Need Help with Peoples' Equipment Preferences

[Crow]

Hi playground. I need some help from you guys, whether you work out all the time, or just casually. I have a list of gym equipment, and I would like for everyone to list (preferrably in order of importance) the top ten items that they would want in a gym which they planned to attend. If there is anything that you would want that is not on the list, please tell me what it is in addition to your top ten. Also, if there is anything on the list that you would absolutely never touch, please let me know what it is in addition to your top ten.

Thank you so much. Here is the list;

Barbells with regular and bumber plates

Pullup bar

Flat benches

Incline bench

Decline bench

Bench press racks

Plyometric boxes

Medicine balls

Speed ropes

Dumbells

Rowing Machine

Treadmills

Elliptical machines

Resistance bands

Leg press machine

Lat pulldown machine

Seated row machine

Atlas stones

Tractor tire and sledge hammers

Gymnatic rings

Kettlebells

3 and 2 inch ropes

Glute/ham developer

Dip station/Roman chair

Cable cross-over machine

Sandbags

Sandbox w/ railroad spikes and sledge

Precision jump trainers

Exercis bikes

Rubber Ab/Core balls

1/2 ball balance trainer

Yoga mats

Curl bars

Heavy bag and speed bag station

Storage cubby (to keep your stuff while working out)

Chalk Stand

Doggie day-care

Thanks again!

[Haruki-kun]

In order of importance from most to least?

1. Barbells and Plates

2. Dumbells.

3. Pullup Bar

4. Bench Press Racks

5. Incline Benches (before flat because flat benches can, in most scenarios, be substituted with the floor.

6. Flat Benches

7. Cable Crossover Machine

8. Leg Press Machine

9. Decline Benches

10. Treadmills.

However, Crow, I am noting a severe lack of Squat Racks. :smalleek:

[happyturtle]

Well, I can't work out any more because of illness, but in the days when I used to go to the gym, what I liked to have was:

1. Treadmill
2. Weight machines of various types for a full body strength workout
3. Mats
4. Benches
5. Cable pullover thingie
6. The assisted weight pull up/dip machine
7. A really nice locker room with a permanently assigned locker, towel service, hot tub, sauna, steamroom, and hair dryers
8. A standard locker room with just showers if the above isn't available
9. A way for me to keep records of my workouts

Sorry, but I don't recognize the names of most of the stuff on your list. :smallconfused:

[rakkoon]

I have a serious problem with the vocab of that list (not good for my ego :smallsmile:) so I'll just give you my top four

1. clean changing room with shower
2. tread mill
3. air walk
4. weight machines of various types

Turn-offs: dust, depressing colours and such

[Don Julio Anejo]

This is for weights only, mind you. I don't do any pilates or whatnot, so those people may have other priorities like medicine balls.

1. Dumbels, with weights at regular intervals. I've never seen a person use anything heavier than 110 anyway and most stop at like 80 so either one is a good upper limit.

2. Variable incline bench (because it can serve as both a seat, an incline bench or even a flat bench).

3. Barbell + plates. Make sure to have enough to load all the bars you have with moderate-high weight (say, 90 each side) - people can squat more than they can bench, generally.

4. Bench press rack.

5. Flat bench (just so much better than an incline bench set to flat).

6. Decline bench with good leg support, so you can both do weights and sit-ups on it.

7. Cable cross over machine. You can use it for every muscle group known to man, so...

8. Pull up bar + lat pulldown. The problem is that pull ups are better, however most non-fit people can't do them, which makes lat pulldown something of a necessity. Never liked the assisted dip/pulldown machine.

9. Curl bar with a preacher bench.

10. Dip/leg raise station. You know, the one with a back and arm rests that you can use to raise your legs from vertical to horizontal.

Honorable mention:

- Leg press. It deserves to be higher, but I can't use it because of my knee, so... Although advanced lifters do barbel squats anyway.

- Smith machine. Safer for a few exercises like shoulder press. Although I'm assuming it's pretty expensive, so depends on your tastes.

[Crow]

However, Crow, I am noting a severe lack of Squat Racks. :smalleek:

I didn't mention them as I am going to have them no matter what.

[drakir_nosslin]

Just a question before I fill out the form; what are 'Precision jump trainers'? I've never heard of them, but it sounds like something that I'd be interested in?

[SurlySeraph]

In order:
1. Treadmill
2. Bench press racks
3. Lat pulldown machine
4. Barbells with regular and bumber plates
5. Incline bench
6. Some mats for martial arts, doing lunges without scraping your knees on the floor, aerobics, for people who don't like benches to do situps, etc.
7. Leg press machine
8. One of those leg curl machines, whatever they're called.
9. Punching bag
10. Precision jump trainers. I have no idea what these are, but they sound relevant to my interests.

[valadil]

I lift 3 days a week. Have been doing so for just over 2 years. Here's what I use, in no particular order:

Bench press rack
Incline bench rack
Squat rack (or curl rack as the frat boys prefer to use it)
Dumbbells up to 120 lbs each (though anything above 80 lbs is just for shrugs)
Barbell stations. Both straight and ez-bar.
Preacher curl bench
Pullup assist
Lateral pulldown station
Flat bench
20" stool for dips and seat assisted squats.

