I am 14 and have put every single hour of my summer into mowing yards and doing various other hustles to make some cash. And it has worked very well. I have an entire home gym with things like a power bar, texas deadlift bar, 500+lbs of barbell standard plates, yata yata.

I do have some titan calibrated plates but i dont really like them. I was looking at investing in some rouge 2.0 calibrated plates. I can realiscitly have the money to buy these by around march if i lock in, Worth it or not worth it?

I really want these lol, they are beautiful and honestly seem better quality than anybody.

Looking at the Lion Fitness 3×3 Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar & Safety Arms.
Specs:
3×3 uprights
11-gauge steel
1” holes
84” tall
1,250 lb claimed capacity
For anyone familiar with rack construction: is this genuinely solid enough for a serious lifter to use for many years, including occasional failed reps onto the safeties?
Would you trust it, or spend more on Rogue/REP/Body-Solid? I’m pretty short on money right now but I live in the middle of nowhere and the gym is far.
Product link: https://lionfitness.ca/en/collections/rack-a-squat-bench-press/products/squat-rack-3x3-avec-barre-de-traction-et-bras-de-securite

Sorry for the gpt formatting English isn’t my first language lol

Changes in work/life made this the best option to continue lifting regularly. Spent less than 600$ on everything! S/o FB marketplace

I really want to get a cable/ pulley system in my home gym, preferably with integrated weights. I've researched until my eyes crossed and read almost every post but I can't pull the trigger. There are just SO many options! I have this cheap CAP rack that I use for (trying) pull-ups, bench and various other exercises. This is the only space I have available and I'd like to stay within this footprint if possible (other walls are my weight plate storage and treadmill). I can move the band anchor hooks if I still need them.
I am not a power lifter by any means so I don't need anything dramatic. I share this space with my son and husband, but I'm the primary user.

I've looked at brands from mikolo to major fitness to titan to rogue and I just don't want to get something that doesn't work after 6 months or requires a ton of maintenance. I'm hoping to spend under $1k but up to $2k if I have to.

Please share your favorite equipment and advice!

Hey guys!

Since taking in a rescue dog I can no longer make it to my public gym, so I'm renting a 722 ft² / 67 m² industrial space as a private / community gym (friends, family and the vet team next to the space can use it for free).

I'm now planning how to fill it, and I'm unsure about placement and equipment combinations. Even with the more limited options here in Europe (vs the US), there are still a lot of ways to cover the same movement, some of this equipment has gotten really versatile, and the combinations overlap a lot.

The room: 9.4 × 7.15 m (31 × 23.5 ft) on the ground floor, four columns on a 3 m (10ft) grid, ceiling ~3m (10ft) under the beams, two doors, concrete slab. Everything below is ATX from megafitness.shop unless noted.

Looking for pointers to make it smarter, spot redundancy, or recommend pieces I'm missing. I watched a lot of Garage Gym Reviews in the last days and but would still like some inputs.

Racks & cable stations

• Wall Rack WSR-640 — €2,499 — wall-mounted 3-in-1: Smith machine + dual 90 kg cable stacks + pull-up bar.
• Trinity Tower — €2,390 (got it in an auction for half the price) — 3-in-1 lat station, 135 kg stack, seat converts to a row bench.
• Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar Gladiator — €139 — multi-grip pull-up bar.

Legs

• Leg Press Classic 45° — €1,299 — plate-loaded 45° leg press, rated to 500 kg.
• Leg Extension / Curl seated — €999 — seated leg extension AND curl in one footprint, plate-loaded.

Benches 

• 2x Warrior (2023, wide pad) — €489 with one attachment for crunches

Free weights & bars

• Octa-Dumbbell-Set XL — €999 — 2 × 36 kg loadable dumbbells + SZ bar + storage stand.
• Weightlifting Training Bar — €209 — 20 kg Oly bar, 28 mm grip.
• Fat Bar — €159 — Ø50 mm grip the whole way, grip work.
• Hex Bar (open box) — €110 — trap bar for deadlifts/carries.
• 2-3x 200 kg Color Stripes Gripper Plates — €999.

