Archive for October, 2014

Some time back I posted about 200lb kettlebells and how much I want one for swings in particular.

Now some guys can press these suckers, thats 2x as hard as a headstand pushup for most of us. They can also be used for rows and some other moves. Nothing beats a heavy lift for hormonal stimulation.

So I thought I had lucked out, a catalog for a local supplier had them. Normally to ship one of these to New Zealand costs $1000.

I got on the phone and asked them to ship me one for $300. The guy said he would get his logistics man onto it and get back to me.

Well they didnt for two weeks and eventually just fluffed it off and said they could no longer get them in.

That kind of sucked but living at the bottom of the world far away you get used to these things.

Finally today I connected the dots.

I have known about the T-Bar handle for years, why the hell was I trying to buy a 200lb kettlebell?

All I need is a T-Bar handle for $20 worth of pipe fittings. Which I will buy this week I may add.

To this handle you may attach as much weight as you want. 150lb, 200lb, 300lb even 500lb. Obviously at some point all you will be doing is dragging or rocking the sucker.

Now if you are broke this still sucks because there is an outlay for plates. They can be as expensive as kettlebells with shipping costs.

If you cant afford plates its no problem at all. Get online and calculate the weight to volume of cement.

Figure what size cylinder of cement you want attached to your T-Bar handle. You dont want it too big or the wrong shape.

Then you will need some duct tape & cardboard or a plastic pipe tube to cast your new 200lb kettlebell substitute.

Not a big hassle to make at all and a huge money saver. If you have plates you have variable resistance. Otherwise just make several of them at different cement weights.

Heavy Mother of swing here I come.

The T-Handle is also great for doing:

two-arm bent rows
deadlifts
hack squats
front squats
biceps curls
overhead triceps extensions
suitcase dead lifts
sidebends
reverse curls
grip training
thick bar training (with thicker handles)