Are you curious about the Jim Wendler garage gym?

Do you wonder how the creator of the 5/3/1 program organizes his home garage gym to build size and strength?

Then you’ve come to the right place.

In this comprehensive guide, I will show you how to use build your own Jim Wendler garage gym to take your training to the next level!

Introduction

• Part 1: Jim Wendler’s Home Gym
• Part 2: Build Your Own Home Gym

Jim Wendler is one of the most popular strength coaches in the world today.

He is most famous for inventing the 5/3/1 training program, which he describes as “the simplest and most effective way to build raw strength.” Of course, he is also famous for training with Louie Simmons at the Westside Barbell powerlifting club.

Jim has trained in many gyms all over the United States.

However, if you are serious about building muscle mass and strength, then Jim believes building your own home gym is one of the best investments you can make!

Jim Wendler Stats

• Date Of Birth: February 13th, 1975
• Height: 5 Feet 10 Inches
• Weight: 240 Pounds
• Body Fat: About 15 Percent

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jim Wendler’s Home Gym

Jim Wendler recently built his own home gym, complete with everything that he could ever need to perform his 5/3/1 program workouts.

Here is an overview of all of the equipment that Jim has in his own home gym. Check it out:

Jim Wendler’s Maxed-Out Home Gym

Big Equipment/Stations

• Monolift
• Competition Bench Press
• 5/3/1 Squat Stands
• Platform (homemade)

Bars/Plates

• Bumper/steel plates (lots)
• 2 Texas Power Bars
• Texas Deadlift Bar
• Texas Squat Bar
• SS Yoke Bar
• 2 Swiss/Football Bars
• Fat Bar
• Buffalo Bar
• Trap Bar
• Dead/Squat Bar
• Circus DB Handle
• Tsunami Bar
• EZ Curl Bar
• 2 Rackable Training Bars for Kids
• KB’s – 25lbs to 106lbs

Accessories

• Professional 45 Back Raise
• Landmine with Row Handles
• Dragging Sled
• Prowler
• 4lbs, 10lbs, 25lbs Medicine Balls
• 112′ Pulling Rope
• Mace
• Box Squat Box

Note: this information was taken directly from Jim’s personal website. 

As you can see, Jim Wendler bought almost every piece of equipment you could ever need for his home gym!

He mostly focuses on major pieces of equipment like the monolift, competition bench press, squat stands, and lifting platforms. He also has a ton of different bars and plates, including a variety of 45-pound barbells, specialty barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

Of course, this is an absolutely maxed out home gym with almost every piece of equipment you could imagine.

Most people building their own home gym do not need to buy all of these different pieces of equipment. If you are just starting out building your own garage gym, then the following section may be more relevant for you.

Build Your Own Home Gym

Jim Wendler says that building a home gym doesn’t have to be complicated.

He recommends you focus on the most important pieces of equipment first, like the squat rack, barbells, and weighted plates.

He also recommends that you buy high-quality pieces of equipment right away. That way, you don’t have to re-purchase the same item later when it breaks down.

“My two pieces of advice are:

• Start small, be patient and save your money.
• Buy nice, don’t buy twice.”

Here is a list of the equipment that Jim Wendler says you should buy first when designing your own home gym. Check it out:

Jim’s Recommended Equipment

• Item #1: Power rack
• Item #2: Texas power bar
• Item #3: Deadlift platform
• Item #4: Weights
• Item #5: Mats
• Item #6: Specialty barbells
• Item #7: Chalk
• Item #8: Adjustable dumbbells
• Item #9: Sled or prowler
• Item #10: Bands

Let’s take a closer look at each of these pieces of equipment.

Home Gym Item #1: Power Rack

The squat rack is the single most important piece of equipment you can buy for your home gym. This is where you will train the squat, the bench press, and various accessory exercises. For that reason, you want to invest in a high-quality piece of equipment, even if it means spending a little bit more upfront.

Home Gym Item #2: Texas Power Bar

The next thing you are going to need is a good 45-pound barbell.

Jim Wendler recommends the Texas Power Bar, as it considered the “gold standard” barbell in the fitness world.

Home Gym Item #3: Deadlift Platform

Having a deadlift platform in your home gym is extremely important.

If you do not have an appropriate platform, then you risk putting holes in your garage floor when performing heavy deadlifts!

You can also build your own deadlift platform if you are creative enough. However, investing in a good deadlift platform is always a good idea.

The best platforms will also give you the opportunity to perform deadlifts against bands.

Home Gym Item #4: Weights

Of course, you are going to need plenty of weights for your home garage gym!

Here are some guidelines that will work well for most lifters:

• 8-10 #45 pound plates
• 2 #25 pound plates
• 4 #10 pound plates
• 2 #5 pound plates
• 2 #2.5 pound plates

If you want to perform any Olympic lifts, such as the power clean or power snatch, then you may also want to invest into some rubber plates to avoid putting holes in your floor!

Home Gym Item #5: Mats

Jim Wendler recommends that you have some sort of floor matting installed in your home gym. This will further protect your floor from damage.

Home Gym Item #6: Specialty Barbells

Jim Wendler is a big believer in specialty barbells. He says the classic squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press are still great exercises. However, if you are not competing in powerlifting, then using specialty barbells can be a great choice.

Here are some of the best specialty barbells that you can buy:

• Safety squat bar
• Trap bar
• Earthquake bar

This is essentially all you need.

Of course, there are other good specialty barbells like the spider bar, bamboo bar, buffalo bar and so on. However, these 3 will go a long ways in helping you reach your size and strength goals.

Home Gym Item #7: Chalk

This is a very simple and inexpensive item.

Jim says it is much easier to use chalk when you are training in your own home gym, as you don’t have to worry about gym owners getting angry with you when you are training on your own equipment!

Home Gym Item #8: Adjustable Dumbbells

Adjustable dumbbells are a great option when you are training at your own home.

They allow you to adjust the weight on the dumbbell, so you can easily use anywhere from 5-100+ pounds using the same set of dumbbells.

Home Gym Item #9: Sled Or Prowler

Jim Wendler is a huge fam of the sled and prowler for conditioning work, so it’s no surprise that he recommends these pieces of equipment.

Of course, you will need a place besides your garage to use them! You can learn more about these pieces equipment at the following article:

• Jim Wendler Conditioning | The Ultimate Guide!

Home Gym Item #10: Bands

Jim Wendler is not the biggest fan of bands.

He says that regular “straight weight” is more than enough for most people to reach their fitness goals. However, if you are building a garage gym, then they can be a great option as well.

Their main advantage is they do not take up much space, so you can perform dozens of new equipment for just a few bucks!

Conclusion | The Jim Wendler Garage Gym!

Jim Wendler is one of the most popular figures in the fitness industry, and it’s easy to see why. He knows that it takes to get real-world results in the gym better than almost anyone else.

Of course, Jim also knows a thing or two about building a kick-ass home gym!

If you are interested in building your own garage gym, but don’t know where to start, then I highly recommend you follow Jim’s advice as laid out in this article.

It may be just what you need to turn your garage gym vision into reality!