Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews - Cooper Mitchell on Building the Ultimate Garage Gym for Every Budget

Episode Date: January 27, 2021

More and more people are looking to build a home gym these days. Whether you want to save on membership fees, cut down on your commute time to the gym, or are currently dealing with a closed gym due to corona, building a home gym makes a lot of sense. The prospect is exciting. You’ll never have to wait for equipment, smell that one StinkyGuy™, or withstand awful gym playlists again. But once your eyes have begun to sparkle with the promise of an iron utopia, how do you actually realize the dream? What equipment should you buy and how should you set everything up? The good news is thanks to high-demand for home gym equipment and the power of the unfettered free market, supply is ample and options are plentiful. So whether you want to set something up in your studio apartment or have a 3-car garage you can convert into a full-fledged gym, there’s probably a slew of products that will fit the bill. In fact, the choices can be downright daunting. That’s why I’ve tagged in a home gym equipment expert, Cooper Mitchell, to join me on this episode of the podcast. Cooper runs a website called GarageGymReviews.com, which features (as the name implies) product reviews and articles all about setting up a home gym. He’s tested over 300 barbells, 250 squat racks, 50 bumper plates, and more, so he has his finger on the pulse and ear to the rubber flooring on this sort of stuff. In this podcast, Cooper covers . . . How much money and space you’ll need (and how to make the most of that space) Equipment for an "essentials gym" as well as add-on bonus recommendations Adjustable dumbbell options Modular racks, leg press options, belt squats, and kettlebell considerations And more . . . So if you’re interested in decking out your garage and turning it into a bona fide home gym without breaking the bank, this episode is for you! 9:15 - Who should and shouldn’t create a home gym? 11:26 - How much money do I need for a home gym? 17:51 - How much space do I need for a home gym? 20:52 - Are there any downsides to using a PRX machine? 27:46 - What are some low budget equipment recommendations? What type of equipment would you recommend if money isn’t a problem? 33:17 - Any tips for buying used items? 34:48 - What are your thoughts on Bowflex adjustable dumbbells? 39:03 - Are there any add-ons worth considering? 43:06 - Have you tested any leg press machines? 49:07 - Any information on kettlebells? 51:57 - Is there anything else that you would like to mention? 56:05 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on The Show: Garage Gym Reviews Website: https://www.garagegymreviews.com/ Garage Gym Reviews YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV_zy48AlwwGpdJEka1ay7w Garage Gym Reviews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garagegymreviews/ Home Gym Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homegymcommunity Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/ Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Muscle for Life. I'm your host, Mike Matthews. Thank you for joining me today. And you're going to like this episode if you are looking to build a home gym or a garage gym like many people are, whether it's because they want to just save on gym fees, or maybe they want to commute less, or maybe their gym is closed due to Rona, or in my case, busier than ever. My gym is so busy that I stopped going at my normal 12 p.m. ish slot. And now I've switched back to the early morning slot because there often were no benches available, no squat racks available, and lots of people standing around waiting to use equipment. And so yeah, I'm back to 730, 745, which I thought was

going to significantly hinder my performance because in the past, I really did notice a difference between lifting first thing in the morning and later in the day after I've fully woken up and gotten some calories in me. But I've been pleasantly surprised. I've felt good in my workouts. I've been strong. I've been able to hit my weight and rep targets. So hey, these days, the little things mean a little bit more, don't they? Now, as far as home gyms go, if I had the space in my house to get the equipment I would really want, I would probably do it because the prospect of having a kick-ass home gym is exciting. You don't have to wait for equipment.

You don't have to smell the smelly people. You don't have to endure awful gym playlists. But once you start to look into how to build your Iron Utopia, you run into a lot of questions. What equipment should you buy? What brands should you buy? How should you set everything up? And the good news is, thanks to the unprecedented levels of demand right now for home gym equipment and the power of the interwebs. You have quite a few options to choose from and you don't need that much space or that much money. So whether you have a studio apartment and a pretty bare bones budget, or maybe a three or four 10 car garage that you can convert

into a full-fledged gym and more or less unlimited capital, there is a solution for you. And that's why I have brought Cooper Mitchell onto the podcast. He is a bona fide home gym equipment expert. He is the founder of garagegymreviews.com, where he features product reviews and articles all about setting up a home gym. He has tested a lot of stuff. For example, he has personally tested and in many creative ways that you can go check out on his YouTube channel, Cooper Mitchell Garage Gym Reviews. He's tested over 300 barbells. He's tested over 250 squat racks, 50 different types of bumper plates and more. So he really does have his finger on the pulse and his ear to the rubber floor on this type of stuff. And in this interview,

Cooper covers a lot. He explains how much money and space you need and how to make the most of that space. So bare minimums, of course, you can go up from there. He talks about what equipment makes for a great essentials gym and then what you can add on top of that to make your home workouts even more interesting and in some cases more effective. We go over adjustable dumbbells and Cooper shares a couple of pretty neat brands I hadn't heard of. And one in particular was really slick looking like those would be the ones that I would want personally. And we talk modular racks, leg press options, belt squats, kettlebells, and more. Also, if you like what I am doing here on the podcast and elsewhere, definitely check out my sports nutrition company, Legion, which thanks to the support of many people like

you is the leading brand of all natural sports supplements in the world. And we're on top because every ingredient and dose in every product is backed by peer-reviewed scientific research. Every formulation is 100% transparent. There are no proprietary blends, for example, and everything is naturally sweetened and flavored. So that means no artificial sweeteners, no artificial food dyes, which may not be as dangerous as some people would have you believe, but there is good evidence to suggest that having many servings of artificial sweeteners in particular every day for long periods of time may not be the best for your health. So while you don't need pills, powders, and potions to get into great shape, and frankly, most of them are virtually useless, there are natural ingredients

that can help you lose fat, build muscle, and get healthy faster, and you will find the best of them in Legion's products. To check out everything we have to offer, including protein powders and protein bars, pre-workout, post-workout supplements, fat burners, multivitamins, joint support, and more, head over to www.buylegion.com, B-U-Y Legion.com. And just to show how much I appreciate my podcast peeps, use the coupon code MFL at checkout and you will save 20% on your entire first order. So again, if you appreciate my work and if you want to see more of it, and if you also want all natural evidence-based supplements that work, please do consider supporting Legion so I can keep doing what I love, like producing more podcasts like this. Cooper, welcome to Muscle for Life, my friend.

