Building a Platform for the Titan Fitness Squat Max MD

June 03, 2025 in DIY, Health & Fitness

I’ve been using my Titan Fitness Squat Max MD for about a month and am constantly reminded that I’m a bit too short for it as I keep bottoming out when hitting parallel. I bought a different belt that’s slightly shorter, but it turns out that only helps until I reach over 300lbs, and the belt material stretches a bit, making me bottom out again. So, the only real answer is to build a platform that raises me up a bit, giving me the clearance that I need.

Obviously, there are a lot of ways to approach this project. What I’m going to show you is what I feel is one of the easier approaches. That being said, I did do a couple of optional steps to make my platform look and perform better. Not every step that I’m about to show is necessary, and I’ll let you know that when we get there. Also, I personally already owned a lot of the materials to get this project done so your mileage will vary. I’ll do my best to include as many reference products as possible for you below. With that said, let’s get started.

Probably the most obvious approach to building a platform is to use wood. For my project, I decided to go with a non-pressure-treated 4”x4” for the internal structure. This is because right off the bat, a 4”x4” would give you a 3.5” lift right out the gate. You just cut it to size, stand on it, and you’re done. Not much else needed. With most other wood sizes, you’re probably going to have to do some sort of stacking, which just takes more effort.

I originally planned on cutting two pieces of 4”x4”, sticking them side by side, and calling it a day. That would give me a 7” wide platform to stand on, and that would be perfectly functional, but a little bit ugly in my opinion. I ultimately decided to wrap the platform, completely covering the 4”x4”, so I also picked up a 4’ x8’ sheet of plywood. For this, I went with the thinnest sheet that my Lowe’s had, and it was 5mm thick. With my platform, the plywood is purely for aesthetics. It’s just to cover up the 4x4, which is what’s giving me the structural rigidity. So spending money on thicker plywood would just be a complete waste of money in my opinion. Pro tip, if you don’t have the means to rip a full sheet of plywood or just too lazy to do it like me, some hardware stores sell smaller pre-cut sheets but at a higher cost per square footage, and some hardware stores have large saws that will be able to cut the wood down for you. But just be careful with this, as some of the workers are not proficient with the saw and can make inaccurate cuts. I say this because this happened with my project. The guy cut a little bit too short. I didn’t double-check at the store and had to make adjustments to everything at home.

At this point, I want to talk about the platform size. This will ultimately depend on you and what you want. I would recommend that you stand on the Squat Max in your normal squatting stance and measure your foot from side to side. Remember, your feet are going to be angled a bit, so account for that. I personally gave myself some extra space and decided to cut my 4”x4” to 9.5”. I had 4 of these side to side, which gave me a length of 14”. So my internal structure was 9.5”x14”.

To attach these blocks together, I just used some wood glue between the sides and clamped everything together to dry. You can reinforce them even more by nailing or screwing them together but I didn’t think this was necessary considering that they’d be locked in place once I get the plywood on.

Next, it was time to cut the plywood down to size. Again, there are a few ways to approach this. I went the easiest route and decided to just butt the ends to each other. I would say that cutting the plywood down was the hardest part of this project for me because it’s 5mm thick. That doesn’t translate perfectly to the imperial fraction system that we normally use when dealing with wood. 5mm is just over 3/16” of an inch. So what I’m getting at is unless you’re extremely anal about measuring and cutting, there’s going to be some descrepencies when you go to assemble. Especially, if you have a 4”x4” that’s not perfectly straight like I did. Just know that and be prepared for some gaps. If you don’t care, then no problem. If you do care, then there are ways to fill the gaps. But in saying that, I cut 4 pieces of 14”x10”, 4 pieces of 10”x4”, and 4 pieces of 14”x4”.

Once I got all the plywood cut, it was time to assemble the plywood box around the 4”x4” internal structure. To hold the plywood in place, I used brad nails. I would recommend that you add some wood glue here to make an even more sturdy structure. I didn’t because I was in a rush to get this project done and didn’t want to sit around waiting for the glue to dry.

Again, because I was working with some imperfect wood, there’s going to be some gaps. You can skip this step, but if you care like me, you can fill in the gaps. This can be done with wood filler or, in my case, spackle because I have a bunch lying around. This particular product that I’m using goes on pink and dries white. Not the best look, but it didn’t matter to me because I plan to paint my platform black to match the color scheme of my home gym.

Next, I’m going to glue some anti-slip padding to the top and bottom of my platform. For this, I’m using some toolbox liner that I already had lying around. This padding is going to help keep the platform in place and prevent the wood from possibly scratching up the Squat Max. This is another optional step, but I personally really appreciate having this liner on the platform.

