Having a garage gym has been my dream since 1999. Now I’m going on my 10th year in my second marriage with two kids and working as a part-time Mr. Mom and a part-time gas utility worker in Northern California. That dream is slowly becoming a reality, and the items on this list will help speed things up.

With my Bare Bones program, you can see that great progress can be made with minimal equipment, but there are some tools that make things easier. If I built a home gym all over again, these are the first things I would buy.

While my back and hips are holding up just fine, my shoulders, well, that’s another story.

I’ve had injuries, joint replacements, and years of pain. These items keep me able to train as I can.

Elitefts.com™ Sponsored Lifter Scott Yard performing the Bench Press using the Elitefts™ Shoulder Saver Pad