A deloader for BlobZilla

Here's the deloader I built this past weekend so I can start really training to lift BlobZilla.  I built it to work with my power rack but you could always just attach it to an overhead beam in the garage or back patio as well, or make a 2x4 frame.  Here's a couple pics of all the parts I used to build it.

Here's the list:

-one 5" long 2x4

-2 hooks to hang the pulleys on

-2 pulleys for 3/16" cable

-2x3/16" clamp sets for the ends of the cable

-one 10" length of coated 3/16" cable (cable length will vary depending on how high your pulleys will be mounted)

-4x18" lengths of chain

-4 quick links-to attach the chain to the eye bolts

-4 eye bolts

-2 medium sized carabiners

-1 piece of 1x6x12" wood for the blob platform.  This was just a piece I had lying around but you can use whatever you want for the platform.  I'll experiment with a piece of rubber matting to see if I like it better.

-a 1" or 2" loading pin to hold the weights.

Instructions for the build:

Drill 4 holes in your platform material and attach the 4 eye bolts.

Attach the 4 lengths of chain to the eye bolts using the quick links and clip the upper ends of all 4 chains in the carabiner.  Now pull the chains taut and measure the total height from the floor to the top of the carabiner (You will need this measurement later).

Screw the 2 hooks into the bottom of the 2x4.  I went in 18" from the ends so it would fit nicely inside my power rack but you can go any distance you need to.  Just make sure that it's wide enough so that the weights won't come down on top of you when you're lifting the blob.  Also make sure the hooks are pointing out because the pulleys will pull in toward the center and will pull off the hooks if they are backward.

Next slide the pulleys onto the hooks (this is the easiest step of the whole process)

Attach a 3/16" clamp set to one end of the cable and tighten it down nice and tight so it won't slip.

Slide the straight end of the cable through both pulleys;  this step is important because if you attach both clamp sets first you can't fit the cable through the pulleys.

Before attaching the second clamp set to the cable you need to determine how long the cable needs to be.  To do this I attached the carabiner to the one end and clipped it to the loading pin.  I then pulled the other end of the cable taut and stood up with my hand in the full deadlift position with my hand in a fist.  Mark the cable where the knuckles of your fist are and subtract the total length of the chains that you measured earlier.

Attach the clamp set to the end of the cable with the bottom of the loop being where your mark is.  Now clip the platform and chains to the cable with the carabiner and put the blob on it.

Add some weight to your loading pin and lift if up to clip it onto the carabiner.  Lift the blob to full lockout and  if the loading pin with weight touches the floor before lockout then adjust where the clamp set is on the blob side to shorten it a little.  If you did your measurements correctly it should be pretty close.  If no adjustments are needed cut off the excess cable with bolt cutters and start Blobbing!

Here's a quick video of my deloader and BlobZilla in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZoKKwBuO6k

Training updates, etc

Just a quick update as to how things are going. Garden is coming along. Got the gate posts in the ground for the new fence and picked up the remaining steel for the rest of it yesterday. About half of the expanded garden plot has been double-dug and planted with some late winter crops like lettuce, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, spinach, etc. No spring stuff in the ground yet. Gotta love the Tucson winters with it already in the 80's some days here.

Training wise I have shifted gears. The plan I was working off of was a bit more than my current recovery abilities were capable of handling. The high tension levels of the above 90% gripper closes were also exacerbating shoulder tightness issue and upper back / neck tightness problems. So I took a few days off and reformulated a new plan. Training more often at a lower intensity level and lower volume. Added in alot more stretching and active shoulder rehab work to try and get my problematic left one good and loosened up as well as pain free before I damage it more. Will be mostly GTG and Ladders for awhile to see how this plays out based on the ideas behind this. It is pretty low daily volume per exercise in one workset but single workset stuff has worked for me before. In addition to adding the active shoulder rehab work in, I have added overhead press and bench which I haven't done much of since early 2012. Still hopeful to get an over 40 yrs above 400# bench again before I'm too old and broken to do it.

Starting point on the Bench was 5x135 on Monday and 5x95 on the Seated Overhead Press. Low percentage lifts both of them by the feel. Doing the lifts each day and trying to add a little weight til I hit my 5RM.

Weekend update

Just a quick update on the weekend. Boy am I sore today. I did manage a bit of training Friday night, some hub and pinch work mostly. But much of the rest of the weekend was spent working on the garden.

I am preparing to put up a new steel fence around the garden and so getting the area prepped is paramount. Saturday we rented a gas powered concrete saw and I cut a concrete walkway for where the gate is going to be as well as cutting up some of the excess concrete to make it easier for removal. Got all that concrete removed and moved a bunch of dirt to level out the ground. Also we got a few more plants in the ground as well as getting the new Blueberry bush and Strawberries planted into their new containers. Still have quite a bit of double digging to do in the garden to add manure as well as removing grass runners and roots. I think I'm just about half way done with that. Looking forward to getting the first couple of posts for the fence set in sometime this week. Then getting the rest of the steel needed ordered.

In other news I tried to do some more gripper work yesterday but cut it short. Still too sore.

It's been ages since I posted here.

 Gonna try to start posting again. Work and kids have kept me pretty busy but it's looking like it will be a good year this year. Lots of interesting grip equipment projects to build, interesting projects at work and kids are growing fast and learning fast. Also getting the garden back in shape for the spring. Woohoo!

Stuff I'm chasing training wise right now:

Get back to 180#+ on grippers but with 20mm block set. I peaked out at a 194# #4 close in the 2013 AZ Cactus Grip comp and had a very near miss at a 199# #4.

110Kg+ on the 2HP this year is a goal. Currently hitting around 100 to 102.5kg in testing.

Trying to bring up hub a bit on my new plate mount hub device. I like it so much better hard mounted to the plate vs the IM one. Current best is around 75# RH and 60 LH

Thinking I may start playing with some plate curl as well but nothing started yet.

Got a new thickbar DB handle planned that I'm very excited about. Gonna be solid cast iron and mimic dimensions of Inch Replica DB. Will be custom making some special cast iron plates for it that have the spherical globe DB outer profile and are solid plates unlike the typical Oly plates. Stock is purchased, I just need to find time to start machining it again.

Make some more progress on the High Tech Advanced Gripper project.

Finish the production tooling for the LightUp Gripper project and make next prototype.

Build a new steel fence around the garden. Gonna do a nice wrought iron gate too I think.

Finish double digging the Garden for spring planting.

Build first prototype for new pinch implement.

Finish ebook on thickbar training program.

Anyway, some stuff on my mind to work on this year. Will try to update as I make any damn progress.