Home Gym History

Rob dives into the creation of the Blob, Richard Sorin/the early days of Sorinex, and the controversies surrounding blobs.  (0:50) Blob Intro (4:01) Sorinex (11:14) Controversy around Blobs (16:55) Cost of Blob Follow Visit vintageweightspgh.com for additional information on vintage weights. Follow Rob on Instagram and YouTube Subscribe to Garage Gym Radio Stay in the loop with all things hom...

Rob discusses the history of the power rack, which Bob Peoples invented in the early 1900s.  (1:44) Bob Peoples Invented the Power Rack (3:44) Bob Peoples' Training (5:49) Other Weightlifting "Apparatuses" (8:11) The Pit (10:54) Deadlifting (17:49) Power Racks Before Rogue (21:16) Westside Barbell (23:35) Changes in the Power Rack Sources: Todd, Terry. “Passings.” Iron Game History , Volume 2...

Rob dives deep into the very beginning of dumbbells, their evolution, and then compares them to what we have today. (0:14) Shapes of dumbbells (0:40) Who invented the dumbbell? (1:28) Types of weights during ancient times (2:44) The 1700s "dumbbell" (4:45) Modern dumbbells (5:35) Circus dumbbell lifters (7:30) Why did globe dumbbells go away? (9:24) Modern dumbbell variations (15:38) A few odditie...

Rob tells us where the curl bar came from, it's the evolution of this specialty barbell over time, how to identify one of the original curl bars created, and much more.  (0:44) Other Common Specialty Bars (1:51) THANK YOU, PAUL QUINN (2:34) Who Invented the Curl Bar? (3:13) Why was the Curl Bar Invented? (7:04) Jackson Curling Bar (8:45) The Rarest Plates of All Time? (13:25) York Comes into...

Rob breaks down the history of Schisler, what separates these plates from every other out there, some controversies around them, and much more. Show Notes (0:35) History of Schisler and Buckeye Barbell (1:31) What makes Eagleheads popular? (3:12) Not Made in USA (5:18) Overall Quality (5:55) Are they Vintage? (9:00) Aesthetic Appeal (10:04) Price Back in the Day (11:35) Value Right Now Follow Visi...

In episode #3, Rob explains why weight plates look the way they do, how bumper plates came about, and more. (0:39) Why a 2-Inch Diameter? (3:38) Deep Dish Plates (6:51) The Size (9:48) Bumper Plates (15:19) Deep Dish Today vs. Vintage (17:58) The First Bumper Plates vs. Nowadays Follow Visit vintageweightspgh.com for additional information on vintage weights. Follow Rob on Instagram and YouTube Su...

In episode #2, Rob breaks down the difference between Standard vs. Olympic Plates, how trademarks created a shift in the lettering on weight plates, and more. (0:17) Standard vs. Olympic Weight Plates (1:01) Olympic Plates don't say Olympic. They say, Standard. (1:57) Trademarks (2:45) Rule #7 (5:33) The American company licensed to use the term (6:00) How companies updated plates (7:05) What do p...

Rob from Vintage Weights PGH guides Jake and Adam on the history of the York Olympic Plates, distinguishing factors for each type, how they compare to current made-in-USA options, and more. Show Notes (0:40) Intro to the Milled Era York Olympic Weight Plates (2:41) Identifying the Different Types of York Plates (6:23) USA-Made Plates with Machining Used for Accuracy (10:40) Cost of York Plate...