Equipment Crew- Part IV

[Michiganian]

Does the Syedee V squat have an air chuck?

Air chuck?

I really like the leverage squat from BS.

Yeah, I recall when you got that. The reason I like the V-Press is the back support.

What I'd really like to have is one of these Freemotion Selectorized Squat Machines



Had those at Life Time Fitness back when I used to be a member there. Loved that machine for squats. But, even used, when you can find them, they're $1500 or more. That Syedee V-Squat machine looks to be about as close to that as I could reasonably come?

I have the BS leg press also. It is OK, but the footplate is small. The hack squat angle is a knee killer.

I really cannot see someone 6'4" fitting in it..

Hmmm... Thanks for the info. Maybe I should take that off my short list?

[Greybird2]

All of these machines are different flavors of the same movement.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Good to see some life breathed back into the forum! I've been putting some additional arm variety into my lifting and one thing I haven't had since my old dedicated bench presses that included them and have long been sold is a preacher curl station (if it has a dual spider curl section That'd be great too, although I could just use the opposite side of the preacher pad for those).

Any recommendations on a good dedicated stand alone preacher curl station? (Mainly looking for a mid-range to residential level piece of good quality and that will fit my height at 5'8".

[radrd]

Good to see some life breathed back into the forum! I've been putting some additional arm variety into my lifting and one thing I haven't had since my old dedicated bench presses that included them and have long been sold is a preacher curl station (if it has a dual spider curl section That'd be great too, although I could just use the opposite side of the preacher pad for those).

Any recommendations on a good dedicated stand alone preacher curl station? (Mainly looking for a mid-range to residential level piece of good quality and that will fit my height at 5'8".

Two interesting options you might add to your list:





Adam remains my favorite YT equipment reviewer in part because he used to post here regularly and still pops up occasionally.

[Greybird2]

Don't really want to acquire another machine, but I'm not getting the kind of leg development I'd like to see out of squats and TBDLs and I've two people possibly interested in my rower. So I may just sell the rower--which I've hardly used since acquiring the assault bike, do-away with the bar that serves for little more than to collect clutter, and be the forum Guinea pig for that Syedee V-Squat machine.

Might be time to move on from fierce 5.

[Michiganian]

Might be time to move on from fierce 5.

I've been having the same thought of late.

[urbanlifter]

Still think the Prime bench looks overpriced, some of those attachments are cool but completely unnecessary. I do spider curls on my IM bench for free, plus a cheap bicep bomber gets the job done when I want that preacher curl feel.

Best bicep workout (IMO): Time tested concentration curls, spider curls, drag curls, hammer curls, and the occasional set of 21's.

[Michiganian]

I do spider curls on my IM bench for free, plus a cheap bicep bomber gets the job done when I want that preacher curl feel.

I'm still debating with myself over acquiring the preacher curl attachment for my IM bench. I used to like doing cable preacher curls at my old gym, though, so maybe...

Best bicep workout (IMO): Time tested concentration curls, spider curls, drag curls, hammer curls, and the occasional set of 21's.

Incline DB curls are brutal

[radrd]

I'm still debating with myself over acquiring the preacher curl attachment for my IM bench. I used to like doing cable preacher curls at my old gym, though, so maybe...


Incline DB curls are brutal

Incline DB curls are one of my favorites. Another angled brutal curl is leaning at away from your functional trainer and gripping both handles behind you with arms fully extended. Then curl upward while keeping your upper arm parallel to your body until you get to the top. Been doing those for a couple weeks and enjoying it.

Don't forget you can do single-arm preacher curls on any incline bench.

[urbanlifter]

Incline curls were a staple of mine for a long time, but I noticed a little excess strain on my elbows/shoulders so I gave them up. Started doing old school Arnold style standing concentration curls (like Pumping Iron), and noticed some REALLY good growth!

Michigan, I wouldn't buy the IM preacher curl. It's disappointing from a quality standpoint and just never felt right to me.

[thedickus]

Incline curls were a staple of mine for a long time, but I noticed a little excess strain on my elbows/shoulders so I gave them up. Started doing old school Arnold style standing concentration curls (like Pumping Iron), and noticed some REALLY good growth!

Michigan, I wouldn't buy the IM preacher curl. It's disappointing from a quality standpoint and just never felt right to me.

I was never a big fan of incline dumbbell curls for some reason, maybe just never experimented enough to find the right angle. I do love the concentration curls standing ala Arnold. I can really feel the pump this way, for me it eliminates the swaying with the traditional seated concentration curls. It doesn't seem like it would, but it did for me.

I have the IM preacher curl attachment and it's just OK. I've only ever had the PowerTec preacher attachment to compare it against and it works just as well, wasn't really a fan of it either. I don't use mine attached to my SuperBench. I have the standing dock for it and use it attached to my IM lat pulldown town with the bottom cable or to my IM2000 as a "free standing" preacher curl to use a barbell/EZ curl with. I like it because I can do them standing. To me the padding is pretty thin and lacking. I do like that it has the bar holder, although for Michigan with longer arms, I don't think racking/unracking from the holder would work all that well.
Unless you're going with a commercial grade standing preacher with the incline on one side and the straight pad on the other side I think all of the home/light commercial grade ones are going to be pretty much the same.

