Folding Weight Bench Buyer’s Guide https://t.co/w7ehuwN3lw
— Home Gym Addict (@homegymaddict) August 28, 2017
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August 28, 2017 at 07:10PM
Monday, August 28, 2017
Folding Weight Bench Buyer’s Guide https://t.co/w7ehuwN3lw
from Twitter https://twitter.com/homegymaddict
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.
The post Folding Weight Bench Buyer’s Guide appeared first on Home Gym Addict.
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Rogue SML-1 Review https://t.co/5TQ4Dka1Wg
Rogue SML-1 Review https://t.co/5TQ4Dka1Wg
— Home Gym Addict (@homegymaddict) August 28, 2017
from Twitter https://twitter.com/homegymaddict
August 28, 2017 at 11:10AM
Home Gym Hacks: Training With Low Ceiling Restrictions https://t.co/bblRBdVztV
Home Gym Hacks: Training With Low Ceiling Restrictions https://t.co/bblRBdVztV
— Home Gym Addict (@homegymaddict) August 28, 2017
from Twitter https://twitter.com/homegymaddict
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
The post Rogue SML-1 Review appeared first on Home Gym Addict.
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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.
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!
The post Home Gym Hacks: Training With Low Ceiling Restrictions appeared first on Home Gym Addict.
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Rogue Fitness Monolift Attachment Review https://t.co/y1eKyyp77y
Rogue Fitness Monolift Attachment Review https://t.co/y1eKyyp77y
— Home Gym Addict (@homegymaddict) August 28, 2017
from Twitter https://twitter.com/homegymaddict
August 28, 2017 at 09:10AM
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