Wednesday, August 30, 2017

What’s the Best Piece Of Equipment To Get In Shape? https://t.co/XTPkU1opFY


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August 30, 2017 at 06:11PM

What’s the Best Piece Of Equipment To Get In Shape?

The One Tool You Must Ha​ve To Get In Shape

With spring officially here, I’ve decided to change my training focus and get in shape.  We just came off a diet and losing 10 lbs and I needed a fresh outlook on things.  I decided to get back to my roots and train for me.  What exactly does that mean? My goals are now oriented on things that I think are cool and am invested in working hard to achieve.  One of the things that has been in the back of my mind as of late was the idea that in pursuit of strength, I had been becoming less and less athletic.  I was sacrificing strength goals for quality of health and we dealt with that a bit when we decided to diet.  The next thing that I realized was that I didn’t really care how I looked if I could increase my performance of what I consider to be the best tool for conditioning out there: The Prowler

The Best Tool To Get In Shape

For those of you that are not familiar, the prowler is a metal sled that allows additional weight to be added to each of the black “horns”.  It is extremely adaptable to the user and ensures that everyone that has the pleasure of touching it can puke their face off in 10-15 minutes of sprinting.  In short, it works for everyone.

With the weather finally breaking, I decided it was time to drag this thing out of the basement and push it until nausea ensued.  I set some goals to work towards and got to work.  The nice thing about using the prowler is that you have the opportunity to out-train your diet(read:eat what you want and still stay in shape).

I’ll be using the prowler for the next few months….aiming for 3x a week and training 2x a week as a way to help recovery.

The driveway is roughly 30yds long so each push/sprint is 30yds (one direction) and that is PLENTY.

Here are some general recommendations to START training with the prowler:

Women: 50lbs (additional weight) x10

Men: 90lbs (additional weight) x10

What I like about the Prowler

I’ve said this before, but the prowler is probably the most versatile piece of equipment that you can add to your home gym equipment  (aside from a power rack).  You can use the prowler as a conditioning tool (lighter weight, shorter rests) or as a tool to build strength (load up with weight and get it from point A to point B).  You can push it from high handles, low handles, drag or pull the sled to work various body parts.

If I had to choose three exercises/movements to use to train with, the prowler would definitely be one of the movements and here is why….

Prowler Benefits

  • Reduces soreness (no negative phase compared to sprinting)
  • No technique needed (just PUSH)
  • Total body workout
  • No spinal loading (great for rehab or strengthening the body after injury)
  • Builds GPP/work capacity

If you are looking to get in shape as fast as possible then this is one piece of equipment that you NEED to add to your training arsenal…

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How to Pull A State Record: A Road Map For Women and Deadlifting https://t.co/7US8mKQF8u


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August 30, 2017 at 05:41PM

How to Pull A State Record: A Road Map For Women and Deadlifting

I hate to lose, I really do.  A few months ago Jillian and I set a small challenge with our deadlift to see who could reach either three plates (315) or six plates (585) first.  I got smoked in that challenge as Jillian ended up above and beyond the three plate goal while I am still working towards 585.  We talked in depth about how we raised her squat by 40lbs in a short period of time with the aid of the PUSH band so I figured the next logical step is to talk about her deadlift and the methods that we used to increase her strength in that respective lift.

The Road from 285 to 320

I consider Jillian’s pull to be her best lift at the moment.  To be honest, I actually think she is going to end up a better squatter but for the moment we will call the deadlift her “pet,” lift.  A little background on this…. Jillian first started to train with me about 1.5yrs ago with no squat or bench experience.  She was training at a commercial gym with what I would consider less than adequate coaching and even worse programming.  There was a positive to that experience however, the programming gave her a great work capacity and strengthened a lot of the muscles associated with deadlifting (kb swings, glute bridges and numerous other things).  The first time we deadlifted together she either pulled 185 or 200lbs with less than ideal form.  From there she hit all the usual milestones (225, 250, 275) and then most recently in her meet pulled 285lbs and gave 300lbs a hell of a try.

Down and Dirty in the Dungeon

Once we set up our home gym  and deadlift platform  it was time to get to work.  I couldn’t wait for her to hit 300lbs in the basement because I think that’s a pretty badass thing to do when no one is around.  Her deadlift training is based around three types of workouts

  • Speed day (usually between 70-85%)
  • Heavy triples
  • Heavy singles

I’d like to say that we were able to take the same analytical approach to the deadlift that we did with the squat and bar speed but the truth is that we just weren’t able to generate consistent data with the PUSH band.  If you have a PUSH band and can get the data without missed reps etc.. then please contact me and let me know what you do.

The rotation that we used is very similar to a heavy/medium/light day but the speed work is a bit heavier than normal speed work.

