Last updated on November 13th, 2021 at 06:44 pmEven if you limit your search to Amazon and a few quality barbell manufacturers, there are easily over 100 different barbells to choose from. When putting together a home gym, it can be hard to figure out which one is right for you. Especially considering it’s one of the most important purchases you’ll make when it comes to weight training. A barbell is what connects you to …
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Home Gym You’ll Love?
Last updated on December 6th, 2021 at 02:35 pmThe first thing most people consider when building a home gym is where in their home it might be able to fit. A millisecond later those same people are usually wondering what their new gym is going to cost. It’s probably a safe assumption that budget is one of, if not the primary concern of most people putting together a home training area. The average home gym …
Easy Ways to Keep Deadlifts From Damaging Your Floor
View PostGetting the Smell Out of Your Rubber Gym Floor
Last updated on September 27th, 2021 at 05:06 pmWhen people ask about the best flooring for their home gym, the answer is almost always rubber. Rubber flooring has a ton of benefits and is the ideal floor for your home fitness area. That said, it’s important that you use the right kind rubber. If you don’t, you can run into a few different problems, not the least of which is odor. And we aren’t talking …
What is Barbell Whip?
Last updated on December 14th, 2021 at 07:03 pmI thought buying a barbell was going to be easy. It’s a metal rod that holds weight, how hard could it be? Apparently a lot harder than I thought. Did I want a 28mm or 28.5mm shaft? Did I want bearings or bushings? What kind of knurling and knurl marks did I want? Which of the seemingly endless coatings should I buy? And then they threw in …
Spotter Pins or Saftey Straps – Which is Better?
View PostShould You Bolt Your Squat Rack to the Floor?
Last updated on March 9th, 2021 at 08:51 pmThe sound of the power rack’s metal feet scraping across the floor was almost unbearable. Real nails on a chalk board type sounds. I had attached a heavy band to one of the uprights and was trying to do banded rows. Every time I pulled, the rack moved. This wasn’t the only time I was having problems either. I looked at my buddy (this was his garage …
Fractional Plates, A Worthwhile Addition to Your Home Gym
Last updated on July 7th, 2021 at 01:38 pmOne of the great things about having a home gym is that it gives me the ability to train with equipment I wouldn’t normally find at a commercial gym. It’s allowed me to be thoughtful about the gear I buy and to buy things that genuinely compliment my programming. I’m not stuck with whatever the gym owner or manager wants in their gym. For me there’s no …
How Many Weight Plates Should You Buy For Your Home Gym?
View PostHow Much Room Do You Need For a Squat Rack?
Last updated on November 17th, 2021 at 11:21 amI get pretty pumped every time I add a piece of gear to my home gym. But no addition has ever excited me more than the addition of a power rack. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood in my garage imagining a full-size rack as the centerpiece of my garage workout space. Only one minor detail stood in my way. How much room would …
Is It Safe to Build a Home Gym on the Second Floor?
Last updated on September 27th, 2021 at 05:04 pmSometimes my imagination gets the best of me. As I was using my treadmill the other day (it’s in an upstairs bedroom), I envisioned my 205 lb. frame riding the 350 lb. treadmill as it crashed through my floor into the garage below. I’m fairly sure that won’t happen, but that’s just how my mind works sometimes. That got me to wondering how much weight my second-story …
How to Hang a Heavy Bag in Your Home Gym
View PostHow to Get Top Dollar For Your Used Fitness Equipment
Last updated on March 10th, 2021 at 03:12 pmI have owned not one, but two Bowflex home gyms in my training lifetime. A bunch of years back, I owned two of the exact same model within about a year of each other. It’s too long of a story to explain here, but the short version is I apparently don’t learn from experience very well. When It came time to sell the first one, it took …
How Much Space Do You Need For Your New Treadmill?
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 07:36 pmI love walking outside. But here near Chicago, there comes a time of year when no matter how hearty you think you are, walking outside just isn’t gonna happen. When the wind chill is 30 below and the actual temp is -2° F, even the dog doesn’t want to go outside. And I can’t blame her! Whether it’s for cold or snow or rain or simply that …
Gymnastic Rings or TRX, Which is Right For You?
View PostThe Best Ways to Light Your Home Gym, A Complete Guide
Last updated on July 7th, 2021 at 02:29 pmEvery time I was in my garage working out, something always felt a little off. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something just didn’t seem right. Then spring came and for the first time in several months I opened the garage door before I started training. The fresh air and warm temps were amazing, but the kicker was the sunlight! Training in a bright and …
How to Get Rid of a Bad Smell in Your Home Gym
Last updated on July 7th, 2021 at 02:24 pmDo you know what unwashed monkey butt smells like? I do. Well, at least I think I do. I would imagine it smells exactly like the odor that was emanating from my garage gym one hot June afternoon. I really wanted to work out, but I just couldn’t handle the smell that had seemed to crop up from nowhere! I didn’t know where it was coming from, …
21 Highly Effective Ways to Quiet Your Home Gym
View Post4 Easy Steps to Buying Used Gym Equipment You’ll Love
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 07:19 pmI almost had a heart attack the first time I priced out a new set of dumbbells. And then another when I looked at prices on weight plates. In fact, I have been consistently amazed at how much quality gym equipment costs. But there is hope for those of us who build out gyms on a budget! That hope lies in used fitness equipment. If you take …
The Best Way to Save Money on Your Home Gym
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 06:38 pmOne of the most commonly asked questions by folks putting together a home gym is, “How much will it cost?”. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a highly useful and enjoyable home gym. In some cases you don’t have to spend any money at all. Yet somehow when we start dreaming about our ideal mix of equipment, we end up with a …
Body Solid GFID225 Weight Bench Review
View PostIt’s Not All About the Gun Show – Your Guide to the EZ Bar
Last updated on November 13th, 2021 at 07:01 pmIn this article I’ll be covering the the EZ bar. It’s a funny looking thing that you’ll find in most commercial gyms. A lot of people think it’s just for curls. But it’s so much more than that. I integrated one into my training years ago and wouldn’t go back. For a full detail on several bars I think are important, check out my article “The 3 …
Do You Really Need a Trap / Hex Bar for Your Home Gym?
Last updated on February 28th, 2021 at 06:33 pmIt’s easy to get carried away when equipping your home gym. A quiet hour alone with your credit card on the internet can often result in quite a few purchases you don’t actually need. For me this is especially true when it comes to training gear! A quick study of home gym blogs and You Tube channels shows the end result of these types of shopping sprees. …
Choosing the Best Barbell for Your Home Gym
View PostThe 3 Barbells You Will Find in the Best Home Gyms
If you are building a home gym, you’re going to need at least one barbell. If you are building a great home gym, you’ll need at least 3.