[radrd]

Some bicep curl variations I found interesting and made me think of this topic:

[Deep-Voiced-One]

I'm on vacation in PR with my GF and just got to reading a few of the above messages.

radrd, I appreciate the suggestions and Adam as always is a good dude with fair reviews on workout equipment. I just sold my Rogue Adjustable 2.0 Bench right before my flight to PR (down to three benches now from four), so not really looking for another adjustable one.

I talked to Adam about the Prime Bench on discord a few weeks back and how I didn't think the quality matched the price tag, but commended him for providing an unbiased review with fair points. I was a bit harsh on the bench stating that it reminds me of a glorified Marcy bench lol.

The Ab Mat Preacher Curl Pad looks interesting, but I might look for a different solution.

Also, unilateral seated DB incline curls are one of my favorite biceps moves too, been doing those on and off for years and just got back to doing them once again...I'll focus on the curls fully supinated during the movement, then as my biceps fatigue I'll crank out a few more doing them with the hands neutral and turning the curl to supinated at the top.

Urban, I can't seem to set up the right position with spider curls on the IM bench, not with DBs anyway...maybe I have to try it again with a curl bar instead, or set the bench near my cable station with one of the cable curl attachments. I might have to try that biceps bomber if it works well (never thought to buy one, I almost did at one time, but wasn't sure if it would've been too gimmicky at the time).

[urbanlifter]

Bicep bomber is great, just takes a little getting used to because it puts alot of pressure on your chest. I mainly use it in conjunction with my AB revolving curl bar and the low row pulley on the Powertec machine. Good pump! As for spider curls, I do them with my Rackable Rogue curl bar on the half rack. Bench needs to be setup just right so you can lift the bar off the safeties but not hit them while curling. Concentration curls though are by far my favorite, nothing seems to hit my biceps as hard as those

[thedickus]

I don't know how many of you, if any, own the IronMaster IM2000 smith/self spotting machine. They just released a belt squat attachment for it. It took me a couple of times watching the video on it to see the start/stop points on it. You can start in the top position which I like. It looks like you just have to rotate the smith's bar to activate/deactivate the safety catch then hold the bar during the movement. For $160 I might have to try it out. I don't have a belt for a belt squat, so not sure if I want to get theirs or get the Spud Inc one.

https://www.ironmaster.com/products/...nt-for-im2000/

[JohnCuster]

I'm on vacation in PR with my GF and just got to reading a few of the above messages.

radrd, I appreciate the suggestions and Adam as always is a good dude with fair reviews on workout equipment. I just sold my Rogue Adjustable 2.0 Bench right before my flight to PR (down to three benches now from four), so not really looking for another adjustable one.

I talked to Adam about the Prime Bench on discord a few weeks back and how I didn't think the quality matched the price tag, but commended him for providing an unbiased review with fair points. I was a bit harsh on the bench stating that it reminds me of a glorified Marcy bench lol.

The Ab Mat Preacher Curl Pad looks interesting, but I might look for a different solution.

Also, unilateral seated DB incline curls are one of my favorite biceps moves too, been doing those on and off for years and just got back to doing them once again...I'll focus on the curls fully supinated during the movement, then as my biceps fatigue I'll crank out a few more doing them with the hands neutral and turning the curl to supinated at the top.

Urban, I can't seem to set up the right position with spider curls on the IM bench, not with DBs anyway...maybe I have to try it again with a curl bar instead, or set the bench near my cable station with one of the cable curl attachments. I might have to try that biceps bomber if it works well (never thought to buy one, I almost did at one time, but wasn't sure if it would've been too gimmicky at the time).

I have the Prime Shorty Bench and the Prime HLP w/Stacks (best rack I've owned and Prime is the best on QC to date).

They are a nice match and the bench does somethings very well, which Adam (great dude in real life) nailed in the review.

The leg ext/curl attachment (that is in the ether) is probably going to be the real winner for this item.

The pad, even w/the head rest is a tad short IMO if going full flat or a low incline and the lack of vertical storage is a miss.

That said, when mated to the HLP, it can make for a very efficient and time collapsing/compressing session when doing Arms or a Push day .

It is nice, but wouldn't make it my only bench....for heavy-ish and flat barbell work, I still think a wider and more grippy pad is the way to go.

I would say that you could probably get away with this and a nice flat bench like the Rogue Monster 2.0 if your preferences are like mine.

If you're looking for a heavy duty, single bench that is a jack of all trades including cable or FT usage I think some of the ABs from Rep (with a 12in pad), the Manta Ray, and the Williams Signature are among the most solid picks.

My verdict is:

If you are in the Prime Ecosystem/into a lot of accessory and/or Bodybuilding work this is a winner...but you might want a second bench depending on how you train.

[radrd]

Great feedback on the shorty bench. I already have two adjustable benches and I think I'm covered.

