{"id":844477,"date":"2026-06-04T19:41:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/844477\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T19:41:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:41:38","slug":"how-mhs-executive-editor-built-a-home-gym-he-wouldnt-get-bored-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/844477\/","title":{"rendered":"How MH\u2019s Executive Editor Built a Home Gym He Wouldn’t Get Bored Of"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated4 min read<\/p>\n

MH EXECUTIVE EDITOR<\/strong> Ben Court<\/a> suffers from fitness ADHD. His favorite workouts involve lots of exercises with different objects to lift, swing, carry, and slam. Our Fitness Director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.<\/a> helped him convert his home garage into a dynamic space primed for intense metabolic circuits.<\/p>\n

\"Compact<\/p>\n

Finlay Mackay<\/p>\n

Innovative Rack<\/p>\n

The Pivot Strength<\/a> rack is built of durable steel and feels super sturdy\u2014it can support 2,200 pounds\u2014even though it folds to save space and can double as a bed! Court appreciates the easy-to-move J-hooks and safety spotter arms, so if multiple people are in the garage the height can change easily and provides security when lifting heavy solo. Plus it has a pullup and dip bar stations so you can use it for a wide range of exercises.<\/p>\n

Bench Work<\/p>\n

An adjustable bench like the Rep Fitness BlackWing Adjustable Bench<\/a> lets you do standard moves like flat presses as well as incline exercises and ab work. It has twelve potential back angles and four seat angles so you can target different muscle groups. Even though it\u2019s made of heavy-duty steel, it\u2019s easy to move thanks to its wheels.<\/p>\n

Deadlift Upgrade<\/p>\n

After reading countless stories on how important it was to build a deadlift double his bodyweight\u2014and unable to do that with his kettlebells and dumbbells\u2014Court got a steel Titan Olympic Hex Weight Bar<\/a>, which is rated to 500 pounds. While he\u2019s not quite hitting 2x bodyweight standard yet, he uses it frequently and appreciates that you can flip the bar and use the raised handles or flat handles depending on what range of motion suits your goals.<\/p>\n

\"KILLER<\/p>\n

Finlay Mackay<\/p>\n

Killer Cardio<\/p>\n

Few warmups get the blood flowing as quickly as a two-minute spin on the devil\u2019s bike. The Schwinn Airdyne AD7<\/a> features a bright LCD display that shows calories, watts, distance, speed, RPM, and heart rate. Hop on for everything from max-intensity one-minute intervals to 45-minute tempo rides. And thanks to its wheels, you can roll it away to create space. Med balls are great for home gyms because of their versatility.<\/p>\n

Use them for explosive moves like slams and floor-based ab stuff like Russian twists. The XD Kevlar med balls<\/a> are grippy and durable and are available in weights from four pounds to 150. GymNext\u2019s Flex Timer<\/a> pairs with your smartphone, enabling you to set intervals and display your heart rate.<\/p>\n

Low-Impact Leg Work<\/p>\n

After Court hurt his back jumping, he needed a low-impact way to train legs and rev his cardio and his trainer David Otey, C.S.C.S.<\/a>, recommended the Xebex XT3 sled<\/a>. It has three inflatable rubber wheels so it\u2019s ideal for doing weighted sprints and marches. It has seven resistance settings and you can load on weight plates and sand bags or have a person sit on it if you want to go super heavy!<\/p>\n

\"modern<\/p>\n

Finlay Mackay<\/p>\n

Heavy Stuff<\/p>\n

Popularized by CrossFit and military workouts, sandbags are awkward to lift, making them good tools for building functional strength, whether you\u2019re doing bear-crawl drags, clean and jerks, or farmer\u2019s carries. GoRuck\u2019s Sandbags<\/a> are made of rugged Cordura and have padded handles, so they\u2019re marginally easier to hold. They are available in weights from 20 pounds to a burly 120.<\/p>\n

