If you’re looking for gym storage ideas, you’re in the right place.
Storage is one of the most important aspects of creating an organized home gym. Efficiency, functionality, equipment longevity, aesthetics, and enjoyment are just a few of the benefits of storing and organizing your equipment.
Home gym storage can be distilled into four primary categories: storage systems/mass storage, barbell storage, plate storage, and accessory storage.
These different solutions can be found on walls, on floors, or even on gym equipment itself, as is the case with many squat racks.
In addition to the purpose, storage can range in materials, size, aesthetic, price, and more. Rest assured, regardless of your budget and needs, there’s a storage solution out there for your home gym.
As a self-proclaimed storage nut, I’ve used numerous systems in my gyms and I’ve recommended many more to others. Whether you’re wanting to make your space more efficient or just look more professional, this article has you covered.
The Best Home Gym Storage Solutions
- Best Home Gym Storage for Most People: Rogue Universal Storage System 2.0
- Best Home Gym Accessory Storage: Wall Control
- Best Budget Home Gym Storage: Titan Mass Storage
- Best Premium Home Gym Storage: Sorinex Iron Bear
- Best Wall-Mounted Barbell Storage: Rogue V2 Gun Rack
- Best Floor Barbell Storage: Titan 9-Bar Vertical Storage
- Best Plate Tree: Rogue Vertical Plate Tree 2.0
- Best Horizontal Plate Storage: REP Horizontal Plate Rack
- Best Budget Dumbbell Rack: REP Dumbbell Rack
- Best Premium Dumbbell Rack: Prime Fitness Dumbbell Rack
Rogue Universal Storage System 2.0 – Best Home Gym Storage for Most People
- Price: Starting at $365
- Materials: 2×3 and 3×3 11-gauge steel
- Dimensions: 76.5″ Long, 29.25″ or 45.25″ Tall, & 23.75″ Deep
- Best For: Dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, plates, and more
- Made in: USA
The Rogue Universal Storage System 2.0 is a comprehensive home gym storage unit that can hold a variety of items. Available in a 2 or 3-tiered system, this is a relatively space-friendly storage rack that offers solid versatility.
One of the best features of this storage system is how much you can pack into a small footprint. You have the option to purchase a 2-tier system or a 3-tier system. Both will offer the same length of 76.5″, but their heights are 29.25″ and 45.25″, respectively. Standing only 23.75″ deep, it has one of the thinnest profiles on the market.
The Rogue Universal Storage System 2.0 offers three shelf options. It comes standard with the medicine ball shelves, which consists of two pieces of tube steel on the front and back and a hollow center. This can be used for medicine balls and bumper plates, most notably, but you can also store other items like slam balls, loadable dumbbell handles, and more.
From there, you can upgrade to a kettlebell tray or a dumbbell tray. The kettlebell tray is a flat piece of steel that can store kettlebells and many other things, like lifting belts, accessories, and much more. The dumbbell tray is an angled piece of steel with a front lip to make dumbbells easily accessible and keep them securely on the unit. A dumbbell tray like this without dedicated urethane cups is best served for hex dumbbells, but roundhead dumbbells can and will work as well.
Each of these three shelves measures 70″ in length, which is enough to store a lot of weight. For example, depending on the style of dumbbell and weight increments, you can fit over five pairs of dumbbells on one shelf. So if you purchase the 3-tier setup with all dumbbell shelves, you can fit a 5-50lb set of dumbells in 5lb increments and 60-100lb in 10lb increments.
The Universal Storage System 2.0 from Rogue is built with a combination of 3×3 and 2×3 11-gauge steel. Additionally, it offers side holes on the base and front/back holes on the uprights. This allows you to attach things like barbell holders, giving you storage for up to four bars. Furthermore, this system also comes standard with four caster wheels for portability, although you don’t have to use them.
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty, do-it-all storage solution for your home without taking up a bunch of space or breaking the bank, this is a great option.
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Wall Control – Best Home Gym Accessory Storage
- Price: Starting at $27.97 before attachments
- Materials: 20-gauge steel
- Dimensions: 16″ or 32″ Wide, 16″ or 32″ Tall, & 3/4″ Deep
- Best For: Bands, belts, cable attachments, carabiners, hitch pins, etc…
- Made in: USA
Wall Control is an amazing organizer for your fitness accessories and attachments. Easily assembled, it will transform your space into a beautiful and efficient gym.
