Hey everyone! I live in South Carolina and, of course, lift weights (duh lol). Anyways, I’m set up upstairs in our loft right now but I’m planning to move my rack, barbell, dumbbells, etc. into my garage. I also have a hack squat machine being delivered tomorrow, which is one of the main reasons I’m shifting everything to the garage. The humidity in there ranges from 55-70%. The garage isn’t fully sealed but it’s well insulated.

I’ve got a buddy who has a garage gym with a ton of equipment, and he’s been using it without AC or a dehumidifier, just fans. Surprisingly, he hasn’t dealt with any rust. I’m curious—can I move everything into the garage without worrying about rust? I could apply Rust-Oleum as a precaution, but I wanted to check first. It gets pretty humid here. Thanks y’all!

Got a massive REP delivery, are there assembly instructions somewhere?

Have a 10’x20’ space in my garage that I’ll be using for my home gym. Leaning towards the BoS all in one trainer - but interested in hearing this subs perspective.

just ordered the giant contrast bumper plates made from virgin rubber. Does anyone have these? do these give off that strong rubber smell like horse stall mats?

I’m planning to build out a home gym inside my house in an unused living area. Said area has tile floors so bolting a squat rack down isn’t an option. If I get a full power rack is it okay to not bolt it? Also, I’m planning to put horse stall mats down to cover the tile. Will a rack do well sitting on stall mats or should I look at other options for flooring? I’m not going to be doing any crazy weight but want protection in case of any accidental drops. I appreciate any input you have! Thanks!

I've seen most functional trainers and cable towers are 2:1 either with weight plates or weight stack.

For example, Bells of Steel cable tower with 210 lbs weight stack retails for $1200, but since is 2 to 1, then isn't that just a pathetic 105lbs with lat pull down or rows? They ship with a cable adapter to make it 1:1

https://bellsofsteel.us/products/cable-tower?variant=43315683492037

This is what I don't understand, so without the cable adapter, if you are doing pull down by pulling both handles, does this mean is only 105lbs max? and you need the cable adapter to join them then attach a lat pull down bar?

There is Rep Arcadia with 340lbs stacks total, but at 2:1 is 170lbs max, if you do the stack upgrade to 440lbs, then is 220lbs max but this functional trainers is $2000 base stack

Only legit lat pull down/row machines are 1:1 and usually come with 250-330lbs stack, but they're expensive and huge in size

It seems buying anything 2:1 is a waste of money that you will outgrow fairly quickly.

Ironmasters makes a lat pull down attachment for their bench or with a seat and is 1:1, but no weight, the good thing is it can accommodate standard and olympic plates including the ironmaster dumbbells, the downside is the row is on the opposite side, so you need to turn it around every time to do rows

I've been eyeballing this Titan Fitness fan bike and it's currently on sale for $600. You guys think it would be worth it to wait until Black Friday to see if it drops more or should I just pull the trigger?

Also, have any of you used this particular fan bike? Any opinions? I've got other stuff from Titan and they seem solid.

https://titan.fitness/products/titan-fitness-fan-bike

I’m getting this error on all Rep pages. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m in Australia but I’ve never had an issue before

Anyone know if Rep is planning to put the Adonis on sale? Maybe drop other predictions and hopes in the thread below.

I am planning to build a functional workout gym at home. The gym where I go nowadays has a Torque Relentless Ripper - a sky machine with adjustable magnetic resistance.

I would love to have that at home, as it simulates the kind resistance I need, but that one is only good for pulling down, simulating a skying motion. I want the same kind of resistance in every angle and at every height, as a cable machine would have.

What would you suggest?

• A make do approach: the Torque thing, and install adjustable pulleys under it to redirect the cables (not preferred, I’m not very good at this)? Any pulleys suggested?

• A flywheel machine, which one then? (variable resistance?)

• Just quit making it complicated and buy a cable machine?

I recently purchased one of these and noted when looking into it that there aren't a whole lot of reviews for it, so here it is:

Two sentence review: It’s a beast and to the best of my knowledge nothing beats it at it’s price point. However, it’s not without it’s flaws, frustrations, and it seems like everybody is making a similar product right now, so there very well might already be a better choice I’m not aware of, or something just around the corner.

