What you need in your personal gym from an elite multi-ply powerlifter

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important to many, so when the pandemic hit in early 2020 there was a rush to replace the time spent in now-limited public gyms with building garage gyms in homes. Many gym equipment manufacturers were ill-equipped to handle the increased demand, so some potential home gym athletes were forced to improvise with wood and concrete to build their home gyms. As a competitive powerlifter, I am at home in my garage gym and cherish my time spent training there with my family and friends. This article will outline the basics of what you need to invest in building your own garage gym.

Squat rack

Easily the most important piece of equipment for a garage gym. I invested in a pricey 3”x3” heavy duty squat rack with plate storage from EliteFTS.com more than a decade ago and believe it was one of the smartest business decisions I’ve ever made. This solid squat rack has enabled me to squat from 405 to 970 pounds without budging and has kept me safe for over 12 years of constant heavy lifting. It comes with a pull-up bar, dip bar attachments, and most importantly, rod and pin safeties that I adjust to the bottom of my movement so it will catch the bar when I fail.

Barbell

There are many specialty barbells available, but a Rogue.com Ohio Power Bar will be a great starter barbell for most. Limited whip, 28mm thick, durable knurling, this bar has it all and is suitable for squat, bench press, and deadlift.

Plates

Rubberized bumper plates, cast-iron plates, and calibrated steel plates are all options that you can’t go wrong with. Bumper plates are durable but take up a lot of room on the barbell sleeve (not ideal if you’re going heavier than 500 pounds). Calibrated steel plates are thin discs and are used in powerlifting competitions where they can be loaded up to 1,500 pounds. The decision on what type of plates you need depends on your individual goal, but for the beginning garage gym owner I’d recommend a few bumper plates and cast-iron plates.

Bench

The heavier and sturdier the better. A good bench may run you a couple hundred bucks from TitanFitness.com but will last forever and is crucial for exercises such as bench press.

Mats

No garage gym is complete without horse stall mats. Sold by the TractorSupplyCompany.com these 6’x4’ rubber mats are 3/4” thick and are normally used in horse stalls for animals to stand on but they are the preferred mat for nearly all gyms, both public and private. Sold for $45 each.

Bands

Heavy duty rubber bands from EliteFTS.com or WestsideBarbell.com are ideal for building strength on a limited budget. The possibilities are endless with the number of exercises that can be performed with bands. To name a few examples, I hang bands from the bottom and top of my squat rack attached to my barbell when I am squatting, bench pressing, and deadlifting to either make my load heavier or lighter and train my strength curve. I hang bands from my pull-up bar and can do work my arms, back, chest, and abs. I can hang the bands low on my squat rack, attach to my feet while I lay on my bench and work my legs. You can use bands to stretch out before and after your training session. There are many different thicknesses of bands, but the orange “average” bands are the most popular and run $20 each.

These garage gym equipment basics will be a great start to building your and your family’s fitness. The best part of owning your own garage gym is you can play your music as loud as you’d like, take as long as you’d like with each piece of equipment, and really make it into your own space complete with flags, pictures, and your own personal touches. I film each of my training sessions and post to Instagram where there is a huge following for garage gym athletes whom I get inspiration from. Hopefully, I have inspired you with my own garage gym setup and recommendations.

Christopher T. Young is an Elite Multi-Ply Powerlifter who has totaled 2,000 pounds in competition (881 squat, 529 bench press, and 628 deadlift). He owns world, national, and state records in three federations across the USA and is the proud father of five children and a 20+ year active-duty Army Infantry Officer. He is sponsored by many brands including Animal Pak and Iron Rebel.

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