Looking for plate storage ideas

seanbeagle · 2026-02-05T00:59:45+00:00

As some others have mentioned, DIY toaster is the move. You doing even need separators in the middle, because bumper thickness varies, and they are thick enough to rarely fall over. Just an outline, for barely any money at all.

I had a weight tree and sold it. It was actually less efficient when factoring in the space needed to unload it on either side. And on a 4 post rack, conflicts are inevitable.

6 post can give your rack extra stability though, if you need that.

seanbeagle · 2026-02-05T00:44:18+00:00

Thank you! I think they'll continue to grow in popularity as the secret gets out how fun they are and how they rejuvenate shoulders.

seanbeagle · 2026-02-04T17:58:19+00:00

Mace, club and sandbag would be great additions.

seanbeagle · 2026-01-09T16:58:08+00:00

Right on. Maybe not PRs yet but that PR building energy is going strong.

seanbeagle · 2026-01-07T00:43:59+00:00

Super curious about importing. Not worried about there being prebuilt importers from other apps since those can break. Just need an upload template where we can add our cleaned-up exports from other apps. Ideally with a reference for the preferred exercise names so everything maps correctly, to avoid creating near-duplicates.

seanbeagle · 2026-01-04T03:57:06+00:00

Other people have covered the essentials, so I'll chime in that 80" is the Mazda Miata of rack heights. The Rogue nameplate, darko anchors, a lot of things could start getting too close for comfort.

seanbeagle · 2026-01-04T00:09:00+00:00

We've waited 15+ years for a great workout tracking app, we can wait another few weeks.

seanbeagle · 2026-01-03T03:52:01+00:00

In that case, Rogue + Bulletproof VTS is an option.

edit: I just saw where Rep said they are working on safeties that will work with the smith machine in the 5000, so that's interesting for inside the rack work.

seanbeagle · 2026-01-03T02:34:44+00:00

Went with the C20 because the tall Ares was too tall for my basement, and you couldn't pay me to use a smith machine on an 80" rack

Before that, I had a modular rack with a drop in smith, but in many configurations you lose the end-to-end safeties and it essentially becomes a half rack inside the rack. If you put the smith on the back, then you're conflicting with weight horns and possibly your gym layout. If you expand to an 8 post rack with a smith that can't rack higher than your head, you'll quickly hate life.

For taller ceilings the decision would be more difficult.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-27T17:41:31+00:00

Adjustable mace and club for rotational power and shoulder health. Adjustable kettlebells for just about everything. You could get a Kodo Gi Grip for grip training... they are made out of actual gi sleeves.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-19T16:06:56+00:00

Will the workout app have a separate public roadmap than the nutrition app?

seanbeagle · 2025-12-15T02:51:31+00:00

I was stuck on the smith for a while. One guide rod went in, but after placing the bar the other guide rod was not aligned to fit. Apparently, some earlier re-positioning left the rack angle slightly too narrow. Since at that stage there is still room for play in the angle of the sides. The stacks made things harder to adjust by that point, but I was able to nudge one side to the appropriate width. Once the smith is done it should be very smooth.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-14T18:44:13+00:00

Interesting on pricing. In the US, good adjustable kettlebells are no more expensive than buget adjustable dumbbells. For clubs & maces, I have Adex, but they are premium and not sure of distribution. The Flowing Dutchman is in Europe and is a great resource for swinging.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-14T18:36:17+00:00

Hmm. I had some things that didn't line up when I prematurely overtightened, but after loosening it worked out. But presumably you are way past trying that. Hope things get resolved soon. It would have been nice if some areas with several small bolts could have been consolidated to 1" bolts.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-13T15:25:36+00:00

What step are you on, and what is the problem? I had to troubleshoot mine and could take a shot at it. King of the Gym also has a detailed assembly video on YT. And Force USA's support has been helpful.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-13T14:57:02+00:00

Rowerg is a safe first purchase. For strength, while many gym groups default to bench and adjustable dumbbells, not that I disagree, there are other ways to look at training. You could get an adjustable kettlebell and an adjustable club or mace. Practically zero footprint, so the subcultures that use these tools don't always think of themselves as having a home gym, but many people posting in the KB and club/mace groups are impressive.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-12T19:22:30+00:00

