Best Buys - Equipment you love!

Bands, chains, wraps, straps, racks... are you sure this is training related?

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LeanLifts
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#21

Post by LeanLifts » Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:37 am

mgil wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:40 pm I have a bunch of Rogue kettlebells along with the rack on wheels to house them.
What do you use the kettlebells for? I was raised to believe that they were a meme for soccer moms trying to lose weight

gtl
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#22

Post by gtl » Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:19 am

LeanLifts wrote: Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:37 am
mgil wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:40 pm I have a bunch of Rogue kettlebells along with the rack on wheels to house them.
What do you use the kettlebells for? I was raised to believe that they were a meme for soccer moms trying to lose weight
I don't use them much, but I like heavy swings and z presses.

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mgil
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#23

Post by mgil » Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:55 am

LeanLifts wrote: Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:37 am
mgil wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:40 pm I have a bunch of Rogue kettlebells along with the rack on wheels to house them.
What do you use the kettlebells for? I was raised to believe that they were a meme for soccer moms trying to lose weight
Lots of times they are just proxies for dumbbells. They are good for unilateral work and farmers carries, too. Think of them as a compact weight with a reasonable handle, and many uses become apparent.

James
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#24

Post by James » Mon Sep 05, 2022 8:05 am

My best equipment buy is the seasonal pool noodle so I don't have to hear the clank on pin presses and squats.

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mgil
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#25

Post by mgil » Mon Sep 05, 2022 1:40 pm

James wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 8:05 am My best equipment buy is the seasonal pool noodle so I don't have to hear the clank on pin presses and squats.
Smart idea!

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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#26

Post by FredM » Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:38 pm

mgil wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:55 am
LeanLifts wrote: Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:37 am
mgil wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:40 pm I have a bunch of Rogue kettlebells along with the rack on wheels to house them.
What do you use the kettlebells for? I was raised to believe that they were a meme for soccer moms trying to lose weight
Lots of times they are just proxies for dumbbells. They are good for unilateral work and farmers carries, too. Think of them as a compact weight with a reasonable handle, and many uses become apparent.
I think they're significantly different. Because of the way they're "balanced" I find kettlebells have significantly more real life carry over than dumbbells. Generally dumbbells are a better assistance to slow powerlifts and kettlebells are better for power training.

One handed kettlebell swings are the single best grip exercise I've ever done and yet have significant value outside grip work. Heavy kettlebell swings are probably the single best exercise for the general population to train power given how much easier they are to learn than basically every Oly variation.

And Turkish getups are the single most functional exercise I've ever done. Especially as a father that has to get down and off the floor often carrying little kids. They quickly train your body how to move safely, hit sections of your core you're almost definitely missing, and "bulletproof" your shoulders
(I'd guess most people with shoulder pain benching would see it disappear if they ensured they had the mobility for turkish getups and did them semi-regularly)

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Hardartery
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#27

Post by Hardartery » Mon Sep 05, 2022 8:38 pm

FredM wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:38 pm
mgil wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:55 am
LeanLifts wrote: Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:37 am
mgil wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:40 pm I have a bunch of Rogue kettlebells along with the rack on wheels to house them.
What do you use the kettlebells for? I was raised to believe that they were a meme for soccer moms trying to lose weight
Lots of times they are just proxies for dumbbells. They are good for unilateral work and farmers carries, too. Think of them as a compact weight with a reasonable handle, and many uses become apparent.
I think they're significantly different. Because of the way they're "balanced" I find kettlebells have significantly more real life carry over than dumbbells. Generally dumbbells are a better assistance to slow powerlifts and kettlebells are better for power training.

One handed kettlebell swings are the single best grip exercise I've ever done and yet have significant value outside grip work. Heavy kettlebell swings are probably the single best exercise for the general population to train power given how much easier they are to learn than basically every Oly variation.

And Turkish getups are the single most functional exercise I've ever done. Especially as a father that has to get down and off the floor often carrying little kids. They quickly train your body how to move safely, hit sections of your core you're almost definitely missing, and "bulletproof" your shoulders
(I'd guess most people with shoulder pain benching would see it disappear if they ensured they had the mobility for turkish getups and did them semi-regularly)
I would bet Turkish Getups would have no impact on shoulder pain/issues, based on n=1. They are a great exercise, many people would benefit from them, but they were of no bearing regarding my shoulders. They also were never a difficult thing for me, but I find that Bent Press has become problematic given my shoulder issues. They are quite practical for everyday health and well being though.

