If you had a mig welder you could make your own bench and rack. I made a couple for the weight room where I went to college. Couldn't find any thinner walled square tubing so I used quarter inch stuff. And forget about tipping one over... Didn't have to be adjustable so I put the welder to it and let it go. Was actually kind of proud of the welds. And a side wheel grinder erases a lot of mistakes... ----- Original Message ----- From: Larry Stansifer To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 9:37 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Home Gyms
I tried one of those total Gym things and even with it set at its highest incline it was way to easy. I was hoping that over the years something had evolved that might replace free weights but obviously nothing has so it is off to the local sporting goods store to invest in an Olympic weight set, a half dozen pares of dumbbells and a basic heavy duty bench. I can rig a pull-up bar in one end of the shop where I can do pull-ups, chins, hanging leg raises and hanging crunches. -----Original Message----- From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bob Kennedy Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 7:24 PM To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Home Gyms Chuck Norris still looks pretty good for a guy in his 60s but I'd put a paycheck on the fact that little gym he advertises isn't all he does in a day. I did personal training in college with stroke victims. The only good thing I could find about a machine was they didn't have to stabilize the weight. Once you could assess their needs and how much spotting was necessary everyone of my clients wanted to give up the machines. I would still like to find a good deal on a lat pull down machine but beyond that I can't thing of a machine I'd want in the house. At least not a workout machine... ----- Original Message ----- From: Larry Stansifer To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 6:15 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Home Gyms Basically dale my workout consists of a daily four mile run and a one body part per day workout. I do this on a rotating basis so that my rest days never fall on the same days of the week. I usually work out in the morning with an afternoon or evening run depending on my schedule. I agree with you completely with respect to exercise machines. They never seem to deliver as promised. -----Original Message----- From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dale Leavens Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:06 PM To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Home Gyms Better is a relative term. Decide on your goals, what is your objective? Once you figure that out you will better know what it is you need to achieve that. For cardio vascular aerobic exercise I have a Nordic Track cross country ski machine. It does take a little skill to get the hand of it and not everyone likes that aspect of it but it doesn't take long to get up a good sweat and keep it. On the other hand I don't much like those elliptical trainers, they are like walking on the moon bobbing up and down like that but many people really like them. The trouble with free weights is the room they need, fortunately for me I suppose I am short enough that I can snatch without driving them through the ceiling but not everyone can. None of the mechanical weight circuits accurately reflect the weight being used. You can pin any number to the stack but most use pulleys not only to change direction but often they loop in such a way to give mechanical advantage, that is, pull three feet on the cable and the weight rises a foot and a half, that sort of thing. There is also the inertia of the machine to take into account and friction of moving parts too. Many also use cams to try to equalize the force or direction so that the resistance is closer to the actual direction of the work but these too alter the actual amount of weight being moved. In that sense free weights are the only really accurate and reliable measure of resistance. Even though you can technically calculate and allow for mechanical disadvantage or advantage as the case may be I can assure you having hung actual weight from a number of weight training machines that there isn't any reliable relationship between the weight load on the stack and ! the actual balancing load on the handle. this isn't necessarily true for all units but I haven't yet met one with an accurate relationship. The point of those machines is to save room. If the bands on a Bowflex or what ever else are calibrated in pounds or dirometers is not relevant. They should probably be calibrated just as the stereo,. Just a number so you can return to the same one dependably when you want. It seems to me that most of us as blind people want the aerobic exercise, the cardiopulmonary work-out. Some may ride a tandem bike but mostly we lack that opportunity, even a brisk walk isn't really all that satisfying because of the energy used in wayfinding and avoiding overhanging trees or parked cars. Running a dog I suppose for some might be an option and maybe some do that I haven't ever seen it but it is possible.There are treadmills and ski machines and elliptical trainers and exercise cycles. Swimming if convenient and you have access to a long enough pool for some good lengths can be a pretty good option. I used to enjoy cross country skiing but it does require a partner and that isn't always convenient for me, either I am busy or they are busy and eventually it falls apart. Used to ride a tandem bike too but the same problem. I haven't been working out in my exercise room much for a long time, by the time I finish work and now am in the middle of a couple of sho! p projects then there is snow to shovel and in the summer gardening and grass to cut and on it goes. Hooking up with someone for a bike ride or a ski, it just doesn't happen. Anyway, the point I wanted to make is that one shouldn't get too fixated on the weights displayed either on the pulley circuits or the band type machines or even those hydraulic pistons. Do consider the structure of the equipment, noise, things like size and durability. If it isn't convenient you won't use it and if it isn't comfortable you won't use it. If it folds up and fits under your bed that is probably where it will stay. These are just my observations over what is now approaching 40 years of personal experience and observation of literally thousands of others. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: Larry Stansifer To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 1:48 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Home Gyms I use free weights a lot in the gym and was actually considering buying a bench based system that includes a squott station, leg curl and quad curl station but when I tried it out in the store it felt really flimsy and like it wanted to come apart and that was just using the 110 LB included weight set. Most of that stuff looks like toys to me. A couple of guys on Carol's department have bowflexes but like the soloflex they make you look better than you really are. -----Original Message----- From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bob Kennedy Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 11:22 AM To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Home Gyms I have free weights so I'm probably no help. I don't know if they still make it or not, but I can say beware of the soloflex gym. That was the one with "resistance bands." A friend bought one and I could bench the highest resistance band which said it was 500 pounds. Great for the ego but not realistic. At that time I could do half that weight on a good day. Maybe someone else will have a better recommendation. ----- Original Message ----- From: Larry Stansifer To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 1:05 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Home Gyms This morning while slaving away on the squat-rack in my local gym, one of the girls on the front desk told me that they were moving to a larger facility on the other side of town. Much to far to walk besides which interstate15 is in the way. Do any of you folks have any suggestions for a home gym alternative? I need something that can provide a total body workout and with at least 300 LB's of resistance. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ If you would like to join the Blind Computing list, then visit the following address for more information: http://jaws-users.com/mailman/listinfo/blind-computing_jaws-users.com For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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