WCSteppe

I live in Wisconsin and it can get pretty cold during winter. My gym is an unheated, detached 2 car garage.

I can tolerate pretty cold weather while working out, though 0F can get pretty tough. But if I ever decide to start training people (a pipe dream right now since I can't convince anyone to do Starting Strength, no matter how hard I try), I may need to be able to heat the gym to at least above freezing.

My previous experience training some folks was that they used a propane heater in an equivalent 5 car garage sized workshop, but it would get hot enough that condensation would build up on the equipment and start leaving minor rust on the barbell and plates (or perhaps that's from the reaction of combusting propane). I suppose I could also use a propane heater and just turn it off once the temperature is a bit more comfortable, but if the condensation was from the reaction of combusted propane, I would rather find a different solution.

Let me know y'all's thoughts.

Mark Rippetoe

Burning gas consumes O2, right? And emits some fraction of CO, right? Seems to me that electric resistance heat is your only option in a closed room.

Jason Donaldson

On paper, burning hydrocarbons produces three things: CO2, H20, and energy (mostly heat and some light). This explains your condensation, just like when you see water dripping from a vehicle's exhaust pipe - the cold environment pulls the water vapor out of the air.

In practice, of course, the hydrocarbons aren't pure, and the combustion is never 100% complete, hence the fraction of CO that Rip mentions, along with other potential impurities. Of course, carbon monoxide kills without much, if any warning, and is furthermore itself a highly combustible gas, hence the wisdom of having CO monitors in houses, as well as not using salamanders and other such combustion heaters in enclosed spaces.

I lift in an attached, though very poorly insulated garage, also in Wisconsin. It's not as extreme a situation as yours, but I am surprised at how much a very small, office-style electric heater warms the platform area of my space. I rather quickly get +12-15 degrees (F) from it. I'm sure a larger one would work for you in your garage.

I did use to have an infrared heater that worked much better, but it wore out by the third year. If, unlike me, you invest in a good one, you might be pleasantly surprised. IR heaters heat objects (and people) directly, instead of heating the air that then heats you, so it's a different experience, including an immediate effect.

I assume you've been having a notably cold, dry winter in your part of the state, too, right?

WCSteppe

Electric seems to be the way to go, thanks for the refresher in chemistry. I am glad to hear that the propane heater from my previous trainees was the main culprit of the condensation build up on their equipment. That should mean an electric heater will minimize the risk a bit.

I am in the Milwaukee area, so 0F earlier this week, and 20⁰'s and lower through the year. Doesn't stop me from training, but if I ever convince someone to do the program I would like to offer a slightly warmer experience if they choose. I might be dedicated, or insane, but I don't know any of my friends, family, or co-workers that would join me.

ColeTrain

If you can't do one chin up and you have access to lat machine, is there any need to incorporate negatives/bands into your workouts or is a lat machine sufficient/optimal enough on its own?

Mark Rippetoe

Run an LP up to bodyweight. This will take fractional plates/magnets for the stack.

Jovan Dragisic

I got to my first chin up by following the lat machine protocol. It took me about five or six weeks, I did it two to three times a week. My current AMRAP is 16 chins.