r/GarageGym

Does this setup look functional to you? I’d like to have a functional trainer while also having lever arms, but I’m worried about them being crowded on the same upright. Would a 6-post rack with the lever arms on the middle posts be a more realistic setup?

I have an old 55" Vizio mounted to the wall for streaming but the TV speakers don't provide much thump.

Should I just look for a soundbar on marketplace or is there a better budget solution I should consider?

I can't decide whether to get the pro 100 exp or the more budget friendly elite exp. The knurled handles I believe are the only big difference, as well as the more opened design, but is the price justifiable? I believe there are other small cons of the pro 100 exp, such as somewhat better durability, but isn't it only a small difference compared to elite exp? Further, as a beginner is knurled handles important if I want to maximise performance? The elite exp comes with the rubber handles.

The elite exp costs less, and provides more weight. It goes up to 90 pounds, but that's more than enough for me. I will most likely only get the stage 2 version of the elite exp which goes to 70 pounds, which will last me a while.

Contrastingly, powerblock pro exp 100 has 3 versions, however is quite expensive. I can get stage 2 of the elite exp similar to the price that it will costs me to get the base (40 pound) version of the pro 100 exp.

So as a somewhat beginner, would you recommend me to get pro 100 exp or elite exp and is there something I am misunderstanding about the 2, and any reasons you would recommend the pro 100 exp over elite exp from what I haven't mentioned?

I was finally ready to pull the trigger on the REP 1050. Had done some research a bit ago and decided to start with a beginner rack to see if I actually use it. Saved up and felt it was the right time... Only to see it nowhere on REPs site. Did a Google, and it seems it was discontinued sometime in the last few months. I was surprised given how popular it is.

They recommend the 1100 but my basement ceilings are too short for it, so now I'm looking at other brands. I guess my only option is Titan now as I don't yet have PR 4000 money.

Just wanted to post for anyone else in this pickle.

I have a consultation call with Rep tomorrow to talk through some options with the 16" PR-5000 w/lat pulldown. Before talking to them, I'm hoping to hear or see some examples of what others have done for storage with their 16" racks. The lat pulldown kills a lot of the storage potential and I don't want to add a 30" or 40" wing to the sides.

Also if you have this setup with the lat pulldown, I'd love to hear your experiences or see some pictures!

Looking to replace my adjustable bench, budget around $300-400. My current one is getting wobbly and the adjustment is getting sticky, want something that'll actually last. Anyone had good experiences with benches in this range? Main concern is the padding being too thin, my back starts to complain after longer press sessions.

I work out almost daily and I’m pretty sure sweat is triggering breakouts and irritation specially on my face and chest. I shower as quickly as I can after, but it doesn’t always help. Someone mentioned using a hypochlorous acid antimicrobial spray post workout specifically to remove bacteria from sweat. Has anyone here successfully tried this? And if so, what brands are best?

After waiting way too long, my Rep Nighthawk showed up and… Holy. Fuck. Compared to my Amazon Pasyou bench the difference is genuinely astounding!

My Amazon bench was about $150CAD and the nighthawk was about $550. I expected it to be better, but figured law of diminishing returns would kick in, and it would be twice as good for 4X the price.

NOPE this thing is 10x as good for 4X the price.

Build like an absolute tank. I think I could put a gorilla on this thing and have it bench press my car.

Anyways, that’s all I’ve got to say. If you’re on the fence, go get a quality bench. It’s well worth it. Surprisingly good « value ».

A couple months ago my friend invited me to check out this new garage gym a guy in our neighborhood had put together. It wasn’t an official gym or anything, it was just a bunch of equipment crammed into a converted two-car garage that people in the area used after work. It actually looked pretty solid. There were squat racks, mismatched dumbbells, and one of those whiteboards where someone had written a very ambitious workout that nobody seemed to be following. Then I noticed the weirdest thing hanging from the ceiling beam. It was this thick climbing rope for gym workouts, just dangling in the middle of the room like something from a military obstacle course. I asked the owner why he even got it because it wasn’t something that was a norm in an actual gym. He explained that he did a little research before setting up his gym and found videos that said rope climbing was good for core training. No one has used it though, I think everyone is scared of falling and breaking some important body part or something. I know I definitely am It’s been two months and the rope is the only equipment in the gym that still looks brand new, no one has even attempted to climb the rope except the owner of course. So now it just hangs there. People mostly use it to hang towels or lean against while resting between sets. The day the owner tried climbing it, he slid down immediately while the rest of us pretended not to watch. He said he’ll probably have to resell it on eBay or Alibaba or Amazon, one of those online stores because nobody around here seemed to be interested in buying gym ropes. The gym is still active though. More and more people keep registering and I think he might have to move to a bigger space soon and make it an official gym.

I was planning to get a 6post (16 + 30) PR 5000 with Ares and thinking of adding a Smith down the line. The problem is that if you add the Smith inside the rack, you can't use safety straps and have to use spotter arms. Reps are too long, so some other brand will have to work. I emailed Rep to see if I could get a 6post (26 + 30) config (so I could mount the Smith next to the Ares), leaving the 4post free but they declined to offer it due to the Ares cable dimensions. I do not want a 41in rack due to space constraints and I lift alone so I don't want to work outside the rack. If I'm going to compromise I'd rather just get a budget rack like Fringe instead of dropping 6 grand.

I'm wondering if anyone has any workarounds for this or suggestions for alternative setups, smiths, or companies that offer similar setups without being a 75inch deep rack. I was set on Rep but for the money things should not be this challenging to figure out. I can actually see the appeal of the Altitude now, it just works. Too bad it's not 3x3.