Easily Upgrade Your Home Gym - For Cheap!

[@TazawaTanks]

Heavy duty industrial strength Velcro works well on the inside of J-cups. Holds up for several months, even with bars with aggressive knurling. You can use either side (hook or loop), but the softer loop side works better (I have both sides installed on various J-cups).

[@CaptCanuck4444]

I did this as well.

[@BasementBrandon]

Good tip!

[@michaellazarus8112]

Dude this is an a-w-e-s-o-m-e tip! Are you installing the velcro on the part of the j-cup where the bar krurling touches, or are you installing it right in-between the rack post and the j-cup (so it's not a sloppy j-cup)?

[@TazawaTanks]

@@michaellazarus8112 Where the bar sits in the j-cup to protect the bar.

[@satchm05]

Yes! More stuff like this!

[@BasementBrandon]

Will see what I can do

[@richardmather1906]

To protect my bars on my bare steel j cups on my cheap rack, I used clear plastic self stick pads that are usually used for cushioning cabinet doors. I have also used the felt discs that go on the underside of chairs. You can get at least several months out of either, they are super cheap and easy to replace, and they protect the bar well.

[@BasementBrandon]

Good stuff!

[@natertots17]

Been looking for a solution to protect my bar from the standard rogue j cups… after seeing this video I was reminded that I had some clear 3m tape that was designed to protect my mountain bike from from rock chips. You can get a roll of this on Amazon for like $50 instead of shelling out $250 for sandwich’s. Scoooore! Thanks for the quality content, keep it coming 🤙🏼👊🏼

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice work!

[@DannyTran_infms]

I've had UHMW tape on our ghost V1 roller cups for over a year now. Even with all the abuse we get on em, they're still completely intact and pretty much look the same as the day they were installed. The UHMW tape should last a long time.

[@BasementBrandon]

I was going to mention that this was their fix on the V1.1's but since I sold my V1s for the V2s I didn't :(

[@InvestorAcademyPodca]

Brilliant, never thought to even look for it in a tape form. I might try it on the bottom of my buddy's shoes when he isn't looking to see how it works there too.

[@BasementBrandon]

RIP your friend.

[@joeydf]

These DIY videos are great. Ordered new end-cap stickers for my OPB last night, and now I’m ordering this LOL

[@BasementBrandon]

Dope, what did you get on the stickers?

[@christianmazza]

So glad I found this video even though it's a few years old, it's super helpful. The tolerances are pretty tight and the felt-adhesive route wasn't working for me. This was a great solution

[@BasementBrandon]

Glad to hear!

[@caezar044]

I did this as soon as I got my rogue rack to save the barbell from scratches and so lower noise.

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice!

[@RJay0916]

Care to explain more pls

[@CAHOP2401]

Beard game on point

[@BasementBrandon]

Prob need to clean it up some lol

[@MeeneshKapadia]

Gorilla tape works well for this as well, I've added some to the inside of my j-cups.

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice!

[@res2788]

I used standard duct tape on my j-cups, but I used blue painters tape first so when the duct tape gets all knarly and gross, I can easily remove and replace the old duct tape.

[@MeeneshKapadia]

@@res2788 that's a very good idea!

[@CoolColJ]

Nylon washers also work well, M27 size works for 1 inch pins. I used a few of these to get a 75mm spotter arm snug on a 60mm squat stand

[@BasementBrandon]

Right on

[@averagedonnie]

I used double sided foam tape and left the top half’s liner on. Worked great on my spotter arms, but the bar and weight definitely eats at it after awhile

[@BasementBrandon]

appreciate the insight!

[@mikemerc74]

I've used dollar store dinning place mats. I Trace them, cut them up a little spray adhesive or crazy glue. and if you want to match color of you rack electrical or duck tape on the peace your using.

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice!

[@GarageGym411]

B.C.D - A man after my own O.C.D-laden heart! Excellent tip!

[@BasementBrandon]

Haha there are a few of us out there still.

[@mikeb9396]

I ordered a sheet of 1/8th” thick UHMW from Amazon, and made J cup liners for my old power rack. They’ve been place for 3 months, and while they are scuffed from the knurling, the liners don’t appear significantly thinner from daily use. I drilled two holes in my j cups, and then heated the plastic with a heat gun until it was pliable, and then clamped it in place until the plastic hardened up. Two holes in the plastic with a bit of chamfer and voila, my new bar, and the j cups are protected.

[@BasementBrandon]

Nicely done!

