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Build a Better Home Gym
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No gym membership? Then it's even more critical that you continually add variety to your training plan to avoid boredom and keep improving. A few simple training tools will go a long way in keeping your training fresh and challenging. ValSlides, resistance bands, and medicine balls or dumbbells are extremely versatile. Best of all, you can take most of it with you on road trips and store it in your closet.
- ValSlides are great for improving mobility, stability and strength, but they’re especially useful for lower body movements like lunges. Another tip: Use them to make your push-ups more challenging. Placing your hands on the ValSlides adds instability to the exercise so your abs, back and shoulders are forced to work harder to keep your body rigid as you perform the move.
- The TRX Suspension Trainer is another great total-body training tool. You can attach it to your door and do upper body pulling movements like rows and lat pull-downs to boost strength throughout your upper body and torso.
- Medicine balls or dumbbells make any exercise more challenging. You can use them in conjunction with your ValSlides for lower body moves like lunges, or by themselves for Romanian Deadlifts, presses, and rotational movements like medicine ball chops and lifts.
Using this equipment, rotate through movements for your total body for 30 minutes three times a week, and then do your interval training, or Energy System Development outside to give your training an additional boost.
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About The Author
Kevin Elsey – With three undergraduate degrees from Queen's University in Canada and several years of experience as a personal trainer and Physical Education teacher, Kevin Elsey brings a wealth of educational and practical experience to Athletes' Performance.
