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Going to Menards 😂

To be honest, I say no fans! I live in Florida and when I use to work out it was high socks, only time I’d wear undies (I havnt worn them since high school 40 now), sweat pants, under shirt, shirt, hoodie and a beanie. I loved getting that sweat out. Feel gross and great after a hard workout and struggle trying to take off heavy, stuck to your skin clothes. But hey, what ever makes you comfy and working out.

I might be in the minority, but I don't like bumper plates. Give me iron grip plates and I'm a happy camper. If not those, give me some deep dish. Something that makes it to where I can easily carry 45's in both hands. They take less space on the bar and in storage, and realistically will last much longer than plates with plastic coverings. I also don't drop my plates. Ever.

Great video! You still planning on doing the review of the Rep Black Diamond?

Agree. Lifetime fitness had these on a lot of their stations and was never a fan. Also they always started to come off.

Grips are simply way too wide. I sold mine on Facebook marketplace

I bought one a few moth ago when they were giving away the free kick stand. I love it so far. One thing I did different was move the plates back closer to me for more felt weight. It covers the handle for the kick stand but you can just grab it from the side. I was oginally using a barbell for belt squats and my dip belt was cutting into me. This belt is so much nicer. If you want a belt squat get this one.

I have mountain top, fortunately I do climbing so I always have chalk on hand. If I don't have it, anything over 90kg for deadlifts ruins me

Man I'm so JEALOUS of that purple bench, unfortunately in the UK the distributor only offer it in black or red!

Ain't that bar around $600 to your door? I'm into weightlifting in my home gym but Ive never been $600 for a barbell into it. Haha Being funny, but 100% true

Post about the shape of that knurling, plizzzz

it's not hard to imagine that a few things are at play here in the industry and only requires a tiny amount of common sense to understand. first innovation. techies are jumping into this field with new designs and using computers/chips. second outsourcing manufacturing. no secret that most manufacturing is handled in china. third labor/work quality. obviously the markets are strange causing labor shortages and shipping issues (i have at least one package destroyed during shipment every other 3rd package). work force is consisting more of untrained and negligent workers (i can argue this one for days from many perspectives) forth and final is reviewers will lean on the one that provides the most reward. this tends to be from innovation (rep shifting to others) or high quality (rogue). i don't discredit any reviewer because they've become pigeon held by a lucrative opportunity or because of the direction of the industry. imo the fitness industry was the slowest moving industry probably to ever exist and i welcome advancements especially if it means i can deck out my home gym for less, achieve more and don't have to live next door to a rubber smog producing factory.

Do you need to wear a weight belt in addition to the squat belt when going heavy?

$300 bar and they cheaped out on the knurling.

THANKS DUDE!! Will be buying them for the reasons you stated!

Wrong. No ones are bigger than mine.

As the late Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell Club fame said, "Constantly change. As long as you keep changing something small, you can keep making progress. Once you start doing the same thing over and over, accommodation (which is when your muscles stop progressing in endurance, size, and strength occurs), sets in. You're dead in the water, and you don't make any progress." Changing the angle on a flat bench by adding bumper plates to turn it into an incline or decline bench will help prevent muscular accommodation. So will using other exercise tools, like barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, maces, heavy slam balls, and and exercise sandbags.

I just subscribed after seeing you kn JG3 channel and after this vid!

Nice talking with you Friday morning. Hope to make it again next week!

Your renovation update segment - there really is a lot to say about making the gym "feel good" when you walk in there, keeps me wanting to go back and use it. Our gym stays way neater than the rest of our house because we have little kids and they don't play or eat in the gym very often and I'm very particular about the way the gym is left. Also did light strips, some banners, lot of equipment in there, yet efficient and enough common area to move a bench around and do whatever I need to do. It's a little paradise in my finished basement, which happens to be a walkout and makes moving equipment in and out much easier. Home gym since 2021 and I'm not going back.

I keep my garage door closed. My neighbors already know I have a backyard patio gym, but I don't want them to know that I also own a garage gym, an extension room gym, and a basement gym.

at 16:40 why would you need to support the upper bench with your shoulder, can't you just utilize the ladder to hold it?

I definitely watched the unboxing and I agree that these are some awesome bumper plates! I don’t regret buying them for one minute!

I have Fringe savages. I couldn’t pass up their 4th July sale on the 460lb set

the best bumper plate are the ones you actually use

I think the reason views were down on these bumpers is because they are basic bumper plates and they are not much cheaper than multiple others and Living Fit isn't advertising very much so it just doesn't grab people's attention. Another reason I think is not as many people use bumpers, certainly not as many as people think. In my area, everybody uses iron plates and the gyms use rubber covered iron plates and they are usually from a company no one has heard of or knows.

love the fringe savage.

