Thanks for posting this Mac. I need to re build my suspension rig in the basement when we move back in soon and I may incorporate his ideas to upgrade my rig.


Mark H

Hi Mark

Yeah I'm looking into doing something like this at my home. I am in to body weight resistance at the moment which is a good thing as money is scarce, so the gym has had to be dropped.

This one looks like the best I've see so far but with one problem, the trx is all on one cable so single arm exercises would not be possible.

The guy only uses three lashing cables, they normally come in packs of 2. So i was toying with the idea of keeping the trx cables seperate and maybe using a bow knot to attach them to the Karabiner.

Waiting for pay day and then play time

Here's one I made earlier.

I kept them separate and put them on my chin up bar.



Used PVC piping for the handles too. Nothing fancy. But went with tubing that felt a bit too wide for my grip - to develop said grip!

Have fun with your project. I've also largely replaced the gym with this and a few other bits.

I've challenged myself to doing some exercise before next week, i'll get you all a pic of my setup.

Topless pics £3.50 extra per set of five

Just put a hook in the kitchen ceiling, like this:

(ignore the holes, I was trying to pin point a beam. I'll fill them in better tomorrow).

Spoiler:

And here is the invention. It's pretty apparent that I made it from a pair of £4.99 ratchet straps from Boyes (discount hardware) .. And yeah that's a ceiling hook in the style of the one used previously, but it's holding together the strap. I meant to get that sorted actually, never got round to it. The nut on the end is because I got sick of it scratching me.

Spoiler:

Ignore the state of the lino as well please, the kitchen still needs 'doing' .. Although as we may buy the house i'm somewhat reluctant to increase it's value more than needed.. (new lino covering in pic on left).


Edit: Should be good off the ceiling as i'm intending to make a pullup bar that hangs from the centre, so that it's up to me to 'level' it as I do pullups. Think of the bar/rowing extension on a cable machine, with only one fixing point (the centre) so it rocks from side to side.

Is one attachment point of that style going to be strong enough?

Two might be better, you could have them close together.

You can ignore me.

Are you going to do foot straps too?

You're right, about questioning the fitting in the beam. I'm confident in it though, having given it a quick hang. I'll test it a bit more when I get set up properly. You're right, I've got two hooks, why not use them.

Main concern is the stitching going on the cheap webbing.

I've got enough left for foot straps, planning on perhaps hanging them on another beam. I tried it in my old setup and it worked well, felt bloody funny though.

I've also got one of those abs rollers, should be able to put it to good use on the lino (previously had carpet - It was nigh on impossible).


I have to say, having never been a gym person, that I very much like bodyweight stuff. Wether it's just because it's new to me I don't know, but much prefer it to silly machines.

Freeweights have their time and place, can't beat a dumb-bell. Got them as well.

Anyway might make a nice little compact gym out of that kitchen yet. Best thing about the suspension thing is you can lengthen/shorten it at the addition of a knot (or by doubling it up) and based on hanging you can do almost anything with it.

Ab roller!?!

Burn it!

In the Garden!

Film the spectacle then post the video here to confirm & then .....do sit ups & crunches like a real man.

In Mike's defence I'm hoping he means an ab wheel, which can be a killer core training tool.



I use mine four days a week.

Nice job Mike. I too would be a bit worried about it coming down though. Because there are certain positions you can be in on a suspension trainer where, if it WERE to fall, the first thing to tell you it had broke will be your face slamming into the ground. Human reaction-speed being what it is.

I'm with Matt on the ab work. What's the world coming to? Almost as bad as my friend ordering a strawberry flavoured beer the other night...

Mark, I don't like those things personally. KILLER workout for sure, but I always feel like I'm gonna slip a disk on those things!

I was actually considering getting a foam mat about the size of a door made (or cut) and then using that below me anyway .. But yes, sirs, I will check the strength of the hook. And if it fails i'll obviously post pics and let you all take the piss.

Also, yes - I mean an ab wheel. Ab rollers are those things fat middle aged women use, right?

Although personally my preference for abs excersises are these:



I hate sit-ups and crunches, they just feel wrong. Anything hanging suits me to be perfectly honest, I feel it trains the grip a bit as well as stretching the upper body and back nicely whilst you're exercising. Even pullups, where the back is contracting, seem to stretch out the lower back I find.


Mark, good on you five times a week. I tested it last night and now my upper abdominal area is killing.. Hahaha.. Sometimes you forget how much muscle you're using to do an exercise once it stops hurting the day after.

I dun got clever.

Improvised a ratchet type thing that lets me quickly adjust the length of the straps..


Edited to add:

This simplifies everything as I can go from pressups to rows (on my back) very quickly, and it allows full usage of the length of the webbing.

Importantly, it also allows the webbing to freely slide through the caribiner at the ceiling hook, meaning I can do assymetrical rows, pressups etc. And theoretically it should make balancing harder, due to having to keep a constant pressure on both sides.

That pic thing is just a 'prototype' by the way, to test my theory. I'm fairly chuffed!

No pic...

Re uploaded and added

Nice. How have you attached the end of the webbing to the eye-screw thingy?

You can take the price sticker off now too BTW

Nono, it's colour coded. Plus if I leave it on I can take it back and get a refund if I ever get rid of the suspension thingy.

I've swapped the screw for another peice now, so I could tie it on. Need a figure 8 sort of thing though really.

How's your training going, BTW?

Not started yet, ahahaha! It's set up, well noticed, I was suspiciously quiet on that front..

Why is the kid pissing on a wall and what does that have to do with Nike?

