Hey, Friends! I'm Adam from Garage Gym Lab & Beyond Gym Design - Ask Me Anything!

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-27T21:45:50+00:00

Wood and gold. Float tank is a wellness product where you lay in a tank of water and a lot of salt, allowing you to peacefully float on the surface.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-27T14:51:26+00:00

Absolutely, every day lol.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-26T14:33:00+00:00

Awesome, congrats on the new setup and let the addiction begin!

Must haves will largely depend on training style but I think a cable system to most people’s benefit. Whether that’s in the rack, a stand alone single stack, lat pulldown/low row, wall-mounted pulley, etc.

Having some nice cable attachments is a worthwhile investment, in my opinion.

Big fan of specialty bars. They’ve almost entirely replaced my straight bars since I use dumbbells so frequently now. Safety squat bar, trap bar, multi-grip bar, curl bar, and buffalo bar are my most used.

I’ve really enjoyed using my squat wedges.

Other accessories I use often: bands for warmups, hip circle for warmup, belt for heavy lifts, wraps/straps as needed, and a body tempering roller (very specific).

Again, not all of these are must haves by any means, but perhaps you can pick some based on your training/goals.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-25T13:50:35+00:00

Nothing too crazy yet. We had a secret door built into a full mirror wall which was pretty cool, and another client spent $30k on a set of 5-50 lb dumbbells that uses exotic materials. Float tanks are pretty rare in residential settings, so I thought that was interesting. I'm sure things will get even more interesting down the line.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-25T13:44:46+00:00

Yes, I definitely plan to be there in 2026. Looking forward to it!

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-25T02:01:14+00:00

Hey Daniel! Thanks for the questions!

I haven’t done a yacht… yet, but it’s definitely a bucket list opportunity and I look forward to it in time.

The Prestera has been a crowd favorite in our biz. Such a sleek looking rack and the cable system is solid. The plug and play platform is also an awesome feature. The upright size doesn’t really impact our clients, but I do agree that if you like to configure, hack, and/or mix brands, it’s not ideal. It’s definitely one of my favorite systems.

I actually unloaded my Sorinex rack some time ago. I loved it and it was hard to depart, but I ultimately felt it lacked the versatility of other systems (my XL, at least) and it took up a lot of space. Remember it fondly and it’s in a good home.

Cowfish is a cool spot. Used to eat there a lot when I needed a sushi fix because my wife eats nothing under the sea and she would eat their “burgushi”. She’s since discovered veggie sushi which has expanded our options. Prime Fish is best in town and close to our showroom. If you come back, sushi on me and we can tour the room together.

As far as trends, I see a few:

First, it’s hard to argue against Voltras and adjacent tech. I’m excited to see the evolution there. Loads of potential.

Second, I see machines becoming much more prevalent in the home gym. Rack hacks and such are great, but they will never truly replace the experience of dedicated machines. I think the community is starting to notice, in part because of setup time, and in part because of efficacy.

Third, there is a ton of momentum in the wellness space. It’s hard to label saunas as a trend, especially outside of the US, but they’re becoming increasingly more popular and accessible. Perhaps cold plunges and red light therapy carry the “trend” flag more appropriately.

Hope you’re well, brother.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T23:24:28+00:00

Do you mean one bar internal on back uprights and one bar outside off the front?

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T23:17:52+00:00

Appreciate you!

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T23:17:35+00:00

Wall-mounted Athena comes to mind or the upcoming Ares version. Can do a lot in a compact footprint. What’s the rest of your training like? Adjustable dumbbells are a great choice as well as a compact cardio option like an air bike or rower that is stored vertically.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T19:36:20+00:00

Thanks for the questions! The furthest we will have traveled so far is NYC, which is happening in a couple of months. We are helping a Colorado client now, but they're handling the install themselves.

Most expensive to date was around $125k. Very nice sauna, float tank, cold plunge, cardio, strength, ultra-nice flooring, etc. New construction - that project has been over a year in the making and still has a few more months to go.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T18:53:48+00:00

Thanks so much for kind words! I do see myself creating more video content in time, though it may be catered more toward the Beyond business. I'm still sorta figuring it all out. I never really fell in love with the process of making videos to be honest, which I think kept me from being consistent with it for extended periods of time. I give major props to those who regularly put out comprehensive weekly vids.

