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2023 was chock-full of best-in-class releases from the fitness industry. We had the pleasure of testing and reviewing hundreds of them and even fell in love with a few; (check out our list of the top fitness releases of 2023 for more on that.)
But it’s a new year, and it’s hard to feel wistful for yesteryear when there’s tons of cool new stuff on the horizon. We’ve got brand-new machines, innovative storage solutions, smart tech, and more ready to rock your world and revolutionize your home gym.
We’re ready to do what we do best at GGR by getting our mitts on the swag and giving you the scoop. That’s why we’ve got the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Garage himself, Cooper “Coop” Mitchell, laying out the potential (and confirmed) equipment slated to come out this year that has him pumped!
GGR: Grade-A for a Decade
Coop created Garage Gym Reviews in 2014 with the goal of providing honest reviews to home gym owners. That goal remains the top priority today, and after 10 years, we’re still your go-to crew for anything and everything fitness.
We’ve logged thousands of miles on the best treadmills for home gyms and hundreds of thousands of reps using the fitness industry’s best dumbbells, barbells, and machines. Our staff, which includes CPTs, CrossFit coaches, certified nutritionists, and an actual Olympian, have firsthand experience.
Believe us when we say we know fitness inside and out, and it’s our absolute pleasure to share that experience and expertise with you.
2024 Home Gym Equipment Coop is Ready For
In the list below, we outline five of Coop’s call-outs that caught our attention. If you want Coop’s full rundown, watch the video below!
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1. Advancements in Home Gym Machines
“More and more, people are recognizing there’s benefits to using machines, and they want them in their home gyms,” says Coop, “so, that category specifically…I’m really excited about it.”
Machines may be in, but unfortunately, most of the biggest manufacturers have historically focused on products for commercial gyms. We’re talking about companies like Panatta, Atlantis, Prime Fitness, Life Fitness, and Hammer Strength; they make some sweet stuff, but they’ve cornered the commercial market, allowing them to charge a premium, and that has to change.
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More and more, people are recognizing there’s benefits to using machines, and they want them in their home gyms.”
Coop
Coop is calling out home gym companies like Rogue, REP, and Titan to take on the commercial colossi by releasing more machines intended for home gym use. Combo machines—like single stacks that let you do leg extensions and leg curls—would be especially useful in the home gym setting due to their versatility and compact footprint.
“I want a leg extension-leg curl really bad in my home gym,” says Coop. “Bells of Steel recently teased that they were going to come out with one.”
We’ll stay tuned for more from Bells of Steel, but hopefully, we’ll see more machines, combo or otherwise, released for home gym use in 2024.
2. More Innovative Storage Solutions
We dished out a lot of praise for REP Fitness last year because of their fierce release calendar, which included top products like the Colorado Bar, Double Black Diamond Power Bar, and the ever-versatile Athena Functional Trainer.
Coop’s stoked to see REP still rolling out the releases in 2024 with an upcoming modular storage system that aims to provide an innovative solution to a common problem.
“One of the biggest pain points for home gyms is getting crap off the floor and onto something,” says Coop. “It seems like [REP] wanted to come up with…an ‘ecosystem’ that you can use some of their future [equipment]…[and] their modular storage systems will connect to that.”
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3. A New (and Improved) REP Fitness Adonis
Speaking of REP, Coop is super excited about the upcoming Adonis Multi-Cable Tower, which appears to be a competitor to one of Coop’s current garage gym faves: the Prime Fitness Prodigy HLP Single Stack.“I love that thing, but lead time on that and expense [are] ridiculous,” admits Coop.
REP stands a chance of releasing the Adonis and obliterating Prime Fitness’ winning product in terms of lead time and price point.
“On their website, [REP is] showing that they have a 1:1 ratio on the top lat pulldown and the low row and a functional trainer,” says Coop. “Where the Prime Fitness, I think, falls is the low row because you have to use the functional trainer handle, which is a 2:1 ratio, and for monsters like me and you…300 pounds isn’t enough at a 2:1 ratio.”
Think of it this way: With a 2:1 weight ratio, the pulley attachment compensates for you so that you do not feel the full extent of the weight you’re pulling. Three hundred pounds feels like 150 pounds. However, with a 1:1 ratio, if you’re pulling 100 pounds, it will feel like 100 pounds. This matters because you want to feel the full effect of the weight you’re pulling (or pushing) against.
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4. Boutique Company Offerings
Companies like Rogue, REP Fitness, and Eleiko are top dogs for a reason—they put out a consistently great product that almost everyone loves. But there are also lesser-known shops spearheading innovation and providing a breath of fresh air for your gym. Oak Club is among the boutique frontrunners that captured Coop’s attention in 2023.
“Oak Club…their stuff is just really good,” says Coop. “I’m hoping they continue to come out with stuff. Specifically, I’m hoping for a cable system…I’d love to see their take on it.”
AbMat was another big winner in 2023. They’ve always got some cool stuff coming out, as they’re constantly finding new and creative ways of using their trademark foam. We’re eager to see what they have in store in 2024.
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Coop would also love to get some Dark Lifting products in for review in 2024. We haven’t had the pleasure of checking out their products yet, but Coop appreciates their attention to detail and craftsmanship. They’re definitely on GGR’s to-do list this year.
5. The Return of Rogue Fitness
Coop wanted to review more Rogue products in 2023 because they, to this day, are some of the best he’s ever used. Here’s looking at you, Ohio Bar.
“Rogue, out of every company out there, has the most resources,” says Coop. “Rogue is probably the biggest company, and if anybody should be getting innovation out, it’s them.”
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Hopefully, they’ve been doing some R&D work and waiting in the wings to release a series of top-tier products that’ll make every fitness fanatic’s head spin. That’s what Coop’s hoping, but the jury’s out for now.
“Rogue is probably the biggest company, and if anybody should be getting innovation out, it’s them.”
Coop
Final Thoughts
The five items above from our wishlist are just a small sample of what GGR is hoping to see in 2024. To summarize, we’re looking forward to:
- Advancements in home gym machines
- Storage innovations
- New and improved REP Fitness equipment
- Contributions from smaller companies
- More from Rogue Fitness
Be sure to check out the full video for even more ideas from Coop, and drop your own 2024 fitness wishlist in the comments.
Further reading
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