Results matching “light meter”

If you are a person who puts time in at the gym, probably one of the last things that has ever crossed your mind is nail bending. Who the hell ever heard of nail bending? Actually, nail bending is one facet of an underground strength community called Hand Strength Training, or Grip Training. If you are looking for something to spice up your training routine, nail bending might just be the thing for you. Let's take a look at several of the benefits nail bending can bring you.

1. Forearm size

Nail Bending involves a great deal of tension in the hands, wrists and forearms which leads to major forearm muscle development, especially in the extensors of the forearm. Often, forearm work at the gym involves movements like wrist curls and other simple variations. While these exercises bring about results, many times there is a lack of development in the muscles in the back of the forearm. The sustained tension of nail bending causes growth in both the flexor side of the forearm and the extensor side of the forearm, creating an impressive look of balance and control. The top nail benders' forearms resemble the forearms of the top arm wrestlers - marked by thick, rugged and cord-like musculature.

2. Mental and Physical Toughness

Nail bending involves taking a perfectly good nail and twisting it into a shape that makes it completely useless for any of its normal industrial applications. You're doing something that was never meant to be done, and to do this requires you to focus all of your strength and your mental power into the bend. A lack of commitment from either end of the spectrum will end up in your inability to finish up the bend. When you become proficient in harnessing your mind's and your body's power in nail bending, imagine the results you will see in your other lifts or in the sport you play. You'll be unstoppable!

3. Coordination of the Kinetic Chain

Nail bending isn't just an exercise of the lower arms. If you try to bend a nail by tensing only the hands, wrists and forearms, you stand the chance of failing miserably. The best nail benders are able to coordinate the effort of the entire core and torso and radiate this exertion throughout the kinetic chain - from the core, through the torso, into the shoulders and down through their arms, forearms and hands. As I have said many times, you don't bend nails with your hands, you bend them with your entire upper body! This coordination of the kinetic chain will carry over to other lifts, even the bench press, which when done correctly involves major synchronization between all of the musculature in the upper body.

4. Sporting Implement Power and Control

Many sports involve some sort of stick, bat or other implement: baseball, racquetball, tennis, hockey, lacrosse, etc. The strength built from nail bending will translate very well into these sports. You will notice an increase in power resulting in everything from longer drives on the golf course to a stronger back hand on the tennis court. Being selective at the plate will be easier because you'll be able to pull that bat back when you realize that curveball is headed for the dirt, and your slap shots will scare all the goalies you run into on the ice.

5. Impress Your Friends

Nail bending is NOT some form of trickery or slight of hand like magic is. However, it DOES bring about much the same reaction from a crowd. Imagine talking about this new sort of strength training you are doing and when they ask you to show them, you bust out a nail, wrap it in a towel and bend it right before their eyes. How impressive will that be!

6. Get Your Name "Up in Lights"

Nail bending has been growing in popularity exponentially in the last 5 years. There are now two separate certification systems for nail bending. The first to come in existence is the IronMind Red Nail Roster, located HERE.

IronMind, Inc. is one of the pioneers in grip strength products and they offer a variety of nails that athletes can purchase and bend. These "nails" are actually a variety of lengths and diameters of cold rolled steel stock. Their biggest piece is what the call the Red Nail, a 7-inch long, 5/16-inch thick piece of evil. If you bend it using IronMind's wraps into a U-shape in less than a minute, you get your name featured on their certification list. If you click on the link, you'll see that I certified in 2007.

The other major nail bending certification is organized by John Beatty's Fat Bastard Barbell Company.
They feature a host of lists for which one can certify. Their equivalent to the Red Nail is the Bastard Nail. Bend their 7-inch by 5/16-inch stock and you garner the title of Certified Bastard! And that is just the beginning. They also feature lists for bending stainless steel stock (Shiny Bastard) and Hexagonal Stock (Hexabastard) among others!

7. Fun

The best thing about nail bending is that it is good pure fun. You are able to test yourself and see improvement in your technique and strength while seeing increases in confidence and mental edge. You can crank up the music and go for a new personal best. Over the course of time, all of the nails, bolts, and stock you bend can be saved for posterity. You can see how you progressed over the years. One day, you'll be able to tell your grand kids about when you first dominated the 60-penny nail or the grade-5 bolt. And maybe you can even log them onto IronMind.com or FatBastardBarbellCo.com and show them the certifications you were able to acquire.

