VOLTRA Video Is Here

HGC, GGC, and More

Author

Joseph Gray
April 16, 2026

What To Expect In This Newsletter

  • GML - VOLTRA and Pipeline Update

  • Community - Spring Sales

  • GGC - Local Meets and Grip

  • r/HomeGym - Powerblock and Trusted Brands

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 Video - 2 Year Update

We made it. Thanks for sticking this one out. The VOLTRA 2 Year Update Video is officially released. We dive into durability, look at new mounts, new features, talk to community experts, answer FAQs and more.

Garage Sale

With the VOLTRA video done, we’ve got a number of mounts we haven’t used in awhile up for grabs. If you see one you like but feel like the price is wrong, feel free to let me know. I priced them pretty low, but I’m open to ideas.

Once these move out, I’ve got a few more pieces we are gonna let go, likely to local lifters due to the shape/size.

HomeGymCon Details

It is VERY early in the process, and I’ll be sharing more soon. But this week I just sent over our logo to Jake for HomeGymCon, confirming that we’ll have a booth at the event this year. We need to work through some final-ish details, but I’ll share the ideas likely in the next newsletter so you can chime in.

Timeline Updates

Alright, things have gone a little sideways for a number of reasons in the past couple weeks, so I wanted to provide an update on some plans.

I decided to combine several of the long term update videos into one, which will be the next project. We’ll cover the Bandbell Bar, Radeon Bar, Impact Mouthguard, Preacher Pad, and Breath Belt.

After that we are looking at the ANCORE Pro, Tandem Tower, REP Leg Developer, and Powerblock Dumbbells which will take us into end of June.

Adjustable Dumbbell Showdown

We were planning a showdown for later this year around adjustable dumbbells. A couple of the companies I was planning to work with, backed out recently and have had some personnel changes. I also started to do the math on space requirements and I think it might be a little much to fit them all at once.

So I’m going to pivot here. We will be reviewing the Powerblocks we currently have, then I’ll be trading them temporarily with my neighbor who has Ironmasters. We’ll review those, then make a temporary trade with another neighbor that has REPxPeppins. I just got shipping confirmation on the NÜOBELL-S, so those are on the way. Then from there I’ll need to track down the others from MX, Core, and Trulap. There is one other in development that I’m waiting on as well.

So… plan is still to review them all, just not side-by-side at the same time.

Collars & Belt Squat Belts Showdown

Since the dumbbells won’t be our annual showdown, we are going to likely have TWO this fall. We’ve got a dozen belt squat belts we are testing, and we’ve got a bunch of collars as well. We are putting arguably too much time and effort into these projects (as normal), so they should 100% be showdowns. I am hoping for Belt Squats in July, and Collars in September.

Cable Attachments

We just got a bunch of new cable attachments for some wild reason. The above picture is missing a handful too. Plan is an add on video for cable attachments for 2026, and then looking at a list of the BEST Cable Attachments PERIOD.

Whats New In The Community?

ForceUSA Spring Sale

They have a sale running through April 30th on their cardio equipment. If you’ve been eyeing an Airbike, Rower, or SkiErg, they got options.

ForceUSA Belt Squat Platform

ForceUSA teased on Instagram a new belt squat platform that they have at FIBO. This looks similar to the Rogue INDY, Oak Club Monroe, and one other I’ve seen in the works. But this has pulleys built into the bottom of the platform, which is interesting. My main concerns, are whether this will be just like the Bodykore platform and have issues with it flying from underneath you.

Giant Racks On Sale

Apparently Spring is the time for sales, GIANT has their AXIS Racks on sale around 20% off.

New Options From Porter and Oak

Porter PhysEd dropped an update that Eclipse Grips are back in stock, alongside a number of other offerings. His stuff sells out so quick, if you’ve been waiting, hop on it!

Oak Club released ANOTHER Mag Pin option, MagPin5. Unfortunately, we still have the same design concept, they just look less aesthetic overall. Not really my jam.

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

3 Weeks to go for the Spring GGC. Lets dig into a few more fun details.

Sponsor Highlight

Garage Gym Experiment is back for another round of the GGC. Jake has been part of this since Year 1, helping with promotions, then when I built a “Council” behind the scenes to steer and build things out, and now as a sponsor.

GGE takes a different approach though, specifically tossing up funds for Local Meet Hosts. These are people opening their garage to other lifters… friends, family, neighbors and more… to compete side by side in the GGC.

Jake sends out $50 per host, to help cover drinks, food, whatever they need to get the party started.

I’ve hosted two different times, and it was one of the most fun times I’ve ever had lifting weights. Surrounded by friends, getting after it, and then sitting down for a big meal afterwards together.

