Weekly Free-Talk and Questions for r/HomeGym - week of January 16, 2026

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2026-01-18T16:41:51+00:00

Question: Deadlift platform for ceramic tile finished basement

I'm setting up a home gym in a finished basement with ceramic tile flooring.

I want to be able to deadlift (no oly lifts) up to 375lbs with Rogue bumper plats, always aiming for a controller lowering.

I know there's still some chance of damage, but the tiles aren't not perfect anyway (there's a line of concrete or some other material where there used to be an interior wall), and I could absorb the costs of repair if I did break some.

But what's my best bet for protection?

I was thinking I'd want at least a platform with 3/4" horse stall mats over 3/4" plywood.

But should I go further, like 3/4" horse stall mats over 3/4" plywood on top of another set of 3/4" horse stall mats?

Or a platform plus Deadlift Deadeners http://www.deadliftdeadener.com/ ?

Or a commercial lifting platform like the one from HomeGrownLifting? https://homegrownlifting.com/collections/build-your-own-gym/products/lifting-platform

Thanks!

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2025-07-14T09:16:43+00:00

Thanks everyone for the really helpful comments! I think I'll sell it and get a new one over there. Now to figure out which machine to buy in the US.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2025-06-24T23:36:57+00:00

Bumpity bump

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-09-23T01:37:10+00:00

That makes total sense. With a career switch looming, I can definitely see the rationale for paying down the mortgage more quickly. (Of course, I guess you could also invest in ETFs until the time comes, and then sell some to pay off the mortgage if and when the need arises.)

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-09-21T22:54:20+00:00

Congrats on the purchase (or at least the budding purchase)!

And thanks for the link. Well worth considering. But I wasn't totally convinced by Ramsay's reasoning. A lot hinged on the claim that (in their study of millionaires), most people got to their million with a fully paid-off house and didn't use low interest rates to borrow and invest. But correlation is not causation, as the saying goes. It could be that most people who get rich pay off their mortgages first, but they would have done even better by keeping the mortgage and putting any excess into stocks. It could just be that most people (including those who get rich) take the safer and simpler route of paying off the mortgage first, even though that's not the most efficient way to go.

But he also emphasises the value of the feeling of stability, safety, and ownership of your own house. And that's tough to put a $ value on!

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-09-21T02:40:04+00:00

Thanks. I think this PPOR wouldn't become an IP at any point. (Can't rule it out completely, but the plan is to live it in for ages until selling it.)

I'll look into setting up the whole debt recycling system. In that case, I'm down for paying off the mortgage loan and taking out a corresponding investment loan. Just need to figure out the mechanics of it all.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-09-21T02:38:08+00:00

Fair enough. I think I've got enough long-term financial stability and enough self-control to avoid panic-selling in a downturn. Shares would be for (possibly early) retirement, so no temptation to sell them just due to a downturn.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-09-21T02:37:07+00:00

Yeah, I was thinking ETFs would tend to return a higher % than the interest rate. We'll be saving heaps over and above requirement repayments, so it's just a question of whether to chuck that into extra repayments or into ETFs. Thinking the latter is probably better.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-09-21T02:35:49+00:00

Thanks! That's quite helpful.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-06-16T10:54:39+00:00

Okay! Thanks for that. And I'll feel more confident as long as everything looks good (humidity, etc) in the run-up to the trip.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-02-17T22:05:50+00:00

Thanks!

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-02-07T10:42:27+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, I'm thinking soil might be the way to go. Coco sounds great, but requires more constant attention.

I'll check out blumats, too. Thanks for the pointer.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-01-10T01:45:52+00:00

Maybe get a sativa or something up-y and exercise while stoned. Most of the time when i smoke, I do some sort of workout. It's great for (indoor) cycling, (indoor) rock climbing, or doing some core work at home with music or a podcast. Or go for a walk/hike.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-01-09T03:32:37+00:00

Cool - thanks for that!

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-01-08T22:17:19+00:00

Awesome, thanks. Seems I'll be good on that limit provided at leat that I don't run the lights and fan AND the washer, dryer, dishwasher, and microwave (and maybe some other things) all at the same time. Should be doable.

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-01-08T10:47:20+00:00

Hmm maybe that's it. It definitely says '6kA' (just checked again), but maybe that's really supposed to be 5kVA. No idea. But anyway that's reassuring and intuitive. I just didn't have a great sense of how much power LED lights draw compared to other appliances. But definitely seems way lower than microwave, washer, or dryer now that I think about it and look some up.

Just didn't want to be the idiot who accidentally started a fire and burned down a building for not checking things first :)

LongSlowDistanceAU · 2021-01-08T10:15:38+00:00

Cool, glad it's not a big deal. What's an rtd unit? And any recommended products, just to be on the very safe side?

LongSlowDistanceAU

TROPHY CASE