And that’s my entire process for building a platform for the Squat Max. I can’t tell you how much of a game-changer this is for me. I can squat so low now, way below parallel, without bottoming out even when using some of the longer belts that I own. I think if you’re under 6’ tall, this is definitely a worthwhile project.

If you're considering buying any of the products mentioned, please support my work by using the links below.

Titan Fitness Squat Max MD https://amzn.to/4mYKBPk

Spud Inc Pillow Belt Squat Belt https://amzn.to/43OJ7OV

Flex 12in Sliding Miter Saw https://amzn.to/4mQ5ex8

Speed Square https://amzn.to/43FlLuQ

Tape Measure https://amzn.to/43OJkBH

Titebond Original Wood Glue https://amzn.to/457PaQS

Wood Clamps 24" https://amzn.to/4kJ8Tut

Brad Nailer https://amzn.to/3HCeGDQ

Brad Nails https://amzn.to/45ccPjb

DAP DryDex Spackling https://amzn.to/43sMb4i

Toolbox Drawer Liner https://amzn.to/4jqYiDr

Gorilla Clear Glue https://amzn.to/3ZLtnuw

Want to support my work?

Consider visiting the shop and buying "Absolutely Nothing"
https://www.HaiHoangTran.com/shop/absolutely-nothing

Become a YouTube member!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUO-2ltlWfydRZ7pRRnXkw/join

Become a Patron!
https://www.patreon.com/HaiHoangTran

Buy some official merch!
https://www.youtube.com/haitran/store

PayPal
https://www.PayPal.me/HaiHoangTran

Just shop on Amazon via this link!
https://amzn.to/2FgsDnG

Titan Fitness Squat Max MD Simple Upgrades

May 24, 2025 in DIY, Health & Fitness

I’ve been enjoying my Titan Fitness Squat Max MD but quickly ran into a few problems. Problems that I’ve found some quick and simple fixes for.

First off, the entire system is metal-on-metal contact. So when you use it, there’s a lot of clanking and excessive noise. I haven’t found a fix for the handles and safety scissors, but one thing that I’ve done to minimize noise in general is by adding some padding on top of the safety bars. I just used some self-adhesive mats that I keep around for random projects. With this, I cut a strip and stuck it to the top of the safety bars. Again, it’s self-adhesive, so it’s pretty straightforward. But in doing this, I essentially eliminated the noise of racking the loading pin.

My next problem with the Squat Max is the amount of movement the loading pin has when it moves up and down the guide rod. This is in place to allow a more natural squat pattern, but in my opinion, there’s too much slop and this results in the possibility of your plates catching the lip of the oval cutout. Funny thing is, the inventor of the Squat Max, Brian Hennessy, saw me say this in my original Squat Max video and he mentioned that that shouldn’t be possible. But when you watch the promo video with him talking about the Squat Max on Titan’s channel, you can clearly see the model clipping his plates on the lip of the Squat Max on the very first rep. So, it’s very much possible. In my case and because I use rubber-coated plates, every time I hit the lip, it tears a chunk off of my plates, and I really don’t like that. To combat this, I’ve done two things. First, is by changing how I position myself on the Squat Max. If you haven’t noticed, when you squat, you naturally sit back and your body naturally shifts back a bit. It’s this shifting back motion that allows the plates to get caught under the lip of the oval cutout. So if you move a bit forward on the platform, you gain a bit of clearance. Then on top of this, I’ve added an edge guard to the lip of the cutout. This adds a softer and more rounded edge to the lip in case I do happen to hit it.

Finally, and likely the biggest upgrade that I’ve made is in picking up a new belt and the one that works for me is the Spud Inc Pillow Belt Squat Belt. I’ve made a dedicated video HERE comparing this belt and the Titan belt that the Squat Max comes with so check that out if you’re interested. But in short, the Pillow belt is going to offer more comfort as the materials it’s made of are softer, more flexible, and offer more effective padding. The Pillow belt is also about 2 inches shorter than the Titan belt. In my case, this allows me to hit parallel on a squat without hitting the bottom of the Squat Max. That alone makes it a worthwhile upgrade for me, but that’s not going to be applicable to everyone.

If you don’t pick up a new belt, something else that I can recommend is to pick up a new carabiner. My Titan belt started to fray after the very first use and this is because the carabiner that came with the belt is a bit sharp around the edges. Brian Hennessy, the inventor of the Squat Max, saw my original video where I mentioned this problem and sent a replacement carabiner that he sells on his website. For sure, his carabiner is of much higher quality, and the fit and finish are much better. There are no sharp edges, so hopefully this won’t rip up my new Pillow belt.

