Making A Holle It Up

[ruffhans]

ok i just spent an hour searching through the forums. and i am going to make a holle it up db. here is what i am going to do and you let me know if im going to do it rite.

i will buy a 1 inch width pipe, ( or a pipe with the proper width for fitting through the hole of a standerd wight plates.

i will buy a 2 and 1/2 in pipe, ( is that the width the the handle on a "holle it up" db? i will need to know?) this will be cut to 4 inches, or enough for one hand to compfortably grip.

the 1 inch width pipe will be for plates, i will make it probably 17 inches, and the 2, and 1/2 inch pipe will be the handle.

the 1 inch width pipe will be long enough to hold a good amount of plates.

i will take the 1 inch width pipe and run it through the 2, and 1/2 inch width pipe. i will pour in cement so as to fix the 1 inch width pipe inside of the 2, and 1/2 inch width pipe so it becomes one unit and does not slide.

and when fixing the two pipes together with cement i will make sure to set the 1 inch width pipe " NOT " in the center of the 2 and 1/2 inch pipe but, " to one side or the other" so when the cement is dry instead of having the 1 inch width pipe fixed down the "center" of the 2 ,1/2 pipe it will be fixed to one side making it " offset"

this is what i am going to do and from what i gather it is rite. i just need to make sure the handle part of this homemade "holle it up db" is corect in width. is 2 and /1/2 inches corect?

i realy want one, but as much as i love I.M,...... that price is nuts for such a simple design.

ok guys let me know what you think.

Edited December 5, 2005 by ruffhans

[tspinillo]

It is 2.5 inches.

[DuTCH]

I think you should contact Climber !! he makes some nifty products! I got a Holle thing from him, and it's great!

[ruffhans]

he just pmed me!!!!!!!!!!!! thank God for this site!

[TelegraphKey]

The Holle looks great. I will probably buy one eventually. There was another thread on the Holle and someone asked this question but I have not seen an answer anywhere. So can someone tell me, please:

What are the best workouts to use the Holle db for? I can see how it works your grip, but how do you get the most use out of it?

[ruffhans]

i cant wait to get one! from what i am gathering you will probably want to use for holds. just hold as long as you can. i remember the rule of thumb for pinching was uesing a wieght you could only pinch for about 5 secs,....it always worked for me so that is what i will do with it. the only bummer with making one or buyn one someone made is not getting the directions with it.

[TelegraphKey]

i cant wait to get one! from what i am gathering you will probably want to use for holds. just hold as long as you can. i remember the rule of thumb for pinching was uesing a wieght you could only pinch for about 5 secs,....it always worked for me so that is what i will do with it. the only bummer with making one or buyn one someone made is not getting the directions with it.

←

Well that's just it I read somewhere else that the Holle It Up from IM doesn't seem to come with much directions anyway. Someone else around here on another thread asked if IM could put out detailed instructions on how to best use it, so I'm assuming all they send is a little white piece of paper with a few very general instructions. What you just said up above, about 5-sec holds, is probably about as much info as IM gives with the sale of a Holle db

[Steve B.]

That was probably me.I asked Strossen about it and told him that he should put out some kind of article about training with with the Holle it up.The Holle brothers from England should be the ones to give some usefull information on this since it's named after them.The paragraph on it on the IM site says it's the only other tool he needed to help him close the #4.

I will say depending on the way you use the holle it up,it will either stress the thumb alot or your fingers the wat the bar is rotated.

[TelegraphKey]

Steve B., Thanks for the info that you gave about it. It would be great if Mr Strossen, or, better, the Holle guys produced an instruction booklet.

ruffhans, I happened to be in a hardware store & saw some 2" PVC pipe that is actually about 2-1/3" thick (measured outside diameter). This got me going to buy a little cement and a couple 18" long 1" metal pipes which exactly fit standard weight plates!

I'll cut the PVC into ~5" sections (I had to buy a hacksaw to cut it), put the metal pipes inside, right along the inside of the PVC, duct tape one end, pour the cement, & hopefully it will set right. If this works I can make 2 Holle db's.

(Of course, you have to put the 1" metal bar along or near the inside edge of the PVC pipe, so the Holle db will have off-center gravity.)

Moreover, I have an extra Olympic db, with normal ~1" handles & 2" sleeves. If I get another Olympic db, I can cut 2 more PVC sections that could fit over the inner handles. The inner handles, being only 1" thick, thus can rest on the inside edge of the PVC, which makes it very off-center gravity, which is the purpose of the Holle db. If that works, I would have 2 Holle db's for standard plates, 2 Holle db's for Olympic plates, all for the cost of materials (including the 2 Olympic db's) of about $90! 4 Holle db's for $90!

Up above you asked if 2-1/2" is the right thickness. Yes it is. That thickness comes from the classic Inch Elevators (where "Inch" is someone's name, I think, nothing to do with the thickness). I've read Inch Elevators are 2.47" inch thick. I believe anything between about 2.25 and 2.5 inches thick is probably close enough, so I'm not stressed that my PVC pipe is 2.33" inch thick.

Edited December 8, 2005 by TelegraphKey

[TelegraphKey]

*I should add that the total cost for 2 "regular" standard plate Holle db's made this way is about $30 for me, including buying a $15 hacksaw. The other $60 comes from buying 2 Olympic-plate db's.