I'm happy to be here. Happy to virtually meet you. Yeah, yeah. Same. This was good timing because I was, I explained this before, obviously we got on the podcast, but I'll say it again for everybody listening. So I have a long, pretty in-depth home gym guide over at legionathletics.com. And my team and I, my content team and I, we recently updated it last year, well, 2020 COVID-19 edition. And I was going to turn that into a monologue podcast and just kind of share all the information in it. And it was right around then that you reached out to me and I checked out what you're doing. And I was like, oh, here's someone who actually has done a lot more work on building home gyms and reviewing equipment and putting together guides than me. This could make for a perfect podcast and save me a little bit of time and a relationship. I really enjoy having conversations with people. And sometimes I really do not enjoy rehashing something that I just spent a bunch of time writing and, you sometimes or I'll think of different ways to say things or

I'll want to change the article. So this way I just get to have a nice conversation and let an expert just make me look good. Well, hopefully I can provide some fresh perspective. I would say I've probably used a more variety of barbells than probably anybody out there. And that's somewhat of like a boast, but somewhat of a, I just don't have much else to do. So I reviewed barbells. So hopefully I can provide some good perspective on things. Just looking at your website, which is garagegymreviews.com. So you've gone through 303 barbells. You've gone through 257 squat racks, 58 different types of bumper plates, 27 different pull-up bars, 310 different conditioning machines, 117 fitness tech things, 48 recovery tools, 53 shoes, 41 kettlebells,

and 33 dumbbells. I'm impressed. I like the attention to detail and I like the grind. I understand the work that went into that and there's a reason why your website and your brand is doing as well as it is. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's, it's an industry that I have passion about and it's something I love doing. So it's definitely hard at times, you know, when you've reviewed the same barbell from the same company, like five times, but they keep coming out with a new one because they want to refresh it, even though there's not really much change that about it.

But yeah, it's definitely fun because I like, just like you lifting weights and training in my garage and I get to do it for a living. So it's fun. So let's see, let's start this discussion. Let me just quickly give you an idea of who my average listener is. So this is going to be somebody who takes their fitness seriously, but isn't making a living from this. And this isn't the only thing they have going. They have, you know, three to five hours a week to train and they're into weightlifting or minimally into resistance training. And they spend more time doing that than doing cardio. They care about their health. They care about the food that they eat. They care about the supplements they take. They really want to know that what they're doing in the kitchen and the gym is conducive to not just

a good body composition, but longevity and health and wellness for the long term. And as far as a home gym goes, what I was thinking is where we start probably is who should and shouldn't consider creating a home gym? Yeah, great question. Because a home gym, although I think is, I've said this before, I think home gyms are the future of fitness. I think that's how a lot of people will begin to train more and more at home. I do want to say that I don't think technology is quite at the level yet as what I think it will be in about five, 10 years, where somebody who is lacking motivation, some internal discipline and has to have the other people

in the room, say a CrossFit gym, or say you just go to a local gym. And there's something about having other people in the room that can push you to perform and compete, things like that. If you're that type of person- Or just going to another place. I know a lot of people, they tell me that, that they just like even people who have home gyms or who could afford and who have the space and the money to do it and to do it quite well, they still prefer the ritual of getting in their car and it helps them. Everyone's working from home these days, so it helps them just kind of take their mind off of work, which now is inextricably associated with being at home and they can just go to their gym and kind of focus on what they're doing and then come back home. I totally agree. I think that if you do have that

discipline and it's something that I think a lot of people find, because I think some people who start or have to work out at home, say with the pandemic and people are shutting their homes and they have to work at home, gyms are shut down. So they're forced to find that discipline. I think once it's found, then a home gym, in my opinion, is the best way to train. I think it's something that can be available for a lot of people. It doesn't have to cost as much as people think, but I think for a large percentage of people, it can be one of the best ways to train. And I think there's a lot of obstacles that people have in their minds about how can I get that home gym where I can start training that it's not as hard to overcome, I think, today as maybe they think it is. Yeah. It could just seem overwhelming at first,

especially if you're new to all of this, right? Because you don't even really know, for example, what you should be doing in your training, let alone how you should set up a gym to do that. So what are the constraints here? So again, who would you say, what's going to be required? Because at least this is what I get asked about the most often in reference to home gyms. How much space do I need and how much money do I need? Those are like the first things that immediately qualify or disqualify, right? Yeah, definitely.

Having capital, it obviously requires some, although I don't think it always requires a ton. And then also the space to put it, which is another thing that it's a variable depending on your type of training. But I do think today there's a lot of options that you can have a large amount of versatility in a small amount of space. And that's kind of like the home gym game. That's what everybody's trying to do is they're trying to increase the amount of versatility that their equipment can provide for their workouts and the amount of output they can get out of that equipment for the amount of space they have, because, you know, we're all in finite spaces, either, you know, an upstairs bedroom, a basement, you know, some

random room or garage, even people with three car garages, like I have, I run out of space for certain things because, you know, I ended up filling it. Once you have a space for something, you end up filling it with stuff. So I think the price is obviously going to be a constraint. And then also the space. Those two, like you said, are going to be the biggest ones. And as far as price goes, let's also say that we're speaking to people who want to lift weights. Minimally, they want to do resistance training, but they wouldn't be excited to have some bands and a dip station and a pull-up bar. That's not a home gym to them.

It's going to be barbell. It's going to be, ideally, some dumbbells. Maybe it's a modular. Maybe it's a full set. Something that's going to allow you to do the big exercises and, ideally, be able to do a couple of accessories, at least, to be able to replicate some of what you find in machines, like replicate maybe a lat pull down, a seated row, a triceps press down, a cable curl, that type of thing. Those are going to be optionals for sure. Like the bare bones for people listening

probably would be the barbell setup and the dumbbells with a couple of accessories maybe to facilitate that style of training. And then if they could add a few more things, that makes it even more attractive. So with that in mind, what is the starting budget? And I know you're going to get into specifics, but I'm just curious, what would you say is a starting budget if used equipment is a viable option? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that, but we can get to that. What's a starting budget that you think indicates that somebody should consider doing it? If you can spend this amount of money, then we can work with that. And then how much space is needed? Yeah. I think the minimum viable amount of money that you need to have to have a gym where you can

do a lot of movements, feel safe about doing them and not a ton of space is going to be around a thousand bucks. Obviously that's going to go up as you want higher quality and it can go down even if you want lower quality. For instance, we did a video on how to build a $500 Amazon home gym and the products are all imported. They're a little bit cheaper. But the thing is, I tweeted this the other day, a thousand dollar barbell is not going to get you stronger than a hundred dollar barbell. It's how you use it. So there's different things about the product that you're going to like and enjoy using. But I really think that a lot of people can get by with a low amount of money, like a thousand bucks, which will provide you a squat rack, a nice squat rack