Speed Day

There isn’t really a hard and fast rule to the percentage of the speed day.  When in doubt, go lighter than you think is the advice I would give anyone and everyone.  This day is not about lifting heavy things, it’s about practicing form and finding the groove.  There are some days when you start to pull and it just feels awful, I truly believe that the speed day makes those days a bit more infrequent and leads to better pulling.  We do the speed day with a set x rep scheme of 5×3.  Sometimes the weight is the same, sometimes we increase it.  It all depends on feel and how things look after we review on video.

Heavy Triples

This day would probably be most like a medium day if you are a fan of the light/medium/heavy type of workouts and programming.  Jillian probably did this workout the least amount of times but I like it for a few reasons.  The first reason is that when doing a heavy triple you are most likely going to get out of position on either the 2nd or 3rd rep.  You need to think while pulling and still complete the rep.  Sometimes the deadlift is more about not panicking when things don’t go completely right and correcting.  The heavy triple also serves as a rep max indicator for what to pull on heavy single day.

Heavy Singles

This is basically “PR” day and usually resulted in Jillian getting more weight than she ever had in her hands before and completing the rep.  The one goal that we usually had with this day was to not miss and hopefully leave a bit in the tank.  We gauged progress with the singles on either a “PR” or if something that was hit before had a faster bar speed.  We couldn’t actually track the bar speed (see above) but we had the ability to compare with videos.  On the days when it just wasn’t there we shut it down early and just chalked it up to not being quite ready for a new PR.  We found that you can’t really force a deadlift, you can but the risks far outweigh the rewards.  It was much better to hit records with decent speed then grinding a slow rep.

How to Progress

We followed a simple linear progression by adding weight when things felt easy.  The key to the heavy triples and singles is to start slow and give yourself room to grow.  I would even advise that if you were to follow this plan that your first heavy triple is something well under what your best heavy triple is rather than an all out effort your first time.  This way you can slowly acclimate to the increases in strength and hit something bigger in 3-4 workouts.  When Jillian hit a new PR in a single we took a look at bar speed on the speed days and made adjustments when necessary.  It really helps to have someone with you these days to judge how things look.  The days that were stressful and life got in the way will definitely have an influence on how you pull.  If you are angry and feel good then you can push it a bit.  However, if you are angry and everything is slow, back off and put some work in.

One of the things that we have become more and more accepting of is the fact that not every day needs to be a PR record smashing type of day.  In fact, more often then not the training sessions should either be the speed or heavy triple workouts vs heavy singles.  This is the same idea that people write about when they talk about building strength vs. displaying strength.  We spent way more sessions with speed and volume than we did with heavy singles.

Accessory work to build the deadlift

I think that once we dialed in the accessory work for Jillian things really started to take off.  Just like the squat, it seemed like almost every other week she was pulling a new 5lb PR.  We rotated the accessory work depending on the day, the heavy single day was the only day that wasn’t consistent.  If she hit a PR then we usually shut it down for the day, if she didn’t then there was still work that needed to be done.  The heavy triple day accessory work was 3 x 3 deficit pulls off one plate.  This helped speed off the floor and the weight was kept light enough to practice with speed.  The volume day didn’t have another movement after as enough work had been put in with the 5 working sets.

After each deadlift session was over the next movement was stiff legged deadlifts off a 2 inch deficit (2 plates).  These were done for higher reps (8-10) and for multiple sets (2-3).  If there was any time left after the stiff legged pulls then abs were done and some bent over rows.  That was about it.  We tried to keep the deadlift sessions short and sweet.  Deadlifting is taxing enough and since she was making progress there really wasn’t any reason to add anything else in.  If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Meet Peaking and A New State Record

This training ultimately culminated in a new NYS record pull in the RPS federation.  We followed a slightly heavier approach to peaking that was based off heavy ascending triples followed by heavy deficit pulls from a plate and then stiff legged deadlifts.  The programming was a basic taper, four heavy workouts with a decrease in volume as they progressed.  One of the keys to Jillian’s success was what I believe to be a realistic meet goal.  Instead of programming too high (which we have done in the past) we settled on a 5lb PR attempt for her third.  She definitely left a bit on the platform and smoked her third for what would be an all time PR for her, in a meet under stressful conditions and at the end of a long day.  

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Titan HD Power Rack Review https://t.co/x3dztRqyQy


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August 30, 2017 at 05:06PM

Titan HD Power Rack Review

I continuously search for new home gym equipment and new pieces of equipment that could benefit pursuit to strength training at home.  As you know, we have our own rack solution that we discussed in our best power rack for home guide and we were severely limited to choices for a squat and bench solution that would work in a low ceiling gym.  Because of this, I overlooked numerous other racks such as the Titan HD Power Rack for the simple fact that it wouldn’t fit in the basement.  The more I look at this rack though, the more I realize that it is a GREAT DEAL for the money.