In short, nail bending is one of the most exciting parts of the sport of Grip Strength. For me, the physical and the mental benefits I have seen from nail bending are outstanding, not to mention the friendships I have made with some of the top nail benders in the United States and around the world. I encourage you to try your hand at nail bending.

Read up on Nail Bending more here at Straight to the Bar and these other excellent resources:

Diesel Nail Bending eBook - The most complete bending reference on the net.
DieselCrew.com - Our site is loaded with information on Nail Bending and Grip Strength
Gripboard.com - This is THE message board for info on anything related to Grip Strength
My Blog - Stay up to date on the goings-on around the Grip World at my Blog.

NAPALM JEDD JOHNSON

I'm travelling for a couple of weeks (back around March 15). In the meantime, here are a few hidden gems from the archives.

Enjoy.

Bars, Plates,Hooks and Collars

This is the third in this month's article series on strength training equipment - a collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore. Today I'll be looking at a few of the essentials for any gym - bars, plates, hooks and collars.


Standard vs Olympic

When I began lifting weights - a little under 3 years ago now, although I gave them a few brief tests a decade or two ago - I started the home gym off with a bench, bar, dumbbells and plates. These bars were standard (rather than Olympic); as were all of the plates.

It was not until several months later I became aware of the differences, and began switching over to Olympic bars and plates. So what are the differences?

There are six key differences between Standard and Olympic plates. If you're aiming to compete in a powerlifting or Olympic lifting event, the Olympic bars and plates are an obvious choice. However, they may still be worth considering for their other differences. These are :

diameter (of hole, bar) : Standard bars are less than 1" in diameter, whilst Olympic bars are a more noticeable 2" or so. This instantly increases the grip component of many lifts.

length (of bar) : a Standard bar measures either 5', 6' or 7' (the 6' seems to be the most common); an Olympic one is always 7'. The extra length increases the stabilisation component of many exercises.

weight (of bars) : a Standard bar weighs in at around 10kg, an Olympic one a much heftier 20kg. The weight of an Olympic bar is easily included in calculations for total weight, as it equals the same as a large (20kg) plate. Whilst there are both heavier and lighter plates available, the 20kg (44lb) is common.

cost : the major factor in the favour of Standard bars and plates is the cost, which is generally considerably cheaper than the Olympic counterparts.

comparison : for both calibration and historical reasons it is usual to see Olympic bars and plates used in competition. However, even if you're not competing, it's great to be able to instantly compare your own lifts to those you've seen on the platform.

threading and knurling : Standard bars often have threaded ends (for the collars), whilst Olympic bars are typically smooth throughout this section. Olympic bars also differ in the knurling on the bar, which is similar from bar to bar, unlike the knurling on Standard bars. This knurling is used not only for grip, but to line your body up in various exercises.

availability : another factor that should be considered when purchasing new bars or plates is their availability. Both new and second-hand bars and plates are more easily found in Standard sizes. When it comes to buying plates - particularly at this time of year - a great place to start is the nearest garage sale. Joe Skopec has a great article on cleaning up the rusty iron you often come across in such a sale.

Fat bars

If you're looking for a little more of a grip challenge than an Olympic bar affords, consider either making or purchasing a fat bar. A typical diameter of a fat bar is 2.5' - 3'.

One thing to keep in mind - especially if you're fattening up your own bars - is that the plates themselves will be unchanged (whether Standard or Olympic); only the bar itself will be altered. For a very simple way of doing this, take a look at a couple of pictures of my chinning bar being given the fattening treatment. A similar process was then employed to thicken up a couple of dumbbell handles.

Hooks

If you've ever tried Front Squatting, you may have considered using the Hook method. This is the DIY gym enthusiast's version of the Top Squat device; employing two pipe wrenchs or long-handelled vices to hold the bar as pictured.

