Two Weeks, Triceps and Trap Bars

Gray Matter Lifting

We are getting stupidly close to the Spring GGC, and as always I seem to have a lot of moving parts going on. No complaints, just happy to be here, doing my thing.

Was able to finish the Triceps Cable Attachment video last week, which takes care of the MAJORITY of these videos. I’m going to tackle one more around Cable Machine Accessories, and then take a quick break from cable attachments for bit. I’ll come back later this year and tackle forearms as well as core/abs, to finish it all off.

I was also able to fully update the Cable Attachments article with all the new info. Some sneak peaks there around the likely stars of the forearm and core videos in the future.

Once I finish the Cable Accessories video, I’ll have a few new articles and some adjustments to that cable attachment article.

The Cable Machine Accessories will move to their own dedicated article, instead of taking up space in the Cable Attachment piece. And I’ll finally finish the full article around the BEST Carabiners for a home gym. This was a stupid project, but a fun one. Glad I can finally share my full results. So expect a couple new articles and a video dropping in the next week or two.

What Is Up Next (after cable attachments)?

Two pieces are planned before I go FULL GGC on ya. I will be working to finish the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro review. We’ve had this for well over 6 months now, and are the ONLY ones to have the Cable Attachment portion of the Leg Developer, as well as their brand new Belt Squat attachment (which I’ve had for a couple months). So I’ll be sharing the most comprehensive review possible on the Hyper Pro.

I got word that another dude got his new Iron Bull Strength rack this weekend, so I’m hoping (fingers crossed) that mine will be delivered very soon. That will be the other video on the docket.

Prime Prototype Trap Bar

There are some days that I really have to pinch myself and go “is this real life?”. Last week I got a Trap Bar delivered from Prime Fitness. This is a new prototype from them, and only TWO people own one. Myself, and our 2024 Fall GGC Prime Mystery Prize winner.

This bar works as a Trap Bar w/ adjustable handles, a Hip Thrust Bar (shown above), a Cambered Squat Bar, and a Safety Squat Bar (shown below).

I posted a quick clip and some follow up pictures to Instagram, some pics to r/HomeGym, and got a lot of great feedback and ideas. I’ve documented a lot of the initial thoughts and ideas in the Review Pipeline article for this bar.

My plan is to heavily use this alongside my other specialty bars in the Fall, and then drop a video in December sharing my ideas, feedback, and what might be next for this bar.

If you have any ideas, I’ve opened up a submission form here.

Behind The Scenes

My friends at Beyond Power have a new mount they are testing called the Adaptive Bar Mount (it is an updated version of their current model). I’ve got two on the way right now.

I also this week put in an order for the full Wide Body Bench assortment of attachments. So the bench, Chest Fly, Chest Press, and Biceps Curl. My plan is to tinker with the VOLTRAs HEAVILY with the Wide Body Bench. Very excited for this.

Whats New In The Community?

This week I caught a video on my feed on YouTube that was ACTUALLY helpful for once. Normally YouTube recommends various big booby videos and clips of Lebron either complaining or dunking on someone (apparently YouTube doesn’t know if I like Lebron or not).

But this week, I caught a video from Kinzi, a new YouTuber, comparing the Nighthawk to the BlackWing. This is a question I’ve been asked a dozen times already, and somehow has only BRIEFLY been discussed so far. She does a great job as she owns BOTH benches, discussing the pros and cons of each, and giving a realistic view on the Zero-Gap feature from REP (highly overrated).

New Product Releases & Sales

Freak Athlete dropped their new Belt Squat attachment for the Hyper Pro. As I mentioned above, this is something I’ve had in my gym for awhile now. The first unit was actually brought to my garage, by Benji, for weight testing and that Gray Matter stamp of approval.

I had some comments speaking about how it “wasn’t enough weight” or wouldn’t work for bigger athletes. Here is my comment back “when they were here and testing with me early on, I told them it probably isn't meant for heavy squatters. They agreed. Same with the back extension, if you plan to do heavy barbell back extensions, or 800lb hip thrusts, you just need a dedicated commercial piece.” This attachment is $200, comes with a calf block and belt, and takes up legit NO space in your gym. A Rogue Rhino is $2500 and is a BEAST. These are two totally different pieces for two totally different audiences.

