New homemade link

Idahopowerlifting A lot good ideas on the site. I especially like the glutham design.

Making a prowler

All the rage now, prowlers look like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, they cost a small fortune. Homemade to the rescue. Jim over at animal ability has a nice idea using a tire, see the link. I'm thinking of using a very similar idea with a tire or a very similar idea using a wheel barrel body. I'm not sure which route I want to go. The tire would be excellent for use on cement, but tire would possible cause less damage to grass. So I'm first going to have to decide where I will use it.

Prowler on youtube.

Toasty Feet

Things have been going well in the ghetto. I've been heating it to a near tropical 35 degrees. Thats warm enough for lifting and I'd say for me, a lot more comfortable that the humid 90s of the summer. The only problem I've had is my feet have been freezing. I think this is because I can fairly quickly increase the air temp, but the ground remains very cold. I've tried thicker sole shoes with limited luck.

So, I decided to try a product called Toasty Feet. I got my pair on ebay. When they arrived I quickly trimmed them to the proper size. They have markings on them to help and it was very easy. I slipped them in a pair of workout shoes and tried them out. They worked flawlessly. Near the end of the workout, a time my feet would usually be frozen, they weren't even cold. In fact, when I took my shoes off, I realized my feet had even sweat a bit. I would highly recommend them.

Indian Club idea

I like this idea on youtube. It uses plumbing pipe. This time of year, the large plastic bats are getting hard to find and some overseas people have had no luck any time a year.

Watch the club made here.

14 inch and 30 inch diameter hollow balls

I heard about these on Dirty Jobs, of all places. There has to be some use for them.

Wildtrax

Another rope supplier

Cheap prices and precut into various lengths, they also have 3".

contractorsrope

Fitness's latest non invention

Valslide allow you to slide around the floor and exercise. They look really cool. You can easily take them with you. Two are ONLY $29.99. jValslide

Sounds really cool huh. The thing is it's a non-invention. They have been using a nearly identical product to move furniture for years. A quick online search lead me to Uhaul where you can get four for only $13.99. And I know I purchased a few a while back at the dollar store!!

When will it end? Isn't it bad enough we pay over $2 a pound for what is essentially scrap iron?

Aptdwler on Youtube

I've decided to place some videos of me lifting on Youtube. Right now I have a benching video up and hope to add some more soon. I'm also hoping to soon update my main page. I'm having some computer issue that have slowed me.

Aptdwler on Youtube

Concrete Mixing Bag

I just got a concrete mixing bag. It's made of very heavy, clear plastic. It is designed to quickly and easily mix cement. I'm excited about it, especially the fact that one person can pour the cement. I hope to have a full review soon.

They are available at this link, The Cement Solution. There is a video of the complete process on the site.

Atlas Stones

I've made several more stones. I can't say the exact weights, as I totaled my scale. For mixing the cement, I used a cheap (free after rebate) tarp and the Cretesheet method. See the video on there site. I couldn't find the product locally, or I probably would purchase it. The tarp works fine, but has torn after 2 uses and leaks. I put a wheelbawl top under it to keep the leak from making a real mess.

Cretesheet

miss

I'm having off and on problems with my keyboard. I hope to do some updates when I get it resolved.

A really excellent site with closeup pics of how to open a keg.

Keg Link

Heat, humidity and bugs

Sorry, I am way behind on emails and how to information. It has been a very hot and humid August. I don't have A/C in the garage or apartment (room), so it's been well HOT.....

My first Stone...

I made my first stone last week. I used a slater 16" mold. I expect to make many more in the future. It was pretty easy, and I'll have more information at a latter time. I think the weight is around 165. I was able to lift it easily!!

RIP Jesse

I'm a little stunned. I went to his board earlier today. It was down. I didn't think much of it, until....

