Home gym equipment, tested where it lives
Hypertrophy Protocol
Rack and attachment compatibility tools, buying guides that cite the research, and owner reviews of gear I actually train on, written from a garage gym in salt air, where equipment either holds up or doesn’t.
Start here: compatibility and planning tools
- Rack Attachment Fit Checker: select your rack or enter its dimensions, compare attachment requirements, and see what still needs confirmation with the maker.
- Power Rack Comparison Tool: compare rack lines and functional trainers side by side, with manufacturer sources and missing specifications identified.
- Bulletproof Attachment Checker: check Bulletproof attachment requirements, including which add-ons need a base unit first.
- Cable Pulley Ratio Calculator: estimate handle resistance from the selected load and pulley ratio, and understand the difference between a calculation and a measured load.
- Home Gym Room Planner: check whether a rack fits your room, with a loaded bar, ceiling height, and room for pull-ups and standing presses.
- Plate Calculator: enter a target weight and see which plates to load on each side, and how many plates fit on your bar.
- Protein Calculator: get a daily protein target and a per-meal split, and compare what protein powders cost per 25 g.
- See all free tools, including the flooring and garage sauna calculators.
Buying a rack or attachments
- Power rack buying guide: the 5 specs that actually matter
- 5/8″ vs 1″ rack hardware: what fits what
- Why 3×3 racks became the standard
- 11-gauge vs 14-gauge steel: does it matter?
- 10 best power rack attachments for building muscle at home
- Best cable attachments for each muscle
Cables, leg machines and squat options
- Cable pulley ratios explained: 1:1 vs 2:1
- Plate-loaded vs weight stack cable machines
- Leg press machines for home gyms: every type, explained
- Best incline bench angle for upper chest
Small spaces and salt air
- How to set up a home gym in a 10×10 space
- Progressive overload in a small home gym
- How to prevent rust on home gym equipment (coastal guide)
Training and recovery, with the research
- Mechanical tension and muscle growth
- How long to recover after a heavy leg day
- A daily readiness checklist for lifters
- Cold plunges and muscle growth: when ice baths hurt gains
- PEMF therapy for lifters: does it work?
How this site works
One person, one garage gym. I only review gear I own, and I say so when a guide is built from research instead. Specs come from manufacturer pages and are dated. Training claims cite the study. Some links are affiliate links (see the affiliate disclosure), and they never change what I recommend. More on the About page, or get in touch if you spot a wrong spec.
Follow the build
See new garage-gym comparisons, rack fit updates and training explainers from @HypertrophyHQ on X. Have a rack or attachment question? Send it here.
Latest
- Landmine Attachment for Power Rack vs Standalone Base
Most rack-mounted landmines fit only one maker’s rack line. Match yours by series and hole size, or skip the rack with a standalone landmine base. - Strength Training for Longevity: How Much Lifting Is Enough?
About 30 to 60 minutes of lifting a week is linked to the lowest risk of early death in large studies. What the research shows, where it stops, and a minimum home gym routine. - Belt Squat Machines: How to Choose One for a Home Gym
Lever, cable and vertical belt squat machines compared on footprint, ceiling height, loading height, capacity and price, plus what the EMG research shows. - Eccentric Overload for Hypertrophy: Evidence & Home Options
Heavier or slower lowering has not reliably built more muscle than ordinary sets in meta-analyses. Here is what the eccentric-only, tempo, accentuated loading and flywheel research shows, and which home method is worth the fatigue. - Protein Powder Quality Explained: PDCAAS, DIAAS and Label Claims
A practical guide to the difference between protein grams, PDCAAS, DIAAS, essential amino acids, % Daily Value and third-party testing. - VOLTRA Rack Mount Guide: Which AnyMount Fits Your Rack
Sliding, Adaptive, Fixed and Mini rack mounts, the bar and strap mounts, the DIY Dock and the Rotator compared on fit and adjustment, with a verdict for each kind of setup.