The Basement Setup — John Rothfusz

The corner of the basement I train in used to just be weights: a rack, some dumbbells, a bench. Then I picked up a TV stand through a Buy Nothing group and dug out an old TV I already had.

A basement corner with a squat rack, plyo box and dumbbell shelving, no TV or bike trainer set up yet — The weight side of the basement, before any of this started.

Getting it all working meant wiring up the electrical too, so the smart trainer, the TV and everything else that plugs in actually has power where it needs it. The mini fridge was already down there from another spot in the basement, so that part I didn't have to think about.

Two TVs sitting on a wood TV stand in an unfinished basement, cables running down the concrete wall, a drill and tools on top — Running power and cable down the wall for the TV.

A basement workout area mid-setup with boxes still out, a young kid sitting on a plyo box eating a popsicle, a dog lying nearby — Setting this up around a toddler and a very interested dog.

Here's what it looks like finished.

A finished basement training corner with a TV on a wood stand, a mini fridge, a weight rack and shelving, and a red gravel bike set up on a smart trainer — The finished setup, everything in one corner.

First ride on the Wahoo Kickr

For the trainer I went with a Wahoo Kickr. First impressions: it's amazing. 10 out of 10, I'd recommend it.

I love that the controller can run Zwift and handle shifting at the same time. Going up and down hills and actually feeling the resistance change under you is a really cool experience.

I started with an FTP test to get a real baseline before building out workouts.

A TV screen showing a Zwift FTP ramp test, a line of riders climbing a road at 140 watts — The FTP ramp test, on the first ride.

My daughter grabbed my phone and took the first photos of me actually on the bike.

A man riding a bike set up on a smart trainer in a basement, hand on the shifter, a Zwift ride showing on the TV behind him — Shot by my six-year-old.

Close, low-angle photo of a man smiling while riding a bike set up on a smart trainer indoors — She got right up close for this one.

This whole setup fits my life right now. Two kids, and workouts have to fit in between work meetings, early mornings or late nights. Having this in the basement means I don't need daylight or good weather to get a ride in.

Next up is building out real workouts off that FTP number, pointed at Unbound.