What’s up Gaggle?
Just received a huge shipment from Hawaii…THE GYM IS HERE.
It’s pretty awesome for a little home gym. From $12,000 eccentric-only squat machines to Ab twisting rockers, there is a crap ton of stuff out there that can really clog up space when you’re crunching for space.
The must-haves for your home gym:
1a)Squat rack, barbell and weight set – Necessary if you are looking to build strength (which you should be!). My favorite piece of equipment in the gym is a good barbell. Something about gritting your teeth, stepping up to the metal, knowing it’s just you and the weight on your back and whatever fortitude you can muster. Every single reputable trainer in the world knows how valuable a good barbell can be for you. Push, pull, squat, lift, press, rotate…it might be the most versatile piece of equipment in the gym.
1b)Foam roller – Favorite recovery tool. You can use the foam roller to increase flexibility, joint range of motion or just as a tool to get the knots out. Everybody should be using one and if you’re not you should. I’ve used mine on occasion to shut my body down if I’m feeling rambunctious at night. It soothes and relaxes your muscle, decreasing tone and tension. Please get one, your body will thank you.
2)Kettlebells – What makes a kettlebell special isn’t that it’s been shown to burn the most Cals in an hour long workout – what makes it special is the fact that it takes up less space than that box full of batteries, mementos and random stuff every household has. It is compact, fun to use, gives a crap ton of variety and is cool for being nothing more than a chunk of metal with a handle.
3)Pull up bar – One of my favorite move for developing upper body strength. Pullups/chinups/neutral grip pulls are the best exercises for developing the upper back and arm strength. One of my favorite -isms in the training world comes from the weight lifting world…you can’t shoot a cannon out of a rowboat. Want to get better at pressing? Develop your back. Period.
4)Adjustable Plyo box – For me this one holds a spot close to my heart. Might not be necessary but this thing is cool. With three different heights on the box, you can use the thing for stepups, plyo jumps and it works as an amazing seat for when you get light headed after a heavy set of squats. I’ve always put an emphasis on power output and one of the most important exercises for developing power is definitely jumping.
5)Dumbbells – To me, dumbbells provide a lot of training in a more chaotic environment. They force you to stabilize unilaterally, bringing out the weak points like no other tool in the box. I like the utility of dumbbells but if you get a full set, it can take up a crap ton of space. So if space is really a limiting factor in you spot, nix the dumbbells and make use of the kettle bells, pull up bar and rack.
This is my space. Feel free to say your piece on stuff I left out…like a forearm curl bar
Stella Fitness 