[@redsoxwinagain2007]

Nice. I have a bunch of this that I use to make boat hull registration tags. I think my rack is showing signs of use with the holes I use the most.

[@BasementBrandon]

Hope it helps man!

[@pikachuerotica5927]

You can also get custom-cut UMHW pretty cheap. I got it done for the two bottom cross-members to protect when deadlifting in the rack. Was only about $75 for my Rogue RM-4. Just took some measurements, sent curbell plastics the order, and zip-tied them on. Works great, and it's really thick so it won't ever wear down or break.

[@BasementBrandon]

Def can, just hard to fit those inside attachments unless they're pretty loose!

[@MikJimm]

What do you think about using self-adhesive rubber strips for the wobbly attachments? It seems that it can be tougher than the felt pads, and it's cheap and easy to find, from 1mm to 5mm.

[@BasementBrandon]

Prob worth a shot

[@RecreationalArtisan]

This is awesome, definitely something that I overlooked. Great cheap solution 👍🏻

[@BasementBrandon]

Glad it was helpful!

[@David_Whitney]

Big B, just to give u an update on the 3" belt I ordered. I would say just stick with what you're used to. For me going from a 4", 13mm to a thin 3", made it feel like a regular dress belt. BTW I just ordered some Lilliebridge wraps with your code.

[@BasementBrandon]

Hah awesome analogy!

[@SimonLi]

Smart man Brandon

[@BasementBrandon]

A smart man wouldn't have taken 4 minutes to say "buy some tape"

[@Christopher_Huth]

I use the soft fuzzy side of Velcro tape, works great. It even ads a little padding, for a nice snug fit. :)

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice!

[@andie_pl]

Had no idea this tape existed!!

[@BasementBrandon]

Used in machinery I believe.

[@lrtt99]

I did that out and inside of my J cups and now I founded this videos. I fell like a genius jajajaja nice video!

[@BasementBrandon]

Great job!

[@jl7kicks]

How’d it work with the barbell side of the j cups?

[@alecgrewe4656]

Thank you for pointing this out, I never even knew they made a tape form of UHMW. Also out of curiosity, how long has it been since you’ve had a full head of hair?

[@BasementBrandon]

Yikes, I'm not sure about that. I started balding in my 20s and I'll be 40 in a few months.

[@Wayf4rer]

Damn man you really went there lmao

[@kenhickey114]

Really wish I knew about this 3 years ago when I bought my Monster Lite rack - it now looks every bit of a 3 year old rack😩. Great video as always!

[@BasementBrandon]

Just has "character" :)

[@minnesotajack]

I don’t use tape any more because as it wears out the adhesive starts smearing the equipment. I use 3/4” flexible hose sections. They hold shape and have a strong grabbing shape without any tape. Also has a good padding and sound reducing effect

[@BasementBrandon]

You've had issues with UHMW tape wearing out on the inside of attachments?

[@La8kobe24]

Have you tried using it for the dip horns to get rid of some of that English on it?

[@BasementBrandon]

I'd suggest felt in that case! More cushion for the pushin.

[@Rastamahatma]

Great tip, I want to keep my 2x2 in the best shape possible to re-sale and upgrade.

[@BasementBrandon]

Better looking stuff def gets better dollars on the resale market.

[@HKX_ORANGECHICKEN]

Whats your pick between rogue regular j cups versus the sandwich j cups??

[@BasementBrandon]

sandwich!

[@fawzaanmohammad6782]

Could you put multiple layers of the tape on the exterior of the j hook? Instead of one layer so the bar doesn't dig in as much?

[@BasementBrandon]

I'd suggest just getting thicker UHMW plastic and cutting it to fit in that case.

[@Kelvinjan]

Bought a Bells of Steel rack recently and love the roller j cups, but they don't have UHMW on the sides touching the bar. Thought about the tape you said but it didn't seem like it'd be durable. I currently have some lexan I bought from Lowes cut to fit and used some autumotive grade 3M double sided tape and stuck it on there. It seems to be working OK for and is better than the metal on metal for me. Lexan seemed to be the "hardest" sheet of plastic I could buy in store so that's what I went with.

[@BasementBrandon]

Right on! appreciate the insight.

[@HKX_ORANGECHICKEN]

For the sml2, I guessing I would need the 3inch tape size since it's 3x3" uprights?

[@BasementBrandon]

I'd prob go a little smaller

[@HKX_ORANGECHICKEN]

@@BasementBrandon 2 inch or 1?