Other hooks sometimes used in conjunction with the bar are those which are connected to wrist straps (the 1-Ton Hooks are perhaps the best known), and reduce the grip component on lifting exercises such as shrugs, rows and the deadlift.

For dumbbell pressing exercises when a spotter is not present, Dumbbell Hooks (usually Power Hooks) are invaluable. These allow the bells to be suspended close to the starting and finishing position of the exercise, and remove the need to hold the dumbbell as you get into position.

Collars

Collars are placed on the bar just outside the plates, in order to prevent the plates from sliding along the bar. This sliding is not only dangerous for anyone standing near the end of the bar (if you've ever dropped a plate on your foot you'll understand this), it's also a good way to upset any lift. Think back to the last time you performed a squat with the bar slightly off-centre.

There are several varieties of collars, and these differ widely in their weight. Be sure to include the weight of the collars in your training notes - for the heavier varieties in any case.

The most common types are :

Spring collars : I use these for light weights only. They're quick to affix/release, but they tend to move a little when there are heavier weights involved.

Key or pin lock (aka shaft or compression collar) : the home gym contains a pair of dumbbells with the older key lock (an Allen key must be used to remove the collars). I generally use the new style of these which has a pin (permanently in place) instead of the key. Much faster to change.

Screw thread (such as the Spinlock collar) : designed for the threaded Standard bar, these collars are simply spun into position. Whilst secure enough, their one drawback is the relatively slow changeover speed.

Lever locking (such as the Okie Grip) : I've never tried these, but they're certainly secure with heavy weights (take a look at some of the photos on the Strength Tech site), and are definitely in the game as far as speed is concerned. If anyone has tried them, I'd love to hear about your experience.

I'm travelling for a couple of weeks (back around March 15). In the meantime, here are a few hidden gems from the archives.

Enjoy.

Bars, Plates,Hooks and Collars

This is the third in this month's article series on strength training equipment - a collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore. Today I'll be looking at a few of the essentials for any gym - bars, plates, hooks and collars.
Standard vs Olympic

When I began lifting weights - a little under 3 years ago now, although I gave them a few brief tests a decade or two ago - I started the home gym off with a bench, bar, dumbbells and plates. These bars were standard (rather than Olympic); as were all of the plates.

It was not until several months later I became aware of the differences, and began switching over to Olympic bars and plates. So what are the differences?

There are six key differences between Standard and Olympic plates. If you're aiming to compete in a powerlifting or Olympic lifting event, the Olympic bars and plates are an obvious choice. However, they may still be worth considering for their other differences. These are :

diameter (of hole, bar) : Standard bars are less than 1" in diameter, whilst Olympic bars are a more noticeable 2" or so. This instantly increases the grip component of many lifts.

length (of bar) : a Standard bar measures either 5', 6' or 7' (the 6' seems to be the most common); an Olympic one is always 7'. The extra length increases the stabilisation component of many exercises.

weight (of bars) : a Standard bar weighs in at around 10kg, an Olympic one a much heftier 20kg. The weight of an Olympic bar is easily included in calculations for total weight, as it equals the same as a large (20kg) plate. Whilst there are both heavier and lighter plates available, the 20kg (44lb) is common.

cost : the major factor in the favour of Standard bars and plates is the cost, which is generally considerably cheaper than the Olympic counterparts.

comparison : for both calibration and historical reasons it is usual to see Olympic bars and plates used in competition. However, even if you're not competing, it's great to be able to instantly compare your own lifts to those you've seen on the platform.

threading and knurling : Standard bars often have threaded ends (for the collars), whilst Olympic bars are typically smooth throughout this section. Olympic bars also differ in the knurling on the bar, which is similar from bar to bar, unlike the knurling on Standard bars. This knurling is used not only for grip, but to line your body up in various exercises.

availability : another factor that should be considered when purchasing new bars or plates is their availability. Both new and second-hand bars and plates are more easily found in Standard sizes. When it comes to buying plates - particularly at this time of year - a great place to start is the nearest garage sale. Joe Skopec has a great article on cleaning up the rusty iron you often come across in such a sale.

Fat bars

If you're looking for a little more of a grip challenge than an Olympic bar affords, consider either making or purchasing a fat bar. A typical diameter of a fat bar is 2.5' - 3'.

