Sleds, Ropes & Ladders

Here is some practical lifting advice.

This is no kids game. This Atomic Athletic Bomb Proof Bulletin is about moving heavy weight. Most lifters think that the most important part of climbing a rope, a cargo net, or pulling a weighted sled is the workout you get. Well, if you have not securely attached that item, then you can forget about ever finishing that workout.

Eye splices are my personal favorite for attachment security. Particularly if you have any sort of a beam, you tuck the far end of your rope through the eye and unless there is a catastrophic failure of the implement itself, then you are secure.

Barring a situation where a rope with an eye splice will work, then you need to be looking at a carabiner or a clevis. Thanks to the world of rock climbing, there are hundreds of variations on the carabiner. The one piece of advice I will give on this subject is make sure it is steel and NOT aluminum for use in the fitness world. You can get really cheap small ones, which you have probably seen on the lat machines at commercial gyms. Generally, those are fine for that size stack and standard lat attachments. Once you get outside that realm, you might need something larger and/or stronger. Here is the one we sell:

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=C411

A clevis is another story. Generally, a clevis will be a lot safer alternative. They are safer because of the strength and the because instead of a carabiner “gate” there is a bolt that screws in. Unfortunately, sizes and shapes can be very limiting. Which is why I searched for and now carry this odd shaped Anchoring Clevis.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=C999

You can get a basic clevis the hardware store, in a variety of sizes, but they are all the same basic shape. Essentially it has a bolt which closes off a “U” shape piece of round stock steel. These are all generally very strong and secure. The real drawback is that they do take time to screw down. If you are doing something like a harness lift and you are standing in a partial squat while tightening four of these, you will not have your best lift. I use a clevis or locking link on the bottom of the chain and the Equal D Shape Carabiner at the top, because they are so fast to hook in.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Live strong,
Roger LaPointe