Articles about: Strength Equipment

Get a full body workout in with just one piece of equipment When the pandemic hit, people were scrambling to purchase a set of dumbbells. Why? Because they are a versatile piece of equipment that can be used at home to build total body strength.  For most of us, dumbbells call to mind the bicep curl, which is, of course, the king of upper body isolation exercises. But they can be used for oh,  » Read more about: Best Dumbbell Workouts to Target Every Muscle Group  »

In this Titan Plate Loaded Lat Pulldown review, I’ll share my honest opinion on the quality, value, and who I believe this machine is best for.

In my Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0 review, I’ll explain why, despite it being one of the best benches I’ve tried out, it may not be the best choice for everyone’s home gym. 

My Hyperwear SteelBell review looks at how the SteelBell compares to other training tools, including slam balls and kettlebells and whether it’s a worthwhile buy for your home gym. 

These sandbags have a whopping max weight at 400 pounds. In this Rogue Strongman Sandbags review, I’ll lay out all the details you’re dying to know, including materials used and my thoughts on workout performance as well as durability. 

When it comes to blending strength and conditioning, the kettlebell might be the most versatile piece of equipment there is. Read on to find the different kettlebells I like and why.

I’m not the largest lifter out there (shocking, I know). So when I saw the size of the Rogue Thompson Fat Pad, I was immediately skeptical. This thing lives up to its name by being...well, fat, to the point it made me look like a little girl.But, as your parents probably told you, you should never judge a book by its cover. After all, a fat pad designed by powerlifting legend Donnie Thompson has to be good, right? In my review of the Rogue Thompson Fat Pad, I’ll discuss how my initial thoughts were flipped after putting it to the test. Why You Should Trust UsAside from having researched, used, and extensively tested dozens of weight benches—of all varieties—we’ve also compiled the most comprehensive guide for the best benches for home gyms. I personally used the Rogue Fat Pad withdumbbells, benching, barbell work and more.Beyond that, I’ve also spent years lifting weights, so I know what a comfortable weight bench feels like. And I’m a garage gym owner, so I know what people are looking for to get the most bang for their buck. You can trust I’ll give an honest review and not lead you in the wrong direction.

I love a good showdown between two pieces of the best home gym equipment. It makes me feel like I'm John Cena or in the WWE. A man can dream, ok? Anyway, I’m sharing with you, the lovely readers of Garage Gym Reviews, my thoughts on two of the best adjustable dumbbells in the game: the Ironmaster Quick-Lock Adjustable Dumbbells and the PowerBlock USA Elite Series Adjustable Dumbbells.In this showdown, you’ll hear my thoughts on the great Ironmaster vs. PowerBlock debate and what I think you really need to know. Neither of these products are exactly monetarily equivalent to picking up a sausage biscuit at McDonald’s, so I know you want to get this purchase right. I’ll help by giving you all the details on price, warranty, customer reviews, and workout experience.

I’m someone with a multitude of large, bulky machines packed tightly into my garage gym. Space saving options have always intrigued me, but there are few genuinely good alternatives to the traditional cable machine or home gym. This brings us to the MAXPRO SmartConnect that I’ve been testing over the past 5 months. It’s a portable cable machine that weighs under 10 pounds, can produce resistance up to 300 LB and can go wherever I do.In this MAXPRO SmartConnect home gym review, I’ll let you know why I think this could be a solid buy for you if you’re tight on space or travel frequently. I know the amount of options out there can be dizzying, and I’m here to give you my honest opinion and all the facts you need to know before making a big purchase.Why You Should Trust UsI’ve tested tons of different home gyms including smart gyms like theTonal, training racks like thePrime Fitness Prodigy, and total body gyms like theBowflex HVT. I know the things that most home gym users are looking for and the industry standards on different aspects like durability, warranty, and overall user friendliness.

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re probably pretty familiar with the brand Kabuki Strength. In the past few years, they’ve put out some of my favorite products including the versatile Trap Bar, Transformer Bar V4, and New Generation Power Bar. Kabuki recently released a flywheel, and I’ve been itching to try it.In this Kabuki Kratos Flywheel review, I’ll walk you through what’s included, unique aspects of this product, and my final thoughts. As always, I’ll give you all the details you need to make a smart buying decision for you.For those of you who aren’t familiar with flywheel training, it can be an effective way to build strength within your body’s connective tissue. It can also increase overall power, muscle hypertrophy, and force.Essentially, it’s useful for eccentric overload training where the muscle is stretched during both the lifting and lowering of your reps. The resistance is inertia driven, which means it is all based on how much force the user puts into the movement with the flywheel.

