The State of Gyms Today
In this day and age we find Commercial Gyms charging over $50 a month for the "privilege" to use their dirty and overcrowded facilities.
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Even the YMCA is now over $75 per month. No, thank you!
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24 Hour Fitness has been a joke for a while now, with dilapidated gyms with broken equipment.
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Planet Fitness is absolutely not worth it unless you're living in your car and need a spot for showers and a restroom.
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CrossFit Boxes have excellent equipment, but you're paying over $100 a month for access.
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Don't get me started on the MMA, Boxing, and UFC-themed gyms that use their branding to justify charging you $80+ per month.
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As you can see, the math ain't mathing, and Gyms nowadays are just not worth the investment for most people.
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This is why I'm such a huge proponent of working out at home and outside, incorporating mostly bodyweight exercises, and making exercise fun again!
Let me show you how to equip your own home gym and get the best workout regimen that will keep you from getting bored!
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Fitness Equipment
You don't need to buy anything to get a workout in.
You can always just visit the local playground to get in some pullups and dips off the bars, do some incline pushups off the steps, and throw in some running, jumping, and climbing while you're at it.
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If you want to get your workout in at home, you don't need to dump hundreds into fancy machines or other gimmicks to get into great shape.
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You can easily find a ton of gym equipment at Ross Dress for Less stores or at Walmart/Target.
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Consider equipment that is portable and affordable to help you get moving:​
1) Doorway Pullup Bars: Every big box retailer has this for around $25. Definitely worth having if your apartment doors allow for it.
2) Jump Rope: Easily one of the most under-appreciated and under-utilized forms of cardio out there
3) Dumbbells (even just a pair or two will help open up exercises for you to implement)
4) Resistance Bands: I love the "Perfect Band" brand for these. You just need one or two: light and medium resistance.
5) Grip strength trainers
6) Ab Roller Wheel: Cheap and insanely effective core strengthener. Not for the faint of heart to use properly.
7) Basketballs, footballs, volleyballs, pickleball and tennis racquets, or any other sport-specific items
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Think outside the box when it comes to equipment as well:
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25 pound bags of rice
Backpack full of books
A duffel bag full of weights
A couple of chairs to do dips off of
The edge of a study table to do Australian Pullups on
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The Best Non-Gym Workout Routine
For any workouts that utilize dumbbells, you can use a backpack with books in it, a 25 pound bag of rice, a duffel bag filled with books, or gallon jugs of water.
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Legs:
Bulgarian Split Squats
Lunges
Step Ups
Glute Bridges
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Chest:
Pushups
Incline Pushups
Chest Press w/Dumbbells
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Back:
Chin-ups
Pullups
Bent-over rows w/dumbbells
Australian Pull-ups
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Triceps:
Dips (off a chair)
Diamond Pushups
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Biceps and forearms:
Bicep Curls w/dumbbells
Hammer Curls w/dumbbells
Farmer's walks w/dumbbells
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Core:
Crunches
Sit Ups
Planks
Bicycle Crunches
Windshield Wipers
Modified Leg Lifts