[@BasementBrandon]

@@HKX_ORANGECHICKEN 2"

[@jmac6973]

Just had a friend make me an SSB, but the paint he used scratches while reracking. I think this might help with that. I had been using athletic tape. Maybe it will wear out quickly like you said though

[@BasementBrandon]

Do you have bare j cups? Might be worth looking into improving those.

[@jmac6973]

@@BasementBrandon it’s one of those weird half rack things with multiple hooks for the bar and fixed safety bars. So the actually each j hook has plastic on it but the bottom of the one above is metal. So when racking and unracking, the bar hits the metal part

[@pablobaluyut8186]

How about lining the j cups with bicycle inner tube rubber ?

[@BasementBrandon]

Haven't done it so can't say

[@twistedbarbell3950]

This is a great bit of info and accessory. Thanks.

[@BasementBrandon]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thechairman74]

Nice! Didn't know you could buy that.

[@BasementBrandon]

Can buy the actual plastic too, just a bit more of a pain to cut and place.

[@FDZ04]

Opinion on the titan single post adjustable fid bench?

[@BasementBrandon]

It's better than what they had before, I still think the REP FB5000 is the best buy

[@anelveber250]

Is there some way to stop the J hooks moving so much to the side while trying to move the bar before some lift?

[@BasementBrandon]

depends on the hook. could increase padding inside

[@bh6984]

Very nice suggestion! Many folks are purchasing aftermarket protection for their Rogue standard J-Cups from Aperture Engineering, because the lip of the J-Cup is raw metal. Could this tape be used to wrap around the lip of the Rogue j-cups? It wouldn't be the most elegant looking solution but it would be economical, especially if we are already making use of the tape elsewhere.

[@BasementBrandon]

It could but would need constant replacing over time IMO b/c of the thinness. The Aperture stuff works great and isn't overly expensive.

[@ianmcstruthers9937]

What would you suggest for protecting barbells from unprotected j-cups? I have a cheap rack and don’t think any good j-cups will fit on it

[@BasementBrandon]

I've seen a few people start making/selling 3d printed covers.

[@virtuosodud3]

So I have those cheap weight plates that are pretty slanted when I have them on my barbell. Would you suggest putting that felt stuff in the center hole for a tighter fit or do you suggest something else?

[@BasementBrandon]

I haven't tried anything with that, my worry would be that those are something you're going to constantly be taking on/off so it might wear the adhesive pretty quickly.

[@dennislagace]

Brandon, I have a pair of sandwich J cups, and my OPB is wearing down the plastic insert pretty fast (specifically Titan T2 sandwich cups). I’m thinking just take a jigsaw to a 2x4 to craft a replacement insert. Any thoughts on keeping the metal frame and replacing the UHMW with wood?

[@BasementBrandon]

"Wood" prob work!

[@jl7kicks]

Any suggestions for protecting the bar side of a j cup? I have an older elite fts rack, great rack, but the j cups don’t seem to have any uhmw on them at all.

[@BasementBrandon]

You can buy UHMW sheets on Amazon. Some people also just get something like a cutting board and cut it to size lol.

[@jl7kicks]

@@BasementBrandon interesting haha. Thanks man.

[@GalickGon]

I ordered jcups in the beginning of the year and they had a little bit of side play. I took one of those under the furniture self sticking pads and cut it to fit on. I already had the furniture pad but just thought to mention it if anyone else had the same problem and had them laying around.

[@BasementBrandon]

Good point!

[@julianh628]

Hi Brandon thanks for the advice, for the Rogue ML should you buy 3inch tape o thinner? Thanks

[@BasementBrandon]

most of the attachments aren't actually 3" wide, so you could get away with 2" tape, or you'll just have to trim down the 3"

[@bbqseitan7106]

This is what I did since my Jcups are all metal. I took some Wood Glue(Gorilla) poured it on a plastic plate, let it dry Cut it into 2 times the width I wanted Folded the glue Put it on the “Jcup” and secured it down with electrical tape Dried thick wood glue, is a self correcting nuetonian fluid, it’s INCREDIBLY resistant to force that isn’t slicing so it’s a great buffer, the tape just holds it in place It DOES NOT wear out as it will always return to the form in which it dried, this is why it works so well with wood BROKE BOYS STAND UP

[@BasementBrandon]

Haha MacGuyver over here!

[@bdegrds]

Bells of steel is coming out with their version of the Kadillac bar

[@BasementBrandon]

I saw that!

