Power Athlete Garage Gym

By John | Published: September 19, 2011

Hey John,
Thought it would be badass to have an article on setting up a cffb garage gym.
Thank you,
James

James,
Thanks for the suggestion. I read your question a few weeks ago, thought it over and agree there should be a equipment list for a CFFB garage gym.
The gym should have basic useful equipment with no frills. Let’s assume you won’t have a ton a room, so everything needs to be multi-purpose.
I feel you should ask yourself one question when selecting equipment.
Would Conan or Rocky has used this in their training?

- I think the most versatile piece of equipment out there is the Base Station/Yoke of Goergen from Sorinex or the Yoke from Rogue…it reminds me of the wheel Conan pushes. You can squat, bench, press, do pull ups & chin ups, use it as a push/pull sled, as a yoke and for farmer’s carries. You can attach a platform for box jumps, attach a dip bar and attach bands for dynamic work. This single piece of equipment covers about 80% of what you will need.

- Adjustable utility bench.

- Texas Power Bar + a good bar with bearings that spin. You don’t have buy an Eleiko bar, but something that spins is a good idea when doing the Olympic lifts.
- 400 lbs of rubber weights + 300 lbs of iron weights.
- Pair of adjustable dumbbell handles (this is where the 25 lbs iron plates come in handy, as you can make your own dumbbells) for DB bench, single arm DB rows, ect.
- The Prowler Sled – There are several different types on the Internet or you can find some to weld one up. They are pretty basic and are great for pushing and even better for dragging.

- One 2-pood Kettlebell.
- Concept 2 rower or Aerodyne bike. The aerodyne takes up less room than the C2. Both are great pieces of equipment.
- 1 green 50 pound ball slam from Muscle Driver. They have a 5 year warranty.
- 12-20 lbs sledge hammer from Home Depot and a big tractor tire. The tires can be found for free, just takes some searching.
- 4 sheets of plywood and 3-4 rubber stall mats. The wood can be found at Home Depot and the stall mats can be found at a local livery supply store. While you are there pick up a large horse trough, great for taking an ice bath on hot days.

That is about all you will need to accomplish 99% of the workouts and about all a person could possibly need. One piece to remember is a GHD machine, it is extremely useful for training the posterior chain.
My goal, is to one day have my own backyard gym. Since I live in sunny Southern California, there is no need to fill up the garage with equipment, as the weather is good all year around. Even though, I own my own gym, I have long wished to have weights in the backyard. Now I just need to get a backyard.


John