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mbasic
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#28

Post by mbasic » Tue Sep 06, 2022 3:56 am

Hardartery wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:37 pm
mbasic wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:11 pm
asdf wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 9:06 am This will be unpopular, but I love my Hi-Temp bumper plates. I snatch, clean & jerk, and deadlift on bare concrete and these plates are showing zero wear after nearly a decade. They're also soft enough that they absorb a lot of impact, which probably helps preserve my bar. Also: made in the USA.
Hi-temps are seen as substandard .... but they exactly fit the bill as you describe and are a big plus.

Unless you are regularly cleaning or snatching over 405#/180kg ...their width is not a problem at all.
Most people have some thinner plates for deadlifts and squats lying around (for 'strength' lifts)

And many equipment manufacturers advertise their "dead-bounce" or harder plates as a plus ...not that the plus is they are thinner, but the dead-bounce aspect of the harder rubber (metal core). Bouncier is usually less noisy, easier on equipment, doesn't rattle everything to shit.

Another plus on the width is the whippiness if you are re-racking jerks to your shoulders, or BTN. Catching lifts (complexes) on your thighs or hips.

I always thought the chinese training hall vids were odd with the affinity for yellows and greens .... but it makes sense now as I type this out.
I had assumed that was related to the jumps they take while warming up and working up. Easier to keep slapping them on than pull them off and replace with a red. I just kind of assumed that explained a lot of the roll of Lifesavers looking bars I see in Weightlifting vids.
probably that also .... or, really, mainly that. Especially with those goofy stands that they use (would not explain floor lifts tho).

FredM
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#29

Post by FredM » Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:08 am

Hardartery wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 8:38 pm
FredM wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:38 pm
mgil wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:55 am
LeanLifts wrote: Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:37 am
mgil wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:40 pm I have a bunch of Rogue kettlebells along with the rack on wheels to house them.
What do you use the kettlebells for? I was raised to believe that they were a meme for soccer moms trying to lose weight
Lots of times they are just proxies for dumbbells. They are good for unilateral work and farmers carries, too. Think of them as a compact weight with a reasonable handle, and many uses become apparent.
I think they're significantly different. Because of the way they're "balanced" I find kettlebells have significantly more real life carry over than dumbbells. Generally dumbbells are a better assistance to slow powerlifts and kettlebells are better for power training.

One handed kettlebell swings are the single best grip exercise I've ever done and yet have significant value outside grip work. Heavy kettlebell swings are probably the single best exercise for the general population to train power given how much easier they are to learn than basically every Oly variation.

And Turkish getups are the single most functional exercise I've ever done. Especially as a father that has to get down and off the floor often carrying little kids. They quickly train your body how to move safely, hit sections of your core you're almost definitely missing, and "bulletproof" your shoulders
(I'd guess most people with shoulder pain benching would see it disappear if they ensured they had the mobility for turkish getups and did them semi-regularly)
I would bet Turkish Getups would have no impact on shoulder pain/issues, based on n=1. They are a great exercise, many people would benefit from them, but they were of no bearing regarding my shoulders. They also were never a difficult thing for me, but I find that Bent Press has become problematic given my shoulder issues. They are quite practical for everyday health and well being though.
My n=3 so I win.

Seriously though. I think there’s good support for wenning warmups. Mainly there’s value in warming up the cns and training stability because many injuries stem from lack of both.

A couple kbs are a lot cheaper than an earthquake bar.

MarkKO
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#30

Post by MarkKO » Sat Oct 08, 2022 5:43 pm

Weighted vest - I got one with iron blocks. I never change it from 44 lbs, but I *could* if I wanted vary the load in four-ish pound increments.

Angles90 knockoffs - make pullups way more comfortable on my elbows. That's all I use them for.

Spud Inc hanging ab slings - leg raises mess with my shoulders so these let me do them with impunity

Squat bar - in storage currently because we have no space for my gym at home but gives me a fattish bar for things like JM presses and pullovers as well as inverted rows

Michiganian
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#31

Post by Michiganian » Mon Jan 23, 2023 1:50 pm

I like all the gym equipment I've acquired recently, but I'm really impressed with the Fitness Reality Plate Tree that just arrived today:

Image

Took no time to assemble, seems quite substantial, smaller floor footprint than many. And, because the pegs are chromed; level, rather than angled; and ever-so-slightly smaller than the plate hubs, plates go on and off easily.

KOTJ
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Re: Best Buys - Equipment you love!

#32

Post by KOTJ » Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:23 am

@Michiganian I had that for years, fully loaded. Excellent stand.

My leg press hack squat combo has been amazing. Complete game changer, especially using it for hack squat good mornings

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