that's safe, that you can do just a crazy amount of exercises. A lot of obviously lower body, but also you can bench out of it, you can overhead press, and then you can have a pull up bar on top where you can do all sorts of pull ups and levers and all those sorts of things as well. Add some rings on top, then you can do some dips. But then in addition to that, we've got a mutual friend in Mark Ripito that loves the barbell. And I think we would both agree that the barbell is keen. And so a barbell for a home gym is kind of the, you kind of the center point for a lot of people that are training with resistance training. So barbells today are cheaper than

any other time in history because there's more people training with barbells at home than any other time in history. So the economies of scale have allowed companies like Rogue Fitness, Rep Fitness, Titan Fitness, and some of these others to scale to a capacity that they can sell good barbells that decades ago would have cost a thousand bucks and you can now get them for 250 bucks, 200 bucks with lifetime warranties that are made in the USA. Something that in reality, not that long ago would have seemed out of the realm of possibility. So I think getting a good barbell is your starting point. You get some iron on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace that you can throw on up to the

weight that you want to lift eventually. You can always add more on if you want something that you're going to be able to drop. You can go with something like bumper plates, but I think for most people, iron is really what they should look at. But then you have your squat rack. You have your bar that's really nice. You have a squat rack that's got some safeties on it. It can be a half rack or a four post rack, like a power rack. That's what I prefer. I think it's a little bit safer and it also has a pull-up

bar. Then you have your plates on the end with some collars that are really cheap. And then I would suggest probably a bench, some sort of flat bench. I mean, we tested an Amazon basics bench that was 50 bucks that had like an 800 pound capacity. And honestly, like it was IPF height. So it was 17 and a half inches off the ground, which is what you want. There's just a lot of really good things about it. And it was 50 bucks shipped to my door. So I think, you know, you add up, you know, let's say 250 bucks for a barbell. Was it off the back of the truck and then to your door?

Yeah. I mean, I was amazed how sturdy it was. You know, there's definitely a lot of refinement that could happen with it with better foam and all this other stuff. And I like nicer things. So there's a lot of things I would prefer over that. But for a bare bones setup, you just want to get training. Options like that are perfect. It's like the H&M of a bench. It's just cheap, made cheaply, but it's something that can get you started. So you're looking at $250 for a bar, $50 for a bench. You're looking at maybe $500 or so for a rack. There are some okay racks that are imported that I would still say are safe that are around

$250, $300 shipped on Amazon. But I do think that a lot of people, what happens is they end up upgrading over time. So if you can get something that's a little bit more expensive for the things that you use, you're going to have better resale value. And you're also going to feel safer, be able to add attachments and things like that. So I think a thousand bucks is going to get you all those things. And then if you want to add something like adjustable dumbbells from PowerBlock or Ironmaster or some other company like that, that could be one of those luxury items that you can get that would still come in under that $1,000 mark. And you'd be able to do most of what most people do at the gym for around a thousand bucks. And what about space?

Yeah, definitely. That's a hard one. Here's what I say is minimum space. If you want a barbell, which you don't have to train with a barbell, but I think if you want a barbell, the minimum amount of space is going to be nine feet wide. The reason I say nine feet wide is because the barbell is seven feet and you have a foot on each side at a minimum to put plates on and to prevent you running into your drywall and popping a hole in it. So I'd say nine feet wide. Man, imagine training and it would discipline you for sure. I mean, it would keep you, you're going to be paying a really close attention to your form and you're not going to be throwing barbells around and that would be interesting. Definitely. Well, I think you'd be amazed at the amount of fitness

that can be had in such a small space and kind of what we're seeing. Like we did a video on how to build a shed gym. So I bought a shed that was, I think nine by 12 or something like that. And I just put a whole setup in there. I put a squat rack,, I think, nine by 12 or something like that. And I just put a whole setup in there. I put a squat rack, conditioning bike plates, everything you can think of. And you don't need a ton of space. It's nice to have more space. Obviously, you won't feel as claustrophobic, but there's a lot of people out there that are getting it in a six by six room. So I think that nine feet wide, and then I would say a depth of minimum six feet, maybe nine feet, that would allow you to

have some space in front of the power rack to deadlift. But I got a guy who lives in San Francisco. Obviously, rent is super high. So he trains out of a closet gym. He lives in a dented porta potty. Yeah. And pays like $2,500 a month for it. Yeah. But he's got a fold down rack that folds off the wall. It's basically a closet, but he's got eight feet overhead where he can overhead press if he's like sitting on a bench. And there's a lot that could be done there.

So I think something to that realm, nine feet wide and a minimum of six feet to nine feet as a minimum, I think is what you're looking for. Anything beyond that, you can get really creative with. That's great. I'm in a bedroom. My fancy recording studio is a bedroom in my basement. So I look at this bedroom and it's probably 20 feet across. I mean, it's like spacious. I could do even more with it if I knew which equipment to get and how to set it up. Yeah. There's a lot of companies that today are going, they're making equipment specifically for that market. The people who either they want to still park in the garage

or they don't like have a full room to put things in. So one company is called PRX Performance. They make these fold down racks and then everything they make bolts to the wall. So it all collapses up against the wall. The rack sits off like four inches off the wall when it's up. And then when it folds down, you're able to use it fine. You can park your car in the garage fine. So this is a need. The lack of space is a need that a lot of people have. And so there's a lot of companies that have met it.

And that's not even like considering any of the smart home gyms out there like Tonal or Tempo that are using cables and like very small. They're using magnetic resistance and all types of weird resistance to have a compact gym that's suited for apartments and things like that. Are there any downsides to I've seen the PRX setup. I've just never trained with one. Are there any notable downsides to that versus a more traditional home gym like what you were just describing? Yeah, I think the biggest downsides are one, the stability of the rack, because the way that it's bolted, once it comes down, they're using like, I want to say quarter inch, maybe five eighths inch steel. And it has some rigidity, but the side to side isn't perfect. Two is safety. It's not a

four post rack, it's a squat stand stand so you can put safety spotters on there and i would suggest nobody bench without them but at the same time if you squat and let's say you fall backwards or something there's nothing to catch you or anything like that so there is some you know inherent less safety there with that type of product which is just a half rack in general and then the other one is like the lack of attachments that you can use on it with a four post rack. You don't really even need to bolt it to the ground because it's so heavy and rigid. You can add a lot of attachments for different things, you know, like pull up bars and all that sort of stuff without having to worry about it. With a rack like that, if you start adding attachments, it doesn't really work well

because it's just not rigid enough. However, I will say this, we have a video where last summer we went up to their facility and I talked them into letting me drop 500 pounds from head height onto their spotter arms because I told them people are worried about the racks falling out of the wall and there was no issues. 500 pounds dropped on the spotter arms from head height and there was no issues. That's how strong studs are. And that's how strong the rack was. It's funny that you, I mean, that's good marketing. That reminds me of, does it blend or, you know, something that's just sensational where you're like, oh, I'm actually curious now. I don't even, people who aren't even in the market, I'm not even thinking about buying one, but I want to see what happens. It's funny that they didn't come up with that idea. Cause