A Review of the Titan HD Power Rack

The price of this cage fluctuates quite a bit, I’ve seen it as low as 409.00 with FREE SHIPPING on amazon.  At this price, it might just be one of the best squat racks for home that you can get.  The free shipping aspect is certainly a plus with any piece of gym equipment, normally you get killed on shipping charges due to the weight of each piece.  This rack alone weighs 230lbs so if you are ready to pull the trigger then I would watch amazon closely and snatch up the free shipping deal when it presents itself.

Pros:

Titan has done a good job taking into account all the accessories that one wants when looking for a squat and bench power rack for their home gym.

The rack comes standard with a westside hole pattern which, in my opinion should be how every power rack is made.  If you are going to be both squatting and benching within the rack then you need the westside hole pattern (1″ spacing throughout the bench zone).  This also might be the only rack available on amazon with a westside hole pattern, something to consider.  Your other options are to go with a rogue rack and you definitely aren’t going to find one in the $400 - $500.00 price range.

Along with the westside hole pattern, the Titan HD features safety pins, plate storage, and a chin up bar.  All of these options become incredibly convenient once you have them, especially the plate storage.  For those of you that train with accommodating resistance  you will also see band pegs at the bottom of the picture.  Another great feature that is stock with this product and pretty much an add-on for another other rack.

Cons: 

The only con that I can think of with this home squat rack is that there are a few complaints about the J-Cups and bar wear.  I really don’t know what people expect when they train, apparently that all their equipment remains pristine and unscathed.  That’s just not the nature of strength training.  With that being said, there are some complaints about the J-Cups that I felt should be brought up.  Possible solutions? Order new J Cups or stop caring if your bar gets scratched. I certainly wouldn’t let the J-Cups be the limiting factor in this buying decision.

Final Thoughts

This might actually be the best power rack available on Amazon or even online for it’s price.  If you read about my criteria for what I wanted in a power rack  then you will see that this has everything and more.  If height wasn’t an issue in my basement then I would most definitely be grabbing up this as the corner stone for a home gym.

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Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Easy Ways To Lose Weight https://t.co/dOTkKuqOPb


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August 29, 2017 at 05:16PM

Easy Ways To Lose Weight

There are numerous methods to lose a great deal of weight quick that you can combine with your strength training at home program

Many of them will make you starving and unhappy.

If you do not have iron self-discipline, then cravings will trigger you to quit on these strategies rapidly.

The 3-step strategy detailed here will:

  • Decrease your hunger considerably.
  • Make you reduce weight quickly, without being starving.
  • Enhance your metabolic health at the very same time.
  • All this is supported by clinical researches

Cut down on Sugars and Starches

The most fundamental part is to cut down on sugars and starches (carbohydrates).

These are the foods that promote secretion of insulin one of the most. If you didn’t understand currently, insulin is the primary fat storage hormonal agent in the body.  When insulin decreases, fat has a much easier time leaving the fat shops and the body begins burning fats rather of carbohydrates.  Another advantage of reducing insulin is that your kidneys shed excess salt and water from your body, which decreases bloat and unneeded water weight.  It is not unusual to lose approximately 10 pounds (often more) in the very first week of consuming in this manner, both body fat and water weight.

Every one of your meals must consist of a protein source, a fat source and low-carb veggies. Building your meals in this method will instantly bring your carbohydrate consumption into the ad good idea variety of 20-50 grams each day. High protein diet plans can likewise minimize obsessive ideas about food by 60 %, minimize desire for late-night snacking by half, and make you so complete that you instantly consume 441 less calories each day … simply by including protein to your diet plan. When it pertains to dropping weight, protein is the king of nutrients.

Put together each meal from a protein source, a fat source and a low-carb veggie. This will put you into the 20-50 gram carbohydrate variety and significantly lower your insulin levels.

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What’s The Best Ab Roller To Buy? https://t.co/JVgOhCWAkK


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August 29, 2017 at 03:56PM

Home Gym Rubber Flooring Guide https://t.co/xXyuexios6


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August 29, 2017 at 03:56PM

Rogue Bolt Together Utility Bench Review https://t.co/KnCZctAqSG


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August 29, 2017 at 03:16PM

Best Power Rack Guide https://t.co/OVLG5MQsbh


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August 29, 2017 at 03:16PM

What’s The Best Ab Roller To Buy?