Wall Control is one of the best ways to organize your home gym accessories, including bands, attachments, weight belts, and MUCH more. I’ve been an avid Wall Control user in my home gym for several years. In my opinion, it’s one of the best things you can purchase to store your things and stay organized.
Wall Control is a metal pegboard system. Their panels come in several sizes, but the most common are the 32″x16″ and the 16″x32″ panels. I own a combination of both. Each panel is constructed with 20-gauge steel with six mounting holes for securing them to your Wall. I recommend screwing your panels into studs, although drywall anchors are also provided if you’re storing lighter things. Properly secured, Wall Control panels can hold up to 200lb of weight.
Wall Control panels include a combination of vertical slots as well as round peg holes. The slots are used for Wall Control accessories, while the peg holes are used for third-party accessories. For home gyms, I recommend the following:
- 2 7/8″ Long Reach Hook – Great for carabiners, hitch pins, cable attachments, bands, and more.
- 3 1/2″ Curved Tip Hook – Great for the same as above.
- 6″ Extended Reach Hook – Great for weightlifting belts, bands, foam rollers, etc…
- Baskets – Great for wrist wraps, lifting straps, and other odds & ends.
Another great feature of Wall Control is that the panels come in a variety of colors. As of this article, they have 12 gloss colors and 5 matte colors. You can also choose from 4 different attachment colors to truly make your storage system unique to your space. If you want to go the extra mile, you can customize your panels through Hang Time and pick any color you want, upload images, logos, and more.
For what you’re getting, Wall Control is a very affordable home gym storage solution. For 2-3 panels and some attachments, you’re looking at between $70-$120.
You can also use code ‘GARAGEGYM’ to save 10% off your entire order.
Further reading: Wall Control Review
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Titan Mass Storage System – Best Budget Home Gym Storage
- Price: Starting at $254.97 shipped before shelves
- Materials: 2×2 13-gauge steel
- Dimensions: 49″ or 76″ Long, 45.5″ or 73″ Tall, & 20″ Deep
- Best For: Dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, plates, and more
- Made in: China
The Titan Mass Storage System is a modular unit that can be configured based on your needs and space requirements. It's very budget-friendly and can accommodate a wide variety of equipment.
The Titan Mass Storage System was the first home gym storage solution I ever purchased. This is a budget-friendly option that comes in multiple sizes and offers different shelves for your specific needs.
Titan allows buyers to create their mass storage from scratch, but their “core unit” includes medicine ball/bumper plate shelves as standard. From there, you can elect to add different shelves. Titan offers a fixed dumbbell shelf and a rotating shelf. I recommend the rotating shelf because it can be set at five different angles. For example, you can angle it for dumbbells or you can set it flat for kettlebells and more. This is generally one of the best features of the Titan Mass Storage System.
On the core unit, you’ll have the option to pick from a 2-tier (45.5″) or a 3-tier (73″) system with shelf lengths of either 42″ or 70″. This brings the total length to 49″ or 76″. One of the best features of this rack is that it has a depth of only 20″, making it one of the most space-friendly mass storage units on the market.
This is a modular system, meaning you can add to it over time as your needs change or your gym expands. This can be accomplished simply by purchasing additional uprights and relevant shelves. Titan also sells accessories for this system, including barbell holders, caster wheels, plate dividers, and more.
If you’re looking for a budget storage rack for your home gym, it’s hard to beat the Titan Mass Storage System given its modularity, footprint, and price.
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Sorinex Iron Bear – Best Premium Home Gym Storage
- Price: Starting at $1,699
- Materials: 3×3 11-gauge steel
- Dimensions: 97.6″ Long, 48″, 60″, 72″, or 96″ Tall, & 32.5″ Deep
- Best For: Dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, plates, and more
- Made in: USA
The Sorinex Iron Bear is a highly-configurable modular storage system with incredible versatility. This is a very customizable premium product at a premium price
The Sorinex Iron Bear is a high-end storage solution for your home gym. I have owned this unit in my gym since 2020, replacing my Titan Mass Storage System from above.
