Stair Blocks

 

Time to highlight another useful piece of equipment.

Staircase Pulling Blocks

You have probably seen them in Russian or Asian weightlifting videos (or if you are lucky your gym already has those).

See for example Vasiliy Polovnikov using them for 190kg x3 Snatch Pulls.

These are  not only very space efficient, but also easy to make.

Now you might say “this will probably bend my bar”. Maybe, if you repeatedly drop a fully loaded bar onto it. As you can see in the videos below, you lower the barbell gently. So don’t be an idiot or use two.

Below are the measurements of one of the many blocks from the Russian gym Igor Lukanin trains in (thanks to Igor for taking the photos).

Measurements

Not set in stone obviously.

Modifications

Put some rubber and a little barrier on top of each step to prevent the barbell from rolling off.

Update: Photo of the Russian Team with a Metal Staircase Block

Videos of them in Use

In the background of Nadezda’s 110kg Snatch x2 video Olga Zubova uses hers.

See Andrei Kozlov using them here.

Check out Nadezda Evstyukhina using them.

Julia Konovalova even does 100kg Power Snatches off them.

Update: Hookgrip also got a good shot of Viktor Getts using them.

[The block] is used to force a controlled descent which, according to Viktor, helps to strengthen the back.

Update: Here is Chingiz Mogushkov using them.