# I'm looking for a couple old pieces of workout equipment I remember from my childhood. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 31, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677 "2015-07-31T22:23:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/1 "2015-07-31T22:23:33Z")
Hello all. I don’t know the names of these two things or if they’re still made, but I remember my dad having some back in the 80’s. One is basically a long bar that is one thick metal spring with two handles on the ends. You bend the bar, moving the handles towards each other. That’s it. The other thing is also two handles but with a few coiled springs in between. You pull it apart, and I guess it mimics pulling back a bow string. I’d like to get these if they still exist. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/2 "2015-07-31T22:42:10Z")
First one is a [Bullworker.](http://s1127.photobucket.com/user/djmasseyandson/media/Zoe/Bull07_zps1194f30c.jpg.html) Misread the description. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/3 "2015-07-31T23:26:57Z")
Well my grandpappy used to say, “Son, use your very limited abilities for the benefit of mankind, if you can possibly dream up a way.” > [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > One is basically a long bar that is one thick metal spring with two handles on the ends. You bend the bar, moving the handles towards each other. That’s it. [The power twister](https://www.google.com/search?q=power+twister&client=opera&hs=k20&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMIio3w5cGGxwIVBDM-Ch21lQru&biw=931&bih=599&dpr=1.1) > [@](#): > > The other thing is also two handles but with a few coiled springs in between. You pull it apart, and I guess it mimics pulling back a bow string. I’d like to get these if they still exist. Thanks. [The chest expander](https://www.google.com/search?q=power+twister&client=opera&hs=k20&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMIio3w5cGGxwIVBDM-Ch21lQru&biw=931&bih=599&dpr=1.1#tbm=isch&q=chest+expander) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/4 "2015-08-01T10:48:02Z")
> [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](#): > > Well my grandpappy used to say, “Son, use your very limited abilities for the benefit of mankind, if you can possibly dream up a way.” > > [The power twister](https://www.google.com/search?q=power+twister&client=opera&hs=k20&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMIio3w5cGGxwIVBDM-Ch21lQru&biw=931&bih=599&dpr=1.1) > > [The chest expander](https://www.google.com/search?q=power+twister&client=opera&hs=k20&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMIio3w5cGGxwIVBDM-Ch21lQru&biw=931&bih=599&dpr=1.1#tbm=isch&q=chest+expander) Awesome, thanks. Just what I was looking for. Just FYI - that second link also opens the Power Twister search. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/5 "2015-08-01T13:55:23Z")
Odd, it’s working OK for me. 😕 When I was a kid in the '60’s, we had one of those Chest Expanders lying around the house that looked as though it dated from the Pleistocene. Turns out that [Stanislaus Zbyszko](http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t15569.htm)used one of these around the turn of the century, if not earlier. This was long before gravity was invented, so you can’t really blame him. Now that they even have gravity in China, where everything is manufactured, you can get one of these really cheaply, like $10 on eBay. Back in the Pleistocene we had to pay more than that for a rock. Then came the work of chiseling the rock into the shape of a spring, finding another rock when the first one didn’t work, etc… Anyway, you’re welcome. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/6 "2015-08-03T15:59:55Z")
No Indian clubs? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/7 "2015-08-03T16:06:48Z")
I’d like to point out that I think it’s awesome that the medicine ball is seeing a resurgence of popularity in the modern gym. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-couple-old-pieces-of-workout-equipment-i-remember-from-my-childhood/726677/8 "2015-08-03T16:24:43Z")
From an episode of Mad About You: Paul: You’re throwing out my Bullworker? Jamie: You never even took it out of the box. Paul: I know. Sadly, I’m not strong enough to open the box. Later in the show Jamie cheers him on: Jamie: Paul, Paul, he’s our man If he can’t do it, no one can Paul: I can’t open this box. Jamie: Paul, Paul, he’s our man If he can’t do it, no one can Paul: It won’t open!