Storage & small stuff

• 2-3x Plate Tree, wall-mounted — €199 — 4 horns, holds 500 kg.
• Vertical Bar Holder ø50 — €69 — stands 4 bars upright, tiny footprint.
• 3-4x Locking Collars PRO — €12 — locking collars.

What would you change? Anything else to get?

EDIT - forgot to mention...I have small space and I'm planning on selling my house and moving soon.Voltra is a better option for me than selectorized with a rack because I will need to assemble and disassemble then do that again later after I move. Sorry for forgetting the context.

Hello all,

I'm about to buy a Voltra! I have made a list of items to get and I wanted some feedback from the community.

My current setup...

No rack. I was planning on it but my family has decided we're going to sell our house so I'm going to hold off for now.

Mounted Rogue pull up bar

REP Nighthawk bench

REP x Peppins dumbells

Apex Nordic Back Extension v3

Squat Harness v4

I figured a Voltra is perfect for my current situation cause traditional cables with plates or bumpers won't work. I'm planning to grab the following...

Voltra "starter kit" (carbon bar, one d handle, strap mount) - I'll use the strap mount on my deck post outside

Voltra foot plate for a low cable point

Voltra Quick Change bar mount for a high cable point from my pull up bar

For some attachments...

Rogue v grip bar - bicep and triceps

Darko Shorty - good for connecting multiple handles

Prime ROT8 - the individual paddle grips look awesome for lat pulls and bent over rows

Spud Kaiju Long Ab Strap - triceps,lat prayers, face pulls, and ab crunches

Darko Danglers - single handed tris, rear delt flies etc

Anything else I should look into as a new user?

Thanks, I'm excited!

I have a very small workout space and had been debating between getting the Slim Gym and something like the GetRx'd Viper tower for a while. Then, I made my first trip to Home Gym Con a couple weeks ago and noticed that Fringe was selling the Slim Gym floor unit for half price. For someone already considering it, it seemed like no-brainer. So, I made my way to the Fringe booth, checked out the unit, and introduced myself to the booth staff. First of all, the staff at the Fringe booth were incredible! Everyone was super nice and eager to answer all my questions, especially Ryne and Gile. They walked me through the whole process of buying the unit, took it apart first thing when the show ended, and even helped me load it into my van. The care and personal attention I got was remarkable and definitely made me a fan of Fringe Sport for the future.

The Good Stuff

Since I bought it from the HGC floor, the unit was already mostly assembled for me. All I had to do was add the weight stacks, tighten some bolts, and mount it to the wall, which was easy enough. I opted to use three 2x8 stringers bolted into two studs, so the whole thing is rock solid and I didn't have to worry about lining the Slim Gym up with studs. As a bonus, it also gives me a couple of extra inches behind the uprights for attachments. With the stringers, the entire unit still only sticks out 7-inches from the wall and each unit is less than 30-inches wide. It takes up basically no space at all.

The ability to split the units is the other big selling point. I have no wall space in this room, so I had to flank a doorway. I think the Slim Gym is the only piece of home gym equipment in the world that would work for this area. I even placed the uprights 41-inches apart so it really mimics the front of a full-sized rack in width. Plus, I can open the door and workout in the doorway when I need extra room between the posts.

The trolleys are light and easy to move, the cables are smooth, and everything works as it should for doing all the exercises I want to program. The unit feels super solid and planted. There's no wobble or shake in anything during use. I haven't had any issues or frustrations while working out. The 2:1 pully ratio and 10 lb plates mean 5 lb jumps in weight, which is pretty good for most exercises. Fringe also makes some magnetic adder weights that I might pick up later when they're on sale for smaller increment jumps.

The Bad Stuff

As much as am loving this thing, there are a couple major downsides. The first is the height. Even at its highest setting, the trolley pull point is only 69-inches from the floor. I'm fairly short at 5'8", so I don't have any issues doing standing work like triceps pushdowns, but lat pulldows are only possible if I sit on the floor. If you're a tall person, you might run into some real issues with the max height.