Simply put, this is one of the best gym storage units you can buy. Firstly, it’s modular and highly configurable. You can purchase the Iron Bear in four different heights: 4ft, 5ft, 6ft, or 8ft. This will accommodate anywhere from 3-6 shelves, giving you some of the most storage on the market. It is long at 97.6″, so you’ll want to make sure you have adequate space for it, but it stands only 32.5″ deep.
Secondly, unlike most other mass storage solutions that offer three different shelves, Sorinex offers six. They offer two dumbbell trays, including a flat/hex dumbbell tray and a urethane cup tray, which accommodates roundhead dumbbells beautifully. They offer a flat/kettlebell tray with a dense rubber surface to prevent metal-on-metal contact. Additionally, they have a medicine ball tray, a partitioned bumper plate shelf, and even a crate tray that can be used for a variety of things.
Thirdly, integrated into the base of the Iron Bear are 8 (yes, EIGHT) barbell holders, giving you even more utility. This system includes a 3×3 frame with 1″ holes via a 4-way hole design. As such, you can mount various other attachments such as plate pegs, urethane pins, dip bars, and more. Furthermore, you can mount full-blown cable machines to the side of the Iron Bear. This can include the Sorinex Functional Cable Column and the Sorinex Lat Pulldown/Low Row.
Another great feature of this storage system, and Sorinex equipment in general, is that it’s very customizable. You can select from a variety of colors and even add custom logo nameplates for the sides.
If you have the budget and the space, the Iron Bear from Sorinex is a premium storage unit that will take your home gym to a new level.
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Rogue v2 Gun Rack – Best Wall-Mounted Barbell Storage
- Price: Starting at $75
- Materials: 7-gauge steel w/ optional UHMW
- Dimensions: 1.75″ Wide (each), 17″ or 31.75″ Tall, & 5″ Deep
- Best For: Olympic barbells and some specialty barbells
- Made in: USA
The Rogue V2 Gun Rack is a great solution to storing your barbells on your wall. With UHMW lining, it protects your bars and keeps everything organized and professional-looking.
Horizontal wall-mounted barbell storage is a great way to store and protect your barbells. The Rogue v2 Gun Rack is one of the best barbell storage options out there, and it’s what I use in my home gym.
The Rogue Gun Rack can be purchased as a 3-bar holder or as a 6-bar holder depending on your storage needs. If you end up buying more barbells down the road, you can always add a second Gun Rack directly above or below. The 6-bar rack measures 31.75″ tall whereas the 3-bar rack measures 17″ in height. Both are secured directly into the studs of your wall, sitting 5″ deep. Keep in mind that Rogue does NOT supply mounting hardware. You will need to purchase 5/16″ diameter lag screws for mounting.
You can purchase the Rogue Gun Rack with or without a UHMW lining. I highly recommend purchasing the UHMW because it will protect your barbells much better than metal-on-metal. The UHMW ships unattached to the steel frame, but assembly is quick and easy – Rogue DOES provide hardware for attaching the UHMW.
While wall-mounted bar racks are ideal for Olympic Barbells, they can also accommodate some specialty bars. Curl bars, deadlift bars, axel bars, etc… are all candidates for wall storage. Keep in mind that while some bars like Safety Squat Bars can fit, they may be best served on the bottom since they can interfere with other bars.
If you own several barbells, it’s strongly encouraged to store them properly. I recommend the Rogue v2 Gun Rack having used it since 2016 – it works great and it creates a very professional-looking home gym.
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Titan 9-Bar Storage Rack – Best Floor Barbell Storage
- Price: $99.97 shipped
- Materials: 9-gauge steel
- Dimensions: 19″ Wide, 19″ Deep, & 9″ Tall
- Best For: Barbells of all kinds
- Made in: China
Another barbell storage option is a vertical floor rack. Many will accommodate up to 9 barbells, giving you great storage in a very compact footprint.
The Titan 9-Bar Storage Rack is a great option for your home gym. Measuring less than 4 square feet, it takes up practically no space while providing excellent storage. This rack is built with 9-gauge steel and it weighs 46lb. Therefore, you can rest easy knowing your bars will stand very securely.
