What the guidelines ask for
The CDC's overview of physical activity for adults puts it in one line:
Adults also need 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity each week.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adult Activity: An Overview, read 26 September 2026
Its page on what counts as activity adds which muscles and how much work:
Activities should work all the major muscle groups of your body—legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults, read 26 September 2026
It also gives a starting dose for each exercise:
Try to do 8–12 repetitions per activity, which counts as one set.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults, read 26 September 2026
The first purchase: a rack, a bar and plates
A squat, a bench press, a row and an overhead press cover legs, hips, back, chest and shoulders between them. A pull-up covers the back and arms. All of them happen in or next to a power rack, with a bar and plates. That is why the rack comes first.
The cheapest way into a full setup is a rack bundle that already has a bar and plates. Our rack with a lat pulldown comes as a rack alone from $349.99, or with a 7 ft bar and 100 or 180 lb of plates in the same box.
Second: a bench
A flat bench turns the rack into a pressing station. An adjustable bench adds incline work for the upper chest and shoulders. If you plan to press heavy alone, set the rack's safety arms just below your chest before you start.
Third: the floor
It is tempting to leave the floor until last, but the floor is what protects everything else. Tiles under the rack and bench and a mat where you deadlift cost less than a cracked plate or a chipped slab.
What can wait
Dumbbells, cable attachments, a landmine and a dip bar all add variety. None of them is needed to meet the twice-a-week guideline. Buy them when you know which lifts you like and which ones your rack is missing.
Weight-stack stations are the exception to this order. If you would rather not load plates at all, a station covers most of the same muscle groups on its own. It will not let you squat with a bar.
| Setup | Price |
|---|---|
| Rack only | $349.99 |
| Rack with floor mat | $349.99 |
| Rack with bench | $399.64 |
| Rack with bench and floor mat | $409.99 |
| Rack, 7 ft bar, 100 lb plates | $479.99 |
| Rack, bench, 7 ft bar, 100 lb plates | $544.99 |
| Rack, 7 ft bar, 180 lb plates | $599.99 |
| Rack, bench, 7 ft bar, 180 lb plates | $665.99 |
Before you start
This guide is about equipment, not about your health. If you have an injury, a heart condition or have not trained in a long time, talk to a doctor before you start lifting.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Adult Activity: An Overview. Read 26 September 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults. Read 26 September 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults. Read 26 September 2026.