For now, these minor upgrades haven’t necessarily solved all of my minor complaints with the Squat Max, but they’ve certainly minimized them. What I’ve shown you are simple little tweaks that don’t take much effort and don’t cost too much, so I can definitely recommend them to any Squat Max owner.

If you're considering buying any of the products mentioned, please support my work by using the links below.

Titan Squat Max MD https://amzn.to/3SjN3BS

Self-Adhesive Anti-Slip Pads https://amzn.to/43f23Hm

Edge Guard Strip https://amzn.to/44XY5UZ

Spud Inc Pillow Belt Squat Belt https://amzn.to/45oB6SY

Carabiner https://thehenny.com/collections/accessories/products/replacement-carabiners

Want to support my work?

Consider visiting the shop and buying "Absolutely Nothing"
https://www.HaiHoangTran.com/shop/absolutely-nothing

Become a YouTube member!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUO-2ltlWfydRZ7pRRnXkw/join

Become a Patron!
https://www.patreon.com/HaiHoangTran

Buy some official merch!
https://www.youtube.com/haitran/store

PayPal
https://www.PayPal.me/HaiHoangTran

Just shop on Amazon via this link!
https://amzn.to/2FgsDnG

Loose Rack Attachments Fix feat. REP Fitness J-Cups 2.0

May 04, 2025 in Health & Fitness, DIY

I previously made a video about my REP Fitness J-Cups 2.0 and how I don’t recommend them because the UHMW pads that are used in them are very inconsistent and poorly sized, that the J-Cups sit extremely loose on a rack, even the PR-5000 that REP makes. The looseness of my J-Cups is pretty much in every direction, so it rattles basically anytime the bar touches it, and because it moves from side to side so easily, it’s much harder to re-center a bar if you rack it unevenly. I pretty much completely gave up on all my REP J-Cups and decided to get something else. That is, until it just randomly came to me that I can just shim the UHMW pads and make the fitment much more snug.

The UHMW is just held in place by a couple of 4mm hex bolts. If we remove these bolts, we’ll have access to the pads. I decided to take some ani-slip anti-scratch self-adhesive pads that I already had leftover from my Rouge Matador project and attach them to the back of the UHMW. Attaching to the back of the UHMW will give you a cleaner look and make it impossible for the self-adhesive pad to fall off because it’s sandwiched between the UHMW and the J-Cup. From there, I just trimmed along the edges of the UHMW, and if you use a sharp blade like I did, then you’ll be able to cut through the self-adhesive pad like a hot knife through butter and get some clean results. Then I cut out some holes for the bolts. You really don’t have to be careful or exact with this step because the bolts will completely cover the hole up. Lastly, we just have to reassemble and check for fitment.

Because the J-Cups and UHMW pads are inconsistent, you may need to shim more than one of the UHMW pads. I would recommend doing the back first because it’s a smaller pad, so it’s less work and less material needed. If that doesn’t make things tight enough for your liking, then shim the front too. From my experience, doing these two pads makes the J-Cups pretty snug.

Again, the UHMW is inconsistent, so you may notice that even after shimming the pads, some J-Cups are going to be looser or tighter than others. My left J-Cup, although snug, is nowhere near as snug as this right one. But that’s fine. Because I know the right J-Cup is super snug, I know to pull the bar towards that one when recentering because there’s less of a chance of it moving than if I pull towards the not-as-snug left J-Cup.

Overall, I’m very happy with the result of this project. I don’t think I can ask for more. I’m so happy with this that I’ve actually cancelled my order for the J-Cups that I was going to replace the REP J-Cups with. So, if you have some loose REP J-Cups 2.0 or really any other loose rack attachments, give this project a try. It’s cheap, easy, and can give you some great results.

If I’ve helped you, please use my REP affiliate link, which does not cost you anything extra but will help the channel continue to create more content! https://www.repfitness.com/#680c136b3c8e9

Self Adhesive Pads https://amzn.to/4d1xdp1

Snap Blade Knives https://amzn.to/42ITrsn

Want to support my work?

Consider visiting the shop and buying "Absolutely Nothing"
https://www.HaiHoangTran.com/shop/absolutely-nothing

Become a YouTube member!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUO-2ltlWfydRZ7pRRnXkw/join

Become a Patron!
https://www.patreon.com/HaiHoangTran

Buy some official merch!
https://www.youtube.com/haitran/store

PayPal
https://www.PayPal.me/HaiHoangTran

Just shop on Amazon via this link!
https://amzn.to/2FgsDnG

Harbor Freight HAUL-MASTER 1720 lb. Capacity 48 in. x 96 in. Super Duty Folding Trailer Build

September 07, 2024 in DIY, Review

I recently finished up my build of the Harbor Freight folding trailer and I wanted to go over some of the things that I’ve added to it in case it helps some of you who are interested in this trailer, considering that it seems to be pretty popular.