This rack is a perfect square with, as the name implies, 9 vertical barbell holders. Each holder includes a plastic insert to protect your barbell sleeves. Otherwise, there would be metal-on-metal contact, which would lead to material and cosmetic issues. I’d also recommend picking up some AbMat Barbell Pillows. These very inexpensive foam circles can be placed in the bottom of the tubes to provide additional protection and to remove any unwanted noise.
Code ‘GGL10’ will save you an additional 10% off of anything in the Abmat store.
The Titan 9-Bar Storage Rack is great for all types of barbells, including Olympic Bars and Specialty Bars. I primarily use specialty bars in vertical storage because they’re heavier and tend to fit better compared to wall-mounted storage.
If you’re looking for a floor option with integrated barbell protection, storage versatility, and a low price, I recommend the Titan 9-Bar Holder strongly.
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Rogue Vertical Plate Tree 2.0 – Best Plate Tree
- Price: $230
- Materials: 11-gauge steel
- Dimensions: 26″ Long, 24″ Deep, & 50″ Tall
- Best For: Weight plates
- Made in: USA
The Rogue Plate is an excellent choice for organizing and storing your iron weight plates and bumper plates. This is a convenient, easy-to-use, and low-profile system with some advantages over the competition.
One of the best features of this plate tree is that it has 12″ long posts. Considering most other plate trees have shorter, in some cases much shorter posts, this allows for greater capacity. For example, depending on the type of plates you have, you can load over five 45lb plates on each post. All 6 posts are spaced 18.275″ apart to accommodate full-diameter plates.
One great feature of this plate tree is that the base includes side holes, which makes this an even more versatile unit. With these holes, you can easily mount four Rogue Horizontal Barbell Holders, turning this into a plate and bar tree. Additionally, you can also purchase the optional wheel kit, allowing you to move your plate tree much more freely.
A downside to this plate tree is that the posts are powder-coated, which will tend to show blemishes caused by plates sliding on and off. Some other plate trees, like the REP Plate Tree, have chrome posts. On the other hand, however, they have shorter posts than the Rogue Tree, which reduces capacity.
If you’re looking to store your plates vertically, I recommend the Rogue Plate Tree 2.0 for most home gym owners.
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REP Horizontal Plate Rack – Best Horizontal Plate Storage
- Price: $139.99 shipped
- Materials: Steel
- Dimensions: 43.5″ Long, 15.75″ Wide, & 11.5″ Tall
- Best For: Weight plates and two barbells
- Made in: China
An alternate way to store plates, particularly bumper plates, is via horizontal floor storage. The REP horizontal plate storage is a space-efficient solution that has a couple of nice features.
Partitions are a common feature of horizontal plate storage. The REP unit has 6 partitions that create 5 different sections for your plates. This makes it really easy to organize by weight. For example, 55lb plates on the left, 45lb plates next, 35lb next, and so on.
Another nice feature of this plate rack is that it offers a handle and wheels, which makes it very easy to maneuver around. While it’s common to store these types of racks statically in one spot, the ability to move around can be useful in some circumstances. For example, you have a deadlift area on one side of your gym and a squat/bench area on the other side.
The third feature of this rack is that it offers 2 barbell holders. Again, this increases the versatility of the unit, which some competing racks lack. As a potential downside, if you’re planning to use these holders, it will limit you on where you can place the rack. For example, a common place to put a rack like this is underneath a larger storage rack, inside of a rack, etc… If you use the barbell holders, the height will prevent you in some instances from doing that. Otherwise, it’s a very nice option to have.
The REP Horizontal Plate Rack is less than 4′ long and it’s less than 16″ deep, making it very compact. This is a great solution for anyone looking for a smaller, less expensive plate storage system.
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REP Dumbbell Rack – Best Dumbbell Rack for Most People
- Price: $209.99 shipped
- Materials: 11-gauge steel
- Dimensions: 48″ Long, 24″ Deep, & 36″ Tall
- Best For: Dumbbells
- Made in: China
The REP Dumbbell Rack is a simple storage solution for dumbells. This 3-tier rack will hold 5-50lb DBs in 5lb increments in addition to others.