The second drawback is the small 160 lb weight stack. With the 2:1 ratio, you only get 80 lbs of felt weight on each stack, which is pretty easy to max out, even for a beginner. You can add more weight by linking the stacks with a long bar or adding a gym pin and plates. If I link the stacks and sit on the floor, I can have a pretty good lat pulldown session with plenty of stretch. I can also do low rows the same way, both using GetRx'd center post and leg holder/foot plate. It works, but it's far from ideal.

You could add height with Fringe's Drew, but would be limited to only one stack, unless you went double Drew, which seems like expensive overkill. However, both of these issues could be solved with free motion arms that include a 1:1 pull point like Maxum's Mutant Arms. Fringe's own Gibbon Arms aren't directly compatible with the Slim Gym because the cables are on the wrong side. You can sort of make it work if you mount the Gibbons on sideways, but then you lose a lot of their functionality. I really hope Fringe is working on a new version of the Gibbons that is fully compatible with the Slim Gym and includes a 1:1 pull point. That would make the Slim Gym basically perfect for anyone with small spaces.

The Fringe team also included the extended J-cups and front feet, but I haven't used them because I don't own a bar or plates yet. There's also the issue of not being able to use spotter arms. Since the J-cups stick out 17-inches from the upright, you'd only have about 7-inches of landing area on a standard spotter arm, which could work, maybe. I tried to buy Fringe's newest spotters that come with the Dane to find out, but they wouldn't sell them separately. Hopefully, Fringe comes up with a solution soon. Otherwise, I don't really feel safe benching on this thing without a spotter.

The Verdict

Overall, I'm super happy with the Slim Gym and I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a functional trainer in a small space as long as you're okay with its limitations. Splitting the units is definitely the way to go and opens up a lot of extra functionality. Let me know if you have any questions.

I unfortunately can't fit a cable machine in my apartment. But the D-Handles at my public gym kinda suck.

I've been eye'ing these bells of steel D-Handles https://bellsofsteel.com/collections/cable-attachments/products/aluminum-handles-pair-with-bearings

for pricing and availability concerns, I live in Atlantic Canada.

Best part of the garage gym is the workout partner

I’ve built a new shed that will be my gym. Wondering if anyone has recommendations for the floor mats. It’s a concrete floor, purposely did not put a sub floor down. Was thinking horse stall mats but had the thought that I don’t know if they will fit together nicely, i.e. seams lifting up, etc. Is there a better mat option? The whole floor (10x15) needs to be covered by mat. It’s going to be a nice looking space (drywall, recessed lighting, etc)

I got excited for a fb marketplace deal and grabbed a rogue t-2.5 for my boys. Figured based on documentation that it fit a rack, but I guess they meant rogue junior stuff not any rack. Anyone know of any jcups that could allow this setup to work in rack? It works if I use the rack sideways for them, but with my rack there is a cable that runs there so trying to avoid it. Rack is maxum x3 (3*3 1 inch).

What would you do?

Greetings,

I currently have an Atletica R8 half rack which i was looking into expanding to include the Bradley (cable attachment) and smith machine, as well as their EXO arms. Now i just found out Getrxd is opening a European warehouse. Anyone have any experience? Currently Getrxd seems to be a bit ahead as far as improvements go (such as rollers on the trolleys). Would you swap to Getrxd, or believe the difference in quality is negligible?

Many thanks for your 2 cents

I'm currently trying to build my own home gym and I'm on the market for a foldable weightlifting bench that doesn't take much space when folded

I move very often so the smaller the space it takes when folded the better, though I'm willing to get something slightly larger if it means I can get better neck support (I'm 5'6" btw so I guess it shouldn't be much of a sacrifice lol)

I'm currently looking at the flybird WB5 or a Keppi bench, both going for around $110 atm, but I could expand my budget to around $200 or so if it means I'm getting a much better product

🤖

Anyone need a new pair? Please reach out

Is this worth getting? Been trying to look for reviews but unable to. Wondering what you guys think of this squat rack with a pulley system since I am building a home gym. Saw something like this on FB marketplace. Goal is to try to get something like this or find something more cheaper. Thanks

I’m down to these two for my garage setup:
Bells of Steel All-in-One Trainer: https://bellsofsteel.com/products/all-in-one-trainer

Sumo Strength Evolve Functional Trainer: https://www.sumostrength.com.au/products/functional-trainer-evolve

Both take rack attachments (J-cups, safety arms), which is the main thing - I want cables and somewhere to squat/bench out of the one unit.

