Extra workout
Two rounds, 25 each of
Pull aparts
Air squats
Reverse hypers
Lying leg raises
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Woke at 256.6 lbs, looking similar to yesterday.
Todays training
3x10 bracing hip thrusts supersetted with 15 air squats
10x10 second bracing 90/90
Squat
Worked up to 5x4x396 lbs
Mate’s rack swings in so I can use the power bar perfectly well as long as I grip with two fingers.
Belt does up to previous tightest hole with no effort, btw.
Front squat
2x7x220 lbs
Split squat
2x12x35 lbs
Lat pulldown
4x8x154 lbs
Band good morning replacing back extensions
50xlight band, one set
All up two hours and 5 minutes because my buddy was benching so every couple of sets we had to move the bench into position, unload, reload, etc. We worked out it was quickest to do two sets with little rest, change over and then repeat.
So, I think the Eleiko power bar may well be my favourite bar. I’ve benched with one many times in meet, squatted with one once and deadlifted once. It has something no other power bars do, which I can’t quite quantify. Feels close to a squat bar on my back too.
Now, the big positive here outside of having actually trained is that I know I can squat comfortably with a power bar provided I have a rack that swings in enough to get clearance for my hands.
Which means, when I can afford to set up a home gym, I can buy a Valhalla combo rack and a Rogue Ohio power bar and then all I’ll need are plates. That’s about the cheapest way to get there I can imagine.
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I’ve been thinking about a future home gym myself. With this going on I’ve got a few “final draft” pieces already.
To put it all together I’d want: adjustable DBs, more plates, rack + attachments, bench, better power bar and flooring. Couple of grand should be enough to put together a home gym I’d be happy with. It’d just be basics though and nothing super fancy like an Eleiko lol.
Is the grip width/clearance the only factor in going combo rack over a full rack? Plenty of narrow racks would give you clearance?
I’m browsing ForceUSA stuff myself because it sells in a nice cheap packages with everything included. I’ve got a mate who has bought Verve. I think they are a newer company but have a great range with copy and pasted powerlifting stuff like a Westside Bench Rack, power bars, combo racks etc. Ima ask him how it holds up over time.
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That’s a nice wishlist.
I’d happily settle for a Valhlla combo rack, Rogue Ohio power bar and whatever plates were cheap. Bar and combo rack would come to a bit under $4000, plates I could probably scrounge 600 lbs together for $1000 or less over time. Put a thick towel in a corner and I can simulate a DB row. That setup wouldn’t just be somerthing I could work with, it would be something I wouldn’t need to add to apart from maybe a Spud Inc pulley, a lat pulldown bar and a bit of rope for pushdowns.
I would be very wary of Force USA. My experience of them is that you very much get what you pay for, and their bars are garbage. I also would not trust any of their racks, stands or safeties in any way.
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Yeah we all on a budget +/- a couple of grand for what u tell your wife.
Just for you I’m thinking that combo racks are mucho $$$ for what they offer. You can get a great rack for half that price and much more versatile.
Funny u mention ForceUSA’s quality because I’ve used a lot of their stuff actually: racks, accessories, cable stations add ons and their best bar being the power bar. It’s not trash by any means IMO just budget as fuck. It’s the most budget option I’d be looking at.
By the time I’m ready for the home gym budget my budget may change… maybe not a full rogue set up though.
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The attraction of the combo rack is that it is squat and bench. No fucking around getting the bench into just the right position, it locks in. Plus no need to buy a separate bench.
Small footprint too, and easily movable.
May well be Force USA improved their quality since I used their stuff.
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Fair points. How u gon hit 12 pull ups without a pull up bar though?
It’s a bother setting up stuff. The Aldi rack is just bought is pretty awkward. When I’m benching I gotta hammer (literally) in wooden extensions lest I throw the bar over on the re rack. To take the hooks out for squats I gotta unhammer them lol.
For my own rack I was thinking of something like this so I can do bench/stuff outside and squats inside and nil setting things up and moving stuff around required
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I already have a pullup bar lol. Easy to fix if necessary too. Might have a dip station soon too once I draw it and get an idea how it’ll go together.
A good combo rack doesn’t have those issues, like the Valhalla or Eleiko it’s modelled on. Good J-hooks, posts to catch the bar when you rack it, etc.