Key Specs
- Weight Capacity: 1,000 lbs
- Length: 48″
- Depth: 23.4″
- Height: 24.6″
- Weight: 75 lbs
- Tiers: 3
A significantly more affordable dumbbell storage unit is the REP Dumbell rack. This compact, inexpensive rack is great for most home gym owners who own a fixed set of dumbbells. I owned this rack myself before upgrading to the Iron Bear and then to the Prime Dumbbell Rack.
Measuring only 4′ long, 2′ deep, and 3′ tall, the REP dumbbell rack is extremely space-efficient. It’s built to hold a 5-50lb set and, while REP can’t guarantee a fit from every dumbbell provider, you can rest assured it will very likely accommodate any dumbbells.
I stored my REP Urethane Dumbbells, which have a round head on this rack. While it worked just fine, roundhead dumbbells store better in cups (see Iron Bear or Prime Rack) because they can’t roll around. If you have roundhead dumbbells, this is just something to consider. This rack is ideally suited for hex dumbbells, which are incredibly common in the home gym.
If you plan to store more than a 5-50lb set or you have a set comprised of bigger & heavier dumbbells, you will need to purchase a second dumbbell rack from REP. However, even both combined are still not as long as some dedicated dumbbell racks and you’ll save a significant amount of money. Another benefit of this dumbbell storage unit is that it can be purchased in several colors, which is rare at this price point.
At the end of the day, the REP Dumbbell Rack is one of the best dumbbell storage solutions for a home gym. The fact that it’s so affordable is just icing on the cake.
RELATED: Which REP Dumbbells Should You Buy?
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Prime Fitness Dumbbell Rack – Best Premium Dumbbell Rack
- Price: $2,400
- Materials: Steel
- Dimensions: 97″ Long, 44″ Tall, & 32″ Deep
- Best For: Dumbbells
- Made in: USA
The Prime Fitness Dumbbell Rack is a premium, customizable, and efficient dumbbell-only storage rack. With a pull-out tray on the bottom, there's nothing currently else like it.
Key Specs
- Weight Capacity: 2,100+ lbs
- Length: 97″
- Depth: 32″
- Height: 44″
- Weight: 470 lbs
- Tiers: 4
The Prime Fitness Dumbbell Rack is an amazing storage rack for dumbbells. If you have the budget, the space, and the need for 20 pairs of dumbbells storage, this one will be hard to beat.
The first thing to note about this rack, and certainly its best feature, is the pullout tray on the bottom. With a 1,000lb capacity, you can store your heavy dumbbells at the bottom and then pull them out like a drawer when you’re ready to use them. Not only is this just a cool piece of engineering, but it also reduces the depth of the entire system.
The dimensions of the Prime Dumbbell Rack are another great selling point. The 97″ length is common for this type of storage rack, which holds 5 pairs of dumbbells per shelf. Where this rack shines is that it’s only 44″ tall and 32″ deep. Considering the rack angles down and away from the wall, the pullout tray saves close to a foot of space. The benefit of this angled frame is that it makes un-racking and re-racking the dumbbells easier because you’re not competing with the shelf directly above. This design provides that without taking up additional space – it’s a brilliant concept.
Each shelf has ten dumbbell cups, which are ideal for roundhead dumbbells. You can store hex dumbbells on this rack too, of course. Under every pair of cups is a laser-cut steel weight callout. This ensures everything is in the right place, and it adds a high level of sophistication to the rack.
With Prime Fitness, you surely pay premium prices, but in addition to getting a premium product, you also get customization options. Unlike some systems which come in black powder-coat, with the Prime rack you can pick your colors by piece. Therefore, you’re able to create something totally unique that matches your gym, scheme, etc…
This dumbbell rack isn’t for everyone. You really should have a full set of 5-100lb dumbbells in 5lb increments, or any allocation so long as it’s 20 pairs in total. If you’re looking for top-end quality, you won’t find a better option than this rack from Prime.
Further reading: Best Dumbbell Racks
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Types of Home Gym Storage Solutions
Storage System/Mass Storage
Mass storage systems are some of the best home gym solutions because of their versatility. The biggest benefit of this style of storage is that it can accommodate many different items, including dumbbells, kettlebells, plates, med balls, barbells, and more. Often, these systems can be customized to meet your specific needs. For example, you can purchase the frame and then select which types of shelves you need.
