I remember I was 25 or so, and decided to stop training at the local gym. I was finishing Graduate school which was an hour drive each way. Graduate school was wiping me out in addition to working full time, studying my ass off and trying to train in a hard core gym.
Hard core gyms were dead.....
Somehow, someway, people in the mid 90s began thinking that being Strong & Jacked was not a cool thing. I swear to you this is NO lie. Magazines came out for this specific look and many gym owners tried becoming something they were not.
In turn, they self destructed their gyms. Their business went under because they allowed the wrong people to influence their direction.
Lesson Learned: Be YOU. Do YOU (Great book by the way).
So, with the stress of not having a gym that played loud music and encouraged the jacked & strong lifestyle, I began scouring the newspaper ads for used gym equipment. Yes, back then craigs list and e bay didn't exist so people posted their used gym for sale in newspaper classifieds.
I found some gems:
- Pair of 50 & 100 lb Dumbbells
- Flat Utility Bench
- Dip Bar
I bought myself a gun rack for barely over $100 so I could squat. If you don't squat, then you're NOT training. To quote 1 of my wrestling coaches when he saw me at the gym at age 14, "If you wanna be as big as a house, ya gotta build the foundation!"
My Coach would do 5 - 8 sets of back and front squats EACH, in the same workout. He weighed about 145 lbs and I remember seeing him front squatting 315 for sets of 5.
"Strong is Strong and Weak is Weak." - Louie Simmons
You can't fake STRONG.
I also purchased a flat bench so I could hit some heavy benching. That's it. NO more room in Mom and Dad's Garage!
I saw a 300 lb barbell set for sale at CostCo so I went for it.
It was all the cash I had but finally, my very own hard core gym was created in my parents garage.
The timing could not have been worst, as Winter was fast approaching and our garage was colder than it was outside!
I bought a space heater from Home Depot and it didn't help much, even while wearing hat, gloves, 2 pairs of sweat pants and 3 sweat shirts.
So, I bought a second space heater, problem was, every time I turned on that second heater the entire house shorted! I remember the first time the power went out my Dad screaming my name because he knew exactly what I was doing in the garage.
My Dad knew I was a meathead. He had driven me all over since the summer before high school with me either training at gyms or, letting me scope out the gym and talking shop with the front desk manager as I began speaking about being a "gym owner" as my career.
Little did I know the future of The Underground Strength Gym but things have worked out great, I will say!
Back to the freezing cold garage.....
The entire house having a power shortage did NOT make my Dad happy, so I said "F**k it", and I trained through the cold. I had watched Rocky III & IV enough times to know that comfort was the enemy. I embraced the challenge of cold weather training.
My workouts were more effective than anything else I ever did at the gym. I was left without the leg press, smith machine and pull down machine. This was a blessing, not a punishment. Machines are great for bodybuilding but nothing beats free weights and what they do for your strength & size.
This simple garage gym set up meant I would follow steady diet of squats, RDLs, Benching, Dumbbell Pressing, Heavy Barbell Rows and high rep 1 arm DB Rows.
The Gun Show was attacked with heavy BB cheat curls, DB Hammer Curls, Dips and Close Grip Benching.
My Back exploded with serious muscle & strength gains as I hit tons of hang cleans, power cleans and deadlift variations.
After 10 + years of being "educated" with magazines on the book shelf it was time to educate myself, without the fabricated outside influence of most magazines. My knowledge would now only come by the sounds of heavy metal music and the feel of cold iron in my hands.
Here's a Sample Upper Body Workout from The Garage Gym
- Warm Up w/ Calisthenics & Light Weight With Barbell + Abs
2A. Bench Press 2 - 3 warm ups. 2 - 3 working sets x 3 - 6 reps
2B. 1 Arm Row x 10 - 20 reps ea. set
3A. Muscle Cleans 3 x 3 - 6 reps
3B. Incline DB Bench 3 x 6 - 8, Drop Set x 15-20 reps
4A. BB Shrugs 3 x 10-15 reps
4B. 1 Arm Side Raises Heavy 3 x 10
5A. BB Power Curl 3 x 8 - 12
5B. Dips 3 x MAX
6A. DB Curl Variation 3 x 5 - 15 reps
6B. Push Ups 3 X Max
7. Forearms + Abs
The above workout was more power-bodybuilding style.
