A well organized gym is a more functional gym.
So you have bought the bars, plates, dumbbells, Kettlebells and medicine balls. Now you need somewhere to put them so you can make the most of the space in your garage, or affiliate.
We have all your storage solutions, including stand alone solutions, products that will attach to your existing stands, racks and rigs as well as specialized shelving.
Purchasing goods made in the U.S.A has always been synonymous with quality. It’s something that Rogue strives for and has been our mantra since day one. But why are U.S made goods quality goods? It’s the tedious dedication and work ethic of the men and women that make those products. They are proud of the product they make and that they stand behind. It is craftsmanship fueled by the satisfaction of making something that speaks to our skill, knowledge and expertise. We make what we would want to buy. Something like a golden rule of manufacturing.
This year for Bill’s birthday Caity’s gift was a prime example of that kind of American craftsmanship. Benchmade Knife Company started as a small shop in Oregon about twenty years ago. Similar to Rogue, they took their passion for well made goods to work in a small space using second hand equipment. As their knives became more popular and sought after because of their strength, beauty, and ultimate bad-assery they increased their business many fold and added many U.S. jobs to the market. They are leaders in innovation in their industry and bring the market some world-class goods. Benchmade we salute you.
Of course Caity’s customizations really put the Rogue in this Benchmade Beauty. Happy Birthday Bill!
We are always in search of something that we can take out of the hands of overseas suppliers and into the hands of someone local. We are danger close to doing just that.
We have been talking back and forth with our facebook crew and with Chris Spealler to design an American made jump rope. May sound like something small and inconsequential but it isn’t for a guy named Animal.
Animal is a local molder and basically one of those guys that can figure out how to make anything. We have worked out how to mold the names and all kinds of cool stuff into the handle but we were scratching our head on what some of the parts were. Then he found the arm, it is off a remote control car. When I was a kid I had the Frog. That was one of the coolest things in the world at the time and maybe still now. As a side note I purchased it at Slater’s Hardware Store in Lancaster Ohio. That hardware store has survived the economic down turn in large part due to their insane cool stuff factor. They have rockets, huge airplanes and all kinds of cool stuff. Steve makes 550LB Atlas stones and big ass logs as well.
I have diverted from the jump rope a bit so back to my point, we can make anything we want in the US. We have been doing it for years which is a distinct advantage.
If you go to any good restaurant most likely some where behind the scenes someone is trying to use the fewest amount of ingredients as possible. Our latest creation does just that:
New S-1, S-2 & S-3 Squat Stands
The base is the same across all three squat stands, here are some of many options:
1) Height: 70”, 90”, 108”
2) Pullup Bar on S-2 & 3: You can use the 1.25” OD bars or get the 2” OD bar – Just flip the bar over
3) Dip Station: All new Rogue Matador Dip attachment – This uses our new channel system to attach to the S-2 & 3
4) Safety Arms: The base on the new stands is 48” deep so you can use the new Safety arms on all three versions
5) Plate Storage: Add single or double plate storage to the new unit
We wanted to design a system that you can modify to your training needs and now it is here. With the portability of this system, we can ship it via UPS ground and save a ton on shipping as well.
The feedback has been great so far and we are looking forward to bringing out more attachments for this to include a Yoke conversion kit!
The most frequently asked question is can you do pullups on this without it rocking. The answer is yes but if you plan on doing the kipping type pullup then you need to secure it by using the plate storage, sandbagging or with our new bolt down feet. Check out a vid of our kipping on the S-3 demo.
Things are gearing up for a huge wave of new equipment, so keep an eye on our facebook page! We are hiring more welders regularly now to keep up with everything, thanks to all of you for making that possible!
Some day you will be sitting on the front porch in your rocking chair as an old man or woman and you may ask yourself, “Did I make an impact on something or someone in my life?”. Maybe you will ask yourself if you followed your dreams and pushed yourself to do something extraordinary. This could be a Navy SEAL or school teacher, doesn’t really matter just that you did what you set out to do.
I do not want to look back and realize that I accepted the norm and just went with the flow. One of my old bosses at GM told me, “ If you always do what you have always done, you always get what you always got.” We are going to make things and they will most likely be Matte Black, in fact I would paint my kitchen table matte black if my wife would let me. From the first set of rings we made to the ones coming off the table now, the end user will see the American craftsmanship.
My rocking chair test is – How will people view our Rogue Team? Did we hold up our end of the deal and bring back American jobs?
In 2011 we are going to tip the scales further and bring more work to the US. We will be exporting American Made equipment to Canada, Europe and Australia. We have our challenges with shoes, jump ropes and solid bumper plates but I assure you we are working on it.
We have all watched while factories shut down, now Rogue has a factory. Our factory will make strength and conditioning equipment the way people are telling us they want it made. We are not worried about automating processes or outsourcing our products overseas. Everyday I watch my team create something new and I am damn proud.
I can’t wait to tell my grand kids about this venture.
Bill Henniger
My buddy Matt stopped over the other day to ask me what we were doing here. At first I didn’t know what to tell them then I thought about it and came up with what I thought best explains Rogue Fitness.
I told Matt to go back and ask his dad what his favorite tools were, you know the ones that were fifty years old and held a permanent spot in his tool box. Matt’s dad is a retired Iron Worker, he drove past my house in an old Chevy step side every day for 35 years. He built just about every building in Columbus Ohio which is something to be very proud of.
What I am trying to say is that the guy knows tools and I am certain does not need a fancy hammer to pound a nail in or a crazy wrench to tighten a bolt. I told Matt we have gone back and made that wrench and that simple hammer. We are not reinventing the wheel we are building it the same way that has worked for hundreds of years.
There was a time when we made things in the United States and we were damn proud of them. We designed, cast, forged, machined and polished steel. When I started this business I couldn’t understand why we could not cast American Made Kettlebells, how is this possible. Well apparently it is possible because the fine people in Rhode Island are making them by the hundreds for us.
It is high time for all of us to begin building and inventing again, time to make things with your hands. I am tired of the excuses, look at the talented people around you and figure out how to make things happen. It is time for a second Industrial Revolution. Is there a factory in your home town that used to make something, where did all those skilled folks go? These people can sew shoes or build skyscrapers but for now they are doing nothing.
Time to be entrepreneurial and make something, go find a journeyman.
We put some York, Kraiburg, Old style HiTemp and Rogue 10LB plates to the test.
It was a bit muggy this morning in the facility and after some grimaces from Mary, I caved and bought a wind tunnel fan.
Just don’t stand in front of it, you might get blown over. Enjoy
Pat Fleming with Dick Marcinko “Rogue Warrior”, Pat won $20 for the face he was making. Pat said, “He didn’t notice or he would have killed me!”
Pat is a firefighter in Perrysburg, OH who is pushing hard to get all of the guys to train with CrossFit methods. He has all kinds of ingenious creations in their basement from a rope climb to a softball pullup apparatus. If you are wondering how to make one, screw a couple of i-bolts into softballs and hang them.
We look forward to helping Pat get the PFD going. I think there may be a Rogue Fitness visit to the PFD in the very near future.
Nice Work Pat!