Categories: Garage Gym Chatter

Garage Gym Chatter: Rack Attachments, New Rogue Rack, and a New USA-Made Equipment Supplier

Black November Incoming

As I do each year, the Black Friday page will be updated starting in early November when the early deals start rolling out. Bookmark it and check back, or get on the email list to be notified.

Hydra Rack Attachments Now Available Separately

A few days ago Bells of Steel made all their new Hydra series attachments available for individual purchase! Unlike other brands that are sized in metric, most of the 33 (so far) Hydra attachments are fully compatible with your Rogue Monster Lite rack, with the likely exception of a few things like pull up bars.

An example of the savings is Hydra sandwich J-cups for $89 vs Rogue’s $155. Plate storage pegs are always popular too, and BoS does free shipping unlike Rogue.

Rogue New SML-590C Power Rack

Major new releases from Rogue are always fun!

Here’s why this new rack is cool: In my Rogue power rack guide I featured the SML-690C as their premier 6-post rack. The overall design is useful because you can store your plates on the back posts, fully out of the way. The downside to the design is it takes up so much space, a whopping 80″ long footprint.

With the new SML-590C they have reduced the length of the front section from 43″ down to 30″. That’s still adequate room to move around in and reduces the overall footprint to 67″, saving you precious gym space.

Fat Gripz Wins

After 112 votes, The r/homegym subreddit has voted Fat Gripz as their favorite grip equipment for the year! These grips have been loved for years to turn any regular bar into more of an axle bar to work your grip harder for any barbell or pull up bar exercises.

Granite Fitness?

I like to mention companies with USA-made products when I get a chance.

A new company Granite Fitness is selling USA-made racks, benches, and strongman equipment. I don’t know much about them. A reader mentioned them in a comment. Maybe worth considering for your next purchase? Please leave a comment if you have any experiences to share! You can always email me privately too.


David Kiesling

David founded Adamant Barbell in 2007 and Two Rep Cave in 2018. Depending on his mood, he's into weight training, running, bodyweight exercises, and hitting the heavy bag.

View Comments

  • I have the Granite Fitness Systems Vise Grip plate loaded machine....and it is Str8 killer. Niceat feels like years...and this oine is better anyway. The powder coating on the bars is rough/grippy, the bars have a larger diameter than all the other ones I looked at...maybe 32mm....and all the band pegs angle down so the bands don't slide off. That's the attention to detail that will set a company apart. Just a killer piece of equipment...I think I got it for around 150ish plus free shipping. Probably worth twice that. I'd give it 6 outta five stars if I could. st one on the market imo...as well as the best price/value. Titan's has been sold out for wh

    • That's great to hear it's so well made. I saw a video review of some discontinued brand that also had foot plates you could stand on and use your own bodyweight as resistance in addition to weight plates.

      • Oh my lord....that would be a party with your bodywright...haha. And I meant "the Titan brand gripper model has been sold out for what seems like year,,,," The Titan model seems like a fine piece of equipment...but I know Granite items are made with American steel (if that's important to you) and they're also a smaller company and great to work with. I am also a sucker for larger diameter handles. I'd say my hands are medium sized....on a good day...but I really prefer the larger diameter bars. They just feel better to me. Exhibit A: I swapped out my 15 year old tiny str8 Powerblock dumbbell handles for stainless steel, knurled, 38mm grips. It was like going from a unicycle to a Ferrari. Ridiculous.

Published by
David Kiesling