This will be a relatively short post, but a pretty important one that coincides with The Definitive Guide To Strength Training At Home.  As your training progresses you naturally start to experiment with new/different exercises.  You continue to get stronger, logging your workouts and then you hit a plateau.  What happened? In my case I usually ended up dropping a movement that I didn’t really think was too important and low and behold, training and strength suffers.  It happened most recently when I dropped out my adjustable dumbbell work for some heavier barbell movements.  Strength off the chest decreased and so did my bench.  Another thing that usually sends my squat/pull into the hole is a lack of core strength.  I do a lot of squatting and pulling variations without a belt as assistance work, when I get lazy I usually drop the direct ab stuff and after a month of that I find myself folding over in the hole.  One of the biggest bang for your buck ab exercises that I do/have done is something so simple that you tend to even forget it’s there….the ab roller.

Should I buy an ab roller?

For less than $20 this is a no brainer, YES you should have some sort of ab roller or ab wheel ( we are talking about a wheel with two handles not that weight thing that holds your head up). Think of this exercise as a plank on steroids.  Nothing gets my core stronger faster than adding this exercise in twice a week for multiple sets and reps.

Is it SAFE?

The good old fashioned ab wheel roller does come with some safety issues.  It tends to be rough on your back if you go into hyperextension.  The best way to avoid this is to keep your stomach braced and roll out and stop before you feel any discomfort.  The range of motion doesn’t need to be crazy as you should be bracing the entire time.  I like to do more sets and few reps because of this, fatigue sets in slower and keeps me in a good position.

The other issue that I suffer from is wrist pain.  I need to wrap up my wrists when I do anything that involves me supporting my own bodyweight with my hands.  There are two other options to dealing with wrist pain and they deal with the design of the ab device itself.

Using an old gym scooter (the kind you used to ride on during PE class) has helped my wrists because I can keep my hands further apart.  The alternative to this is finding an ab wheel with ergonomic grips such as the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver

Regardless of how you choose to perform this exercise, it’s definitely made a difference in my strength training and my lifts.

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Home Gym Rubber Flooring Guide

The Ultimate Guide To Home Gym Rubber Flooring

Home gym flooring gets a lot of searches online for good reason, it can be a really expensive project to protect your floor from dropped weights. Like I mentioned before, our basement floor is concrete, you don’t necessarily want to be dropping weights on a concrete floor because something has to give….either the plate, your bar or the floor. If you have wood floors then this problem is compounded.

There are a few ways that you can protect your floor from abuse while you train. First, consider your training style. Originally, I wanted to operate off one sole platform for everything. This basically implies that you will squat bench and pull from the same space. I decided that this would leave an already small space very cramped. Plus, it leaves no room for accessory work if you have a training partner. If you don’t have a training partner then this might be the best option for you. Likewise, if you have little space then this will have to be how you get the job done. If that is the case then skip right to our DIY platform guide.

Home Gym Flooring Options

You basically have two options for flooring, rolled rubber that you can lay down, or the puzzle piece garage flooring that I ended up purchasing. In both cases, they WILL NOT protect the floor from damage. I used this option solely for our squat/bench station as a way to get traction and keep the dust and dirt at bay. Here is what we went with.

Rolled Rubber Vs. Puzzle Pieces For Your Home Gym

Here is an interesting story that actually made part of my decision in how to install flooring for our basement gym.  I initially went to tractor supply to get both rolled rubber and horse mats.  Here are the horse mats just for reference.

Thickness

The horse mats are 3/4″ vs the 1/4″ mats of either rolled rubber or puzzle pieces.  This makes the horse mats ideal for a deadlift platform, I felt that they were just too big of a pain in the ass to put under the power rack.  Yes, they will work but they don’t offer the same options for utilizing floor space and square footage by changing how you put them together.  Horse mats are fairly easy to cut with a utility knife….but not so easy that I would want to do it multiple times.

So, when I went to get rubber flooring for both a deadlift platform and the actual surface of our floor the sales associate REFUSED to sell me a roll of rubber flooring.  She was adamant that they rubber flooring would rip and not protect the floor.  This was odd and I explained that I really didn’t care, I just needed to cover up the bare concrete.  Either way, she wasn’t having it and I didn’t feel the need to present a case just to buy the stuff.  I just grabbed the stall mats and left.

This ended up being a blessing in disguise because the next day we went to get the rest of the materials for our DIY deadlift platform from home depot.  We started looking around the garage flooring section and grabbed the puzzle pieces.  This let us set up a rectangle to cover just the surface under the squat stand and that was it.  I am really happy with how it worked out for a few reasons.

  • We get occasional water in the basement, we can move the tiles to clean if need be
  • Should be we want to expand later we can with more puzzle pieces
  • The tiles have a rough surface that makes it much easier to get traction for leg drive etc

I don’t believe it is cost effective to completely cover the surface that you will train in with rubber. Save your money for the actual equipment and make due with these suggestions.  Here is the final setup

​Final Thoughts

Get an idea of your square footage for training and then get a LITTLE BIT MORE. That is it. This isn’t rocket science and the stuff is expensive.