I still hadn't begun my journey as a Strength Coach but I was never into the isolate and pump style of lifting. I was more connected to The Golden Era Bodybuilders because they were STRONG. They looked strong and actually WERE strong.
On the weekends I would travel to a different gym just to get into a warm place and have a slight change of pace. I would often travel to a Gold's Gym, and I still recall the shock and awe from the kid working the front desk as he could NOT believe me when I told him I trained in my garage.
He didn't think someone could get as big and strong as I was from a garage.... he thought we all needed the glitz and glamour of the modern day gym.
He couldn't have been further from the truth.
Primitive training rules. Always has, always will.....
When my high school athletes ask about which supplement works, I remind them that the BEST supplement is HARD F**ING WORK. Period.
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIFzCYwFNE[/youtube]
So, if you're asking yourself about "the best workout program", "the secret sets and reps" for building muscle, how to get stronger with some pre workout supplement.... YOU are asking the WRONG questions.
The answer will always be the same.
It will ALWAYS be about the basics and hard gut busting work coupled with commitment to nutrition and lifestyle.
Live The Code 365
Life is about Kicking Ass & Taking Names, BOTH in The Gym AND in Life.
Nothing Less Will Suffice.
Live The Code 365,
--Z--
PS: Drop a comment, add your own thoughts & experiences.
The Best of the Best in Primitive Training for Gaining Strength and Size can be Found HERE.
The Gladiator Project
Zach, I’ve been following your site and Joe’s for a few years now. The thing that impresses me most is your passuion for the past. I’m 54 and old school. I didn’t get started in S & C untill I was 48. If you read the About Us section of my website(which is still under construction) you’ll see my journey. All done still part time after raising 3 grown daughters, staying married for 33 years,and still running a small gourp of highly succesfull industrial businesses.Your garage blog today was great. I tranformed my 2 car garage here in Floida to a pretty good setas well.Most bought at Play it again Sports.
I’m still trying to finish 2 books, a Safety Certification Course and expand my Fitness Company.
The one thing I love about S&C is every body learns from everybody, weather their younger or older. Good luck, rgards, Coach Mike Berman.
I agree with you. When I was in high school I trained with a friend in his Grandmother’s barn in the hay mow. This was in the winter in Minnesota. We tried the routines in the magazines, did not help us, so we just did the basic lifts heavy, and I went from 160 and thin to over 185 and big and strong by spring, my arms went to 18.5 from 16 in the fall, some of the hardest and best workouts of my life. Keep up the good work, Bob
Farm Boy STRONG!
I just want to start my own “training facility” in my home’s garage but it’s difficult to find even the simple and core items in France!!!
I just need something to do pull-ups, a barbell , a rack and a bench.
Holy shit! this isn’t NJ here
Stay strong!
Z,
This is an awesome post man. I love how you advocate sticking to the basics and hard work. thats what its all about. thanks for the hard work you put in. we all appreciate it.
-Jordan
Just started doing my own “garage workouts” this past week. I did a version of your kettlebell lockout walk, press, rack walk, squat, farmer’s walk, row. I don’t have kettlebells so used some db’s. My driveway slopes so it was awesome going down and up it. I threw in some walking lunges between circuits. My upper back is sore today! And my core is hurting too! Thanks for the motivation. I love knowing my neighbors are saying, What the heck is he doing!?! Leading from the front!
Zach,
You’re right as rain. There’s no secrets. Use what you have, work damn hard, and man up. It works.
oh Zach, thats make me smile. I train evry day outside. Squatin in the snow at -8°C are some fun.
nice to see the evolution to a gym owner.
happy new year
Hi Zach
Very timely post for me – I’m just putting the finishing touches to my garage gym – waiting for lighting as have no electricity in there. Got squat racks, oly bars, 220kg plates, d/bells, KB’s, sandbag – using the bean under garage cover for chins and will still go gym for my bench sessions for now.
