The MONSTER GARAGE GYM/MAROSCHER COACHING LOG is a weekly Coaching Log by MGG owner, 2-Time WPC World Powerlifting Champion, Eric Maroscher, and is one of the Featured Coaching Logs at EliteFTS.
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MONSTER GARAGE GYM is one of the premier powerlifting gyms in the US.
Monster Garage Gym/Maroscher Coaching Log: (Log number LXXIII). “WHAT YOU GOT UP IN THERE???” The EQUIPMENT COACHING LOG. HD VIDEO INCLUDED!!!!
*NEW MGG COACHING LOG POSTED HERE EVERY WEEKEND!!!!
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The purpose of this Coaching Log is to show you some of the behind the scenes at one of the premier powerlifting gyms in the US, MONSTER GARAGE GYM in Waukegan, IL., as well as provide a guide to the essential equipment you should consider if you are starting or have a garage/warehouse gym.
On the 22nd of this month the article, “KNOW YOUR BARS” came out. You can find it here: https://www.elitefts.com/education/know-your-bars/ The purpose of this article was really to answer in one fell swoop, lots of the questions we have received about the specialty bars seen/used in our training videos. So the article was a combo of video and an article…..”varticle,” which featured a lot of written information about the specs and uses of two specialty bars, and we accompanied this varticle with two HD videos of both of these specialty bars being used in action to help illustrate the uses in action.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNwEyKckhZI&feature=youtu.be]
My assumption was this would help answer these questions….and it did. However, what I did not expect were the follow up questions that came to our Facebook page asking about the other equipment we had at the gym. The vast majority of these questions came from powerlifters and other serious lifters who had their own or who were planning their own home garage gyms. Questions like what equipment we had, why we had it, what is the best equipment to start off with, how did we go about choosing our equipment, what to get if on a budget, etc.
As the MONSTER GARAGE GYM began in a 2.5 car garage we have many answers to a good majority of those questions. Most of which are answered here: https://www.elitefts.com/education/open-letter-to-aspiring-gym-owners/
Additionally, in this coaching log I am including a behind the scenes look at our essential equipment in photos (so you can take a good look the equipment) as well as a training clip of these pieces being used in action.
We hope this insider look will be of use because when it comes to your lifting equipment you are going to want to go all the way and get the best equipment as no-body wants buyer’s remorse and additionally, having to buy the right equipment after already spending money on something that is just going to take up space and is never be used as it was sub-par for your lifting needs in the first place.
BENCH PRESSES:
We a number of competition bench presses at the MGG. Within those benches there are a number of EliteFTS bench presses. Within the sets of benches we have two types of EliteFTS deluxe bench presses, each with some different features. The reasons for getting this over all model, the deluxe bench press for us were a few. Specifically the features I wanted and liked about this model were the following:
• FACE SAVERS
• BAND PEGS
• NON-OBSTRUCTED LIFTOFF LANDING…THE ABILITY TO WALK OUT DIRECTLY OVER THE LIFTER FOR A HAND OFF
• PLATE STORAGE
• COMPETITION WIDTH
• ADJUSTABLE UPRIGHTS
• THE OBSENELY STURDY TANK LIKE FRAME
The differences between the two versions of the EliteFTS deluxe bench presses are the face savers and the pad thickness. There are two types of EliteFTS face savers, one that is adjustable and one that is steadfast. There are two pad options too and we have both. There is the more standard competition pad and there is the fatt(er) pad that is both wider and thicker. With the fatt(er) pad you will need to move the uprights up as you are higher off the floor. If you are a bigger lifter, the fatt(er) pad is for sure something you want to look into. If you are shorter, you might need plates under your feet as you will be higher off the floor. There is no wrong choice, only a best choice for you. I personally like each pad for different uses and movements. The other thing I like about the EliteFTS pads is that they are grippy, so no slipping around on the bench. Some pads at some gyms you have to take two bands and run them long ways on the pad so you have some sticking ability, these pads consist of a material that eliminates that need for the bands. I could go on and on about the features I like from the spring like adjustments on the uprights to the actual weight of the benches, but I won’t as the bottom line is these are the best benches I have used and my first meet was back in 1989 so I have been on them all. The other aspect to the benches is that they make your bench for you. In other words, there is about a 4-6 week wait time as there is not some warehouse where these things sit, but each order is a new fabrication and I like that as each model over time has had a tweak and a little improvement to it. We have six full competition benches purchased over the years and each one has a little new feature that is pretty awesome as EliteFTS is an ever forward moving company driven by Dave Tate who is pretty much obsessed with his equipment as you are as the lifter.