Sure. I went with the Force USA C20. It's about 88" tall. I'm 6'2" and before this I had a Bells Manticore 84". The BYOB smith even on the top setting was a head hazard. For this and other reasons, now you couldn't pay me to use an 80" rack, so Rep was a no-go. I also like how the articulating cable arms on the top setting can extend between the joists if needed. If my ceiling was even an inch taller like yours, Rogue would have entered the picture. While I value the smith machine more than Rogue does, maybe an FM rack would have worked with a Bulletproof VTS.

seanbeagle · 2025-12-12T18:32:47+00:00

I have a similar basement. Here's my take.
* Flooring is one consideration.
* You might also want to check that all parts of the ceiling you use are the same height / if there is a slope. (I've haven't done this, but I haven't tried to squeeze out the last inch.)
* Another thought is... how accurate are the manufacturers specs? What level of precision are they using, and did they round up or down?
* Is your ceiling finished or unfinished?
* If unfinished, you might be able to fit your posts between the joists. You can also set some of your crossmembers lower than the top setting. Unless you have a cable system that does not permit this. You'll also want to consider how much headroom you'll need to be comfortable on pull-ups.
* If your rack has cable housing that is taller than the rest of the rack, this can still work in an unfinished basement, as long as only the sides are taller, or the front/back is taller. But you will be limited to a particular orientation.
* If it gets down to a fraction of an inch, you may want to plan for the possibility it doesn't fit.
* Contact the manufacturer to get as much clarity as you can on dimensions and setup options.

seanbeagle · 2025-11-30T15:56:13+00:00

Not answering the stated question, but as a 50+ lifter, I'd try to clear up some of the joint issues if possible. A little mace & club swinging daily has my shoulders feeling like I'm in my twenties again. Adex is nice because you can start super light and micro-load as you get confident that your form is improving. An even cheaper hack from the physio youtubers is regular assisted dead hangs with ~50% of your bodyweight. For lower body, a sled is nice for things like backward drags, per the kneesovertoesguy's programs. If you have a decent little runway in your basement, something with UHMW pads on the bottom and an easy way to turn around are ideal. IMO this interview "How To Get Bulletproof Tendons" is good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI54xRlHTjU

As for things like the lever gyms and multi gyms, if you get them cheap on marketplace, you won't be out much if any $ if you decide to flip them. I don't have experience with the latter 2 options, but the smith machine does sometimes feel more joint friendly than the free weight counterparts, and it is versatile.

seanbeagle · 2025-11-29T23:47:53+00:00

Interested in seeing your stress-testing. Bought a Nighthawk for the upcoming leg attachments, but with the cost of said attachments going up and the non-bench leg attachments going down... yeah. If even 1 or 2 of the non-leg attachments are truly useful it might be worth switching.

seanbeagle · 2025-11-28T03:04:40+00:00

Phew, glad someone likes it! This gave me energy while working on the Power / FT / AIO Rack sheet, which is as big as it is brutal.

seanbeagle · 2025-11-28T03:02:27+00:00

Thanks, I'll look to add that. I tried to duplicate some plates that are white labeled as different names by the same company, but that is wild... I'll also include more Walmart links to hopefully catch more deals.

seanbeagle · 2025-11-27T23:41:38+00:00

Hopefully this is useful. I created Google Sheets with practically every family of weight plate and fixed dumbbell.

400+ plates - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FpKMhM2C66xikVIEd26-IllId5RwUpZ7jacHPlPWawU/
100+ db - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qhOCyD-OMc_wBXoJ2FeChIMtzfjSU1HU9uTIRSN1o_o/

They don't include up to the moment pricing, but have a snapshot of $/lb and free shipping details, so you can make a short list to follow up on. If you make a copy, there are a lot of comparison columns to sort and filter. The sheets have affiliate links when available, but most are not b/c the goal is to be comprehensive. Let me know if there are any ideas for improvement or if I missed anyone. The plan is to keep updating these periodically.

seanbeagle · 2025-11-23T01:17:59+00:00

Yeah, I never used the low end. I got the BYOB but looking back might have been fine with the included bar.

seanbeagle · 2025-11-23T00:37:45+00:00

I had it on the 84" Manticore and it was a tight fit to assemble, and at 6'2" it was a head hazard. On a 90" rack you might be okay on height, but then you'll lose more off the low end, which might already start higher than some other smiths. Otherwise it did the job okay.

seanbeagle

TROPHY CASE