Just decided to take a picture of these and share in case it’s useful to anyone.
3/4" x 8" pipe nipple
3/4" floor flange
3/4" to 1/2" reducing coupling
Some size eye bolt. Big enough to get a snap link through.
A couple washers, bigger than the opening in the reducing coupling.
A nut for the eye bolt.
Assembly should be self explanatory.
Slide weights on, clip snap link in, the rest of the chain over the bar and adjust to length. Unclip and change weights. Pretty easy.
I used black pipe, but the whole thing can be built for $15 or so. Maybe less.
(I suppose the picture could have been in better focus. I can take other more detailed photos if anyone’s interested.)
[quote]browndisaster wrote:
Nice man. What do you use it for besides belt squats? I made a similar one for kettlebell swings. going to try pullovers with it today[/quote]
I actually don’t use it for belt squats, although I could.
My rack doesn’t go up high enough to set the pins to use for overhead pressing. I saw something from an old article in some magazine (“reprinted” on the deszo ban site) so I figured I’d try it out.
It was from an article called “Power for the Press” by Charles A Smith. Basically a way to do power rack work before power racks really came around. He called it “the basic power bar”.
[quote]browndisaster wrote:
That’s interesting; it probably centers really well because the chain. It looks like a decent way to have accommodating resistance on other lifts.[/quote]
I’m not sure it’d work great for accommodating resistance, since it’s kind of not there, and then suddenly there.
I actually originally made one because I was trying to rig up a cable machine off my rack with some pulleys. I screwed around with some cheap rope until the rope snapped, and never made the jump to buying steel cable.
But hooking one on each end of the bar like that picture seriously works overhead stability and getting a smooth bar path. The weight swings just enough. Overhead holds are already great for stability, this just ups the ante a bit.