Things I would use if they were available to me:

Plates I could drop. Not sure what the right terminology is. Whenever I see people on YouTube doing Olympic lifts, they press something overhead and then drop it. I'd totally do that if I could.
Chalk.
Punching bag.

I'd also like to see things like enough clips for the squat rack. My gym has one set and some people insist on using clips when they bench. Lifting belts would be nice too. I'll buy my own eventually, but I kinda wanna know what they're like before getting into that.

[Crow]

Just a question before I fill out the form; what are 'Precision jump trainers'? I've never heard of them, but it sounds like something that I'd be interested in?

They are usually slightly elevated two by fours that can simulate a railing or ledge, and are used for parkour training.

Edit: the curl rack, lol. I feel your pain Valadil. The gym I go to only has one squat rack :(

[TheThan]

most of that stuff on the list is necessary for a good work out. a person can really bust their arse with just these three basic pieces of equipment.

1: mat
2: dumbbells
3: pull up bar

To this I would add a Speed bag, a heavy punching bag a Double-end bag, and a slip bag for boxing training. (i don't box, but I've been interested in taking it up.)

[Don Julio Anejo]

Ooooh I highly second having a heavy punching bag.

[Haruki-kun]

I didn't mention them as I am going to have them no matter what.

Oh, good. No worries, then. :smalltongue:


Squat rack (or curl rack as the frat boys prefer to use it)

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t288/Vaarsuvius89/squatcurlercurlsquater.png

Slightly edited to make it GITP-friendly

[Kneenibble]

This was not the topic I first imagined when I read the thread title. :smallfrown:

I'll show myself out, thanks.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Oh, good. No worries, then. :smalltongue:



http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t288/Vaarsuvius89/squatcurlercurlsquater.png

Slightly edited to make it GITP-friendly
Ironically in my gym it's always the "squat rack shrugger" (well, actually something like 5 of them) who just absolutely has to use the squat rack with like 50 pounds in total latched on to the bar when there's a plethora of dumbbels and a very nice set of bars with preset weights already welded on for convenience within 20 feet.

Oh, and they sit on the bar inbetween sets for added :furious:

[valadil]

Ironically in my gym it's always the "squat rack shrugger" (well, actually something like 5 of them) who just absolutely has to use the squat rack


Well that's justifiable if you've exceeded the dumbbells or preset barbells...



with like 50 pounds in total

:smalleek:

Yeah, I don't know what it is about the squat rack that attracts that. I see people curling in there with like 2 10lbs weights. At my gym the squat rack is right next to the preset barbells, so it's not like you can't see them. I think people just think that lifting a wider bar looks more impressive.

[Crow]

I actually saw a guy who had pushed a bench under the squat rack and was using the bench to support his hands to do pushups. What do you even call that? An incline pushup? Why do they need to be done in the squat rack so badly that you felt the need to move the bench over there for them? He looked like he was in pretty good shape too. What the hell?

To top it all off, he got pissy with my wife and I when I went over and grabbed the barbell that was sitting on the rack to go do cleans. I made extra sure to keep as much distance as I could so as not to disturb him.

Bench Pushup Guy: That's f***in' rude man, you couldn't wait 'til I was finished?
Wife: I could do like a thousand of those so we thought it might be a while.
BPG: ...
Me: LOL!
BPG: That's f***ed up. F***ing rude.

Maybe it was rude...But this guy is there a lot and generally a d-bag to everybody so I don't feel bad. :)

[TheThan]

Oh I forgot to mention some jump ropes. those are very nice for cardio.

I've got one of those Total Gyms Chuck Norris sponsors. Mine's a pretty old model but it works pretty good... if you actually use it (the #1 problem with home equipment). The only problem is that eventually you'll top out as you lift a percentage of your own body weight. With free weights you can always add more to it.

[drakir_nosslin]

Precision jump trainers
Sandbags
Kettlebells
Pullup bar
Barbells with regular and bumber plates
Incline bench
Dumbells
Gymnastic rings
Seated row machine
1/2 ball balance trainer


And I never use elliptical machines or treadmills, but I put a high value on a area designated for stretching, with yoga mats or something similar on the floor. A bonus is if the roof above the pullup bar is high enough so you can do muscle ups, combining dips and chins in one :smallsmile:

[THAC0]

The only things I use at the gym are the ellipticals, and that machine for working quads.

Apart from that, my workouts involve the great outdoors.

[SurlySeraph]

I actually saw a guy who had pushed a bench under the squat rack and was using the bench to support his hands to do pushups.

whyyyyyy
Yeah, incline pushups. They... I don't think there's any reason to do them instead of normal pushups. They feel easier to me, at least, and I can't conceive of how they'd work any muscle group better than normal pushups.
And he took over the squat rack? Taking over the squat rack to do silly damn incline pushups? Man, your wife was a bit rude, but if you don't make fun of people like that they'll never learn.

[valadil]

I can't conceive of how they'd work any muscle group better than normal pushups.

They're an ego exercise. You feel like you're exercising because you can do hundreds of them. People at my gym do them on the squat rack too, but without the extra bench. They put the bar on the lowest slot and lean onto it while their feet around 3-4 feet back from the rack.