From KNOP Radio

(Sequim) -- A Sequim man considered one of the strongest men in the world has died. Twenty-seven-year-old Jesse Marunde died last night after collapsing while doing exercises at his home in Sequim. Friends of the family confirm he died last night after stopping his workout when he felt dizzy. Marunde and his wife Callie had just celebrated the birth of a baby about six weeks ago. Marunde also has a nine-year-old son from a previous marriage. Marunde finished second in the 2005 "World's Strongest Man" competition. He continued competing in similar competitions and ran a gym with his wife in Sequim.


RIP Jesse

Heavy Bag and Stonebell

Definitely sign up for the ebook at Low Budget Warrior. That is a very interesting, promising, heavy bag design.

An interesting kettlebell design, Stonebell.

I'm still very busy with extra work. I expect to be done in 3 weeks.

NEW...Agility Ladder.......

Old Agility article I have a better and safer plan. It is possible to hit the pvc right and it will roll and you could loose balance. This is pretty minor. I've had no problems, but this idea is also easy or easier.

The article will be coming soon, but for now, get some thin wood, think yard stick. It will make the step portion. Get the cheapest nylon strap you can get. Cut the wood to size and staple it to the strap...

BTW even cheaper is to paint or chalk it on the surface, if this is possible.

Generally the steps are made 18" apart, though you can vary this.

The article with picks will be about a month off, as I'm working a second job for 3 more weeks....

Free audio & podcasts

I'm going to add a lot more, but the 2 of my favorites are:

Strength and Power Hour Fairly new, but awesome interviews.

Performance Nutrition Hour

More to follow: check for new links.

Blood sugar meltdown (personal)

Guys I'm back to the doctor Monday. My meds seem to have stopped working overnight. I'm also behind on many many emails. Anyway, I did add a new section, blogs to checkout..

Behind on emails again....

Sorry I'm running behind on everything right now...

MORE GRAPPLING DUMMY INFO

Another readers excellent design El Jefe.

The wire mystery continues. He had no problem finding it at a Lowes in NJ. I haven't been able to determine why some places are carrying it and others not. I is possible that local electrical codes are the reason, but I can't confirm that. For whatever reason, mcmaster doesn't carry it.

machine collars for barbell collars

I saw this idea on a post at crossfit. It is a GREAT idea. Not only are they strong, they fit exactly and are CHEAP. Metal collars are getting either real expensive or impossible to find. This should be a great alternative.

Mcmaster.com page 1103

New Homemade links / busy

I've added 2 new homemade links. Celtickane has a really good idea for a pullup bar that attaches w/o hardware to a I beam. Something real similar might work if you had a real solid door.

Dave Draper's link has a ton of ideas, including drawings and measurements for a lot of equipment made out of wood.

Toffe's Gym shows an INCREDIBLE homemade gym.

I've added a few more!! People have been busy making and documenting making things, thats COOL! I wish I had time to comment on them, but...

A side note to anyone trying to get a hold of me. I'm working on a very short term, 2 to 3 more weeks, online project. I have to devote most of my computer time to it, so correspondence might be slow for a while. I'm sorry about this, but I need to make $$ when I can.

multi-handle pullup bar

I'm working on a multi-handle pullup bar. It will feature multiple direction and thicknesses. I hope to have pictures soon. You might ask, "What is a fat, weak guy that is horrible at pullup working on this for"? Well, it's precisely because I'm bad at pullups that I designed the bar and the monkey bar simulator. I hope by adding variety , that I will get much better at the garden variety pullup. I got board with them quickly, and I'm hoping by adding variety, it will instill interest and desire.

Grappling Dummy WIre or Other Ideas??

Has anyone out there been able to locate the aluminum wire recently? "service entrance cable, aluminum inside" It appears, based on a couple emails and some searching, it may be either very hard to find or no longer made. If anyone has had success finding it please contact me.

Also if you have any ideas to replace the wire, let me know. I have considered the possibility of using hinges.

