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Jocko Willink is someone who has really inspired me and continues to inspire through his podcast and content. One thing I’ve always wanted to see more of was his garage gym. Through following him on social media, I’ve tried to piece together what equipment he uses as well as his training style.

Jocko Willink is a true American Hero.

You see, we in America often idolize those men and women who make tabloids, score incredible points, and are popularized by news agencies.

The problem with this idea is that although these people may certainly be talented, they haven’t really done a whole lot of significance.

I certainly don’t want to downplay the accomplishments of others, but men like Jocko Willink who have put their body on the line to sacrifice for the freedom of myself as well as the “American Idols” mentioned previously, are true heroes and worthy of respect.

Which is why I’m glad to see that Jocko with the release of his book “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” has begun gaining some popularity.

Jocko Willink's Garage Gym

Jocko for those unaware served 20 years as a Navy SEAL. He was in combat in Iraq during the Battle of Ramadi, a conflict that resulted in numerous medals for his efforts. After his tours, Willink served as a Navy SEAL instructor before forming Echelon Front with Leif Babin, a leadership training group that uses the lessons and expertise the pair learned as SEALs to train leaders beyond the military.

In other words, Jocko has had to perform at the top of mental and physical performance for quite a while.

With that said, it can be assumed that the guy knows a thing or two about developing mental and physical strength. AND, it just so happens he does it in his garage gym and documents his efforts on Instagram for all to see (a guy after my own heart.)

Although I’ve followed him for some time, I know not everyone does and he as well as his gym should be shown for all to see.

So, without any more introduction, I present to you…

Jocko Willink’s Garage Gym

Jocko Willink's Garage Gym

There are a few caveats that must be made before I go into more detail on Jocko’s Garage Gym.

First off, all of these photos were taken from his Instagram that you can find here. If you’re looking for motivation and enjoy grungy black and white photos, he’s a great account to follow.

It must also be said that I have yet to see a photo of his entire garage gym. He likes to post bits and pieces of the gym, usually relating to the movement he did that day, but you still get a great sense of what he has and how he uses it.

I’m going to detail the equipment he has, at least according to his Instagram as well as some movements he seems to do most often.

Rogue RML-390F Power Rack

Jocko Willink house

The centerpiece of his gym and just about everybody’s gym is the almighty power rack.

Seriously, what can’t you do in a power rack?

From Jocko’s pictures, it seems pretty obvious that he uses this bad boy quite a bit. Which, is probably because he understands that when you’re trying to get stronger, the answer is pretty much just to squat more.

The Rogue RML-390F is a flat foot power rack meaning that it doesn’t have to be bolted to the ground. They’re pretty stable and if you have some heavy dumbbells like Jocko does, you can use them to hold down the rack while doing pull-ups, muscle-ups, and other bar work. (And yes, Jocko does do kipping pull-ups.)

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Rogue Fitness
Rogue RM-390F Flat Foot Monster Rack
Rogue RM-390F Flat Foot Monster Rack

The fully updated Flat Foot Monster Rack is built for athletes, coaches, and gym owners who want the benefits of Rogue's heavy-duty RM-3 without having to bolt the unit to the floor. The RM-390F 2.0 features the same 3x3" 11-Gauge Steel uprights and over-sized 1" hardware as the standard model, but utilizes our Monster Squat Stand's triangle-plate base design to create a large, self-stabilizing foundation. With Version 2.0, the uprights also now include laser-cut pin position numbers on the front and back, and a keyhole pattern on the sides–creating compatibility with more add-ons and attachments. A set of 3x3" rubber feet help protect your flooring and prevent any movement of the unit during use.The Flat Foot Monster Rack stands 93" tall with a 24" (depth) inside depth and a 54" x 50" overall footprint. A Monster Single Skinny Pull-Up Bar and pin/pipe safety system are included standard, and the crossmembers at the top of the rack are now gusseted for extra strength and rigidity. Customers can choose between our standard Monster J-Cups or a pair of Sandwich J-Cups with a UHMW plastic core. The full rack–aside from the J-cups, safeties, and front pull-up bar–is powder coated in a new Satin Black finish.

As with anything from Rogue Fitness, the RML-390F is heavily powder coated and offered in the only color that should be offered, black. It’s made to take a beating and

It’s made to take any beating that either you or a 200+ lb Navy Seal can throw at it.

Rogue Abram GHD 2.0

Jocko Willink gym

The Rogue Abram GHD 2.0 is, in my opinion, the best GHD for the money available today.

