Gray Matter Lifting

2024 was a big year. A little sneak peak into the behind the scenes of a Home Gym Content Creator… I spent $16k on equipment to upgrade the gym and my content creation process. This included cameras, lenses, lights, paint, flooring, insulation, and more.

I’m getting full insulation in the garage this Friday, as well as a Mini-Split for cooling and heating next week. That SHOULD be the final “construction” project in the garage for awhile.

Depending on how 2025 goes, I might have a few new computer and camera tools headed my way, but the goal is to slow down on the upgrades and spend more of that investment into gym equipment… where it belongs!

I lay out all of the above for two reasons. First, to give you some insight into where my money from all of this goes. Most of it is tossed right back into doing this thing bigger and better every year. But second, because I truly want to thank YOU. Yes, YOU… for reading, watching, clicking, liking, subscribing, and all that jazz. I could write the greatest article ever, and if no one reads it, it doesn’t matter. So thanks for giving my work some purpose and supporting what I do.

I’ve been asked to do a video discussing the business of running a YouTube channel. Gluck actually did this last year, and I wrote up this article as well. So I’m not positive that I plan to dig into this topic much further, but if you have specific questions about the process, income levels, time investment, or anything else, let me know.

YouTube

Speaking of YouTube… I published 39 total YouTube videos for 2024, which is my most consistent year so far by a long shot.

The YouTube channel added 1,390 new subscribers, crossing the 4k mark before the end of the year. The most watched video was the Beyond Power VOLTRA I review, with over 15k views in 2024. Speaking of which, I just updated the written review for the VOLTRA I because they dropped a MONSTER update that adds some really cool features.

I’m looking into the concept of some Live Stream items for 2025. I want to likely do the AMA Warm-Ups live, as well as do some GGC Live Streams during the week of and after. I’ll be digging into StreamYard for this, if anyone has any experience fire away.

What Is Up Next?

I’m currently working on the recovery tools video. I have it recorded, just need to edit.

In the meantime, here are the results from the 2024 Q4 Pipeline Voting. These are the top 3 winners, and the ones I plan to add to the gym in 2025.

1. Bells of Steel Buzzsaw Bench w/ Attachments

2. Buffalo Bully Glyder

3. Wide Body Bench

Looking at the top vote getters and based on my thoughts and insights into 2025… I think I want to take my Nordic Showdown video, and do it again for Adjustable benches with attachments. I’ve owned a handful already including the Powertec, HOIST, Ironmaster Super Bench V1, and Inspire SCS. I own the Prime Shorty Bench…

This would include the Bells of Steel Buzzsaw, Wide Body Bench, Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2, and include details of the others. If I’m missing a bench, let me know. But I think this would be a cool video… plus I’d get to bring out my jacket again!

For the Bully Glyder, I’m really hoping I have a new rack in the beginning parts of this year. I have my eyes on something in particular, and then the plan would be to have all of you help me deck it out. The Glyder would be one piece, but also considering a list including

• Mutant Metals Snap Backs

• Irwin Fitness Roller J Cups

• Mutant Metals UDA

• Oak Club Basketball Hoop

• Beyond Power VOLTRA I x 2

• Crandall Fitness Jammer Arms w/ Mutant Handles

• Stray Dog Strength Roller Pad

• Bells of Steel Smith Machine

• Prime Fitness Stability Pad

• Darko Thresher Pad

• Oak Club ALPHA Arms w/ Mag Pins

• Buffalo Bully Glyder

What do we think with that list?

First Half of 2025

I just made some adjustments to the schedule for 2025. The next ~6 videos (after the recovery one) will be all about cable attachments and cable machines. I’ve been looking forward to this for awhile, and I think this is going to be a really fun breakdown.

I’ve moved the BootySprout Pro review to early April, as they told me they have “attachments” coming my way.

I’ve moved the NordBench review to end of April, due to needing more time with the bench.

And I’ve moved the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro to early May, due to some inside info. I got the green light to share a little taste with you first. This has 100% not been shown anywhere else.

The team managed to get REALLY creative and we now have a fully operational cable attachment for the Leg Developer, that only requires one cable and a quick pin adjustment. The pulleys shown in the video stay on the leg developer permanently.

My goal is to launch my review with everything they’ve got cooking. This is in the final stages of testing, with a launch aimed for May.

Whats New In The Community?

I sent my dude Chip of FigJam_Exerciser my full kit of the Shogun Flex. He is a master hacker and DIYer in his space, so I decided to send it over and see what he could do.

Chip said “Going to be playing around with this over the next month and then probably putting together my first written review. DM me any questions you have or things you’d like me to cover/try out.”

Goal is to have him publish that with me. If this is something you’d like to be part of, whether testing and tinkering with gym equipment, writing helpful training articles, sharing training tips, or you want to promote your own content, hit that button below (the appropriate one) and get on the list.

Garage Gym Competition

I’ve been asked a dozen times so far, and I apologize, Winter School Break makes for a touch 3 weeks of work. But I got there… we officially have dates for the 2025 Spring GGC!

May 10 - 18th, 2025. Mark your calendars now!

Details are still being confirmed around sponsors, prizes, and even some Live Stream fun. But you can check out the newly refreshed website with all the goodies. More details coming your way in future Newsletters.

Sponsors In Bound

I sent out my first sponsor interest email this week, and I’m already about to cross into double digits. More to come. If you are interested in sponsoring, or have an idea for a good sponsor, shoot me an email. I’d love to chat about it.

r/HomeGym

In 2024 I kicked off the AMA Warm-Up series, and we scheduled TWENTY AMAs. The biggest AMA of the year was the MAIAK-GO with over 1100 comments and 235 Upvotes. Bells of Steel took a very close second place with over 1100 comments and 173 Upvotes.

Here is the FULL AMA Schedule for 2025. I just recorded the TrueForm chat and it was excellent. I actually learned a lot myself. I’m excited for this schedule as I think a number of these could be brand new to all of us. Exact dates are tentative BTW.

2025 AMA Schedule

One Last Thing…

Completely off topic of gym stuff, but in the personal realm… My wife and I finally sat down with a lawyer at the end of 2024 to get our “estate planning” process in order. Basically, if we die, what happens to everything?

This was a very surreal and weird discussion to have, but I highly recommend if you have kids, own a house, run a business, have investments, to do so. Things get weird quick when shit hits the fan, and having this discussion with arguably the most important business partner you have… your spouse… is a good one.

We also got to buy a new safe to store all of our important documents in one place.

We also spend one day at the end of the year having a check-in. We walk through our Finances, discuss our relationship, our parenting processes, our friends and family, and future planning. It is a complete soul destroyer and brain consumer of a conversation, but damn if it isn’t an awesome thing to do.

We get to circle around on all of the important topics, have a safe space around what is working and what isn’t, and problem solve together how we are going to fix it and hold each other accountable for the year.

We celebrated finishing this by binge watching a few stand up specials.

Both of these were fantastic and I highly recommend them.

In the concept of 2024 wrap up and 2025 plans, this one felt like a good share. You don’t have to do what we do, but I highly encourage you to get your plans in order and have a good honest chat with your spouse occasionally. And then celebrate with some comedy.

See you in two weeks with some new content and good stuff.

Joe