I'm sure that they were hearing from people asking that question, like, how do I know this thing is safe? Definitely. Well, they were nervous. They didn't want to do it. But you think they would try it themselves then if they knew like, oh no, this isn't going to go well. We've already done it. Sorry, dude. Yeah. That's what I was saying. I was like, you guys should do this internally. And then once it's successful, then try it so everybody can see. But I talked them into it. I was like, can we just do it first on video? And they're like, well, you made them a lot of money. Oh yeah. That video has over, I think a million views. So that video is really popular and I'm sure it's sold a lot of them. That's the type of idea that produces like a viral video or a viral ad. You could have gotten

an agency fee or something for that, a creative license royalties or something. Definitely, definitely. But yeah, I think those types of products can be really useful and they're not crazy expensive. They don't take up a ton of space. And that's something we're seeing a lot where people have garages, they want to have a garage gym, but they're like, my wife doesn't want to park in the street. She likes her car warm. So she parks inside, which I made sure my wife knew ahead of time, she would never have a parking spot, even though we have a three car garage, but you know, I planned ahead. But if that's the case, there's a lot of companies out there that are meeting that. You can just bribe her with other things. You know, it's just a negotiation. Exactly. I said, you get the house,

I get the garage. So you want special furniture, whatever, I'll take care of it as long as I can get my barbells. So we're good. Yeah. You can't park the car in there, but you can get the car you want. How about that? Yeah, there you go. Exactly. Exactly. Unfortunately, we have three kids and she drives a van now. So I guess it's not absolutely ideal car, but that's okay.

Well, one day she's going to say, all right, it's time for the Range Rover. Yeah. The Tesla Y. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Or that. Actually, I just got a Tesla Y.

Okay. How do you like it? I think it's great. Okay. I like it a lot. Sweet. I didn't get the X because I don't need, my wife has an SUV and we don't need two SUVs. And actually my plan is to dump the Y in Florida. I split my time, my family and I, we split our time between

Virginia and Florida. And we currently don't have a car in Florida because we don't really need it. When we're there, everything that we want is within walking distance and my family there and her family's there. We can grab someone's car, but I'm like, all right, let's get our own car and just have it there. And so the idea is to put the Y in Florida. And then I want to drive the Cybertruck around for when I'm in Virginia. And I'm excited for that. But no, the Y is great. I mean, I have no complaints. It actually reminds me, I had a Porsche a couple of cars ago. I had a 911 GTS and this Y is faster than that was and has a similar feel in terms of just feels like a super fast little go-kart that zips around and makes no noise. And the seats are comfortable and the software is intuitive. And I like Elon Musk, so I like that I'm supporting him. And I mean, it doesn't have much in the way of frills or little creature comforts. I came from an S-class Mercedes and that's what that's all about, obviously. But I was driving so little, it was just ridiculous. It just made no sense. I drive to the gym and home and that's costing me how much? Why? You know what I mean? drive to the gym and home and that's costing me how much? Like why? You know what I mean? And so I liked that the why is a lot less expensive. And as far as like what I need,

a car that just gets me around. Cause I also no longer care about trying to look cool. If I'm just being blunt. And part of the reason why I got the Mercedes was, I mean, it wasn't like to look cool, but there is a bit of, there is a bit of that. Like that is a reason why somebody gets a Porsche or unless they're just so into cars that they just love it for their own enjoyment. That's not me. I don't care about cars. Really, I don't. Anyway, and now I just don't care at all about trying to get attention or signal anything. I don't care. So I was like, this is great. This is perfect for me. So yeah, no complaints. Cool. Yeah. The Cybertruck is definitely my grail vehicle. I hope you get one when they come out. I drive an electric car, but it's a cheaper, it's called a Nissan Leaf.

I just did it because I don't drive anywhere anyways. Same as you. So I was like, what's the cheapest electric car I can get? So I got one of those. And after using an electric car, I'm sold. And now I want a Tesla. So once the Cybertruck comes out, although they're controversial, I love the way they look.

Did you put your $100 down? Oh, definitely. Oh, definitely. Yeah. Yeah. I like supporting Elon too. I mean, I love everything about that business. So yeah, any way I can do that, I like to do it and I'd really like one. So we'll see. Yeah. Yeah. It's one of those things. At first when I saw it, I was like, what am I even looking at? And then one day I looked at it, I was like, oh, wait a minute. I really liked that. And I want one. I can't really explain it, honestly. That's why I want it. Cause it looks like nothing else on the road.

I want some, you know, it's just different. I think that's cool. So. And it's bulletproof. Yeah. Which actually may be relevant considering where we're going in this wonderful clown world. Certainly. Certainly. No, I think so too. Anyways, let's get back on topic here. So we have a good now overview of, we could say it's a bare bones, but it's an essentials. It's an essentials home gym that allows you to get your strength training done. And maybe with some attachments and some dumbbells, you can do a bit of your bodybuilding stuff too. If you are training that way, which is how I train and a lot of the people listening train where it's like core strength, but then some extra bodybuilding stuff for volume for other muscle groups. I think at this point, it'd probably be helpful then to maybe you could just quickly go over some equipment recommendations for that essentials gym. And then we could talk maybe a little bit about if somebody has more money to spend and the space for it, what are some of the other recommendations that you would at least say that what should they consider adding to their essentials gym? Again, assuming that they're doing mostly barbell and dumbbell training,

but they do like to use, I'll use myself as an example. So some of the machines that I like to use in my gym are the lat pulldown machine, the seated row, it's the same machine, but you can adjust it. So lat pulldown, seated row, it has a seal row station, which I like. Not that that's essential, but it's kind of cool. And I'll use the cable setup for some arms, sometimes some shoulders there. And there also is another horizontal row machine that I like to use. And the leg press, of course, if they had a hack squat, I would use it. So that'd be something if I had the space and I was willing to spend the money, I would consider that. Now I'll stop rambling. We can get there when we get there, but let's start with some equipment recommendations and

maybe you can share, okay, if money is not so much of an object and you're willing to spend, let's say a few thousand dollars on your essentials, get these things. And if you are on a budget, here's some things to consider. Definitely. Yeah. So on the higher end, I'd start with the squat rack and all that actually, this will kind of tie into some of the things you're wanting to use with a lat pull down and some of those other things. There's a lot of squat racks that are available today that are completely modular and you can add lat pull downs and all sorts of attachments to them. So you can really mimic a lot of the machines that you just talked about liking at the gym. And you can have that in a small amount of space in your power rack. So if that's something

