DIY Fitness Club

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Omega Arms Pendulum Squat

PJ

Introduction

If you built the Omega Arms (from Episode 2 of the Omega Arms Series), and the Foot Plate (from Episode 3 of the Omega Arms Series) – there is relatively no new “building” needed for this project. It is predominantly a configuration-only project.

The only “construction” will be having to cut PVC for Olympic Plate Adapters and  the approximately 16” piece of PVC for the interior Crossmember on the 24” Nipple.

Foot Plate Adjustments

I did not mention it in the video because I thought it was obvious enough – but I will mention it here anyways. To control the Pitch of the Foot Plate all you have to do is raise/lower the J -hooks on the rear uprights of your rack which holds the barbell.

Suspension Mechanism

So I went through many different designs for a “Suspension Mechanism” which would allow for you begin the exercise at the top of the Rep (as well as allow you to load plates onto the PVC Plate Adapters unencumbered).

However, I ended up with thinking one of them was objectively better than the others – therefore, I cut out the footage with the other options and only included one in the video. Now -  I am not saying that MY best option is THE best option. I was going for easy to implement using the materials that I had on hand, not necessarily the most effective with no other constraints involved. However, you may elect to design your own mechanism which will suspend the unit in the air. If you do come up with something “better” – please let me know via email, Instagram,  Facebook, or YouTube comments.

Bracket Usage

Again - my rack’s upright’s have 1 1/16” holes through the front/rear. It does not have “lateral holes” which is why I use the brackets that I showed you how to make in Episode 2. If you have lateral holes that are large enough to accommodate ¾” Nipples – then you can run the 60” ¾” Nipple directly through those lateral holes and you will not need the brackets.

Now – the reason why we cannot just put the 60” directly onto J-Hooks like we did with the Leg Press (Episode 3 of the Omega Series) – is because the Physics change when the “Suspension Mechanism” is engaged. When the “Suspension Mechanism is NOT engaged , the pivot point is in the rear of the rack. However, when the ”Suspension Mechanism” is engaged – IT BECOMES THE PIVOT POINT and therefore that Unit becomes a seesaw, with the pivot point in the middle. If weight is present on the Olympic Plate adapters, it lifts the 60” nipple right off the J-Hooks. This would obviously be a Safety hazard. To see this visually, check out this clip (Note: this clip references early protypes for alternate “Suspension Mechanism” designs that I later abandoned and were cut out of the video – but it still gets the same point across).

Temporary Storage Mode

Soon after I published the Pendulum Squat Video I got some feedback that tells me that I should have explained temporary storage better. The Pendulum Squat can be put into “Temporary Storage Mode” by removing the plate-loading 60” Nipple and letting the unit hang down off the rear 60” nipple). Doing this will allow you to use your rack for other exercises (e.g., Bench, Squat, etc.) - and you will be able to more quickly assemble the Pendulum Squat configuration from this temporary storage mode configuration.

Weight Limit

SO here is the million-dollar question – how much weight can it hold? Well – I am not a structural engineer. SO I cannot answer that question. Further, If I give you a number – that doesn’t mean that someone else with a different rack, wood and pipes sourced from somewhere else would have the same result. SO – just be careful – start with low weight and work your way up to where you are comfortable. Don’t do anything stupid – This is not steel, it is wood and pipes. So don’t put a ridiculous amount of weight on and expect nothing bad to happen. Also – don’t use this around  kids or pets just to be extra cautious.

Safety

  • Ensure that you have implemented safety measures to ensure that your rack will not tip (bolt your rack down, load enough plates onto the barbell to act as a counter-balance, and/or extend your rack’s feet (like I showed you in the YouTube video).

  • Under no circumstances should you use this around kids or pets.

  • Never leave the unit unattended with weight loaded on it. Always unload the plates when it is not in use.

  • To the fullest extent possible, Load/Unload one plate at a time alternating between sides of the 60” nipple with the Olympic Plate Adapters. This is not made of steel, so if you load/unload  multiple plates on one side – before loading/unloading the other side, you are introducing a structural imbalance which will place stress on the structural integrity of the unit  In other words, keep each side balanced to the fullest extent possible when loading and unloading plates.

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Once you try this for yourself – be sure to let me know how well it worked for you! Happy Lifting!

SHOUT IT OUT: If you Build this project and want to brag about it, please use the #DesignBuildLift hashtag so that I can feature your amazing creation on my social media to help inspire others!