There is something PURE about training in your very own home gym - be it the garage, basement, backyard or spare bedroom.... Heck. I've heard of some home gym set ups in people's kitchen's! No matter where, there is magic that happens in a kick ass home gym.
I recall reading from Dr. Ken, that even though he owned a large gym (I believe it was Iron Island Gym?) he still did his own workouts in a custom made home gym, where he also trained NFL players and other BEASTS. I've got video footage and man, it's some SIC training, brutal, NO Rules kinda stuff!
The majority of my personal workouts take place in my garage or the surrounding outdoor areas as well as at my Underground Strength Gym or Rutgers University after training the wrestling team.
To me, training is training - it ALL counts and I LOVE the change of scenery and equipment.
MAYBE 1-2 x week do I train at The Underground Strength Gym HQ.
Sounds crazy but I LOVE the solitude of training alone, in a crammed section of my garage, barely squeezing my barbell past the kids' bicycles and toys.... It brings you back to the days of when you first began training, you feel like a kid again, compared to nowadays, being confused by the countless blogs, youtube videos, books and more crazy information that keep flooding your eyes and ears.
More & more people are training at home compared to days of the past because today, more than ever before, we have countless gyms that are AGAINST hard work, loud music, chalk, lifting heavy, dropping weights and sweating.
You get tired of the rules and regulations and instead yearn for a gym that resembles more of the Wild West rather than some pretty boy gym that frowns upon hard work.
I can remember as if it was yesterday, when I used to train at a hardcore gym and the day they began changing the rules and moving to what they thought was "mainstream" they LOST business.... LOTS of business.
What was once a packed house of hardcore lifters become a ghost town of a few people just "trying to get in shape".... The hardcore guys disappeared and the BIG gym became a ghost town that freaked me out for a lifetime.
I wasn't sure if the hardcore guys left and began to train at home or I wondered if they did as I did, traveling the state of NJ weekend after weekend trying to find a hardcore gym that played loud music and didn't breathe down your neck with rules and regulations. Every gym I visited disappointed me.....
I was afraid I would have nowhere to go.... nowhere to lose myself and find myself....
When I would visit these gyms, Questions kept running through my head such as...
Where is the intensity?
Where is the loud music?
Why are all these people always training like a bunch of P**ies?
Why do these front desk workers seem like they don't give a shit about us?
I was afraid that I was too much of a loner and that I would NEVER find a hardcore gym to meet my needs.
A TRUE lover of physical culture and hard training sees working out as a form of art. Not everyone can relate or understand to what this means. This is the essence of being a SOUL Lifter. I don't have to explain myself, you KNOW what I'm sayin' and what I'm feelin'.
A bare bones minimum home gym can simply start with a set of rings, that's all, nothing else. If you're an Undergrounder, you'll find a way to train. You'll use those rings for ALL their worth, then, you'll push your car in empty parking lots, find stones to lift and carry.....
Want loud music, chalk, heat, fresh air? .... it's YOUR rules, NO BODY tells you what to do. It becomes a beautiful thing as you experience the freedom of training in a 'No Rules' environment.
From there, depending on your style of training, you can add a Kettlebell or a barbell. Others may opt for a sandbag or stone, again, it ALL depends on your style of training. My first ever garage gym began with a 300 lb barbell set from CostCo and those workouts were amazing, delivering some of the most powerful results I ever experienced.
That garage style workout evolved into THIS training program.
My current Underground Home Gym began with rings and a climbing rope, a rope that has history. The climbing ropes comes from the original wrestling training room of The Blair Academy, which is now the school library. Blair Academy Wrestling has one of the most powerful wrestling teams in the country for years on end, under the helm of Coach Jeff Buxton, one heck of an amazing man & big supporter of what we do at The Underground.
Next up for my current home gym, I purchased a barbell and about 300 lbs of Hi-Temp bumpers which I LOVE. I now have over 500 lbs of these bumper plates in my garage as well at Underground Strength HQ.
Next, I snagged just 2 Kettlebells, a 53 and a 70 lb Kettlebell. Next up, a power rack for squats, floor presses and various pull up bar attachments.... once I had the power rack I added some goodies such as specialty pull up bars, a dip bar, weight vest, etc.