The Exxentric kPulley2is a flywheel training machine that is deceivingly simple in its operation, but brutal in its application. Although there are other flywheel machines available, Exxentric is by far the leader and the kPulley2 can add a ton of variety to any home gym, if you’re willing to spend the money.

The MX Select Adjustable Dumbbellsare available in 35, 55, and now 85 LB dumbbell increments and were one of the original, quick-change adjustable dumbbells. After using them over the past two months and comparing them to the dozens of competitors we have on hand, we have mixed feelings. On one hand, we like the compactness and fit and finish, but on the other hand, there are more modern options that have improved on the design.

The Titan Leg Curl / Extension Machineis a compact, plate-loaded machine that doubles as a seated leg curl and leg extension machine perfect for home gyms. The price point, features, and quality are all a step above what Titan Fitness typically offers and I recommend it if you have the space and want to pack some muscle on your quads and hammies.

The Tonal Smart Home Gymis the most pleasantly surprising piece of gym equipment I’ve reviewed in recent memory. Despite loving barbells as much as I do, Tonal has made me a complete believer that smart home gyms are the future for many trainees. Not only is the hardware impressive, but the software in concert has made this something we would certainly recommend to those wanting an all in one unit for their home gym.

The Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbellsare arguably the most popular adjustable dumbbellsin the world. They’re quick to change, available everywhere, have a decent max weight, and are priced extremely affordably. Although I prefer other adjustables above these for various reasons, if you’re on a budget, the 552’s are a tremendous value, although not without some quirks.

The Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebellis an adjustable kettlebell that goes from 8LB to 40LB using a quick dial. After using the kettlebell for swings, Turkish getups, goblet squats, jerks, lunges, and farmers carries, I must say, it’s a good design.It’s from Bowflex, so it uses a lot of plastic and isn’t great for hard use, but if you’re looking for a compact kettlebell with low max weight, I recommend it and put it on my list of the best kettlebells on the market.

The Pepin Adjustable Dumbbellsare a good value adjustable dumbbell set that hits the mark in a lot of areas. The knurling is great, the machining is precise and consistent, the chrome plating is quality, and the plates are fantastic. We initially didn't recommend them due to a potential safety issue. However, despite the Pepin's not being recommended to be dropped, they've improved the design and we feel confident enough in the updated design to now recommend them.

If you’re looking to add a set of adjustable dumbbells to your home gym that look and feel like traditional dumbbells, then the Ironmaster Quick-Lock Adjustable Dumbbells are probably the best adjustable dumbbells for you. There are certainly other adjustable dumbbells we prefer for various purposes, such as Powerblocks, however, the ability to go very heavy and have the look and feel of fixed dumbbells is unique to Ironmasters. After testing and reviewing Ironmasters over the past couple of years, we do recommend them, although certainly with some caveats.

The Rogue Z-Hyperis Rogue Fitness premiere reverse hyper designed to be as sturdy and stable as possible. After using and reviewing the Z-Hyper and comparing it to other options, we think for most people that the Rogue RH-2 or Rogue Westside Scout Hyper is a better option for a home gym. However, if you plan to upgrade to the Rogue Donkey someday, the Z-Hyper is a good option.

The Onnit Kettlebellsare like the most popular product the company sells. After using and reviewing nearly every kettlebell Onnit makes, including their character versions like the Star Wars collaboration, we are confident in the quality and durability of the Onnit Kettlebells.They’re not the best value as there are other companies offering similar kettlebells at lower prices, but overall, we recommend Onnit Kettlebells and put them on our list of the best kettlebells.

The Titan Lat Toweris the best value lat pulldown for most home gym owners that we’ve ever reviewed. Everything from the packaging to the performance of the machine makes us feel like the machine is worth much more than their asking price. If you’re looking to add a lat pulldown to your garage gym, we suggest the Lat Tower from Titan Fitness. It’s our favorite piece of equipment they make and I now own two I liked them so much.

The NÜOBELL Adjustable Dumbbellsare the quickest adjusting dumbbells we've ever tested or reviewed (and we've used a lot of them.) There are many great adjustable dumbbells on the market with more being created every day, but there's no doubt that these stand out among most. Despite the ease of adjustment and relatively high weight increments (80 LB) we don't feel like these are better than Powerblocks or Ironmasters for most people.