The Rack: It’s a really nice cage. Specifically this is their Osprey power cage with 3x3 posts made of 11-Gauge steel and 1 inch holes. It’s overkill for a home gym imo, but it’s nice. One thing I didn’t think about until I was putting it together is that you are taking a nice cage, and immediately making a trade off by putting in weight stacks. Yes, you get a functional trainer and can still use it as a half rack, but that’s the end of using it as a proper cage. I’m still very happy as it does so much, in such a small foot print, but if you have a big space and a big budget, you may want your cage to be separate from your functional trainer.

As for using it as a half rack, it's nice and I have zero complaints. There really isn't much else to say.

Of note, the rack capacity is 1200lbs, but they don't specifiy anywhere I can see what the spotter arms are rated for. As the arms are slightly different from the other arms they sell, if you are lifting crazy heavy, you may want to inquire.

Functional Trainer: It’s nice, but could be better. Gluck’s Gym didn’t think if felt all that smooth, but the unit I have is as smooth as can be. As the unit is tall, there is plenty of cable travel for a 1:1 pully system, so unless you are crazy tall or have a crazy wide wing span, you should be able to do whatever you want as long as you are careful about your positioning. This does point out a con though, which is that a 2:1 system with tons of travel is undeniably better for a functional trainer. However, then you need bigger stacks, and it gets more complicated, and that equals more money, so I’m fine with the trade off, but it is a trade off, 1:1 is not a feature.

I should also point out that the lowest weight isn’t all that low. Since it’s 1:1 you can’t go lower than 1 plate + the trolley. I would guess it’s about 15 pounds even if labled 10. Certain movements for weaker individuals are going to be a no go. On the upside Fringe says it’s designed to work with a GymPin, so you can load plates if you outgrow the stack. It's rated at 1000lbs static and 750lbs dynamic (which I assume is total and not per side), so plenty of room to grow if you go that route.

It’s also the case that the smallest increment is 10 pounds. So if you want to go up by less, you will need adder weights or a GymPin.

For practical purposes though, for me and my wife, it’s pretty much perfect, but if you have ever used a fancy trainer in a comerical gym, you are going to find this a bit lacking.

Lat Pulldown / Low Row: Here the 1:1 ratio and ability to use a Gympin is great, as stronger lifters will exceed the 160 pound stack. I have not purchased their Lat Pulldown seat yet so I can’t comment, but sitting on my bench with a lat attachment leaves me with about an inch or two more of travel after a full stretch. I imagine the seat would put me at about the same height. So if you are over 6 foot or have really long arms, you might not be able to get a full stretch. There is some minor positional awkwardness using a setup like this vs. a dedicated machine, but it’s fine for the movement.

As for low rows I have no complaints. I don’t have the foot plate yet, but I can’t imagine any problem with it.

If you have the budget and this is really important to you. it looks like the Ares has solved this “all in one” conundrum around these two movements, by having a dedicated way to do them, but I can do both perfectly fine with The Dane. There also maybe other manufatures that have solved this issue, that's just the one I'm familiar with.

Assembly: There are instructions, that are useful, but it’s more or less just a few exploded diagrams. There is a video, that is more useful, but still not the best. It’s fairly straight forward, so you won’t have too much trouble, but I wish there were better instructions. From crate to usable, for two people, figure 4-8 hours. You could do it by yourself, as I mostly did, but there were more than a few moments where my wife helped out.

Chips, scratches & shipping: This thing comes in a crate. All the individual parts are bubble wrapped, and stacked on top of each other. No exaggeration, there were probably over 50 scratches, dings, dime sized sections of finish rubbed off, etc. Nothing was operationally damaged, and nothing I can’t fix with some touch up paint, but it sucks to get something new, that already looks used. It’s also the kind of problem I’m not going to bring up to their support, but rather just fix on my own. I’ve seen how competing products are shipped on youtube, and this seemed particularity bad to me. I would expect something shipped the way it was, to have the problems it had.

Missing parts: I did have some missing bolts, which their customer service was quick to send out. I’ve seen a lot of nice things said about the people who work there, and I have to agree, their customer service is exceptional.

Quirks and features:

-The cables get in the way of the spotter arm pin. Very minor, but the pin could have been designed to go in from the side.

-There is no top hole for the weight stack pin. I immediately cut the spring cord that attached the pin, and problem solved. However, if you like spring cords and light weights, you are in for a bad time.

-The top of the weight stack had four bolts that appeared to be for alignment with the stack. I’ve never seen this before. Neither the instructions nor the assembly video talked about it, so I contacted Fringe, and indeed you are suppose to use them to get the stack aligned. Since the bolts mar the finish of the weights below, I just took them out, and replaced them with the kind of rubber bumpers you use on cabinet doors. I think it’s a way better solution than the four bolts, but what do I know?

