Starting a Club

[josiahjohnson]

I am loooking to start a weightlifting club out of my garage in San Antonio. I switched from being a strength coach to a 9-5 for family reasons and I really miss o lifting and being around other lifters. I have a pretty nice tax return coming and my wife is letting me dip into it to get some equipment. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Thanks

Josiah.

[glennpendlay]

The Pendlay colored bumpers on this site, along with the NB bar, make a very good and pretty affordable training set... Are you looking for bars and bumpers, or other stuff also?

Glenn

I have an olympic lifting studio in my garage. I built a platform, have 2 bars and a full set of bumpers. I've got a pull-up bar, rack, bench, GHD, and a weight sled. It's basically everything you need.

There is no official "club" yet, but I have been trying to get friends to come lift with me, at least on weekends.

I have the Pendlay colored bumpers and the NexGen bearing bar. They're great. I trained last weekend at another gym and used the Eleiko bar. It's a very good bar, but honestly I didn't like it significantly more than my NexGen bar. Building the platform is an afternoon project, but it's kinda fun. There are lots of guides on the internet. Here's one of them - http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/ope...weathome6.html

[ChadKlump]

The difference between the NexGen NB bar and the Eleiko is not going to be very noticeable. Eleiko's reputation of building a reliable long lasting tough bar is proven. Pendlay's reputation is not as long lived.

A use to really like lifting with the Hi-temp bumpers. They are very solid and well built. They are practically indestructible but they have too much bounce.

IMO the Pendlay colored bumpers are the best of the cheap bumpers. Anything else the price increases drastically.

[josiahjohnson]

Thanks for the responses. I am looking for bars bumpers and possibly a squat stand. I am going to build my own platform and jerk boxes.

I am going to have to start out with the bare minimum so any suggestions as to what the bare minimum is?

Thanks

Josiah

[texaslifter]

I would start with a full set of plates, maybe 2 bars if you can swing it, but one bar shared works well til you can get the second one. A platform and jerk boxes. If you really need it, you can get the squat stands, but if you build the jerk boxes, you don't really need the stands because you can squat off the boxes. I would probably get a second pair of 10's and 15's bumper plates, then more as you get the money. Just my opinion, but that's how I'm expanding my garage.

I have platform, a full set of Mavrik plates, a ZhangKong bar, jerk boxes, squat stand, bench (although I don't really use it), dip/pull-up stand (just purchased off C/L), two kettlebells, a pair of 10 lbs plates. I am getting another pair of 10's (just ordered the DHS plates from Bud at Dynamic Eleiko). Right now it's just me, but I open it up to whoever wants to come train.

[ChadKlump]

Originally Posted by texaslifter

I would start with a full set of plates, maybe 2 bars if you can swing it, but one bar shared works well til you can get the second one. A platform and jerk boxes. If you really need it, you can get the squat stands, but if you build the jerk boxes, you don't really need the stands because you can squat off the boxes. I would probably get a second pair of 10's and 15's bumper plates, then more as you get the money. Just my opinion, but that's how I'm expanding my garage.

I have platform, a full set of Mavrik plates, a ZhangKong bar, jerk boxes, squat stand, bench (although I don't really use it), dip/pull-up stand (just purchased off C/L), two kettlebells, a pair of 10 lbs plates. I am getting another pair of 10's (just ordered the DHS plates from Bud at Dynamic Eleiko). Right now it's just me, but I open it up to whoever wants to come train.

5 kg technique plates are handy. I made my own technique plates at work out of 1/2 plywood.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...echplates2.jpg

Look around on craigslists for cheap metal weights and a second bar. It will be wise to spend the money on a NB bar imo.

[ChadKlump]

Also ask around I bet you can find somebody to donate or lend you some equipment. Hell my 21 year old Eleiko bar was given to me Formerly owned by Derrick Crass the olympian. It is in great shape and spins like a dream. I was also given some of his Ivanko 20Kg bumpers. Thanks to his brother Jeff.

[glennpendlay]

I would think that about the minimum you would need is a bar, bumpers, metal plates, and a squat stand for each platform. How many plates depends on who you are training...