I already had a sled, power wheel and suspension trainer that I used regularly for my playground bodyweight workouts and I STILL use these tools as they are versatile and I can train on the go any time.
It might sound like I have a LOT of equipment but remember, it has been accumulated over time, slowly, slowly. The bare bones minimum can be as simple as a set of rings, or just a barbell.
MANY people, I have realized, whine, cry and complain about using equipment for bodyweight workouts such as a power wheel or rings / suspension trainers. I look at these tools as ways to increase the results of a bodyweight training program, nothing used is a waste of time and money.
Remember, everything you invest in is an investment in your health. NEVER view these tools as an "expense", it's a negative attitude and mindset that you should NEVER carry.
Here's a run down of everything in my home gym:
- Power Rack
- Olympic Bar
- Bumper Plates if Olympic Weightlifting, if not, Iron is fine!
- Plate Tree for Storage
- Flat Utility Bench
- Various Kettlebells
- Draper Top Squat
- Power Wheel
- Captains of Crush Hand Grippers
- Sled
- Wooden Rings
- Climbing Rope
- Bands
- Dip Bar Attachment for Rack
- Dip Belt
- 40 lb Weight Vest
If you're fed up with training at your local gym, do yourself a HUGE favor.
Get yourself a barbell set.... no rack, no squat stands.... NO excuses.
If you're a purist of Bodyweight training, then pick up some gymnastic rings.
Your gym, your world, your rules....
______________
Please Drop a comment if you've got any feedback regarding the beauty of training / setting up your home gym.
The Gladiator Project - Home Gym Workouts
35 Responses
Greatest decision I ever made was assembling my own home-gym.
Yes, Sir, NO doubt!!! As U know, it’s an ART form!
Awesome post! Don’t forget the home made sand bags and kegs! You didn’t start off with all that stuff haha. killer home gym Z shows the true family man lifestyle!
yo bro, sandbags all the way! My home gym, from the first house we bought, was where the original Underground Strength Gym began…. I had kegs, bags, bells, you name it! NOT sure how it all fit inside a 2 car garage but damn, we built some freaking machines in there!
Nothing like a garage full of things that you made yourself. Some people just don’t understand the connection that the owner of those tools have! Upgrading to a full Rogue setup isn’t a bad step either 😉
Also look at 50 lb bags of gravel, pea stone, etc. You can find these at Home Depot, they’re cheap, the plastic is thick enough that they don’t usually split open, and if they do, the mess is easier to clean up. I like to throw a couple of these inside a Navy sea bag or duffel bag to do bearhug squats, shouldering, etc. Smaller 5 lb bags of sand let me vary the weight in smaller increments.
Very sweet home gym. Looks like you’ve maxed out the available room on the bar deadlifting with bumper plates. Are you planning on getting regular plates in the future?
John, hey bro, ALL the plates are bumpers. I bought 4 x 45s of the pro style bumpers. It’s plenty of weight for me to squat / bench, for deads, if I REALLY must go heavier, I can add bands.
Right now though, most of my deads are 50-70% of my 1RM and I feel great in this range
Sweet, man!
That is a hell of a homegym.
But it ain’t necessary – with a bit of handwork and creativity you can make tons of equipment yourself.
Sandbags, bulgarian bags, dip station, pullup station, grip equipment, heavy swing handle, belt for weighted dips & chins, indian clubs, rings, etc.
Actually my “gym” consists of a selfwelded pullup station with hanging rings mounted above the bathroom door, four different kettlebells and homemade sandbags. In the yard I got a 4m rope hanging from a tree and some heavy stones from the river. Get yourself a gasmask and you’re in for a helluva workout. Scary ….
hahaha,…
Get going – that is the main resistance. As always,…
Cheers
Sven, I wanna see video bro! I’m not a welder or much of a handyman, either!
Come on, Zach – you got a family, two kids,…
Got to be a handyman! 😉
I always say: you’re not a real man until you own your own welding machine and an anvil. hahahaha, …
My new project is a wicked pullup station for my parents house. It will have different grips with varying thickness – even two vertical grips. It’ll hang from the ceiling and will also have a separate hanging position for the rings. Will post a photo when finished.
