Sweet and Special

First look at my new podcast

Author

Joseph Gray
April 02, 2026

What To Expect In This Newsletter

  • GML - Exclusive First Look

  • Community - REP x Dialed Leg Develop Details

  • GGC - Plate Snacks and Pies

  • r/HomeGym - ATX to the US

Links throughout may include Affiliate Links. These help fund the Newsletter, Website, Garage Gym Competition, Videos and more at no expense to you.

Gray Matter Lifting

VOLTRA Stuff

I finished the script and planning for the VOLTRA 2-Year Update, just working on recording and getting it to my editor. In the meantime, I edited and put together the very first episode of a new podcast… VOLTRA Expert. This is the chat I had with Coach Kassem of N1 Education. I learned a lot during the chat, and even more during the editing of the video. And I think I need to watch it again to get it all digested.

This will officially launch when the 2 Year Update video drops, but as a Newsletter subscriber, you are getting early access. I think this is an interesting topic whether you own a VOLTRA, are interested in them, or just want to expand your knowledge of training methods. Hopefully you enjoy it.

Once this goes live, the team at Beyond Power is going to connect me with a number of other experts out in the field using the VOLTRAs to their max potential in a number of ways. The goal is to help you (and me) get more out of these. Because as much as I enjoy the VOLTRA, the BP has done damn near nothing educating its customers on how to get everything from them. So I guess I’ll do it!

Freak Athlete Adjustable Kettlebell

When we posted our last product photo shoot, I got a call from Yogi at Freak Athlete asking why we had never done that with any FA products. So I told him to send us the adjustable kettlebell and we’d make it happen. I posted the rest of the pictures here. Audrey helped as per usual, and one of her best friends Rufus wanted to help as well.

If you haven’t seen the kettlebell, it has a simple pin to adjust from 26lb to 70lbs, and it has metric markings too alongside a number of unique features. I’m not a big kettlebell guy, but I could see us using thing for some weekend activities.

Cable Attachments

For some insane reason, I am adding more cable attachments to my garage this year. Two from Savage Strength, their LCA Handle and the BT-BAR are on the way (currently in customs). I got some toys from Bells of Steels earlier this year for leg day. I got the Grip Globes, which I used for the first time this block and REALLY like them. And I just received some pieces from andreoni.fitness that are intriguing. I just ordered the newer Rogue V-Bar and the fan favorite Rogue Curl Bar.

Porter PhysED is gonna send me a few items. I’ll be including the Iron Neck in here, the Pure Torque Trainer, and I snagged one I saw from Eric Cressey. If you have any cable attachment requests from my end, let me know!

Behind The Scenes

I have a few reviews scheduled for May and June, that were based on things I had been told in terms of release dates. Since I haven’t heard any updates, I’m assuming those projects have been delayed.

I’m looking to finish off the ANCORE Pro next, Force USA Tandem Tower, and REP Leg Developer. Then I’m going to start getting in more of the adjustable dumbbells for the end of year project.

Whats New In The Community?

REP Releases Dialed Motion Leg Developer Product Page

REP Fitness partnered with Dialed Motion at the tail end of 2025 to bring the (it has gone through multiple names now) Leg Developer to life.

We now have a live product page, and it has confirmation on there that it will have:

  • Leg extension

  • Seated leg curl (aka hamstring curl)

  • Prone leg curl / lying leg curl

  • Optional (with Preacher Pad + handle kit): preacher curls

  • Optional (with Preacher Pad + handle kit): seated tricep pushdowns

I’m very excited to see more of this, and hoping it’ll be at HomeGymCon.

Giant At Work

Giant sent out a note that they are working on a NUMBER of new pieces. Smith Machine Attachments, All In One Racks, and more. They are looking to drop/release in the next 2 to 5 months. So we should see some stuff before end of the year. The good thing here, most of this looks like they are making it themselves, not just cloning something and offering the same thing. I’m excited!

Merch

Newsletter subscribers get Merch at a 10% discount, the biggest discount I can give ya. Thanks for being here and doing what you do, so I can do what I do.

You just need this code: FAM9731a60

Discount Codes

Remember that these discount codes are active all year round for you to save some cash and support what I do.