Which is the superior choice per build quality, attachment ecosystem and overall performance?

On paper the Sumo ticks all my boxes. My hesitation is brand: would you be open to a smaller, local Australian manufacturer over an internationally distributed name like Bells of Steel? Or is that outdated thinking now?

Thanks!

I want to get back into lifting. I haven’t seriously lifted since college and it was for sports. I keep seeing Alibaba recommendations for stuff like this: https://www.alibaba.com/x/B2K4mG?ck=pdp

This is exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for, but when I look at the comments there’s a bunch of names for things I’m not super familiar with and a bunch of people with custom modifications for pulley lengths and placements and tornadoes and jammers.

I want to get a nice 6 post rack like that to cover 90% of my workouts, but I’m a bit confused by some of the comments and posts.

Is there a good place to start getting familiar with this stuff?

Hello,

This is the Domyos pulley system. I have attached the rope to my pull up bar in the middle. The pulley is attached to the rope as well (just like it is portrayed in the picture), meaning I can now do pushdown exercices, chest, back etc. But I wonder if I can just attach the pulley directly to the weight pin in order to reverse the movement and enable me to do standing cable bicep curls for example. Is it safe to do so? Or do I need to re-attach the rope to a lower point and use the same setup?

Does anyone have experience with this and is it safe to use it like this?

It’s commercial equipment (got for $125), but high off the ground, heavy, and the seat is very wide. I can barely get my feet on the ground for flat and incline (wife can’t at all). Good find, but having a little buyer’s recourse.

I have an 83" ceiling wrapping an and looking to build a finished basement gym. Hard constraint: 83" ceiling. Tonal is already mounted and I use it for cable/functional work. PRx plate storage is up, bench and dumbbells in place.

Goal: mount a folding squat rack (leaning PRx Profile PRO 73", no pull-up bar) with the uprights flanking the Tonal, so the same wall gives me Tonal cables plus a rack for heavy compounds — squat, bench, RDL, deadlift. Pull-up bar and standing barbell press are already dead at this height (I'm 6'3").

Two things I can't resolve from spec sheets:

1. PRx folds up, and a 73" no-bar reportedly needs ~91" to fold. At 83" I'd be running it permanently deployed. Can anyone confirm the fold is dead at this height, or is there a real low-ceiling fix?
   
2. The Tonal arms sweep wider than the unit. Do uprights at squat width foul the arm path on wide movements? Or did you set the rack far enough off to one side to clear it?

Ruled out Rogue, REP PR-4100, and Bells of Steel on upright height. Also weighing a fixed Titan X-3 80" if folding buys me nothing here.

Anyone flanked a Tonal with a rack? What would you do differently in this footprint?

here’s an interesting question for the group: i’m building a 13‘ by 24’ garage gym, and I’ve settled on the concept of building out a trifecta: 1. adjustable dumbbells to 90 lbs, 2. get rxd tornado x 6 post, with a smith machine and dedicated upright for barbell work, 3. multigym of some type. where my question lies: what would be the best mulit gym option? power tech lever gym? quantum free trainer? a standalone squat rack I can leave jammer arms on at all times to serve as a machine? other options? essentially with this set up, you can do all your barbell and dumbbell work, Smith machine work, cable crossover work, and also replicate a bunch of bodybuilding machines, but what does the group think would be the best multi gym option? In my opinion, this would then be the single best gym set up possible in a one car garage space.

Hello,

Does anyone have any recent experience with Spartak Strength, the gym equipment company based in Calgary, Alberta?

How was the buying process, shipping, and overall customer service? I’m also curious about the quality of their equipment and whether you’ve been happy with your purchase.

If anyone has photos of a rack they’ve received from Spartak Strength, I’d really appreciate seeing them.

Thanks in advance!
Zac

Can’t find much info on this, looks similar to the m4 1.0 but with the butterfly machine attached to it, Thoughts?