Pro tip: Look at home depot/tractor supply for this stuff rather than a fitness retailer. It is the same material but way cheaper.

 

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Rogue Bolt Together Utility Bench Review

If you checked out our best bench press rack guide then you know that our solution to benching at home in the “dungeon” was a flat bench inside of our Rogue SML-1 Squat Stand which we consider the best power rack out there.  Here is a full review of the rogue bolt together utility bench.

Rogue Bolt Together Utility Bench Specs Review

The rogue bolt together utility bench was the first product that I considered simply because I knew I would be ordering the squat stand from Rogue.  It just made sense to try and order everything from the same place in order to save on shipping.

*Pro tip- Try to order everything at the same time in order to save on shipping, the costs really add up over time because most of these products will weight over 50lbs.

The basic criteria that needed to be met for me to purchase a bench had to deal with the pad width.  I really did not want anything less than 12in if possible so that we could mimic a competition bench set up as close as possible.  I searched for hours to try and find benches that would be the correct height and then finally gave up, most benches that come from a weightlifting/powerlifting retailer will be CLOSE.  I would not advice you to buy a flat bench from anyone other than these types of retailers because you are going to be bringing weight capacities into play.  It makes no sense to buy something that you could potentially outgrow.

One thing that I really liked about this bench was the actual set up was minimal.  Less bolts=less things to go wrong when you are on your back holding weights over your face.  Rogue also offers thicker, bigger pads that you can upgrade should you want to.

The pad material is vinyl and does a good job of keeping us in place while driving during a bench.  We haven’t had too many instances of losing an arch as compared to the slicker surfaces that you will find on many commercial gym benches.

 Watch our video review of the Rogue Bolt Together Utility Bench

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Best Power Rack Guide

Monday, August 28, 2017

Folding Weight Bench Buyer’s Guide https://t.co/w7ehuwN3lw


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August 28, 2017 at 07:10PM

Folding Weight Bench Buyer’s Guide

Why a Folding Weight Bench?

One of the problems that many people encounter when purchasing a weight bench is that many weight benches create an unnecessarily large footprint within the training space. If you train in a basement or garage, this probably isn’t an issue. However, if you train in a spare room then it can be incredibly inconvenient to walk around a bench that takes up too much space. There is an option to solve this problem, a folding weight bench.

Folding weight benches or Collapsible weight benches usually break down in some form or another so that they effectively reduce the space/footprint of the bench. After breaking down the bench it can be stored in different places, under a bed/couch or leaned up against a wall. Either way, they are out of the way and don’t take up as much space.

Things you need to know before purchasing a folding weight bench

1. How much space are you looking to save? The two benches listed on amazon fold to roughly 9”. Is this going to save enough space for you?
2. What will you use the bench for? It would be a good idea to compare the max capacity of each collapsible bench to an adjustable counter part.

Top Folding Weight Benches on the Market

Research reveals that there are two main options to choose from on the market if you decide that you do in fact need a foldaway weight bench. Here is a comparison between the PowerBlock Travel Bench and the Body-Solid Powerline Flat/Incline/Decline Folding Bench.

The powerblock travel bench is flat bench that can be folded away under a bed and has the option to be carried as a travel bench. There is a carry strap that would allow you to easily transfer the bench to a car or hotel room to allow you to train in multiple areas easily.

The powerblock travel bench has a weight capacity of 550lbs as reported by one user. This would be including user weight, which is perfect for a travel bench. The dimensions of the back pad are 9.5”

The Body-Solid Powerline Flat/Incline/Decline Folding Bench is slightly different when compared to the Powerblock Travel Bench because it is not meant for travel but strictly for saving space. This bench is an adjustable bench that offers up to seven different positions. Weight capacity is rated at 500lbs which is comparable to the power block travel bench and makes it ideal for dumbbell movements.

Another nice feature about this bench is that it comes pre-assembled in the box. This means you can unbox it and get training!

Our Best Folding Weight Bench Pick

To be honest this is an apples to oranges situation.  There is a better choice but that is dependent on your needs.  Are you looking for a solid bench at home that won’t take up too much space? Our vote goes to the Body-Solid Powerline Flat/Incline/Decline Folding Bench simply due to the versatility that the bench offers.  Are you looking for a bench that you can take with you and train on the road? The PowerBlock Travel Bench accomplishes exactly this task.

Buyer Beware- If you are looking for just a flat bench to use in the home and aren’t concerned with traveling then I would suggest that you look at our reviews of flat benches for more information.  Likewise, if you decide that you don’t need a folding adjustable bench then you should definitely visit our reviews of adjustable benches because you may be able to find a bench that better suits your needs and is more cost effective.

