GetStrength - UPDATE, installed and vid uploaded.

[iwilson]

Don't know how many of you have had any experience with the equipment these guys produce. They are typical of the No. 8 wire mentality that has given this small country such a reputation for punching above its weight when it comes to inventing solutions to problems. Sadly it's a dying trait but it's great to see one company still coming up with novel solutions to problems you almost didn't realise existed.

One such problem is dumb bell presses. You know the problem, you're lying on a bench with no partner and a couple of dumb bells either side. You're confident you can press those bad boys but can't figure out a way of getting the buggers up into the press position. So you end up having to go lighter than you can press.

Imagine if your Club had a bit of gear that allowed you to place the dumb bells in the press position, hell you'd be able to go 5kg+ heavier.

So check this vid out.

Yeah the guy ain't got a six pack but respect for the weight he's pushing. Brilliant, admittedly it's been out for a while and I've been salivating, but for the better part of $3k it's a lot of dosh, but since I just got a great deal it felt into the must have category. Not coming to Les Mills anytime soon I would imagine but little old Counties Fitness in Pukekohe will be the proud owner shortly. Couldn't resist the temptation to grab a couple of these bad boys either (front squat harnesses). I'm getting what's on offer in the second vid the Zercher harness (google away).

Scary! (For me anyway) But what an awesome bit of kit. Talking to Steve the owner today, he reckons 95% of this gear goes to the Yanks, he's probably doing better than Fonterra. But even if he's not get on the back of your Club to get some of this gear in house rather the the cheapo Chinese rubbish flooding the market!

And lastly you gotta love this vid.

Many have seen it already but for those that haven't enjoy. Note no animals were harmed in the making of it!

[Pseudonym]

I convinced my gym to get one of their front squat harnesses. It looked like a great idea. Unfortunately the weight distribution wasn't right, and it made front squats more awkward, not less. I really wanted it to work, but it just didn't. Now it sits in the corner gathering dust.

[iwilson]

Interesting, as I understand it they've changed the design recently, hopefully it will address the issue you pointed out. Will report back once they arrive.

[iwilson]

I convinced my gym to get one of their front squat harnesses. It looked like a great idea. Unfortunately the weight distribution wasn't right, and it made front squats more awkward, not less. I really wanted it to work, but it just didn't. Now it sits in the corner gathering dust.

Given your avatar, I had hoped for a lol for the mouse vid :nod:

btw what Gym do you work out in? I'll ask Steve from GetStrength to look into the issue.

[Pseudonym]

I'd actually seen it before, but I just watched it again and yes, I LOLed. :grin:

I'm not there much now, but the gym was Club Physical Te Atatu. Unfortunately it's been so long since I used the harness, I can't really give an accurate description of the problem, but I vaguely remember it improving if you held the base out from your stomach, thereby tilting the whole thing back.

[Jigga]

I'd actually seen it before, but I just watched it again and yes, I LOLed. :grin:

I'm not there much now, but the gym was Club Physical Te Atatu. Unfortunately it's been so long since I used the harness, I can't really give an accurate description of the problem, but I vaguely remember it improving if you held the base out from your stomach, thereby tilting the whole thing back.

It looks like it's made for fatter bellies I think from watching the clips above.

[Pseudonym]

Of course! I'd never thought of that. It's made for powerlifters! :grin:

/runs

[Maximus]

I wanted to buy some equipment from this company at the end of last year. I emailed them and left two voicemails asking them to get back to me. Not even the courtesy of a response. I took my business elsewhere. Great products, shame about the attention to detail from the customer service point of view. Also, I called them on 07/01/2010 and their voicemail stated that they would be re-opening on the 5th. Impressive.

[iwilson]

I wanted to buy some equipment from this company at the end of last year. I emailed them and left two voicemails asking them to get back to me. Not even the courtesy of a response. I took my business elsewhere. Great products, shame about the attention to detail from the customer service point of view. Also, I called them on 07/01/2010 and their voicemail stated that they would be re-opening on the 5th. Impressive.

Sorry to hear of your experience can only go by my own. My phone call was returned promptly. End of the day customer service is tops and your loss was also theirs.

I convinced my gym to get one of their front squat harnesses. It looked like a great idea. Unfortunately the weight distribution wasn't right, and it made front squats more awkward, not less. I really wanted it to work, but it just didn't. Now it sits in the corner gathering dust.

I did bring this up with Steve, his reply as follows...

