The Garage Gym Thread

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BDK
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by BDK »

OK, so with the caveat that I consider most CrossFit folks pundits, well, just leave that redacted.

Its an extra $200 for the Texas Super Strength systems one. I'd look around, and see if you can find a "real" one, used, where you live.

Admittedly, I was a super heavy, and I've broken up cheap equipment which wasn't built well enough to take its rating, so I'm a bit gun shy.

Don't go cheap on clamps, or bars. A Texas Power Bar is a gold standard, used by almost every competitive lifter, for about $300 shipped. (I looked around a little bit. Those Seguin folks always were reasonable. Ironmind makes a heavier rated one, because, well, strongman is a crazy sport.)

I won't sell you my barbell, and my rack may not work, as I had to have extra height put in, so I could log press inside of it - and shipping would be a bitch, but if you want to buy my old power rack and platform, let me know.

I could sell you some plates as well. I should sell off my barbells, but I spent too many hours bleeding on them to ever part with them.
MarkD
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by MarkD »

rightisright wrote:Might it not be simpler to find out how/why the water is getting into the garage and fix the drainage issue? May be a lot cheaper than buying all that plywood.
The short answer is you need something between the steel plates and concrete floor, so the plywood and rubber mats go down even if everything is bone dry.

The water.only gets in after very heavy rains the type which leave puddles in my yard. My area of Bergen county is wet, I've dug holes to plant flowers and they've filled with water two days after it rained. I guess I couple put in French drains around the garage like I have in my basement, but that seems exessive.
MarkD
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by MarkD »

BDK wrote:OK, so with the caveat that I consider most CrossFit folks pundits, well, just leave that redacted.

Its an extra $200 for the Texas Super Strength systems one. I'd look around, and see if you can find a "real" one, used, where you live.

Admittedly, I was a super heavy, and I've broken up cheap equipment which wasn't built well enough to take its rating, so I'm a bit gun shy.

Don't go cheap on clamps, or bars. A Texas Power Bar is a gold standard, used by almost every competitive lifter, for about $300 shipped. (I looked around a little bit. Those Seguin folks always were reasonable. Ironmind makes a heavier rated one, because, well, strongman is a crazy sport.)

I won't sell you my barbell, and my rack may not work, as I had to have extra height put in, so I could log press inside of it - and shipping would be a bitch, but if you want to buy my old power rack and platform, let me know.

I could sell you some plates as well. I should sell off my barbells, but I spent too many hours bleeding on them to ever part with them.
No argument about CrossFit....

The B&R bar is basically a Texas Power Bar with dual knurling and good spin so you could do Olympic lifts if you want, albeit the power versions since there no whip.

I'd never heard of Texas Systems, I'll need to look into them.

As you said, shipping your stuff would be problematic, I appreciate the offer though. I plan to haunt Craigslist for plates locally. Sounds like your rack my not fit my garage either.

I get that you and i are in vastly different leagues, and your equipment requirements are way higher than mine. I'll be thrilled when or if I get my squat to 400. I do appreciate the advice.
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randy
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by randy »

It's not that far from Missouri to Texas (if I recall BDKs general vicinity correctly. If not, ignore all that follow). (I've done Nebraska/Iowa to Texas (San Antonio) in one day, Albeit in my 20's with a second driver).

Pack light, leave plenty of trunk/back seat space, and combine a pickup with a chance to meet some of the Texas board contingent, Eat Texican food, Have a good time. Deduct shipping costs from the travel expenses (overnight shipping, of course! ;) ). Win Win!

Of course this is the kind of idea that sounds good, for 30 years ago,execution now maybe a little problematic. :D
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
MarkD
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by MarkD »

randy wrote:It's not that far from Missouri to Texas (if I recall BDKs general vicinity correctly. If not, ignore all that follow). (I've done Nebraska/Iowa to Texas (San Antonio) in one day, Albeit in my 20's with a second driver).

