Help with home gym

First off, I'm glad to be aboard. It looks like you guys have a great thing started here. I'm a former Army Ranger who through a serious family tragedy had to leave the service after 7 years. I lifted on and off during that time. Now due the above mentioned tragedy I find myself with no way whatsoever to get to any kind of gym. So I'm trying to figure out how to bring the gym to me. Currently I am 5'10 160lbs with a meduim build. My legs are and always have been too skinny. They are defined but seriously lack mass. My goals are to build muscle mass and reach 180lbs then work on toning everything up and getting cut.

I really like working with dumbbells and just purchesed the select tech ones from Bowflex. It's odd but I can't use hex dumbbells without seriously aggrivating a previous wrist injury. And the Bowflex ones resembled the pro-style wich seem to gel with my wrist. I also purched an incline/decline/miltary press bench for use with the dumbbells. Now I am trying to figure out what to purchase next. I know mentioning a home gym system on this forum is probally taboo, but knowing that I will be working out solo all the time with no spotter and wanting to build mass in my legs should I possible consider one? Or are better options out there? I need to find something that I can work on everything I cant do with bells.

If by home gym you mean machine- Yeah, it's not a favorite of most of us here. Not quite taboo, but free weights are by far the better option- In my opinion, if you're looking to spend money on a decent safe home setup, go with a squat rack. If your bench is just a stand alone bench, you can use it in the rack for all sorts of exercises, and of course, you can use it to do squats- Without a doubt the number one mass building exercise, especially for the legs.

I love the squat rack for all my barbell chest exercises. The one at my gym has hooks on both sides to hold the bar at a variety of different heights and the lockout bars hang from these same hooks. The lockout bars make me total comfortable working with heavy weights as I don't need to worry about them falling on me or using a spotter.

Thanks for the reply's. I'm going to go check out some now.
I'll keep you posted.

wal mart they sellbench press and leg workout bench for 65 bucks... weider too

then they have a GOLDS RX 5 for 130 that has bench, leg, shoulder, and squat rack, and a pulley,,, very nice, if i still had any money i would buy it

You're kidding right Gun? Those are just absolute JUNK.

With your home gym equipment, remember that you generally get what you pay for. Don't, DO NOT, buy benches from Walmart, or worse Sports Authority. If you can't afford a decent setup from a fitness supply place, then save your money until you can. And I would seriously take a look at gyms in your area. I'm pretty sure that one can be found where the rates are reasonable. Just a suggestion.

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

well, i have a weider already, and that thing rules, i trust weider, and no im not kidding