close_fox TB Log

[close_fox]

Alright, I'm back.

I returned from a one-year deployment cycle around five months ago. Since then, I have taken a good bit of time off from training. I went on leave for a long time and didn't train at all. Since then I have trained sporadically – basically whatever I felt like doing. Easy runs. Circuit workouts. No structure, no consistency. It's long past time to get back into structured training.

This is Block 12 for me. I'm doing Base Building: Strength-First Template

I am doing Strength-First because I have gotten a decent amount of SE over the past few months. And I have gotten almost zero MS work during that time.

E (and HIC during weeks 6-8) will be running.

MS will be Fighter w/ BP, FSQ, PU, RDL (1x/week). I haven't trained RDL in a long time. Will be interesting to see the results. I am going to start with one work set per week.


Another reason for doing Strength-First: I recently made the decision to get a home gym.

I can't really overstate how satisfied I am with this decision. I should have done it long ago. I will still get PT in at work sometimes - probably group HIC and E sessions. Those sessions will also be a good a chance to play with toys I will never buy for my home gym. But it is such a stress reliever to know I can knock out my PT every day, no hassles. PT'ing at in the evening is much more of an option when I don't have a 20+min gym commute on both ends. And I can listen to whatever I want, no shirt, no shoes, whatever.

My point is posting this is to explain how following Tactical Barbell informed my equipment selection. Hopefully it will help others who are looking at buying home gym equipment.


Brand
I went with Rogue. Before I considered getting a home gym, I never really paid attention to Rogue (or gym equipment brands in general). Working out at my buddy's house a few times really sold me on Rogue equipment. Quality stuff and made in USA to boot. I didn't seriously consider any other brands when it was time to buy. I wasn't willing to spend more, and I didn't need to spend less. Rogue was the easiest option for quality level I was after.

I found a few smaller equipment fabrication shops during my research. I saw some badass looking gear on their websites. In theory, I would have liked to support small operations like that. In the end, Rogue's slick website and order process was just too easy to use. The other shops' "call for pricing," "made to order" process was too much of a hassle for my timeline.

Also, the small shops had me concerned about support and continuity. This is (hopefully) "buy it for life" gear. I definitely want the option to expand my setup someday. Maybe turn my squat stand into a half rack. Will that small custom welding shop be around next year - let alone in 20 years? Maybe, maybe not. I have more faith that Rogue (or whoever buys them) will be.


Shopping strategy
Over the course of a few months, I put serious thought into designing my setup. I forced myself to focus on what I need, not what I want. Just as Tactical Barbell forced me to eliminate unnecessary exercises, I ruthlessly stripped down my shopping list to the core essentials. Maximum utility, minimum fluff. No specialized pieces. If I won't use a piece of equipment almost daily, it has no place in my gym.

The Tactical Barbell framework gave me structure as I built my shopping list. I know I have invested in the equipment I need to train effectively for decades. Before TB, I probably would have wasted money on some items that rarely got used. Example: The glute ham developer is a great piece of gear. But it really only does one thing. I can train my posterior chain with a barbell (RDLs) and kettlebells (swings). Those items also allow me to press, squat, and swing. If I had unlimited funds to spend (and was in my "forever home"), I would probably buy a GHD. Until then, it makes more sense to buy versatile items that can serve multiple roles.


The Case for Buying New
I pulled the trigger on Black Friday and scored free shipping. Other than that, I guess I paid full price. I didn't try the Craigslist or private seller route. I didn't want to spend time searching for deals that might never happen. Obviously I would love to find some once-in-a-lifetime Craigslist steal, but I don't have faith it would actually happen for me.

I know what would happen if I used Craigslist. I would spend a bunch of time looking and eventually spend my budget on some beat-up, mismatched gear that I don't like. I would use it for a while. Eventually, it would get on my nerves and I would buy new. I would end up wasting time, paying twice, and creating work for myself (having to offload the old gear after I buy new).

