LF: Gymnastic Rings, Squat rack/pull up

[d0fuz]

Hey I know this is the wrong section for the "Look For"s. But I need help on some sport related equipments. Any of you know where to get pair of Gymnastic rings for a good price? (tried checking on ebay, with no luck and cheapest i found online was 100 bucks) and is anyone selling a squat rack/pull up rack for decent price? Thanks guys.

-d

[d0fuz]

:)

[bdckr]

Don't know if they've still got it, but a month or two ago, Fitness source was selling this rack (http://www.fitnessfactory.com/Item.aspx?ItemID=489&ItemLabel=GPR378%3a+Body-Solid+Power+Rack) for $239. I noticed because I bought it in March for $399, and I considered it a good price then.

[poedua]

Don't know if they've still got it, but a month or two ago, Fitness source was selling this rack (http://www.fitnessfactory.com/Item.aspx?ItemID=489&ItemLabel=GPR378%3a+Body-Solid+Power+Rack) for $239. I noticed because I bought it in March for $399, and I considered it a good price then.

Actually, I was thinking about getting a power rack as well. For the price of $239 / $399 - just to confirm - it is the Body Solid brand at that $239 price ?

Also, how do you find the rack after using it for awhile now ? Did you get any cable / weight stack attachments at all ?

[bdckr]

Actually, I was thinking about getting a power rack as well. For the price of $239 / $399 - just to confirm - it is the Body Solid brand at that $239 price ?

Also, how do you find the rack after using it for awhile now ? Did you get any cable / weight stack attachments at all ?

It is the exact same one as in the link.

I didn't get the lat attachment, because I do weighted/offset chins on it, so I don't know if the attachment is worth it.

The only shortcoming: the steel bar on the floor at the back (don't know if that's clear enough) is not well placed. It should be a little further back (from the pillars/posts at the rear). Because it's too far forward, I haven't been able to find any bench that can go far back enough to use the uprights on the rack for benching. They actually had one of these power racks set up at the Fitness Source near 7 and 400, so I was able to try pretty much all of their benches in this rack.

To get around this, you can do your bench press from the bottom up off the pins. Or you could use a bench that has uprights. Unfortunatley, this means the uprights are (relatively) close together. So when you're using an olympic bar, you can't put a single 25 on one side without the bar being unbalanced (but if it were on the pins, putting a 45 on one side would be fine). So what I've done is load a 45 on each side while the bar is on the pins, and then row it up to the uprights on the bench. Once there's a 45 on each side, adding more plates to the bar is not a problem (I don't do flat, only inclines, so at most it's been unbalanced with 45 on one side and 80 on the other while loading). I guess if you find a bench with uprights far enough apart (wide enough to stay balanced, but narrow enough to fit in the rack), that shouldn't be a problem either.

My priority with the rack was being able to squat safely and do max loads on chins, so I was OK with the limitations on the benchpressing: I'm still able to bench more weight safely with this set up than before. And if you look at either squat racks or chin/pull up setups, you're looking at $200+ already.

If you're serious about getting a rack, one other thing you should consider is getting something for your floor. Not the interlocking foam, but some solid rubber. The foam you can get at Fitness Source or any dept/hardware store isn't very durable -- it split pretty easily with a small amount of weight dropping. I've got some 3/4" rubber horse stall mats, and they are amazingly durable. A great surface for deadlifting or any other kind of lifting.

[poedua]

It is the exact same one as in the link.

I didn't get the lat attachment, because I do weighted/offset chins on it, so I don't know if the attachment is worth it.

The only shortcoming: the steel bar on the floor at the back (don't know if that's clear enough) is not well placed. It should be a little further back (from the pillars/posts at the rear). Because it's too far forward, I haven't been able to find any bench that can go far back enough to use the uprights on the rack for benching. They actually had one of these power racks set up at the Fitness Source near 7 and 400, so I was able to try pretty much all of their benches in this rack.

To get around this, you can do your bench press from the bottom up off the pins. Or you could use a bench that has uprights. Unfortunatley, this means the uprights are (relatively) close together. So when you're using an olympic bar, you can't put a single 25 on one side without the bar being unbalanced (but if it were on the pins, putting a 45 on one side would be fine). So what I've done is load a 45 on each side while the bar is on the pins, and then row it up to the uprights on the bench. Once there's a 45 on each side, adding more plates to the bar is not a problem (I don't do flat, only inclines, so at most it's been unbalanced with 45 on one side and 80 on the other while loading). I guess if you find a bench with uprights far enough apart (wide enough to stay balanced, but narrow enough to fit in the rack), that shouldn't be a problem either.

My priority with the rack was being able to squat safely and do max loads on chins, so I was OK with the limitations on the benchpressing: I'm still able to bench more weight safely with this set up than before. And if you look at either squat racks or chin/pull up setups, you're looking at $200+ already.

