5 simple ways to LEVEL UP your garage gym workouts

What’s up, all you strong, beautiful people? We know some of you are making the transition into the Garage Gym Revolution, and we welcome you. For all of you who’ve been around a while, we appreciate you and your Garage Gym journeys.

Let’s talk about 5 different ways to maximize your garage gym workouts.

1. Track your workouts

You can do this a number of ways, like the old school pen and paper logbook, or apps like Strava, like PK uses. Strava isn’t the greatest for logging weight lifting workouts alone, but if you’re someone who hikes, bikes, and runs often along with strength training, it might be a good option for you.

There are other apps to track your strength workouts, like TrainHeroic, SugarWOD, and several others that often require payment, but are worth it to keep your workouts in order and on track.

2. Follow a program

This seems like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised at how many people there are that don’t follow a program, and are working out with a random plan every day (if that’s you, that’s okay too! You’ve got to do what works for you, but we’re here to advocate for a program that fits your needs too).

A program is a strength-based (or endurance, mobility, whatever your goal is) program that’s coordinated to get you some sort of result. This is, as Mark Rippetoe says, the difference between exercising and training. Are you exercising in your garage gym, or are you training in your garage gym?

If you’re training in your garage gym, you’re likely grabbing a barbell or set of dumbbells or kettlebells, and swingin’ around on a rack in your workouts, and crushing a program; something with a plan over days, weeks, or even months to get you some sort of result, whether that be strength, fat loss, endurance, etc.

If you’re exercising, you’re simply “burning calories,” for lack of a better term. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with exercising, but if you want a hit a goal, like getting into the 4-wheel club PK talked about previously, you’re probably going to need to train instead of exercise, and training means that you’ll follow a program.

We mentioned TrainHeroic earlier, and it’s an app that links you up with a coach and programming, and can log and keep track of your progress and weights lifted each workout.

Another app, like this, is Future.co. This is another app-mediated way to get a program.

You can get programming from other places online like WODprep, Atomic Athlete, Garage Athlete, Street Parking, etc. If you know of other places to get excellent programming, drop ‘em below in the comments so we can explore! We’re always down to try different types of programming.

We always recommend that you follow some type of programming to help you reach your goals, and it’s even better, sweeter, more convenient for you if it’s app-mediated and has the ability to track what you’re doing. That way, you can easily access what you’ve done previously and see your progress!

3. Find a workout buddy

Maybe it’s someone who comes to your garage gym to put in the work with you, or maybe it’s one of your friends who decides they want to work out 3 times a week like you do, and you keep each other accountable via text message when you get your movement in. Maybe it’s someone else on Facebook who has similar interests and connecting can keep you both accountable. 

If you’re having trouble finding a workout buddy, join our private Facebook group, the Garage Gym Revolution, and pop your request in there! The community is full of strength-minded, garage-gym focused people, and we bet there are others in the group looking for someone to keep them accountable, just like you.

Share your ups, share your downs, and share your accountability and commitment to working out.

4. Find your tribe

Whether you’re just getting started and off the couch, at competition level, or anywhere in between, find your tribe. (Again, our Facebook group makes this that much easier ;) )

A tribe is a group of people who, more or less, think the same, and are moving in the same direction. If you’ve decided to walk the iron path, you’re fundamentally different from the people at your office who’ve chosen the couch, leisure, the easy life. You, my friend, have chosen the strenuous life, and the reality is that those people on the couch might not understand, and they might even try to drag you down.

When you’ve decided to make a change for your life for the better, to walk the iron path, to join the brotherhood and sisterhood of iron, to live the strenuous life, you’re going to make people uncomfortable. Some of your friends are going to cheer you on, but some of your friends might have feelings of envy, jealousy, inadequacy even, and they’re going to try whatever they can to latch on and try to bring you back down to the couch of leisure.

You need to find a tribe of people that understand the struggles, the highs, the lows, of setting your sights on a goal in your gym, and the internet has made it easier than ever to find those people to surround yourself with.

5. Invite someone to train with you

We know we talked a lot about community and finding your tribe, but if you’re having trouble finding those individuals or want to spread the good gospel about the iron path, invite someone to train with you and show them the ways of iron.

The good part about this is that you don’t have to be an elite-level competitor to do this… all you need to do is have some iron (or great bumper plates!) to share. You don’t even have to be at a more advanced level than the person you’re inviting into your domicile. You can create the community you want to see around you. If someone is on the couch, and they have even an inkling of interest in the brotherhood and sisterhood of iron, they’ll join you and start their own journey.

When you’ve invited someone to workout with you, you’re not doing them a favor. You’re doing YOU a favor. When you get together with someone and you train together, you’re going to build strong connections and commitment, together.

What ways do you think you can improve and maximize your garage gym workouts? Are you someone who built your garage gym to be alone? Tell us below! We’re always interested in hearing other ways to improve our journeys in the Garage Gym Revolution.

Don’t forget to join our Facebook group for accountability and a community of like-minded people. As always, lift heavy, lift happy :)