[@dannienguyen6732]

Hey Brandon, I appreciate the vids! Can you make one on tennis racquet tape? Someone on r/homegym suggested them as a solution for slippery pull-up bars and improving grip strength.

[@BasementBrandon]

It's an option as well as normal athletic type tape

[@repoman100]

I'm interested, I was looking into felt tape for protecting my rogue rack from the inner surfaces of my attachements but this UHMW seems like a better idea, thanks for sharing. I read in the comments below that you used the 2" vs the 3", however, there's no way that the roll you're holding in your hands in the video is 2" wide! Seems much larger. Your rogue equipment is 3"x3" right? Why go with 2" tape? On the amazon product review page, some people claim to be using the 2" and some, the 3" for their rogue equipment, so I'm unclear on which I should get.

[@BasementBrandon]

Felt is better if there's a big gap IMO. I used 3" tape here, but it's too big and you'll have to trim it so 2" makes more sense.

[@PhilipNowak]

Nice, I'll have to look into this tape. I have been using Gaffer's Tape after a recommendation from someone on Reddit. It's worked well thus far and helps to dampen the sound since it's cloth-like. I also lined my concrete floor with it between the rubber tiles and baseboard to protect any gym equipment that rolls onto the jagged concrete.

[@BasementBrandon]

I have gaffers tape that my brother in law gave me (he's a sound guy so he has tons) we just warned it's not meant to be a permanent solution.

[@donron4625]

Been doing this with gorilla tape. I have various attachments on my rep rack that are not all of the same brand . Only drawback is having to change out tape once a while from use wear. Nice simple trick makes your rack last longer 👍👌.

[@BasementBrandon]

I do have a good amount of gorilla tape :)

[@24mrich]

I put the gorilla type on the slop of my j hooks and so far it seems to hold up.

[@BasementBrandon]

You know how I feel about Gorilla tape!

[@714frenchy714]

Thanks for this vid Brandon! Question...How are you liking the ISO Arms? I'm interested in either getting those or Rogue's Lever Arms but Rogue insists the rack must be bolted down. I have the Rogue RM-3 with Monster Mini-Feet in the front and back. Do you think I can use Rogue's Lever Arms or Rep's ISO Arms without it being bolted down?

[@BasementBrandon]

They're ok, the REP ones are kind of a pain in the ass to adjust

[@aaronh888]

has this stuff gotten really expensive? Its like $36 now for a 2" x 5yd roll on Amazon

[@BasementBrandon]

I haven't checked, but shop around, may be able to find a better deal.

[@steve0ization]

'' hey Brandon here in the basement'' lol if you weren't in the basement I'd be worried

[@BasementBrandon]

Sometimes my wife lets me go out.

[@sirfrancisbacon4344]

I actually prefer to get a few small blankets so i can actually swaddle my equipment like a newborn baby. That seems to offer the best protection

[@BasementBrandon]

Add some lullaby’s in if you really want it to treat you right.

[@HughLeFitness]

What are your thoughts on urethane dumbbells over hex? Do you know where I can find the best deal for urethane?

[@BasementBrandon]

I think the urethane are nicer overall, but functionality wise, don't provide much benefit. From what I've seen REP and Titan usually have the best prices.

[@1aneeshsivan]

You remind me of Ryan Renolds... bet it's not the first time you heard that one!

[@BasementBrandon]

lol thanks man

[@sli8462]

Dang. When did I miss that you got the awesome raw steel rack

[@BasementBrandon]

Haven't had it very long!

[@joshuamartin5095]

I put black gorilla tape on the inside of my j cups and spotter arms. So far it seems to work

[@BasementBrandon]

nice!

[@GarageGym411]

3:12 - Meathead # 1 - "Not too many 'sloppy J-Cups' out here in L.A." Meathead # 2 - "Oh yeah? They got the UHMW?" Meathead # 1 - "Nah, silicone" (rim shot!)

[@BasementBrandon]

hey now

[@panzerqc123]

I have an el cheapo squat rack that came with soft nylon pads on jcup thinner than the lenght of the screws holding them down. I put some furniture felt pad on them and even with my OPB cheese grater , they hold for a good 3 months before i have to change them for new ones. It looks ghetto , but it works and i outlift #Garagegymreviews so it's all that matters anyway.

[@BasementBrandon]

lol shots fired.

[@bloooJ]

McMaster Carr has adhesive-backed UHMW strips in various widths: www.mcmaster.com/catalog/126/3852 I initially thought the adhesive was going to be subpar (as I just put the strips directly over my current worn UHMW), but after a set of heavy squats, it seems to have pressed firmly in place. It's thin enough to score and eventually cut with just a utility knife.