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Rogue SML-1 Review https://t.co/5TQ4Dka1Wg


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August 28, 2017 at 11:10AM

Home Gym Hacks: Training With Low Ceiling Restrictions https://t.co/bblRBdVztV


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August 28, 2017 at 11:10AM

Rogue SML-1 Review

In our best power rack for home guide I mentioned that we ended up purchasing the Rogue SML-1 Squat Stand.  Here it is in all of it’s glory

Rogue SML-1 Review PROS

There are numerous positives to owning the SML-1.  The overall construction is high quality and sturdy. I don’t have the rack or “squat stand” as they call it bolted to the ground, I have no doubt that this would improve the set up but I can’t really do it.  Regardless the thing isn’t  going anywhere.

  • Height – The rack is just over 6′ tall which is perfect for a basement gym with height restrictions
  • Width– The squat rack width between the j cups is a bit wider than other racks that I’ve used, this really is an added benefit when my shoulders ache and I need to extend my hand width while squatting
  • Setup– Putting this together was really fast, I think I did it in less than 30 min.
  • Westside Hole Pattern– You have a lot of options for rack heights etc
  • Safety– The spotter arms are very sturdy and well constructed
  • UHMW Plastic Inserts in the JCUPS to protect your bar
  • Shipping – It only took 2 days to arrive in a few small boxes (see below)
  • Adjustability- Jcups and spotter arms are extremely easy and fast to adjust
  • Accessorize!-3×3 tubing allows you to still use many of Rogues attachments and accessories

Rogue SML-1 Review CONS

This wouldn’t be a real review if I didn’t state some of the drawbacks to the SML-1.  There aren’t many, but these are somethings that you need to get used to

  • The uprights are basically in the middle of the footprint of the rack, this is really why it is a squat stand versus a rack.  You need to adjust your walk out to align yourself with the spotter arms
  • Many people will gripe about the price vs all the other things you need to buy.  The rack and jcups are the standard, you need to purchase the spotter arms and other things as accessories and add ons

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Home Gym Hacks: Training With Low Ceiling Restrictions

How To Train With Low Ceiling Restrictions

When we we went from turning the vision of having a lot of great home gym equipment to a reality the first thing that needed to be dealt with was how to train and get exercises done in an area with a low ceiling.  This was always my main concern and I was not going to fork out the money for a power rack or bench set if we weren’t going to actually be able to use it to the fullest in a basement.  Sure, there are a variety of exercise variations or substitutions that you can use to get the job done, but I really didn’t want to be limited by our training space if at all possible.

What exercises become an issue with low ceilings?

The first thing that I did was to decide what exercises were included in our training and out of those exercises, what would be a problem in a low basement.   Here are the list of our personal exercises that we perform at some point during our training

  • Squat
  • Front Squat
  • Pause Squat
  • Bench Press
  • Incline Press
  • Incline DB Press
  • Standing Military Press
  • Deadlift
  • Stiff Leg Deadlift
  • Deficit Deadlift
  • Lat-Pull Downs
  • Chins/Pull-ups
  • Tricep Push Downs
  • Facepulls
  • Bicep Curls

That is a pretty common list of exercises and if you follow any type of bodybuilding/powerlifting routine then you will most likely be doing the same types of things.  What I didn’t want was to build a home gym if I could only do 1/2 or 3/4 of the exercises.  It would be stupid to spend that money and either neglect body parts or still have to pay a membership to attend a gym for one day to finish accessory work.  The exercises that you will either need to find a substitute for or figure out an alternative method are the

  • Standing military press
  • Lat pull downs
  • Push downs (or anything with a cable)

Low Ceiling Adaptations

Hack #1 :Lat pull downs/cable work

I searched long and hard online for a home solution with that would allow me to do lat pull down variations as well as other cable style work.  The solution that I found is from http://ift.tt/2xG3jl2 and is called the econo tricep and lat pulley.  This is a great piece of equipment that I got during a sale for about $90.00 and has be worth every bit of that.  While it is not necessarily a low ceiling specific piece of equipment, it works extremely well in low ceiling situations to get lat work, overhead tricep work, and cable ab variations done at home.  The product consists of a triceps/ab strap, a pulley and an 18″ loading pin.  South Carolina Barbell suggests that it is used for racks that are 6′ to 7′ in height.   We have managed to make this work in a short squat stand set-up that you see pictured below.

