AlchemyFit.com

Without looking at a calendar or feeling the weather outside, I can walk into any gym into the country and tell you what time of the year it is. Right now at any Bally, Gold, 24 Hour Fitness, etc there is about a 20 minute wait for the cardio machines and the free weight area is just as bad. People who you haven’t seen since last March have suddenly reappeared in the gym and it’s a lot of them. Fortunately you do not have to suffer with everyone else due to the affordability of many new fitness products. A lot of space isn’t needed and you won’t even need a bench….yet. Without further adieu here is the list:

1. Bodylastics Strength Bands- I use these strength bands on a regular basis with my personal training clients. You can do a variety of exercises with them and do not need a lot of space. For someone just starting out exercising, this will take the place of many sets of dumbbells. Experienced lifters will find that they work as a great addition to free weight training or for a change of pace. Sets start out at $45.95 but I recommend the Maximum Tension set which costs $55.95. The extra strong band is worth it.
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2. TRX Suspension System- The TRX is another complete “gym in a bag” product. The product is like nothing you have ever seen before. Before I tried suspension training, I’ll admit I was a little skeptical. It seems like every other day there is a new piece of equipment that takes the market by storm and in three months it is gathering dust indone. millions of households. I put my skepticism aside and tried it out one day while I was working out at a gym that had it. To my surprise, it gave me a great workout and challenged my core like few exercises have ever done before. However, I do not think it is appropriate for someone who is vastly overweight. You really have to work hard to support your body weight and the exercises do get very challenging at heavier weights.

3. Russian Kettlebells- Anyone who has trained with me will tell you that kettlebell workouts are my favorite and most brutal. In fact, one of my clients calls them the “cannonballs from hell”. They’re not that sinister, but they are an effective weapon against fat. The ballistic movements you can do with kettlebells help build lean muscle, increase strength, and give you a great cardio workout. A great started move to learn is the kettlebell swing. Ladies should try and start with a 20lb kettlebell while men should start at the the 35. If you have a little hair on your chest, you can try the 53lb which is Russian standard.

4. Bosu Balance Trainer- Coming from a bodybuilding background, this was another product that I initially overlooked. When I was 18 you wouldn’t catch me near anything like this, how foolish. Mastering the Bosu may not give you instant cool points like a big bench, but the attention you will get on the beach when you take your shirt off will make up for it! I do around half of my abdominal and core work on the Bosu trainer and have seen the improvements in definition and performance.

5. Burst- Resistant Stability Ball- Stability balls are very similar to the Bosu but I recommend having both. It is just one more tool to help you reach your goal.

6. Iron Gym Pullup Bar- Pullups are the most effective body weight exercise you can do. I have no scientific proof to back that claim but I am sure of it from my experience and observation. I have had beginner clients who could only do 5 pushups initially and months later be able to do 20, not so with pullups. If they have never done pullups before, it normally takes 4-6 months to build up to the level where they can do 5 pullups without assistance. Also, the average American can only do 1 pullup.

7. Perfect Pushup- If you are going to have the perfect pullup, you need to have the perfect pushup to match. I would definitely do the pushups right after the pullups for a high-intensity superset.

Feel free to add any items that I may have missed!