Sometimes the best things come in small and big packages -- at the same time
3OMETIMES THE BEST THINGS COME IN SMALL AND BIG PACKAGES n AT THE SAME TIME 0ART TWO OF OUR TWO PART 4RAINING 3PACES SERIES "Y 2ICK !NDERSON 6ICE 0RESIDENT "&3 RANSFORMERS ARE HIGH TECH ROBOTS THAT TRANSFORM INTO A VARIETY OF MECHANICAL DEVICES THAT FIGHT BAD GUYS 4HESE ROBOTS WITH THE ABILITY TO CONVERT INTO CRIME FIGHTING PLANES TRAINS AND AUTOMO BILES ARE A POP CULTURE PHENOMENON THAT LAUNCHED A SERIES OF TOYS COMIC BOOKS AND TELEVISION SHOWS 5SING THE SAME IDEA OUR RESIDENT EQUIPMENT DESIGN WIZARD %RIC 3NOWDEN CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF DEVEL OPING A MULTIPURPOSE POWER RACK WITH SPECIAL TRANSFORMER LIKE FEATURES h) CAME UP WITH THE IDEA BACK IN WHEN ) WAS RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE BACK FROM THE (EALTH AND &ITNESS "USINESS 4RADE 3HOW IN $ENVER v SAYS 3NOWDEN h4HIS WAS THE TIME WHEN THE "OWFLEX WAS REALLY GETTING POPU LAR BECAUSE IT WAS SPACE EFFICIENT AND YOU COULD PERFORM SO MANY EXER CISES WITH IT "UT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ) REPEATEDLY HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE TRADE SHOW WAS THAT IT WAS A SHAME THAT THERE WAS NOT A MORE FORMIDABLE FORM OF RESISTANCE FOR SUCH SPACE SAVING UNITS OTHER THAN THOSE USING BANDSv !S HE RODE BACK TO 3ALT ,AKE #ITY 3NOWDEN THOUGHT ABOUT COMBINING A POWER RACK AND A CABLE CROSSOVER SO YOU COULD PERFORM BASIC FREE WEIGHT EXERCISES 4HEN HE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO MAKE THE POWER RACK COLLAPSE AND ADDED A LAT PULLDOWN AND VERTICAL PLATE RACKS %VENTUALLY A PROTOTYPE WAS DEVELOPED THAT COULD FOLD OUT TO AN AREA THAT IS ONLY INCHES BY FEET (E CALLED IT THE "&3 3PACE 3AVER 2ACK ITS ALSO KNOWN AS THE 4OTAL 0ROGRAM 2ACK 4HE KEY TO THE DESIGN IS A SLID ING SUPPORT BAR THAT CAN ALSO BE USED AS A CHIN UP BAR A FEATURE DEVELOPED BY 3NOWDENS DESIGN PARTNER *AKE (UTCHINSON h7E WANTED TO BE ABLE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE UNIT VERY QUICKLY WITHOUT HAVING TO TIGHTEN BOLTS *AKES SLID ING CHIN UP BAR ENABLES THE UNIT TO BE OPENED OR CLOSED IN ABOUT SECONDS )TS REALLY EFFICIENTv /PERATING THE UNIT IS ALSO VERY SMOOTH THANKS TO A CHROMED VERTICAL SLIDE ON THE ADJUSTABLE PULLEY SYSTEM 3NOWDEN SAYS THE CHROME PRE VENTS THE PULLEY FROM SCRATCHING THE SUPPORT BAR A PROBLEM THAT OFTEN HAPPENS WITH COMPETITORS PULLEY SYSTEMS THAT SIMPLY PAINT THE SUPPORT BAR 7HILE THE COMPANY THAT MAKES "OWFLEX HAD TO RECALL ALMOST A MILLION UNITS THERE IS LITTLE CHANCE OF THIS UNIT BREAKING DOWN 4HE UNIT IS INCH GAUGE STEEL TUBING n THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR HEAVY DUTY FREE WEIGHT EQUIPMENT n AND THE POUND WEIGHT STACK PREVENTS THE UNIT FROM TIPPING WHEN ITS COLLAPSED )T ALSO HAS SUPER TOUGH POUND AIRCRAFT CABLE FOR ITS PULLEYS 4HEN THERE ARE THE LITTLE EXTRAS SUCH AS A BENCH THAT CAN BE ADJUSTED TO FLAT DECLINE AND INCLINE POSITIONS 9OU CAN ALSO PULL OFF THE BENCHS ROLLER PADS n USED TO PREVENT YOU FROM SLIDING WHEN PERFORMING DECLINE BENCHES n SO THEY DONT GET IN YOUR WAY WHEN THE BENCH IS CONVERTED TO ITS FLAT AND INCLINE POSITIONS &OR THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT THE 3PACE 3AVER 2ACK IS IDEAL FOR WEIGHT ROOMS THAT HAVE FLUCTUATING SPACE REQUIREMENTS h0OLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS ALSO LOVE THIS RACK BECAUSE THEY OFTEN HAVE LIMITED SPACE AND ONLY A FEW PEOPLE TRAINING AT ONE TIME v SAYS 3NOWDEN 4HE BEST FEATURE OF OUR SPACE SAVER RACK FOR A SCHOOL IS THE EFFICIENCY OF DOING THE #ORE ,IFTS DO YOUR BENCH AND SQUAT AND THEN FOLD IT UP .OW YOURE READY TO DO CLEANS AND THE HEX BAR LIFT OR ANY OTHER PHASE OF THE "&3 0ROGRAM 2EALLY 3LICK &OR THE HOME ENVIRONMENT THE 3PACE 3AVER 2ACK ENABLES YOU TO CONVERT YOUR GARAGE INTO A HEAVY DUTY GYM AND THEN CONVERT IT BACK INTO A GARAGE WHERE YOU CAN PARK YOUR CAR 3NOWDEN SAYS THAT ONE TOP BODYBUILDER WHO BOUGHT THE UNIT WAS ABLE TO DO MOST OF HIS TRAIN ING AT HOME DUE TO THE VARIETY OF EXERCISES HE COULD PERFORM WITH THE RACK h%FFECTIVE TRAINING IS ALL ABOUT VARIATIONS AND HAVING OPTIONS v SAYS 3NOWDEN h4HATS THE PROBLEM ) SEE WITH SO MANY HOME UNITS n SURE YOU CAN PERFORM SEVERAL EXERCISES ON THEM BUT YOURE LOCKED INTO A SINGLE MOVEMENT PATTERN THAT IS MONOTONOUS AND MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF OVERUSE INJURIESv 0ERFORM /VER 'YM %XERCISES )N /NE #OMPACT !REA 3QUAT #LEAN "ENCH )NCLINE ,AT 0ULL ,OW 2OW !RM #URL AND -ORE L v W v H v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
$/4 $2),,3 4VNNFS4QFDJBM SFHVMBSQSJDF UP1BET FB UP FB 1MVT FB U * F E B .
5P 3$,17(''276 !T3TOCK PAD CUT A WAY VIEW OF THE INTEGRATED DOTS 0DNH6XUH\RXU'RW'ULOO3DG KDVIXOO\LQWHJUDWHGGRWV7KLV PHDQVHDFKUXEEHUGRWLVDFWXDOO\ PROGHGULJKWLQWRWKHSDG )D[ ELJJHUIDVWHUVWURQJHUFRP :HVW6RXWK6/&87
From BFS Magazine — May/June 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
