Has anyone ever tried Roger Stewart’s Extreme Calf Machine? I workout in my garage and would like to add some equipment for my calves. I am on a budget, and this looks interesting. I have searched and searched online and can only find good reviews, but, as always, I am skeptical.
If you have personally used or own this machine, could you share?
Thanks,
sg
It looks like a nice device but with a few nails and a few bucks worth of wood you could make practically the same thing. If 69 bucks is nothing to you I say sure.
The tilt feature is nice but if you aren’t blessed with great calves genetically the things that really matter are lots of volume and heavy weights, not minor angle differences in your training.
Get a 6’ long 2x4, cut it into 2’ sections, nail together in an “H” shape. You’ve just made a calf block for $2.
[quote]OneEye wrote:
Get a 6’ long 2x4, cut it into 2’ sections, nail together in an “H” shape. You’ve just made a calf block for $2.[/quote]
You have not bought wood in a while, your talking $20 at least; if you want pressure treated of course.
[quote]OneEye wrote:
Get a 6’ long 2x4, cut it into 2’ sections, nail together in an “H” shape. You’ve just made a calf block for $2.[/quote]
Forgive my ignorance, but would you be good enough to explain to me an H shape with 2 pieces of wood?
“The Stewart Exclusive Pivot System!”
I didn’t know that a center pivot-point on a pedal was such a breakthrough…
[quote]pat36 wrote:
OneEye wrote:
Get a 6’ long 2x4, cut it into 2’ sections, nail together in an “H” shape. You’ve just made a calf block for $2.
You have not bought wood in a while, your talking $20 at least; if you want pressure treated of course.
[/quote]
Where are you buying your wood that it costs $20 for a 6’ 2x4, regardless of PT or not? Shit, you could buy mahogany for $20. OneEye isn’t that far off, maybe by a buck.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
OneEye wrote:
Get a 6’ long 2x4, cut it into 2’ sections, nail together in an “H” shape. You’ve just made a calf block for $2.
Forgive my ignorance, but would you be good enough to explain to me an H shape with 2 pieces of wood?[/quote]
???
My math may be off, but I believe a 6’ board cut into 2’ sections gives you 3 pieces of wood.
And yeah, I think it was more like $3. Two weeks ago at Lowe’s.
I’ve got one and I like it (but it hasn’t produced big calves). I can put several hundred pounds of pressure on it - between me and the barbell weights. I believe it is guaranteed for a lot of weight.
In any event, if it breaks while I’m using it and I injure myself, I can become a part owner of the company through litigation. If you rig up one of your own, you have no recourse if the thing breaks and hurts you during its intended use. Plus, as other posters have indicated, you may have a hard time making one that’s sufficiently durable.
(I’m almost kidding.)
[quote]slt wrote:
Plus, as other posters have indicated, you may have a hard time making one that’s sufficiently durable.
(I’m almost kidding.)[/quote]
If you are really worried about the strength of it, bust out the wallet, and buy an 8’ 2x4 (probably closer to $3.50 but worth it).
Cut it into four 2 foot lengths, configure the H pattern above, but use two 2’ sections (standing on edge rather than flat) to stand on. I would think that should support 1000lbs or so, maybe double that.
[quote]OneEye wrote:
???
My math may be off, but I believe a 6’ board cut into 2’ sections gives you 3 pieces of wood.
And yeah, I think it was more like $3. Two weeks ago at Lowe’s.[/quote]
LOL, OK you meant cut in 2 places, I misunderstood. I took 2 2 foot lengths of 2x4 and nailed them together making a 2 foot length of 4x4 because, yes I didn’t have any 4x4 laying around. I nailed that to a piece of plywood about 6 in. bigger all around for a base. I like this design better though and I think I’m going to make another one.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
OneEye wrote:
???
My math may be off, but I believe a 6’ board cut into 2’ sections gives you 3 pieces of wood.
And yeah, I think it was more like $3. Two weeks ago at Lowe’s.
LOL, OK you meant cut in 2 places, I misunderstood. I took 2 2 foot lengths of 2x4 and nailed them together making a 2 foot length of 4x4 because, yes I didn’t have any 4x4 laying around. I nailed that to a piece of plywood about 6 in. bigger all around for a base. I like this design better though and I think I’m going to make another one.[/quote]
You could mass produce these and market them as the Not Quite so Extreme Calf Machine. Just split the profits with the rest of us. PM me and I’ll tell you where to send the royalties.
(laughing)…
Well glad I asked! Thanks for the input guys. Looks like a honey-do for my baby this weekend!
On my way to Home Depot…
sg
$20 for a 6 ft 2 x 4? Where do you buy wood?
[quote]Modi wrote:
You could mass produce these and market them as the Not Quite so Extreme Calf Machine. Just split the profits with the rest of us. PM me and I’ll tell you where to send the royalties.[/quote]
I actually meant I liked the other guy’s design bettter, but why not offer different models :-] I wouldn’t be shocked if some people really were willing to pay for something like this. I know some otherwise sharp folks who go into auto lobotomize mode when confronted by anything that resembles a tool.
The one thing about the pivoting feature that seems nice to me is that it will help your foot stay on the block. When I go into extreme stretch on the lower portion of a calf raise my foot starts to slip off of the block because it is essentially trying to hang on to just the edge. The the platform rotates slightly you can still go as low but will keep more of the foot surface on the block.
Nevertheless, it is $20 of steel, some paint and some grip tape. A wooden one will work but as someone stated above not be as “extreme.” Worth $80 to $100? I guess that’s an individual choice. I won’t be buying one but I don’t think it is completely worthless either.
[quote]scottsgirl wrote:
Has anyone ever tried Roger Stewart’s Extreme Calf Machine? I workout in my garage and would like to add some equipment for my calves. I am on a budget, and this looks interesting. I have searched and searched online and can only find good reviews, but, as always, I am skeptical.
If you have personally used or own this machine, could you share?
Thanks,
sg[/quote]
I don’t think I’ve used the exact machine but have used a pivoted calf block before. I personally feel that the change in strength curve it attempts to produce leaves a lot to be desired. If you would actually like to spend 70 bucks on a calf machine, buy an 80 pound dumbbell, as your foot plantar flexes the pivot point changes. But in terms of calf development I don’t see much of a difference, since the calves ROM is pretty small.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
I wouldn’t be shocked if some people really were willing to pay for something like this. I know some otherwise sharp folks who go into auto lobotomize mode when confronted by anything that resembles a tool.[/quote]
Perform Better is always a good choice if you want to spend a lot of money on something you could easily build yourself for a whole lot less.
They used to sell a “device” for doing plus drills (hopping side to side/front to back etc) which was literally a section of 1/2 PVC pipe cut into quarters and attached in the middle with a 4-way fitting. I think they charged $25 for what was probably $5 worth of materials.
Here’s an even better use of money. This 1/2" thick piece of rubber mat with 5 white dots goes for $49.95…if anyone is trying to piss their money away.
By the way, I’m not knocking the Extreme calf machine, this is in reference to the $3 calf machine that we will be producing soon. Still trying to finalize the price, but it should come in around $29.95 or so. S+H extra of course.
Here’s the one I’ve been using. Might as well throw in wrist rollers too while were at it huh?