I started off training in my parents garage when I was 13 until I was 19 (I’m 30 now and currently train in a really well equipped BB gym) and made my best gains back then by far – no chopping and changing exercises and programs as choices were limited and think this definitely benefited me. Also no internet back then!! Trained Stuart McRobert (Brawn) style.
I’ve seen Jim Wendler speak and he said you can get the job done with a bar and plates – squats (clean and press overhead and work to 220lbs for 5×20 – legs – not to mention traps – will be plenty big and strong enough!!), press, cleans, deads, curls, bent rows, good mornings – so I guess I’m still spoilt for choice!
Can’t wait to get back in the garage and get the animal in me back. Not to mention saving time and petrol driving 20 mins each way to gym. I plan to invest what I save in new equipment – a fat bar is first on the list! I hope to start training people in there also!!
Cheers
Dan
I know the feeling! When I started out in my basement I only had a picnic bench, 2 – 30lb. vinyl dumbbells, and a pullup bar! When I was in High School I would work during my vacation doing summer relief to make extra money to buy more weights and equipment. I bought my first bench from Lou ferrigno’s in Brooklyn and couldn’t wait to get it home. My mom thought I was nuts because whenever I had extra cash I would jump on the F train and take it all the way into Brooklyn (a little over an our train ride)with a cheap pull wagon an load it up with Ferrigno plates (the most 2 – 45lb. plates unless I nickel and dimed it)then jump back on the train and travel all the way back to Queens. I did the gym scene (Gold’s)for many years since my parents needed the basement for storage but I can tell you it is not the same as having your own gym especially a garage gym. Training whenever you want, however you want, and listen to your own music! I have a Garage gym for just over 2 years now and I love it! I even train some of the high school kids (football) when they want to put in some extra work. The appreciate the setup I have and I enjoy doing it.
Hey Z, great post once again!!!
Since going to your seminar and training Underground Style, my results have been phenomenal! At 35, I am stronger and more explosive than I have ever been.
In my opinion the world is shifting back to a free weight soceity, getting out of the machine philosophy of isolating every muscle. Compound movements are the only way to get real results, real fast.
Move weight with intensity and authority, train heavy and train your grip! Nuff said.
Bob, those workouts musta been heaven bro!
Cromlech – hey bro, go w/barbells and dumbbells, the other stuff you will make or find a welder!
Gregor, sounds like rocky IV, nice my friend!
Dan, Wendler is right….. I miss my garage workouts with the barbell, that shit was sick and I got jacked the f**k up!
Mike Berman, you’re awesome bro, congrats on having a great family and doing what you love.
Not many like you out there, you’re leading from the front!
Mikey, yeas bro, A gym like yours will soon be the norm and peops from all around will wanna train under the Mighty Rojas, no doubt!!!
–Z–
Hi Zach
Some of us train this way down under in New Zealand too
Another great post
the only way to train in a garage or somewhere that looks like one or the great outdoors.
yesterday hit the beach rock running ,lifting and carrys.
plus drift wood .
today will go with tires for flipping and sledgehammer,rope work sandbags and body weight drills .
Will be over later this year to do my cert training with you.
take care work hard
terry
Hit the nail on the head once again man, I couldn’t agree with you more. I started out as a Trainer at a big name “fluffy” gym here in Australia and hated it. All that place was worried about was how pretty their equipment was and how much money they could suck out of people. I stayed there for my 12 month contract then got the hell out of there, borrowed some money and set up a gym at home and started training my clients there with just a heap of free weights, bars and racks. I’ve learnt more training people from home and reading articles from guys like yourself and Joe D than that fluffy gym ever tried to teach me. Keep smashin it out mate.
Zac,my main brother from a different mother,,,I definately know what you are talking about,,i live here in Jackson,,i go to Howell,Retro..THe easy listening music makes me want to vomit..the so called “men” dancing to michael jackson songs between sets,,and im not joking,,is such a disgrace..WAke up people the dude was a child molestor,end of story,,,THe lame fit trainers who know nothing and i mean nothing about training…Taking every young kid and ruining them with there ,,bs method of training..the oinly thing i can say this place does positively for me,is that is pisses me off so much,i let that anger fuel my workouts..you should see the looks when me and my little brother,are suatting to the floor,,deadlifting with chains,,dips with a vest on,,im so cranked up cause i hate the place so much,,its actually benefitting me..ill be coming to edison soon,,and we will be gtoing to war with the iron,,and it will be heavy metal cranked to decimal 10000..love ya bro,,live strong,,be your own man,,god bless you and your family,,see you soon,,rich c..
