Adjustable dumbbell bars/handles are among the most common pieces of strength training equipment in home gyms. There are a few types to differentiate between to determine their weight. Solid Standard Dumbbell Handles Threaded and smooth-end styles of standard 14" dumbbell bars Standard 14" long dumbbell handles weigh 4-5 lbs each, provided they are solid steel [...]
It's six months into the coronavirus situation, and you're still having a heck of a time trying to get basic gym equipment like weight plates. Why? Well, I'll tell you about it further below. First, I Wasn't Hallucinating About Rogue's USA-Made Plates Last week I mentioned seeing these with little confidence that I didn't have [...]
Most new gym equipment products are near-clones of another brand or small upgrades. Once in a while I take notice of something. These few products are a big enough deal to get my attention... Texas 27mm Body Building Bar A unique bar worth a mention! Capps Welding - aka Texas Power Bars - released a [...]
In the first photo I saw, the two racks grabbed my attention. I had to guess: Is this for two people? Nope. Both racks are for him. Mostly. When someone has two racks in his garage just for himself, it's the kind of thing that I have to feature on this site. Technically his wife [...]
This woman in her 70s is killing it. Thought you might like to see. https://www.facebook.com/SportsCenter/videos/567473200569439 (video posted by SportsCenter, filmed by mrjames_cpt on IG) Updates I would be publishing new content more often, but right now anything I've been inspired to write about is out of stock for the foreseeable future, and it's pointless to [...]
A set of kettlebells is way different than dumbbells in that you can more easily get away with just two or three kettlebells, while with dumbbells you need pairs of each size in a large range, 5lb increments, to effectively train with. This is due to the types of exercises done with each. Kettlebells are [...]
Manufacturers are still trying to catch up with demand from everyone at home who can't go to their regular gym anymore. Some conditioning equipment or functional training equipment is easy to find: sleds, weight vests, medicine balls, resistance bands... It's the staple weight lifting equipment like barbells, weights, benches and racks that are badly sold [...]
"Regular" kettlebells are the solid cast iron variety that you see the most of. They get bigger with increasing weight. "Competition" style kettlebells have a steel exterior, not iron, and are a uniform size, with only the amount of weight inside of the hollow body changing. They aren't just for competitors. They have a number [...]
Here's what you can get now and what the next few weeks looks like. Some things have been restocked the last few weeks and sold out very quickly. dateback in stockin stock nowThe Rogue SML-1 squat stand is in stock!Bells of Steel restocked their straight barbells, and they were gone by the time I checked. [...]
Rubber Gym Flooring Trick This video from Alan Thrall is useful for anyone who uses stall mats for their gym. https://youtu.be/9dIYkYxX0mQ We've known for years how badly stall mats shift around even in a home gym where we think we've got them set right. We all think they're not going to move, and they do. [...]
Rogue Fitness deserves recognition for the effort they are putting in to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. First, some context. This image was on Rogue's homepage on March 22nd: Starting March 16th, depending on the state or county, gyms across the country were being shut down as part of the emergency COVID-19 guidelines. By Friday, [...]
Introduction: Important Considerations for a Bench The way a bench feels makes a huge impact on your comfort and sense of safety when lifting, especially heavy bench presses. Poorly-made benches that are sold for $100-150 are not worth your time. A bench like that ruins the experience. It doesn't feel like the bench at a [...]
For this I'm focusing mostly on lifting weights in an apartment, as that's what most readers of this blog are into. After that I'll go over some possibilities for doing cardio and other workouts. Deadlifts & Olympic Lifts These are the noisiest barbell lifts you could possibly do. A layer of 3/4" plywood and 3/4" [...]
Introduction Here we have two seemingly great multi purpose bars with similar specs, both suitable for a garage gym or commercial gym, and for powerlifting or olympic lifting. How do you pick between them? To elaborate, these two Rogue bars use the same exact steel shaft, same dimensions, same medium knurling cut and pattern, same [...]
While these kettlebells are not as functionally perfect as traditional styles, most of them will work pretty well. It's a good gift idea for Crossfitters and other lifters, or a fun way to make your gym unique. The level of detail on some of these suggests to me that they used some kind of modified [...]
Very few things are as important for strength training as a power rack. While you can get a budget power rack at around $300, spend more and it's a whole different world. A better rack feels as solid and safe as one at a commercial gym and has several features you might have taken for [...]
Intro: Why This Gym? Not long ago, I found a photo of a stunning looking but mystery gym. Tony recognized it as the gym of 'AttyGuy', a longtime regular on the bodybuilding.com workout equipment forum. I quickly realized that nobody has done this gym justice. The brand new commercial grade equipment is nestled in a [...]
The Dark Ages Bar pegs in a vintage York rack.source: https://youtu.be/jMhrxet9Cgc In early power racks you would see thick bolts or pegs going through the rack and sticking out to hold the bar. Some sort of head or lip on the end of it served to stop the bar from rolling off. Above is an [...]
New Ironmaster Bench Pad Due to popular demand, Ironmaster made a new pad for their Super Bench and Super Bench Pro. Some people complained that the stock pad was too narrow for their liking at 10.25". The IPF specs dictate 11.5-12.5" so Ironmaster's pad is unusually narrow. On the replacement pad, half the pad is [...]
Introduction: General Considerations Nothing like the feeling of freedom in an outdoor gym, in a backyard or on a patio, in fresh air and sunlight. It's possible to keep your gym equipment in reasonably good shape even outdoors. The main issue is rain or even nighttime dew. If it's outside, it will get wet. Secondarily, [...]
We had been planning on getting the FringeSport Sandbag Trainer to review and compare to the classic Rogue Fitness Training Sandbag, and as luck would have it, Fringe's went on sale... and promptly sold out because the price was crazy good. We snagged one in time, and Benjamin compared them side-by-side for this review. (And [...]
Normally this blog is all about picking the right equipment for your home gym. Buy this, find this, choose between these, but always get something. There are exceptions. The perfect example popped up in this thread on the Bodybuilding.com forum. Instead of replying there and having my comments fall on deaf ears, I'm replying here [...]
UFC Fighter Using Wim Hof Method Cryogenic therapy (cold therapy) and saunas (heat therapy) have risen in use for workout recovery and overall health. Alistair Overeem is a legendary UFC fighter with a long career of championships in kickboxing, grappling and MMA. I ran across a video of him working with Wim Hof, aka: The [...]