🏋️ Build A Home Gym for Under $100

The GGR team totally stans for the latest premium home gym gear, but we’re equally obsessed with budget-friendly solutions that make training accessible for everyone. So when Arnold — yep, you know who we’re talking about — asked to create a home gym for under 100 smackeroos…we (obviously) answered the call.

What else is in today’s newsletter:

• A personal trainer explains the barbell curl

• You love their energy drinks, but will you love Bang Pre-Workout?

• The best protein bars of 2023, convenient and tasty

DIY

Arnold Asked, Coop Answered

We love a good team-up, so when asked by Arnold’s Pump Club how he would build an ultra-budget home gym for under $100, Coop knew we couldn’t let the former Governator down.

Coop shares his top picks for affordable, can’t-miss equipment and shows you how to build your own 100-pound slam ball and sled.

Train

Master the Barbell Curl

Do you enjoy lifting a fresh cup of coffee to your lips or hoisting your cat in the air like Simba from The Lion King? Well, you’ve got your biceps to thank for these simple pleasures. The small yet important muscle on the front side of your arm flexes your forearm toward your head.

Training the biceps is simple: You curl, curl a little more, and then finish that session with more curls. That said, we like the traditional barbell curl as a biceps-builder for its simplicity and ability to load the most weight onto your biceps compared to other curl variations.

We asked a CPT (that’s a certified personal trainer) to explain, step-by-step, how to do the exercise with proper form. He’ll go through the benefits of the barbell curl, share some common mistakes, and then finish with six variations for you to try once you’ve mastered this move. 

Review

Bang Pre-Workout

The Bang energy drink: you know it, you love it. But is their powdered pre-workout a different story?

We ordered and tried Bang’s Master Blaster pre-workout to see if we loved it as much as their energy drinks. Along with a pretty high caffeine content, Bang also thoughtfully included some ingredients that may help facilitate muscle growth, boost nitric oxide production to help with blood flow and, of course, amp up your energy levels.

Fuel Up!

The Best Protein Bars

Never again will you unsuspectingly open a new box of protein bars only to suffer through the taste and texture of chalk. You can end your hunt for the best protein bar: We did the work for you. It wasn’t always fun, but at least we can say we’ve saved our readers the effort of paying for box after box because no bar tastes just right. 

Check out our guide to find your next favorite protein bar. You’ll have the pleasure of reading our brutally honest tasting notes and learning exactly how each bar can support your wellness goals.

Quick Hits

Protein powders a caveman would trust

• Looking for a new protein powder? Here’s our list of the best paleo protein powders of 2023.

• Is the sissy squat the best quad exercise you’re not doing? You better learn to sissy that squat.

• How Eleiko broke the internet with a mug.