The GymCrafter Podcast

Home Gym Con 2025 wasn't just a place to see cool new garage gym gear. It was also a place to learn about that gear and the industry. In this episode, I review 11 surprising things I learned at this year's convention. Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter.com Newsletter: GymCrafter.com/Subscribe Insta: Instagram.com/gymcrafter Review Guidelines: GymCrafter.com/revi...

Home Gym Con 2025 in Louisville, KY was a fun, amazing, memorable blur. In this first of 4 Home Gym Con podcast episodes, I review the event overall, talk about what I liked and what should have been different, and lay out my plans for 2026! https://homegymcon.com https://www.youtube.com/@UCF-kK-HyM64cSH3H8QeMfMw Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter.com Newsletter...

Instead of overspending on equipment for our home and garage gyms, sometimes, the smart decision is to look for stuff that is "good enough". In this episode I talk about how to find out what is good enough for your gym and what isn't. American Barbell Grizzly Bar: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/ab-chewy-bar/ Rep Badlands Bar: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/rep-badlands-bar/ Partners & af...

Home Gym Con is 16 days away and the biggest reason I'm going is to bring you as much coverage as I can. With 125 vendors, I won't be able to cover everything, so in this podcast I review my current content plan and ask you to help in every area! Home Gym Con: https://homegymcon.com Vendor List: https://homegymcon.com/vendors/ Rep NightHawk bench: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/rep-nighthawk/ P...

I've built or helped build quite a few garage gyms in the last 8 years of running GymCrafter and I learn things every time. In this episode I review 10 things I'll do differently next time! Freedom Fitness Flooring: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/freedom-flooring/ Code GC1 saves you 5% Walking pad: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/walking-pad/ Code GYMCRAFTER saves you up to 30% off purchases...

Having a great garage gym is only half the battle. Getting the most out of it is the other half. In this episode I review 8 common ways people miss out on the benefits of their garage gym. MAPS Anabolic: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/maps-anabolic/ Slant Stack: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/slant-stack/ Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter.com Newsletter:...

If you live in the US and want to avoid tariffs when buying gear for your garage gym, the best way to do that is to buy gear made in the US. In this episode, I give you a brief overview of 22 options to do that! Rogue: https://www.roguefitness.com Black Widow: https://blackwidowtg.com Elite FTS: https://www.elitefts.com Sorinex: https://www.sorinex.com American Barbell: https://gymcrafter.com/reco...

Ethic and honesty should matter when deciding where to spend your garage gym dollars... But do they actually end making a difference in the end? How badly does a company need to behave before people stop shopping there? In this episode we take a look at some recent examples and whether or not they've actually made a difference. Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter...

Wondering how tariffs may impact your home gym purchases? Want to know what to do about adding new things to your garage gym when tariff related price increases are on the horizon? This is the podcast for you! Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter.com Newsletter: GymCrafter.com/Subscribe Insta: Instagram.com/gymcrafter Review Guidelines: GymCrafter.com/review-guide...

When trying to save money on your garage gym, it can be tempting to go cheap. But other options will serve you much better in the long run. Learn how to save money AND build a gym you love in this episode! Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter.com Newsletter: GymCrafter.com/Subscribe Insta: Instagram.com/gymcrafter Review Guidelines: GymCrafter.com/review-guideline...

Ever wonder how two pieces of garage gym equipment with the same specs can cost drastically different prices? In this episode I take a close look at budget, mid-tier, and high end garage gym gear to see why they cost what they do and if they are worth your money. 0:00 Intro & Overview 3:55 Pricing & Value 5:58 Hidden Differences 7:28 Barbell Steel 12:00 Rack Uprights 17:46 Bolts & Fast...

It's hard to find reliable information when buying things for your garage gym. And there's way too much to pick from these days, a lot of it from sketchy companies. So how do you pick to make sure you don't waste your money? By checking out this podcast, of course! Links: Fringe Sport Dane 2.0: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/fringe-sport-dane-2/ Dane 2.0 Initial Review: https://youtu.be/nYHUbUN...

There are a ton of great companies in the garage gym space, but none of them are perfect. If many of them fixed these 10 things today, we'd all be happier customers and probably spend more money! Bells reverse hammer install video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtHym-5hLqA Force USA leg sled: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/force-usa-compact-leg-press/ Bells cable tower: https://gymcrafter.com...