MONOLIFTS:
Over the years I have purchased a total of 5 monolifts. The MGG currently has three of them. Each one we use on our squat days and each was purchased during a different year, so each one has a new feature to it that is an improvement on the prior model. As the lifter in the rack, the essence of the monolifts are the same….big, bad and indestructible. It is the little subtle changes that just keep improving. Little things, for example, our monolift number one has holes for the height pegs, but our monolift two has engraved numbers at those holes, and our monolift number three has larger engraved numbers. The functionality is the same but the nuanced details are every improving. The hydraulics on each monolift are a little different, as are other features you will see in the comparison photos like the front beams that serve to stabilize the monolifts. We choose to bolt down our monolifts as that way we can safely use the Spud-Straps as a safety precaution. Each model variation we have is a little heavier as well so you go from ridiculously sturdy to the zombie apocalypse sturdiness of our latest monolift. It is like spinal tap, where ten is the loudest, but their amps to go eleven if you know that reference. If you don’t, shame on you by the way.
MONDO MONSTER LEG PRESS:
We have had this piece of equipment for a few years now. Here is the video link to how we got this piece from arrival to assembly to the training: [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgX_1qxRDig]
This is a piece of equipment that was made for the competitive powerlifter and hard-core lifter in general. This is the most over-the-top, serious lifting piece of equipment I personally think you can get. Here are some of the features that make it the baddest leg press on the planet Earth:
• DRIVER SEAT IS WIDE ENOUGH FOR A SHW OR TWO NORMAL LIFTERS
• BAND PEGS, BAND PEGS AND MORE BAND PEGS
• UNISON OR UNILATER FOOT PLATES DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WANT TO TRAIN ON THAT DAY
• PLATE STORAGE
• ADJUSTABLE SEAT BACK
• ADJUSTABLE SAFETY PINS THAT CAN BE REMOVED ALTOGHTER
• SMOOTH GLASS LIKE MOTION, NO DRAG
• BOTH HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL PLATE AREA FOR HEAVY WEIGHTS (THE SLED ITSLEF IS ABOUT 300-350LBS)
• MINI SEPERATOR PAD BETWEEN THE BIG BACK PAD AND BUTT PAD
POWER RACKS:
We have a number of power racks and they fall into two categories. The 3x3 power rack and the 2x2 power rack. The big difference is the 2x2 is narrower from back to front as the 3x3 is a little deeper. Both can come with band pegs options at the top and bottom, J hooks and the holes are 2 inches apart with the holes in the middle being 1 in apart as that is where you might want more J hook or safety bar placement options. Features that got me to these power racks as this was really the first major piece I ever purchased (you can squat from it, dead in it, bench in it, do reverse band squats or bench in it, do rack pulls, shrugs, reverse or regular band deadlifts in it, do dips or weighted pull ups, military press, pin presses off a bench, use if for your band stretches, zercher movements, stiff-legged deadlift, and just about everything else. In my opinion, if you are starting your home gym, this is where you want to begin as you can build your gym around this piece of equipment. The reason I went with EliteFTS is because of the welds and steel. Loads of “power racks” out there and very early on I bought one based on price. Needless to say I no longer have that power rack. I traded it in for some weights. It didn’t have welds but bolts and the steel was of an insufficient grade to be useful for what we needed. So for a minute forget about the band pegs, the 1 inch hole option, the thicker J hooks, etc. The guts to this rack is a professional grade steel frame that has been welded and feet that can be bolted into the ground. This is where the rubber hits the road and that is how the thing is fabricated. When aliens come visit the Earth after humans are long gone they will think we all were powerlifters because after all the buildings have crumbled there will still be EliteFTS power racks and 45LB plates in garage gyms all over the world.