One thing to keep in mind - especially if you're fattening up your own bars - is that the plates themselves will be unchanged (whether Standard or Olympic); only the bar itself will be altered. For a very simple way of doing this, take a look at a couple of pictures of my chinning bar being given the fattening treatment. A similar process was then employed to thicken up a couple of dumbbell handles.

Hooks

If you've ever tried Front Squatting, you may have considered using the Hook method. This is the DIY gym enthusiast's version of the Top Squat device; employing two pipe wrenchs or long-handelled vices to hold the bar as pictured.

Other hooks sometimes used in conjunction with the bar are those which are connected to wrist straps (the 1-Ton Hooks are perhaps the best known), and reduce the grip component on lifting exercises such as shrugs, rows and the deadlift.

For dumbbell pressing exercises when a spotter is not present, Dumbbell Hooks (usually Power Hooks) are invaluable. These allow the bells to be suspended close to the starting and finishing position of the exercise, and remove the need to hold the dumbbell as you get into position.

Collars

Collars are placed on the bar just outside the plates, in order to prevent the plates from sliding along the bar. This sliding is not only dangerous for anyone standing near the end of the bar (if you've ever dropped a plate on your foot you'll understand this), it's also a good way to upset any lift. Think back to the last time you performed a squat with the bar slightly off-centre.

There are several varieties of collars, and these differ widely in their weight. Be sure to include the weight of the collars in your training notes - for the heavier varieties in any case.

The most common types are :

Spring collars : I use these for light weights only. They're quick to affix/release, but they tend to move a little when there are heavier weights involved.

Key or pin lock (aka shaft or compression collar) : the home gym contains a pair of dumbbells with the older key lock (an Allen key must be used to remove the collars). I generally use the new style of these which has a pin (permanently in place) instead of the key. Much faster to change.

Screw thread (such as the Spinlock collar) : designed for the threaded Standard bar, these collars are simply spun into position. Whilst secure enough, their one drawback is the relatively slow changeover speed.

Lever locking (such as the Okie Grip) : I've never tried these, but they're certainly secure with heavy weights (take a look at some of the photos on the Strength Tech site), and are definitely in the game as far as speed is concerned. If anyone has tried them, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Over the past couple of weeks there have been a number of strength feats involving replicas of the Inch Dumbbell. What was the original, and why is it held in such high regard?

Let's take a look at the history of this incredible piece of equipment.

Origins of the Inch Dumbbell

Thomas Inch (1881 - 1963) was a Strongman, Bodybuilder and Circus Performer in the early 20th century. In addition to his time with the iron, he wrote a number of superb books and articles; and is often credited with the introduction of plate-loading barbells and dumbbells to the general public.

For one of his circus shows (around 1897), he had a local ironworks produce four dumbbells for him - weighing 75, 140, 153 and 172 lb. These bells were all manufactured - at Inch's request - with handles somewhat thicker than normal; making them extremely difficult to lift. The lighter bells were given a 2" handle, whilst the 172 (the one that's usually replicated) had a handle almost 2.5" (2.38", to be precise) in diameter.

This exceptionally thick handle is a large part of the bells' enduring appeal.

Over the past couple of weeks there have been a number of strength feats involving replicas of the Inch Dumbbell. What was the original, and why is it held in such high regard?

Let's take a look at the history of this incredible piece of equipment.

Origins of the Inch Dumbbell

Thomas Inch (1881 - 1963) was a Strongman, Bodybuilder and Circus Performer in the early 20th century. In addition to his time with the iron, he wrote a number of superb books and articles; and is often credited with the introduction of plate-loading barbells and dumbbells to the general public.

For one of his circus shows (around 1897), he had a local ironworks produce four dumbbells for him - weighing 75, 140, 153 and 172 lb. These bells were all manufactured - at Inch's request - with handles somewhat thicker than normal; making them extremely difficult to lift. The lighter bells were given a 2" handle, whilst the 172 (the one that's usually replicated) had a handle almost 2.5" (2.38", to be precise) in diameter.

This exceptionally thick handle is a large part of the bells' enduring appeal.