I'm also excited about the possibility of gooseneck tubing "flexible gooseneck tubing" page 2493 mcmaster.com. But a lot more research is needed.

also http://www.flexible-gooseneck.com/

speed bag & freestanding slackline

I have ideas for both of these. I first, unfortunately, really need to make sure I have room LOL. The speed bag is just the platform made with plywood and metal shelf hangers from a hardware store. I think it would be very easy to make. The actual bag and swivel will be purchased. The freestanding slackline involves pipe and will run around $100, if purchased new.

monkey bars

Well, I always wanted some monkey bars, but started adding up the costs of the pipe etc and decided I'd have to go a different route. For now I attached, using eye bolts, a single horizontal rope on the rafters. It has some slack. For someone not good at pull ups, it is challenging. I would say a good deal tougher than the monkey bars I had envisioned would be. I'll have pics soon.

Bats and pool noodles

Bats to make Clubbell© Substitutes and pool noodles are both back in stock at Walmart.

On a non-related side note, I discovered the tops off Super-Guz soda cups from a local convince store fit a 4 inch pvc pipe perfectly. It came in handy for me as I need an end-cap, but it didn't need to be super strong.

Climbing rope attachment hardware

There is a good post over at Crossfit about climbing rope attachment hardware and also an idea for a thick bar.

Crossfit post

(diabetes) Cheese Based Crust Pizza Review *****

Incredible, I'd never guessed it wasn't a regular flour crust. Five plus stars IMO. It was a VERY good pizza. I followed the directions exactly, with excellent results. I had the pepperoni, and of course added Jalapeños and hot sauce. The 10 1/2 inch pizza was $7 at the local Hyvee (a Midwestern grocery store). Of course I ate the whole thing:) It had 810 calories, 66 grams of protein, and a ONLY 21 grams of carbs!! I hope to have MANY more in the future.

Right now, sales are in limited Midwestern Hyvee's. I would expect widespread distribution to follow.


Vanharden (the inventor)

Mcmaster.com sells pipe fittings:)

The last two posts about pipe fittings were new to me, but I should have known Mcmaster would sell them and at an awesome price. See page 1580, speed rails.

Another pipe fitting source

Another source for non-threaded pipe fittings is below. It has a couple options the other site lacked. One option I have great hope for! Ikgoodwin

13 Degrees in the Ghetto!!

My coldest workout so far. After running the space heater 1/2 hour it was a near tropical 13 degrees F!!! I wore a snow suit, face mask and heavy insulated leather gloves. The snow suit was a bit small and somewhat limited my ROM. Other than that, it was a very good workout. Surprisingly, the gloves really didn't matter very much. I even did power cleans with them. This might end up being the simplest solution to cold hands. I was really surprise how I was able to hold the bar. My hands and feet were a bit cold by the end. There is no way I would have been able to last with lighter gloves. (note: None of the things I wanted to experiment with, PVC, electric blanket etc came to be. I just ran out of time before the cold arrived.)

The only real mistake was bringing out a pre-chilled soda to drink. Slush quickly developed in it, and spilled all over when I opened in it. The spill then froze instantly on contact with the cement LOL.

And to think, I nearly skipped the confidence building workout. I convinced myself that most athletes in Siberia would me ecstatic to workout in a wind shelter gym at a balmy 13 degrees and went for it. I'm glad I did.

Cold weather thoughts.....

We haven't had any super cold weather here, and it's almost February. That's great, because I'm hoping to use the money I had for a heater on something more productive:)
I have one small electric space heater, and need to use it more affectively as a hand warmer, as it doesn't really have enough power to do anything else. I found another space heater at work, but I lack the electrical power to run both. When plugging both in, the first reduces power by about 1/2.

The main problem I've had remains my hands. A few things I'm going to try include heavier gloves during warm-ups. I notice on the last cold day, my hands were actually already somewhat cold before I even started working with the metal bars. We are suppose to have some colder weather next week and am going to try hand warmers on the back on my hand, if it gets below 20 in the ghetto. I've had VERY good luck with them in the past, with other outdoor activities.

Other things I've considered for the future include putting PVC over one of my bars. The PVC handled dumbbells I have don't seem to transfer cold nearly as quick as metal. I may or may not get this up and running by the predicted cold next week. I'm also thinking with some exercises I might be able to use a slightly thicker glove. Turkish get-ups in particular, due to the length of time the lift lasts are a pain.

