About

I’m not a powerlifter, nor am I a coach. I’m just a regular guy who got tired of driving across town to find a commercial gym, paying $40 a month for a membership I’d only use twice a week, and waiting 20 minutes for a bench while others wasted time doomscrolling on their phones.
In late 2025, I started building a small gym in the back of my garage in Elgin, South Carolina. One adjustable bench. A pair of dumbbells I bought off Facebook Marketplace. And, finally, a pull-up bar wedged into my doorframe. This setup alone reduced my gym expenses to a third of what I used to pay for my old membership. The craziest part about this? I started training more, thanks to the comfort of my own home—no prowling or lingering eyes. As it turned out, the biggest barrier to working out wasn’t my motivation; it was the drive to get there.

What I figured out, trying to build that setup, is that shopping for home gym gear online is brutal. Half the stuff is rebranded junk from the same three factories. The "fitness" sites are run by people who've never picked up a dumbbell. Reviews are fake. Discounts are fake. Shipping takes a month from a warehouse with no name on it.

Garage Bell Co. is the shop I wish I'd had when I started. The plan is simple: only carry gear that belongs in a real home gym. No fairy lights. No "save 70%" theater. No fluff. If I hadn't put it in my own garage, it wouldn't be on the site.
If you're just getting started building your space, even if it's a corner of a spare room, and not a real garage — please send me an email. I'll tell you what to buy first. Even if the answer is "not from me yet."
— Theo Fredrick
Elgin, South Carolina