I bought something like 230 kilograms of the Rogue Calibrated Steel Plates back during the 2017 Black Friday sale, and aside from realizing almost immediately that I didn’t order quite enough weight I have been completely happy with this purchase. I wanted to take a couple minutes and write a short review on these plates for any of you who are on the fence about buying any of the nicer steel powerlifting plates for your gym.
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It was recommended to me that I keep a running list of all my barbell reviews, and even go so far as to perhaps comment on which bars were kept in the gym and which weren’t. Well I thought that was a fantastic idea, so here is a list of all the barbell reviews found on Garage Gyms along with a brief summary, links to the full review, and links to the product itself.
I tend to believe that; if given the option; most serious and resolute strength athletes would prefer to have a gym right there in their own garage rather than have to pay monthly rent at a commercial gym or a CrossFit box. Even those lifters who do not necessarily disfavor the global gym as a training environment no doubt still see the benefit of having 24-hour instant access to their own private weight room; a gym with no queues, no crowds, no dues and no distractions.
This is a full review of SABO’s newest lifting kicks; the GoodLift Powerlifting Shoes. The GoodLifts are designed primary for the deadlift but are also perfectly good shoes to wear when bench pressing, and for squats if you prefer to squat in shoes without a raised heel. These are flat, offered in two different colors, and available in men’s sizes 39-46 (Russian sizing); or approximately 7½’s – 13’s American.
We survived another year, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Welcome to 2018! Have you resolved to do anything different or special this year? Did you set any training or diet goals? Maybe work or relationship goals? I wish you luck in all cases!
This is volume II of the Equipment Reviews Revisited series. In case you missed volume I and don’t know what these articles are about, let me fill you in…
In this article I will take two previously reviewed pieces of equipment and briefly reevaluate them. I’ll discuss how each product has held up over time, what I think about it now x years later, and if I even still use that particular item. If I don’t; why not? It’s pretty straightforward.
You probably wouldn’t think that there was a whole that could be done to improve upon the rubber hex dumbbell short of just lowering the cost, right? That is to say, assuming that you select a reputable brand (one that permanently affixes the heads to the handles) they are a very affordable and durable dumbbell without much in the way of issues or complaints. The head shape is user-friendly, weight accuracy is better than cast iron, the ergonomic handles aren’t amazing but they are acceptable, and most importantly, the price is right.
I’ve been a big fan of the Thompson Fat Pad since the very first time I benched on one. It’s wider, longer, thicker, denser, and more supportive than any other bench pad I’ve ever seen or used. In addition to all that it has a unique, heavy-duty “grabber” vinyl cover that prevents any slipping or sliding around on the pad; a surprisingly uncommon feature for bench pads.
With bumper plate options more than covered across the Internet (here included), I figured it was time to tackle the options for standard weight plates, coated plates, and powerlifting discs. In this guide I’ll cover multiple styles, numerous brands, and offer up enough product examples for you to be able to evaluate any brand or style of plate you happen to stumble upon in your quest for iron.
Is your garage gym too dark and gloomy at night? or during the winter when you don’t dare open that garage door and let what little warmth there is out? Can you see the hash marks on your barbell when you lay down to bench inside your power rack? Can you spot rubber hex dumbbells against the black flooring?
Welcome back! Looking for the perfect gift for the garage gym athlete in your life, or maybe a gift idea for yourself? I’ve got a ton of gift ideas for CrossFitters, weightlifters, powerlifters, fitness enthusiasts, and strength athletes of all types. From big gifts that’ll ensure your gift is the best gift, to smaller, more affordable gifts and stocking stuffers.
I recently ordered and received a fancy 10 mm powerlifting belt from Pioneer (aka General Leathercraft). I’ve been wanting to do more with the Garage Gyms branding for a while now and I figured putting the site name across my favorite power belt was a great place to start. Now that I have it in my hands, I figured I’d take some time to show it off while also praising Pioneer for all the great work that they do.
Is there truly a benefit to having a stainless steel barbell over a bare steel bar? Is stainless steel really rust-proof or does it just take longer to rust? Why am I paying all this extra cash for stainless if I still have to “maintain” my stainless steel bar?
I absolutely love the Ohio Powerlifting line; both the Ohio Power Bars and the Ohio Deadlift Bar. I have both of these beasts in raw, unfinished steel, and both of them are on my ‘never sell these bars’ list. The natural feeling of the raw steel combined with the deep, aggressive knurl makes for two incredible training implements, and that’s before even considering how well they are priced.
A month or two ago on Craigslist I stumbled upon somebody selling the Infinity/Monster Lite Rogue Monolift Attachment; the version that’s compatible with my rack. I wasn’t really in the market for a Monolift and I wouldn’t go so far as to say I needed a Monolift, but they were in perfect condition and being sold for about half the price of new. Honestly it felt foolish not to buy them at that price, so I did.