Cheers
Your home gym looks amazing and once I get some cash, I’ll be sure to invest in some rogue equipment.
For now , I’ll stick to my homemade sandbag, rings and my sledgehammer.
sandbag, rings and sledge! This is what dreams are made of, excellent!!!
HELL YA!! ive been training from home ever since i started ive went to some commercial gym usaully cause a buddy wanted to do a workout but they all SUCK@$$ before i moved out of my parents i had a kick ass step up with a barbell bout 600lbs a 1in thick rubber mat(my dad got from work cause he was sick of me busting up his basement) then i made a sandbag started around 50 lbs i still use it but it 3 bags inside each other went from 50 to 100 to 150lbs now i found a big ass tire one day running through the woods and rolled it home(goin dwn hills was entertaining). i used it to flip and to beat with my dads sledge. then i made some BA rings outta 2in hydraulic hose and chains still use daily today 5 years old then i worked my way up from pushin my moms car to my dads truck. Now i live in an apt so i brought my rings and sandbag can wait to get my own house to get a sweet setup like urs.
Thanks for BEING A TRU MAN OF THE UNDERGROUND
Will Hayes
Be strong, Be honest in Love Life and Lifting
Right on Z!
I was in a commercial gym the other day and was losing my mind just looking around taking in the sights and sounds. Stompig on treadmills, cable machines EVERYWHERE, people “smokin and jokin,” etc…. After training outdoors and in my garage gym for the past half year and training others the same way – it hit me that what We do as Undergrounders is the real deal. Hard work and making Results with passion and intensity.
You are definitely right. Something spiritual about breaking out of those 4 walls and crushing a killer workout in a park or in the woods!!
I haven’t started on a home gym yet but have been hitting up the local school playground and haven’t looked back!
Kerry, LOVE those playground workouts….. just you and bodyweight, fresh air!
Love my home gym!! I have a 1 room apartement so gym, livingroom, bedroom are all in one.You wake up and see your gym. Amazing!! Barbell, sandbag and I am happy as a kid. The workouts kill me and the best thing: everyone that comes by starts to train sooner or later haha. Even if they start out of curiousity of how much they can lift haha!
Great post!
Thnx, Alicia!
Hi Zach…..Been following your power messages for some time now and have most of my lifting buddies doing the same…..I’ve been working out since I was 12 and I’m 61 now and You still inspire me…..Gave up my Gold’s membership about 5 years ago and just working out anywhere I want….indoors….garage…beach….mountains just to keep me fresh……Choice tools of the trade now are….KBs….Sandbags…SuspensionJGXT….Chin up and Dip Bars in my garage…set of 500 pounds bb and dbs……Stones for tossing in the mountains
and tons of bodywt movements….Feel stronger everyday….Thanks for being here for all the Iron men around the world…..
Ronnie, wow, brutha, you’re a machine, BIG thanks and RESPECT coming from you. I LOVE when men make NO excuses for age holding them back. Here you are, 61 years young and being strong inside AND out while we have people 40 years younger losing their edge!
YOU inspire, brutha!
Zack
Awesome hardcore post I have been training in my parents yard with sandbags and kettlebells and bodyweights getting killer workouts. You don’t need much room or space just some creativity. Anyone that would like to see some of my outdoor workouts can go here http://www.youtube.com/user/Cintronstrengthfiles?ob=0
I don’t think anything beats your own home gym.
John
Good stuff, man! That’s my kinda training. Just pure.
You should watch yr upper KB snatch technique though. Push through the KB with a bit of rotation. Then you won’t need the wrist/arm protection anymore. Chek Matt Wichlinskis thoughts about KB technique. He opened my eyes to a lot of stuff.
Cheers
mindfood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=UUTbSa1sagUbq-k1YbkLvRjA&v=ZRibAvRZrNs
Your own Underground Gym–Your RULES!
