My DIY earthquake bar

[chadsalt]

Got the fiberglass pole last night. Wrapped some athletic tape for grip, built up some ridges with electric tape to keep things from sliding around. Don't have any bands, but I suspect bungies will suffice. Played around with it last night, the 1 1/4" seems to be my choice, the 1" seems to have too much bow with weight on it. Just surfing the web the bow on the 1 1/4" looks very similar to the actual earthquake bar.

The Max-gain transaction was painless, once you get past the shipping cost. $92.90 was the total for the 1" and 1 1/4" cut to 7' and delivered to my door...in rapid fashion. Had I only purchased the 1 1/4" would have saved me $26.

I used it this morning after flat/incline work. Had 180# on it, you will instantly find any flaws with your form. The video is my second set this morning, camera ran out of storage on the first. Too bad I lost that vid, the first set showed me unracking the bar and almost dropping it on myself before the first rep, which WILL happen if you're not tight ask me how I know. Still some messing around to do with weight and length of bungies, good addition to routine IMO.

Cost a good bit more than Smokinhawk's PVC, but still way less than the actual bar. Always good to have options. Now to work on the reverse hyper.........

[dieselmike]

Chad. That looks crazy hard with the stability and all. What is the weight differential between what one can lift with an Olympic barbell and this thing in percentage terms? i.e. If you can normally do 225 for say 8 reps, what do you believe is the 8 rep equivalent with the EQ bar? 10% less? 20%?

[Mech6]

Chad. That looks crazy hard with the stability and all. What is the weight differential between what one can lift with an Olympic barbell and this thing in percentage terms? i.e. If you can normally do 225 for say 8 reps, what do you believe is the 8 rep equivalent with the EQ bar? 10% less? 20%?

No relation. As he said, if you're not used to the bar, it's going to be shaking all over the place and you'll have trouble pressing 100 lbs.

[Synthetickiller]

I used it this morning after flat/incline work. Had 180# on it, you will instantly find any flaws with your form. The video is my second set this morning, camera ran out of storage on the first. Too bad I lost that vid, the first set showed me unracking the bar and almost dropping it on myself before the first rep, which WILL happen if you're not tight ask me how I know. Still some messing around to do with weight and length of bungies, good addition to routine IMO.

Out of pure curiosity, have you tried doing this with a rigid, light weight bar, just to compare the differences in a dynamic bar like the one you made & something rigid?

Chad. That looks crazy hard with the stability and all. What is the weight differential between what one can lift with an Olympic barbell and this thing in percentage terms? i.e. If you can normally do 225 for say 8 reps, what do you believe is the 8 rep equivalent with the EQ bar? 10% less? 20%?

I'll jump in because I've done something simliar.
I'm currently pressing 315x3 (for 5 sets, probably good for 315x4/5 if I only warm up & have that as a single top set), paused w/ my duffalo bar (way more ROM than a straight bar). I don't know what I'm doing for 225, but I'd imagine I could do 15-20 (I never, ever train for high reps, so I have no clue).

I loaded an 11 lb training bar with 1 pairs of 25s per side (so 100 lb total, so 111 lb total weight). I struggled to do 10 reps. On the 2nd set, I hit rep 6 & the bar racked itself (due to the instability), LOL. I was totally burnt out after that, lol. I had gone through my core warm up & worksets, so I'm always a little spent, but wow! Take into consideration that I'm also pressing with less ROM since it's a straight bar. Usually, it feels like cheating to me, but with this bar, you don't notice the lack of ROM as stabilizing it is just impossibly hard.

I don't know if there's a direct carry over as in, I can bench 150 lb of plates w/ a bamboo bar, so I should be benching 400+. It looks like Chad has two 25s and a 45 per side, so 190 total (not including the bar). I don't even know if I could handle that much weight!

[rpark]

Nicely done Chad. When I do those reps, I'm going slow slow motion the whole time, not like a regular bench rep. I hold 5-10 seconds at the top and bottom along with extremely slow up and down movements. Not really looking at reps, but rather increased control of the bar. I increase or decrease weight based on my perceived control, not really worried about max weight or anything, just high reps easy weight.

[dieselmike]

I'll jump in because I've done something simliar..... <snip>.....