The Sorinex J*Squatis a belt squat that attaches to Jammer Arms allowing the trainee to squat, march, deadlift, row, and do other movements otherwise not possible with Jammer Arms alone. After using them for over 6 months, Danny Tran of Infamous Strength gives his Sorinex J*Squat Review by saying, “if you already have a set of adjustable jammer arms and are extremely limited on space, this belt squat may be the best option for you.” However, it is a lever arm style of belt squat, so there are limiting factors inherent.

The Westside Barbell Scout Hyper by Rogue Fitnessis a foldable reverse hyper created and patented by powerlifting legend Louie Simmons. Veering quite dramatically from the direction of most Rogue Fitness equipment, the Scout Hyper neither made in the USA or an ‘over-built’ product. Despite these differences from typical Rogue Fitness Equipment, the Scout Hyper is a decent, budget-friendly hyper that saves both space and cash.

The Fray Fitness Functional Trainer is one of the best home gym cable machines available. Although it states it is "commercial-quality," we disagree, but that does not mean it's not a good machine. It is one of the cheapest functional trainers you can get with 200 LB weight stacks. If you have a home gym and want to add a cable machine on a budget, this is a good option.

After using Rogue Kettlebells for over 5 years including the Powder Coat version and new E-Coat version as well as practically every competitor on the market, I believe the new Rogue E-Coat Kettlebells are the best kettlebells on the market for most people.They are made in the USA, use a superior finish to powder coat, have a tight weight tolerance warranty, and come in every weight increment desired all at one of the most affordable prices available.

Angles90 are a simple, yet highly effective set of handles that is purported to increase the range of motion and require more body tension during various pulling workouts. After using Angles90 for nearly two months for all sorts of movements like deadlifts, shrugs, rows, pull-ups, and more, we can confidently recommend to anyone that wants to vary their grip for different bar based pulling (and some extension) movements.

The REP Fitness FB-5000 Flat Bench is by quite a large margin, the best value flat bench currently available to home gym owners. It features an intelligent design, great padding, grippy vinyl, and other standout features at an excellent price point. Whether your max bench press is 135 LB or 500 LB, you'll have a hard time finding a better value weight bench.

The Rogue Monster Utility Bench 2.0 is the best flat weight bench that Rogue Fitness sells, but not the one we most recommend. We believe this bench is incredibly sturdy, overbuilt, and strong, however, we do believe there are better value options available. We do recommend the Monster Utility Bench 2.0, but only to those with deep pockets and a desire for things that are Made in the USA and top of the line.

Flex Wheeler's Back Widow is one of the most versatile cable machine attachments ever created. It's great as a "back blaster" for lat pulldowns and rows, but works just as well for curls and tricep work. In addition to that, it doubles as a deadlift jack and also works as a landmine. Honestly, unless you're conscious of all it does, you'll forget just how often you can use it. It is expensive and we do recommend it, but only to those that will use it's various capabilities and don't want to take up space with a ton of different attachments.

The REP AB-5200 FI Adjustable Bench is one of the best incline benches we've ever reviewed. Not only is it feature-packed with a laser-cut ladder style system, grippy vinyl, and a stand-up feature, but it offers all of this in at an excellent price point compared to the competition. It is a big, heavy bench and is still pretty more expensive than some prefer, but for those that want a high-end adjustable bench at a price most can swallow, this is an excellent option for your home gym.

Clench Fitnesshas created a Band Handle that allows trainees to use bands without having to hold them in their hands. It's a unique idea that's done well and is perfectly suited for the home gym owner. They also create bands, however, any standard band will work in the handle.

The Rogue Monster Lat Pull Down/Low Row is one of the beefiest lat pulldown machines on the market. Featuring a 300 LB weight stack, ability to do pulldowns and low rows, made in the USA construction, and a great warranty this is one of the best lat pulldown machines available...although an expensive one.

The kBox4 from Exxentric is a revolutionary piece of training equipment that is unlike anything we've tested before. Not only is the flywheel system employed by the kBox4 effective, but the build quality and precision of the machine is unparalleled.

The Standing Back Extension from Edge Fitness Systems is a new spin on an old design proposed by legendary strongman Paul Anderson. Not only is this piece a game changer regarding training the posterior chain, but it is also sure to become a mainstay and stand alongside staples such as the GHR, Reverse Hyper, and Belt Squat Machine.

The Genesis Deadlift Jack has upped the game by providing a lightweight and very durable deadlift jack that will take up almost zero space in any commercial or home gym. At a pretty great price, the Genesis Jack should rank near the top of any deadlift jack list.