It will be a cold day in hell before somebody in a commercial gym tells me to “Hey dude, you can’t do…..heavy deadlifts, power cleans,or even grunt for pete’s sake …yada yada” Screw that. It’s my way or the highway, and with my own home-gym that I set up in my garage…ain’t nobody telling me what to do. The best part about it is that…I am always stronger than yesterday.
I still remember the days of training in a ‘commercial’ gym with my buddies, and sure–we kicked each other’s asses, but that is exactly what we focused on: kicking each other’s asses. In my homegym, there is only one ass I have to kick and that’s mine. I have goals and you can bet your bottom dollar I am chasing after them.
Zach, good post! I can thoroughly DIG what you’re saying. Question—would it be cool if we could send you pics of our own homegym if our Undergrounders are up to it?
Great post Zach!
You and Ferruggia have turned me to the darkside, I will never step into a public gym ever again.
That is why I just bought your kick ass BW-BB program! I’m psyched to see the results I’ll get and like you did with your home gym I will slowly be adding equipment over time.
Thanks for this gem bruther!!!
YES!!! It’s a rare gem IF you can find a legit public gym!!
I love my home gym its the opposite of any gym i see anywhere else i just don’t understand the point of any gym these days there so…weak. my stuff is things like;
2″ thick bars made with PVC pipe over regular 1″ steel,
old rusty jerrycans filled with sand + water for farmers walks with foam insulation for thicker handles,
wooden power rack with pins made from a old drive-shaft,
an ab wheel held together by used sander wheels ( i dropped a plate on it!),
climbing rope held up by PVC + scrap metal (i’m surprised it holds my weight)
Plus a healthy coating of dirt EVERYWHERE! I just don’t get the point of modern gyms, i love mine and I’ve had great results better than most chrome and fern people experience.
Referencing Dr. Ken. I like it. Great post!
Zack, first thank you for including me on your e-mail News Letters; they are great. Home gyms are the only way to go. Mine is a 53 year work in progress, and is situated in two locations. The main gym is in my son’s garage. It contains the Squat Rack with an Iron Mind cambered bar and 4 other Olympic bars. We have about 2 ½ tons of Olympic and Standard plates – mainly pre 1990 York. A complete set of York Roundhead Dumbbells (1 lb. thru 100 lbs.), along with Kettlebells (5 lbs. thru 106 lbs.). There is also a Cross-Over Machine, an Iron Man AB Mach., a Preacher Bench, a Leg Mach., a Roman Bench, a Lat Mach. A Dip Rack, an Incline, a Decline, and a Prone Bench Press There is also quite a bit of miscellaneous equipment not mentioned.
I also have a small gym at home. There is an Exer-Genie, 3 Gadas, a 1960 vintage York Bench Press, about 300 lbs. of standard York and Sinking Spring Plates, an Airdyne, and Indian and Persian Clubs ranging from a 1/2 lb. to 30 lbs., 2 shot loaded dumbbells, a couple medicine-balls, and some miscellaneous grippers, ropes, and chains, etc. Two other points: 1, as you said in the video home gyms are the way to go. I started out with the York Big 12 Barbell Set and over time added to it. 2, all the equipment in the world is of no value unless you use it on a regular basis. I do not let my equipment or myself set idle – it is used at least 5 days out of the week which isn’t too bad at damn near 69.
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Z! It looks awesome, bro! Couple questions: do you have your R3 rack mounted into the ground with bolts? Or is it free standing? Second, I saw on the back of the rack that you have the thick and skinny pull-up bars. With the thick pull-up bar below the regular pull-up bar, is there a way to flip them or do you simply have to unbolt the thick one in order to use the one above?
Thanks for the video!
JM! YES, U MUST bolt that sucka down!!!!
The rack originally came with skinny – fat bars, then, 4-6 weeks later Rogue got the Money bars, so I replaced the monkey bars above, and saw I still had room to use the skinny – fat
I use the fat bars more so put them on bottom
So, YES, U can flip them any way U like!
Amaaaaazing stuff i love tranning at my home , i have only couple of sandbags and keg , pull up bar and dip bar,home made barbell around 30 kg and small kbell 7.5 kg and killer hill sprints .Real world strenght!!!
Your gym looks amazing.Your blog inspired me a lot.