Big Frank

Big Frank

Member Since 5/4/2026

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754 points

Hello! I'm Frank: husband, father, educator, and most importantly, home gym enthusiast. I'm currently in graduate school to obtain my principal certification. I've been doing some form of lifting (mostly powerlifting) for the past 15 years in commercial gyms, but I now have the space to build a basement home gym. Outside of lifting, I enjoy photography, reading, playing video games, and hiking.

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The Dungeon

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Big Frank's Equipment Lists (1)

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Big Frank's Gym Lists (1)

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Big Frank's Reviews (43)

(4.33)
8/31/2026
I bought this solely to use with my horse stall mat gripper, and it’s fine for the job. It was cheap and it feels cheap, but it works. I can definitely tell by the look and feel of the paint that repeatedly loading and unloading plates will likely peel/scrape the paint off over time, but that’s to be expected at this price point.
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(5)
8/31/2026
Grip training never smelled so good. In all seriousness, this thing looks way easier than it actually is. It’s a great tool for grip training and the forearm pump afterwards is insane.
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(4)
8/12/2026
This is just a fun bar to use. It’s really great to get a little extra grip/forearm work in with curls, skullcrushers, etc. While it doesn’t affect use, it’s worth mentioning the build quality seems fine, but the welds are a messy looking and the bar looks the part of a budget curl bar. Definitely not a gym necessity, but if you have some spare cash and want to add a fun specialty bar to the mix, this one is pretty cool.
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(3.67)
8/11/2026
These would be hard to recommend at full price, but on sale ($35 during the garage sale), these are a decent addition to your gym. The build quality is nothing to write home about, and my plates came with a chip in the plastic coating, which isn't a big enough deal to return/exchange them, but it's worth noting that the plastic does not seem durable enough to take much of a beating. If you're a weight is weight kind of person and want a set of cheap 10lb plates, you could do worse than these, but only I'd only suggest them if you can get them for under $40 like I did.
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(4.33)
8/10/2026
I purchased the smallest size of this band prior to the Savage Strength bands went on sale, and it’s been a decent addition to my gym. I will say that the Savage Strength bands feel a little more durable and have the textured grip on the inside of the band, which is a nice addition. The standard bands are fine, but I’d go with the Savage Strength version if you have the option.
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