What’s the Best Electric Space Heater For Your Home Gym? 10 Heaters Thoroughly Tested
I tried and tested ten electric space heaters in my garage gym. See which ones performed the best and which might be a waste of your money!
Equip Your Gym
Learn all about the best equipment for your home gym.
The Best Places to Buy Home Gym Equipment Online
Last updated on November 15th, 2022 at 03:27 pmMost people building a garage or basement gym can’t go to a local store to see, feel, and try things before buying them. There simply aren’t that many stores in the world that display and sell quality home gym gear. Big box retailers and sporting goods stores have … Read more
14 Books That Every Home Gym Owner Should Read in 2022
Last updated on November 13th, 2021 at 06:30 pmThere are a lot of books out there that would benefit you as a garage or basement gym owner. There are also a lot of books that are mediocre at best and misleading at worst. I know because I’ve read a couple hundred of them. And out … Read more
Home Gym Gift Guide – 36 Gifts They’ll Actually Use and Love!
It can be incredibly hard to buy the right gift for the fitness-minded person in your life. That’s why we’ve rounded up a huge list of unique gifts they’ll actually use and love!
Center Barbell Knurl – Does Your Home Gym Barbell Need It?
If you are shopping for a new barbell, one of the options you’ll see is whether or not to get one with a center knurl. To many people, this option is confusing. What is a center barbell knurl? Why would you want one or not? Does it even matter? A center barbell knurl helps prevent … Read more
Bushings vs Bearings in Barbells – Are Bearings Worth the Extra Money?
One of the barbell features that impact price the most is the choice between a barbell with bushings and one with bearings. At first glance, the sales copy on bearing bars makes it seem like a higher quality choice. Barbell manufacturers describe bearing bars as having “faster, smoother spin” or “ideal for faster lifting.” Faster? … Read more
Power Bar or Olympic Bar – Which is Better for Your Home Gym?
When selecting a barbell for your garage or basement gym, you’ll typically end up choosing between two basic categories: Power bars and Olympic weightlifting bars. Knowing the differences and which will work better for you is important for many reasons. The best type of barbell for most basement and garage gym owners is a power … Read more
24 months training on the Titan Fitness X-3 Rack, An Owner’s Review
Last updated on May 21st, 2022 at 06:36 pmFew brands in the home gym industry are more polarizing than Titan Fitness. There are so many strongly held opinions about the company that most Titan equipment reviews spend more time talking about the company than the product being reviewed. If you want to know whether or … Read more
Rep Fitness AB-5200 Bench: An Owner’s Review
Last updated on May 21st, 2022 at 06:14 pmEight months ago, I ordered the Rep Fitness AB-5200 adjustable weight bench. I didn’t need a new bench (my Rep AB-3000 was working beautifully for me), but I like to buy new gear every now and then, and I’d been looking at the AB-5200 for some time. … Read more
Rep Fitness AB-3000 Bench: An Owner’s Review
Last updated on April 19th, 2021 at 05:48 pmThe big four of rack, weights, bar, and bench are essential parts of a complete home gym. It’s hard to say that one of those is more important than the others. It’s not hard to say which will be most noticeable if you go cheap or low … Read more
How to do pull-ups in gyms with low ceilings.
Last updated on April 8th, 2022 at 03:57 pmThe pull-up is a foundational functional movement pattern that everyone should train regularly. While it’s one of the more challenging movements anyone can do in a gym, it’s one that has a myriad of benefits that apply to everyday life. The pull-up is also a movement that … Read more
Overhead Pressing in gyms with low ceilings.
Last updated on July 7th, 2021 at 01:34 pmIn its many forms, the overhead press is one of the best compound lifts you can do when training with weights. After the “big three” (bench press, squat, and deadlift), some consider the overhead press a very close fourth when it comes to critical lifts. While there … Read more
Picking the right size motor for your treadmill
Last updated on January 2nd, 2023 at 12:40 pmWhile all treadmills look similar to each other, some key differences will help you determine which treadmill is right for you. Deck height, deck cushion, belt width, platform length, and motor size are just a few. Some of those differences will determine how well the treadmill performs. … Read more
The best indoor cardio solutions for home gyms with low ceilings
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 07:46 pmMany home gym owners seem to think that all they need is a treadmill or rower or tend to leave the cardio out altogether. In my opinion, both sides of that argument are wrong. As I’ve written about numerous times, all home gyms need three basic components: … Read more
Finding a Squat Rack for a home gym with a short ceiling
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 07:47 pmThe largest piece of equipment in most home gyms is the power rack. This is what allows you to work effectively with a barbell and weights and what keeps you safe when lifting alone. It’s also one of the biggest challenges to those with a low ceiling … Read more
Can you put a treadmill on the second floor?
Last updated on January 2nd, 2023 at 05:47 pmAn average treadmill measures approximately 3’ wide x 6’ long x 5’ high. What may surprise you is that a treadmill of this size needs an area about 7’ wide x 12’ long x 8’ high. I cover all the reasons why in my article here, but … Read more
Do you really need a treadmill mat?
Last updated on January 2nd, 2023 at 05:53 pmI had finally decided on my treadmill. After way too much research and time at the store trying them out, I ended up going with the first one the guy at the store showed me after asking me about my needs. I’m naturally skeptical of salespeople, so … Read more
Is BowFlex the best option for an all in one home gym?
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 07:28 pmI’ve owned two Bowflex home gyms in my life. Their late-night infomercials featuring super-fit models training for “20 minutes a day, three days a week” hooked me. Twice! While I don’t still own either of those machines, I do look back on them and wish I’d used … Read more
Squat Rack or Power Rack, which one is best for your home gym?
Last updated on May 21st, 2022 at 06:12 pmIf you’re going to lift weights in your home or garage gym, you’re most likely going to want to have a squat or power rack. If you will be doing barbell training, it’s a must. But which one to get??? When you start your shopping, you’ll be … Read more
Why and how to mix bumper plates with iron plates
Last updated on February 27th, 2021 at 06:06 pmBuilding a home gym can get expensive. And it can get that way fast! So finding places to save money without sacrificing functionality becomes important to those of us on a budget. One of the best ways to stay on budget and still get a functional gym … Read more
Barbell knurl. What it is and how to pick the best one for you.
Last updated on May 21st, 2022 at 06:11 pmOne of the most difficult things about buying a barbell is finding the right knurl for you and your training style. There are almost no stores that stock the better barbells you should choose from, so trying them out in person is usually not an option. This … Read more
Horse Stall Mats, Are They Really the Best Choice for Home Gym Flooring?
Last updated on March 31st, 2023 at 10:53 amWhen you build a home gym, one of the first decisions you have to make is what to do with the floor. Not only do you need a reliable surface to train on, but you also need to prevent damage to the floor below. Most home gym … Read more
Do you really need an Olympic lifting platform?
Last updated on October 31st, 2022 at 02:18 pmWhen I was planning my full gym build-out, one of the first things that went on my list was a weightlifting platform. It seemed like every gym I looked at online had a platform. I honestly didn’t even know why I might need one (or not). I … Read more
Can you really build a garage gym for $500?
Last updated on March 16th, 2021 at 01:29 pmSo you want to build a home gym for $500. You start shopping and soon realize that in the world of home fitness equipment, $500 doesn’t go all that far. You are faced with a choice. Do you get only a couple of quality items? Or do … Read more
Barbell collars. Why, when, and which are the best for you?
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 06:15 pmDetails can be significant. The occasional crashes I would hear in commercial gyms (way back in the day when I still belonged to one) were a reminder of that. As plates fell off of bars and hit the floor, I always cringed. I wish I could say … Read more