In part one, I discussed the SAID principle, the three stages of motor learning, and the four elements of efficiency. Now it's time to take this knowledge and turn it into perfect reps. Bear in mind, I cannot cover every example, for every exercise in every sport, so I will give examples from different sports on each point.

The first thing to decide is; what is the purpose of the exercise? What is the target? Neural warm up? Dynamic joint mobility? Brute strength? Explosive Strength? Strength Endurance? Sport Specific? Once the target has been identified, pick the BEST exercise to meet your goal. You are about to make a time investment in your training, choose wisely, and always go for the greatest return on your time investment. This is the most common mistake I see as a trainer, clients ask; what do you think of this exercise, "It really kicks my butt"? Isn't it great? My question is always the same, what is the target? Are you accomplishing your goals?

The second point is mental, are you present? You have to have total concentration and be fully engaged in the exercise to get optimum results. Remember your time investment! Stop thinking about anything except what you are doing. I don't want to rant, but this needs to be said. I don't think as a society, we are more prone to ADD than in previous years, I simply believe that we multi-task so frequently and rarely focus on one task at a time that we have lost the skill to focus, and are really good at the multi-tasking (SAID principle). Go to a "mainstream" gym and watch people "doing cardio" on a treadmill, listening to music on an ipod, and watching the news on CNN, all while reading a newspaper. I rest my case, end of rant.

In part one, I discussed the SAID principle, the three stages of motor learning, and the four elements of efficiency. Now it’s time to take this knowledge and turn it into perfect reps. Bear in mind, I cannot cover every example, for every exercise in every sport, so I will give examples from different sports on each point.

The first thing to decide is; what is the purpose of the exercise? What is the target? Neural warm up? Dynamic joint mobility? Brute strength? Explosive Strength? Strength Endurance? Sport Specific? Once the target has been identified, pick the BEST exercise to meet your goal. You are about to make a time investment in your training, choose wisely, and always go for the greatest return on your time investment. This is the most common mistake I see as a trainer, clients ask; what do you think of this exercise, “It really kicks my butt”? Isn’t it great? My question is always the same, what is the target? Are you accomplishing your goals?

The second point is mental, are you present? You have to have total concentration and be fully engaged in the exercise to get optimum results. Remember your time investment! Stop thinking about anything except what you are doing. I don’t want to rant, but this needs to be said. I don’t think as a society, we are more prone to ADD than in previous years, I simply believe that we multi-task so frequently and rarely focus on one task at a time that we have lost the skill to focus, and are really good at the multi-tasking (SAID principle). Go to a “mainstream” gym and watch people “doing cardio” on a treadmill, listening to music on an ipod, and watching the news on CNN, all while reading a newspaper. I rest my case, end of rant.

Now that you have chosen the best exercise, do you know how the correct form should look and feel? Do you know how to perform the movement correctly? If you do, great, have someone qualified coach you through the movement, and you are off to a great start. If this is the case, take advantage of it. If you don’t, you need to hire someone qualified to teach the movement. Don’t just hire a personal trainer; hire a trainer or coach with competence in the exercises you want to execute. Check the trainer’s testimonials; are the clients saying how nice they are, or are they bragging about the results they realized from the training. Look for comments like, he/she insists on precise technique, I have never seen results like this so fast & etc. If all else fails, you can buy a DVD and film yourself to see how you compare. The main problem is that DVD’s are not interactive. Keep your reps low to avoid “grooving” a poor movement. Remember, you are looking for perfect reps.

At this point, you need to keep your reps low as you are in the cognitive phase of motor learning which requires much more thought for the movement, it is more fatiguing because you not only have to “think” your way through every move, you are probably not maintaining dynamic postural alignment, breathing correctly, and are probably carrying too much tension, In other words you are not moving efficiently. So keep your reps low, rest for three or four minutes between sets, and use a fairly light weight, gripper, etc. If you are a runner, keep your relative distances short.
For example sprint @ 60% for 50 meters, not 100% for 200 meters, or run at 60% for 4 miles, not 100% for 15 miles. WORK on FORM, this should be your focus at this time. It may not be the most fun, but this is necessary to improve. You will notice, the people who are fond of saying, “good enough” are the athletes who typically do not improve. If you want to improve in any skill, you must work to improve your weak areas more than you work on your strengths. Remember, you are learning a new skill, are cognitive in the new skill, and if you lose concentration/focus you will revert to whatever movement you are autonomous, and I’m thinking that you are not changing the movement because it was perfect. I will finish-up with part three next week.