REVESE HYPER:
I pretty much hate the reverse hyper. Actually, let me correct that statement, I actually and whole heartedly loath the reverse hyper. Our EliteFTS reverse hyper completely exposes the lifters weak points in a way that is merciless. I swear that thing just mocks me. So, typically on Friday nights when the team is resting up for weekend I sneak over to the MGG and hit the reverse hyper machine as I truly despise that machine. I would rather just use it as a table for my Universal Nutrition Atomic 7 intra-workout drink, and my Frantz training log. Truth be told, on non-reverse hyper days it is a pretty much the world’s most awesome shaker cup table for the team, but on those days it is being used, is it used with one plate, up to a load of plates, with bands, without bands, etc. It is a machine that will keep your lower back/spine healthy and is a MUST HAVE if you want to keep your deadlift moving up. Did I mention I don’t like this machine???? Let me just close this segment by saying that I put the reverse hyper right next to cardio in the category of things that I completely abhor….but that I need if I want to get the most out of my training.
THE STUFF THAT YOU CAN’T BUY:
A few years back we bought a few additional power racks from EliteFTS. When they arrived we set them up to mount into the cement floor. We set them up and drilled them into the floor, one by one. When we got to the final rack we looked at it and there was just something wrong. It was one of those things where we were all looking at each other with that bubble over our heads like one of those “how many powerlifters does it take too” memes. We finally realized that when the last power rack was being fabricated, one of the four legs had the foot/floor bolt area welded to the top of the leg not the bottom. Well, this renders the rack useless for pretty much anything, so we called Matt at EliteFTS. (Matt is the guy that handles all the equipment questions). Matt sent us out the correct other half of the power rack at no charge and said to keep the incorrect half to toss or use if we could. Well, as one of our mottos at the MGG is FREE is good, we thought about it and turned this useless for training piece into a useful bar storage piece for the MGG. Point being, you can buy gym equipment from a ton of different places but you can’t buy integrity and you can’t buy the relationship that comes with the folks at EliteFTS. The guys at EliteFTS know that as a maker of powerlifting equipment you can be either the fastest, the cheapest or the BEST. Well, they are the best and thus the integrity of a company that stands behind their superior equipment and that is, in my opinion, something to keep in mind as you are putting together, piece by piece, your own garage gym or when fortifying our own corporate gym.
So, check out the link to the article, the Mondo Monster Leg Press video link, the included photos of our equipment and the link to training video showing some of this equipment in use and feel free to message us at our Facebook page should you have any additional questions for us. https://www.facebook.com/MONSTER-GARAGE-GYM-122378057784944/
*TRAINING FOOTAGE FILMED IN HD.*
If you like our coaching log content, please peruse the MONSTER GARAGE GYM online store and consider buying a MONSTER GARAGE GYM and/or Monsterette shirt: http://shop.monstergaragegym.com/
As with all of our coaching logs, if you have questions about any of the information or need further explanation, feel free to message us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/MONSTER-GARAGE-GYM-122378057784944/
You can find ALL of the prior EliteFTS/Maroscher Coaching Logs at this link: https://www.elitefts.com/author/eric-maroscher/
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As always, thank you for following EliteFTS and the MONSTER GARAGE GYM. We hope you find this coaching log as a whole of use to you in your training. Please let us know by your comment(s) if these logs are useful to you and what we can do to make the better. If you like them, we would appreciate it if you would share them. Ever Onward, Eric Maroscher.
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