you're looking for, you're like, I want something that's modular. It's a little bit more expensive, but I want to know I can always add to it. There's a lot of safety there, everything like that. Then I'd give two options. One would be the Made in America option that's a little bit higher, and that's Rogue Fitness. Their Monster and Monster Light Series racks are probably the best. I wouldn't say the overall best, as there's some out there that are maybe using 7-gauge steel versus 11-gauge steel and some other things. But Rogue, by and large, if you're looking for US-made equipment, is the leader in the space. And so their Monster and Monster Light Racks are fully modular. They use what's called a four-way hole post. So the upright has holes

on all sides of it, meaning you can attach any side, bolt anything onto it. It's infinitely expandable. Anything that you plan to do with the rack, you can do with these racks. And the other good thing about them is they're open source, meaning that the style of posts they're using, which is a three by three upright, it's 11 gauge steel and uses one inch holes, is the same style upright that's used by practically every other company out there. So if you like, you know, rep fitness's attachment, you can add it to your rack, even if you have a rogue rack. So that sort of thing is what I'd look at. So a rogue monster light or monster rack, or a rep000 or 4,000. That's a basically a maiden. It's an imported version of what rogue's doing very similar, but a bit cheaper. And then on the

other side, if you're just looking for something that's really budget friendly, then I would look at something that's on the cheaper end, but something I still think is somewhat safe would be a pro gear,ear 1500 rack. They're like $250, $300 on Amazon. They're cheap. They're not great. You'll want to upgrade eventually, but you can feel safe inside of it and you can get very strong with it. So for a rack, I'd look at those.

Next would be barbell. I would suggest, I think Rogue Fitness is making the best value barbells that's out there. I'd go with a Rogue Ohio Power Bar if you're wanting to do a lot of squat, deadlift, and bench, if you're doing other stuff, you can get something without a center knurl. But I would say for most people, a Rogue Ohio Power Bar, they're around 275, 325 if you get different finishes. But these barbells, 190K tensile strength or 220K tensile strength, which is just a really stiff bar, not going to bend at all. Great knurling, bronze bushings, lifetime warranty, made in the USA, just tremendous

value that's available for the price. So I'd go with something like that. And then if you want to go with cheaper option, again, I'd go to Amazon and I'd look for something that has at least 150,000 tensile strength. That's something that's obviously talked about a lot. So Cat Barbell, they make a barbell called the OB86B. That's a good option. It's really cheap, maybe 150 bucks. And it'd be a little bit more budget friendly, but you'll still be able to get strong with it and still enjoy using it. For a bench, if you want an adjustable bench, which I prefer, you can get a lot more out of it. I would look at the rep AB 5200 or AB 5500. Both of those benches are tremendous. They're not crazy expensive either, but they've got a lot of attachments where you can do sit-ups on them and things like that. And you can also use them for decline bench and

things that a lot of people like doing in the commercial gym that you can't do at a home gym, but now can with some of these bench options. Weight plates, if you want something that's new, which I think most people can find and should find used, but if you want something that's new, the best value right now for iron is the Rogue deep dish plates. They're making them in the US, but because they're making so many of them, they're able to get the price down and they're a great plate. They're iron, they're priced well, they're really accurate, they work well. But I think a lot of people can just get by with standard barbell iron plates that they find on Craigslist or Walmart, somewhere else. They're going to be good enough.

That was going to be my question is if you want to find used, you want to quickly comment, is there anything else that's worth sharing on that? Or is it pretty straightforward? Any tips for people who have never bought maybe anything from Craigslist or Walmart Marketplace or elsewhere, let alone weightlifting equipment? Yeah, this would be kind of, you'd feel kind of weird doing it. Anytime I buy a used item that weighs, that has a certain weight to it, I like to take a scale and weigh it.

The reason being, you can buy 45 pound plates that say 45 pounds on them, but there'll be anywhere from 40 to 50 pounds. So you can really tell the quality of plate by how close to the stated weight it actually is. So I think, you know, if you're going to buy plates, rusty is fine. It's really easy to restore that kind of stuff. If you want to, you can just throw it in a vinegar bath. If you don't want to, you know, just make sure you get a tetanus shot before you use it. But I think, you know, you know, it's still going to weigh 45 most of the time, but just make sure it's somewhat accurate. And if it is somewhat accurate, that usually tends to mean it's a nicer plate. So that's what I would look for, for plates.

And then if you want, you know, some power blocks, which are adjustable dumbbells, I would look for those, those things last forever. You can get them for decently priced, at least when the pandemic wasn't going on. Right now, it's a little bit difficult for all this stuff because everybody's trying to build home gyms. But in normal times, an old style power block set that can go from 10 pounds to 90 pounds, you can get for 250 bucks, 300 bucks, and it's going to last you the rest of your life. So those are good options. Those are things I would look at. And there's everything in between. There's both cheaper and there's higher end. But I think for most people, those are going to be the bang for the buck options. That's great. And what are your thoughts

on the Bowflex adjustable dumbbells? Cause that's the other most popular one out there, right? Assuming that you can even get them. I don't know the last time I actually have some, but the last time I looked for updating an article, they were out of stock. I actually have some, but the last time I looked for updating an article, they were out of stock. Yeah, definitely. The Bowflex Select Tech 552s and then Select Tech 1090s or 1080s. I would say they are the best value adjustable dumbbell that's out there. They're not the best. There's definitely some things about them that I don't like, but for, I think they're 350 bucks.

I find them awkward. Hey, they get the job done. I have the set that goes up to 90 pounds and it's a very awkward 90 pounds. And, and then also one of the little plates doesn't always hold. So that's kind of obnoxious and I haven't used them that much and I've taken good care of them. I don't slam them down or so it just, they just broke a little bit, but it tends to hold. The main thing though is they're awkward. And then I know people complain about the handles hurting. I guess my hands are

just used to it. It doesn't bother me. Yeah, that's definitely an item where you get what you pay for. Anytime there's some sort of complex movement, there's issues to be had there. So the way that they're adding the weight with the dials and things like that can cause issues. You know, I think from a lot of people, they can overlook some of those things because they're trying to save money. And that's one of the reasons we're building a home gym. So it will be fine. However, if you want a nicer experience, that's going to last longer, then there's a company called new a bell that we've reviewed that has a pretty cool like locking system. They're really nice. And then iron masters and power blocks as well are both, you know, really great popular

dumbbells that I've reviewed in depth, all of those. And I've tested them by dropping them from like, you know, hip height and all sorts of weird stuff just to see how long they would last. And all three of those, I would give my thumbs up to that. They'll last pretty well. Nice. And that Nubel, it's spelled kind of strangely, right? For anybody who wants to try to find it. Definitely. Yeah. It's N-U with, you know, I'm Midwestern, I'm not Nordic. So the two dots on top of the U. An umlaut. Umlaut. Thank you. Umlaut. Yeah. So just put the U with the umlaut in. This is what's called a marketing fail, by the way. Never name your company something that nobody can spell. But anyways, go ahead. Definitely. So N-U-O, N-U, the U is umlaut, O-B-E-L-L, new bell. Yeah. And if you search,

if you type any of this kind of stuff with the word review at- Yeah. The U without the umlaut gets it actually. I didn't realize that there was an O. At least there's an O in there. I thought it was just with the umlaut. I suppose the O is worse actually. Now that I think about it, it'd probably be better if it was just the U because then at least you could put in the U.

