Waytootall’s BodyBlog

My new gym was finally delivered and assembled on Wednesday! I purchased a Keys Fitness 1/2 cage with a smith machine and high/ low cable tower. See the photo of it in my gallery. One of the coolest features (I think) is that the multi- angle bench I bought to go with it, connects via a cable to the low pulley so one is using the plate loaded lat tower for the resistance instead of loading plates on the leg curl/ extension attachment. The bench is made by Smooth fitness and is from another 1/2 cage system, but I picked it anyway. I began Wed. night with a new training regimen (as soon as I cleaned up from the install!). It works so smooth (linear bearings rule!). I did chest and triceps for my first workout. I’ve switched back to a more classic routine of chest/ tris, back/ biceps, legs, shoulders/ forearms with calves and abs every other day (opposite each other). It’s Friday morning now and my chest is really sore.

One thing I’ve learned very quickly- working out on a leverage system gym (i.e.- the Powertech I just sold) gives one a truly false sense of strength. The weights I’ve been benching with the Powertech are considerably higher than I can push now that I’m going completely free weight! I’m glad I started with chest and not with legs, I might have hurt myself trying to squat free weight what I used to push on the leverage squat! It’s a shot to the ego to drop the numbers so much, but I just need to focus on the truth that it’s not about the weight in bodybuilding, but the pump and the form. Although, a little bit of heavy weight never hurt…..

It’s the end of an era…. albeit a brief era, 5 years. I’ve sold my Powertech Workbench gym. (see the photo in my gallery) It’s not that the gym wasn’t effective and useful, I just grew kind of bored with the same old routine of exercises. I did okay though, I sold it for only $200 less than I paid for it 5 years ago. And that $$ is now the down payment on my NEW gym! I’ve ordered a Keyes fitness 1/2 cage with a smith machine, lat tower and lower cable (plate loaded). The utility bench I’ve ordered to go with it is a flat/ incline bench with leg extension/ curl attachment. And the cool thing about this bench is that it comes set up with cables and pulleys so that it can be attached to the low cable of the lat tower so the weight moved is on the tower instead of out on the leg attachment. I’m very excited about the new gym and eagerly awaiting delivery and assembly. Yes, I cheesed out and am paying to have it assembled. Time is money as they say, and running my business and caring for my two boys takes up way too much valuable time to give up a Saturday bolting the bad boy together. Plus, the gym store will be responsible if there are any problems. I look forward to posting about my new (and hopefully improved) workouts and gains! For now, while I await my new rack, I’m training with a piece of laminated beam over two 5 gallon buckets as my bench. It’s fun to go all cave- man sometimes.