BenchBlokz are a product that creates a way to simulate board presses using a hard foam that takes up less space than typical wooden boards. Although an extremely simple product, they are definitely an idea that makes you step back and say, "why didn't I think of that?"a

The Rep Fitness AB-5000 ZERO GAP Adjustable Bench is, put simply, one of the best adjustable benches for the money on the market. Featuring a variety of unique features including a wider pad, sliding seat, stainless steel wear guards, a variety of angles, and just an overall high-end fit and finish, this bench is one of our favorites that we've ever tested.

The Prime Fitness RO-T8 Handles and other attachments are some of the most engineered cable attachments ever created. After using the entire RO-T8 family over the course of 45 days, we can confidently give a high recommendation for anyone doing cable work. Not only are they incredibly versatile, but they are also comfortable and easy to use.

After using the Sorinex Glute Ham Roller extensively over two months, we can confidently conclude that this is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment for the amount of space it takes up that's currently available. Not only is it incredibly versatile, but it's also extremely space efficient and economically priced. Simply put, we're big fans.

The Gripedo Trainer is an incredibly versatile grip building tools that is a swiss army knife of sorts. Thanks to its unique design and ability to be used in multiple ways, we recommend the Gripedo Trainer to anyone looking for a piece of equipment to increase training versatility with minimum space, although we would like to see the price decreased.

Titan Fitness has taken another step into the fitness community by releasing their new Competition Style Kettlebells. With already offering a cast iron kettlebell for a home gym or local box, Titan Fitness has released another piece of equipment that is sure to be one of the best kettlebells for those looking into a more accurate and uniform sized bell.

The Rogue Thompson Fatbells are a collaboration between Rogue Fitness and Donnie Thompson that are designed to essentially replace both kettlebells and dumbbells. We find, after using them over two years, that they are a great addition to training, but not a replacement for kettlebells.

Vulcan Absolute Competition Kettlebells are some of thebest kettlebells available for the price. They're casted extremely well and have a very competitive price. We definitely give our recommendation.

The Rep Fitness Adjustable Bench is one of the best value benches currently available. The Rep Fitness Flat Bench is also a great option at a great price for those looking for a capable bench with a large weight capacity.

Titan Fitness has released their highly requested Deadlift Platform. Similar to the Rogue Fitness Deadlift Platform at a much lower price point, this platform is sure to be among the most popular available.

The Sorinex Belt Squat Machine is one of the premier belt squats currently on the market. It's undoubtedly one of the largest belt squat machines, but if you have the space and money, it's an outstandingly versatile machine. Squats, push-ups, upperback work, and more can all be performed on this piece of equipment

The Rep Fitness Rubber Coated Hex Dumbbells are some of the best value dumbbells currently available. Combining high-quality rubber heads with a straight handle not typically seen with this price of dumbbell, we highly recommend these for people looking to outfit their facility or garage gym with dumbbells.

The Rogue Rhino Belt Squat is Rogue Fitness' first foray into belt squats and in typical Rogue fashion, they went all out. Rogue partnered with Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell to create an affordable cable-based belt squat that in our testing, is the best value belt squat we've tested.We highly recommend the Rogue Rhino Belt Squat to anyone wanting a belt squat with a lot of variety at a surprisingly affordable price (compared to a lot of the competition.)

The Squatmax-MD Belt Squatutilizes free weight and a unique pin and guide rod system to allow for vertical squatting. After testing the Squatmax-MD and comparing it to a cable-based belt squat (the Rogue Rhino) and lever-arm belt squat (Titan Belt Squat, Pitshark, and Wenning Belt Squat) we can confidently recommend the Squatmax-MD. It takes longer to set up and doesn't have the versatility of cable-based systems, but for squatting, the Squatmax-MD is hard to beat.

The Rogue Abram GHD 2.0is one of the best glute-ham developers currently available. Featuring a frame made of 2x3 steel along with heavy-duty pads and rollers, although expensive, the Abram GHD 2.0 is made to last.

Titan Fitness has released their much-anticipated Belt Squat Machine which takes the lever style belt squat and makes it at the most affordable price yet.

The Rogue Flat Utility 2.0 Bench is one of, if not the best flat bench available on the market. Rogue has kept the design simple, but yet effective in durability and stability. With its lifetime warranty and structure that can handle just about anything you throw at it, the Rogue Flat Utility 2.0 Bench will be a great addition to any home or commercial gym.