That is a pretty rack though, but would take up a fair chunk of room, which I couldn’t justify when a combo would do much the same. I’m thinking in terms of fitting something in a two car garage with room for a car to park alongside. Combo rack would take just over half a car space, mats for deadlift and rows the other half. Plates in a corner. Pullup bar in the garden.
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My car would live outside to make room for my gains.
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So would mine. Mrs KO’s car would be in the garage.
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Nah wife’s car is going outside too for a full DB rack because can’t be bothered taking apart adjustable DBs. Heard the iron masters are good though even if they are like almost a grand by the time you buy the expansion pack
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If we’re talking wishlist, I’d have standalone shed on a concrete slab with room for everything. But TBH not worth the expense when a combo rack, power bar and plated with a couple of small accessories will generate the same results. Plus that’s something I can realistically look at having in the next couple of years.
I’m probably gonna end up settling in regional Victoria in the coming years so there’d the land for it I guess.
So should’ve asked this at the start but is the going into a nice gym like yours not working out? Why the home gym switch?
Im 10mins away from Iron Revolution currently where I’m at which checks all the boxes for me. In future my options may be shitty commercial gym/nothing at all or a home gym.
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Because the lockdown.
Sure, it’s unlikely something similar will happen again in our lifetimes BUT it has been a salutary reminder that I’m hamstrung if I don’t get to use someone else’s equipment multiple times a week. So I will make sure that as soon as practicable, I will be in a position not to have to be concerned about having access to necessary equipment. It’ll take me a while, because we’re saving for a house, but I can get figure out how to spread $5000 across a bit of time.
It wouldn’t even take a lockdown to put a powerlifter in a bind. What happens if all the equipment at the gym starts taking up room that could be used more profitably and it gets sold off? What happens when decent gyms go under because they go broke?
That last bit is a very real possibility post lockdown, TBH. I know a bunch of Jake’s members are still paying dues, he’s renting out some equipment, and I’m even paying Ultra a bit every week to help but I have NO idea if Ultra is making enough money to stay afloat because I doubt every member is still paying. What about other PL gyms? How many members are still paying while the gyms are closed?
Even the chain gyms will be hurting, and the ones like Club Lime that have a couple of strength/PL gyms may very well trim a lot of fat when things open up. Guess what will likely go first if that’s what they need to do to stay afloat.
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I see. Well if doomsday ever comes around we’ll still have gains lol. I think it’s hard to look at just the money to see if it checks out $10-30 a week ~ $500-1500 a year. Takes a couple of years to recoup your monies by that measure.
I think for many convenience is big and time saved is money/life available to be lived. Some guys drive 30mins to the gym which is kind the top range that I’d do myself. Like I said luckily I’m 10mins away with bad traffic right. Some guys drive like an hour or more even. Anyhows home gym is effective zero travel time. How much is your time worth? It’s not even necessarily what u get paid either. If you can save 10-30mins each way, couple of times a week… u see where this going?
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My country has opted to make very few official restrictions, but it is working out okay-ish. I was on a call with some other European colleagues and they couldn’t fathom that our population was simply doing “as asked” rather than “as told” or even “as enforced by law”. Cultural differences. It completely side-lined the rest of the meeting if I’m being honest. It’s difficult educating someone about the intricacies of the society one inhabits when it’s a question of norms.
Nationally, there are some exceptions, i.e. cities whose developed a slightly different culture (possibly by being hubs of travel) but if anything, at least in my neck of the woods, we’ve kind of swung too far on the sake of caution. E.g., we have people that should ordinarily seek care, and/or were scheduled for major surgery, cancelling those appointments because “we” have a hard time placing ourselves and individuals first. It also makes it really easy to “game” the “system”. If you, as an individual, while navigating the system do put yourself first the system will respond by assuming that it really must be an emergency because otherwise it’d be a faux pas to behave in such a way.
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The gym where I’m renting half my plates and bench from is dead. I’m tight with the owner he’s a good guy. Was almost crying worrying about his members who relied on the gym as part of their self care routines and social and emotional outlet.
There were few sexy gyms in the first place. My ability to access em will be about the same after this. Now I will at least have a decent bar to take in to a meh gym.
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R u Sweden bro?
Exactly right @guineapig
It isn’t a cost thing. Even factoring in fuel, vehicle costs, etc you’d still be looking at two years minimum of dues to pay for the setup I want. My driving to the gym adds a bit over 100 km to my weekly drive, though, so not peanuts. That’s 4800 km extra a year. Time wise, an extra 2.75 hours a week travel.
It’s the independence and peace of mind.
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