Garage Gym Competition

Last week we dropped the Full Details for the Spring, but I confirmed one final piece to the puzzle right after. Last year Joey was sharing some of his baked goods on IG and I made an offhand comment that he should sponsor the GGC and giveaway a pie. We both laughed, thought it would be funny, but let it go.



He posted another picture of a pie and I did it again. And I think we both kind of thought... Maybe? Yeah? Are we doing this?

I poked him again at the beginning of the year, ran the idea past him, and here we are.

Joey is going to bake a pie for the Number 1 Prettiest Powerlifter and Number 1 Most 10 RPE Lifter from both the #26SpringGGC and #26FallGGC this year. For a total of 4 pies.

He'll bake em, ship em, you eat em. You'll get it on top of your Swords. Pretty sweet, huh?

Sponsor Highlight

Speaking of sweet stuff, Plate Snacks is back as a 2026 Sponsor for the GGC. They are tossing up 5 x $100 Gift Card for their store. Typically I encourage sponsors to toss up something “real” because winning a bar, bench, etc. is cool. But with Plate Snacks, the entire fun is making it your own.

We got a custom plate stack from them for the Tandem Tower, and I’ll likely snag something for the next project too. We are working on a project with Plate Snacks for the GGC that should be available very soon. And of course, they print all of the stickers you get for participating.

Training Tip - How To Lift When I Get Older?

I got asked about this in last years newsletter survey, so I asked the GGC Coaches for some tips.

I think the biggest thing is realizing that recovery takes longer and workload needs to be managed better. The frequency of higher stress movements  needs to change and ultimately more spread out.

Maximum attempts (whether it be singles or rep max) should be less frequent and more strategic especially when it comes to the straight barbell compound lifts

One way to get around this is using a more Westside Style Conjugate approach and rotate exercise more often. By using different bars, accommodating resistance like bands or chains (or even digital resistance like voltras) will help prevent overuse injuries by adjusting the strength curve of exercise as well as putting the joints in different positions so you get less wear and tear over time. 

Let's take squats for example, doing a cycle of buffalo bar or SSB squats can help take stress off of the shoulders since you don't need to force your shoulders into as much extension or external rotation. 

Doing a cycle of squats against chains (where the challenge is heavier at the top and lighter at the bottom where the back is more vulnerable) or belt squat can help spare the back by almost unloading the spine completely.

Using box squats with a more vertical shin angle and good mornings in place or ATG free squats can take pressure off the knees while still getting a lower body workout.. 

Not to mention all of these variations have other unique benefits of challenging different parts of the lift and strengthening weak points. 

Favoring intensity or volume and frequency with more strategic rotation of exercise is my preferred strategy for working with older populations.

As a seasoned lifter who has been fitnessing for over two decades, I have learned (mostly from mistakes) that as I get older, my body does not recover like it did when I was in college playing rugby and doing 4 hour track and field practices along with morning lifting sessions.  I recently just turned 40 and over the past 5 years have had to dial back my expectations, volume, and workload especially with a physically demanding job (beef farmer).  Does that mean I shy away from the heavy loads, the 1 RM's, the set of "Go till you (almost) throw up and pass out"? Absolutely not.  But what I have learned is I need to make sure I can properly recover before my next workout.  My focus has slightly shifted from "be an absolute unit", to being able to be an absolute unit now AND when I'm in my 60's.  This includes basic cardio, good nutrition, proper sleep, and more frequent deloads.  I can still push some hard and heavy training plans, but I just need to allow for longer recovery times.  

More and more studies are coming out that show that not just lifting, but lifting heavy to very heavy have excellent health benefits.  Does this mean as a trainer, I'm having my 75 year old female rec pickleball player attempt a 225lb back squat the first training session?  Absolutely not.  But with proper coaching, training plans, and focus on building base levels of core strength and balance, the sky is the limit for where that client can go.  I, personally, have had a client who was in the beginning stages of osteoporosis when we started working together.  After a year of just 2 weekly sessions with moderate to sometimes heavy workloads, they were at the lower end normal in their bone density test.  