Econo Tricrp and Lat Pully

The top pulley is choked around a power bar that is resting as high as possible in the squat stands. I set it up a bit low for the picture but I usually choke the piece around the bar 2-3 times to get as little slack in the strap as possible.  The loading pin is another piece of the Spud Inc strapping with a ring that is larger than an olympic plate hole so that when you load weights they will not fall through the strap.  It’s a pretty ingenious idea that makes you go “why couldn’t I have though of that?”.  On the other side of the pulley attaches whatever type of handle that you want to use.  The product comes with a short ab/tricep strap that is shaped like a “Y” with two handles to hold on.  All in all this is a great solution to any type of cable work in the home.  South Carolina Barbell sells a variety of attachment handles should you not be satisfied with the one handle that comes with the package.

Caution: We use a beater bar for both choke the pulley around as well as do chins from the bar in the top of the rack.  This WILL put stress on your bar over time and possibly bend the bar.  Use a different bar or one that you don’t mind being bent for this.

Hack #2: Lat Pull/Triceps Work

The second home gym hack for lat pull/triceps work involves usage of exercise bands.  Whether these be jump stretch, iron woody or any other style band, I highly suggest you pick up some of these for your home gym.

Pictured is a single pack of Jump stretch bands that retails for 89.00 with free shipping from Amazon.  For most people, you will not use the average and strong band (green and blue).  They provide too much resistance and unless you are squatting heavy I can’t think of one thing you will use them for.  To save some cash, here are the two bands that you need

The mini band is rated for 25lbs and the light band is rated as 50lbs.  Honestly, those are pretty arbitrary numbers for what we use these for.  You can choke them around the barbell the same way we have done above and perform tricep push downs, lat pull downs, and even put a knee through for assistance when doing chin-ups.  This is a pretty cheap investment that will give you the option to do a wide variety of assistance movements.

Check Price

Overhead Pressing

The last thing that we will discuss is any type of overhead pressing.  I had tried numerous variations such as the z-press

and even attempting to only standing press with very small plates so that they would have ceiling clearance.  Nothing really worked.  The solution was to finally purchase a cap barbell deluxe utility bench and switch to a seated overhead press.  While this isn’t the best solution it is the best that we could come up with and still do overhead work.  Unfortunately, this adaptation requires you to drop the standing press for a seated variation.  No big deal, I am still happy to get the work in.

Final Thoughts

You now are armed with two equipment hacks that will allow you to incorporate some assistance exercises  that you probably thought were not possible in your home gym due to ceiling restrictions.  If anyone has any other secrets to training in a space with a low ceiling I would love to hear them and add to this list!

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Rogue Fitness Monolift Attachment Review https://t.co/y1eKyyp77y


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August 28, 2017 at 09:10AM

Rogue Fitness Monolift Attachment Review

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Best Bench Press Rack and Weight Set Guide https://t.co/U3SFyn94Vb


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August 28, 2017 at 01:10AM

Best Bench Press Rack and Weight Set Guide

When people normally think of a home gym the thought of a bench press weight set comes to mind. This is fine, you should have some sort of bench set up in your home gym, however it doesn’t need to be the conventional bench that you see everywhere. Unless you are going to have multiple stations going at once in your home gym then you can get away with having one multipurpose station to bench in.

Use Our Interactive Best Bench Press Rack And Weight Set Guide

Our interactive table allows you to sort potential bench press options by the following criteria

  • Price
  • Amazon Reviews
  • Amazon Rating
  • Safety Options
  • Weight Capacity

Tips For Selecting Your Bench and Other Important Info

First, the amazon reviews are only applicable to products that are found on amazon.  This could be a viable option for many of you, especially prime members because you can save on shipping.  Weight capacity is a MAJOR concern with the options provided from amazon.  These almost always are rated by USER WEIGHT + BAR WEIGHT.  For this reason I would shy away from many of these options if you are training for strength.

You do not need to worry about Elitefts weight capacity ratings.  Simple as that, these things are tried and tested with the strongest athletes around.  If you are strong enough to exceed those weight limits then you definitely aren’t on this website.

Best Bench Press Weight Bench Top Pics:

OUR NUMBER ONE PICK FOR BEST BENCH

Best Bench Press Rack

I decided to go with the rogue flat utility bench 2.0 bolt together version. This fit all of our criteria and even comes with additional options such as thicker pads for comfort. I couldn’t be happier with the purchase after narrowing it down to a few choices.

PRO TIP– If you are going to be benching on any type of floor that is uneven then go with the bolt together model. It is just as solid however by loosely bolting everything and then letting it settle you can eliminate some of the rocking versus a one piece bench.

Why the Rogue Fl​​​​at Utility Bench 2.0?

Having a home gym almost always implies training solo at some point. For this reason and this reason alone I suggest that you abandon the idea of a strict bench press in terms of equipment that you buy. Unless you want to be a youtube star in the form of “epic fails” compilations then you are going to want spotter arms. A competition rack set-up with spotter arms just isn’t going to be economical.

