After weighing the pros and cons of belonging to a commercial gym versus creating a gym in the garage, a lot of guys, including myself, end up opting for the latter. But garage gyms aren’t without their dilemmas. For starters, there’s the issue of space. How do you cram a gym into your garage when you have to fit a car in there as well? The start-up costs for a garage gym are nothing to sniff at either. How can you save money on equipment without skimping on quality? Which equipment do you actually need? The other issue is ensuring that having a home gym doesn’t lull you into complacency. How do you motivate yourself to work out when it’s just you in your garage and it’s dark and 30 degrees outside?

My guest today has the answers. He’s a military veteran and dedicated garage gym guru who has spent years helping people transition to garage gyms, as well as make the most of the workouts done with them. His name is Jerred Moon, and he’s got a new book out called Garage Gym Athlete. Today on the podcast, we’re going to talk about everything garage gym: their pros and cons, the math and economics of starting one (and how it might be more affordable than a commercial gym membership), and how to motivate yourself to use your garage gym. If you’ve been thinking about switching over to a garage gym, this podcast might finally push you over the edge.

Show Highlights

• How Jerred’s busy Air Force career led him to starting a garage gym
• How much money you can save by going with a garage gym over a gym membership
• The barebones set up you need for a proper garage gym
• How to use IFTT to easily find cheap gym equipment on Craigslist
• How to have a garage gym when space is limited (and how you don’t need a garage to have a garage gym)
• How to motivate yourself to workout in your garage gym even when it’s dark and 20 degrees outside
• The downsides of a garage gym
• Jerred’s strength and conditioning programming for garage gym athletes
• The legal and insurance implications of a buddy working out in your garage gym

Resources/Studies/People Mentioned in Podcast

• Jerred’s tutorial on how to build a DIY Prowler
• Jerred’s tips on choosing a barbell
• How to turn your garage into a gym
• The pros and cons of a garage gym
• IFTTT
• Jerred’s DIY squat stand
• Stickk
• Rogue Fitness
• Fringe Sport
• Metabolic conditioning
• Umbrella insurance

If you’re thinking about making the switch to a garage gym, The Garage Gym Athlete has all the info you need to do so successfully. Jerred tells you exactly what equipment you’ll need (and even how to make some of it) so that you save yourself time and money. Even if you don’t have plans to start a gym in your garage, The Garage Gym Athlete is still worth checking out for its mindset and programming content.