Fitness for One and All Home Page
Amazon Products Reviews
Reviews of and direct links to
products on
Amazon.
See also Lifting Chalk Reviews.
Double Grip Seated Row Cable Attachment
Good for V-Grip Chin-ups
I have a home made lat. pulldown in my home gym, consisting
of two pulleys. For it I had been using a Straight Lat Bar
Sting Ray - Front Squat Stabilizer
Great for front squats
Front squats are a very effective exercise for working the quads. They force you to stay in an upright position, strengthening the core and helping to perfect form on regular squats. But, unfortunately, holding the bar is very awkward, no matter how one holds it. The cross-over grip is not very stable, and the "clean" type of grip puts great strain on the wrists. Wrist wraps might help in this regard. But the best way to do these is with this "Sting Ray." This video is of me using a Sting Ray for front squats. Many additional Weightlifting Exercises Videos are available on my fitness Web site. And additional squat assistance exercises are described in my book Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting.
Good for High Bar/ Olympic Squats
High Bar/ Olympic Squats are a good squat assistance exercise. They are done with the bar high on the back (on the top of the traps) and the feet close together (heals about 6-10" apart), as compared to a power squat, which is done with the bar lower on the back and the feet wider apart. Olympic squats focus more on the quads than power squats. The best way to do these would be with a "Manta Ray" as this takes the strain off of the traps. But do not use this Manta Ray for power squats, as you cannot do so at a contest! Also, be careful as the close stance can strain the knees. For these two caveats, I am only giving this Manta Ray four stars. This video is of me using a Manta Ray for this exercise. Many additional Weightlifting Exercises Videos are available on my fitness Web site. And additional powerlift assistance exercises are described in my book Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting.
The above two items are available at a reduced via a Manta Ray and Sting Ray, Combination Pack
Olympic Lock-Jaw Barbell Collar
Hold great, even on deadlifts
When I set up my home gym in the fall of 2005, I got it right the first time for almost every piece of equipment I bought, except for collars. I went through several different kinds of collars. They either did not hold very well, especially on deadlifts, or they would break after a short while. But then I came across these Lock Jaw Collars. They hold great even on deadlifts. And I've had a pair for several years now, and they still hold just as well as the day I bought them. They are very lightweight, so even if you work out at a commercial gym, you could easily carry these back and forth in your gym bag. They are much better than the wire-type collars used at most gyms. Mine are grey, but if I ever need another pair, I will get the red ones available here, as red is my favorite color. For all of these reasons, I am giving these collars five stars.
Update: My grey lock jaw collars were rather old and not holding quite as well as they used to, so i had my parents get me these red ones for my birthday. I really wanted them, as red is my favorite color. The red also adds a little bit of color to my home gym, which otherwise has mostly black equipment. These are the best collars I have found. They are easy to put on and take off, and they hold very well, even on deadlifts.
Everlast Neoprene Heavy Bag Gloves
Sufficient padding, long-lasting, and washable
When I set up my home gym in the fall of 2005, I got a heavy bag at a local sporting goods store. I had used one at the last commercial gym I trained at and really liked it. I bought a couple of pairs of boxing gloves with the bag. I used them for several years, until they began to smell so much I couldn't stand them. So I checked Amazon and looked for new gloves. These Everlast gloves appealed to me, as the description said they were washable, so I ordered a pair in April 2010. They worked just fine, padding my hands sufficiently for hitting the heavy bag. I tried washing them (in cold water and hang dry), and they came out just fine with no damage. So I ordered a second pair in June of the same year. That way, I always have one pair that doesn't smell, while I am washing the other pair. But I don't need to what them very often, maybe once or twice a year.
I only hit the heavy bag once or twice a week for my morning cardio (I walk on other days), but I have been doing so with these gloves for over four years (it now being October 2014), and I've washed them several times. Both pairs are still in fine condition. So I am giving these Everlast gloves five stars for providing the needed padding for hitting a heavy bag, for being long-lasting, and for being washable.
Work great and long-lasting
Doing benches with dumbbells actually works more muscles than barbell benches. This is because more stabilizer muscles are needed to keep control of the dumbbells. They are thus a great bench press assistance exercise. However, a difficulty with dumbbells is getting them into place. Power Hooks are a way to avoid this problem. They hook onto the dumbbells and are then hooked onto a barbell placed in a power rack. The lifter then racks and un-racks the dumbbells as you would a barbell. They can be used for regular, incline, and decline DB presses and even for overhead DB presses. The Power Hooks are easy to take off if you need the dumbbells for an exercise that doesn't require the Power Hooks.
I bought a pair of Power Hooks when I set up my home gym in the fall of 2005, and even with weakly use, I am still using that same pair. So they are long-lasting. For these reasons I am giving them five stars. This video is of me doing alternate arms dumbbell benches (a very good exercise) with Power Hooks. Many additional Weightlifting Exercises Videos are available on my fitness Web site. And additional powerlift assistance exercises are described in my book Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting.
1 1/4 lb. Grey Machined Olympic Plates (Pair)
Good for gradual increases, but pricy
These 1-1/4 pound plates are ideal for making gradual increases in weightlifting exercises. They are especially helpful on dumbbell exercises (if you are using changeable dumbbells). If the smallest plates you have are 2-1/2s, then the least you can go op by is 5 pounds. That is a lot for some exercises. And for exercises like DB benches where you use two dumbbells, the least you can go up by is 10 pounds. But with these plates, you can go up by as little as 2-1/2 pounds on barbell and dumbbell exercises that only require one dumbbell and by 5.0 pounds for dumbbell exercises where you use two dumbbells.