Train smart
Stay safe
Remember....”Everything is a choice”

Chuck Halbakken
Level Four Z-Health Professional
www.F2STRENGTH.com

This is the third in this month's article series on strength training equipment - a collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore. Today I'll be looking at a few of the essentials for any gym - bars, plates, hooks and collars.

Standard vs Olympic

When I began lifting weights - a little under 3 years ago now, although I gave them a few brief tests a decade or two ago - I started the home gym off with a bench, bar, dumbbells and plates. These bars were standard (rather than Olympic); as were all of the plates.

It was not until several months later I became aware of the differences, and began switching over to Olympic bars and plates. So what are the differences?

There are six key differences between Standard and Olympic plates. If you're aiming to compete in a powerlifting or Olympic lifting event, the Olympic bars and plates are an obvious choice. However, they may still be worth considering for their other differences. These are :

diameter (of hole, bar) : Standard bars are less than 1" in diameter, whilst Olympic bars are a more noticeable 2" or so. This instantly increases the grip component of many lifts.

length (of bar) : a Standard bar measures either 5', 6' or 7' (the 6' seems to be the most common); an Olympic one is always 7'. The extra length increases the stabilisation component of many exercises.

weight (of bars) : a Standard bar weighs in at around 10kg, an Olympic one a much heftier 20kg. The weight of an Olympic bar is easily included in calculations for total weight, as it equals the same as a large (20kg) plate. Whilst there are both heavier and lighter plates available, the 20kg (44lb) is common.

cost : the major factor in the favour of Standard bars and plates is the cost, which is generally considerably cheaper than the Olympic counterparts.

comparison : for both calibration and historical reasons it is usual to see Olympic bars and plates used in competition. However, even if you're not competing, it's great to be able to instantly compare your own lifts to those you've seen on the platform.

threading and knurling (of bars) : Standard bars often have threaded ends (for the collars), whilst Olympic bars are typically smooth throughout this section. Olympic bars also differ in the knurling on the bar, which is similar from bar to bar, unlike the knurling on Standard bars. This knurling is used not only for grip, but to line your body up in various exercises.

availability : another factor that should be considered when purchasing new bars or plates is their availability. Both new and second-hand bars and plates are more easily found in Standard sizes. When it comes to buying plates - particularly at this time of year - a great place to start is the nearest garage sale. Joe Skopec has a great article on cleaning up the rusty iron you often come across in such a sale.

Fat bars

If you're looking for a little more of a grip challenge than an Olympic bar affords, consider either making or purchasing a fat bar. A typical diameter of a fat bar is 2.5' - 3'.
One thing to keep in mind - especially if you're fattening up your own bars - is that the plates themselves will be unchanged (whether Standard or Olympic); only the bar itself will be altered. For a very simple way of doing this, take a look at a couple of pictures of my chinning bar being given the fattening treatment. A similar process was then employed to thicken up a couple of dumbbell handles.

Hooks

If you've ever tried Front Squatting, you may have considered using the Hook method. This is the DIY gym enthusiast's version of the Top Squat device; employing two pipe wrenchs or long-handelled vices to hold the bar as pictured.
Other hooks sometimes used in conjunction with the bar are those which are connected to wrist straps (the 1-Ton Hooks are perhaps the best known), and reduce the grip component on lifting exercises such as shrugs, rows and the deadlift.
For dumbbell pressing exercises when a spotter is not present, Dumbbell Hooks (usually Power Hooks) are invaluable. These allow the bells to be suspended close to the starting and finishing position of the exercise, and remove the need to hold the dumbbell as you get into position.

This is the third in this month's article series on strength training equipment - a collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore. Today I'll be looking at a few of the essentials for any gym - bars, plates, hooks and collars.