No feckin idea. But the words are for you...

finally had a chance to put my effort together, just the handles to do but the main part is up.

Can't use it at the moment, been laid up for the last few days with a trapped nerve in my lower back.. a nice pulsing pain down my left leg.

lovely!

I'll post photos once it's complete. looks good so far, can't wait to get started

Hi macca, I was searching for 'attachments' just now on eBay and found these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Comfort-foam-grip-resistance-band-attachments-exercise-tubes-cord-handles-/260962792598?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Exercise_Fitness_Fitness_Accessories_ET&hash=item3cc2983496

Only a fiver, might save some time if you've still not done the handles.

Although i'm starting to wonder if they'd be suitable for bodyweight, although i'm sure someone could upgrage the D-ring on them to a caribiner.

I found them from the following eBay search for 'cable attachments':

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Exercise-Fitness-/15273/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A7%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1&rt=nc&_nkw=attachment&_catref=1&_dmpt=UK_Strength_Training&_sop=7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=2

Also i've just bought this, to allow me to do close grip and wide grip pullups from the hook in the ceiling:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/47-lats-bar-rubber-handle-revolving-attachment-/260782217299?pt=UK_Strength_Training&hash=item3cb7d4d853

Cheapest on there by far, no used ones so had to stump up for a new one.


I've realised that with that hook in the ceiling in the kitchen I have my own cable machine (not that I particularly like cable machines). Eventually I'm hoping to be strong enough to loop a rope through the hook and use the washing machine as resistance for tricep pulldowns. Yes, i'm joking

But still, seated stuff is possible, all that's needed is to find a ceiling beam and screw a £2.99 hook into it.

Not impossible with a washing machine mate.

Before I injured my triceps tendon I was doing 60kg for reps. And I reckon you look pretty strong... you hunky thing you.

Silly though - it's how I injured myself in the first place. Pure vanity technique. Nothing you can't do with the TRX or even press up variants.

Well.. If you want strength and mass then you need to do few repetitions with a heavy weight, all of the pullups, pressups and burpees in the world won't make you big and strong (whether you'd want that is debateable). So hardly vanity.

I got off my arse today and just did some simple exercises. My home made 'ratchet' is excellent, a total brainwave on my part and it makes lengthening or shortening the straps a 1 second job. I can do assymetrical lengths as well, which felt cool when I was doing 'rows' (on my back looking towards the ceiling).

You can get pulleys from eBay designed for 12mm climbing rope, this could get interesting.

Cheers Mike,

Tried using handles from one of the those little step machines the missus had year ago that is still in my garage. They are a little to small but managed to force them on.

That lat bar does look good though will have to think about that.

Still haven't been able to use it although my 10 year old son has complained of a sore chest and back for days after

Back in finally better, but work has got in the way of any exercise this week.

Damn work

Hahaha I have a vision now of a grown man using little women/child size D-rings.

I'll comment back on the lat bar when it comes.. 47" is fairly wide! But I thought it has all of the advantages of a pullup bar as well as being more versatile.. We'll see. I can always trim it..

Lat bar came, it's perfect for what I need it for. I can do all sorts of pull-ups from it as well as now being able to do leg raises for my abs.

It needs lowering a touch but that'll be no problem.

Ummm... fundamental error I think I spy. And not just the risk of it breaking mid-pull up.

Unless you have a freakishly small cranium, how are you getting your chin up (or over) the bar level without putting your nut through the ceiling?

Good job though. From what I can see, you just need to extend the length it by attaching a small length of chain (and another carabiner I guess).

Yup, you're right. At first I considered chopping a small hole in the ceiling.. But then I just thought 'naw, i'll lower it'.

Unlike Phil I don't have odd lengths of chain around, so i'll sort it tomorrow

Just an update,

the lat bar I gave the link to is excellent for what I need it for, it works very well as a suspended pull-up bar, as mentioned allowing a wide grip.

Currently my exercise is:

Slow/controlled feet elevated pressups x9
Abs wheel extensions (kneeling) x8
Shoulder width pullups (forward facing palms) x4
Suspended crunches (leg raises with legs tucked in) x8
Inverted rows (on my back looking up using the D-Rings from the ceiling) x6

For three sets - Only equipment used is my flight of stairs, lat bar, ab roller, and suspension thingy.

And yeah, it's not impressive (really it's a foundation workout), but it's better than a kick in the tits. I'm going to get my weights down from the upstairs room and alternate between bodyweight circuits and freeweights circuits.


Suggestions/comments welcome.

I'ver now increased the reps to:

x12 abs wheel runs. (+4)
x12 suspended abs crunches. (+4)
x8 suspended rows. (+2)

Going well apparently.. I've also got my weights sets down (two bar-bells, two dumb-bells, weights bench), any suggestions as to a good set I can do using freeweights so I can alternate bodyweight/freeweight days?

I'm thinking bent over rows, military (overhead) press, swiss ball crunches (swiss ball in this case my weights bench).. Need something to balance it all out.

For freeweights, all the basic big/compound movements are best really.

Bench
Dead lift (if lighter weights, try the one legged single arm dumbbell dead lift!)
Squat
Rows (as you said)
Lateral raises

If you want to get a bit fancier, throw some flyers (forward and reverse) in there.

Cheers, i'll integrate some of those. Should do me well! I like to focus on my back, just to avoid the caveman hunch that people can get when they do their front too much (see the other thread actually).

Lateral raises were the bane of my later teens, I bloody hate them, they kill.

Forgot to add shoulder press.