A friend also mentioned I might want to try heated pipe wrap. This is a thought, especially since I don't pay the electric bill:) But, I need to look into it further. I'm not sure how warm they are.

Cool man "hanging"

Cool training idea, but handle with care. It could help develop strength to resist a chock hold. I did something easier, but simular. Lay your neck over a pullup bar, full nelson yourself, and lift your feet. I couldn't last long, but it was good training.

link spotted at:
ironworks

Mike "The Machine" Bruce "Hanging Out"

Atlas stone training idea

I don't have a stone, yet:) But I ran across this idea browsing link to link...

dieselcrew

napalmjedd

Atlas stone strap

Cheaper kettlebells on the way?

Time will tell, but apparently Lifeline is about to release a line of kettlebells.

irongarmx forum discussion mentioning the bells

(diabetes) A new no flour pizza crust

It has just 5g of carbs per slice. Unfortunately, they didn't say how many slices were in a pizza, but I think it is promising. Right now, it's has very limited availability. If I'm able to get any, I'll let you know about taste.

Pizza article

pizza article 2

thick handle idea

Here is a good thread over at Crossfit.com

http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/35025.html

I have some possible additional uses for this idea. I will keep everyone informed. I'm out of $$ this month, so they will have to wait, as I have no pvc or pipe insulation.

Other, non-workout, homemade stuff links

Here are a couple other links to making non-workout stuff I've come across.

Makezine This is a REALLY good zine, primarily covering, but definitely not limited to, electronics. There is a popular torrent covering all the back issues.

Farmshow This is a magazine, (old fashion in the mail type), that covers homemade farm equipment. Farmers seem to be very good at coming up with homemade ideas. I enjoyed looking at the few issues I've run across.

Thinking of working with pipe?

You really need to check this stuff out Speed Rail. I'
m considering a couple projects with it. It is more expensive than using threaded pipe, but does allow for a lot more options.

(diabetes) Interesting research

http://www.cell.com/content/article/abstract?uid=PIIS0092867406015340&highlight=diabetes

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a042812e-492c-4f07-8245-8a598ab5d1bf&p=2

This is REAL interesting. It will likely be a LONG time before anything real comes of it, but it is by far the most interesting research I've seen.

(off-topic) Maps

I'm a big map fan. I'd guess, as a poor (by U.S. standards), it's because I've never been anywhere, or barring a lottery win, will never go anywhere. I came across Unique Maps a few weeks ago, and ordered the U.S. and World versions. I got them today. They are INCREDIBLE!! The details are beyond anything I've seen on any other maps. They have buildings that represent the cities, detailed mountain ranges and a LOT more. If your a map fan, they are a must have. The only drawbacks are I wish they would have made them a bit bigger. Because of the size on the world map, the Pacific Rim is on the back, and on the U.S. map Alaska and Hawaii are on the back. I find this a bit odd, but they are still MUST haves, if your into maps, and the prices are great!

Getup

Dan John has a new Getup newsletter available. Many thanks to him for providing a FREE newsletter and a TON of other FREE information over the years...

New Gym......

If you haven't seen my new gym, check it out Ghetto Gym. Nothing compares to a home gym. I'm holding off on buy a heater. Hoping I can make it without spending the cash. Of course, it's been real warm so far this winter. I have learned a few things. I had to ditch the wrestling shoes. Though I much prefer to wear them, the soles were way too thin, and my feet frozen. At the advice of several people, I ended up using mechanics gloves. A few people have said they used no gloves, but I can't imagine how. Just like my feet, my hand froze quickly. I have several additions planned for the gym in the future.

My First Post

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! This is my very first post on my new blog. My links are very incomplete, I need to get up my new years goals, and I need to do a lot of other additions.

The latest UFC is up on the torrents. I'm hoping someone puts pride up soon, though individual fights can be found on youtube.

Be sure to visit my main site Fightraining!, if you haven't already.