It breaks my heart, but companies we want to love sometimes don't give us reasons to be more than friends. In this episode, we talk about 4 large garage gym companies that have found themselves stuck firmly in the friend zone. Is there hope for them to be more than friends? Let me know in the comments! Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter.com Newsletter: GymCrafte...

In this episode, I'll answer the single most asked question I get about cardio: " Which form of cardio burns the most calories?" I'll also help you pick out gear that you'll actually like using to burn those calories (and hopefully do a few things more important than that!). Hydrow: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/hydrow/ Tib Bar Guy SledTred: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/tbg-sledtred/ M1 T...

Cardio gear has become some of the most expensive clothes racks ever sold. What starts as a motivated idea quickly turns into an unused dust collector for many. But if you approach buying cardio a bit differently, that doesn't have to be the case! RP interviews Knees Over Toes Guy: https://youtu.be/48H3Kk5pufo?si=gG8cjBPf9oBEdgnv Tib Bar Guy: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/tib-bar-guy/ Peter At...

When I make mistakes, you learn stuff! After a recent training and nutrition setback, in this episode I go over a valuable tool everyone can use in their garage or home gym to keep themselves on track and get amazing results! Knee Ability Zero: https://amzn.to/4gVYESc Back Ability Zero: https://amzn.to/40wCuA1 Partners & affiliates: GymCrafter.com/partners Website: GymCrafter.com Newsletter: G...

Will this year really be different? Will you follow through on your fitness and health resolutions and goals in 2025? Will your garage gym be the place you do it? If that all sounds good to you, this podcast will give you 5 proven strategies used by some of the world's most successful people. Extreme Ownership: https://amzn.to/41NXvau The ONE Thing: https://amzn.to/4gQDvs5 The Five Why's: https://...

A handful of home and garage gym companies are poised to become power players in 2025. Find out who will be most worthy of your home gym dollars this year in this episode of the GymCrafter podcast! RitFit leg extension: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/ritfit-leg-extension/ Force USA leg sled: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/force-usa-compact-leg-press/ Rep X Kleva Built: https://gymcrafter.com...

Do you give a resounding "hell yes!" to everything in your home or garage gym? If not, why not? In this episode, we discuss on of my favorite approaches to building a great gym as well as living an awesome life! "Hell Yeah or No": https://sive.rs/n Funcional Power Training: https://drjohnrusin.com/product/fpt/ Force USA Leg Sled review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p19aTfyqzdQ&t=15s Force U...

Baby, it's cold outside! And that means it's probably pretty cold in your garage gym too! In this episode, I share 20 years of experience training in a cold gym in the winter to help you continue to train and be consistent, even when it's cold! Freedom Fitness Flooring: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/freedom-flooring/ Door Insulation Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3ivDcIZd1I&t=49s...

A cable setup is one of the most useful and versatile things you can add to your garage gym! And there are about a million different ways to do it. Follow along as I shop for the latest addition to my garage gym and figure out what's right for yours at the same time! Rep Arcadia: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/rep-fitness-arcadia/ Inspire FT2: https://amzn.to/3OCIErT Rep Ares 2.0: https://gymcr...

Regarding barbells, most garage gyms can get by with one. But specialty bars are another story! These can be highly versatile additions to your gym that address specific needs in your training. Plus, they're fun to have and use! In this episode, I'll cover the 5 specialty bars I recommend most to people building home and garage gyms. Force USA Leg Sled: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/force-usa-...

Everywhere you look lately, someone is releasing a Smith machine or some variation. They might just be the most common new release of 2024 and 2025. So should you get one for your garage gym, or are they overrated? That's what I cover in this episode of the GymCrafter podcast! Bells of Steel BYOB Smith add on: https://gymcrafter.com/recommends/bos-byob-smith-machine/ Force USA C10: https://gymcraf...

A few weeks ago, I recorded the first episode in the new AYE (Ask You Anything) and asked you to give your answers to 3 questions... Best training movies, dream gym gear, and essential gym gear. Well, the answers are in, and I've got a roundup for you. I've also got the winners for the best answer to each question. Did your answer make it into the show? Did it win the best answer? Find out on this...