Results matching “Bird”

Via Physical Strategies : 'Rocky' Marciano goes to work on Roland LaStarza.

It's been a couple of years since I took a good look at my home gym. I use it all the time, of course; but I don't often stop to think of the things that should be in there. As a starting point, here's a look at the current setup.

Power rack, bar and weights

This is the core of the gym, and features heavily in my workouts. Rack pulls (it's a fairly small room, so I usually do these instead of full-range deads), pull-ups and even kettlebell swings take place in and on the rack. It's very much a major player.

Bench (with preacher and leg curl attachments)

Although I rarely use the attachments, the basic bench comes in handy for a number of things - not least of which is the bench press. As the ceiling doesn't allow for standing overhead press work, I generally use the bench for seated versions of the same movements. Once again, this is usually done inside the rack.

Exercise bike (stationary cycle)

Until recently, this lived in the garage and was seldom touched. It occasionally gets dusted off for warmups (although kettlebell swings are the norm).

Total Gym

I'm still impressed by what first seemed to be another piece of equipment that would soon end up in a garage sale (the infomercials don't help). As versatile as any variety of cable machine, it gets regular use as part of a warmup.

Assorted dumbbells (and kettlebell)

Although there are several pairs of dumbbells lying around (one of which has been fattened ready for farmers walks); they seldom get used. I suspect they should, but the barbells and kettlebell are enough for most things.

Sandbag

This is definitely one for outdoor training; which will resume in a few months (when the weather gets a bit warmer - it's the cold part of the year here). There are other outdoor items which seem to magically appear when things start to heat up; anvils, sledgehammers, ropes, bricks - a seemingly endless list of fun stuff.

Crabwalking [streaming, 1.4mb .flv download].

Via Napalm's Corner : if you're just starting your journey into the wonderful world of boxing, head over to Boxing for the Street and check out their video tutorials. For a taster, have a look at the speed bag instruction [streaming, 7.7mb .flv download].

Natural Bodybuilding Principles. Exactly what it says on the tin.

Cycling baggs (yes, I know how to spell it). One of the many 1970s Japanese cycling ads here. Via Get Outdoors.

Pat Hodgson does it again. This time it's a forearm exerciser that puts a disused bike to good use.

Click the image for a larger photo to see how it all hangs together.

If you have fond memories of billy-kart (soapbox) racing - a DIY car consisting of little more than a wooden box, wheels and a steep slope; the SFVISBF is for you.

The SFVISBF (aka San Fernando Valley Illegal Soap Box Federation) is a group of guys who meet every couple of weeks to race exactly this type of home-made coffin-on-wheels. As you'll see by looking at some of the regular entrants, there's a lot of love going into this.

If you love building stuff, and you're in the area, the group's next race is this Sunday (May 13). A final word from the group :

You can get hurt or killed by doing this. There have been injuries, no deaths to this point. This is not for the weak. If you have a penchant for throwing your life into the wind and some welding skills, join us, otherwise watch the video [streaming, 20.1mb .flv download].

Looks fantastic.

When it comes to home-made gym equipment, Clay Johnson never stops. Here's a look at his latest project - a DIY Strongman log.

I started just under 11 inch in diameter, 8 foot long log.

I cut the log in half (my neighbor wanted a throwing log). I used an old
standard bar from a garage sale (it was one of those three piece ones). I cut the standard bar to use for the handles and also for the weight loading pins.

I found the center of gravity and marked out two 8 inch by 8 inch boxes. To smooth down the bark, I ran my belt sander over the log.

Now this was the hardest part. Since I did not want to cut through the
entire log, I tried to find the easiest way to dig the boxes out. I tried an axe, reciprocating saw, and an air hammer. I finally resorted to using my small chain saw to cut out small blocks and then used a hammer and chisel to cut them out. This took awhile.

I dug down just under eight inches and then used my belt sander to dig out some more room for my hands. Although I drilled the handle holes small and had to pound them in, I used some waterproof, 2-ton epoxy to be sure down the road. I drilled the handles at half the diameter of the log. They are resting in over two inches of wood on each side. They feel very secure.

I mounted the loading pins about six inches deep and used more waterproof epoxy. I drilled the hole 7/8 of an inch so I could pound the bars in. I did have a problem with a large knot when drilling but using the bubble level on my drill I was able to keep the hole pretty much straight.

The log weighs about 125 pounds. I plan on putting some sealer on it after the epoxy sets up. I added 50 pounds on it and it held up very well!

Total cost : a couple of bucks for the log (the bar was already lying around, but they're cheap enough). Superb.