Introduction
On this podcast, we chat:
- New HomeGymCon Vendors
- Products from Bells of Steel, Torque, Titan, Clench, Giant, and Freak Athlete
- Jake’s Dual Universal Pulley Setup
- Adam FINALLY Upgraded his 2×2
You can find this episode on Garage Gym Radio, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
New Vendors at 2024 HomeGymCon
A few weeks ago, I went down to French Lick to figure out if we could add some space to the Exhibition Floor. A bit was added, but we also decided to add in an additional area for vendor setups.
New vendors added since then include:
- Criterion Barbell
- Bulletproof Fitness
- BAMF Hammer
- StrongerGrip
- Williams Strength
- UClips
- Sierra Whiskey Fitness
- The Bear Post
New Products from the Past Few Weeks
Bells of Steel Air Rower 2.0 & Ski Trainer: Similar options to Concept 2, but with lower pricepoints and likely monitors not as good.
Stealth Air Bike: The Stealth Air Bike from Torque was built for commercial and/or “rigorous” home gym use. The primary difference does appear to be that it’s built tougher than most. For reference, it weighs 132 lbs. vs. the Rogue Echo Bike at 123 lbs.
SQUATMAX-MD by Titan: Titan has refined the original SquatMax-MD & lowered the price. A rack-mounted and standalone option are both available.
Giant SSB: Similar SSB to an option like REP at a similar price. One distinguishing factor would be the aggressive black zinc knurling.
Helix Adjustable Dumbbells from Clench: There are no plastic components, 3.3 lb increments, and a seemingly compact design.
Wheelbarrow Sled from Freak Athlete: This sled includes multiple push positions with the “normal sled” setup, wheelbarrow mode, a wrap-around rail (for easier change of directions), and vertical storage!
Jake’s Dual Universal Pulley Setup
I’ve been using a setup with 2 Universal Pulley Systems on a single cross-member (with one UPS low row) and have been loving this setup!
With two pulley systems set up simultaneously, it’s arguably more versatile than a standalone lat/low row. Some key features include:
- Ability to use single handles interchangeably.
- Have lat pulldown and low row setup at the same time.
- When having two high setups, you can have one with low weight (tricep extensions) and the other high (lat pulldown)
It’s not for everyone, though. Here are some additional notes:
- You need to use smaller plates (35 and below) because there isn’t much extra room between the rack.
- It is a little tight on the edges. This setup would work a bit better on a wider rack, and the largest humans may be unable to fit.
- The overall price of both + one low-row rice is similar to plate loaded late/low row would be.
If there is enough interest, I’ll do a full blog post on this!
Adam Finally Upgraded his 2×2 Rack
Adam has been a long proponent of a budget-friendly rack. He says he never really needed to upgrade, but ultimately, it was time.
He was looking for something with better stability, a pull-up bar so he could remove the wall-mounted one already on his wall/save space, but primarily the ability to add new innovations to his space as they continue to be built on for 3×3 racks.
Adam decided to go with….
The PR-5000 was the choice because of its price, high quality/great reputation, and the ability to upgrade over time.
