Garage Gym of the Week: Lupe M.

What’s your name?  Lupe Moreno

How old are you?  36

Do you have an IG handle or website you’d like linked? @lupillom

Tell us a little bit about yourself:  I am a husband, father of 5, yes FIVE kids, an Asst. Branch Mgr for Austin's largest Credit Unions, and when I am not coaching my kids in their extra curriculars, I am supporting them proudly from the stands. Part of the reason I immersed myself in training was to keep myself young and in shape to be able to keep up with our kids. That and to keep up with my beautiful wife who also trains with me daily and is as fierce in training as she is gorgeous. 

How would you describe your training style?  Definitely more on the CrossFit side. CrossFit was and still is my first love. As a newbie to anything in the workout lifestyle, I will never forget my first day at a Box back in Jan. 2013. I did not have the stength to lift and hold up a bar. But we do also like to mix in a little focus here and there on Olympic Weightlifting. My kids have taken an interest in our training and our oldest is in his 2nd year of Power Lifting for his highschool at a Senior. Our other son made it to regionals as a Varsity Wrestler his Freshman year.  So they of course like to focus on strength. After that, we also have our days when we just focus on body weight movements and stretching.

How would you describe your fitness/strength level, currently?  I am fitter and stronger in my mid 30's than I was in my early 20's.  I definitely am always looking to get better, stronger, faster.  I have been blessed with determination and a never quit mindset for as long as I can remember. So I love how as I come to terms that I am getting older, I sometimes have those little surprise myself moments left in the tank.

What are your fitness/strength goals?  Several fitness goals motivate me.  I have my 2 older sons that I need to try to stay ahead of. They have started to pass me on just a couple of Whiteboard PR's. I have to stay ahead of them as long as I can. My competitive nature just can't take me passing the torch to these young bucks just yet. I also have 2 beautiful daughters. One day sooner than I would like, I have to be ready for when they tell me they want me to meet their boyfriend. That absolutely cannot happen with me not filling out a shirt right?  I mean, I need to at least look somewhat intimidating lol!  Lastly, we have our 6 year old. 10 years from now, I still must be able to throw a ball or shoot some hoops with him. 

Describe your garage gym. The only purpose our garage serves is to be our gym. Nothing else and nothing more. I built a shed in our backyard that we transfered everything to in order to clear out the garage. It is like a "Mini-Box" now. I have rubber mats, various barbells, OFW bumper plates, a Power Cage Squat Rack, Bomba Boxes, Kettle Bells, Med Balls, Battle Ropes, Jump Ropes, Parrel Bars, Tires, Sandbags, PVC pipes, a Concept 2 Rower and a Sled.

Who works out in your garage gym? Me and my wife daily. My teenagers whenever they are free. My wife's best friend Jennifer is also a regular. I have also had the honor of having some of my CrossFit coaches come join us for a some workouts. My wife and I have some friends from work that also join us for some workouts.

Why did you build a garage gym? Anyone can imagine what mine and my wife's schedules look like with 5 kids. We are also both in Management with our FT jobs. 4 years ago, we both worked our tails off to become healthier. But as the kids and job schedule became more demanding, my biggest fear was that "we don't have the time" would have us lose everything we had worked so hard for. I figured if we had our very own gym, we would never have an excuse as to why we could not workout. I mean, it is right there, literally, 24/7. If a kid has a game or I have to stay at work late, no sweat. Well, there will be sweat, but I have the convenience of stepping out there and sweating at whatever time or day fits our schedule.

What’s your favorite piece of equipment in your garage? Hands down my Vaughn Bar.  That bar has been therapeutic on long rough days. It has been a part of me in joyous PR's. I have shed blood, sweat and tears with it. And there have been times when I have pushed myself to my limits and think I just can't squeeze anything else out of me. During those times I can look down and it is almost like the bar talks to me, "one more rep,  just open more."

What piece of equipment was a waste? I honestly can't say I have anything that is a waste. Every piece of equipment has its purpose. 

What’s the next piece of equipment you’re going to get?  Hopefully some more Kettle Bells. I want to start doubling up on equipment now that I have finally got everything I set out to get.

Any dream piece of equipment? Now that I have my Concept 2, I would say probably a GHD.

How did you build your garage gym? PIECE by PIECE. My wife and I started out with a KB each. That was it. I will never forget the day I drove home from fringe with our rubber floor mats,  our bars and a set of bumper plates. From there I have been to multiple Fringe garage sales, a few Fringe Black Friday scores, and yes, some gems have also been had on Craigslist 

Do you have any tips for anyone else looking to build a garage gym? Several. First, clear the space. You don't have to clear out the entire garage like I did, but I think for it to be ultimately beneficial to you, there at the very minimum has to be at least a space dedicated to your training.  Second, take care of your equipment. I clean my garage gym one a week. That includes the equipment. This is heavy duty stuff. Treat it right and it will last forever, no question. Third, don't  skimp or sacrifice quality. This is your body and your health. Why not provide the very best training equipment for yourself?  That being given said, by no means do you slap down a credit card and accumulate severe debt. Piece by piece remember! You would be surprised at how many beneficial movements you can do with just a plate, a slam bag or a bar. Take your time. Rome wasn't built in a day, your body goals aren't built in a day and your garage gym doesn't have to be built in a day!