The downsides to mass storage systems are that they’re more expensive and they take up more space.
Barbell Storage
If you own barbells, properly maintaining them is very important. One of the best ways to increase the life of your bars is to store them correctly. I mainly recommend horizontal wall storage for Olympic Barbells and floor vertical storage for specialty bars. That said, any barbell storage solution will help.
Another benefit of barbell storage is that it makes your home gym look very professional. It also makes it much easier to organize and find your barbells.
Plate Storage
Plate storage is critical in the home gym. Not only because it looks a lot cleaner, but also because it makes your life a lot easier. That’s because plates lying face-down can be very difficult to pick up. Most plate storage solutions orient the plates perpendicular to the floor, making them quick and easy to grab.
It’s also very easy to organize your plates by weight increment so you’re not fumbling around to pick the right ones. The most popular types of plate storage are vertical plate trees, horizontal plate racks, and plate storage pegs directly on a squat rack.
Accessory Storage
One of the best things you can do in your home gym is to clean up all the clutter that can come with having multiple gym accessories. Things like barbell collars, cable attachments, hitch pins, belts, foam rollers, etc… can all take up space and make for a very disorganized setup if not addressed.
These types of items are best suited for hanging on the wall, whether with a pegboard like Wall Control or just slotted organizers like the REP Multi-Use Wall Storage. No matter the solution, storing your home gym accessories will go a long way towards building an efficient gym.
How to Pick the Right Home Gym Storage Solution
Here are a few of the most important factors to consider when buying home gym storage:
Price
Depending on the type of storage you buy, you can spend as little as a few dollars and up to several thousand dollars. For example, a rack-mounted storage hook can cost less than $10 whereas a custom mass storage system can cost upwards of $3,000.
Purpose
Home gym storage solutions can range in function and purpose. Ask yourself what you plan to store and then determine the best application. For example, do you have a mix of equipment that you need to organize? If so, a mass storage solution is a great option. Refer to the above section for additional guidance.
Dimensions
Storage can vary wildly in terms of how much space it takes up. A mass storage system may take up over 70″ in length and another 48″+ in height depending on the configuration. Again, ask yourself what you need to organize, determine the right type of storage for the intended purpose, and then make a selection based on how much space you can allocate to it.
Materials
Quality home gym storage products will be constructed with steel for durability. While simple bins, etc… can be suitable for certain lightweight items, I recommend steel-constructed storage. Steel lasts longer, looks nicer in most situations, and is capable of handling a much larger load. Depending on the product, there may be the presence of UHMW and/or urethane, which help protect things like barbells, dumbbells, etc… from exposed steel.
Portability
Some storage systems are meant to be stationary while others can be moved around easily. An example would be adding the wheel kit to the Rogue Plate Tree 2.0. If you want flexibility in your gym, having a wheeled option is nice to have.
Modularity
Some storage systems, namely mass storage can be added onto over time. A great example of this is the REP MSS Storage System. You can purchase a pre-configured system or you can buy the uprights, connectors, and shelves individually to create whatever you want.
Aesthetics
All storage systems can, and likely will improve the look of your home gym. There are, however, some storage systems with better aesthetics. For example, a custom Sorinex Iron Bear is going to look nicer than a budget black powder-coated storage rack. Similarly, a metal Wall Control pegboard will look much nicer than traditional particleboard pegboards.
FAQs
Do I Need Home Gym Storage?
Investing in storage is a great idea for anyone who has a home gym. Storage will protect your equipment, clean up clutter, create a more efficient layout, and improve the overall look and feel of your gym.
Should Barbells be Stored Horizontally or Vertically?
Barbells can be stored either horizontally or vertically with great results. That said, I recommend horizontal wall storage for Olympic barbells because it creates less stress on the barbell itself. I also recommend vertical floor storage for most specialty bars, which often have unique shapes and sizes that don’t fit a wall system as well.
What Type of Plate Storage is Best for a Home Gym?
I recommend plate trees for most home gym owners to store their plates because it handles iron plates and bumper plates with ease. The Rogue Plate Tree 2.0 is one of the best racks on the market, and it’s the one I recommend the highest.