Meet Jim and Holly.
This powerlifting couple has built a very impressive gym in their home. They’ve outfitted their space with excellent equipment and they’ve maximized their space as well as anyone I’ve seen.
Join me as we step into Jim & Holly’s badass powerlifting home gym.
The Journey
Growing up in New Jersey, Jim & Holly decided to move to Tennessee three years ago. During their initial home search, they focused mainly on more dense areas, where there were more things to do. They found a good number of commercial gyms they could join, but ultimately the hustle and bustle proved too much.
They found their dream home in a more rural area, but the downside was that there were no gyms anywhere close. To add to that, shortly after their move, they found out they were having twins, which they knew wouldn’t allow for a regular gym schedule given their location. So, being the fitness-minded and resourceful couple that they are, they decided to build a gym inside their home. This also allowed them the opportunity to raise their children around the positive things a gym and training can teach.
Major respect for that!
When they first started the gym, they did so with a Rogue SML2 squat rack, a Rogue flat utility bench, a Rogue Echo Bar, a Rogue Bella Bar, and a mix of Rogue Echo bumpers and plates from the Dick’s Sporting Goods 300lb Olympic Set.
In the past three years, however, they’ve traded up on all of those items, and now their gym consists of much more.
Every item they have in their space has been purchased brand new, many of which were bought during good sales like Black Friday. Over that time, they’ve also sold certain pieces in favor of others in order to refine their equipment based on their needs. As they put it:
“it’s been a long and expensive learning experience, but we are both happy with the end result we’ve created”
I’ve got to say, I would be pretty damn happy myself.
Let’s take a closer look at their equipment lineup.
Equipment
Jim and Holly’s space is a shining example that you can build a ridiculous home gym without a massive space. They have carefully selected equipment that meets their needs and fits their space nicely.
When asked what their favorite piece of equipment was, they responded with the Legend Fitness Lat Pulldown/Low Row from a use standpoint. There isn’t a workout where they don’t use that piece in some capacity. A close 2nd, from a health perspective is a tie between the Edge Fitness Reverse Hyper and the Kabuki Strength Duffalo Bar.
All three of those pieces are seriously awesome. If I had to pick one of those myself, the pulldown would be my personal choice also. It’s extremely versatile.
Piece by piece, their space includes the following:
Bars
Jim and Holly have one of my favorite barbell collections that I’ve seen. They’ve got the straight bar dialed in with the American Barbell Elite Power Bar, and they have a ridiculously awesome specialty bar collection.
- Kabuki Strength Duffalo Bar
- EliteFTS Safety Squat Bar
- Rogue Deadlift Bar
- Rogue Curl Bar
- EliteFTS Fat Bar
- Titan Multi-Grip Bar
- Bandbell Earthquake Bar
- American Barbell Elite Power Bar
- Black Widow Cambered Squat Bar
- Rogue 10kg Junior Bar
Rack & Bench
I love how this setup is optimized for their space. It’s very well thought out, with some beautiful custom features ranging from storage to the awesome “front porch.”
- Rogue RML-390F (Converted to Half Rack)
- Rogue Plate Post Storage
- Rogue Spotter Arms
- Rogue Matador
- Rogue Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar
- Mech 6 Monos (one of the few who is lucky enough to have these)
- Mech 6 J-Cups
- Mech 6 Barbell Storage
- Mech 6 Front Porch
- Spud Inc. Suspension Straps
- EliteFTS Single Leg Squat Attachment
- DIY Rack-Mounted Dumbbell Shelves (such a great idea)
- Legend Fitness Adjustable Bench with 12″ Pad Upgrade
Plates, Dumbbells, & Kettlebells
They’re not something you see particularly often, but I think the Troy “Go” plates are pretty badass. The York Legacy DB’s are awesome and their DIY rack shelves are brilliant to save space. If you’re tight on space, mounting your DBs to your rack is a potential game changer. It will look sweet and also offer additional stability.
Machines
The fact that Jim and Holly were able to get several of these machines in their space is impressive. It’s almost as if the little nook was made for a reverse hyper.
- Legend Fitness Plate-Loaded Lat Pulldown/Low Row
- Edge Fitness Reverse Hyper (call to Edge Fitness to special order)
- EliteFTS 45-Degree Hyper
Cable Attachments
As if the Legend Fitness Pulldown/Low Row wasn’t awesome enough, check out their collection of attachments:
- Mag Wide
- Mag Medium Pronated
- Mag Close Supinated
- EliteFTS Multi-Grip
- Rogue Close-Grip
- EliteFTS Pull-Through
- Triceps Rope
- Spud Inc. Ab Strap
Miscellaneous
- Kabuki Geisha x-Wife
- Kabuki Boomstick
- Kabuki Collars
- EliteFTS Bands
- Rogue Deadlift Jack
- BenchBlockz
- Titan Chains
- Titan Weight Releasers
- OSO Collars
- Mark Bell Slingshot
- Mark Bell Hip Circle
- Strong Knee Sleeves
- Strong Wraps
- Stoic Sleeves
Jim & Holly’s badass powerlifting home gym is a great example that you don’t need a ton of space to have an amazing setup. They’ve maximized their space with the equipment they need, and I’m incredibly impressed.
I’d like to thank Jim & Holly for sharing their journey, their home gym, and a list of their equipment with the community!
You can follow and stay in touch with Jim & Holly on Instagram @JimC_Fitness.
If you would like the chance to be featured on the site, shoot me an email at Adam@garagegymlab.com.
The bar is loaded,
Adam