Homemade Leg Press/Squat Machine

[Bluerain]

Like this, Bluerain?



(I just used paint to scratch out the idea)

Well I was thinking doing something from the back this way you don't have to move anything each time you want to use the front.

The hole on top of the left and right upright ...do these holes go all the way thru to the back ?

If yes attach a pipe to each hole and far away enough to clear that back
pully bar then attached a pipe across . It will look like this |_|
Then attach a pipe to each corner which will go all the way to the floor for support. Then attach a pipe across the 2 pipes that go all the way to the floor which will look like a H.

The |_| and the H is just the frame for the leverage to be built on to.

Really you can switch it up but having a nice support frame will be alot safer.

If you do go this route you may be better off building a mini rack out of pipes. As it is now all you would have to add is a few more pipes to make a complete frame instead of building it off your existing equipment.

You can build a leverage onto the middle of that cross bar that is a H above.

Nice drawing

[Wildtim]

Interesting engeniering discussion. I've got a completely different direction though. I loved the Carlos Dejesus video so much I looked into everything I could find by him and you might want to check this out.

http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness...adBlaster.html


The goal is to hit your legs har without doing a back squat to failure, right?

This would be a real simple build with complete instructions or even materials if you want them completely safe and a hell of a quad killer.

Sooner or later I'm going to make myself one of these.

[animalfan]

Interesting engeniering discussion. I've got a completely different direction though. I loved the Carlos Dejesus video so much I looked into everything I could find by him and you might want to check this out.

http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness...adBlaster.html


The goal is to hit your legs har without doing a back squat to failure, right?

This would be a real simple build with complete instructions or even materials if you want them completely safe and a hell of a quad killer.

Sooner or later I'm going to make myself one of these.

that's cool. it's like a safety device for doing barbell hack squats. it would take care of my problem with them, too much forward lean. i lean forward because it feels like i'm gonna fall back if i stay as upright as i should. very cool idea, and would be easy to make with or without the instructions or kit. i think buying them would be better, but if money is real tight, or you are just cheap (like me), it could be done without them.

thanks, tim, i'll save that for another project to do someday.

[Wildtim]

From what Tom Venuto says it is way more painfull, and effective, than a hack squat or even a smith squat. The closest comparison he gave was a Roman chair squat (I assume he means a real roman chair not the back hypers we now call roman chairs) but he says there that these isolate the quads even better. He's a 500+ squatter and he says 50 or 60 is enough when doing these.

[Bluerain]

Interesting engeniering discussion. I've got a completely different direction though. I loved the Carlos Dejesus video so much I looked into everything I could find by him and you might want to check this out.

http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness...adBlaster.html


The goal is to hit your legs har without doing a back squat to failure, right?

This would be a real simple build with complete instructions or even materials if you want them completely safe and a hell of a quad killer.

Sooner or later I'm going to make myself one of these.

Yeah this thingy caught my eye while watching his wooden video on youtube. It should be an easy build for sure.

I just might build one myself.

This thingy will help anyone increase their squats poundage for sure. I do Box Squats all the time and box squats has help me increase my squats and I have no doubt this will help also.

So you going to try and build by looking at it on the youtube video or are you going to buy his book ?

I'll try by looking at the youtube video as I don't think I need the book

[Bluerain]

From what Tom Venuto says it is way more painfull, and effective, than a hack squat or even a smith squat. The closest comparison he gave was a Roman chair squat (I assume he means a real roman chair not the back hypers we now call roman chairs) but he says there that these isolate the quads even better. He's a 500+ squatter and he says 50 or 60 is enough when doing these.

I been meaning to get a real chair squat. Anything that works the legs I'm all for it.

[Wildtim]

I'll probably get the book when I get around to it, there are a couple of bodybuilding books in fron of it that I want though. But I figure he deserves his financial reward for helping me find a new level of pain for leg day.

[tyler883]

Well I was thinking doing something from the back this way you don't have to move anything each time you want to use the front.

The hole on top of the left and right upright ...do these holes go all the way thru to the back ?

If yes attach a pipe to each hole and far away enough to clear that back
pully bar then attached a pipe across . It will look like this |_|
Then attach a pipe to each corner which will go all the way to the floor for support. Then attach a pipe across the 2 pipes that go all the way to the floor which will look like a H.