In fact, I like it so much it’s actually the one I have and use in my garage gym.

Utilizing the same 2×3 steel used on their power racks along with heavy-duty padding and easy adjustments, you can’t go wrong. This GHD is so overbuilt it weighs just under 250 lbs.

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Rogue Fitness
Rogue Abram GHD 2.0
Rogue Abram GHD 2.0

The Rogue Abram GHD 2.0 combines consistent performance and stability with smooth, precision adjustments and unique portability. This compact machine is a comprehensive tool for midline stabilization and the strengthening of hamstrings and glutes–all in a way that's functionally transferable to an athlete's sport.Version 2.0 keeps the core elements of the original Abram GHD and adds design innovations from Rogue's own heavy-duty Monster Swing-Arm GHD, including an advanced 10-slot roller assembly. The unit is manufactured in the USA from 2x3" 11-gauge steel, with a bolt-together, triangular-base design and rubber feet for maximum sturdiness through peak power output.Along with strengthening muscles within the posterior chain, GHD training allows one of the only safe ways to actively train your spinal erectors. GHD sit-ups also result in one of the most powerful abdominal contractions of any movement in the gym. The midline stabilization gained acts like an intrinsic weight belt protecting the spine and improving sport performance.

Many people scoff at the idea of having a GHD in a small space, but outside of the power rack, the GHD is about as versatile of a piece of equipment as they come.

You can use it for:

  • GHD Situps
  • Glute Ham Raises
  • Back Extensions
  • Leg Extensions
  • Reverse Hypers

And a whole lot of other goodness.

Don’t neglect the GHD, Jocko doesn’t.

Kettlebells and Steel Clubs

Jocko Willink workout

Being able to hinge in the hips and explode with power is one of the most transferrable movements a human can make.

One way to increase your power in this area is using kettlebells.

I once offered my Instagram followers a question on what three pieces of training equipment they would want if they were stuck on an island. One of my three was a 53 lb. kettlebell.

There’s just so much you can do with them.

The other item that shows up quite a bit on Jocko’s Instagram is the steel club from Onnit.

Although I have only a little bit of experience in using steel clubs, there are many who swear by their effectiveness. Rather than traditional lifting in which you train in a straight line, think the bench press or squat. With steel clubs, you move dynamically allowing you to transfer power in all directions.

Assault Air Bike

Jocko Willink assault air bike

“Devils Tricycle” is the name I’ve given my air bikes.

They are without a doubt the most hellacious piece of conditioning equipment I’ve ever used and one of the main reasons is because there is no break.

The Assault Air Bike is a great bike, however, there’s also a cheaper, just as capable bike in the Get RXd Xebex Air Bike that I’ve reviewed and use weekly.

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Assault Fitness
Assault AirBike

Whichever way you go, no matter the brand, if you put the effort into the bike, it will in return give you lots and lots of fitness. Also, it will make your mind stronger, and that’s just as important in training as making your muscles stronger.

For me, I like to do Tabata’s on the bike as well as 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off intervals. No matter which way you slice it, though, if you’re using it for anything other than hanging clothes on, you’re going to be in pain.

Rogue Stall Bars 3.0

Rogue Stall Bars 3.0

Stall bars have started to become more and more popular as bodyweight training comes into the spotlight that it should be in.

I’ve built stall bars and find them to be a very useful training tool. You can use them for both strength as well as flexibility training.

diy stall bars

The Stall Bars Jocko uses are made by Rogue and if you’d rather not build your own, they’re definitely the ones I would suggest.

They’re essentially the 3×3 Monster Lite uprights used in their squat stands with places for wooden dowels to be held.

The majority of training I would imagine Jocko uses them for is pull-ups, situps, leg raises, and flexibility training.

Bodyweight Training Equipment

jocko willink Bodyweight Training Equipment

Jocko does a lot of bodyweight training.

As talked about in his podcast, Jocko prioritizes pull up and dip bars above every other piece of training equipment. Pull-ups and dips can build a strong upper-body, and you don’t really need much else.

As with most likely any Navy Seal, going into the pain cave is probably his specialty. Bodyweight training allows you to pushfor a very long time without having to worry about the technicalities of lifts like the clean and jerk or snatch. It’s one of the reasons I throw in so many bodyweight movements for metcons into my training.

I like to feel pain, and I’m pretty sure Jocko does too.

