Sergeant Cort is a strong guy with a big heart. Not only is his garage gym the envy of his neighborhood, but when he's not putting up crazy numbers on the platform, he's a member of SWAT busting in doors and serving his community on the local Police Force. Cort is no doubt, Garage Gym Built.
Cort has an epic powerlifting home gym filled with some of the best equipment from Rogue Fitness, ER Equipment, Buddy Capps, and more. However, what’s more impressive than his gym is the way he’s able to stay strong and compete while serving his local community as the Sergeant for his Police Force.
Most recently, during our 2019 Garage Gym Tour we were able to visit Cort, talk about his training, do a walkthrough of his gym, and learn more about what he does for a living. Despite all of the time he puts in at work both as a Sergeant and a member of SWAT, Cort lifts massive amounts of weight and competes on a high level.
You can find Cort on Instagram @sergeant_gymaddict.
Here is the equipment he has in his garage gym.
Sergeant Cort's Home Gym Walkthrough
Squat Racks


Cort has two racks in his gym, three if you count the bench which is basically a squat rack made to only bench out of.
The first is the Rogue RML-390F.
The Rogue RML-390F is a flat foot rack that has all the features of Rogue’s bolt-down racks, without the requirement of having to be bolted down. It’s one of the most reviewed racks on Rogue’s website and is a favorite among many who have no desire to bolt into their foundation.
The Rogue RML-390F has recently been replaced by a red Rogue RM-3, however. The RM-3 is similar to the RML-390, however it has bigger holes and bolts, color options, and can be bolted to the ground. Both racks are beastly, but the Monster series is definitely a step up.

The other rack that is likely the one used most often by Cort is the ER Equipment Combo Rack. This rack can be used for squats or bench thanks to its removable bench pad, and is similar if not the same rack to what Cort uses when competing in the USAPL. This Combo Rack features metal rollers that are known to wear down the knurling on the bar (something Cort mentioned), safety spotter arms, and an adjustable height that makes it easy to lift with other people.

Cort also has a Rogue Westside Bench 2.0 that we’ve reviewed in the past. This bench is an absolute beast as it pretty much is just a squat rack with a bolt-on bench included. Cort said that now that he has the Combo Rack, this gets used less, but it’s still a sweet piece of equipment.
Barbells


Every garage gym that is worth its weight has a nice collection of barbells and Cort’s is no different.
The bars that get used most often are two Stainless Steel Rogue Ohio Powers. We’ve reviewed these in the past and they are one of the most used bars in our gym as well.
The Rogue Ohio Power Bar features a high tensile strength with one of the best knurlings in the industry. Cort has a 45 LB and 20 KG version so he has all his bases covered.
In addition to the OPB’s, Cort has a Rogue Westside Power Bar that has a slightly more aggressive knurl than the OPB’s as well as a Rogue Ohio Bar for general training and a Buddy Capps Texas Deadlift Bar.
We love the variety of Olympic Bars in Cort’s gym known as the IronBorn Strength Club. If there was one thing we’d suggest, it would be to add some specialty bars. They add a lot of variety to your training and are honestly just fun to use.
Weight Plates


The only plates Cort has in his gym, and the only plates he needs, are the Rogue Calibrated KG Steel Plates.
We have a full 459KG set of these as well and have reviewed them with great remarks in the past. The Calibrated Plates from Rogue are known for being extremely accurate, being able to take a beating (although expect the paint to chip) and priced as well if not better than most of the competition.
If you powerlift and plan to compete like Cort does, it’s helpful to use the same equipment in practice as what you’ll use on gameday. Cort has more than enough weight for himself to use, but does say he sometimes runs out of plates if he has a training partner with him.
Miscellaneous Equipment


Cort has quite a few other pieces of equipment that stand out, most notably, the Rogue Monster Rhino Belt Squat.
We have a full review of the Rogue Rhino that you can find here, but suffice it to say, this is our favorite belt squat currently available. It has a great combination of features for the price and is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in our gym.
Cort uses his Rogue Rhino for belt squats, but also for calf raises, lat pulls, curls, and more. The Rhino also doesn’t take up too much space so it fits well in a garage gym. Although pricier than other options like the SquatMax-MD (which we honestly prefer for just squatting) the Rhino simply can’t be beaten for its level of versatility by competitors.

The other piece of equipment that stood out to us from Cort’s Home Gym was the Rogue Echo Bike. This is another piece of equipment we reviewed when it was released and it even made the Top Pick on our Best Air Bike Guide.
The best way to describe the Echo Bike is it’s like Rogue took a squat rack, chopped it up, and turned it into an air bike. It’s that beefy and is even sturdy enough for a 600 LB deadlifter like Cort to do max effort sprints on without it shaking. For real, even the fan blades are metal. Who makes metal fan blades?!
The Echo Bike is by far the air bike that we recommend most often. So, if you’re in the market for one, check it out. Cort approved.

In addition the the equipment mentioned, Cort has the Rep AB-5100 Adjustable Bench. He said he chose the bench based on our review of the AB-5000 Zero Gap and wishes he would have spent a bit more for the one we have. The 5100 has all of the same features as the Rep AB-5000 Zero Gap, but without the sliding seat.
Regardless, the 5100 is an awesome bench and honestly, one of the best value incline benches on the market. And, because it’s red, it matches his ER Combo Rack and new Monster Rack.
The other bench Cort has is a Rogue Monster Utility Bench with a Thompson Fat Pad. That makes for four places to bench from in Cort’s gym and probably why he benches almost 400 LBs.
Lastly, Cort has a set of IronMaster Adjustable Dummbells that can be used for everything from weighing his Combo Rack down to being used for incline bench, dumbbell rows, curls, and other more isolated movements.
Sergeant Cort's Best Lifts

Although we’re unsure of exactly what Cort’s best lifts are, his latest meet proved to be impressive.
His results gave him 2nd Overall at the 2019 Midwest Regionals by the USA Powerlifting Federation where he went 8/9
His numbers were:
Squat: 491 LB - 507 LB - 524 LB
Bench: 336 LB - 352 LB - 369 LB
Deadlift: 573 LB - 606 LB
Further reading

Building a Budget Home Gym from Titan Fitness
Titan Fitness is known for making budget-friendly home gym equipment. However, wading through the vast amount of equipment they sell and determining which is worth buying and which isn't can be difficult. We've used, arguably, more gear from Titan Fitness than anyone in the world (other than employees of the company) and are taking our experience as well as others to provide recommendations on the best equipment available from Titan. Read More

How to Build a Powerlifting Home Gym
Powerlifting is built around three lifts – the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Therefore, a home gym designed for Powerlifting will require equipment that allows these three lifts to be performed, while also aiding in strengthening these lifts. These are the pieces of equipment we suggest to build the ultimate Powerlifting Home Gym. Read More

What is a Belt Squat Machine?
The Belt Squat Machine is a versatile piece of equipment designed to mimick the barbell back squat without spinal loading. Read More

The 10 Best Budget Home Gym Setups I've Ever Seen
When building a home gym on a budget, determining what equipment to buy and where to put things can be difficult. So, to give you some inspiration, here are the 10 best budget home gym setups we've encountered. Read More