I’m not a fan of commercial gyms for my strength and conditioning training for several reasons. One is that I’m already paying a good sum of money for my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, so I have no desire to incur additional expenses. Another is that I don’t need any of the expensive machines that occupy so much of the floor space in such establishments as I prefer to focus on bodyweight training, kettlebells, and Indian Clubs, all of which I can easily do from home. And thirdly, I don’t wish to have to commute to a gym. By working out in my living room each morning as well as sprinkling in some circuits throughout the day, I can get a great workout without the need to drive to a commercial gym and without the expense.
I purchase almost all of my exercise equipment on Amazon for very reasonable prices. I’ve found almost all of this equipment to be quite high quality and available at very reasonable prices. In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite acquisitions which have made their way into my daily exercise routine.
Amazon Basics High Density Foam Roller
I’ve used a variety of foam rollers at a number of different price points. The Amazon Basics High Density Foam Roller is by far the best and the least expensive option I’ve used. In fact, I like this one so much that I own two of them – one for home and the other for my office.
What I like about this foam roller is how firm it is, how lightweight it is, and that the texture is smooth all around. Of course, the price is a huge selling point too. At $10.99, this foam roller is difficult to resist. I’m not a fan of foam rollers with a textured exterior as I find that they make foam rolling quite difficult. I also love the price. I can easily travel with this foam roller without having to worry about it getting lost or damaged. This has become a daily use item in my arsenal.
THERABAND Resistance Bands Set
I’ve long been a fan of resistance bands for a variety of reasons. Over the last year, I’ve used them for various aspects of my recovery from triple hernia surgery, but I also love the portability of them. Whenever I travel, I bring some resistance bands with me. If a gym isn’t available or if what’s available is poorly outfitted, I can easily get in a great workout in my hotel room.
The quality of this set of resistance bands is as solid as any others I’ve used, and for a low price of $13.71, why wouldn’t you keep a set around? I’ve used these for recovery, stretching, and simply for getting in a light workout on the go while in my hotel room. During the first month of my recovery from surgery, I used these bands to work upper body movements. Tie one end to a fixed point and these can also be a great way to drill entries into Judo takedowns. For me, the THERABAND Resistance Band Set is a must have in my arsenal.
STARFIT Lightweight Jump Rope
I needed to have a decent jump rope, but didn’t want to spend a fortune since I only use it intermittently. At a price of $14.90, the STARFIT Lightweight Jump Rope did the trick. It is indeed light weight, it’s very smooth, and the price is right. Given that I’ve had it for about five years and it’s still in great condition demonstrates that it’s actually pretty decent quality. And yes, I have used it enough to reasonably expect to see some wear and tear.
I find that it’s great to doing circuits in the backyard or for getting in some conditioning work while traveling. In fact, I can pair the jump rope with the resistance bands and some bodyweight exercises to get in a fairly decent workout while traveling, even without access to a gym.
Ultimate Body Press Indian Clubs
I’ve long been fascinated by Indian Clubs, so while I was recovering from my hernia operation, I decided that this would be a great time to explore this modality. The Ultimate Body Press Indian Clubs are available in several configurations, though mine are the steel core 2 lb set.
While I admittedly never did a deep dive into Indian Clubs, I did explore enough to see benefits such as better shoulder health and impoved eye/hand coordination. I’m looking forward to exploring more with my personal trainer, Matthew Flaherty of Stafford Strength as Matt is a longtime combat sport athlete who is a huge proponent of this modality. As I age, I’m always on the lookout for exercise modalities which aid in recovery and will help to prevent injury.
Even though my knowledge of Indian Clubs is admittedly limited, it’s plainly obvious that these clubs are high quality and an excellent value at $31.33.
Soges Power Tower Pull Up Bar Station
I’ve owned a variety of pull-up bars in my lifetime, usually the type that mounts in a doorway. I was searching for a reasonably priced free-standing pull-up bar that I could keep in my office as I like to incorporate it into circuits that I do whenever I get up from my desk. In addition to pull-ups, I use it for dead hangs, pallof presses (using a resistance band), and various other exercises.
At $89.99, the Soges power Tower Pull Up Bar Station can’t be beat. The price is great for a freestanding pull-up bar, it’s incredibly easy to assemble, and the quality is rather decent.
It’s not the most robust piece of gym equipment around, but for the price, it’s phenomenal. It’s not quite heavy enough to allow me to use it as an anchor for my TRX Trainer, but I can still attach some resistance bands for some simple exercises. And as a pull-up bar, it’s great. It’s quite solid for pull-ups, dead hangs, and bar dips, which is exactly what I bought it for. I’m not a fan of the pull-up bars which mount to a doorway as they can be unreliable or can damage the doorframe, so this option is far more preferable.
Summary
Amazon can be a great resource for equipping your home gym. There are a ton of treasures to be found there which are high quality and available for a reasonable price. Having these options makes it easy and economical to try out new exercise modalities and to keep your workouts interesting without breaking the bank.
To view Amazon Basics High Density Foam Roller, click here.
To view THERABAND Resistance Bands Set on Amazon, click here.
To view STARFIT Lightweight Jump Rope on Amazon, click here.
To view Ultimate Body Press Indian Clubs on Amazon, click here.
To view Soges Power Tower Pull Up Bar Station on Amazon, click here.
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