Re Front Squat Harness issue: There really are only 2 reasons for this, 1, they might have the wrong size. 2, the Harness will not teach the person to front squat however it will aid it the front squat taking the discomfort issue out. So a lot of the time it is technique related.

[weajo196]

ive been looking at a front squat harness from the company for a few months now but after pseudo's experience im pretty suspect abt it eh!

I train with a guy about 20kgs heavier and i dont no if the same harness will fit us!! kinda gutted tbh

[iwilson]

ive been looking at a front squat harness from the company for a few months now but after pseudo's experience im pretty suspect abt it eh!

I train with a guy about 20kgs heavier and i dont no if the same harness will fit us!! kinda gutted tbh

They come in three sizes, small, medium and large. Medium is up to a 41in chest and large 41in plus.

Went out to their workshop today to pickup a few bits and pieces I'd ordered at the same time and to check out the auto spot machine in person. Ran into Kevin one of the owners and fabricators. Remember these guys turn steel into equipment, they're not a typical Fitness equip. supplier just bringing in containers marked made in China. What you've got is a small team of weight/power lifter's who are also skilled in fabrication. They build stuff on the back of 30 years of training themselves. There are no shortcuts taken to save a few cents, they build equipment they would want to use and incorporate the little features that differentiate a great bit of gear from a average piece.

What really impressed me was Kevin's willingness to customise my auto spot machine to match my requirements. Space is always at a premium in my Club. I hate having loads of equipment jammed together, I like to have a bit of personal space. The problem with the auto spot bench is it can only be used as a flat bench (other versions are available). I want to be able to use it as a flat/decline/incline and with a chair for shoulder work. So I asked if could somehow get rid of the fixed bench so I could slide anything I wanted into position. After lots of head scratching we think we've figured out a way to make it work. Fantastic. Try ringing a factory in China to customise a production line piece to suit your situation - no chance!

[weajo196]

ive been looking at a front squat harness from the company for a few months now but after pseudo's experience im pretty suspect abt it eh!

I train with a guy about 20kgs heavier and i dont no if the same harness will fit us!! kinda gutted tbh

They come in three sizes, small, medium and large. Medium is up to a 41in chest and large 41in plus.

Went out to their workshop today to pickup a few bits and pieces I'd ordered at the same time and to check out the auto spot machine in person. Ran into Kevin one of the owners and fabricators. Remember these guys turn steel into equipment, they're not a typical Fitness equip. supplier just bringing in containers marked made in China. What you've got is a small team of weight/power lifter's who are also skilled in fabrication. They build stuff on the back of 30 years of training themselves. There are no shortcuts taken to save a few cents, they build equipment they would want to use and incorporate the little features that differentiate a great bit of gear from a average piece.

What really impressed me was Kevin's willingness to customise my auto spot machine to match my requirements. Space is always at a premium in my Club. I hate having loads of equipment jammed together, I like to have a bit of personal space. The problem with the auto spot bench is it can only be used as a flat bench (other versions are available). I want to be able to use it as a flat/decline/incline and with a chair for shoulder work. So I asked if could somehow get rid of the fixed bench so I could slide anything I wanted into position. After lots of head scratching we think we've figured out a way to make it work. Fantastic. Try ringing a factory in China to customise a production line piece to suit your situation - no chance!

hmmmm i range from 39-42 inches on my chest depending on time of the year with competition. say if im 40inches and my mate is 49inches im worried it wouldnt fit the both of us??? a fair bita money if it doesnt fit the both of us and im worried abt wat pseudo said earlier!

[SoaringSwine]

They must be giving you a good deal for all the talking up you're giving them :pfft:

[Mike Zero]

It's not the chest size you should be wary of with those harnesses, it's how long it is. They have a distinct fault in that when you squat down they hit you in the legs (or other sensitive areas). IMO I'd go for the smallest possible size to avoid this as it makes them useless, unless they've changed the design.

[Old Bull]

They must be giving you a good deal for all the talking up you're giving them :pfft:

:pfft:

It's not the chest size you should be wary of with those harnesses, it's how long it is. They have a distinct fault in that when you squat down they hit you in the legs (or other sensitive areas). IMO I'd go for the smallest possible size to avoid this as it makes them useless, unless they've changed the design.

Agree Mike not to sure if they have changed that part though the Zercher looks a bit better, they need an adjustable pin for different arm lengths.