I'm in the Prime ecosystem and generally you get what you pay for, but some of their stuff is frustratingly expensive even if you are accustomed to paying extra for quality. This morning, I got an email about a launch of some new stabilizing handles for my rack. Looks like something I might put to good use albeit on a more limited basis because I have an older version of the HLP rack that only has holes on the front and back of the uprights. Then I clicked through and saw the price. $375 before tax and shipping. For a pair of handles that may only see occasional use, I'm looking at $444 shipped. That's a tough pill to swallow and probably puts them out of reach.

https://www.primefitnessusa.com/prod...ttachment-pair

[JohnCuster]

Great feedback on the shorty bench. I already have two adjustable benches and I think I'm covered.

I'm in the Prime ecosystem and generally you get what you pay for, but some of their stuff is frustratingly expensive even if you are accustomed to paying extra for quality. This morning, I got an email about a launch of some new stabilizing handles for my rack. Looks like something I might put to good use albeit on a more limited basis because I have an older version of the HLP rack that only has holes on the front and back of the uprights. Then I clicked through and saw the price. $375 before tax and shipping. For a pair of handles that may only see occasional use, I'm looking at $444 shipped. That's a tough pill to swallow and probably puts them out of reach.

https://www.primefitnessusa.com/prod...ttachment-pair

I think these are pretty decent...I like these types of handles for dips and push ups.

I have the Campbells from OAK which do a lot of what these do, so I'm not sure I'm going to pop for these, even w/a solid discount as a "Prime Athlete".

My reservation is that they won't really store anywhere and might get lost in the sauce w/the Campbells more so than price.

Given that everything from Prime has been 10x the quality of the next best thing and the packing of materials is outstanding, so I'm ok with spending more with them, but I need to be more selective on things that I buy and end up using 1-2 times a year and don't store very well.

[radrd]

In the context of the Oak Campbell's, the Prime handles don't seem so expensive, but I wish I could buy a single first and then add a second later. I probably want a pair, but if it turns out one isn't all that useful, I wouldn't bother adding the second.

[C123C]

Incline DB curls are one of my favorites. Another angled brutal curl is leaning at away from your functional trainer and gripping both handles behind you with arms fully extended. Then curl upward while keeping your upper arm parallel to your body until you get to the top. Been doing those for a couple weeks and enjoying it.

This is a good suggestion. Will throw in next time for sure to give it a try. Appreciate it.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Incline DB curls are one of my favorites. Another angled brutal curl is leaning at away from your functional trainer and gripping both handles behind you with arms fully extended. Then curl upward while keeping your upper arm parallel to your body until you get to the top. Been doing those for a couple weeks and enjoying it.

Don't forget you can do single-arm preacher curls on any incline bench.

Completely overlooked the part about the cable curl leaning away version and the single arm preacher curls on an inclined bench until C123C replied and bumped this post, great suggestions that I'm going to start incorporating into my arm work.

For the leaning away cable curl I would have to do that isolaterally since I have a lat pulldown/low row station, when you do them I assume that you take a staggered stance (one step forward), right?

Looks like it would have an awesome effect similar to incline DB curls which are also my favorite due to the nice ROM/stretch they give.

[Michiganian]

Completely overlooked the part about the cable curl leaning away version ...

Looks like it would have an awesome effect similar to incline DB curls which are also my favorite due to the nice ROM/stretch they give.

According to one of the coaches I follow on X, it provides greater activation from bicep stretch than incline DB curls.

[radrd]

Completely overlooked the part about the cable curl leaning away version and the single arm preacher curls on an inclined bench until C123C replied and bumped this post, great suggestions that I'm going to start incorporating into my arm work.

For the leaning away cable curl I would have to do that isolaterally since I have a lat pulldown/low row station, when you do them I assume that you take a staggered stance (one step forward), right?

Looks like it would have an awesome effect similar to incline DB curls which are also my favorite due to the nice ROM/stretch they give.

Yep, seemed the most natural but I haven't tried any other way. At first, I set the cable trollies too high and had to move them down, so I think you should be OK from the low position. I think I saw it on Renaissance Periodization YouTube.

[radrd]

Welcome back, equipment crew!

[murphyreedus]

Welcome back, equipment crew!

[TheDude8734]

Welcome back, equipment crew!

[jasonp360]

Welcome back, equipment crew!

Yeah!!!!!

If anyone needs help with anything forum/hosting/database/whatever hit me up. I do all this for a living. Happy to assist.

What happened?

[Michiganian]

Thought the forums were a goner. Glad to see them back!

In the meantime I sold my C2 rower and, just yesterday, got the bar out of the basement and did some re-arranging. There's now room for the leg sled (probably Powertec) I plan to order in about five weeks

Should get the XMark FID bench I replaced a few months back listed somewhere. Get it out of the garage and give me a bit more cash for more new gym gear

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Welcome back crew, not sure what happened, but just to celebrate in the best way the crew knows how, I'm gonna send this heads up if anyone wants a 25 TPI mountain knurled American Barbell Chewy Bar blemish bar. As far as I know some are still available and if you e-mail Shea Jensen she'll send you a quote.

This version of the Chewy Bar is NOT the retail model which is 20 TPI volcano knurl, the 25 TPI mountain blem bar is the nicer version in my opinion.

[AttyGuy]

This place has become a sh-tshow and I'm spread with just about everybody here.