MH EXECUTIVE EDITOR Ben Court suffers from fitness ADHD. His favorite workouts involve lots of exercises with different objects to lift, swing, carry, and slam. Our Fitness Director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. helped him convert his home garage into a dynamic space primed for intense metabolic circuits.
Innovative Rack
The Pivot Strength rack is built of durable steel and feels super sturdy—it can support 2,200 pounds—even though it folds to save space and can double as a bed! Court appreciates the easy-to-move J-hooks and safety spotter arms, so if multiple people are in the garage the height can change easily and provides security when lifting heavy solo. Plus it has a pullup and dip bar stations so you can use it for a wide range of exercises.
Bench Work
An adjustable bench like the Rep Fitness BlackWing Adjustable Bench lets you do standard moves like flat presses as well as incline exercises and ab work. It has twelve potential back angles and four seat angles so you can target different muscle groups. Even though it’s made of heavy-duty steel, it’s easy to move thanks to its wheels.
Deadlift Upgrade
After reading countless stories on how important it was to build a deadlift double his bodyweight—and unable to do that with his kettlebells and dumbbells—Court got a steel Titan Olympic Hex Weight Bar, which is rated to 500 pounds. While he’s not quite hitting 2x bodyweight standard yet, he uses it frequently and appreciate that you can flip the bar and use the raised handles or flat handles depending on what range of motion suits your goals.
Killer Cardio
Few warmups get the blood flowing as quickly as a two-minute spin on the devil’s bike. The Schwinn Airdyne AD7 features a bright LCD display that shows calories, watts, distance, speed, RPM, and heart rate. Hop on for everything from max-intensity one-minute intervals to 45-minute tempo rides. And thanks to its wheels, you can roll it away to create space. Med balls are great for home gyms because of their versatility.
Use them for explosive moves like slams and floor-based ab stuff like Russian twists. The XD Kevlar med balls are grippy and durable and are available in weights from four pounds to 150. GymNext’s Flex Timer pairs with your smartphone, enabling you to set intervals and display your heart rate.
Low-Impact Leg Work
After Court hurt his back jumping, he needed a low-impact way to train legs and rev his cardio and his trainer David Otey, C.S.C.S., recommended the Xbex XT3 sled. It has three inflatable rubber wheels so it’s ideal for doing weighted sprints and marches. It has seven resistance settings and you can load on weight plates and sand bags or have a person sit on it if you want to go super heavy!
Heavy Stuff
Popularized by CrossFit and military workouts, sandbags are awkward to lift, making them good tools for building functional strength, whether you’re doing bear-crawl drags, clean and jerks, or farmer’s carries. GoRuck’s Sandbags are made of rugged Cordura and have padded handles, so they’re marginally easier to hold. They are available in weights from 20 pounds to a burly 120.
Rotational Strength Tool
Eager to add more rotational work to his training Court got a free-standing Rep x Kelva Built Adroit Landmine. It uses standard weight plates as the anchor—90 pounds is recommended—for a barbell and takes seconds to set up. It opens up many rotational and core exercise variations and also lets you do athletic squat and press moves. It’s one of the most used tools he currently has.
Swing Set
Some trainers say the only weights you need in your gym are kettlebells—they’re that versatile. Kettlebell Kings Powder Coat Bells are cast from one piece of iron, making them extra durable. They’re available in weights from 4 kg to 92 and have a lifetime warranty.
Bar Star
Forged from 11-gauge steel, The Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar by Rep Fitness offers a sturdy platform for pull-ups and leg raises. Plus, it doubles as an anchor for a TRX Home2, which links to an app with hundreds of exercises.
Power Basics
Don’t waste money on fancy flooring. Instead, get six-foot-by-three-and-a-half-foot, three-quarter inch-thick rubber Home Depot TrafficMaster stall mats. They’re made for horse stalls and provide dense padding, ideal if you’re doing box jumps or if you drop your weights. Recruit a friend to help you pick them up. They’re heavy!
Inspiration Board
A whiteboard is great for listing your workout and noting PRs. This VIZ-PRO magnetic dry-erase board is easy to mount and clean and comes in five sizes. The Ikea Kallax provides deep, sturdy shelving for boxing gear, straps, mobility tools, and more. The unit is easy enough to set up and is a solid value.
Battle Royale
Titan’s battle ropes are made of a flexible but durable nylon-polypro pylene blend and have XL end caps, making them easier to grip. Everlast’s Nevatear heavy bag is made of tough synthetic leather. The Hayabusa T3 boxing gloves have plush padding and are easy to put on and take off.
Ben’s Home Gym Equipment
Schwinn Fitness AirDyne AD7
REP Fitness NightWing Adjustable Bench
Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar
GymNext Flex Timer Gym Edition
Xebex Fitness XT3 Plus Sled
GoRuck Sandbags 2.0
Titan Fitness Black Poly Dacron Battle Ropes
Now 21% Off
Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves
REP Fitness Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar
TrafficMaster Thick Rubber Exercise Mat
Charles Thorp is the Fitness and Reviews Editor at Men’s Health, where he shares the best product recommendations in gym equipment, recovery tools, supplements, and more. Following an early life in athletics, Charles became a NASM-certified trainer and began writing programs alongside the most respected coaches in the world. Since entering the world of fitness content, Charles has had the opportunity to learn from and train alongside high performance individuals from the NFL, UFC, NBA, Formula 1, CrossFit, US Olympics, and Navy SEALs. When he’s not writing about training programs or gear, he can be seen at the gym or in the wild, putting them to the test.
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