[iwilson]

They must be giving you a good deal for all the talking up you're giving them :pfft:

I never buy anything unless I get a good deal The trigger was a 48 hour sale they did at the beginning of the month to I guess all their past customers.

I also never ever promote equipment on the request of a supplier. I just like spreading the word if I come across equipment I think is interesting.

I like these guys, firstly because they think outside of the box and secondly because it's made in NZ, it makes a nice change to be paying money to keep Kiwis in work rather than the Chinese (nothing against them btw).

It's not the chest size you should be wary of with those harnesses, it's how long it is. They have a distinct fault in that when you squat down they hit you in the legs (or other sensitive areas). IMO I'd go for the smallest possible size to avoid this as it makes them useless, unless they've changed the design.

From their website...

Perfect Training tool for Strength Training . Rehabilitation Bodybuilding . Muscular Endurance NEW DESIGN- Now slightly shorter Harness to cater for box squatting and narrow stance squatting.

It's probably one of those things that's impossible to get right for every individual since we (humans) come in so many sizes.

I'll let you all know good or bad once we receive them.

[weajo196]

im just gutted me and my training partner are inbetween sizes. they look like a gud idea

[iwilson]

Went out again to GetStrength on Thursday. This time I had to nick the missuses car to get an incline bench in the back. Having talked to members about the autospot bench and how it might be used one comment came up a few times - shoulder presses. Most use an incline bench raised right up to give support to the back and they all struggle to get db's into position without some help. Looking at the video you'll see that if using an incline bench the mechanism will be prevented from falling away if a bench with a high back is in the way.

Not only that but when we tested it with the db attachment raised far past what it was designed for to accommodate the extra height needed for a shoulder press it wouldn't retract at all due to the change in the centre of gravity. So two major issues to address. One we need to cut out a chunk of metal from the db holder to allow it to clear the bench, but still be safe enough to use and secondly we need to adjust the fulcrum point so the mechanism will continue to fall away once the db's have been lifted but still be easy to move into position when doing a decline press at its lowest setting. It'll be a delicate operation to get it right but Kevin is confident we can get it right.

What we'll hopefully end up with is an auto spot bench that can be used for any exercise involving a bench and db's. I reckon it'll be perfect for anyone with a home setup, you'll be able to use one frame for a bar and db's (it comes with a separate attachment for a bar), and most importantly you'll be able to train with heavier weights than you could normally cope with if you don't have a training partner. Hell even in a regular Gym most people train alone and are handicapped as a result. If this works out I'll definitely be replacing at least two of my existing Olympic benches. And yes I'll be expecting to get a good deal!

ETA is about 4 weeks. Regarding the harness I had a chat about it, yes the new harness is shorter than the old one so shouldn't dig into the legs. Secondly it's one of those things one size will not fit all, but the majority of users should be ok (I've ordered two different sizes in any case). To make it with adjustable pegs would be very difficult from a safety perspective since you have to try and cater for every perceivable use which is very difficult given the amount of weight that could be loaded onto the pegs. It could be done but the cost involved would probably not be worth the sales return.

Got to admit I love the hardware side of the business more than the business itself, but I guess happy members equal a good business!

[steak]

Let me know when you are getting rid of the oly benches eh :wink:

[iwilson]

Let me know when you are getting rid of the oly benches eh :wink:

Just read your thread on setting up the Coast Barbell Club. Couple of comments. We had the same hex db's (up to 50kg), they fell apart pretty quickly, heads got loose and rubber started peeling off them. Went back to regular db's. Fitness Works were very good about it, might have been a duff batch, but keep a close eye on them. I have the same plates, I weighed each of the 20kg plates and they were remarkably good, had them a year now and they're holding up very well.

I like to support community focused Clubs like yours. I've given away a ton of old gear to a local Club like yours. How about you pay me visit once the AutoSpot bench arrives, we have quite a bit of gear you might not have seen before. Yes it's a commercial Club with to many mirrors and music, but I've tried hard to cater to all. I'll even get the missus to knit you a set of leg warmers so you fit in . In exchange you can have an old Fitness works Olympic bench I have sitting out the back (brand new red upholstery) and a very old aerobike I've been meaning to throw in a skip (you don't have to take it)!

[steak]

Mint! Cheers...I'll pop in on this thread from time to time to see how you're gettin on and Ive just sent you a PM

[iwilson]

Time for an update on this thread.