Without a doubt, it is a lot of work, and trying to schedule it in a garage like mine that is often a LITTLE overcrowded with equipment is difficult. But I 100% want to do it again. If you have questions, we have resources available, checklists, and articles on tips and tricks.

And don’t forget, Garage Gym Experiment runs HomeGymCon!

Training Tip - How To Improve Your Grip

We got asked about improving your grip in the deadlift. So I asked our coaches.

The easiest way to train the grip for the deadlift is simply hold your lockouts longer. Especially on the final rep, get a full lockout hold for a 2-3 count and pretend you have the most grumpy head judge giving you a down command! 

Outside of that my two favorite general grip exercises are very high rack pulls above the knees. Perform singles and hold for 5-10 seconds for 3-5 sets. You can do this both double overhand as well as mixed or hook (use your comp grip).

The most overlooked way to train the grip is hanging on a pull up bar. Once you can do a minune easily you can add weight with a weight belt, vest or chains, I learned this from former ATWR Andrey Malanichev who has pulled over 400 kg in competition.  As an added bonus it is also a great way to decompress the spine after your squat workout.

I usually do my grip training on my squat day so my hands are fresh for deads.

Contrary to popular belief, thick bar training doesn't transfer well since it is an open hand challenge which doesn't relate to the deadlift directly in my experience. 

I've had mixed success when it comes to grip training for athletes. Some things work for some but don't work for others. A lot of the time, grip issues stem from anatomy. You may just have small hands.

With that being said, here are some things I think are worth trying.

Ditch straps for anything less than 5 reps

- load adjustments may need to take place here. But if you are in the habit of using straps any time the weight gets heavy then you are just making the problem worse. 

Switch to hook grip

- if you can master hook grip (especially if you are a sumo puller), it can really change the game for you. For a sumo puller who uses mixed grip, sometimes your supinated hand can get loosened as your wrist passes over your thighs. Switching to hook grip all but eliminates this problem. 

Chalk, chalk, and more chalk

- I think this one is self-explanatory. 

As far as actual training protocols, I would recommend long hold deadlifts and farmer carries. 

Brad Armentor

Few things are more frustrating than missing a heavy deadlift because your grip gives out while your legs and back are still strong. When your hands fail first, you unconsciously pull less aggressively, lose spinal position, or cut sets short — preventing your posterior chain from getting the full training effect it deserves.

Most grip issues fall into three categories:

  1. Using the wrong grip for the load

  2. Letting grip fatigue hijack your deadlift sessions

  3. Hands that simply aren’t strong enough yet for the demands you’re placing on them

Eric wrote an entire article on grip for us, and you can find it here.

Eric Dahl

I’ll add my experiences. I used to struggle with deadlift grip early on, well before my current 600lb pulls. Oddly enough, ever since I “fixed” my grip problem, I’ve never seemed to have an issue again. So worth a shot for ya. The good news is, my protocol is super simple and takes no extra time. I believe I got this from Christian Thibadeua well over a decade ago, so no claim to creating this, just using it and it worked:

On your lightest warm-up, start by grabbing the bar in Double Overhand, but you are ONLY going to use your thumb and the first two fingers on each hand (pointer and middle). Do this on your warm-ups until you feel it difficult, then add your ring finger. Same thing until adding your pinky finger. Same thing until flipping to Switch Grip or Hook or whatever you prefer.

Literally no extra sets, no extra time, and the specificity is VERY high since you are training your deadlift grip during the deadlifts through the entire rep.

Sounds weird, it is. But it works. Let me know if you give it a whirl.

r/HomeGym

Speaking of PowerBlocks, they are our next AMA.

Currently we are chatting about brands you trust the most, and brands you don’t! So far some interesting ones popping up with Body Solid getting a LOT of thumbs up.

One Last Thing…

On Monday we had to do one of the hardest things on the planet… say goodbye to a friend. My dog Jax, who was well known by all the neighbors for being an awesome dog, had to be put down on Monday due to some blood sugar issues that were threatening him with seizures.

Luckily during the last month he only had one day where he skipped his walks, he got to see most of his best friends in the past several weeks, including his Corgi best friend Reggie. And he even got some extra time with Audrey during her spring break.

Our local Vet Hospital took very good care of him, they understood we didn’t want him in pain, and they helped us say goodbye without prolonging anything once we knew it was time.

It sucks. But it is supposed to suck. That is how you know you love someone. So we’ve been spending the past few days intermittently crying, followed by some fond memories, and a few distractions to make it through the day. We’ll get to a place where we mostly forget the last day, and can focus on the previous 6 years. It’ll just take time.

Just a reminder that the only thing we have that matters is time with our favorite people (and pets). So give your family and friends, your dog, cat, or lizard, whatever you got, a good hug and remind them that you love them.

Joe