If you really want to make things painful, throw on a weighted vest and do the movements as if you weigh 20 lbs heavier.

Rogue Ohio Barbell & Bumper Plates

Rogue Ohio Barbell & Bumper Plates

A good barbell and plates are essential to any garage gym.

You don’t want to choose just any barbell, and with a number of options, it can be pretty daunting when trying to decide which bar to purchase.

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Rogue Fitness
Rogue Ohio Bar
Rogue Ohio Bar

Each Rogue Ohio Bar is machined and assembled in Columbus, Ohio, and includes a lifetime guarantee against bending.The bushing sleeves on the Ohio Bar promise a reliable spin, and their snap ring design maintains optimal stability throughout any type of weightlifting regimen-- from basic high school or collegiate strength training programs to intense Crossfit workouts. This steel is manufactured in the US and has proven to be one of the best steel variants for a multi-purpose barbell.Each barbell shaft is ground and polished prior to machining which allows the bar to have a very smooth finish post any black oxide, zinc or chrome finish.Every bar shaft is machined in Columbus, Ohio. A great deal of pride is built into each bar as the knurling process is an art. We spent months working on the knurl we believe to be the best for the Ohio Bar.To test the knurl it is more a beer tasting process than exact measurement. There is a look and feel that go into testing every bar. The Ohio Bar is available with 4 different finishes. Each finish offers a different level of oxidization protection and has a direct effect on the feel of the knurl. Black Oxide is a mild oxidization protectant process. This type of steel treatment will still require some maintenance but will give the best knurl feel, more like a naked bar. Zinc is a medium oxidization protectant process. This type of steel treatment requires minimal maintenance and is used on The Rogue and Bella Bars.The Ohio Bar is also available in Stainless Steel & an advanced ceramic-based coating called Cerakote. The Ohio Bar is assembled with bronze bushings which act as bearing surfaces between the bar sleeve and bar shaft. This is a very robust way of building a barbell. Each bar will come with an Ohio Bar card that has the initials of the Rogue team member that built the bar. This bar will have normal “whip” during Olympic weightlifting and enough stiffness to hold for heavy powerlifting. The steel in this bar is proven as an excellent choice for weightlifters.

If you’d like some help in this, you can find my barbell guide here.

The Rogue Ohio Bar is a bar I personally use and overall is one of my favorites. Not only can it perform in all movements, but it also comes with a lifetime warranty.

Jocko uses crumb rubber bumpers which are most likely Hi-Temps or made by Hi-Temp and rebranded. They take a lot of space up on the bar, BUT they will last just about as long as you will.

Powerblock Dumbbells

Dumbbells not only take up a lot of space, but they’re also expensive.

They’re a necessary evil, however. Thankfully, Powerblock Dumbbells are neither overly expensive or take up a lot of space.

They can be easily adjusted and are surprisingly very durable.

Check out my in-depth Powerblock Adjustable Dumbbells review here.

Concept 2 Rower

Concept 2 Rower

The final piece of equipment that I’ve noticed Jocko uses is the Concept 2 Rower.

The Concept 2 Rower is synonymous with garage gyms because they take up little space and can give you one of the best full body conditioning workouts available.

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Concept 2
Concept2 RowErg
Concept2 RowErg

The Concept 2 Model D Rower is perhaps the most popular rowing machine on the market, found in commercial gyms and home gyms around the world.  It  provides a low-impact, full-body workout and uses air resistance generated by a fanned flywheel.  The Model D has an adjustable damper setting from 1 to 10 allowing you to move with ease or with more resistance and intensity.The Model D comes with adjustable foot-rests, a 14-inch seat height with an aluminum l-beam monorail and stainless steel track for a smooth back-and-forth slide.  This is a light cardio machine with wheels, which means you can move it with ease around your space. Also, for storage, the rower can be easily broken down into two segments, hung on a wall with a Rogue wall hanger, or simply tilted upright and stored vertically.  The PM5 Performance Monitor gives instant feedback on pace, watts, calories, distance, and rpms.  The monitor is easily adjustable, Bluetooth-compatible, and can easily connect to a heart rate monitor or the ErgData app.  

Jocko has stated in his podcast that he’s had a rower for a long time and sees it as one of the best conditioning tools available.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Essential Gym Equipment According to Jocko in Order

  1. Gymnastic Rings
  2. Squat Rack
  3. Barbell & Plates
  4. Kettlebells
  5. Concept 2 Rower
  6. Air Bike
  7. Jump Rope
  8. Medballs

Then it comes down to what other equipment that you’d like to use that could vary your training.