Garage Gym Competition

We are just two weeks out from opening day for the 2025 Spring GGC. I’ve been behind the scenes scheduling a lot of details around the Live Stream events, which I’m looking forward to. We are going to be running ONE live stream every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 4-5pm Pacific Time, for FOUR WEEKS STRAIGHT. Each week will have a central theme, I’m likely to gave guests on each one, and all around it should be some fun. This will also be a huge learning opportunity for me, as I haven’t ran a live stream via YouTube before.

The good news, I used to run my companies New Employee Orientation program via WebEx, so I’m pretty adept at doing cool things virtually with a live audience. So I’m excited to tinker, learn, and have some fun.

Sponsor Highlight

GymPin is a company that popped onto my radar early on, and I bookmarked them knowing I would need something from them at some point. When I got my first cable stack machine, I instantly ordered a pair of GymPins. They have been a staple in my space ever since. Then they started making cable attachments, and their Ergo Handles have absolutely BLOWN UP my expectations of a triceps cable attachment.

In fact, the Ergo Handles are the first spotlight in the Triceps Cable Attachment video from this week. They are FREAKING FANTASTIC. Everyone who has used them in my gym, immediately recognizes how good they feel. My buddy was over this weekend, did a set, and said “These are REALLY tough”. I explained the science and mechanics behind it, and how it compared to a traditional rope, and then he hit another set.

And what is cool with GymPin, is that this is their entire process. Solving problems in the gym. That cable attachment isn’t good enough? Fixed! That machine is too light? Got it! Can’t get squared up in that machine? I got you!

Ben, the main dude behind the scenes, is a competitive bodybuilder himself. This is the secret sauce. A dude who is pushing the boundaries of lifting, tinkering away at finding tools to perfect his craft, and sharing them with all of us.

Prize Announcement

GymPin is tossing up TWO prizes packs:

Cable Attachment Prize Pack

• GymPin of The Winners Choice x 1

• D-Handle Bar Of The Winners Choice x 1

• Triceps Rope x 1

Belt Squat Prize Pack

• Belt Squat Collar x1

• Kick Stand x 1

Each winner will get something that is sure to help them put in some quality work in the Fall.

If you want to snag anything from GymPin, you can use code GrayMatterLifting for a 10% discount.

Coach Spotlight

We are getting REAL close to the GGC, so I wanted to introduce you to one of the GGC Coaches today who will handle (alongside his team) about 30-40 athletes on their own. From eating disorders to broken bones, torn hamstrings and powerlifting records. Matthew Taylor is a dude who has made all the mistakes and been through a number of ups and downs, all so you don’t have to. Well, maybe that wasn’t his original idea. But as a coach, his goal is to help you avoid all of that and simply be a stronger version of your self.

r/HomeGym

As my brain is all things powerlifting right now, this post really caught my eye. Leg machines, multiple “combo” style set-ups, deadlift platform, and a lot of awesome bars and plates.

Upcoming AMAs

I got a chance to chat with David Dennis, one of my favorite dudes in the manufacturing world, about all things Gorilla Strength. David is a full time manufacturer, when he isn’t running his other business renovating and renting affordable housing in his community. David is a dude who does good things, cause he is a good person. I really enjoyed this chat. The last day for David’s AMA is TODAY, May 1st.

We had a cancellation for an AMA in May, and I was able to connect with the Concept2 team to fill the gap. This was a really informative chat, and I learned some good stuff. The Concept2 AMA is coming May 14th and 15th.

One Last Thing…

I mentioned the Wide Body Bench above. I ordered this because YOU wanted me to review it. No one else has, because there is no affiliate process. But I want to review what YOU want me to. So it is on the way.

If you haven’t seen it or had a chance to vote, here is the Q1 2025 Content Pipeline Voting.

And if something isn’t on this list that you’d like to see me tackle, just reply to the email and let me know. I got a vote the other day to tackle the Dialed Motion Cable Systems which is a unique idea.