So, really, 2 standard Holle db's could be made for $15.

[DuTCH]

To get the most out of the offset handle, the bar should be set at the thumb. This will create the most 'rolling' effect, and that is what you are looking for.

Timed holds, pulling the bar 4-6" off the ground holding it there, maybe some high pulls..

[mobsterone]

1) the Holles are full of it - I challenge them to compete - they never will so that's that...

2) instructions for dumbbell are as follows: use to lift weights - do not cheat.

[TelegraphKey]

To get the most out of the offset handle, the bar should be set at the thumb. This will create the most 'rolling' effect, and that is what you are looking for.

←

What do you mean exactly, "the bar should be set at the thumb?" You mean the center of gravity (where the 1" bar inside the 2.5" bar is located) should be closest part of Holle db next to thumb?

[TelegraphKey]

2) instructions for dumbbell are as follows: use to lift weights - do not cheat.

←

Well, yes, but we'd need to know what to do in the first place in order to knowingly do it wrong & cheat.

[mobsterone]

I think you're assuming there's a special lift. I think they did little more than one hand pulls and deadlifts. There's nowt to be gained otherwise or a recognised Holle lift.

[TelegraphKey]

Okay, but I think what we're wondering is how exactly, or what are the best ways of positioning it in the hand when doing a lift.

I don't even have one yet; perhaps when I get one in hand, I'll begin to simply see how it should go. You're probably basically right: Just go as heavy as possible for deads, cleans, holds, rows, curls, etc. and hold on for dear life.

[climber511]

For whatever it's worth, here's what I do with my offset handle DB. Using a moderate weight, I deadlift it and then tilt it and rotate it all around, just keep it moving - trying for sets of 15 to 20 second holds, a kind of time under tension thing. Then I do high pulls with it, pulling as fast as possible - it seems like the quick dynamic overload works better than just holding it. On occasion I work up to a max effort single. All lifts are done with the bar position at the thumb or 3 o'clock position. If I had to chose one thing, I'd do hi pulls, sets of 3 to 5 reps. I really use it like any other DB except that once you clean it and have it laying in your hand, it offers nothing special overhead.

[ruffhans]

well everyone i am getting a used one from climber511 after tha holidays. but i did end up going ahead and making the one i described up top to get a feel for one and see if i still wanted to get a good one. it actualy works great. instead of duct taping the ends of the 2 inch pvc handle to hold in the cement, i bought pvc end cupplings and just drilled a 1 inch hole in each so the bar would pass through. i made it so it was offset. i put forty piunds on it and lifted it for a few secs playing around with it. i think it made the 40 lbs feel harder myself. i could see where heavy loads would be very effective. i tried the bar set at my thimb first, and then my fingers. i think the thumb set was harder. and they were not kidding,.....it does want to roll out of your hands!

i liked it

[deaner]

Why does the inch roll in any way differently then a regular thick DB? The only difference I see is the shape of the bell, and whats that got to do with it? I have a homemade thick DB that wants to roll out of my hand (when I try to cock my wrist), its a 2" OD steel pipe with a 2" ID PVC pipe over it, I put a little duct tape on it and beat it on (the PVC pipe) The only problem I've had has been keeping the plates from sliding around, my collars suck. Of course I've never tried the inch so I might just be completely full of it.

[TelegraphKey]

ruffhans,

I think you said you're also going to get an IM Holle db. If you do, can you please get back & tell us if there's any difference from that & the one you made? I'll be making mine this weekend.

[apttdwler]

well  everyone i am getting a used one from climber511 after tha holidays. but i did end up going ahead and making the one i described up top to get a feel for one and see if i still wanted to get a good one. it actualy works great. instead of duct taping the ends of the 2 inch pvc handle to hold in the cement, i bought pvc end cupplings and just drilled a 1 inch hole in each so the bar would pass through. i made it so it was offset. i put forty piunds on it and lifted it for a few secs playing around with it. i think it made the 40 lbs feel harder myself. i could see where heavy loads would be very effective. i tried the bar set at my thimb first, and then my fingers. i think the thumb set was harder. and they were not kidding,.....it does want to roll out of your hands!

i liked it

←

I'm going to make one soon. Did you also cement the handle in place? IF not, how does it keep from rolling on the bar?

[MARKR]

In keeping with the holle it up theme I wanted to ask Mobsterone if using just a 2.5" handle with a off set centre would work rather than a solid bar like the Holle it up.I was going to ask Pullum sports over hear in the UK to make it for me.Then i could just slide it over a 1" bar .Or does it need to be fixed to a bar.I have a 180lb 2.5" globe dumbell that Stan from Intense fitness made for me so I wanted a tool to simulate that

Cheers Mark

[DAN PRAYDIS]

In keeping with the holle it up theme I wanted to ask Mobsterone if  using just a 2.5" handle with a off set centre would work rather than a solid bar like the Holle it up.I was going to ask Pullum sports over hear in the UK to make it for me.Then i could just slide it over a 1" bar .Or does it need to be fixed to a bar.I have a 180lb 2.5" globe dumbell that Stan from Intense fitness made for me so I wanted a tool to simulate that

Cheers Mark

←

my 2 cents you need to weld it to one side or do like he said in this post concrete it in. the idea is to use the off set so it wont roll out of your hand and when you get better to use the offset to make it harder by making it spin out so you have to grip it tighter