But if you miss the O, do you get it? But anyway, I'm just- Well, sometimes they actually, they do it as Nubel. And then other places they sell it as Nubel. So I don't know if they're competing products or what, but the one I've tested and used and I would suggest is the N-U-O-B-E-L-L one. Okay. Yeah. And I actually saw that on your website again, garagegymreviews.com. And I believe, yeah, so it's right now it's on the

homepage and it looks really clean. It looks nice. Yeah. No, it's a beautiful design. I think it's one of the prettiest looking dumbbells that's out there. What the form matters to your purchase, you can decide, but it's definitely, it feels the most traditional of a dumbbell, like a normal dumbbell. And you're talking about now when you use it as well? Yeah. Oh yeah. I mean, it- That's what it looks like. Cause I mean, it just looks like a solid hunk of metal. Obviously you can see that there are like layers that you are using to get your weight, but they look really flush with each other. Yeah. It's like, it's basically like a pro style dumbbell where they're using iron plates, but they're just thinner and you know, they're cast iron plates. And then they're using what's similar to a barbell handle with knurling,

which is really nice and not something you often find with adjustable dumbbells. So yeah, they're nice. That's great. often fine with adjustable dumbbells. So yeah, they're nice. That's great. If you like what I'm doing here on the podcast and elsewhere, definitely check out my sports nutrition company Legion, which thanks to the support of many people like you is the leading brand of all natural sports supplements in the world. I think that's good for an overview on the essentials. Are there any other like maybe add-ons that are worth considering? You had mentioned some of these extra accessories that you can get. You mentioned from Reps Fitness or anything else you wanted to add there, maybe some pull-up bars, accessories that you can add to your rack versus, and this

is me just kind of asking versus the ones that go into a doorway or maybe the ones that you can add to your rack versus, and this is me just kind of asking versus the ones that go into a doorway or maybe the ones that you can attach to the wall. Kettlebells are probably worth mentioning. I don't know how popular they are among my listeners, but there's something I do get asked about fairly often. Yeah, definitely. So any of those racks that I mentioned, they all have the option to have a lat pull down added to them, which has a low row functionality too. So any of those, if you get any of those racks, they do have add-ons that you can add the lat pull down and low row too. However, if you want something standalone, there's a lot of plate loaded lat pull down options. That's going to be your more budget friendly option. The reason is

they're not selling a weight stack. They're not having to ship a weight stack. It's a lot easier to ship things like that. So if you can get weight plate loaded equipment, you're going to be able to use the plates you're already using for your bar if you get an Olympic barbell. And then it's going to be a lot cheaper to ship and buy those sorts of things. So I'd look at something like a lat pulldown. There's a company called Titan Fitness. They're making a pretty good lat pulldown that plate loaded. Elite Fts is another company that makes a it's made in the usa it's a higher end but it's still somewhat affordable it's a plate loaded lat pull down in low row it works really well those sorts of things i feel like are popular

among people that want the commercial gym feel without paying a lot that's a good option once you start getting into the functional trainer type stuff. Would you say the experience is better on those versus an attachment to your rack or for your money? Not really. I don't think so. Not really. Because a lot of that plate loaded stuff, it's not as high quality because they're trying to be more budget friendly. So I think they're making some higher end that's still affordable because they're not having to build the structure. They're using the squat racks as a structure, but they still have good pulleys and cables and things like that that make a smooth pull that add to the squat rack. I think that's

a better option and works really well for most people. That's why I say, you know, if you're going to do it, get a good rack from the beginning that has some modularity to it, because you're going to want to add stuff to it. I see it time and time again where somebody buys something that's cheaper and they're like, man, I want to buy a lat pull down. And then they look at the price of a lat pull down versus an attachment. Like I should have just got a more expensive rack. So that's what I would look to. Yeah. Yep. Yep. That makes sense. And so let's see that with that, you can obviously do your dips. You can do your pull-ups. For me personally, there's probably no reason to get something that goes into a doorway or goes up on your wall if you can just do it right on your rack. Definitely. Yeah. I think doorway pull-up bars can be really nice.

I've got a doorway pull-up bar in my bathroom and I just use it every time I go in as a reminder. I don't know. I heard about it from Pavel Tatsulin years ago where it was like greasing the groove. And every time you go to the bathroom, you got to do like three or five pull-ups. And I've done that ever since I was high school. So I just still do it. And it's just a cheap Amazon pull-up bar that's had thousands of reps and it still works just fine. So those can last, but a better experience is definitely a textured powder coat pull-up bar that's at the top of your power rack that you can then attach things to. That's another option for people that want cable stuff, but don't want to spend a lot of money. We've got a DIY version that we did for 25 bucks that used a cheap pulley. It worked really well. Or there's companies selling them that like Spudding,

for instance, they sell a $50 one. It's just got a cable pulley and then it's got a cable attached to it. You add cable pulley and then it's got a cable attached to it. You add a handle and then it's got a weight peg on it. You add the plates to it and you're able to do lap pull downs, different low rows and type of cable stuff in a more economical way. So that's another option that I forgot to mention. That's great. And people can find the DIY stuff over at your website, I'm assuming. Yeah, they can find it on the website or on YouTube. Or YouTube. Yeah, so they can type any of that stuff on YouTube. People like watching stuff today, so they can

go see it there. Cool, cool. What about leg press? Have you tested leg press machines? Yeah, yeah. So there's a few unique options that work for home gyms. One is the vertical leg press. It takes more vertical space, but it doesn't take as much horizontal, which is really what home gym people are trying to avoid is that horizontal space being taken up on the floor. Vertical leg presses can be great and they can be, you know, pretty cheap. So Titan Fitness has one that we've reviewed. It's a vertical leg press and it's maybe 250 bucks, 300 bucks, super cheap. It's not the most like comfortable. The guide rods aren't like lubed, you know, there's just, It's not as good of experience as what you're going to find at the gym, but it's also not going to-