-The Dane, and it’s accessories, at the time I’m writing this, are all pre–order only. I ordered mine this way, and it came when they said it would, but it’s going to be a minute before you can get it.

-The Dane, per Fringe, does not need to be bolted down. The unit is as sturdy as sturdy can be. This was a big deal to me personally as bolting this kinda stuff down sucks, so it's nice to not have to do it.

Welds: Everything looks functional, but there are some ugly welds. Nothing that worries me though.

Landmine: The coating on mine was messed up on the inside, and it scratched my bar. Nothing I couldn’t fix with some sanding, but none the less frustrating. It’s a standard issue landmine, not much to say, but my Ohio bar will never be the same. (To be fair, all weight lifting gear gets beat up over time, it's just nice to minimize that as much as possible.)

Peg board: This is a really nice feature that is pretty useful.

Spotter Arms: Standard, functional, and unremarkable.

Pull up bar: I opted for the one that comes with it. Functional and unremarkable.

J-cups: I wish the plastic did a better job of covering the entire cup like in some designs. It’s fine, but as the plastic wears down you’ll be more likely to hit your bar on the sharp metal edges. I imagine in a few years of use I’ll replace these. No real complaint here though.

Handles: Standard, functional and unremarkable.

Notes:

-Don’t forget to lube your guide rails as neither the instructions, nor the video, mention.

-Fringe’s website has search issues. So if you are looking for something, and it doesn’t come up in search, it still might be there, you’ll just have to dig.

Overall: For the price it’s hard to beat. The wife and I are pretty happy with it, and even with it’s flaws I would recommend it to those looking in its price range. With a barbell, bench, some plates, a few attachments and accessories, you can workout every part of your body effectively. It’s no wonder why this style of unit is so popular right now. I'd also add this thing seems built to last and likely will outlast you.

However, there are more expensive units that offer more, and less expensive units that offer less , so I encourge you to do a good bit of research to see what suits you before buying.

Leaning on ya'lls expertise here. Have a 2 car garage that has drywall up but no insulation except the wall leading to house. My question is it better/more cost efficient to have insulation blown into walls (through drilled holes) and attic OR just rip out drywall amd put up batts. Anyone have experience mKing thisndecision. Thanks in advance.

P.S. we are planning on putting a minisplit in and taking garage doors down and bulding a wall in their place so ot will need insulation on 2 walls amd in attic above.

I am looking at the Ares 2.0 with the 41” + 16” cage. I have read and watch videos on the incline being harder given the stack on the back.

With a 41” cage would it be possible to incline bench in reverse where my legs go into the cage?

Sorry if a stupid question.

I was already decided to wait for the Ares 2.0 to be available in the EU and get it but.. now looking at the Black November sale my mind decided to revisit my decision and make me ask again? Does it worth to wait for the Ares 2.0 or the Athena will not have flaws when compared to the Ares 2.0?

What I will definitely miss by getting the Athena? Should I hold and wait for the Ares 2.0?

I was considering the phoenix squat rack for a long time, but leading times are bad, but also I imagine having to fold that and then move it, so it rests on the side, it would get old and tiresome. The only way it can rest against a wall is by moving after folding. You have to fold and close it, from the heaviest point, the back. Also, the wheels are on the side, why are they not in the back, how are you supposed to move the rack through a door?

Unless you absolutely need to move it constantly across a gym or big area, the ForceUSA makes more sense. It's more affordable, is actual power rack, than when folded is only 20 inches deep. The Phoenix when folded is 12 inches, not that much of a difference.

It seems much easier to fold and you don't have to move it. Since all you're moving are the side frame. It doesn't need to be wall mounted.

I have yet to find a non wall mounted folding rack that is as good as this one when it comes to space saving.

The phoenix rack is overpriced, in order to keep it against a wall, you need to fold which requires force and then move with wheels to the wall. This would get old fast.

Hey all. Am planning to buy a Titan power rack. Does anyone know if they had discounts on their racks last year for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and if so, what % off? Seems like they have random sales all the time. Can't find specific info on last year's Black Friday sales for power racks.

Thanks in advance!

For those of you who purchased the Ares 1 or 2.0 stack upgrade, in hindsight, do you think it was a necessary purchase, or is the standard weight more than enough?