Instead you should focus on how to optimize your pre-existing squat rack/power rack so that you can bench in it as well. This saves floor space and if done correctly actually works better than buying the cheapest Olympic bench that you can find.

In order to do this correctly I am going to mention the westside hole pattern again. This is a MUST if you plan on benching inside your power rack. The westside hole pattern allows you to set up the j cups of your rack in smaller increments to give you the optimal bench set up depending on your arm length.

Anyone who has tried to set up in a power rack with two inch hole spacing will nod in agreement. You are forced to unrack your weights from either too low of a position or one that is so high that you lose your tightness. Obviously a training partner is the solution here, but that isn’t always an option. The next best option is being able to adjust the bar by one inch increments from the west side hole pattern.

If you have followed our reviews of the rogue power racks and squat racks then you surely have found something that fits your needs and situation. The next option to consider before you are benching in your home/garage is the flat bench. These are usually called utility benches for good reason, you can use these for multiple exercises. A solid utility bench is needed if you are going to seriously bench press in your rack.

While in a pinch, most any bench will do there are certainly better and worse options out there. When choosing my bench I was looking for a few specific things. First, I wanted a wide bench pad. I don’t know if I believe that a wider pad is safer for your shoulders but it sure as hell is more comfortable. This was my number one concern. The second thing that I considered was the height of the bench. This is more specific to powerlifting, if you don’t compete then you might not need to worry about this. I wanted a bench with as close to competition specs that I could find. I ended up searching and finding that most benches were in the 18 in rank. I was looking for a bench that was as close as possible to that height so that we could practice how we played so to speak.

Bench pad material is the third consideration. I definitely didn’t want a bench that was rock hard, and offered some decent padding. I feel like this is something you either have to trust or try before you buy. I trusted that the bench I purchased would be comfortable (it had to be because I wasn’t buying any other style).

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Saturday, August 26, 2017

Elitefts SS Yoke Bar Review https://t.co/r6dJ4WuhUB


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August 26, 2017 at 07:10PM

Elitefts SS Yoke Bar Review

Christmas came a bit early this year, despite how late this post is but the holidays are a busy time.  The one product that we both agreed was missing from our home gym was some sort of safety squat bar.  I would always browse these bars online but never pulled the trigger or really wanted to until embarking on successfully implementing conjugate training.  Now, whether or not you want to use specialty bars, this is a must have.  Jillian was lucky enough to get this thing on sale for around 300.00 for the holidays.  At that price it’s a no brainer.  In around a week the bar was at our doorstep in this fine package

Body-Solid EXM1500S Home Gym

There is pretty much no assembly with the exception of screwing in the handles.  I wouldn’t really count that as the assembly because it takes as much brain power as loading a bar with weight.  If you can’t handle that you are in the wrong place, to begin with.  Speaking of brain power, the bar weighs about 20lbs more than a standard barbell.  It takes a bit to get used to however if you just stop caring about bar weight and what an SS Yoke squat is equivalent to in regards to your regular squat then it isn’t an issue.  If you really care then at 20lbs to the normal bar weight when you load plates.

Home Gym Addict Review of the SS Yoke Bar

This really is a great bar, the pad is comfortable and the chamber of the bar is perfect.  It does want to pitch you forward but that is also the reason that we wanted the thing in the first place.  Instead of making a list of pros and cons I will say this, the only draw back to the SS Yoke bar is the price + shipping.  If you are dead set on a safety squat bar then PLEASE forget about the pieces of junk of that mimic this thing.  Be patient and watch Elitefts for sales.  This thing will be available for around 300.00 at some point during the year (you might have to wait until December) so just wait it out if you don’t want to take the plunge a full price.  You weren’t training with a SSB bar before so you can stand to wait a bit longer.  I’ve used the Rogue SSB and I can say this is just a better product.

Things to keep in mind

Regular collars won’t fit on this bar, we have the proloc collars and they still don’t quite secure as tight as I would like.  Get a set of collars recommended for this bar because the plates do slide around a bit.

Will it fit in my power rack?

I have been using it with our monolift hooks in a rogue squat stand and it fits just fine.  I believe this has been made to fit in a rack as well as a monolift.

How to use the SS Yoke Bar

We have been using it for the following:

  • All sorts of box squats
  • Good Mornings
  • Free squats
  • Front squats
  • Triceps extensions

You will start to find that if given the opportunity you will use this bar vs. a straight bar squat.  I tend to have wrist and shoulder issues from heavy squatting sessions and this totally alleviates both problems.  Since acquiring this specialty bar my wrists and shoulders have been feeling noticeably better.

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How To Build A Deadlifting Platform With Three Tools https://t.co/iID55er51X


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August 26, 2017 at 05:10PM

How To Build A Deadlifting Platform With Three Tools