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PTC

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There has been plenty of talk on here about equipment. Everyone has their opinions, and I'm no different. I never buy cheap, even though for the most part, it will do its intended job.

Normal people gyms get by with cheap bars and racks. Its cost effective and accidents are rare these days, seeing very few PT's have anybody squatting 3 plates etc.

Two years ago a friend of mine was attempting to jerk 120kg behind the head, in a rack.

He missed it and dropped the bar over his back, onto the spotters pins. The bar was bent like a banana, he posted footage on ns.com. He told management and they said dont sweat it.

Tonight we had our first incident. Nick was squatting 160kg in the rack I got from Gym Direct, he was using an ABC powerbar.

On the way up, he felt a twinge in his back and dumped the bar off his back, it landed heavily on the spotters pins. There were around 12 lifters in the gym and they all jumped, it was loud.

We placed the bar back on the pins and I inspected it. The bar is still razor straight, as are the spotting arms on the rack.

Its only when an "accident" happens that you realize how good this equipment really is. I hope you guys never have to dump 160kg off your back like that, but you can rest assured that if your using an ABC powerbar in a Muscle Motion rack, it wont be an issue.

The bar actually fell 90cm, I measured. Thats a big fall for so much weight.

Thanks ABC and Gym Direct.
 
And that's why you should always get a rack that takes a crapload more than you can lift, it's not just the weight but the distance it falls. At least I have you to let me know the quality of some of the equipment out there before I buy it.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
To be honest, I wouldve thought that 160kg dropped from 3 feet and landing on an area of the bar that you would think might bend, wouldve really bent the bar.

They are not made for that kind of abuse. I cant stress enough how unmarked the bar is.

On a funny matter, I was watching Max's Muscle TV tonight, they were filming from Dohertys in Brunswick, and the spotters arms in the rack were like spaghetti, mine are still dead straight.
 
Markos, I'm finding this just a little bit hard to imagine and need your help please. From my experience, whenever a lift is missed, it gets dropped onto the platform below, so where do these pins fit in to have weights drop onto them or is the lift performed in a power rack? Thank you.

PS: I just spotted it, sorry about that:
Tonight we had our first incident. Nick was squatting 160kg in the rack I got from Gym Direct, he was using an ABC powerbar.
Click to expand...


Fadi.
 
Fadi said:
Markos, I'm finding this just a little bit hard to imagine and need your help please. From my experience, whenever a lift is missed, it gets dropped onto the platform below, so where do these pins fit in to have weights drop onto them or is the lift performed in a power rack? Thank you.


Fadi.
Click to expand...

In a rack fadi..
 
Because I have up to 15 people in the gym at once Fadi, I cant always spot them. So I have a rack for the heavy squatters.

I have a set of squat stands, where Nick has dumped a squat backwards before, and a power rack, where you can squat inside of or outside.

Nick was inside the rack tonight. It was a 90cm drop from his shoulders to the pins. With 160kg. I still cant believe nothing got damaged, not even Nick.
 
Why don't they use one in comps?

I feel heaps safer in a rack with bars than I would relying on three other blokes...

If you get pinned, just drop forward, the bars catch the barbell before it crushes you.

Or, you can just throw it backward without having to worry about crushing someones foot.
 
blbarclay said:
Why don't they use one in comps?

I feel heaps safer in a rack with bars than I would relying on three other blokes...

If you get pinned, just drop forward, the bars catch the barbell before it crushes you.

Or, you can just throw it backward without having to worry about crushing someones foot.
Click to expand...


Because good bars dont break if they are dropped..

Look at oly lifters failing 200kg+ above head
 
I dislike squatting in racks, so I dont.

Spotters in comps do a fantastic job, no need for a rack.

I've spotted a missed 200kg squat by a 130kg lifter on my own in squat stands, was easy.
 
I am talking about using the cross bars as a spotter Noobs - if you get pinned at the bottom, drop forward and down instantly, and the bars catch the barbell.
 
Once you see a comp first hand, you'll see its MUCH safer with spotters.

Imagine dumping 400kg on pins, not very safe for anyone
 
PTC said:
I dislike squatting in racks, so I dont.

Spotters in comps do a fantastic job, no need for a rack.
Click to expand...

We had a monolift to use at the WA meet, it's a charm to use! You can get your feet and legs set without the heavy weight on your back, where it seems like you're using a ton of energy just to keep it there.
 
Awesome post Markos.

Everywhere you go you see threads like 'I have $300. What should I get for a home gym?' with no consideration for its longevity or safety.

Only genetic freaks can lift with flimsy equipment and get away with it, and thats only in the short term. For a hardgainer this is a recipe for disaster.

For those getting home equipment minimize costs by sticking to the basics, not by cost cutting on them.
 
PTC said:
There has been plenty of talk on here about equipment. Everyone has their opinions, and I'm no different. I never buy cheap, even though for the most part, it will do its intended job.

Normal people gyms get by with cheap bars and racks. Its cost effective and accidents are rare these days, seeing very few PT's have anybody squatting 3 plates etc.

Two years ago a friend of mine was attempting to jerk 120kg behind the head, in a rack.

He missed it and dropped the bar over his back, onto the spotters pins. The bar was bent like a banana, he posted footage on ns.com. He told management and they said dont sweat it.

Tonight we had our first incident. Nick was squatting 160kg in the rack I got from Gym Direct, he was using an ABC powerbar.

On the way up, he felt a twinge in his back and dumped the bar off his back, it landed heavily on the spotters pins. There were around 12 lifters in the gym and they all jumped, it was loud.

We placed the bar back on the pins and I inspected it. The bar is still razor straight, as are the spotting arms on the rack.

Its only when an "accident" happens that you realize how good this equipment really is. I hope you guys never have to dump 160kg off your back like that, but you can rest assured that if your using an ABC powerbar in a Muscle Motion rack, it wont be an issue.

The bar actually fell 90cm, I measured. Thats a big fall for so much weight.

Thanks ABC and Gym Direct.
Click to expand...

Its always a bloody shock when someone dumps the bar onto the safety pins!

There was a dude in here who missed a 240 squat - pretty sure they heard it down the road lol
 
amac38 said:
We had a monolift to use at the WA meet, it's a charm to use! You can get your feet and legs set without the heavy weight on your back, where it seems like you're using a ton of energy just to keep it there.
Click to expand...

Mono's are great! - would love one for the gym!
 
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