Bottom Squatting

[quote]StrengthDawg wrote:
I see I’m not the only one who numbers his squat rack holes!

Damn dude, how cold is it in your gym? You looked like a sherpa in that vid, and I thought I saw a side of beef hanging in the corner :slight_smile: lol[/quote]

That rack actually comes pre-numbered, but it’s helpful.

I’m thankfully out of North Dakota now, but that gym got down to -30 on a few occasions. The majority of the winter was spent below freezing, and usually around 0. Did a good job of making me tough, haha.

[quote]cparker wrote:

you always have the most innovative ideas
[/quote]

Necessity is the mother of invention, haha. I actually discovered this method when I was rehabbing my hamstring. Heavy eccentrics would blow it up, so I started suspended chain squats and combined it with range of motion progression. I counted how many links were available in the chains at a certain height and each week would go down 1 more link until I was around competition height.

How would you like to have your own squat monolift for just $10-15?

So, if you really want to keep things simple. You said you are already suspending the bar with tow straps that hang from rafters. Okay, great; leave those there as your safeties. Then take a length of steel rebar and bend a hook on each end (so a double J-hook). Hook one end around a rafter, and make it a length so that the bottom is at the level of where you want to start the lift at the top. Do the same with a second length of rebar for the other support. You could just squat like that, lift the weight off and step back as normal. Or, if you want it to be a real monolift, just take another length of rebar and weld it across the other two hangers horizontally; then your lifting buddy just has to swing it forward after you lift the weight off the hooks, no need to even walk out the weight.

I just want to pop in here and say, before anyone goes hanging anything heavy from rafters or bottom chords of trusses or whatever your case may be…

DO NOT CUT OR PERFORATE THE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSE IN ANY WAY.

You should be okay hanging things over the top of them unless you are squatting big numbers, like 500+ I’d say. And here’s DUH moment, make sure you are hanging from more than one single member.

Brought to you by the guy with some fairly good training in the matter.

edit - also, the rebar idea explained above isn’t too bad, but I’d like to see the weight bearing onto the rafter with a larger bit of surface area than just the naked rebar, like a piece of steel angle over the rafter that’s say, a foot long or something. Otherwise you run the risk of crushing wood fibers.

I like the rebar idea, real close to what I have in mind, just with some bracing. Mutantcolors This is my garage not my house, it’s all rough cut lumber, and hand cut trusses. I screwed in bracing from trusses down to rafter’s to remove springiness. I’ve had 450 hanging no problem, hopefully I’ll be back in my gym by the time I’m over 500lbs. Thanks for the concern, and ideas

Well home or garage, no one wants structural damage to roofing members! I could go into specifics but the take home message is in all caps up there. Not calling anyone stupid or anything but these things happen all the time. Johnny homeowner goes “well I need to run this wire there” and notches his rafter, unknowingly removing practically all it’s strength in one small notch.

So, How goes the “Fauxnolift” hooks Jake?

Haven’t put welder to steel yet, life always gets in the way, shingled my house this weekend, started swimming classes with my daughter this week. Point being went through another squat day today, starting from bottom, actually felt strong today (used good morning technique) drawings are on the table, just need a couple pieces of angle, and an hour’s free time, lol, figure a guy on house arrest would be able to find a free hour, such is life

mutantcolors wrote;
Well home or garage, no one wants structural damage to roofing members! I could go into specifics but the take home message is in all caps up there. Not calling anyone stupid or anything but these things happen all the time. Johnny homeowner goes “well I need to run this wire there” and notches his rafter, unknowingly removing practically all it’s strength in one small notch.

I know I’m a dumb gym owner/ strength coach, that does a little welding on the side right now, but for 15+ yrs it was the other way around. I was a structural welder that did a little strength coaching on the side, lol, So it’s ok bro, thanks for the concern. I don’t know a 2x4 from a skill saw, but I got a pretty good handle on stress points, and load transfer, if things get iffy I’ll add some bracing, and if you guys keep pushing me, I might actually get the upside down squat racks done some day

Alrighty then, just came in from garage welding up my hanging squat stands, sorry it took so long, just bad time of year. I have a 6yr old daughter who’s back to school, and starting competative swimming, all in the same couple weeks. I’m the main cargiver as my young wife is busy chasing a career. Anyway stands are welded, I’ll do my best to post pics here tonight Sun. It might take an hour I’m not good at this stuff, I Emailed the pics to my self, and I’m off to figure out how to bring them here. Oh, and by the way, just to make this a true do it your self at home project, I used an old bed frame, rather than buying angle iron. I even used the ends where the frame bolts to the head board, I left them on to hold the bar. It’s pretty funny, see if I can drag them here.

NICE! can’t wait to see it man.

Once again it’s Mon. waiting for girlfriend to come home from work, and post pics. F&*kin I can drag the pic, but then it goes to another screen say incanpatable (can’t spell either) so before I kill somthing, I’ll waith for her. latter

OK, finaly got pics up guys, sorry it took so long, i’ve had the hooks done, and have been using them for a couple months now, my girl took pics last month on her phone, but I’ve been waiting for her to upload. The pics are on my log ‘‘Anytimes comeback’’ I really don’t know how to drag them over here, ya I’m that guy, I’m afraid if I try, they’ll disapear.

Anyway it’s mainly strength dog, and mert dog helped me come up with the idea, so I wanted you guys to see. I welded these ones up out of bed frames, you can see the slots in the pics, and i left the ends on, that were riveted, and just grinded them out to form the hooks. Anyway thanks guys, like to here what you think, either here or there.

I really think these are somthing I could weld up, for like a 100 bucks, and guys could hang in they’re garage or basement, but the proto type is out there now so someone will probably steal my idea, oh well, saves me having to figure out how to split up the royalties witrh you guys :)Latter