THE SPECIALTY
The more advanced side of my home gym. I will start with that I feel was the biggest investment. It was not the most expensive piece of equipment I added but by far the most important. It takes up the most space. It domineers over the rest of the gym. It gets used every workout in some capacity. It is also the piece of equipment that when friends and family see it, they stand back in awe. The power rack.
Stretching from the floor to the rafters in my barn on the back wall in black powdercoating is the ominous power rack. It gets used for squatting, rack pulls, pull ups, bench pressing, overhead pressing, elevated pushups, and is the anchoring point for bands and pulleys. It is by far the most multipurpose piece of equipment I own.
The power rack I opted for was a model from Titan fitness. Love them or hate them they do offer affordable options. This is not really meant to be a product review so I will save the details of the rack itself for another time, only noting that it is fully functional for what I need. It was made even more functional with the addition of the SPUD Inc pulley system. With the addition of a plate loadable high and low pulleys the rack now also serves the same purpose of a lot a muscle-specific machines.
Since the programming I follow is conjugate I am sure it will not come as a shock for those familiar that I need to have a box. With the current climate of getting gym equipment and my space constraints I have been using my bench inside my power rack to accommodate. If you look up pictures of Westside barbell you will see that the boxes they use are wooden and once I find the time I plan to finally cut the lumber I have allocated for the project and put one together myself.
Training heavy and alone in the home gym means that safety is a necessity. There are safeties installed on both my squat rack and my power rack. Both are adjustable to allow me to keep myself out of trouble in movements and both safeties have seen use. If you are considering racks, make sure you have the accompanying safety equipment. The last thing you want to do is get injured where it may take someone hours to find you.
A local brewery was kind enough to get me a keg. Having only one in a heavier weight has been great for working on loading, carrying, and pressing. Strongman competitions can have a lot of odd objects to move as a part of the sport, so I am grateful they were able to help me out with this one. The keg also serves a dual purpose when I place it in the yard as a distance marker. Having the ability to recreate specific events for a competition can give you an edge the day of.
While I have several specialty bars, farmer’s handles are by far one of the most used in our home gym. Offering the ability to train for carries and giving an alternative to the trap bar with handles that are more easily stored is what make them a clear winner. I would consider them to be one of the necessities of a strongman home gym.
If I were not also training in a strongman gym with a coach, I would seriously consider adding a yoke and a log to the arsenal and may still at some point. Yoke work is hard to replicate. This has a lot to do with the actual physicality of the yoke. The log is a similar implement in that it requires special handling. If you have never lifted a log before the combination of neutral grip and the diameter of the log makes for a spectacle for the crowd and a lot of effort from you. They are both implements you need to have your hands on to really appreciate.
There you have it. Owning a home gym is an investment in space, time, and funds. It could be a great alternative for a lot of athletes, or even a supplementation to what you are already doing. Or maybe after reading this you decide that sticking to your current gym is all you need. What matters most is that you are training consistently where ever and how ever that may be.
CULT-OF-IRON 