Some of my posts you might have missed:
And a few helpful articles I’ve come across this past week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAwx9L00Id0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao1BYd2aP14
I don’t know how people can squat without collars.
If you’re like me, you might wobble out of the rack into position before squatting. When doing this, I find that if I don’t have barbell collars securely clamping down on the Olympic plates, those plates will start shifting from side to side.
When I was training at Fitness First Rama 3 in Bangkok, the sleeves on the barbells was smooth (in other words, there were no ridges), and the only collars available was those spring collar and the L-screw Olympic collars, pictured below:
I normally used the screw style Olympic collars because they held tighter than the spring collars, but they would come loose on a regular basis, especially if I was lifting heavy weights, or performing deadlifts where I lower the weight back on the ground before doing another rep.
If I’m squatting a heavy weight, the plates would slide away from the center slightly and I would have to adjust the plates and tighten the collars in between sets.
One time, the plates on the right side of the bar shifted so much that it was half way from falling off!
While deadlifting, every time I completed the rep and put the barbell back on the floor, the plate would shift. Sometimes it would shift a little, but other times the collars would actually come loose, making the plates shift a few inches away from the center of the bar and I would have to stop, re-adjust the plates, tighten the collars and then continue with my set.
Needless to say, this constant readjusting of the plates and tightening of the collars was a pain in the ass, and added unnecessary friction to my workout.
I’ve tried doubling up on collars, but this wasn’t always possible because other people would be using them. Also, I didn’t want to be the jackass in the gym hogging half of the collars.
Also, it’s not entirely effective because during deadlifts, the plates will shift out of place even with 2 collars on each end of the bar.
Being fed up with this, I decided it was time to INVEST in my own barbell collars.
At the time, I was training in Bangkok and walked to the gym from my condo. Because of this, I wanted barbell collars that were not only super strong, but light enough so I wouldn’t sweat any more profusely than I already did in 30+C weather while carrying them around.
I did some research online and considered Olympic barbell collars such as Muscle Clamp and Lockjaw collars. They were light weight because they were made of plastic. But being made of plastic, I was concerned that it would not be as effective in holding a lot of weight as I wanted.
After seeing this video, my suspicions were confirmed.
Also, this video lead me to look at the Ivanko compression collars, which I ultimately ended up buying from Amazon.
Ivanko has a few types of compression collars, ranging from a massive 2.5kg (5.5lbs each) to 1.25lbs collars (totaling 2.5lbs). I went with the smaller version because it would be a lot more convenient carrying them around. And I believe they’re the ones shown in the video above.
At the time, they offered 2 versions of the COT 1.25 pressure ring collars. One was chrome plated, and the other was black oxide. Luckily I got the black oxide version (they look manlier) because Ivanko no longer manufactures that model.
There’s a curved metal plate lining the inside of the collar called a “compression band”.
When you tighten the T-bolt, the compression band clamps down onto the bar.
Since the compression is distributed along compression band, it’s very tight and unlike other barbell collars (such as the L-screw collars where the screw digs into the bar), it doesn’t damage the bar.
Below is a picture of the Ivanko COT-1.25 collars untightened, and tightened:
T-bolt collar. This makes it easy to spin from any direction.
I know the weight of my collars. They Ivanko compression collars weigh 1.25lbs each, so that’s 2.5lbs in total. With other collars, I’m not sure of the weight.
Extremely tight and secure. Weight plates don’t move, period.
Doesn’t damage the bar since the pressure is distributed throughout the interior ring.
Easy to tighten. I don’t need to apply much force to tighten the collars securely, compared to the L-screw collars.
Prone to rust if not taken care of. I left these collars in a basement for a few weeks and it started to show some corrosion. This would not be an issue if I got the chrome plated version instead.
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If you’re annoyed like I was where the barbell collars are not tight enough are coming loose during a heavy set, the Ivanko compression collars are a worthwhile investment. It certainly was for me, because I no longer had to adjust the plates and re-tighten the collars in between (and during) a set. My workouts were smoother, and I can focus on lifting the weight rather than if the barbell collars are coming loose or not.
While Ivanko doesn’t offer the black oxide version anymore (according to their website), I’m sure the chrome version of the Ivanko COT-1.25 works just as well, and is more resistant to corrosion.
They also have larger (and probably stronger) models of the compression collars. They are the COT-2.5 (which is a larger version of the COT-1.25), the CO-2.5KG and COC 2.5KG.
For those who want to workout at home and are planning on setting up a home gym, I’ve written this blog post that will hopefully guide you in the right direction as far as equipment selection, and cost.
This is my home gym so far:
I decided to start with, what I believe are the essentials to any home gym.
When I used to train at a commercial gym, I would occupy the squat rack (or power rack) and perform most of my training there. The selection of exercise equipment I’ve invested in is based on what I have used on a regular basis at the gym, which really isn’t much.
To minimize cost, I try to buy the equipment used. But this isn’t always possible because I prefer to have items delivered rather than picking it up myself.
The last thing I want is the steel plates damaging the concrete floor after a heavy deadlift, so proper gym flooring is essential.
My original plan was to buy horse stall mats from the Tractor Supply Company (TSC). But it’s a bit of a hassle to go there, pickup 10 rubber mats that’s 4’x6’, weigh 100lbs each and 3/4” thick, put it in the car and transport it home.
Luckily I found an ad on Kijiji (a classified ads website similar to Craigslist) from someone who was selling about 30 stall mats.
Turns out that these mats were used at a Crossfit gym in Waterloo! At the time, Crossfit Waterloo just moved location and wanted to sell their old stall mats.