The |_| and the H is just the frame for the leverage to be built on to.

Really you can switch it up but having a nice support frame will be alot safer.

If you do go this route you may be better off building a mini rack out of pipes. As it is now all you would have to add is a few more pipes to make a complete frame instead of building it off your existing equipment.

You can build a leverage onto the middle of that cross bar that is a H above.

Nice drawing

Version 2:

I know its isn't exactly what you are talking about, but I want to be able to work off the front of my machine so I can keep this unit mounted in the corner of my basement.



Some notes:
- the cable would ONLY hold the weight of the lever, it would NOT hold the weight of the concrete buckets. I'll adjust the cable lengths so the bucket is on the floor about 2 inches lower than I want to go when exercising.

[tyler883]

Interesting engeniering discussion. I've got a completely different direction though. I loved the Carlos Dejesus video so much I looked into everything I could find by him and you might want to check this out.

http://www.carlosdejesustotalfitness...adBlaster.html


The goal is to hit your legs har without doing a back squat to failure, right?

This would be a real simple build with complete instructions or even materials if you want them completely safe and a hell of a quad killer.

Sooner or later I'm going to make myself one of these.

Very cool. I would like to try those with a box.

[Bluerain]

That will work for sure. I only suggested what I did because I thought you still wanted to retain the usage from the front. Now that I know you just want to use your existing cage and convert it to a legpress your idea is better.

Post pics when your done building it.

Have fun ..

Version 2:

I know its isn't exactly what you are talking about, but I want to be able to work off the front of my machine so I can keep this unit mounted in the corner of my basement.



Some notes:
- the cable would ONLY hold the weight of the lever, it would NOT hold the weight of the concrete buckets. I'll adjust the cable lengths so the bucket is on the floor about 2 inches lower than I want to go when exercising.

[gypz]

i found this doing a homemade hack squat search.


http://www.metacafe.com/watch/187449...d_hack_squats/

[Wildtim]

That would really de-load at the top and wouldn't allow you more weight than you could easily lift to your shoulders. not a good replacement for a sled, smith squat or even a traditional hack squat.

[trythis]

Here is a video of Carlos's quad blaster in action

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...%3Den%26sa%3DN

[tyler883]

That will work for sure. I only suggested what I did because I thought you still wanted to retain the usage from the front. Now that I know you just want to use your existing cage and convert it to a legpress your idea is better.

Post pics when your done building it.

Have fun ..

Hi thanks, I am going to make sure the system converts back to a regular system so I can still use it for other workouts, too.

It might take me 10-15 minutes to set up for a leg day, but thats alright.

[tyler883]

gosh guys! I thought my drawings were worth at least 1 rep point.

[tyler883]

I'll probably get the book when I get around to it, there are a couple of bodybuilding books in fron of it that I want though. But I figure he deserves his financial reward for helping me find a new level of pain for leg day.

My personal library sofar:

- Arnold Swatzenegger Encyclopedia of body building
- Gold's Gym encyclopedia of Body building
- Joe Weider's encyclopedia of body building
- Body for life by Bill Phillips

perhaps a bit old school, but what do you think?

[Wildtim]

My personal library sofar:

- Arnold Swatzenegger Encyclopedia of body building
- Gold's Gym encyclopedia of Body building
- Joe Weider's encyclopedia of body building
- Body for life by Bill Phillips

perhaps a bit old school, but what do you think?

I've got Arnolds Encyclopedia.
plus Getting Stronger be Bill pearl
Pumping Iron
weightlifting for dummies
and fitness for dummies
(the last two were gifts)
I want Bill Pearls Keys to the Inner Universe I've looked through it as a friend had a copy but he moved and I can't read it anymore so I need my own. And Bill's autobiography (I'm a fan of his)
I'd also like to get Starting Strength as I've heard so much about it i figure it deserves to be read weather or not I actually do the program.

[tyler883]

There is a guy in town trying to sell his Hacksquat/incline leg press machine for $400 and it comes with 180 pounds of plates.

I'm am trying to hunt him down before someone else buys it.

[Keetman]

There is a guy in town trying to sell his Hacksquat/incline leg press machine for $400 and it comes with 180 pounds of plates.

I'm am trying to hunt him down before someone else buys it.