I spent $2,000 for brand new gear I will never outgrow or wear out. My equipment will pay for itself in two years in real dollars (no longer paying for a family gym membership). Closer to one year when I factor in the time and hassle I will save. Drive time to & from the gym. Waiting for a squat rack. The water bottle filler is broken. Bad music. Annoying people. Dirty/crowded locker room. None of that, ever again. How much is it worth to be free of all that?

$2,000 is a good chunk of change. I understand a lot of people are not able or willing to spend that much on a home gym. My advice to people in that situation is to drop your current gym and go full "free fitness"...running, bodyweight SE, rucking, etc. I fondly remember a year when I did nothing but run, ruck, and PT at a playground near my house. Some of the fittest I have ever been. While going "free," save up whatever you were paying in gym fees. Sell hobby equipment that means less to you than building your gym. You will get there quicker than you think...whether you are going piece by piece on Craigslist or saving up for one big order from Rogue (or somewhere else).


Moving on to the specific items i bought...

Rack / Squat Stand
SML-2

This model seemed like the best intersection of price and performance for me. I like my buddy's SM-3 and its "even more bomb-proof" build, but I don't need it. Want vs. need.

I also like the SML-2C (custom color, same price). I couldn't decide on a custom color, so I just stopped. I don't really care what color the rack is, and black is a safe bet IF I ever decide to sell this thing.

Height. 90" was the perfect height for me. I'm not opposed to 108", but I move frequently and I might have ceiling height issues someday. The 70" doesn't have a pull-up bar, so I didn't consider it.

Pull-up bar. Single 1.25". I like the fat/skinny bar in theory, but I doubt I would really use it. Maybe if it had a quick change option. Unscrewing and reattaching it seems like an unnecessary complication. I just need to do pull-ups.

I got the Safety Spotter Arms (of course). It's a little annoying that safety arms are not included in the price of a squat stand.


Bench
Flat Utility Bench 2.0

The Monster Utility Bench looks great, and I almost got it. Again, want vs. need. I didn't really consider an adjustable bench. Big jump in price, and I just need to BP. The ability to maybe someday incline BP was definitely not worth the price increase.


Bar
Ohio Power Bar, 45lbs, bare steel

After looking at all the options (and frankly becoming a little confused by them), I settled on the OPB. It seemed like my best option for benching and squatting. The other bars didn't "sell" me on paying more for their features and/or fancier finishes. I enjoy the process of maintaining quality gear, so caring for the bare steel is no issue for me.


Plates
Rogue Olympic cast iron

I thought long and hard about this. I wanted the Made in USA Hi-Temp bumpers. But I don't do Olympic lifts or deadlift (other than RDLs). I don't need bumpers. The iron saved me some money. But I still love the Hi-Temps...always and forever...

Focusing on FSQ vice SQ was key to maximizing utility in terms of how much weight to buy. Running SQ would have required me to buy a least 100 more pounds of weight - just to support one lift. Again, I move a lot. I have to keep things somewhat contained. I have around 330lbs of weight (including the bar). I don't see me ever needing more. 330 gives me the ability to work up to a notional 1RM of 365 (considering I will be working with percentages of a 90%TM). I have no need or desire to progress BP and FSQ past 365.


Dip belt
For weighted pull-ups


Kettlebells
I got 35, 44, and 53 pound KBs. I have some lighter ones laying around already. 35/44/53 will cover me for basebuilding and HICs. I will also have plenty of room to progress MS type swings. 100 reps of one arm swings with 53 is nothing to sneeze at. Again, (sorry for the repetition) I move a lot. I don't want to be lugging around 70 - 100 pound KBs. I have to draw the line somewhere.


TRX set
For basebuilding exercises, warm-up/cool-down, stretching, who knows what else.


That's about it. I got a few other odds & ends that aren't worth mentioning. My next purchase, which may or may not actually happen, will be either a Airdyne bike or C2 rower. I would like an indoor HIC/E option for inclement weather. I may well try the Craigslist route for this, because I am in no hurry to buy. I also might put it on my list of toys to use at work. I need to get most of my HIC & E from running, so an indoor option is definitely in the "want" category.