How does Jocko Workout

Although I haven’t seen any exact workouts other than Murph that Jocko has partaken in, I can imagine it’s quite the mix.

Although I haven’t heard him say he does CrossFit, I do know he does kipping pullups, functional movements, and lifts heavy weight.

So, if I had to guess, Jocko’s training probably looks a lot like CrossFit.

Constantly Varied.

High Intensity.

Functional Movements.

He’s also given some advice to beginners on how to train that I was pumped to see.

Starting Strength as I’ve said many times is the best training book for beginners, and many advanced trainees would do good by going back to the basics introduced in Rippetoe’s book.

I actually did a full review of Starting Strength and gained over 100 LB on my lifts.

Here’s some advice that I’ll give in relation to training that I believe Jocko would agree with.

Keep it Simple. Train Hard. Train Often. Lift Heavy. Lift Fast. Run Hard. Eat Steak. Pain is Good.

“Discipline =Freedom.”– Jocko Willink

2020 Update

As you could imagine, Jocko is still, “getting after it.”

There are a few staples in just about every photo that Jocko posts of his workouts.

One is his squat rack, the Rogue RML-390F. This is one of Rogue’s best selling squat racks, and for good reason. It utilizes 3″x3″ uprights made of 11-gauge steel right here in the US and is compatible with all of the Monster Lite accessories. It can hold many pull-up bars, and best of all for most garage gym owners, has flat feet so it doesn’t have to be bolted to the floor.

Here’s a recent photo of his rack:

Rogue RML-390F

If you notice, he has quite a few different accessories, but what sticks out to me is the climbing chalk bag strung on the left upright. Every home gym worth its salt should have chalk. It’s nice to know Jocko also uses it and it’s not surprising with the amount of pull-up bar pictures he posts.

Speaking of pull-up bars, one newer piece of equipment that Jocko has added since we originally featured his garage gym is the Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar.

Jocko Willink Rogue RML-390F
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Jocko's Pull-Up Bar
Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar
Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar

Perhaps one of the sturdiest (and sexiest) doorway pull-up bars available, the Rogue Jammer Pull-Up Bar is commercial quality but optimized for home gyms. The system includes a 43-inch long stringer, 0.375-inch thick laser-cut steel brackets, and a custom-finished 1.125-inch diameter bar. It’s designed to mount into wood studs above a door frame, and it comes with a set of six 0.375-inch x 2.5-inch wood lags for mounting the stringer. Rogue points out that if you want to mount the Jammer Pull-Up Bar anywhere besides above a door frame, you should probably hire a contractor to help—Rogue pull-ups assemblies are only warrantied if they’re installed properly. One cool thing about the Jammer Pull-Up Bar is that it’s customizable. The bar is available in a variety of Cerakote finishes, stainless steel, or the standard Rogue matte black powder coat. The stringer and brackets are available in a gloss or textured finish. 

The Jammer Pull-Up Bar from Rogue is by far the most stable doorway pull-up bar on the market. I have one in my garage and regardless of who’s doing pull-ups on it, how heavy they are, what style they’re doing them, the bar remains rock solid. You can add knurled handles, Cerakoted, powder-coated or stainless steel. Fully custom and works great.

Jocko’s Jammer Pull-Up Bar is just the basic black powder coat that’s been tried and tested for years. Many CrossFit gyms have used the exact same bars for years now without any issues, although they can eventually chip and develop rust.

Suples Bulgarian Bag

One other new and unique piece of equipment is a Suples Bulgarian Bag.

These are made of a genuine leather shell with a weighted inside ranging from 11 LB all the weight up to around 80 LB. Many wrestlers swear by them as they’re great for rotational work similar to throwing someone on the ground. I’m sure many guys who train for BJJ also like the bag, which is something Jocko trains for.

All in all, it’s cool to see Jocko still training hard in his garage gym. I hope it inspires you as much as it does me.

jocko willink gym

Further reading

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Jocko Willink is someone who has really inspired me and continues to inspire through his podcast and content. One thing I’ve always wanted to see more of was his garage gym. Through following him on social media, I’ve tried to piece together what equipment he uses as well as his training style.Jocko Willink is a true American Hero.You see, we in America often idolize those men and women who make tabloids,  » Read more about: Jocko Willink’s Garage Gym & Training  » Read more

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