I don't know if there's a direct carry over as in.......

Yeah. I was just looking for examples of folks with experience of said bar as I've never tried one. The 225 x 8 was just an example I used because it's a weight I think many can relate to. When I asked about 10 - 20% off it is not a hard found equation I was looking for. Not like I am going to chastise anyone if they answer: "I do about 20% less with the Earthquake" and then I try it out an I find I need to do 25% off. Just looking for an approximate. (Maybe it's more like 50%. I have no idea)

In talking with Chad, I know around where his 1RM max has been lately and then seeing him bang out 8 reps with 180 on this unstable wobbly thing is quite impressive. That was all I was getting at.

But after seeing this video and the low cost for what one can get into this for, my curiosity is now piqued and now I want to try one. Thanks Chad!

[rlundregan]

Yeah. I was just looking for examples of folks with experience of said bar as I've never tried one. The 225 x 8 was just an example I used because it's a weight I think many can relate to. When I asked about 10 - 20% off it is not a hard found equation I was looking for. Not like I am going to chastise anyone if they answer: "I do about 20% less with the Earthquake" and then I try it out an I find I need to do 25% off. Just looking for an approximate. (Maybe it's more like 50%. I have no idea)

In talking with Chad, I know around where his 1RM max has been lately and then seeing him bang out 8 reps with 180 on this unstable wobbly thing is quite impressive. That was all I was getting at.

But after seeing this video and the low cost for what one can get into this for, my curiosity is now piqued and now I want to try one. Thanks Chad!

I'm also curious, although I can't see myself rushing to make one anytime soon. I have other issues that I know I need to deal with before a bar like this really makes sense for me. SK's comments about volume in another thread have stuck with me, so I'll probably revamp my routine in the next couple of weeks.

That said, I would really appreciate hearing from Chad, Hawk, SK, and others who use a bar like this after a few months--did it produce results? Higher bench numbers? Less shoulder pain? Anything to recommend making it more of a priority?

[MGM711]

Chad. That looks crazy hard with the stability and all. What is the weight differential between what one can lift with an Olympic barbell and this thing in percentage terms? i.e. If you can normally do 225 for say 8 reps, what do you believe is the 8 rep equivalent with the EQ bar? 10% less? 20%?

I would say there's no correlation, it's more about stability and rotator strength.

I started using the Earthquake bar at a time when I was benching 315 for a max set of 8-10, and I was pressing in single-ply 550-600. My first try at the bar we had like 100-115 lbs of KBs on bands. The first few reps it was sort of weird, felt like it was just floating and I was going to be doing this 50+ reps. Probably somewhere around 15 reps, my arms started shaking uncontrollably and I could even control the to touch where I wanted on my chest. All my training partners kept adding weight and made it look smooth, but for me, it look like I was having an epileptic seizure!

I trained on the bar for a while, and while I think it helped with my stability, I don't think it added anything at the time on my geared max. It may have helped my raw max, but I was in a phase in training where I really never tested my raw max, so it's hard for me to say if it helped in that way.

[Dont Want None]

Yeah. I was just looking for examples of folks with experience of said bar as I've never tried one. The 225 x 8 was just an example I used because it's a weight I think many can relate to. When I asked about 10 - 20% off it is not a hard found equation I was looking for. Not like I am going to chastise anyone if they answer: "I do about 20% less with the Earthquake" and then I try it out an I find I need to do 25% off. Just looking for an approximate. (Maybe it's more like 50%. I have no idea)

In talking with Chad, I know around where his 1RM max has been lately and then seeing him bang out 8 reps with 180 on this unstable wobbly thing is quite impressive. That was all I was getting at.

But after seeing this video and the low cost for what one can get into this for, my curiosity is now piqued and now I want to try one. Thanks Chad!

I did fat bar bench with chains this last week. I had like, 165 plus 80 lbs of chains, for 8 reps. Probably had another 2 or so in me, 3-5 if I was going for a REALLY hard Rep max.
I use my earthquake bar, and I think I about died in the 8 rep range, with something like, 2x25lb plates, a pair of 20lb chains, and a 10lb plate on each side. So like, 160+12lb bar.
Keep in mind, I've used mine pretty regularly the past few months, and probably at least monthly before that. My buddy with a bum shoulder and pseudo bad form in the bench, who actually probably presses more than me, got FLOORED by about 100lbs. Nearly dropped the bar on his face. He probably used 75lb total when he was here, and was having trouble enough with that.

