# Tightwad's Exercise Equipment Thread



## tonynyc (Jul 25, 2011)

*T*hought I'd start a new thread - if any dimmers would like to share their thoughts on cheap alternatives to exercise equipment OR their fav exercise equipment that they enjoy using 


*
Now I came up with this gem- cause I read a few blogs online where posters mentioned alternatives to KettleBells. You see them in most sporting good stores-but, they can be fairly expensive. 

The following is an "old school" training method that is a cheaper alternative 

*



===========================================












*Swingbell Exercises with Jules Bacon Mr. America 1943*

*a piece that you used to see all the time in the old magazines that has all but disappeared these days is the swingbell -- essentially a combination of traditional free weights and medicine ball
 a swingbell consists of a dumbbell bar loaded in the middle rather than the ends. It is grasped at either end and used for a variety of rotational and circular movements*


*YORK SWINGBELL COURSE* 

*1.ROTATING SWING BELL  HELD OVERHEAD
2. HIGH PULL UP TO OVERHEAD
3. FORWARD RAISE WITHOUT BODY MOVEMENT
4. SWING FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN ARC OVERHEAD
5. SWINGING WEIGHT AS IN TURNING WHEEL
6. STIFF ARM  FULL BODY SWING
7. TWO HAND SNATCH and SPLIT 
8. SWINGING EXERCISE  GUN TYPE
9. FRENCH TRICEP PRESS
10. SWING FROM CENTER TO SIDE OVERHEAD
11. TEETOTUM OR TWISTING DEADLIFT
12. COMPUND SWING BELL EXERCISE*

1. ROTATING SWING BARARMS STRAIGHT OVERHEAD. With this movement you should make your start with a light weight. With the swing bar overhead, the feet a comfortable distance apart, swing or rotate the body around in a circle. Bend far to the front, then to the side, then far back, then to the other side, continuing the movement by circling the swing bell and the upper body. 
2. HIGH PULL UP TO OVERHEAD. Starting with the bell across front of thighs, knuckles front, with arm and shoulder strength alone, pull the swing bell up past the top of head to arms length overhead. The hands are bent and the backs of them are up the entire way. 
3. FORWARD RAISE WITHOUT BODY MOVEMENT. Start in the same position as #2. The bell is raised in an arc overhead, arms straight throughout, lower slowly in similar manner and continue the exercise for the desired number of movements. 
4. SWING FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN ARC OVERHEAD. Hold the swing bell with the knuckles front. Turn to the side and bend and twist so that the bell touches or comes near to the floor to the right of the body with the bell perpendicular to the front. Hold the arms as straight as possible as you lift or swing the bell up and over in a huge circle until it touches the floor in a position similar to the starting position but on the other side of the body. Back to startingBack to starting position and repeat.
5. SWINGING WEIGHT AS IN TURNING WHEEL. Hold the swingbell in the usual starting position, in front of thighs, knuckles front. With little or no body movement start the bell in a circle toward the left, up and around to the right describing a circular or wheel like movement. Perform a series of exercises to the left and another to the right. 
6. STIFF ARMFULL BODY SWING. If there were only one movement with a swing bell and it was this exercise, the swing bar would play an important part in building strength, health and muscles with weights. Stand with the feet a comfortable distance apart, the knees are kept straight throughout the movement until the bar approximately touches the floor behind the legs. Swing the bar up in a half circle, keeping the arms straight throughout. The movement should be performed comparatively slowly to obtain the maximum of muscle building benefit. 
7. TWO HANDS SNATCH AND SPLIT. Similar to exercise #3 of course #3, except that Swing Bell is employed instead of barbell.
8. SWINGING EXERCISEGUN TYPE. The popular gun swinging exercise used to develop the men of our armed forced. A gun weighs a little more than 9 pounds and cannot be increased in weight as can the swing bell, so far less benefit is obtained. Start in the usual position of bell, hands and feet, but with the body leaning slightly forward. Swing from this position to the side and overhead, turning the body and rotating on the balls of the feet as the weight goes overhead and to the side, then back to the starting position and movement to a similar position on the other side of the body. When this movement is performed with a regular cadence, a big half circle will be traced from a position overhead on the right to a similar position on the left. With practice and the use of heavier weights you will put your entire body into action with some movement of the legs and considerable raising and lowering of the body.
9. TRICEPS EXERCISE. Similar to other triceps exercises in this course, those performed with barbell, dumbbells, both standing and lying, with a single dumbbell and with expanders standing. Start this movement in the palms up, curl position, swing the bell up and back of head, holding the elbows high and stationary, pull, or press the bell to arms length.
10. SWING FROM CENTER TO SIDE OVERHEAD. This movement is somewhat similar to exercise #6 of this course. It differs in the fact that instead of merely extending the swing bell overhead, it is lifted or swung up to a position at the right, body twisted so that the bar is perpendicular to the front, then back to the low position at center, and swung with stiff arms and turning body far up to the left. This form of swinging is somewhat similar to the gun swinging type except that it is done with the arms and shoulders and without the movement of the legs and back which are a part of #8. 
11. TEETOTUM OR TWISTING DEAD LIFT. Start with the usual position. With the legs as straight as possible, bend and twist to the side so that the bar touches the floor or ground at the side of the right foot, back to center and then down to a similar position at the left, back to center and continue the movement.
12. COMPOUND SWING BELL EXERCISE. To practice a compound exercise you select any three good movements from this course, and without stopping at the end of the first or second continue until all three are practiced

*Source *

*Bob Hoffman  York Advanced Method of Weight Training  @ 1951*


----------



## Jon Blaze (Jul 25, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il8rU0H-9ps&feature=related

I thought this was a good video on how to make a Bulgarian training bag.


----------



## spiritangel (Jul 25, 2011)

I do know thhat on quite a few shows and what not over here they recommend for hand weights either water bottles filled with rice or actually using tins of food 

thats the extent of my knowledge


----------



## tonynyc (Jul 25, 2011)

spiritangel said:


> I do know thhat on quite a few shows and what not over here they recommend for hand weights either water bottles filled with rice or actually using tins of food
> 
> thats the extent of my knowledge



*G*reat idea and it's very useful knowledge - folks may be more inclined to use the rice- but, I guess it depends on the size of the bottle and the difference in weights on Water vs. Rice vs. Sand....

Here's another clip...


 Household Objects for Creating Resistance


----------



## GregW (Aug 16, 2011)

Awesome thread! I believe in lifetime fitness for all. 

I love my kettlebells, but they are not cheap. Worth every penny, though...and I recommend Lifeline to those interested.

An Iron Gym-type pull-up bar is great too, and inexpensive.

If you look around in classified ads, you can sometimes find weight equipment for sale at great prices. Sometimes for free, if you come by and pick all of it up. 

Public recreation centers may have terrific rates on membership.

Do a search for something like - homemade hungarian core blaster t-handle. If I could use only one piece of equipment it would be this, though it does use formal iron plates.

You can also put a rope through those plates and use them for swings and other lifts.

As for equipment that is technically not exercise equipment, a home improvement store is your friend.

Get a couple of big buckets, fill with sand/gravel/etc. and do some Farmer's Walks.

Take a thick piece of rope, tie it to a tree branch, and start climbing.

Wearing a pair of sturdy gloves, carry around some cinder blocks or garden stones. Toss them in the air and catch them as well.

Put weights in a old backpack and try some of the above. 

Just start slowly and listen to your body as you train - your exercise options minus a gym are limited primarily by your imagination.


----------

