Man, I wish you could have seen my garage last year. Actually, no I don’t. It was embarrassing. I had this beautiful vision during the pandemic—a home fitness sanctuary. I bought a used weight bench, a set of adjustable dumbbells, a plyo box, two kettlebells of questionable weight choice, and about a mile of resistance bands. My wife’s car slowly got edged out by what looked like a fitness yard sale that had been hit by a tornado.
The problem wasn’t the buying. The problem was the living with it. Every time I pulled into the garage, I didn’t see potential. I saw a chore. I saw money gathering dust. I saw a project I was failing at. That stuff became psychological clutter, and it killed my motivation deader than a doornail. I’d think, “Ugh, I have to move three things just to get to the bench,” and then I’d just go inside and eat a cookie.
The breaking point was when my buddy came over to borrow a tool and said, “Whoa. Hardcore. You actually use all this?” I lied and said, “Oh yeah, all the time.” But he saw right through it. He just nodded at the thick layer of dust on the weight plates.
Selling it felt like a massive failure. Giving it away felt wasteful. So I just lived with the shame pile for six more months.
Then, one Saturday, I snapped. I wasn’t cleaning the garage; I was conducting an archaeological dig. I found a yoga mat fused to the concrete by some mysterious sludge. That was it. I called a place I’d driven past a thousand times—Bristol VA Self Storage—and rented the smallest unit they had. It was an act of desperation, not genius.
But let me tell you, it became genius. Here’s what I did, step by step, with all the messy realizations.
Step 1: The Brutal Sort (This is the hard part)
I didn’t just start hauling. I stood in that garage with a Sharpie and three Post-It notes: KEEP HERE, STORE, SELL.
- KEEP HERE: This was the stuff I actually used weekly. One kettlebell for quick swings. One resistance band for morning stretches. My running shoes. That was it. It all fit in one small bin by the door.
- STORE: This was the “someday” or “seasonal” gear. The heavy weight bench. The other kettlebell. The plyo box. The dumbbell set. The extra mats. The specialized stuff for a program I wanted to try later.
- SELL: This was the stuff I straight-up lied to myself about. The ab roller still in the box. The weird hand-grip strengtheners. The second, inferior set of resistance bands. I listed it on Facebook Marketplace that afternoon.
Step 2: Prepping for Storage (Not as boring as it sounds)
I’m not a handy guy, but I learned a few tricks fast.
- For the weight bench and anything with metal joints, I hit it with a can of WD-40 I found in the back. Just a quick spray and wipe. The guy at Bristol VA Self Storage actually told me to do this when I was signing up. He said, “Keeps it from squeaking and rusting.” Good dude.
- I disassembled what I could. Bench legs off. It made everything so much easier to move.
- For the smaller stuff—weight plates, collars, bands—I went to Target and got those big, clear Sterilite bins. The clear part is KEY. You need to see what’s in there without opening it and creating another mess.
- Everything got wiped down. No one wants to open a unit in six months and smell old garage and sweat.
Step 3: The Layout (This is where the magic happens)
This was my “aha” moment. I didn’t just shove it all in. I thought about access.
I put the big, bulky stuff (the bench frame, the plyo box) along the back wall of the unit. The clear bins went on the left side, stacked neatly. On the right, I left a space. This was important.
I realized I didn’t have to keep this as dead storage. I could make it a functional closet. So, that space on the right? That’s where I can pull out a mat and do a workout right there in the unit if I want to. No distractions, no TV, just me and my stuff. It sounds weird, but it’s strangely focused. Sometimes on a Sunday, I’ll go over, roll the door up, and do a session. When I’m done, I put it all back. It’s contained. The mess stays there.
The Mindset Shift They Don’t Talk About
Getting that gear out of my immediate sight was the best thing I ever did for my fitness. Seriously.
The guilt vanished overnight. My garage became a place for my car and tools again. My house felt lighter.
And the wildest thing? I started using the stored stuff more. Because now, using it is intentional. I don’t “stumble upon” my workout. I plan it. I think, “Okay, this Saturday I’m going to focus on heavy lifts.” I drive to Bristol VA Self Storage, I pull out the bench and the heavy dumbbells, I do my thing, and I put it back. It feels professional, almost. It feels like I’m going to my own little private gym.
It went from being a nagging failure in my peripheral vision to being a resource I control.
So, if your spare room looks like a fitness store exploded, or your garage is a monument to past motivation, hear this from a guy who’s been buried under it: You’re not a quitter if you store it. You’re a strategist.
Call it a tactical retreat. Call it a reorganization. Call it saving your sanity.
Walk through your gear. Be brutally honest. What are you actually using right now? Keep that one thing accessible. Take the rest, prep it right, and give it a clean, dry home at a place like Bristol VA Self Storage. It’s not a tomb for your fitness dreams. It’s a hibernation pod. And when you’re ready—really ready—you’ll know exactly where it is, dust-free and waiting.
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