Kind of a dungeon gym feel. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. But it's not going to cost five grand. Whereas most leg presses you will use at a commercial gym are going to be like Icarian, Atlantis, Precor, Nautilus, some of these really higher end stuff. And they're going to be very expensive. There isn't a ton of in between there. It's either, you know, you got the budget friendly version, and then you got the higher end commercial version. There's not a lot of innovation there yet with companies. I think there will be, it's just not that product category that people have added to their gyms yet. Yeah. I can't say that I've tried a vertical leg press coming back all the years. I think I've done some kind of janky version on the Smith machine back before I knew what I was doing, but I've never tried a vertical leg press. I mean,

I really don't like horizontal leg presses. I really prefer the angled, you know, the 45 degree. I'm sure there's a term for it, but I think everybody knows what I'm referring to. Vertical though would be interesting, I suppose. I haven't done it in so long. I'd have to try it. Yeah. It's definitely more uncomfortable and definitely feels more Spartan like, but you know, as far as like some of the pain points that people have with leg presses is like, you know, it hurting your lower back and things like that. I don't think it does any more damage to your lower back than a regular 45 degree leg press, which I would say does no damage so long as you're doing it. Right. I mean, the key thing being right. So you got to keep a lot of people in those, but I'll just say it in case you don't. The key is you want

to use a proper range of motion, but you don't want to bring your knees towards you so far that your lower back starts to come off, starts to curl under and come off of the pad. You need to have that neutral spine. So that will depend on your anatomy and your flexibility. Some people are going to be able to get more range of motion on the leg press, again, without bringing the lower back up and off of the pad. So you just have to kind of work it around your body. Definitely. Definitely. No, I totally agree. Another option that I see a lot of people add to their home gym that is kind of a replacement to the leg press and the hack squat is a belt squat. Yep. I like belk squat. It's just expensive though, right? It's the downside. Yeah, they can be pricey. However, they're getting cheaper and cheaper and they can do a lot of

things. So I have a rack I built out of just a bunch of random parts that doubles as a belt squat, but also uses the belt squat functionality to turn into a lat pull down. So it takes up like way less space. It's not as expensive, but it has all this functionality where you can add cable attachments to the belt squat. Something like that, I think has become really popular amongst people that have garage gyms because it takes up way less space from a leg press, but can be used for way more things than a leg press can. So you can squat on it, but you can also use it for curls and presses and, you know, also hip thrusts, all sorts of things, because there's just a cable running through the floor.

So that's another option that I think people could look at. Although, you know, it's definitely more pricey than a lot of this other stuff, like a cheap flat bench. Yeah. Yeah. Although, I mean, I'm looking at your website here, Titan Fitness has a belt squat plate loaded, it looks like for 500 bucks. Yep. So they can get cheaper. The problem with some of those cheaper ones is because they're not using cables or they're using like lever arms. Yeah. Then you don't get the extra. Exactly. Yeah. And there's also, I mean, some of those lever arms, there can be some shearing forces on the knees because it's pulling you forward at the bottom of the squat, which I don't love. I prefer something that's directly to the ground. So there's a company called SquatMaxMD that makes a plate-loaded belt squat, but the plates, it's all gravity-fed.

So it's right beneath your legs. It's basically just a tabletop with a hole in the middle. That one is amazing for squatting. But my favorite, because of the versatilityatility is either the West side barbell. Oh yeah. I'm looking, that's clever. So people can, so you just have people want to, if you have your belt and you just clip right into this, again, it's like a, it's like a tabletop right beneath you and you're able to squat. Definitely. Yeah. And there's a guide rod in between there that makes sure that you don't like hit the side or anything, but that's what the

original belt squat was. I mean, Louie Simmons, I believe he was the guy who came up, at least he claims to be the guy that came up with the original belt squat. And that's what it was. It was basically you're standing on blocks with weight in between your legs. This is just a commercial option to do that. And it's the best feeling belt squat that I've used. Definitely. Yeah. It's very much a free weight version of it. Again, like versus what you were saying, a machine that kind of forces you maybe into an unnatural range of motion, which I've used the Pitch Shark and I didn't have that, but that's obviously a more expensive. I like the Pitch Shark, but I don't know the price, but I know it's probably at least a couple thousand bucks. Yeah. The Pitch Shark's really expensive. It's using a lever arm, but it's

a really long lever arm. So it's not as much of an issue. The problem with the Pitch Shark is you have to use so much weight to get an actual like good feeling from it. It's just like for most home gyms, it's like you got to have so much extra weight where a lot of these like the SquatMax MD, you don't need a ton of extra weight because it's literally just gravity. It's very hard. The Rogue Fitness Rhino, that's another one that uses cables instead. You don't need a ton of weight on it. And that one, in my opinion, a cable-based belt squat is the most versatile. It's not the best feeling for a squat because you really have to be directly over the top of the pulley. However, you can use it for a lot of different things that

you can't for these others. And again, that's what a lot of people are looking for in a home gym. It's just how much versatility can I get in this thing? Totally. Totally. Yeah, that's great. Again, I don't know how many people are caring about kettlebells and there's probably not that much to be said, but I mentioned that we would touch on it. So maybe just quickly, you can talk about kettlebells and if it's just, hey, find whatever

you can find and make sure that the weight is accurate, then that works for me. But if there's something more that people should consider, I'm curious. Yeah. I really like kettlebells. I think they're underutilized for what they can do for conditioning. The type of conditioning I like doing is not like this super long stuff, low steady state. I mean, although I'll do walks and things like that, I don't like doing runs. And this is just personal. You may recommend this kind of stuff, but I personally prefer more hit type stuff where I'm going hard and taking some rest. That's what I enjoy. So I like kettlebells for that purpose. And kettlebells can also be really versatile. You can use them for presses. You can use them

for Turkish getups. You can use them for swings and carries and all sorts of stuff. I like them for lunges as well. I find them more comfortable than dumbbells. You can either hold them to the side or you can put them up on your front rack or even overhead. And they do, like you said, they feel more comfortable definitely than a dumbbell. So I really like kettlebells. I mean, as far as where to look for kettlebells, there's a ton of different options, but think just like you said look for accurate weight and look for price per pound you know the type of kettlebell can range in the cast iron they're using if you want something that's practically unbreakable go with something like a ductile iron

cast iron kettlebell you can throw them off buildings and i've done it i've thrown them off parking garages and they don't break they They just last forever. But I would look for one that's what's called gravity cast. That means they're casting the handle and the bell at the same time. They're not like welding it separately with some of the cheaper ones. That's what happens. And they end up breaking. So something that's gravity cast would be your first and foremost thing to look for. And a couple of companies that do that, Kettlebell Kings, they make tremendous kettlebells, great prices.

