There are a lot of different ways to train for fitness, and that comes with different equipment. If you have visited multiple gyms or fitness centers, you have probably noticed some common equipment that are found in most such as dumbbells, a lat pulldown machine, or some sort of cardio equipment. But there are also some pieces of equipment that are rare and are only found in a few places, like the reverse hyper machine, specialty bars (safety squat bar, tsunami bars, cambered bars), or rings.
You can become strong with limited equipment, however having more variety does help with programming and keeping some flavor in your training. We asked our Telos coaches two questions:
Question 1: What’s your favorite piece of equipment to use? I.e, which equipment do you enjoy the most? Which do you think is the most fun?
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Shaun: In the land of weight training the barbell is king, but to everyone’s surprise, I’d take 4 plates and a sled. I could stay as strong and generally fit as ever, never get super sore, and do it for the rest of my life.
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Rob: I always have the most fun when we use the ATP (athletic training platform). Always figure out new ways to tear it up on there, it’s a versatile piece, albeit a large footprint, and it also exposes our weaknesses well.
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Abby: Yoke – there’s nothing like strongman style equipment to make you feel strong and realize your weaknesses simultaneously. I’m not great at it, but I enjoy working at it. It’s an extremely unique and fun way to challenge your whole body.
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Matt: For me I’d say kettlebells are my favorite, even though I have a love/hate relationship with them the versatility you get with them is unmatched. They’ll challenge your conditioning as well as your coordination in some movements and can be easy to turn into complexes that challenge your entire body.
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Day: Looking through the lens of “what is most fun, but also has great benefits”…I would go for the earthquake bar. It’s not a piece of equipment I would use often like the barbell or dumbbells, but it has great benefits and it’s fun to use. It’s a great tool to work on rotator cuff/overall shoulder health, it’s extremely challenging and humbling, it adds an extra element of stability, and it’s very different from typical barbells, which makes it a fun toy.
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Rachel: I would say the barbell is my favorite. It’s very versatile and it caters to all my strengths and never lets me down.
Question 2: If you could only have one piece of equipment in the gym, which would it be? I.e, which piece of equipment do you think is the most needed?
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Shaun: Same answer as above.
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Rob: If I had to pick one thing to have for myself, at least right now in my life, I’d still stick with the barbell. I have been growing in my techniques and strength and still really enjoy it.
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Abby: Can I get 2 kettlebells??? There is versatility in all the movement patterns with ability to challenge strength and conditioning in various ways.
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Matt: Same answer as above.
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Day: I think the simpler the better…I would go for the dumbbells or kettlebells. Train all movement patterns, can be used for strength, can be used for conditioning, and can be used for carries.
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Rachel: What I would pick for myself is kettlebells. I’ve been getting more comfortable with them, want to learn more with them. They are a full body challenge, and much more portable than a barbell. Plus you look pretty gangster when going through a KB complex.
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Karen: Another vote for a kettlebell here. I have one at home and I find I can adapt nearly every workout at the gym to home with it when I can’t make it in.
Whether you are someone looking for a good base of general physical preparedness or a student athlete looking to compete at the next level, we can help you reach your goals with our sound programming and expert coaching. Click below to schedule your free intro!