Going along with the idea that* everything’s better on a stick *(e.g., meat, ice cream), I’m looking to pick up and put down heavy objects on a stick. I already have a long, straight stick, but at six or seven feet it’s somewhat unwieldy. (On preview, that’s a really funny sentence that made my inner jr. high schooler laugh.) I’d like to get something that’s a lot shorter and more manageable, (snicker) particularly as Mrs. Devil uses the stick too (hehehe) and at the same time, and passing it back and forth is a bit much.
But holy cow there are a lot of choices!
[ul]
[li]Solid bars;[/li][li]Hollow bars;[/li][li]Bars that look like giant metal suppositories (:eek:);[/li][li]Bars withclips;[/li][li]Bars that make me want to eat a doughnut; and[/li][li]Lots of bars that look like some ‘roid-raging maniac let loose on a paperclip.[/li][/ul]
What’s the difference and do those differences matter to the casual user?
We’re picking up/putting down heavy objects only for basic fitness. There’re no particular goals or spectacular program and we’re not planning on putting* very *heavy objects on the sticks—we’re merely complementing our cardio routine (an hour of daily cardio; an hour of heavy objects every other day). Though there will be variations over time, for the moment all we’re doing are basic things like squats, presses (shoulder, bench, starched shirts), curls (duh), rows, and the like. Maybe in a couple years we’ll be He-Man and -Woman and want something more exotic or specialized, but for now our main focus is on sticking with it—making getting to the weight-on-a-stick exercises easier will be good for that.
The spring clips look much more convenient than screwing collars on and off, but are they safe? Do we really care about the various shapes? Is there one that’s more versatile? Oh, speaking of doughnuts, the holes in the heavy objects are 1” in diameter—I assume there are standardized sizes, but thought to mention it just in case.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Rhythm
I put this in GQ thinking that there would be straightforward answers to this (e.g., use a suppository bar to build pictorial muscles; the more oblique the angle the more work it takes, etc.). If it’s more personal preferences, please move it to IMHO, the Pit, or wherever is most appropriate.