Standard vs Olympic

When I began lifting weights - a little under 3 years ago now, although I gave them a few brief tests a decade or two ago - I started the home gym off with a bench, bar, dumbbells and plates. These bars were standard (rather than Olympic); as were all of the plates.

It was not until several months later I became aware of the differences, and began switching over to Olympic bars and plates. So what are the differences?

There are six key differences between Standard and Olympic plates. If you're aiming to compete in a powerlifting or Olympic lifting event, the Olympic bars and plates are an obvious choice. However, they may still be worth considering for their other differences. These are :

diameter (of hole, bar) : Standard bars are less than 1" in diameter, whilst Olympic bars are a more noticeable 2" or so. This instantly increases the grip component of many lifts.

length (of bar) : a Standard bar measures either 5', 6' or 7' (the 6' seems to be the most common); an Olympic one is always 7'. The extra length increases the stabilisation component of many exercises.

weight (of bars) : a Standard bar weighs in at around 10kg, an Olympic one a much heftier 20kg. The weight of an Olympic bar is easily included in calculations for total weight, as it equals the same as a large (20kg) plate. Whilst there are both heavier and lighter plates available, the 20kg (44lb) is common.

cost : the major factor in the favour of Standard bars and plates is the cost, which is generally considerably cheaper than the Olympic counterparts.

comparison : for both calibration and historical reasons it is usual to see Olympic bars and plates used in competition. However, even if you're not competing, it's great to be able to instantly compare your own lifts to those you've seen on the platform.

threading and knurling (of bars) : Standard bars often have threaded ends (for the collars), whilst Olympic bars are typically smooth throughout this section. Olympic bars also differ in the knurling on the bar, which is similar from bar to bar, unlike the knurling on Standard bars. This knurling is used not only for grip, but to line your body up in various exercises.

availability : another factor that should be considered when purchasing new bars or plates is their availability. Both new and second-hand bars and plates are more easily found in Standard sizes. When it comes to buying plates - particularly at this time of year - a great place to start is the nearest garage sale. Joe Skopec has a great article on cleaning up the rusty iron you often come across in such a sale.

Fat bars

If you're looking for a little more of a grip challenge than an Olympic bar affords, consider either making or purchasing a fat bar. A typical diameter of a fat bar is 2.5' - 3'.

One thing to keep in mind - especially if you're fattening up your own bars - is that the plates themselves will be unchanged (whether Standard or Olympic); only the bar itself will be altered. For a very simple way of doing this, take a look at a couple of pictures of my chinning bar being given the fattening treatment. A similar process was then employed to thicken up a couple of dumbbell handles.

Hooks

If you've ever tried Front Squatting, you may have considered using the Hook method. This is the DIY gym enthusiast's version of the Top Squat device; employing two pipe wrenchs or long-handelled vices to hold the bar as pictured.


Other hooks sometimes used in conjunction with the bar are those which are connected to wrist straps (the 1-Ton Hooks are perhaps the best known), and reduce the grip component on lifting exercises such as shrugs, rows and the deadlift.


For dumbbell pressing exercises when a spotter is not present, Dumbbell Hooks (usually Power Hooks) are invaluable. These allow the bells to be suspended close to the starting and finishing position of the exercise, and remove the need to hold the dumbbell as you get into position.

This month's article collaborations with Run to Win's Blaine Moore will centre around training equipment. Before we get into the articles themselves, a few definitions are in order.
If you'd like to suggest an addition or change to this list, either leave a note in the comments or drop me a line. bands : along with chains, bands are the usual method of employing 'accommodating resistance'. This simply means that the weight gradually increases throughout the concentric part of the lift; as well as making the eccentric part a little more difficult.

If you haven't seen them before, picture a normal elastic band blown up until it's about 6' in diameter (and extremely strong, of course). Fantastic things.

belt : a weight belt serves two main purposes [1]. The first is to reduce stress on the lower back whilst the lifter is working in an upright position, the second is to prevent hyperextension of the back during overhead lifts.