And then also Rogue Fitness, they're making great kettlebells in the US. And because they're so big, they're able to offer prices that a lot of other companies can't. So either of those would be good options. Awesome. Awesome. Love it. Well, you've reviewed so many things. We could probably keep going for another hour talking about shoes and conditioning equipment. And you have belts and balls and all kinds of stuff on your website. A lot of body weight stuff as well.

But I think at this point, you have given people a great overview of what a very versatile and effective home gym can look like without having to build a shed or something on your property and spending thousands of dollars on it. And again, I'll just repeat your website because there's just so much stuff on here, garagegymreviews.com. And then you said you're on YouTube as well. Is there anything else that you have just kind of floating around in your head relevant to everything we've discussed that you want to mention? Yeah, here's what I'd say. The equipment is extremely important, but what's more important than that is having a game plan when you're going out to work out. If you think that you're just going to go out to the garage or go out to your home gym and just like piddle around, you know, and I'll use this, I'll use that, you know, you got to have some

idea of what you're going to do. So I love programming. I like having a plan of how I'm going to train, very helpful. And I would say having some sort of accountability to use your gym is also important. So making sure you have a training partner or you have a coach or something like that, that can keep you accountable to your training so that you're just at home training. Nobody sees if you're actually putting the work in or not. Having somebody that's accountable will allow you're just at home training. Nobody sees if you're actually putting the work in or not. Having somebody that's accountable will allow you to actually maximize the amount of time you get from your equipment. So it's nice to have nice equipment, but it only matters if you use it. So make sure that you get some plan in place so that you often use it and enjoy using it.

Yeah. I mean, shameless plug for Legion's coaching, but that is one of the reasons why many of our clients stick with us longer than they really need to. We make education and self-sufficiency a big part of our program in that we actually want, part of the pitch is after three months or so, we want you to be able to fire us. We want you to know enough to be able to just continue on your own if you want to. But one of the reasons why many people choose to continue is this point of accountability. Then they also, we work with a

lot of busy people who don't mind the added expense when they know that somebody else is taking care of all the details. If they want any changes in their meal plan, they can just send an email. If they want any changes in their training plan, or if they have any questions, or if they are now kind of plateauing and want to figure out what's going on, it's nice to be able to just outsource that to an expert. But that point of accountability, I know is one of the major reasons that people sign up with us in the first place and enjoy the program and then continue is they develop a good relationship and their coach becomes a friend. And then it just helps them. Like you said, it's just one of those little things that nudges you in the right direction, right?

That nudges you to get into your gym and do your workout and work hard. Definitely. Yeah. I think that's a part of the process that's very underrated because when you buy it, there's nothing that you're holding. Whereas like a squat rack, it's like, you know, I can see, I can touch this, you know, but having somebody who's there who can, you know, see your lifts, advise you on your lifts, you know, tell you how to train that sort of thing is really important for anybody that's training. I mean, you know, I've been training for a long time and I still have somebody who advises me on all my stuff because I like the accountability. So I don't think we ever graduate from getting coaching or help from other people.

So yeah, I haven't used Legion specifically, but if there's somebody there who's accountable, who's giving good advice, it can be super helpful. Yep. Totally agree. I find it helpful to just having somebody to train with who can motivate me or especially if it's somebody who's similar to me in terms of strength and just where they're at and what they're trying to do. And then take videos, which I post on social media, but which are also useful for me to audit my form, certain aspects of exercises that I just wouldn't really notice. I noticed recently on my squat, when I get deeper into a set, if the weight is heavy and I'm coming up, my knees tend to come in a little bit. I mean, it's not very noticeable. It's just a little bit

and you can see it only from really kind of the right angle, but I wouldn't discover that otherwise. And it's not a huge issue. It's not so much that I'm increasing my risk of injury, but I actually probably am losing a little bit of force, right? That's a little bit of a leak that if I were to correct, and I just noticed it actually last week. So I'll have to like kind of train it in to really keep my knees out and engage those hip muscles. But little things like that, it's helpful when you have somebody to video. And if you don't have somebody, you can just get a little tripod and use your phone, which is what I would do actually if I didn't have somebody just to keep that in. I mean, I need it for social media, but it also is helpful in my training. Yeah, I totally agree. I totally agree.

Awesome, man. Well, hey, this was a great discussion. Super informative. I really appreciate you taking the time again, the website garage gym reviews.com you're on YouTube. I'm assuming your channel is garage gym reviews. Yep. Yep. Garage and reviews on YouTube and pretty much all the same reviews we do on the website. We do in a video format on YouTube, as well as show different people's home gyms, different inspiration, stuff like that. So yeah, it's a lot of fun and we do a lot of content. So we'd love to have you guys check us out. Love it. Love it. And you're also on Instagram too, pretty active there as well. Yeah. Yeah. We're on Instagram and Instagram is kind of the behind the scenes of everything else.

So yeah, but we're showing off a lot of home gyms and talking about equipment. And then one other thing I'd like to plug if possible would be our Facebook group. If you're looking for people to get advice from and, you know, kind of stay on the home gym journey of your training, check out the home gym community on Facebook. We're currently right around 50,000 members and would love to have more just because there's more cool DIY stuff that's done on there and all sorts of stuff. So if you've got anything you'd like to input or you'd like to get out of it, we'd love to have you guys on the Facebook group. Awesome. Well, thanks again, Cooper. I really appreciate it. And I'll have to brainstorm on, maybe we both of us can brainstorm on how we could do a follow-up episode because I think this one's going to be well-received. This is something I get asked

about fairly often and I was going to do my own, but you did it better than I would have. Thank you, Mike. Yeah, I appreciate you having me on, brother. Absolutely. it better than I would have. So thank you, Mike. Yeah. I appreciate you having me on brother. Absolutely. All right. Well, that's it for this episode. I hope you enjoyed it and found it interesting and helpful. And if you did, and you don't mind doing me a favor, please do leave a quick review on iTunes or wherever you're listening to me from in whichever app you're listening to me in, because that not only convinces people that they should check out the show, it also increases search visibility, and thus it helps more people find their way to me

and learn how to get fitter, leaner, stronger, healthier, and happier as well. And of course, if you want to be notified when the next episode goes live, then simply subscribe to the podcast and you won't miss out on any new stuff. And if you didn't like something about the show, please do shoot me an email at mike at muscleforlife.com, just muscle F-O-R life.com and share your thoughts on how I can do this better. I read everything myself and I'm always looking for constructive feedback, even if it is criticism. I'm open to it. And of course, you can email me if you have positive feedback as well, or if you have questions really relating to anything that you think I could help you with, definitely send me an email. That is the best way to get ahold of me, mikeatmuscleforlife.com.

And that's it. Thanks again for listening to this episode. And I hope to hear from you soon.