Rotational Strength Tool<\/p>\n

Eager to add more rotational work to his training Court got a free-standing Rep x Kleva Built Adroit Landmine<\/a>. It uses standard weight plates as the anchor\u201490 pounds is recommended\u2014for a barbell and takes seconds to set up. It opens up many rotational and core exercise variations and also lets you do athletic squat and press moves. It\u2019s one of the most used tools in his gym.<\/p>\n

Swing Set<\/p>\n

Some trainers say the only weights you need in your gym are kettlebells\u2014they\u2019re that versatile. Kettlebell Kings Powder Coat Bells<\/a> are cast from one piece of iron, making them extra durable. They\u2019re available in weights from 4 kg to 92 and have a lifetime warranty.<\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/p>\n

Finlay Mackay<\/p>\n

Bar Star<\/p>\n

Forged from 11-gauge steel, The Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar by Rep Fitness<\/a> offers a sturdy platform for pull-ups and leg raises. Plus, it doubles as an anchor for a TRX Home2<\/a>, which links to an app with hundreds of exercises.<\/p>\n

Power Basics<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t waste money on fancy flooring. Instead, get six-foot-by-three-and-a-half-foot, three-quarter inch-thick rubber Home Depot TrafficMaster stall mats<\/a>. They\u2019re made for horse stalls and provide dense padding, ideal if you\u2019re doing box jumps or if you drop your weights. Recruit a friend to help you pick them up. They\u2019re heavy!<\/p>\n

Inspiration Board<\/p>\n

A whiteboard is great for listing your workout and noting PRs. This VIZ-PRO magnetic dry-erase board is easy to mount and clean and comes in five sizes. The Ikea Kallax<\/a> provides deep, sturdy shelving for boxing gear, straps, mobility tools, and more. The unit is easy enough to set up and is a solid value.<\/p>\n

\"Compact<\/p>\n

Finlay Mackay<\/p>\n

Battle Royale<\/p>\n

Titan\u2019s battle ropes<\/a> are made of a flexible but durable nylon-polypro pylene blend and have XL end caps, making them easier to grip. Everlast\u2019s Nevatear heavy bag<\/a> is made of tough synthetic leather. The Hayabusa T3 boxing gloves<\/a> have plush padding and are easy to put on and take off.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s Home Gym Equipment\"AirDyne<\/a>Schwinn Fitness AirDyne AD7\"NightWing<\/a>REP Fitness NightWing Adjustable BenchCredit: Courtesy of Retailer\"Olympic<\/a>Titan Fitness Olympic Hex Weight Bar\"Strength\"<\/a>\"Kevlar<\/a>\"Flex<\/a>GymNext Flex Timer Gym Edition\"XT3<\/a>Xebex Fitness XT3 Plus Sled\"Sandbags<\/a>GoRuck Sandbags 2.0Credit: Courtesy of Retailer\"Black<\/a>Titan Fitness Black Poly Dacron Battle Ropes<\/p>\n

Now 21% Off<\/p>\n

\"T3<\/a>Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves\"Multi-Grip<\/a>REP Fitness Multi-Grip Pull-Up BarCredit: Courtesy of Retailer\"Thick<\/a>TrafficMaster<\/strong> Thick Rubber Exercise MatCredit: Courtesy of Retailer\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Charles Thorp is the Fitness and Reviews Editor at Men\u2019s Health, where he shares the best product recommendations in gym equipment, recovery tools, supplements, and more. Following an early life in athletics, Charles became a NASM-certified trainer and began writing programs alongside the most respected coaches in the world. \u00a0\u00a0Since entering the world of fitness content, Charles has had the opportunity to learn from and train alongside high performance individuals from the NFL, UFC, NBA, Formula 1, CrossFit, US Olympics, and Navy SEALs. When he\u2019s not writing about training programs or gear, he can be seen at the gym or in the wild, putting them to the test.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"4 min read MH EXECUTIVE EDITOR Ben Court suffers from fitness ADHD. His favorite workouts involve lots of…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":844478,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[38],"tags":[1198,337783,210,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-844477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-google-discover","tag-health","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116693546221165401","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/844477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=844477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/844477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/844478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=844477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=844477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=844477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}