If you're serious about getting a rack, one other thing you should consider is getting something for your floor. Not the interlocking foam, but some solid rubber. The foam you can get at Fitness Source or any dept/hardware store isn't very durable -- it split pretty easily with a small amount of weight dropping. I've got some 3/4" rubber horse stall mats, and they are amazingly durable. A great surface for deadlifting or any other kind of lifting.



Thanks for the detailed reply. Appreciate it.

You raise a good point I should keep in mind when scouting these racks out - and that is, make sure you can do all the exercises you want without any troubles ( in advance ) .....not unlike the troubles you noted with bench pressing on the rack. I may upgrade to a new bench, so this may have to be slected with the rack in mind as well...appreciate the heads up.

In my case, I want to focus on squatting first and bench press after that. However, I'd also want to have the option to add the cable /pulley attachment as well. I've come to find that a simple pulley / cable ( pull down / row / press / curl / abs etc. ) system with a good weight stack can expand my exercise options quite a bit. Guess it'll be a case of buyer beware...try out the rack as much as I can at the store before I buy.

Curious, how is the rack for shrugs and incline presses ? Also, do you do any seated military presses with it ? I ask, cause I'm just wondering how those cross beams hold up when you hit failure and an olympic bar / weights gets " dropped " on them at failure ...more a question of the rack's workmanship and durability.

BYW - that horse mat suggestion was a great tip. I'd have to agree, most of the mats i've seen in general retail fitness stores don't seem too sturdy.

thanks again.

[bdckr]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Appreciate it.

You raise a good point I should keep in mind when scouting these racks out - and that is, make sure you can do all the exercises you want without any troubles ( in advance ) .....not unlike the troubles you noted with bench pressing on the rack. I may upgrade to a new bench, so this may have to be slected with the rack in mind as well...appreciate the heads up.

In my case, I want to focus on squatting first and bench press after that. However, I'd also want to have the option to add the cable /pulley attachment as well. I've come to find that a simple pulley / cable ( pull down / row / press / curl / abs etc. ) system with a good weight stack can expand my exercise options quite a bit. Guess it'll be a case of buyer beware...try out the rack as much as I can at the store before I buy.

Curious, how is the rack for shrugs and incline presses ? Also, do you do any seated military presses with it ? I ask, cause I'm just wondering how those cross beams hold up when you hit failure and an olympic bar / weights gets " dropped " on them at failure ...more a question of the rack's workmanship and durability.

BYW - that horse mat suggestion was a great tip. I'd have to agree, most of the mats i've seen in general retail fitness stores don't seem too sturdy.

thanks again.
No problem, happy to help.

I've never dropped weight on the pins, so it's hard to say. I know we've got different training philosophies, and I rarely go to failure on anything. The few times I've failed on inclines, it was the last rep with 205, and I slowly lowered it onto the pins and slipped out from under the bar. There's a hole for the pins at exactly the right height for me so that the bar won't reach the pins on a touch and go, but are right there if I completely exhale. Seated overhead presses are with less weight (never fail), and the only shrugs I do are at the top of a deadlift (outside the rack).

The horse stall mats, on the other hand... I've dropped 315 onto them from just above my knees. The concrete underneath was just fine, and not a single mark on the mats. If you do get them, I'd suggest leaving them outside for a few days before bringing them inside -- helps get rid of the rubber smell. And some people I know suggest putting plywood beneath the mats to protect the floor.

That foam flooring split when I dropped a 30+ lb blockweight from just below knee height. :rolleyes:

I knew going in about the difficulty getting a bench to fit, so I'm still using the same York bench I've had for the last 10 years with the uprights close to the shoulders. My priority (for the rack) is/was squatting and chinning, so I'm more than happy with the rack at the price. If it's still available at $239... that would be amazing.

[d0fuz]

Thanks for the information man! But does anyone else have a say on where to get some decent rings, and racks. :)

[poedua]

Thanks for the information man! But does anyone else have a say on where to get some decent rings, and racks. :)

In the GTA.....call / web-sites of..................

- Fitness Source

- Fitness Depot

- Dotmar Athletics ( carry a lot of commerial quality stuff ) [ 1 location ]

- Muscle Mag store [ only 1 or 2 stores ]

- Frankenstein Fitness [ in etobicoke , 1 location do custom weight stuff ]

[bdckr]

Thanks for the information man! But does anyone else have a say on where to get some decent rings, and racks. :)
Don't know where you've looked, but you can expect to pay $75-$100 for a set of rings, and (usually) $500+ for a power rack. Anything less than that is a good deal.

Some guys on the gripboard like the power rings, and the guys who made the power rings now only sell these elite rings (http://ringtraining.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/preorder.html).

[d0fuz]

Don't know where you've looked, but you can expect to pay $75-$100 for a set of rings, and (usually) $500+ for a power rack. Anything less than that is a good deal.

Some guys on the gripboard like the power rings, and the guys who made the power rings now only sell these elite rings (http://ringtraining.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/preorder.html).

Yeah! I was looking into those elite rings. They seem to be the best price on the net right now. But I'm going to try and look for a bit longer for any deals :D. Thanks again guys.