym.
Even now, when many gyms have reopened, there is still a lack of quality equipment. Go on Rogue’s website, for example, and try to order weights. Go on, I dare you.
These are American-made products that don’t require shipping across an ocean, and yet they still can’t keep up with demand. Titan isn’t any better, either, despite their stuff being imports.
Used isn’t any easier.
Once upon a time, the rule of thumb was to not spend more than $1 per pound of weight. Today, if you find someone selling it for that, you’d better freaking JUMP on it. Don’t fret about not having the cash on hand, though, because you’re not going to find it.
It’s gotten to the point where people are selling molds for making concreate weight plates (yes, I’m seriously thinking about getting one. Don’t judge me).
Now, I’ve got a bit of weight and I don’t actually need weight plates at the moment. However, I really want to get a set of dumbbells.
I’ve got some adjustable ones that I could, in theory, get more plates for, but I want a set that I don’t have to mess around with. York no longer sells the dumbbells I want, though. That means the used market.
Now, that’s fine. I do have adjustable dumbbells, after all, so it’s not like I’m desperate. I can afford to piece together a set, at least from a time standpoint.
The problem?
Well, how about a set of five pound dumbbells are going for something like $50. It’s freaking ridiculous.
To make matters more interesting, finding plates for my adjustable set–which uses standard plates–is also hard as hell. In other words, I’m going to pay out the rectum for that as well.
It’s like everything iron is hard as hell to find and almost won’t become available ever again. From weight plates to kettlebells (though KBs are a fair bit easier to find.)
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know that things will settle down eventually. Sooner or later, those who prefer the gym will start going back. Their wives will nag them to sell the weights in the garage since they aren’t using them, and the availability will be awesome.
Sure, some people will stick with their home gym and others will decide to keep it because it’s a good backup in case they can’t make it to the gym. However, a lot won’t and then it’ll be a buyers market.
The problem? That doesn’t help us now.
Look, being patient is all fine and good, but I’ve been seeing people complain about this for six months or so at this point. You’d think the demand would have dropped a little bit. It hasn’t.
Frankly, I’m ready for sanity to return. Whatever form that takes, I’m ready for this to end.
Especially since dumbbells are kind of hard to DIY your way through it. Oh, there are some DIY plans for dumbbells out there, but none of them are really great for making a set of dumbbells, after all.
Regardless, sooner or later, the insanity will end. I’m just hoping that it’ll be sooner rather than later.