While I appreciate the creativity and work put into a diy build, from the start I thought this would be a better idea for you.

Especially since you're tying up your rack. That take down time would suck for me for two reasons. One, I like to keep it simple, in and out. If I'm spending too much time creating my workout environment.....I'm either spending more time in the gym or less time on the equipment. Brevity helps make the workout sustainable over time...life happens to us all, I want the workout to always fit in my day.

Two...I like to do full body workouts's with super sets.....switching the whole setup out would be undoable.


I hope you get your squat machine.

[PullBig]

Isn't that the same movement as a sissy squat.

[tyler883]

I spent the afternoon setting it up. For $400 I got the hack squat/leg press with 4x45lbs olympic plates. I'm wimpy enough that will be enough to start, but I remember using as much as 6 plates per side about 8 years ago.

i'm kinda disappointed that I wont be building one, but the practicallity of buying one has worked out for me. Who knows, maybe someone will find this thread and get some ideas from it.

[Keetman]

I spent the afternoon setting it up. For $400 I got the hack squat/leg press with 4x45lbs olympic plates. I'm wimpy enough that will be enough to start, but I remember using as much as 6 plates per side about 8 years ago.

i'm kinda disappointed that I wont be building one, but the practicallity of buying one has worked out for me. Who knows, maybe someone will find this thread and get some ideas from it.

You'll be much happier.

Go build a dog house if you've got the itch. You'll enjoy the leg press!

[tyler883]

You'll be much happier.

Go build a dog house if you've got the itch. You'll enjoy the leg press!

My wife has been laughing at me because I am carrying on like a kid in a candy store.

[animalfan]

My wife has been laughing at me because I am carrying on like a kid in a candy store.

mine used to think it was funny, but not so much anymore. in fact, i realized that if i want to buy something, i just need to talk about it till she's tired of hearing it. then she just wants me to buy it so i'll shut up. i know this, because she says "just shut up and buy it, i'm tired of hearing about it".

edit: congrats, that was a fine deal.

[tyler883]

mine used to think it was funny, but not so much anymore. in fact, i realized that if i want to buy something, i just need to talk about it till she's tired of hearing it. then she just wants me to buy it so i'll shut up. i know this, because she says "just shut up and buy it, i'm tired of hearing about it".

edit: congrats, that was a fine deal.

that reminds me of a funny story about my wife.

Last year, she approved one of those $600 hottubs from Walmart because I was going to build one out of a feed stock tub. The feed stock tub would last 10 times longer but thats not the way she thinks.

[Wildtim]

that reminds me of a funny story about my wife.

Last year, she approved one of those $600 hottubs from Walmart because I was going to build one out of a feed stock tub. The feed stock tub would last 10 times longer but thats not the way she thinks.

Is the $600 hot tub any good? water stay hot? lots of bubbles? I used to have a hot tub at my old place and I miss it but the green just han't been ther to get a new one.

[tyler883]

Is the $600 hot tub any good? water stay hot? lots of bubbles? I used to have a hot tub at my old place and I miss it but the green just han't been ther to get a new one.

I like it. It's only a 110Volt heater, so 45 minutes in cold weather( 32 deg F) will drop the temperature down and it'll take the night to recover( with the cover on it)

in the summer, running the bubbles doesn't effect the temperature at all. an if you happen to lose temperature for any reason( tripped GFCI switch) , it will recover at about 5 deg F per hour.


They have lots of bubbles but no jets.

I have only had it for one summer so I can't guess how long it will last. They are cheap in quality but I'm prepared to give it the old farmer fix approach if it breaks down ( great big patches, duct tape, anything to make it work again)

I built a secondary heater out of a 1 cup coffee maker( heated tube but no hot plate) and a child's swimming pool pump. It doubles my heating capability but I haven't needed it. I have only used it for 1 day when I tested it for proof of concept.

[Wildtim]

Thats the inflatable one right?

I'm thinking about 'investing' in one this summer.

[tyler883]

yes, the inflatable one.

If you are able to shrug off the $600 as a learning experience then you should be fine. It's almost garanteed to give you 1 season of reliable use. but who knows beyond that.

If mine breaks down, I might just go back to my feed stock tub idea. But, I'll use the hottub as spare parts to make it happen.

[tyler883]

BTW, I'll bet the come down to $500 this year.