First off, I want to preface that for this build, I was going for lightweight and minimal. I bought this trailer because it can fold and be stored away. I didn’t want to have a trailer sitting outside 24/7 ruining my house’s curb appeal. That means, that I would need to make everything be able to easily be put together and broken down for storage. As few things bolted in place as possible and some sort of quick connect is the way to go. I also needed this thing to be lightweight because I’m pulling it behind an average-size crossover that has a 3500 lbs max payload. The lighter I can keep the trailer, the more weight I’d be able to haul.

After assembly, the first thing I added was the flooring. The trailer is 4’x8’ in size so standard size 4’x8’ sheet goods work perfectly. I went with 3/4” pressure-treated plywood. This was something that I was on the fence about. I went with 3/4'“ for the added strength and rigidity but I wasn’t sure I’d actually needed pressure treated considering I never plan to hual in the rain and this trailer is stored inside. Pressure treated was more than twice the price of not but at the end of the day, I went pressure treated as a just-in-case thing since there might still be water on the road that gets flung up or something. With all the other wood, I went non-pressure treated.

Next up are the walls. For these, I went with standard construction lumber 2”x4” and 19x32” plywood. This size plywood was the cheapest, thinest, and lightest that they had at the store. Again, lightweight is important for me because I plan to take these walls on and off all the time. I originally planned to use 2”x10” but as I was loading them onto my cart for checkout at the store, I was telling myself that man this is already a pain in the ass here, I’m going to hate my life having to move these around all the time especially when it’s all screwed together and get even heavier. But that all depends on how high you plan to make your walls.

For my trailer, from the bottom of the brackets to the floor, it’s about 4”, and each plywood slat is 16”, with about 2” in between. That means that this 2”x4” is 38” long, but what’s actually functional above the flooring is 34”. I made all the walls with (3) 2”x4”x10’ and (2) sheets of 4’x8’ plywood.

Something that I want to note is that with the brackets, although they look like they were made for 2”x4”s and I’m sure they are, they’re actually just slightly too small on the sides. So you’ll have to trim the sides of the 2”x4” to get it to fit in the brackets. I used a jigsaw and found that if I removed the round-over edge on one side, that was pretty much the perfect amount to make things fit properly.

To hold all the 2”x4”s in place, I use these 3/8”x4” hitch pins. These allow me to lock the walls in place but still quickly and easily remove them for storage.

Once you get all the walls up, you’ll notice that they still kind of flop around and move pretty easily. To fix this, I used some trailer corner brackets. This is a pretty simple product that essentially just act like tongue and groove. One side slips into the other and locks them together. Very simple but absolutely does the job.

Lastly, my tied-down points. For this, I went with something called E-Track. This is a pretty widely available system that’s made by a bunch of manufacturers and comes in different lengths that offer a lot of tiedown and adjustment points. I personally went with single-slot tracks because I knew that I only needed a few points to tie down from and didn’t want an entire track sitting in my trailer for no reason. I just don’t need a million different possible tie-down locations. The nice thing about the E-Track system is that it offers you a quick release tiedown system. With the track, you use a connector that has a little trigger on one end. When the trigger is pulled, it allows the attachment to slip into the track and holds it in place when released. I have a ring that can be used with traditional tie-downs but there are other accessory options. There are even straps with these attachments built in which saves you on extra step. This is an extremely convenient option that still offers you thousands of pounds of tiedown force.

Lastly, I painted all the wood black in some exterior paint. For this, I just went with the cheapest option available because again, my trailer is sitting inside most of its life. The paint is really just for aesthetics.

If you're considering buying any of the products mentioned, please support my work by using the links below.

Trailer Hitch Pins https://amzn.to/3zcStbL

Trailer Corner Brackets https://amzn.to/4e9cK1n

E-Track Tie-Downs https://amzn.to/3AUlxp3

E-Track Straps https://amzn.to/4gdrfm7

Trailer Hitch Lock https://amzn.to/4ee6wN5

Trailer Tongue Coupler Lock https://amzn.to/47fUVL6

Straps to Hold Trailer Folded https://amzn.to/4cZEOTp

Want to support my work?

Consider visiting the shop and buying "Absolutely Nothing"
https://www.HaiHoangTran.com/shop/absolutely-nothing

Become a YouTube member!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUO-2ltlWfydRZ7pRRnXkw/join

Become a Patron!
https://www.patreon.com/HaiHoangTran