As I mentioned earlier I asked GetStrength to heavily modify the design of the autospot bench to meet my requirements. The standard autospot bench is pretty restricted as it can only be used as a flat bench. I wanted members to be able to use it for a wide range of exercises i.e. as a flat bench, incline, decline and with a chair. In fact any exercise that involves using dumb bells where it can be difficult getting them into the exercise position.

This has meant extensive modifications to get the dumb bell holder to fall away no matter what position it's in - the standard autospot design won't work above a certain height as the centre of gravity changes to much and the mechanism stops working.

The design is now nearly complete and Steve has send me a few pics to show the progress made.

Hope to have it in the Club next week and will post a video of it in action.

[iwilson]

Crap! I hate it when things go wrong, but I hate it more when tossers go quiet when things don't work out. I always post the bad with the good...

Petrolhead diversion follows...

A few years ago, I spend the winter in Holland transplanting a Honda K20a Type R engine into the back of my Lotus Elise. The thread was 40 pages long and at the end of it I posted this vid up.

Yip the engine went bang after five trackdays at the legendary Spa circuit in Belgium, no hiding it from the missus since she was sitting beside me!

Well the engine just went bang on the autospot machine. Went out to GetStrength today to sign off on the design before it goes for powder coating. I had envisaged a design that would allow the use of a decline/flat/incline bench and chair to be used. Unfortunately somehow this was misinterpreted as meaning just using an incline bench, chair and standing shoulder presses. Meaning that it would not be possible to use a decline or chest bench. Not good news and a load of hours of fabrication down the toilet. Not only that but when I decided to test it in its current configuration it didn't work anyway! Even with 20kg dumb bells loaded it wouldn't stay in the start position. Kevin the fabricator was obviously pretty disappointed, but from my point of view the fact that his design didn't work anyway meant it didn't really matter that we'd got our wires crossed as to what we expected the machine to do - since it was back to the drawing board in any case.

The problem is that we need the machine to work with at a wide range of heights, as you change the height the centre of gravity changes and at a certain point it just won't work with the current cantilever design.

This is the current design - it only works over a narrow range of heights.

These are my two suggestions. The one on the left uses a counter weight to retract the uprights and the one on the right features a torsional spring in the base (circle) to retract the uprights once the dumb bells are lifted off the uprights. The drawback with both these designs is you would need heavier dumb bells at the lowest setting to prevent the uprights from retracting, but I'm ok with that since with chest presses you would be using heavier dumb bells (but still pretty light) than when doing shoulder presses (and the original design had the same problem as well).

I prefer the torsional spring idea since you could make the spring adjustable relatively easily to cater for any size dumb bell. If anyone has a better idea then fire away!

I'm hoping this story will end like the Lotus, new engine and seven years later still going strong!

Hampton Downs last year.

[Jigga]

Apologise for the colours, I had to use an online program they don't have Paint on the Uni computers.

I don't see how the design I quickly sketched would be a problem to construct? The neck of the rack doesn't have to be telescopic ofcourse but I thought if you were having problems with having it low enough for decline pressing and high enough for overhead pressing it could be an option although hard to construct.

You could also fit the rack with a seat that can be adjusted to decline, flat and upright and you would have a pretty nifty wee machine to market overseas. Course easy enough just to slide the bench you want to use under the rack.

Edit: Just read what you wrote a bit more carefully. Seems like you have it sorted already. Positioning the spring behind the rack would work better re arm movement. Surely though you can fit a spring with a tension range that could pull the empty rack backwards smoothly when it is fully extended/retracted. Not sure if the guys at GetStrength work it out on paper first or get the measurements right through trial and error but I can't see how it would take so long to construct.

[iwilson]

Excuse my chicken scribbles last night, 2am and to much red wine!

The problem with your design is the spring would need to work over quite a long range of motion and I doubt you could find a spring with the right characteristics i.e sufficient strength to push the uprights away yet not to much that at the lowest setting you need a heavy dumb bell to hold the uprights in the start position.

The existing design is with a fixed flat bench (or incline), but because of the way it works with the existing cantilever design it won't work over the range of heights needed. This design is very simple and just relies on gravity to work. But I think what is required is some form of extra mechanical assistance, hence my two new designs. I think Kevin took a 'that looks about right approach', which didn't quite work. There are formulas to calculate this kind of thing. But they are pretty complicated in this case since you're dealing with see-saw that has changing length as the uprights telescope up and down. I don't think it would ever work over the range of heights we want to get out of it. I like the torsional spring since its unobtrusive is the right application for this problem.