I ordered a tube for my powertec leverage gym and as in photo it does not go all the way down. The length of cable is 144" and if i get a longer cable do you think it would fix the problem?

https://preview.redd.it/ilh74fxpbcyd1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34376e6b124eb1d52753ce9e6f6403b810cbad2f

I ordered the rogue fm6 twin stack last week after months of research and comparing prices - total was $5900. I guess im having second thoughts after seeing the ares 2.0 being about $5k ($900 cheaper) for twin stacks. i realized my previous research done comparing prices was with the single stack fm6. Did i make the right choice? is it worth the extra $900?

Hey ,

I've been dealing with lower back pain for a while now, and I'm also recovering from shoulder impingement. A doctor recommended bent-over rows (overhand and reverse grip) to strengthen my back, but I've noticed that they seem to worsen my lower back pain.

I recently purchased an incline bench and started doing incline bench rows, but I'm unsure if I'm doing them correctly. It feels like the incline is actually making my lower back pain worse than regular bent over rows.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Could you provide some tips on how to perform bent-over rows with minimal impact on the lower back?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello guys :)

I am currently using gymnastic rings for dips attached on top of my rack which is Rogue R-3 infinity.

I am able to do Bulgarian Dips paused 25kg x10 reps, the instability is starting to become an issue though.

I am considering buying the matador attachment https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-infinity-matador in order to be able to use a completely solid and stable platform for my dips.

My rack is bolted down to the floor but there still is some side by side movement on it when i try to unrack a heavy bar for squats per se, it's fairly stable else-wise. After reading the reviews about the matador the opinions are mixed regarding stability.

Solution 2. https://toxicworkoutstore.company.site/en/products/FONDOS-DE-PARED-p567340763 but i need to drill holes into the wall and will take up some of the limited space that i have in the gym.

Is anybody here using it, are there any other solutions for a totally stable dipping station? I am looking forward to hear your opinions and suggestions.

Found it for $100 on Facebook marketplace, I play on using it for mostly bench and incline bench. Shoul I cop it?

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about the sturdiness of a wooden construction that I'm planning to build to install outdoor pull up bars including flying pull up bar/ladder.

For those of you who are not familiar with what is a flying pull up bar, you can google it or have a look at: https://www.crossliftor.com/fr/accessories-de-cages/376-echelle-flying-pull-up-tank-108-cm.html

The flying pull up bar I intend to install will extend away from the structure, horizontally up to 100 cm (3.3 ft) while rising vertically by approximately 90 cm (3 ft). Just to avoid confusion, that flying pull up bar is only attached to the structure on one side unlike monkey bars.

So when you are suspended from the farthest bar, the force exerted is stronger and in a direction that is not completely vertical. To give an image, it's a bit like hanging over from a wide shelf with large brackets on the structure, except that the shelf must support the weight of a person...for right now it's for my teenager but at that age they gain weight quickly ;)

My idea for the wooden structure was:

- 4 wood posts with a square section of 9cmx9cm (3.5'') side and 240cm length (7.9 ft).

- The 4 posts form a square of approximately 145 cm (4.7 ft)

- Each post is connected to two other posts by straight pull-up bar each fixed by 2 lag screws with a diameter of 8mm (0.3""). The 4 posts are therefore forming one unit.

- Posts sealed in concrete by galvanized steel “H” anchors fixed by 10mm (0.4'') bolts at the base of the post.

- Sealing hole measuring 30cmx30cm (1ft x 1ft) and depth 50 cm (1.6 ft) in the ground...I was thinking of possibly sliding a few metal bars there vertically in relation to the direction of the force of the "flying pull up bar".

- As for the "flying pull up bar", the brackets must weigh approximately 15kg (33 lbs) each, and will be attached to the wooden posts using 16mm (0.6") bolts. The bars are also attached to the brackets with 16mm (0.6") bolts.

My question is to know if my construction is sturdy enough, in particular the 2 wood poles which will carry the brackets with the flying pull up bar.

Anyone has some experience building something similar or an opinion about this?

Thanks!

Moon

Hello. I want to put a rack (and bench) in the garage. Unfortunately I have this elevated ridge section along the wall. It's about 2 inches high and 2.5 ish feet from the wall. If I put the rack on the open area in front, I wouldn't be able to fit my car. I was consider getting some 2x4s and building a platform to extend out the ridge, but I'm not sure. Pics with a pack AA batteries for size reference. Any advice appreciated. Thanks

Anyone know if Monkey Feet will work on the Reppins?