In the last of our current series of columns from strength and conditioning expert Bogdan Merkes, he suggests some training equipment that won’t break the bank.
The truth is that with the effects of recession, most of us have to cut back on luxury items such as gym memberships or one-on-one training sessions. But, rather than disregarding the importance of vitality and health, perhaps you should be considering those all too frequent social occasions when certain “toxic consumption” is on the menu. How about cutting back on that luxury? Having said that, there are still those free of the sin and health conscious who simply don’t have the time or, indeed, budget for a gym workout.
Fear not. If you’re open to making a little investment on some equipment, here’s a quick list on some solid tools. With boredom-free workouts, train your body into a powerhouse with these tools:
Kettlebells
They have been around for hundreds of years, originally used by Russian strongmen to achieve greater strength, endurance and elevated cardiorespiratory levels of fitness. Kettlebell training has become hugely popular in the last number of years, especially as the word on the street has it that Hollywood hall of fame stars such as Jennifer Anniston, Penelope Cruz, Mathew McConaughey and Silvester Stallone to name but a few, use and heavily endorse kettlebells. This old school piece of equipment, which is shaped similar to a cannonball with a suitcase handle attached, varies in resistance, starting from as little as 2kgs and up to 40kg plus. Advisable resistance to begin with is 8kg for the girls and 16kg for the men. Exercises are plentiful and it will take a while before you outgrow the kettlebell to move up to a bigger resistance.
The damage? €20 for 8kg / €35 for 16kg
Sandbags
You can’t beat sandbags on value for resistance. All you need is a good strong bag made of woven Polypropylene. Usually can pick them up from the local hardware store for few bob and then fill it with sand to load up to a desired working resistance. Make sure you purchase some sand too, which is relatively cheap, as it is against law to take sand from your local beach. The exercises you do with the sandbag will help you develop strong legs, arms, chest and back, in fact you will put every muscle to work by performing a lift that is powered from the core.
One of my favourite tools, you can pick this up for under €10 from the local hardware store, with a 25kg bag of sand to use as load.
Suspension Trainers
Even though I’m talking about this product last it is by no means the least. I am a big fan of the suspension training system. One of the most valuable lessons I tell my students as a strength coach, is that unless you can manage bodyweight, use no weight. With bodyweight exercises, you develop the core, balance, flexibility and the foundation for full body strength, only then you should progressively add more load. Suspension trainers work in such a way that the specific moves you do add more resistance to the exercise by using no more than your body’s resistance. You attach the trainer onto an anchor, such as the crossbar from a goal post, and, with the straps hanging from the anchor, you use the handles to perform various exercises. One of my favourite products is from a company called TRX. Not only do I use them part of my own training, but I have heavily implemented them as part of my client’s routines. The results speak for themselves: I love it, they love it, just try it!
One of the pricier of the bunch but more portable for on-the-go training, a TRX suspension trainer can set you back around €200.
Although there is plenty of resources online on how to do exercises with these pieces of equipment, I would strongly advise that you make sure to seek help from a professional trainer, if only to give you a kick start. After all, the form in which you perform exercises is key in achieving the desired effect. Without this, your training will be futile.
If you want to learn more about Bogdan’s services check out ultimatefitcrew.com or like his page on Facebook. Check out more articles from Bogdan on his blog at bogdanmerkes.com, and you can also follow him on Twitter. All comments/questions/suggestions are gratefully accepted.
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