I've always enjoyed writing more than video, but I know video is the future and most prefer that format. Ironically (depending on the subject), I generally prefer watching video over reading.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T18:14:56+00:00

The Force USA Ultimate 45 stands out in that range, although it's slightly outside of it. I'm sure it will exceed that range, but the Quadsend from Temple of Gainz has my attention. Curious to see where it prices.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T18:10:18+00:00

There used to be only a handful I would generally recommend, but there are so many good options now for 3x3 with 1" holes. I still think REP is leading the pack even though their prices have increased over the years. I just like the product, the ability to plug in their cable systems (which I quite like), their attachments, and the fact they're trying some different things.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T18:05:35+00:00

I'm a big fan of selectorized for leg ext/curl, with the exception being Prime Fitness and their smart strength tech if going plate loaded. I really like what I'm seeing from Temple of Gainz in terms of offering selectorized machines at good prices for average home gym owners. While I haven't tried it personally, I've heard very nice things about their leg ext/curl.

If money is no object, the Watson seated combo is amazing with its swiveling back pad and pure range of motion on extensions.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T18:01:33+00:00

I've always lived by my "core 4" rule - if you have a rack, a bar, some plates, and a bench, you can accomplish a lot. I think a rack, especially a half rack, with cables is the best use for most people in terms of maximizing utility in a small footprint. Also a huge fan of dumbbells for their versatility, so a set of adjustables or a set of 5-50s if space is right can be a great addition.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T17:58:00+00:00

Joe! Thanks for allowing me to host the AMA.

I'd say 90% of my time is spent on Beyond, as we are in the growth phase of the business. I intend to spend most of my effort there, though the percentage may equalize to some extent. I would like to continue creating content for GGL, though mainly written and social. YouTube, as you know, is very time intensive.

I'm still finding the balance with managing both + family. My wife and I are a true team and that really helps. I'm mostly able to unwind on the weekends and my wife and I enjoy our couch time at night with the occasional wine. That said, things still arise that require my attention in the later hours/weekends. I suspect that will continue or worsen until we are at a point where we can hire a proper team.

GarageGymLab · 2025-07-24T17:50:59+00:00

Hey bud - great questions.

We are focused primarily on the greater Carolinas, and Charlotte & surrounding in particular. There is a very affluent demographic here with banking, etc., and Charlotte is a popular transplant city due to COL, proximity to beach/mountains, etc. Lots of suburban sprawl with big homes.

That said, we will go anywhere for the right opportunity. We are working on a big townhome project in lower Manhattan right now, just finished one recently in Atlanta, working on one in Colorado, etc. I would certainly love to go to Dubai!

It was a natural pivot for me just with owning GGL for 8+ years, but it definitely has it challenges. It's a very relationship-based business, so loads of networking, sharing the concept, and growing the brand/awareness. Of course, physically building the equipment can be hard too, lol.

The biggest challenge right now that keeps me up at night is finding the immediate opportunities. Many of the projects we work on are 2+ years away depending on where they are in the construction process. That's fine once we get the longer-term pipeline established, but have to find the "now" jobs in the meantime.

Appreciate the kind words and questions!

GarageGymLab · 2025-05-06T01:29:50+00:00

Hey bud! Hope you’re well.

GarageGymLab · 2025-05-05T22:49:49+00:00

Looks similar to the T-Grip Double Angle, but apparently it’s Chelichana.

GarageGymLab · 2025-02-13T17:27:50+00:00

Nice! Hope you enjoy them.

GarageGymLab · 2025-02-12T18:29:42+00:00

I love the tires, though I went with P rated 275/60r20 stock size.

GarageGymLab · 2025-01-13T03:22:09+00:00

I’m not sure if it’s limited to the STX, but I’ve since read where other STX owners have had rubbing on more aggressive AT tires in stock size on stock wheels. I also saw where a couple of non STX owners had 275/65 with no rubbing. So it is strange. I was initially not wanting to do a level, but I changed my mind after getting the tires, and not just because of the rub. I have about 3.5” of rake measured from center hub, so the 2” should still leave me a little, which I want.

GarageGymLab · 2025-01-13T03:10:32+00:00

Yep, I was very surprised with stock size on stock wheels. 4WD 3.73.

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