If I had a million dollars...

Build a gym

invest

pay off school loans, pay for the rest of school

Pay off my parents house

Buy a lancer evolution and 370z and possibly the new American skyline

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Well, let me clarify that, since Dawg opened the door: my Smith is not of the "assisted" variety.  There is no counterweight mechanism.  On the contrary, if I don't constantly lube the rails on that P.O.S., it adds a great deal of friction.  All of which is another good reason to get rid of it.

I also like the fact that it has high and low cable pulleys, so I can do rows and pulldowns when I feel like pussing out of chinups

Truth be told, yes it does limit your range of motion on bench and squats, etc, but I also do a metric boatload of dumbbell work, and for my home gym budget, you get waaaaaay more stabilizer bang for your buck with DBs than you do with a bar.  That may be purely psychological, for all I know.

My home away from DBB

veggeep


Well, let me clarify that, since Dawg opened the door: my Smith is not of the "assisted" variety.  There is no counterweight mechanism.  On the contrary, if I don't constantly lube the rails on that P.O.S., it adds a great deal of friction.  All of which is another good reason to get rid of it.

I also like the fact that it has high and low cable pulleys, so I can do rows and pulldowns when I feel like pussing out of chinups

Truth be told, yes it does limit your range of motion on bench and squats, etc, but I also do a metric boatload of dumbbell work, and for my home gym budget, you get waaaaaay more stabilizer bang for your buck with DBs than you do with a bar.  That may be purely psychological, for all I know.

Veg,
     Whatever you're doing, for you, is spot on, my man, because, and I mean this with utter sincerity,
 
you look mahvelous dahling! 

Why, thank you.  Still, it begs the question: if I could pull off this much improvement with equipment most serious lifters consider at least a partial copout, what manner of sickness could I achieve with a 100% free weight arrangement?  I've always wondered.

I knew when I bought it a few years ago that I was committing to a long-term fitness investment, so I went for quality.    If memory serves, my wallet was about $1,700 lighter after that.  Unfortunately, BodySolid has taken a turn for the cheesy since I threw down.  They seem to be using a lighter gauge of steel, and most of the home grade equipment I've seen in showrooms looks more like enamel finish than the baked-on powder coat I got with mine, and their new flat/incline/decline benches absolutely SUCK.

Anyway, apropos to the subject of this thread, and since money is unfortunately an issue, the only way I'll consider upgrading (or is it downgrading?) to a power rack is if I can land one with a high/low pulley system for under $1,200.

My home away from DBB

Veg,
   Wow, $1200:  I get a whole year of family YMCA membership for that.  Pool, childcare, etc.  I realize the home equipment will last you years, but that's a lot to plunk down.  I spent about $400 for a Shwinn recumbent exercise bike about five years ago.  Consumer Reports highly recommended it.  I put about 1000 miles on it but at one point the pedal motion got "stuck" to the flywheel (couldn't coast).  Would have cost $200 for the service call to get it fixed!  :(  I cracked the baby open and fixed it (temporarily, have to not crank on the pedals or it will stick again).  Later on, some cadence sensor went awry so now all the speed/energy telemetry is bogus.  A home exercise bike that actually got used until it broke.  It's sitting downstairs unused now.  Don't have the heart to put it at the curb because it really is constructed well, but it's too expensive to fix it.  I can still ride it and adjust the resistance on it, but now that I have a gym membership I never use it.  Perhaps I'll use it for some at home HIIT.

HA!  SMITH MACHINE, B1TCHES!!!! 

If it's good enough for THAT Brett, it's good enough for THIS one, LOL!

Seriously tho.  The PECS on this freak!  I HATE you, Brett Becker!  And I mean that in a good way 

My home away from DBB

veggeep


HA!  SMITH MACHINE, B1TCHES!!!! 

If it's good enough for THAT Brett, it's good enough for THIS one, LOL!

Seriously tho.  The PECS on this freak!  I HATE you, Brett Becker!  And I mean that in a good way 

Instead of Double B, he should be Double D !
Why does an add pop up in the video for Human Growth Hormone?   Hmmmm.

LOL....I also have a smith Veg....But I have a membership at the local YMCA as well (whole family can go for $75 a month) But I also have a regular bench with an olympic set. I rarely ever use the smith but I use the upper and lower pulley a lot.
My wife loves the smith mahine though....

Current Stack: HDROL,Celltech,Superpump 250, Glutamine,Beta alanine,Whey protein.

I would buy some commercial properties, rent one out to myself for a powerlifting and strength training facility.  Get my gyno removed, set up a shop where I could work on custom projects, and start some other small businesses for more income.  Then hopefully keep making enough money to bring myself back up to that million and then more, and then do some other cool projects.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

I would try and use it to build a gym like the defrancos training facility, although a million wouldn't be close to enough I don't think.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

-Start my own gym

YOU GOTTA EAT BIG, TO BE BIG!!

NASM certified trainer
NFPT certified trainer

Winter Bulk goal:245-250 by dec 31
Current weight: 235