During the years that I trained at Iron Island Gym, one of the more interesting things about the gym was the fact that new equipment was always coming into the facility. Many of us who lifted there got used to the fact that every few weeks, there were new pieces of equipment on the gym floor. I’m sure that, given Dr. Ken’s reputation and expertise, companies would seek his opinions on new items being developed. Various benches, racks, machines, and specialty bars would always seem to “appear” in the gym. Ironmind, Sorinex, Kell, Southern Exercise, to name just a few manufacturers, were always well represented on the floor of Iron Island. And I can safely say that the members of the gym were only too happy to give their equipment a try.
One day, all of the black York plates that had been such a mainstay of the place had been replaced by the now famous ( and much sought after! ) purple Iron Island custom plates. Another time, the dozens of Hammer Strength machines that had been there from day one, had been completely replaced by similar machines made by Nautilus ( the rumor at the time was that Dr. Ken had had some sort of falling out with Hammer Strength, so he simply changed the entire gym!).
In any event, whatever the reason, we had to “be on our toes” at Iron Island. You never wanted to get too accustomed to one particular machine since, it could be replaced the next time you showed up at the gym. On the other hand, you could always count on being on cutting edge of new equipment. If a new heavy duty bar came out, you just knew that you didn’t have to wait for a review in Powerlifting USA magazine to find out about it. The bar in question would be in the gym ready to use. I remember one year, a special cobalt bar that was manufactured in California ( I think it was from Mav-Rik), had just arrived. I mean Dr. Ken and Ralph had literally just unpacked it and placed it on one of the lifting platforms! I just happened to be there, and as luck would have it, I planned on doing Deadlifts that afternoon. Naturally, Dr. Ken suggested that I try it out and I did. And, not surprisingly, it was a great bar, and I really liked the feel of it. So much so that, whenever I did high-rep Deadlifts, I would always use the cobalt bar.
I think that having new equipment is a good thing. At Bruno’s, we trained on the same equipment that had been there from the beginning. Larry didn’t have the means of getting equipment on consignment, or overhauling everything on a whim. Plus, he felt strongly that the stuff he purchased from York was good enough to last a lifetime. The only exception to this was back in 1984 when Larry purchased a couple of the York Power Bars, which were new at the time.
In fairness to Larry, back in the early 1980s, the equipment that was being made simply was just not that good. A lot of it was not very well built, and was not able to withstand being used ( and abused ) by lifters. And the machines back then were nothing at all like the stuff later developed by Nautilus, Hammer Strength, and others.
Flash forward to today. Bruno’s Health Club, Iron Island Gym, and other “lifting gyms” are long gone. Most commercial gyms, as I have often lamented, are a joke. Serious lifting has taken a backseat to taking pictures and videos to be posted on social media. Lifters have been replaced by “influencers” who, upon casual glance, look as if they have never lifted heavy in their lives. Even when someone does actually perform a Squat or Bench Press, their form is usually so atrocious that they cannot be taken seriously ( except, of course, by other posers and attention seekers). And if, by chance, you do encounter a gym where serious lifting is taking place, you are likely to encounter a bunch of steroid users. In other words, you just can’t win.
Unless, of course, you are fortunate enough to be able to train at home. Home gyms gained popularity during the Covid lockdown. And many people who started training at home during that time are still going strong being cellar dwellers, garage gorillas, or whatever term you wish to apply to that special breed who get it done at home, on their own, with no fanfare and, luckily, none of the drama of training in public.
I’ve written about my home workouts in the past. Not having to deal with a commercial gym has been a blessing. Having my own equipment has made my training easier, enjoyable, and productive. What more can one ask for when it comes to your workouts?
About six months ago, I started to incorporate sandbags in my training. It was actually at the suggestion of my friend Steve Weiner that I purchased my first sandbag. Like most things in life – and lifting- one thing leads to another and in no time I had several sandbags of various sizes. The advantages of using heavy sandbags are well documented in numerous articles, and I am not going to attempt to take any credit for discovering sandbag training. It has been around for a long time, and I was simply wise enough to keep an open mind and give it a try. I think an extremely important quality to have as an older lifter is to be open to changes and new ideas. This is actually important to lifters of any age, but I think it requires some measure of maturity to actually be able to change one’s lifting habits. As Apollo Creed said to Rocky Balboa in Rocky III, “ It takes a helluva man to change.”
Another new piece of equipment that I have recently acquired can hardly be described as new at all: Heavy Dumbbells. I’ve always believed in the benefits of using heavy DBs in any productive training program. Over the years, I have acquired a complete set of York “roundheads” to go along with various plate-loaded, and thick-handled dumbbells. But the dumbbells that I have recently acquired are another story.
A couple months ago, my friend Tim Culver offered for sale a bunch of heavy dumbbells that he had acquired. Over the years, I have purchased many items from Tim. He is a good man, as well as the biggest fan of Bruno Sammartino that I have ever known. Just being a diehard Bruno fan is enough, but Tim is also someone who I am proud to call a friend. And when I inquired about purchasing a pair of the DBs, he was only too happy to facilitate the process.
These dumbbells were originally from the training facility of the Baltimore Ravens. Naturally, since they were designed for a professional football team, they are heavy duty and durable. I ordered a pair of dumbbells that weighed 152.5 Lbs each. Not the heaviest DBs around, but here’s the catch: They have a 1-3/4” handle to make these thing absolute beasts to try to lift. Back in the day at Iron Island, Dr. Ken had 200 Lb. DBs, but they had normal size handles, so they were not difficult to lift. But these “Raven” dumbbells- with their 1-3/4” handles- were another story entirely.
When the DBs arrived, it was hard enough to just get them off the truck. Naturally, I had to try to lift them right away, and let me tell you that these things truly are BEASTS! They are not for playing games. So, I finally planned to use them in an actual workout. After doing several sets of Good Mornings, I decided that I would try to tackle the dumbbells as a “finisher.” I quickly realizes that these things will require a lot of work on my part to make them a finisher. I was only able to get three reps with each one! I plan on incorporating them- along with my sandbags- into my workout routine.
You’re never too old, or too experienced to try new things or accept new challenges. Whether it’s a heavy pair of dumbbells, or a new training regimen, if you keep an open mind, and put in the requisite effort and progression, then you can continue to make gains.