[Barkadion]

Cheers CF, good to see you back. I like to keep reading your log.

I can second your choice of home gym gear. It took me about 5 years to build my basement cave. Rogue rocks I also like black widow in terms of some customization such as multi grip pull up bar. And TRX is life saver.

I treat it as my personal world. Getting work done in early morning is the best part of my day.

[VenomousCoffee]

Reading this has me thinking about buying a home setup. Damn you, Fox!

[Barkadion]

Reading this has me thinking about buying a home setup. Damn you, Fox!

Go for it, mate! One of the best decisions of my life!!

[VenomousCoffee]

I actually opened up Rogue's site and put a bunch of stuff in the cart just to see what happened. But then I started thinking about using the rower, stairmaster, and heavy bag at my gym, plus I live in Florida so there's the heat and humidity with lifting in my garage, plus getting enough weight to do deadlifts and squats ...

It sounds great, though. Maybe someday I'll pull the trigger.

[close_fox]

Block 12
Strength-First Base Build
Week 1 review

No day by day recaps. I am running the template per the text, so I don't see the need to retype it here.

Feels good to be lifting again. I "tested" my maxes a few days before starting BB. Stopped at 185x5 for all lifts (BP, FSQ, and RDL). That's where it started feeling like "work." So, for all lifts, notional 1RM of 205 and TM of 185. Of course, I was tempted to load up the bar and test a max set (double or triple). But it would do me no good to start BB feeling beat down, DOMS, etc. I reserve the right to load up the bar and retest after BB. Same logic for PU (BW). Started feeling like work at 8 reps, so I stopped. TM is 7 reps.

I didn't test any running distances before starting BB. No need. My favorite thing about BB is to turn on a podcast, turn off my brain, and run (jog) for the Rx minutes. For runs with a suggested range of minutes, I plan on staying at the lower end of the suggested range.

I feel good after this first week. Legs were a little stiff after the Day 3 run. I am running in "barefoot" type sandals for the Day 2 runs. Mostly because I like it. Feels like keeps my form in check. I read some articles about how it might be strengthening my feet/ankles. Not sure how much I believe that. And I don't know about progressing up to 60min in sandals. We will see about that.

Finally, I am saving the below article here for future reference. It sums up a lot of the reasons why I dropped SQ in favor of FSQ. And why I have not done DL in a very long time.

https://www.scramblestuff.com/why-i-pre ... -athletes/

[godjira1]

thanks for the article you attached, very useful. I personally have gone with a FSQ/KB Swing/Push Press/Pullup cluster and felt great with it.

I have recently also experimented with Snatch Grip DL (which is mentioned in the article) and 1 Leg BB DL as well just to feel out the movements.

[malander93]

Finally, I am saving the below article here for future reference. It sums up a lot of the reasons why I dropped SQ in favor of FSQ. And why I have not done DL in a very long time.

https://www.scramblestuff.com/why-i-pre ... -athletes/

Interesting article. I dropped back squats a long time ago when I had video of me doing perfect form but still had pretty bad back pain. Did some research on how much deeper the hip and knee angles are and concluded front squat would better serve me. I have not done an RDL in a while though. I like his explanation of them being their own class of hip hinge. I’m a big fan of the hex bar deadlift. Depending on your movement pattern it can be considered more of a squat or more of a hip hinge.

[close_fox]

Block 12
Strength-First Base Build
Week 2 review

80% week. Weights felt really good, especially FSQ. Getting way down low. Running feels fine. Reaching the end of my current podcast, didn't have enough left to cover today's 40min run. Made a cheesy, slow playlist to keep the RPMs down.

I’m a big fan of the hex bar deadlift. Depending on your movement pattern it can be considered more of a squat or more of a hip hinge.

If I was going to DL it would be trap bar. But DLs (other than RDLs) are a lost cause for me. Risk and recovery cost outweigh the benefits.

[Barkadion]

If I was going to DL it would be trap bar. But DLs (other than RDLs) are a lost cause for me. Risk and recovery cost outweigh the benefits.

Amen to that.