Can we revisit alternatives to the "Walmart bench"??

TarHeelMom

TarHeelMom

Cathlete
Edited to add: Oops -- I will move this to the STS forum!

Hey everyone!

Well, I've measured and rearranged and measured again, and I am sad to say that I just don't have the room in my little workout space to get the bench & squat rack from Walmart that so many of you (including my enabler pal Mama Deb) have gotten. :-( I know my American Express card is happy, but I'm frustrated. GRRRR!!!!!!

I could have squeezed it in, too, if it weren't for the fact that my adorable sons surprised me last Christmas with a heavy bag/speed bag stand & gloves. Their dad wasn't even involved -- they had just overheard me talking about Cathe doing a boxing video and they wanted me to be really prepared, the sweeties. I know I'll really enjoy having this equipment when Cathe does her MMA/boxing video, and I can use the heavy bag hook to do the alternative-to-pullups with a resistance band that Cedie's doing in those blog pix. So that's great. But a heavy bag stand is a huge space hog, and my room is chock full.

I really do want to try to plan on working my legs with STS using a much heavier weight than I can hoist on a barbell. Is a weighted vest my best option? Besides a weighted vest, did we collectively come up with any other alternative to the "Walmart bench"- style squat rack? I remember some discussion of a smaller rack of some kind, I think. (I know I could sit here and run some searches, but we've all talked about this SO much and in so many different threads ... and I'm basically lazy. ;-)

Ideas/opinions, anyone? What are those of us who are space-challenged going to do?

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://planetsmilies.net/sport-smiley-5536.gif
 
RE: Can we revisit alternatives to the

<Ideas/opinions, anyone? What are those of us who are space-challenged going to do?>
They join Planet Fitness for $10.00 a month...well, that's at least what I did ;)
Signed,
Bargain Beavs
 
RE: Can we revisit alternatives to the

Hey Beavs,

Betcha you're shocked to see me reining in my fitness gear-buying, even if it's involuntary. ;-)

The pitiful thing is that I already belong to a gym -- well, it's a wellness center affiliated with a huge church -- where I take my spinning classes 2X a week. The equipment is pretty nice, actually, but the weight room is really busy and full during the hours that I could/would go over there, and it's not worth the drive to stand in line just to work my legs. The spinning class alone justifies my cheapo membership, so I don't feel guilty not using it otherwise.

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://planetsmilies.net/sport-smiley-5536.gif
 
RE: Can we revisit alternatives to the

I am proud of you Kathy! In fact, I am so proud I am on my way to your gym to boot out of the muscle heads so you and only you can use the equipment anytime you want. Now whaddya think of that?! :7
 
RE: Can we revisit alternatives to the

Kathy, I don't have room for a bench like that, either. I'm planning to get the weighted vest from Ironwear. Heck, I often just use body weight for lower body workouts, but I would like to kick it up a notch or two with STS ;)
 
Michele -- weight vest!

Hey Michele!

I've been looking at that Ironwear vest and at the original Debbie Rockers Walkvest, but would get the latter with the maximum add-ins (I think 16 lbs). They're sold out at the www.walkvest.com site and are a fortune on eBay, but appear to still be available at Gaiam's home site and at Amazon. In choosing a vest I'm still pondering how much weight I'd ever want to "wear". What are you thinking?

Anyone else have an opinion?

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://planetsmilies.net/sport-smiley-5536.gif
 
RE: Michele -- weight vest!

Hi Kathy!

I used a weighted vest when I was working with a personal trainer, and while I can't remember how much weight I used back then, I'm pretty sure the vest held a max of 40 lbs.

I've looked at Debbie Rocker's vest, but I think I like the Ironwear better -- especially the one that looks like mesh with a nice, open weave. It looks like it provides excellent ventilation. The vest I used at the gym was this big, ugly, and HOT orange thing. I have no clue who made it.
 
RE: Michele -- weight vest!

Hi Michele!

Good to know! I like this one at Ironwear because I have a short torso and think it looks comfy and better ventilated than the Walkvest. But it also looks as though it only holds the same max weight as the Walkvest, and the Walkvest is about half the price. Dilemmas, dilemmas.

Which Ironwear one are you looking at -- is it this same one? The longer version of this is out of stock. ;-( Probably too long for my torso anyway!

http://www.ironwearfitness.com/cool-vestshort-breathable-1-to-18-lb-weighted-v.html

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://planetsmilies.net/sport-smiley-5536.gif
 
RE: Michele -- weight vest!

Yes, that's the one I'm looking at. I need a shorter vest, too, because I'm short waisted. It is pricey but I get so hot that I don't think I could stand the Walkvest. The ventilation is what attracted me to the Ironwear vest, but I wish it held more weight. IIRC, the longer vest can accommodate more weight, but again, that one won't work for me. *SIGH*
 
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