So, if you are accustomed to the bar and have good form, you might be somewhere close to your same rep range max, maybe like using a specialty bar. If you aren't, then you are WAY off.


@rlundregan - For me, the biggest aspect is two fold. First, I can "barbell" bench twice in a week without any issues, yet I'm still going near my upper limits, simply because I can't load the bar as heavy. So its easy on the joints, murder on the muscles. Second, you absolutely 100% have to use good form. It will nail you to the floor otherwise.
Is it a required piece? Nope. I've done the hanging band technique with my football bar and camerbered bar, and that was murder as well. Anything where it swings around is going to be torture on your stabilizers.

Side note, I also really like it for overhead work, and for weighted carries. I did zercher carries with it, and boy did that light up the midsection.

[chadsalt]

Thanks you gentlemen for the comments and conversation.

@dieselmike Looks like everyone has sort of weighed in on your question, I would basically agree with what has been said.

@SK Don't have a light stiff bar to compare it to.

@rpark I agree, I don't think this exercise will be about the weight specifically.

@rlundregan If I don't post back in a couple months, just bump this or PM me I'll let you know how it's going.



I'm not sure exactly what I'll get out of this exercise. More control, mental discipline, possible injury prevention by strengthening supporting muscles? Not looking for much in my 1RM as I doubt there is much left to be had at this stage of my game, but it could get me what is left. I switched over a couple months back from 'touch and go' to 'comp/pause' bench with considerable focus on my form. Had I tried this bar before I'm sure the first several uses would have been with much lighter weights.

I think fine tuning the bar to the sweet spot of effort/weight/reps to get in the zone will be key. How whippy the bar is, how the bar is loaded (heavier weight in/outboard), how long the bungies are, how much control of acc/deceleration you have all are huge factors here. I suspect if you could remain tight and in perfect control there would be little difference in oly bar vs EQ bar, of course a few reps with this bar will show you that is not likely. It surprised me how little a lapse of focus it takes to end up with the bar flying out of the groove and landing on you.

[rlundregan]

@rlundregan - For me, the biggest aspect is two fold. First, I can "barbell" bench twice in a week without any issues, yet I'm still going near my upper limits, simply because I can't load the bar as heavy. So its easy on the joints, murder on the muscles. Second, you absolutely 100% have to use good form. It will nail you to the floor otherwise.
Is it a required piece? Nope. I've done the hanging band technique with my football bar and camerbered bar, and that was murder as well. Anything where it swings around is going to be torture on your stabilizers.

Side note, I also really like it for overhead work, and for weighted carries. I did zercher carries with it, and boy did that light up the midsection.

I appreciated this comment a lot--repped.

You and Chad both mentioned that the bar forces you to use good form. I still have other priorities to fix with my programming first, but it might be a good idea for me to either make a bar like this or just play around with banding weights on a straight bar sooner rather than later. My bench press form has never been stellar.

[smokinHawk]

Good info Chadsalt,
one thing I cant see did you do anything to the ends?

[smokinHawk]

I appreciated this comment a lot--repped.

You and Chad both mentioned that the bar forces you to use good form. I still have other priorities to fix with my programming first, but it might be a good idea for me to either make a bar like this or just play around with banding weights on a straight bar sooner rather than later. My bench press form has never been stellar.

it doesn't necessarily make you use good form, it teaches you to stay tight and have a good rhythm. You will be focused on where you touch on your chest and where you finish int he upright position.
I got it to work the stabilization muscles in my shoulders to see if it can help rehab them.

[rlundregan]

it doesn't necessarily make you use good form, it teaches you to stay tight and have a good rhythm. You will be focused on where you touch on your chest and where you finish int he upright position.
I got it to work the stabilization muscles in my shoulders to see if it can help rehab them.

Thanks for the clarification!

[chadsalt]

Good info Chadsalt,
one thing I cant see did you do anything to the ends?

Just wrapped a 'stop' with the electric tape. I'd seen some people cap them so I wasn't sure what to expect, but the ends are just like the rest of the rod--smooth and hard.