What started as a Bowflex and a Peloton in the basement in 2020 is now a proper 12x20 setup in the garage. This isn’t a complete inventory. Just newer stuff worth talking about.
The Hits
Rep Ares 1.0 This is the heart of the whole operation. It’s more rack than my family, friends, or I will ever need. I had some FOMO when the 2.0 dropped, but honestly, there’s nothing I actually need from it. The only real gap is the cable routing when the pulleys are lowered. I ordered the weight stack upgrade and I’m installing it this weekend.
Mammoth Belt Squat When the Swan Neck attachment came out, I stopped pretending I’d ever move the belt squat off the rack. It lives there now. The Mammoth is the most affordable and space-efficient way to do belt squats at home, and I use it enough that the permanent footprint is more than justified. The only tradeoff is a little height on the Ares trolley, but that’s never actually mattered.
Wonderbar 2.0 This was my first bar, and it’s still the one I reach for most. I love specialty bars and cycle through them regularly, but the Wonderbar is the constant.
Rep x Pepins Do I need 120lb dumbbells? No. But work bonus season came around and my partner gave me the green light, so here we are. The honest reason: the Bowflex SelectTechs top out at 52.5lbs, which stopped being enough for incline press and chest-supported rows. The Reppins are as good as advertised. No regrets whatsoever.
Darko Thresher Pad + Straydog Goat This sat untouched for a few months until I started pairing it with the Goat attachment for chest-supported rows. Now I use it nearly every session. The combo is better than it has any right to be.
Bootysprout Pro Joe Gray sold me on this. It tucks between the Ares and the garage door when not in use and takes about a minute to set up. The best possible way to do hip thrusts at home.
Strongman Sandbags and Kettlebells They take up more space than almost anything else in the gym, and I don’t regret it for a second. Dan John’s ABF with a running program and a bench day is genuinely fun in a way straight barbell training just isn’t. Sandbag shoulders, carries, and tossing them over a makeshift yoke (axle bar on the front uprights) have become permanent parts of my training.
Horizon 7.0 Treadmill An okay treadmill at an okay price, but the vertical storage is why I bought it—and I’d buy it again for that alone. I use it for foul-weather runs and TikTok incline walks. It pairs with the Runna app without any fuss, which my OCD brain appreciates more than it should.
Good Gear, Wrong Space
Freak Athlete Hyper Pro Genuinely good piece of kit. The problem is the leg developer, which turns a manageable footprint into a space eater. Some training blocks I’m on it daily. Others it sits for a week. If my garage were bigger, this goes in the top tier without question. I’m looking forward to the Dialed Motion Leg Developer. If that goes in, this may go out.
Westside Scout Hyper I use this every deadlift day and I like it a lot. The setup is the catch. It takes longer to get into position than anything else I own, and the process is fussy enough that I have to be deliberate about using it. I’ve reframed it as a low back feel-good tax.
What’s on Its Way Out
The Rep AB-3000 and Titan flat bench are already gone, replaced by the Rep Nighthawk. Both were fine, but I just wanted one bench that handles everything and takes up less floor space.
The Rep dip bars are next. They technically fit on the back of the rack, barely, but they’re awkward enough to use that I actively avoid them. Looking at a Mutant Metals option. Maybe.
The Fringe Sport farmer’s carry handles are probably going too. I only have bumper plates, and the Reppins have made them redundant for most loading purposes. They’re small enough that I keep putting off the decision, but they’ll go eventually.
Everything Else
I’m pretty ruthless about what stays. If I don’t use it, I sell it. I don’t hold myself to this religiously, but my goal is that everything earns its square footage.