As with weightlifting gloves, the belt is often used - if at all - for the heavier sets only.

bench : along with the power rack, the bench forms the hub of many a home gym. If you're wondering why you can't simply lie on the floor for your pressing work, you can; the bench, however, affords a greater range of motion and allows for the benefit of leg drive.


bench shirt : this is an item used by some powerlifters (it's why you'll hear things such as a 'shirted bench'). The bench shirt is a tight, dedicated garment which acts much like a rubber band - making it a little more difficult to pull the bar down to your chest, but easier to press the bar back up again. A shirted bench is typically 100lb or more above a raw (or unshirted) bench.


boards : boards are used for board pressing, a bench press variation which allows the training of specific ranges of motion. Wooden boards of the desired thickness (usually between 4 and 14 inches) are held over the chest during a bench press, and the bar is brought down until it touches the board.


bumper plates : these are used (usually in conjunction with a lifting platform) for Olympic lifting. They can either be rubber coated or completely made from rubber, and are calibrated, quality plates that are made to take a little more abuse (from dropping) than regular plates. Note that this dropping is generally from knee height or below.


chains : like bands, chains offer accommodating resistance. A common use is with the bench press, where they are draped over the ends of the bar so that only a small portion rests on the floor. As the bar is lowered, this amount increases (gradually increasing the weight being lifted); lowering again as the bar is pressed.

Unlike bands, the resistance changes gradually through both eccentric and concentric parts of the exercise.

chalk : a grip aid. This works largely by keeping the palms dry and is usually used (in strength training) on exercises such as the deadlift, and the Olympic lifts.


dumbbells : whilst various hand-held weights have been around for a long time, dumb-bells as we now know them are a reasonably recent invention (only a few hundred years or so). Initially, many of these were made by taking two small bells, removing the clappers and affixing the bells to the ends of a bar. They were quite literally dumb bells.


farmer's walk implements : one of the exercises often associated with Strongman training (although it is now used reasonably widely) is the Farmer's Walk; walking a set distance with a heavy object in each hand. Whilst many things are used for this exercise - including the humble dumbbell - it is usually performed in Strongman competitions using a pair of Farmer's Walk implements (pictured). If you've never used them before, think dumbbells on steroids.


fat bar : nothing terribly complicated here. A fat bar is no more than a thicker version of a standard bar (2 or 3 inches rather than the usual 1 or so). The extra diameter makes it slightly more difficult to hold; providing an additional grip requirement for each exercise.


gloves : weightlifting gloves (usually fingerless) simply work to increase your grip. As with belts, these are often used - if at all - only for the heaviest set or two.


groove briefs : think of them as underwear for your squat suit. Briefs increase hip drive, reduce groin pain (helping you to train through minor injuries) and add to overall stability. Not to mention making putting on your squat suit a little easier.


kettlebells : offering an incredible variety of exercises (similar to dumbbells in many ways, with a few bonus features), kettlebells are the ultimate in simplicity. A chunk of iron was never so much fun.


monolift : most notably used by competitive powerlifters, a monolift is a simple mechanical device which takes the walkout away from the squat. The lifter is able to establish their favoured stance beneath the bar (without supporting its weight), before the machine removes its support leaving the lifter to squat as usual.


power pants : think of these as the bottom half of a squat suit, with many of the same benefits.


power rack / power cage : a power rack provides a great environment for training numerous exercises in comparative safety. The pins (horizontal bars in the sides of the rack) can be easily moved to several heights, enabling the training of a given exercise through a specific range of motion.

This is one of the first items to consider for a home or garage gym (for serious strength training).

rings : when it comes to upper body strength, ring training delivers in spades. The setup is simple - two rings, each a little larger than a hand, are suspended via long straps. Much more difficult than they look.


sandbag : exactly what it says - a bag of sand. Large, heavy and difficult to grab hold of - perfect.


sled : a platform designed to carry various heavy objects, towed by a rope or equally strong strap. Most commonly tied to the waist when running, it can also be dragged in truck pulling style.


sledgehammer : used for levering (pictured), holds and conditioning work. Excellent for building wrist strength.


squat box : a box squat (which is actually the search term that initially brought me to tsampa.org) is a squat which is performed by sitting back onto a box before standing once again. The box used for this is usually below the lifter's knee height, and often used for other exercises such as several varieties of jumps.