Pack light, leave plenty of trunk/back seat space, and combine a pickup with a chance to meet some of the Texas board contingent, Eat Texican food, Have a good time. Deduct shipping costs from the travel expenses (overnight shipping, of course! ;) ). Win Win!

Of course this is the kind of idea that sounds good, for 30 years ago,execution now maybe a little problematic. :D
I live in New Jersey.....
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randy
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by randy »

MarkD wrote:I live in New Jersey.....
Sorry. I got confused on who lives where.
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
MarkD
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by MarkD »

randy wrote:
MarkD wrote:I live in New Jersey.....
Sorry. I got confused on who lives where.
Not a problem, it was Greg who moved from NJ to America.....

But NJ to Texas would be a bit of a round-trip.....
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blackeagle603
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by blackeagle603 »

Dear wife just back in the door to clean up/change for work after her (4th?) 0530 Crossfit intro. Got her a package deal for birthday 55 last month. Intro to clean and jerk today and pretty happy about it. I'm stoked, she'd never have even considered that in a traditional gym setting or with trainer. The dynamics of the whole cage thing with groups working out together in the background and emphasis on bodyweight/circuits have broken through a lot of innate resistance to "lifting". Something about it opens her up to trying the new "guy" moves. Maybe it's found a mental gateway to open -- perhaps resonates with her who was once a PE major/teacher.
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MarkD
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by MarkD »

blackeagle603 wrote:Dear wife just back in the door to clean up/change for work after her (4th?) 0530 Crossfit intro. Got her a package deal for birthday 55 last month. Intro to clean and jerk today and pretty happy about it. I'm stoked, she'd never have even considered that in a traditional gym setting or with trainer. The dynamics of the whole cage thing with groups working out together in the background and emphasis on bodyweight/circuits have broken through a lot of innate resistance to "lifting". Something about it opens her up to trying the new "guy" moves. Maybe it's found a mental gateway to open -- perhaps resonates with her who was once a PE major/teacher.
My complaint with Crossfit is not the concept, but on how it's sometimes executed. Telling someone who's never done a snatch before (or hasn't done one in three months because it hasn't come up on the WOD) to see how many they can do in two minutes is a recipe for an injury, first because they don't execute the lift often enough for muscle memory to make it second nature, and second because form breaks down as they get tired no matter how expert they are at the particular lift. Then add a time constraint, so you rush the set-up to get the bar in the air again.

I see videos of Crossfitters deadlifting and wonder how much longer they'll have functional spines.

It seems to all depend on the box and the person running it.
MarkD
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Re: The Garage Gym Thread

Post by MarkD »

I think I ought to give my reasons for going to a gym now, and why I'd like one at home.

I've been considering what my life will be like over the next 20-40 years (I'm 53 now), if I don't do something to prevent it, I'll be on the long slow decline to increasing frailty, increasing loss of balance, increasing dependence on medication and/or doctors, decreasing independence and ability to do the things I enjoy, until one day I fall and break my hip, the begin my final decline to death. How can I prevent this? The answer to that question seems to be "get, and stay strong".

After I came to this conclusion pretty much on my own, I found and bought a book called "The Barbell Prescription" which is specifically for barbell training for people over 40 (including people way over 40). The author is both a doctor and Starting Strength coach, he gets a bit into the medical aspect of it (some of which goes over my head), but the crux of it is "Get strong, stay strong, and instead of the long slow decline to death you can die suddenly while doing what you enjoy, and in the process we can stave off heart disease, diabetes, etc so you won't die younger than you ought to."

So that's what I'm doing. I'm not interested in competing in weightlifting or powerlifting as a sport, it's a way to get stronger and stay that way, as efficiently as possible, so I have the ability to do what I enjoy. Again, back to the book above, the author specifies that we're not competing in weight lifting, we're using weights to TRAIN for the extreme sport of aging and living and active life as we age.
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