All in all, as we get older, PRs don't come as often.  But with proper nutrition, recovery, and overall focus on health and longevity, there isn't a reason to shy away from going for those monster lifts.  

Masters of Iron: What My 40s Taught Me About the Long Game

There is a specific kind of invincibility that comes with being a 20-something lifter. It’s the era of "pizza and beer" recovery, where you could stay out all night and still sleepwalk into a 500-pound squat on an hour of rest. But as a 48-year-old competing in powerlifting, strongman, and semi-pro football, I’ve realized that while those days are gone, they weren’t necessarily "the good old days."

If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I wouldn’t tell him to lift heavier. I’d tell him to lift smarter.

The Shift in Strategy
In my 40s, the "all-out" mentality has evolved into a more tactical approach. I’ve traded bone-crushing intensity and massive per-session volume for consistency and frequency. Instead of wrecking myself once a week, I hit the primary lifts more often but leave a little more in the tank each time. This keeps the engine running without blowing a gasket.

Prehab is the New Rehab
The biggest change? The workout starts long before the first heavy plate is loaded. I now prioritize joint and fascia health as the foundation of every session. My routine begins with dedicated mobility work followed by high-volume, low-intensity "Wenning-style" warm-ups.

This isn’t just about avoiding injury; it’s about "greasing the groove" so the body moves like a well-oiled machine rather than a rusty hinge.

The Internal Engine
Perhaps the most vital lesson I’ve learned is that what happens outside the gym matters as much as what happens inside it. I am now more disciplined about monitoring the metrics you can’t see in a mirror:

Organ Health: Keeping a close eye on liver function and digestion.

Restorative Sleep: Recognizing it as the ultimate performance enhancer.
Cardiovascular Health: Tracking cholesterol and overall heart health.

Being strict with these "boring" variables is what prevents the "beat down" feeling. It’s the difference between dragging through the day and actually having a high quality of life.

I often wonder where I’d be if I had treated my body like a high-performance vehicle in my 20s instead of a rental car. I’m certain I would have seen more success and fewer setbacks.
But the lesson is clear: you don’t have to stop being an athlete as you age you just have to become a better student of your own body.

And I will toss in my experiences and ideas.

Getting older is a really relative term. Lets use two examples. I turn 40 later this year. I’ve been grinding for years, and I’ve found some awesome abilities in my programming, recovery, and more to allow me to continue to push. I am actively getting bigger, stronger, and in better shape as I approach 40, than I was in my 20s and 30s. When the stars align, go for it.

My mom turned 74 last week and she just started working out with us. She isn’t going to hit a 1RM anytime soon, maybe ever. We just need her to work on the low hanging fruit of basic cardio, core strength, and general full body abilities.

If you are a well trained lifter, mostly in one piece, and progressing, then age doesn’t matter in my book. If you are running into walls, or newer to the game, you gotta take a different approach, especially if your age is up there.

Regardless of where you are at, I’ve always been a fan of the concept “learn to lift another day”. No single workout or lift is worth your long term ability to do this. So work hard, push yourself, but lets remember that lifting is a life long pursuit.

r/HomeGym

ATX AMA and Announcement

ATX ran their AMA last week, and they ALMOST forgot to show up. Good news is, they finally did, and we got some good details. They also announced their official US Launch coming in a few weeks. I’ve been following them for awhile, and I’m excited to see what they debut with.

Upcoming AMA

Next up is the Quantum Trainer. This thing is wild, like a Powertec Levergym with a lot more freedom and abilities (both a good and bad thing). The owner is lined up for his AMA next week (confirming details as we speak). For a smaller company all around, this should be a good one.

One Last Thing…

I mentioned my mom starting to lift above. Legit, we finally got her using the sled and doing some work with the ANCORE. I got her doing planks and bird dogs, and we are making progress. And now she is HOOKED!

With that, Audrey is her “trainer”. She is helping get the sled set up, helping with her form on a number of exercises, she even had ideas this week on how we could help strengthen her forearms without hurting her arthritic hand.

Moral of the story here… You are never too old to start strength training… and You are never too young to make a positive impact on someone’s life!

Chat soon friends…

  • Joe