Not essential by any means but it’s a great specialty bar that helps with a lot of variations. It’s extremely good for seal rows thanks to the camber and also does well for bent over row work and neutral grip bench press. It’s simple and lacks the same polish and the Kabuki Cadillac bar, but it’s also significantly cheaper. The cable loop attachment is a nice touch but I’ve never actually used it in that capacity. Just way too big to be attaching to a lat pulldown.

A bit of a right of passage for home gym owners. Alan Thrall has done a terrific video showing step by step instructions. I used a base of two layers of plywood, wood glue to hold them together, then wood screws to drill everything in place. Ordered the logo off a third party website that specifically does flooring logos. Did 2-3 stain layers on top of a nice piece of sturdy pine wood. Horse stall mats on the side we cut. Overall the entire platform is 4x12 which is plenty of space for deadlifting. It's held up well over the past 6 months and is just a nice touch to the home gym. Home Depot or Lowes will cut wood to size, so it's a really approachable and affordable DIY project for home gym owners. Just take your time and you'll have something that will last you 10+ years.

The king for a reason. The padding is awesome on this bench and it's just an absolute work horse. The gap could be a bit smaller which is my only complaint. It's easy to move around and can be stored upright which are both huge perks. It's stable for all my major lifts and allows me to get my legs under the bench to use leg drive on bench press. This has been my daily driver bench for almost 5 years now and shows zero wear and tear. It's got a simple design that just works really well in the home gym setting. The price point is entirely reasonable. This is the bench that is the best value proposition on the market right now and what I would recommend to most folks looking to start a home gym. There are more premium options out there and more budget friendly choices as well, but I think this just strikes the perfect balance.

Rogue's Deep Dish Plates are like owning a luxury car for weight plates. They're eye catching and have beautiful fit and finish, but they come with a premium price point. Iron is iron at the end of the day and while these will 100% last you a lifetime and are polished, they come with a hefty price point compared to traditional iron olympic plates. The size will also limit how much you can load on a bar. For some, having some beefy deep dish plates on a barbell isn't a big issue and it certainly looks cool as hell. However, if you're loading up over 500 lbs, then you're going to run out of space on IPF competition or similar barbells. Rogue makes some great plates and these are really eye catching, but they're also pricey so it's really up to how much you want that premium aesthetic for your home gym. You will absolutely have these for life if you own them so it may be a "buy once, cry once" purchase.

Absolutely a terrific piece to add to a home gym. For the price point you can't go wrong. I've loaded this up with over 500 lbs and have had zero issue moving it around on the wheels. Most deadlift jacks are stationary while this one is totally mobile. While I don't know if it would tolerate 700+ lbs, it is perfect for my use case. Make the job of loading and unloading a breeze. Setting up deadlifts can be annoying and this just reduces the friction. At the price compared to the other options out there, it may not be quite as sturdy but it will 100% get the job done and is by far the best value proposition I've seen. Highly recommend.

There's a lot to like about this product from GMWD. The converging handles is probably the biggest feature that differentiates this from competitors on the market. The adjustable bench is a bit finicky at times. The quality of the padding itself is excellent. My biggest complaint is the "wiggle" when initiating the lift. When you apply pressure the product has about an inch of "give" before the lift starts in earnest. Overall its a sturdy and well built machine but it's limited by the biggest feature (the converging arms). There's no way to do unilateral presses. The arms move in unison. Also, it's a total pain to set up. The pneumatic lift in the back that assists with raising and lowering the weights is very frustrating to assemble and the directions aren't crystal clear. The price point is good, but I've come to ask myself the utility of this versus something like a powertec or similar product with an adjustable bench. Sure it will cost more, but you'll likely already have an adjustable bench for your home gym. At that point you're only looking to buy a lever gym. Some of the cheaper units can run for $300-$400 and offer low row and lat pulldowns as well. I think this is better than other similar dedicated press machines and certainly has some nice finish. Out of all the movements, the incline press is the most ideal. I think this product does a great job at providing a deep stretch, but given how limited it is compared to other products on the market, I think it's a luxury, not a necessity.

Lots to like here but also some flaws that hold this back. First, this is a great price point for a deadlift bar and REP has done a great job with build quality. However, the knurling could be a bit more aggressive in my opinion. Also, the black sleeves are going to immediately show wear and tear. The first time you throw on plates, the pristine sleeves are going to get marred up. It's a good looking bar and I love the all black design, but it's not going to stay that way. The whip of this bar is spot on and it feels really good in-hand. For those looking for a super aggro bar, this may fall a little short. However, if you're looking to get a specialty deadlift bar just to get some reps in and get used to it for specific competition work you can't go wrong, especially for the price point. I've never used a Texas DL bar, so can't compare the two, but I think this is a good alternative.

GMWD has really improved their quality since I started buying their products. This piece has high quality vinyl and a smooth resistance curve. The full dial allows you to really adjust things to where you want and there are tons of different pop-pin adjustments to get things exactly how you want them. I love this machine for super setting triceps and biceps since all you have to do it move the pop pin. The band peg is a nice touch in case you're having any issues with the strength curve and the little details like the red pins really make this piece pop. Aluminum pulleys come standard with this as well so no need to upgrade. Obviously this is a luxury piece and not essential, but if you're looking to add a versatile arm machine to your gym, for this price point you can't go wrong (make sure to check sales that GMWD runs frequently to get the best price).