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice, good call!

[@katycants7887]

Sounds good

[@BasementBrandon]

alright!

[@ATPGym]

clever 👍

[@BasementBrandon]

First time I've been accused of that.

[@ATPGym]

@@BasementBrandon 🤣

[@thisguyrighthere4634]

I'm fine with my $120 CAP Power Rack 🏋‍♂️

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice!

[@Thed00dp00d]

Am I the only one who likes the chips/scrapes/marks on in the coating of the squat cage/rack? Adds to the charm of it in my opinion

[@BasementBrandon]

Probably lol

[@Thed00dp00d]

@@BasementBrandon or....just means I spend more time working out lol

[@MV-ch3mm]

You got that gigachad beard

[@BasementBrandon]

lol

[@Peekay24]

I ordered and tried some of this tape. It’s tearing after only another a week of use. The knurling on my bar is pretty aggressive but is anyone else having this sort of problem??

[@BasementBrandon]

Ah I mention in the video I wouldn't use it for that purpose b/c of that :)

[@KonCity22]

bam no clue they made this!!!!

[@BasementBrandon]

between this and felt tape I think you can make a pretty snug/smooth fit.

[@SurfTomas]

Cool hack

[@BasementBrandon]

Thanks boss!

[@dejavu3655]

I finally found something useful from your channel. j/k 😂

[@BasementBrandon]

Sorry, will go back to my non useful content soon enough.

[@ediot6969]

Luckily due to my profession I have access to custom sizes of UHMW, so I am able to line my rack or accessories without much hassle.

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice!!

[@cjjordy7036]

Aaaaaand officially the cheapest thing I've ever ordered because of you... cool...

[@BasementBrandon]

Lol

[@doseofreality100]

I never understood the worry of bar on metal j-cup contact. Are you ever going to be grabbing the bar where the bar rests in the J-cup? I mean..... it's in the J-cup.... you can't grab it even if you wanted to. I mean who cares if the knurling gets scuffed up where it sits in the cups? Unless you have 1 bar and also use your bar for..... I don't know..... oly lifts like the clean and jerk..... or just some lift with an abnormally wide grip width I guess it could be a concern. But looking at pics after google imaging "clean and jerk" I'm seeing pretty much everyone using a grip pretty much where I grip the bar for a bench press..... if not narrower yet. And if they do have an abnormally wide grip...... it's WAY out there, past where the bar would meet the J-cup on the rack. Long point being made...... odds are you are NEVER going to be gripping the barbell for any lift right where the bar rests on the j-cups. So who cares if it gets scuffed/chewed up with metal on metal contact. Here are some google images I looked at. Notice if they have a WIDE grip width it's stupid wide..... like all the way to the damn sleeves. This might be where your bar rests in the J-cup..... for your index and maybe middle finger, but easy solution to this is..... have 2 barbells. One that stays in the rack for bench press, OH press, barbell rows.... etc. And another bar you use outside the rack for deadlifts and other Olympic lifts. Will just make life easier not having to weave 1 bar in and out of the rack every time you want to lift out of the rack. www.google.com/search?q=clean%20and%20jerk&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CaAaAAoK3fGiYSsig2I9uSbw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CAIQrnZqFwoTCOjZ8p-BzuwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAM&biw=1920&bih=926

[@BasementBrandon]

To me it's more of keeping things in the best shape as possible. I think with anything we buy/consume, aesthetics matter. If you bought a brand new car and the day you drove it off the lot it got a dent or scratch wouldn't you want to fix it? It doesn't impact it's usability at all, but most would want it fixed.

[@1966johnnywayne]

"This [tape] is roughly a little over 1mm thick...UHMW plastic that could range anywhere from 5-10mm thick" ... Brandon telling his girl how big he is, and she replies "Nu, ughh!"

[@BasementBrandon]

😅

[@wind8932]

New name?

[@BasementBrandon]

Technically, but same old basement.

[@thomasbrogan9102]

"But it went through mine..."

[@BasementBrandon]

😉

[@jaimeortizfmsd]

ooof $41.34 now

[@BasementBrandon]

Can prob find other options!

[@GoldbergDaBoss]

First!

[@BasementBrandon]

My man

[@joelhoeksema]

Not a single sexual innuendo. So disappointed.

[@BasementBrandon]

I often leave people disappointed