All you need to start your strength journey is a bench, barbell, weights and a squat rack (unless you're thinking big and getting an actual power rack or cage, which in New Zealand usually starts round $500 and only goes up from there). To be more specific you'll need the following -- obviously you can exercise your own decision making when it comes to plates and total weight but you want to start with a decent amount:
Benchpress
You need either a benchpress set-up i.e. bench and rack or just a flat bench. A stand-alone flat bench is cheaper as you can always build your own rack (there's a simple rack design further below). I built my own rack and it's still going some 5yrs later. Prior to that I couldn't be arsed benchpressing.
Barbell
You can get an olympic bar or a normal bar. Olympic bars are longer and heavier with a quick-release for ease of adding/removing plates. They also cost shitloads more. Normal bars have furling either end so you have something akin to a spin-lock that you have to spin off and on when adding/removing plates which does add a few seconds more time-wise. Can you handle that, tough guy?
What you really need to know is both types have different diameters and therefore need specific plates. Again, olympic plates cost more. Personally I use a normal, 6-foot bar that weighs 10kg so obviously recommend that. Pop into your local fitness store though and see what options are available. Go with what fits your budget but remember, muscles don't give a shit what they're lifting, all they recognise is weight.
Weights
I recommend at least 2x20kg plates, 2x10kg plates and 2x5kg plates minimum to start with. This will be enough weight for the first 6-months, give or take, but if you want to jump right in and get all man with your bad self, go ahead and get 4-6 20kg plates. Now we're talking, kemosabe.
Rack
You need this for squats and like I said earlier, squat racks or "cages" cool as they are, cost $$$. Don't fall victim to the must-have-the-latest-and-greatest because you don't. Check out the below squat rack example. I have a version of this made out of 4-by-2 that I drilled and bolted. It takes 130kg easy and cost me roundabout $50 in wood from the hardware store.
To benchpress from this I placed my flat bench in the middle, figured how high above my chest I wanted the bar to sit, then extended two 4-by-2 rails either side (with vetical supports) which I could set the bar across. Another option is to buy sturdy brackets and screw these into the upright as per a normal benchpress set up, and place the bar across that, an option my cousin went with which also does a great job. Viola! You're squat ready and bench ready. Does it look flash? Nope. Do you look flash? Nope. Do I look flash? Nope. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's pour ourselves a beer and visit Routine basics for a starting program.
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