I am giving these 1-1/4 pound plates four stars for enabling
these gradual increases, but not five as they are rather pricy for just 2-1/2 pounds of weights.
For even more gradual increases, get a set of
Ader Fitness Olympic Fractional Plates - 5 LB Set
Ader Fitness Olympic Fractional Plates - 5 LB Set
Good for gradual increases, but pricy
These fractional plates are ideal for making gradual increases in weightlifting exercises. They consist of a pair of each: 1.0 pounds, 0.75 pounds, 0.5 pounds, 0.25 pounds. These are especially helpful on dumbbell exercises, if you are using changeable dumbbells. If the smallest plates you have are 2.5s, then the least you can go op by is 5 pounds. That is a lot for some exercises. And for exercises like DB benches where you use two dumbbells, the least you can go up by is 10 pounds.
But with these fractional plates, you can increase by as little as 0.5 pounds for exercises that require one dumbbell and and 3.0 pounds for exercises that require two DBs. For the latter, you still only need one set of fractional plates. Add a 0.75 on one side of each dumbbell and a 0.5 + 0.25 on the other sides. That will have you increasing by 1.5 pounds on each dumbbell for a total of a 3.0 pound increase.
I am giving these fractional plates four stars for enabling these gradual increases, but not five as they are rather pricy for just five pounds of weights.
Polar Bottle Insulated Water Bottle
Easy to sip from and keeps water cold
I got a couple of these insulated water bottles for my birthday. I use them for sipping cold water during my workouts. I had two of these, but the drink spout broke on them, so I needed new ones. Those ones lasted many years, so I wanted two more from the same company (Polar). These are also nice for putting in the cup holder in my car for the long drives to contests.
Sequoia Warrior Digital Body Fat/Mass Caliper
A bit finicky, but still worthwhile
This body fat caliper can be a little finicky, as it registers a reading with a very light touch. But with a little practice, it is not too hard to use; I’ve gotten used to it. When first using it, it is best to retake the measurement several times to get a feel for where the numbers should be. I’ve found it best to take the reading very quickly, so as not to risk bumping something or manipulating things so as to give the reading you want to get.
The readouts are very easy to read, and it is nice to have the fat percent and LBM automatically calculated. It is very durable. I’ve had mine for several years, and it is still working just fine. And the price is reasonable for a digital product.
A body fat caliper is a useful tool for keeping track of your progress. When losing or gaining weight, it is vital to know if you’re losing or gaining fat or muscle, as just bodyweight can be very misleading. I discuss this at length in both my Eating Plan book.
OrbiTape Body Mass Tape Measure
Works okay
This tape measure is designed to make it easier to take body measurements yourself. I’ve had one for years and have not had any problems with it. But I do not use that often, and I am gentle with it, not letting it snap back. The tape starts at 1-3/4” as that is the length of the base. The tip might slip out of the slot, but that is easily resolved by wrapping some tape around it to make it thicker.
Behrens 1212GS 12-Quart Galvanized Steel Pail
Sturdy, but very old bucket still better
I compete as a powerlifter. One training method powerlifters' use is to hang heavy chains from the bar. This destabilizes the bar, making the lifter work harder to keep the bar stable. And as the bar is raised, the chains are lifted off of the floor gradually adding weight to the bar. This conditions the lifter to the handling heavy weights at the top of the lift. I mention this so the reader knows why I was looking for a bucket to store 45 pounds of chains in.
I actually have two sets of such chains, one for each side of the bar. I got them about a decade ago. When I did, my dad gave me an metal bucket he had, probably decades old. It is a galvanized steel bucket that is very sturdy. And after all of these years, it has held up just fine, even with regularly lifting up the bucket by the handle and carrying it around the power rack in my home gym. But my dad only had one such bucket, so I had to get a second one from a hardware store. But I could tell just from looking at it that it was nowhere near as sturdy as my dad's old bucket, but it was all they had, so I got it.
The first time I put my chains in that bucket, the bottom buckled down, so I knew it wouldn't hold up to being moved. So I left it right by the power rack and never moved it. But it gradually got more and more bowed out just from taking the chains in and out of it, until it totally fell apart. So I needed a new bucket. I looked on Amazon and found this one. I posted a question asking if it would hold up to 45 pounds of chains. The answer I got was that it was sturdy, but he wasn't sure if it would hold up to that kind of weight. But it was the best I could find, so I ordered it.
When I got it, I could tell it by looking at it that was in-between my two previous buckets in terms of sturdiness. It didn't bow out when I put the chains in it, but the handle doesn't look sturdy enough to withstand lifting it with the chains in it. So as with my previous "new" bucket, I am leaving it in one place and am just taking the chains in and out as needed. But after a month of doing so, the bucket is holding up just fine. But still it irks me that I couldn't find a bucket that was as sturdy as my dad's old bucket. I'm chalking that up to yet another example of the decline in the quality of American made products. So I am only giving this bucket three stars.
If anyone is interested in the use of chains for powerlifting or weightlifting training, see the chapter on their use in my Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting book.
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