I was just messing with ya. I can give anyone who wants them some plans for a cable machine that's homemade and practically letoff-free. It's the only cable machine I'll use, because the commercial ones aren't a real representation of your strength. I think I've said that I've put 200lbs of weight on one and repped, when I max at 140 on the bench press.
Cable machines shouldn't be too big of a deal to set up, after all, it's usually just following directions and attaching the necessary cables. As long as you can read english or some other common language, you're golden. And you've got a good point about the commercial centers having more weight. But a weight plate isn't that expensive, and if you're in a rural area, go to your local farmer (in my case, my grandfather) and jack some tractor weights.
Granted, if you're going to get weights in bulk, then it'll be a pretty penny out of your wallet. The price of all metals, especially iron, is going up right now. But it's nowhere near what you'd pay for a Bowflex or similar device.
My little crash course guide is still up for grabs as soon as I get it on to this computer. Friggin new computers with no floppy drives
Here's the fabled document
The Akmed Jones Guide to Weight Training: Basic and Advanced Exercises and How To Achieve Quality
Revision #1: Physical Training for Aerobics, Strength, and General Fitness
Overview of Lifting Practices and Purposes
The body is an amazing machine. It is capable of functioning despite the severest of conditions and circumstances. However, there are weak links in every body, and through training with weights we can strengthen this physical chain. Before beginning any physical training, there are a number of questions the lifter should ask his or herself prior to implementing any training regimen:
1.What do I want to get out of lifting?
2.Is lifting at my age, condition, etc. safe?
3.What specific benefits are there to lifting weights?
4.What can I do to accelerate my progress, and what else can I do to ensure success?
And the answers: The first is a question that only the lifter can answer. This document focuses on training for strength and general health, and therefore is suited to those who wish to gain physical usefulness in those capacities. Number two is quite simple. While improper lifting techniques and the use of heavy weights can prove detrimental to lifters of all ages, studies have suggested that there may be an impact in the growth of children aged twelve and under. The elderly can still lift in whatever capacity their body allows- I have seen men 65 and older lift and enjoy themselves at it. The main limitation is the presence physical conditions or weaknesses, and any lifter of any age should consult a physician before starting a regimen.
The benefit of weightlifting is seen in both body and mind. As the body’s strength increases, our general self-esteem and confidence can be noticeably higher. As it is said, exercise is fifty percent mental.
Many athletes of notable fame have turned to anabolic steroids or other pharmaceutical ways of increasing their strength. Anabolic steroids, while they accelerate the progress of the muscles, deal their own great damage to the body internally and should be avoided. The best route to success is consistent technique and the practicing of proper dieting habits.
Any lifting regimen is defined by these four questions, and others that the lifter may feel are important. Weight training is versatile and a lifetime activity. With the proper practices, people aged 6 to 66 can enjoy the benefit of lifting.
General Guidelines for Lifting: Safety and Protocol
Everyone has heard the old adage, "safety first". Lifting weights is a totally useless activity if you lift in such a way that endangers your life. There is no practical purpose to lifting if one is to drop a bar on their neck and dislocate a few bones in the spine. That being said, it is generally accepted that when lifting, one should have a spotter available to aid them if needed, or if a spotter is not available, work with lighter weights to ensure safety. Common sense prevails in lifting.
The question every lifter should ask his or herself before hitting the weights is "am I in the physical condition to lift today?" Lifting with an injury will only aggravate the condition more and further damage the body. The author attempted to lift when he wasn’t aware of a fractured clavicle. Do as we say, not as we do.
However, it is normal after a workout that one should feel sore in the groups that he or she exercised. Taking a day off in between sessions is perfectly acceptable. Your body is in a way damaged, and that day of rest and recuperation will allow the damaged or lost cells in your body to replace themselves. If soreness persists after several days, go easier on your lifting. A day of soreness is fine- two or three is your body’s signal to slow down.
Aside from the obvious afflictions to avoid in weight training, the lifter needs to take pains in lifting correctly. There is a technique to exercising, and this will be covered in later sections for individual exercises.
Defining the Types of Exercises
This document is intended for those who already have a working knowledge of the body and its different systems. There will be diagrams placed at the back of this document to acquaint the neophyte, but by and large, this is designed for those who are familiar with the muscle systems and groups.
Any form of exercise can be divided into two main types: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise keeps blood and oxygen flowing throughout the entire body, and is usually intended for weight loss regimens as a compliment to dieting. Aerobic exercises can include any exercise where many muscle groups are working at the same time, and oxygen is constantly being exchanged in the body. This includes running, swimming, or any strenuous cardiac activity.
Anaerobic exercise in the general category that lifting falls under. Anaerobic exercises involves little heart work, but it is important to keep blood and oxygen flowing to the body parts being exercised. A steady supply of oxygen through breathing is essential to success in anaerobic lifting. Some exercises require a certain accepted way of breathing, and this will be covered later.
A good exercise regimen should include a repertoire of aerobic and anaerobic exercises. This is flexible- if your upper body is too sore to work one day, do some running. Or, get it all in during a single session and rest the next day. The only thing that needs to be set in stone is the consistency of the exercise. After three or four days, the muscles in your body will begin to deteriorate and atrophy. The general well-be4ing of the body should include physical strength as well as cardiopulmonary endurance. Even if you’re not a sprinter, it doesn’t help to have all this physical mass and strength, and be unable to use it because your heart and lungs are too out of shape.
Basic Equipment for Weight Training
Everyone has seen the commercials for different bodybuilding apparatuses, advertised by famous lifters and competition bodybuilders. While the equipment is nice and efficient, $5000 worth of equipment is not needed to have a well-muscled and well-defined body. Most of the equipment can be made by hand if you possess the proper skills- bodybuilding legend Casey Viator was trained on equipment that was entirely handmade. There are, however, basic necessities to lifting. There are generally two choices to your preferred gear: Free weights or cable machines. Because cable work incorporates its own equiment, we’ll cover free weight equpment.
Free Weights- Equipment
1. Bars. The bar is the most essential piece of equipment to lifting with free weights. They come in many shapes and sizes, from five pound hollow-core bars to thirty-five pound tempered steel bars. Without the bar, we may as well simply hold the weights in our hands and lift that way- which is perfectly acceptable and provides a good workout. However, for convenience and safety, a bar or some type is necessary.
2. A bench. Pressing is not the only exercise that a bench can do. A simple flat bench can work abs, biceps, triceps, latisimus dorsi, deltoids, and more. Many brands of benches are available that allow a sort of "free weight gym", with appliances for butterfly exercises, bench pressing, leg exercises, and more.
3. Weights. This is self-explanatory.
4. Collars. These are safety devices designed to keep the weights in place on the bar and prevent potentially lethal accidents. They are well-worth the cost, and much less expensive than a surgery to the cranium or jaw because somebody lost their balance on the bench.
5. Gloves. These are optional. Weight lifting gloves are fairly inexpensive and keep the hands from becoming raw or blistered by contact with the bar.
Advantages
Free weight machines are oftentimes cheaper than the cable machines on the market, but there is a certain amount of benefit to them aside from cost. Free weights require fine balance to work effectively, and there is "full" resistance in the machine. Many cable machines cause a certain amount of let-off that reduce the resistance of the weights. For example, if you can do 150lbs on a conventional bench press, you may be able to go to a cable machine and press 200 lbs. It’s all a matter of choice and convenience. However, cable machines are safer when not working with a spotter.