These gym mats are made from virgin rubber, 4’x6’, 1/2” thick and weights around 100lbs. It was listed for $35 each, but I struck a deal and purchased 10 for $300. Best part is, it was delivered! (And no tax!)
It’s awesome for weights, but when tried hitting the “Body Opponent Bag” while barefoot, the bottom of my foot was all black. I’ll need to get some proper mats designed for martial arts in the future if I don’t want to be scrubbing my feet for 10 minutes after kicking the bag.
Cost: $300 for 10 mats.
Next I needed a power rack or squat rack. I was debating about the Amstaff TR023 or a Rogue power rack, but in the end choose Amstaff.
It’s a solid rack with band attachments and monkey bars at a low price. Check out my review here.
Cost: $449.99
Purchased this bench along with the power rack.
Cost: $98.99
Total cost for the power rack and bench with shipping: $732.55
I managed to find some good deals on Kijiji, and this is the best deal I’ve encountered to date.
A lady wanted to get rid of twelve 45lbs Olympic plates. I’m not exactly sure why she even had so much weight in the first place. She wanted $50 to have them removed from her premises. AWESOME.
The only negative about this was I had to pick them up myself, and the plates were rusty (I have since refinished half of plates). But at 50 bucks, it was a deal I could not pass up.
Cost: $50
I also found this on Kijiji. Not a killer deal, but the price was fair at $170 delivered. It also included an Olympic bar. The plates are:
The plates are marked “Bollinger”. I don’t think this company makes Olympic plates anymore. I’m not even sure it still exists.
Cost: $170
I bought this from Sears.com. I wanted an extra pair of 5lbs plates so I can have all possible combination of weights.
Cost = $20
Purchased these from Rogue Fitness. Expensive, but very very useful. My review of the Rogue fractional plates here.
Cost: $75
When I was living in Bangkok, Thailand and training at a gym there, the plates kept on sliding on the Olympic bar, even when I used spring collars. Purchased these collars from Amazon and haven’t that problem since.
Cost: $60 including shipping
The B&R bar a solid bar that’s probably going to last me the rest of my life if I take care of it properly. Read my review of the B&R bar here.
Cost: $350 *included shipping & taxes.
I was thinking I could save some cash by having my weights on the floor. That thought lasted about a day, since I couldn’t stand seeing all the plates lying around.
I bought 2 of these because I wanted a weight tree on each side of the rack. It would make it convenient to load the bar on each side. I also need 2 because one weight tree wasn’t going to hold 800lbs of plates. Check my review here.
Cost: $110 *included taxes. Shipping was free.
1.5L bucket of “Teknik Chunky Yeti Chalk”. Purchased this from MEC. 1 tub cost $8. I’ll round this up to $10 with taxes.
Cost: $10
I got this while I was living in Bangkok. I wanted a neck harness that was durable, but lightweight. Most neck harnesses I’ve seen uses chains, but the one from Ironmind is made from nylon (I think) and supposedly can hold over a ton. Works for me!
Cost: $119.95 *including shipping
I also purchased this while I was living in Bangkok. There wasn’t a dip belt at my gym, so I scoured the interwebz to find a durable but lightweight dip belt. I found the this Ironmind dipping belt on eBay at a great price. There’s no metal chains, so it’s very light. Also, it’s made by Ironmind, who makes equipment for the World’s Strongest Man competitions.
Cost: $49 *including shipping
I’ve seen these advertised everywhere, so I decided to pick up a pair and see what’s all the fuss is about. They’re actually pretty good.
Total Cost: $40.26 *including taxes and shipping
When I was planning my home gym, I knew I watched something to punch and kick. It was either a heavy bag, or a free standing bag. I got this off Kijiji. Right now it’s being used as a place to hang some of my gear.
To be honest, hitting a freestanding bag is not the same as hitting a properly hung heavy bag. Even when filled to the top with water, it still moves around when I kick it.
Cost: $200
I’m currently using this as a standing desk. I got this off Kijiji for $35 delivered.
Combined with a laptop and speakers, I use this area to:
So far, in total I’ve invested $2321.76 in my home gym.
You might think that’s a lot, but $2321.76 pays for a little over 3 years of a gym membership, assuming the monthly cost is $60 (not including the cost of transportation).
But since there’s 2 people using my home gym on a regular basis, $2321.76 will cover about 1 year and 7 months worth of a gym membership. I plan on lifting weights until I’m on my death bed, so the way I see it, $2321.76 for my current home gym is good investment.
If you’ve got the space and you TRAIN on a regular basis at a gym, I would seriously consider setting up a home gym. You don’t need to buy all the equipment at once, and you can find some pretty damn good deals on classified ads websites such as Kijiji or Craigslist.
Best part is, you don’t have to deal with any of the annoyances typically found in a commercial gym!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKR8QL8npAQ
Some of my post you might have missed:
And a few helpful articles I’ve come across this past week:
Warm Up
Main Sets
Notes
Haven’t done >400lbs squat in a while. Felt pretty good. Raising my heels a bit however. Need to film from a different angle next time.
Warm Up
Main Sets
Notes
300lbs felt easy. Maybe I could have gotten another rep. Maybe.
Warm Up
Main Sets
Notes
Used double overhand hook grip. I can feel the calluses on the tips of my thumbs now.
First 2 reps at 367.5lbs I didn’t feel much on my thumbs.
407.5lbs crushed my thumb though.
This is the first time keeping a record of warmups. About time…!