That’s hilarious…
Right there with you Zach. I trained in an unfinished basement that was cold and dark. Started with cement filled plastic weights and an old-school york bench. Posters tacked to the plastic holding the insulation of Arnold, Van Damme and other high profiled bodies. Good times!
Nice 😉 Remember Arnold in his first book «Education of a bodybuilder» around 1980… explaining how he train in the freezing Austria Winter or Rocky when he train in Russia.
I train at home in my 1 1/2 appartment , save a lot of money and pollution lol
Thx Zac
Harry the french canadian 😉
i agree with u Z.. especially that part abt heavy deadlifts.. squats n’ deadlifts r ma lyf…
hei guys
minimalist approach works better for the concentration, too.
difficult to focus on lifts when ur spoiled for choice, i think.
but convenience iz definitely an issue, ‘specially for the seriously addicted iron-freak.. train anytime, day/night, dress anyhow minus distractions common to the human race{!!}
Rich C, holy sh*t dude, that place sounds like Hell!
For my friends tearin it up, across the country in their own dungeon, that is much more soothing to hear for me 🙂
–z—
David – the plastic weights, ahhhhhhhh, I remember those days, especially when doing benching with them and the sand dripped on your face, your eyes and in your mouth, that was when I was 13, 21 years ago…. although only seems like yesterday.
Time does go waaaaaay too fast my friends, we have but 1 option here and that is to kick ass!!
–Z–
I love it that Zac,answered my post back at 621am..that shows you dedication,,most people will say,big deal its only an email…well thats bs,with this guy its personal..its love for the training..its not some cookie cutter, print press,, operation of a training system..its animal!!!its hardcore.and i fucn love it!!!!the Henry Rollins,peace Zac put up,,,really cranked me up and put chills down my spine..that was real emotion,,raw,,,i would go to war for that guy and i dont even know him,,,loyalty,honor,,and being real.need to be a bigger partof our society..thats the impression i get from ZAC…REality tv..eat me!!!that not real!!!pushing yourself physically,and mentally to the brink of destruction,,thats real!!can you handle it?
Just got back from working out at Retro FItness in Howell..aka disneyland,aka,Joeys Surfclub…amount of hair gel in that place is incredible!one more thing before we get to the good stuff,,,Homies,,this goes for white choclate to,,just because you where a do rag,and where your pants like an idiot,,doesnt mean,you are tough,,or strong..or can fight,,and to attain mental,and physical toughness,you must have dicipline,,fighting is a craft,,just because you watch a rap video,doesnt mean you can fight,,,even if this little click in this gym,happens to be “tough”the way they act,nobody and i mean nobody is going to give you the respect your looking for.Here is some advice,,give respect,,and for the most part if your “tough”or not youll get it…Just cranked out some deep squats to the floor.here are the real poundages,,i dont use gear,225 for 10,275 for 8,315 for 5.and 365 for 2..all the way to floor,nexti put weighted vest on and did walking dumbell lunges with 70lbs,5steps with each leg,the weighted vest is an additional 35 lbs,then i did 4 sets of 15 pushups with 35lb vest on feet elevated on bench,lat thing was rip dumbell off floor and press..started with 75 for 5 ,85 for 5.100 for 2, and 100 for 2,,in my so called gyn 100lb dumbells is the highest,,then i ended it with sonme good ab work…when the little brother gets here will go to the park for some sled pulls..and rock throws,,and then its off to the land of misery..at 9..pm..my job…BUt all kidding aside,during my workout.i had to listen to britney spears,vanilla ice,,mchammer..im not fucn joking people!!!i noticed a trainer traing this guy in his 40rtys..i swear to you..he was about 62..250..decent shape..as i noticed him,,he was standing on one of those balls..with a 5 lb rubeer ball,in his hand ,doing some jane fonda shit,,,AT what point as a man do you say to yourself,and to your so called trainer,no thanks and be a man,,,it makes me want to rip my friggin hair out..or start smashing shit!!im not kidding,,the depussification process needs to start now,,until the next post,,stay strong iron brothers,and to those who cant train in there own dungeons yet,”A mans true character isnt revealed till he suffers and endures endless pain and suffering”its time to drink the protein shake down,,and make some chicken fajitas…stay strong warriors..love ya ZAc…
Zach, awesome post man..I am living this same training situation now..but I CHOSE it, I didnt have to do it..I have a slightly oversized 1-car garage and we cram in there and train through the cold, heat, snow, whatever…the bars are cold, the plates are like ice, and we just crank the music and get to work..the “No Whining” sticker on the door must be obeyed at all times or you get thrown out..hahaha
Zach
A great post indeed. My local gyms have gone all health club too, the one I use occasionally now binned the olypmic bar and bench long ago.
