Basic Equipment for a garage gym geared towards SS/Strength Training?

[Nate]

While we're on the subject, can anybody recommend a decent EZ curl bar (for LTE's)? I know they carry a cheap CAP one at Play-It-Again and other stores (link), and there's also cheap Body-Solid ones (link), and the quality of an EZ curl bar isn't particularly important, but I don't mind paying a little extra for quality.

I'm also looking into plate storage, if anybody has some recommendations for that. I've got some bumpers I don't mind stacking on the floor, but think I'd like a plate tree for storing iron. I also don't care about ever having iron 35's, so that's a consideration. Something like this Powermax tree with its standard pegs (link) looks like it will hold full size plates/bumpers on each peg, or this York one (link), which doesn't have the thinner pegs, but seems to have better storage for the smaller change plates, and rubber feet. Best I can tell, the York one is what Beau Bryant has in his gym as shown in his recent article.

Here is another plate tree to consider that has bar storage. Cost is about $80 + s/h. I know someone who has one of these completely full of 45s! It looks nearly bomb proof. I don't know how much iron you have or what your price range is. I might get one eventually for bumpers, but this is my current solution.

I'm also looking for a curl bar. I'm thinking about getting a rackable one so that I can either stick a bench in a rack or squat stand, lay "backwards" and use the spotters to get the bar into position, or simply use blocks. I've done very few LTEs, so I don't really have this figured out yet and really it isn't that high on my priority list.

[krazyduck]

the BD-8 and BD-9 have plate storage. When you put some weight on them, they become much more stable

Its unfortunate, but when I put all that weight on the bar I don't have much left over for support.

[Adam Skillin]

Its unfortunate, but when I put all that weight on the bar I don't have much left over for support.

Does your set of plates have 35's? That's what I always left on there. Because Rip says they're for commies. Don't you deadlift more than you squat? Even a little change will help keep them from moving around. Otherwise, get more plates.

[hollismb]

Here is another plate tree to consider that has bar storage. Cost is about $80 + s/h. I know someone who has one of these completely full of 45s! It looks nearly bomb proof. I don't know how much iron you have or what your price range is. I might get one eventually for bumpers, but this is my current solution.

Well, the first one with bar storage only holds standard 1-inch bars, so that part of it isn't really usable. This review sums up some issues with the Rogue one:

"As it is, you can barely fit a standard 10 pound plate on the top rungs when the middle two rungs are filled. It would be nice to be able to fit a standard 25 pound plate on the top two rungs if you needed to. Second (and this applies to many manufacturers), I never understood why they make the weight support rungs fit so tightly in the holes of the weight plates. In fact, if they made this plate tree with 1 inch support rungs I probably would've purchased it instead of the one that they sell. "

I do like the DIY solutions for bumper storage though, and might do one eventually. In the meantime, I just stack the bumpers. I'm really only concerned with iron and smaller diameter plate storage.

I'm also looking for a curl bar. I'm thinking about getting a rackable one so that I can either stick a bench in a rack or squat stand, lay "backwards" and use the spotters to get the bar into position, or simply use blocks. I've done very few LTEs, so I don't really have this figured out yet and really it isn't that high on my priority list.

I don't really see how this would work. You'd have to have the bar resting on something above and behind you to be able to un-rack it like when you bench, but then you'd inevitably have something in the way when you went to lower the bar down behind your head, be it spotter rails/arms or uprights. The easiest way (without having someone deadlift the bar and hand it to you) is to clean the bar off the floor from in front of the bench while standing, then sit down with it, lay back with it on your chest, bench press it up, and then start from there. If you miss the last rep, you drop or set it behind you, and if you get the last rep, you can swing yourself up off the bench with the momentum of the weight.

[Mr_Rogers]

I do like the DIY solutions for bumper storage though, and might do one eventually. In the meantime, I just stack the bumpers

Care to share?

I currently just lean them against my jerk blocks on either side of my platform and leave the change plates on floor. Some organization would be nice.

[hollismb]

Care to share?

I currently just lean them against my jerk blocks on either side of my platform and leave the change plates on floor. Some organization would be nice.

He linked it above: http://www.catalystathletics.com/art...p?articleID=48

[Nate]

Well, the first one with bar storage only holds standard 1-inch bars, so that part of it isn't really usable.

There is both an oly and 1" version. Unfortunately, the oly version has the larger plate rods as is the norm.

This review sums up some issues with the Rogue one:

"As it is, you can barely fit a standard 10 pound plate on the top rungs when the middle two rungs are filled. It would be nice to be able to fit a standard 25 pound plate on the top two rungs if you needed to. Second (and this applies to many manufacturers), I never understood why they make the weight support rungs fit so tightly in the holes of the weight plates. In fact, if they made this plate tree with 1 inch support rungs I probably would've purchased it instead of the one that they sell. "

I agree it would be a better product if it had three rungs spaced 19" apart using 1 - 1 1/2" bar stock (and ideally a vertical collar post on top and some bar holders), but I think it will work fine for most people as it is. Each rod can hold about eight 45s, so one rung is 720lbs of plates. This leaves an entire rung for whatever. I put on and removed some plates to see if the fit was too tight - mystery 45s and muscledriver bumpers - and things slid on and off easily enough for me. Maybe it would be different with Ivanko's or similar.

It sucks how much equipment is close to great and could have just as easily been made great.

I don't really see how this would work. You'd have to have the bar resting on something above and behind you to be able to un-rack it like when you bench, but then you'd inevitably have something in the way when you went to lower the bar down behind your head, be it spotter rails/arms or uprights.

I'm not sure what you are saying, so I don't think I'm explaining what I'm planning to try well enough. Allow me to illustrate with my mad paint skillz.

lte.jpg

[hollismb]

I'm not sure what you are saying, so I don't think I'm explaining what I'm planning to try well enough. Allow me to illustrate with my mad paint skillz lte.jpg

Well done. Yes, I was picturing it differently, with you inside the rack and the bar behind your head.

[aucran]

lte.jpg

Either you have a high chance of hitting the catch hooks during the rep or you are unraking it soo far down your torso that you are going to create a big lever arm that will limit the weight you can bench.
We don't need more people injured doing a bench press.

[Nate]

I gave this a try today with a straight bar and it worked fine. I placed the spotters at a height where the bar clears the spotters by 6" with arms vertical. I will have to check the distance between the plates of the rackable curl bar if I purchase one, but for my straight bar there is 56" between the plates and my rack is ~46" wide. This means I have 5" of clearance on each side between the plates and the spotters. I could place the spotters even lower or use collars as spacers on the sleeves if I was worried about the clearances, but after testing it out I don't think there is much chance at all of me hitting anything.