York Olympic Weight Bench and Weight Set

[MikeQuigley]

I've had several different weight benches and equipment over the years and either out grew them or got tired of lifting and sold them. Throughout this time I heard people talk about York benches and how good they were, made in York Pa. So I guess it was about three years ago I felt like lifting again and placed an order for a modestly priced bench (under $300 I believe) and a 300 lb. weight set and some odds and ends. No I'm not one of those monster weightlifter you see on the worlds strongest man, far from it. I've only gotten 300 once in my life about 15 years ago and I doubt it will happen again. Anyway, the chrome on the ends of the bar started coming off almost immediately and I oil them every time. There have been a few times where I went for one more rep and got stuck under the weights and had to dump it off the side and do a Houdini out from underneath. Having the weight bar teetering every which way on the bench can cause damage. It doesn't seem as sturdy as it once did and I don't trust it any more. What I'm getting at is I expected more from a company I heard so much about. So I guess if you want a bench like the ones in the gyms that are made out of 4 in. steel tubing, that's what you're going to have to pay for.

[keifer]

What I recommend is a squat rack and a plain flat bench with incline options. You can bench with a rack,do squats, pull-ups, ad a pulley system. The rack is the one tool option. It is very important to provide as many options to a home gym,otherwise there is redundancy of doing the same old exercises because options like a pulley system might be available to the home lifter.

Most home gym bench-presses are too narrow,they are too narrow on the bench and the hooks. The narrow grip puts pressure on the elbows. The average doorway in a house is a little too narrow to do pull-ups and once again adds a little more pressure to the elbows. Bad equipment can cause injury.

[keifer]

Joe Weider eqipment is shit,...and he was a jew.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Originally Posted by keifer

The average doorway in a house is a little too narrow to do pull-ups and once again adds a little more pressure to the elbows.

A good pullup bar. It has several widths and positions. We have been using it for 2 years.

[Wilbur]

Sad to read, really. Back in the day, York barbell equipment was the last word in quality. With the death of York's founder--Bob Hoffman--things have apparently gone downhill. Back in the sixties, all of us sought to own York equipment; their Olympic sets were the standard worldwide. Until the Weider brothers happened along, the iron game was ruled by Hoffman/York, no one else came close.

SuperDtv-SuperD tours Bob Hoffman, the Iron Legend, office at York Barbell! - YouTube

SuperDtv-SuperD tours Bob Hoffman, the Iron Legend, office at York Barbell! - YouTube

[MikeQuigley]

Yeah I had a Weider bench once but it wasn't olympic, it was standard with the little holes in the weights for the bar. I did get comfortable with it though because the uprights were on the inside of your arms instead of outside. It was the damndest thing getting used to Olympic.

[Wilbur]

About York Barbell


The York Barbell name is synonymous with the essence of weightlifting since its inception. York Barbell Company and its legendary Olympic weightlifting team, The York Barbell Club, wrote a substantial chapter in the biography of weightlifting, equipment development, and nutritional supplement industry.

75 years ago, York Barbell began shaping the fitness industry through product design, education, competition, and athletic sponsorship. Named “Father of World Weightlifting” by the International Weightlifting Federation, Bob Hoffman founded York Barbell in 1932 and immediately began pioneering many of today’s accepted exercise philosophies.

As a prolific writer of books and articles, Hoffman tirelessly promoted the benefits of exercise successfully encouraging its practice to the military and the general public. Bob and his beloved York Barbell Company developed among the first lines of exercise equipment in the industry. A pioneer in the health food business, Hoffman introduced a line of nutritional supplements in the early 1950s and developed the first energy bar in 1966.

From the decades of the 30’s through the 70’s, York Barbell flexed its muscle with its Olympic lifting teams. The renowned York Barbell Club dominated the Olympic scene with over 40 national championships and numerous Olympic Gold Medalists.

Today, the corporate office of York Barbell Company houses the official Weightlifting Hall of Fame and Museum in York, Pennsylvania.

Through its long history, York Barbell revolutionized the design of training equipment and products. From the early glove barbell designs to today’s precision plates, innovative grip plates, finely crafted bar, and residential and commercial free weight equipment, York Barbell has consistently set the standard in product styling, performance and value.
About Bob

Bob Hoffman was a pioneer in the use of physical conditioning and strength training. His life story and accomplishments are detailed in a section of the museum. The original York Barbell facility was an outgrowth of his oil burner business in York. Bob's official weightlifting club produced a four-decade progression of world and Olympic weightlifting champions such as Bill Good, Joe Miller, Tony Terlazzo, John Terpak, Stan Stanczyk, John Davis, Pete George, and Tommy Kono. Bob Hoffman guided weightlifting activities during the mid 20th century through his philanthropy and public attention to the sport. The International Weightlifting Federation officially recognized his efforts by designating Bob "The Father of World Weightlifting" in 1970.

Paul Anderson representing York in 1956

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[MikeQuigley]

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