For the price, durability, and good customer service--I use the American Barbell blemished bumper plates

Appreciate the review Tim!! May have added that bumper set like you recommended 👀

I have 8 5 lb and 4 10lb. I would def rather it be opposite

Those adjustment pins look like they stick pretty far in towards the handles....

You look like you can't even bench 10😊

As usual, some really great viewer feedback here! Number one with a bullet seems to be to start with a plain rack and add as needed. That allows you to save for better gear instead of trying to buy it all at once. It also allows you to see where your training takes you and what you will actually use instead of trying to guess up front! 2. I appreciate all of you that watch my big ole head with nothing to break up the video. I don't have time to add extra editing to make the video more fun and I know that makes them less engaging to watch. Thanks for all of you that do! 3. You can make a lot out of a little. Lots of people starting with less than a rack and getting some great training in! 4. Buy the best you can up front as you can always add on to a good rack. If you go cheap, you may not be able to expand down the road when you want to. 5. All the 14 gauge stuff is about the same. If you can, get 11 gauge and skip the cheaper options. Over time, you'll be really happy you did! 6. Some good, more specific suggestions for accessories... Roller or sandwich jcups, skip the standard. Straps or flip down safeties, not pipes/pins. A dip station. Something to do neutral grip pull ups.

I have 5 sets of 5 kg for the same reason. Also allows me to leave some weight on equipment for doing super sets or just because I am lazy.

Small iron dimes are great for curling. Love those…

More B roll would make your videos a lot more visually engaging.

I agree geta rack (or in my case half rack), multipurpose barbell, bench (flat or fid bench) and weights first instead of an all in one system unless thats all that will fit in the space you have. Then get other stuff you want to make it more fun. I have a separate smith machine but the half rack is still used the most, but they both have value. A lat tower and low row vs a cable crossover is in my opinion the biggest dilemma, which to choose if you don't have space for both? My solution is whichever you feel is less important can be somewhat replicated with a cheap cable pulley system (or two identical systems if its to be used as a cable crossover). I use the rit fit cable systems on Amazon for about $50 per system. My personal favorites for the home gym are leg press, preacher curl, leg extension curl bench and pec deck machines neither of which are necessities. My preacher curl hack is to use my roman chair as a preacher curl for dumbbells and simply put my bench behind it to sit on. For curl bars with it i use a pair of squat stands along side it to hold the bar between sets. The pec deck and leg presses I diy'd from scratch. They are nowhere near as nice or strong as what you can buy but they work (safely hold 200lbs each). I took a cheap leg bench and took the leg curl part and strapped it to a pop pin adjustable bench that is stuck in the decline position permanently but is very well padded. The angle is amazing for getting the best range of motion even at a lower weight capacity. Ultimately the choice is yours, its your gym, get what you think will make you happy. Just remember to not rush it and enjoy adding peaces over time. More toys keep the gym even more exciting.

Good tip thanks. Was waiting to get a calf block to really hit them loading a barbell on shoulders

You should check out something from Bulerproof. Maybe the VTS.

Look at Tim talking positive about a smith machine! I am shocked!! Lol

I know nothing... If you have the space, keep the rack and cable system separate. Being able to switch exercises fast and with minimal setup is priceless. The less barriers the better. So if you have the space, a 6-post rack and a single column lat/row/functional combo is the way to go. And with even more space, a separate lat/row and separate functional trainer covers all the bases.

I’m in the same boat. I figure I’d get a well known 6 post rack like rep or rogue that gives me options to add later should I need it. My fear is being limited to a unit to save money-thinking I got everything I wanted but still ended up being short on something I can’t add. Example is Fringe Sports Dane. I love the idea but what happens 10 years from now when I’ve out grown the thing? My son is lifting too and would like to pass down the items purchased so when he gets established in life with his own home-he has the majority of things needed. I like Reps PR-5000 and Rogues Monster RM-6. My decision is locked on these 2. Can’t wait to see which route you went with.

The nice 3x3 racks really are Erector set or Legos for adults.

I got kids around, need to keep things decent and respectable......

I have done pretty well with just a CAP squat stand with safety arms, barbell, and Powerblocks for the past year but the plan is to get a "real" rack when I have a better living situation.

Review some new stuff that doesnt have anything to do with these budget racks, you've done those extensively.

You created a nightclub, with some gym stuff in it, LOL

I’ve heard the Mikolo is a better budget all in one than the two you have right now. I do not have first hand knowledge of this just going by what I have heard on some forums.

It is better to buy a bare rack and individualize it to your wants.

Clicked just because of the title 😂