We chat with Mike from #garagegymupdates about his home gym journey in this interview. As a father, he’s simply trying to stay fit and healthy as his kids grow up. He’s also doing an excellent job documenting his home gym build on his Instagram account.
This episode can be heard on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or wherever typically listened to.
(0:23) You’ve had a home gym since 2013! What was the original intent behind starting a home gym? Mike began lifting weights back in high school and figured out the benefits of lifting weights relatively early. Most importantly for Mike, it helps improve his mental state., but he also wants to set a positive example for his kids. These reasons were enough for Mike to always plan on having some setup at home.
(1:45) What was your first purchase? He didn’t want to look like a fool when lifting in front of others in high school, so he grabbed a 1-inch barbell & plate set from Modell’s Sporting Goods.
(4:50) When did you upgrade from the 1-inch plates? About 11 months ago, which is when he also started documenting his journey on social media and moved to the garage. This initiative began when the initial equipment started to rust quickly “in the elements.”
(5:32) It’s been 11 months of building. How often are you making additions? Mike believes he’s “good right now” but used the last 11 months to build out a full gym and “catch up to speed.
(6:55) Can you give us a rundown of the big-ticket items in your gym? Mike started by taking us back to why he began his home gym and “the first big purchase,” a Rogue Ohio Bar, a few hundred pounds of bumper plates, collars, and a plate tree. He thought that was it…
He added a second bar (Rogue Boneyard Ohio Power Bar), Titan SSB, and the “floodgates were open.”
After discussing his bars, Mike raves about The Strength Co. He grabbed the Corps Bar after a Basement Brandon video and then ultimately grabbed a bunch of plates from there.
(12:20) What kind of rack do you have? He bought this about 15 years ago, back when he still lived with his was in school. It’s a 2×2 rack, but it does the job for him, and he has been able to add quite a bit of Titan attachments to it.
(15:02) When did you start #garagegymupdates? Last summer, the idea came to him, and he just started to post his garage gym buildout without any expectations. Mike thought it could be something that could help anyone on the fence about starting.
(17:15) What’s the number 1 reason that you have a home gym? While there are several benefits he’s explained throughout, Mike believes that it’s an excellent opportunity to set a perfect example for his kids, be around his family more, and show his general interest to those he’s close with.
(18:12) When did you end up going all-in on your home gym (instead of going to a commercial gym)? He never really had a great experience with commercial gyms, so it doesn’t even appear that there was a decision to be made.