I thought f**k it and equiped my garage out. My dad is a welder and rigged up a box steel frame that spanned the width of my garage. Can get my heavy bag on there when I want and above that he tacked on a pull up bar, fold away dip bars on one side and weight disc holders on the other. got him to make some 18″ db’s, a BB and a db rack. He also got instruction for an isomentric bar. Clever guy my old man.
got med balls, KB’s, sledehammer and lots of weight in there too, oh an a big F**k off stereo. I don’t need to go anywhere else 🙂
all I need now is a weighted vest and more weight, people think I am crazy doing farmers walks out of my garage, round the cars and back, they must think WTF??!?!?, but I do not care one iota 🙂
just gotta figure out how to get a squat rack in there! LOL
Dean
It’s kinda funny how we come full circle.We start off training in garages and basements,then as we go we seek out the most high-tech machine filled gyms,only to end up back training in a warehouse,garage or basement gym.realizing all we need is heavy steel and iron will to truly become BEAST.
The truth: The quality of your workouts are made or broken by your attitude towards your training. The environment that you do it in is a somewhat distant second.
I spent 6 months of 2009 working away from home and I worked out in a gym for a grand total of three times. I traveled with pull-up bars, made a suspension trainer from scrap pipe and rope, used rocks that I found in the parking lot, or just made do with what I had.
It all worked out in the end. I had one injury that nagged me this year (from work) but I still kicked ass at work. I shoveled dozens of yards of wet sand, moved tons of trash by hand, worked some insane hours, and lifted stuff I had no business lifting.
Thanks for some more awesome and motivating stuff, Z-man. Best wishes digging out of the white stuff! I know you´ll do just fine!
Justin
Awesome Zach.
You should make the trip up my way someday for a Rocky 4 winter workout!
Keep it rockin my man!
Wish I had a garage to work out of. If I did I would get Oly lifting equipment and I’d add a pull-up bar. Nice inspiration!
Zack,
You are right on! My athletes know all too well that a good program can go to crap if not done with intensity. Intensity is the element that most low-T-gym-goers who walk around looking sloppy lack. My brother (Tyler) and I get after it in his garage and the weight room I run at the high school level is loud, dark and breeds intensity…it’s the only way to go!
My athletes like your stuff and we have been admiring what you have done with your “Underground Empire” (Catchy huh) for a while now.
Keep it up!
– Coach Fagan
Hey Zach –
The secret is…THERE IS NO SECRET! I’m 61 and I just don’t miss a workout. Last time I missed, I had dislocated my shoulder 10 years ago. I tweaked my lower back last week so I’m doing bodyweight workouts this week but doing them EVERYDAY; single leg squats, lunges, kettlebell presses, bench press, and roman chair core work. I lift a lot heavier now than I used to, with greater intensity. Undoubtedly the best part of my day. I like your style…plenty of passion.
BE WELL!!
Bruce Kelso
Champaign, IL
Bruce, keep going stronger brotha, keep learning.
Sometimes a strained back is a matter of better body positioning, bracing the abs and reteaching yourself movement
Bodyweight and Kettlebells are GREAT for this!
I love this stuff!
Frank you are straight up old school, you love hard work and blue collar work ethic!