Have you lost enthusiasm for the gym? It may be time for you to look beyond the leg press machine and the treadmill. The gym equipment here may be all you need to get back into the groove and make your gym experience better.
Mini-Bands
If you are looking for the best way to isolate and warm up your glutes for a work out mini-bands are what you need. While it may be easy to do warm up routines like hip-flexor stretches or lunging, it can be difficult to exercise the minimus, or glutemedius, if you are not using mini-bands. Working these muscles is a great way to improve your performance. Many professional athletes use mini-bands in their pre-game warm ups, and even at home. You should be using them too!
Squat Rack with Bar
You probably ignore this big equipment in the gym not knowing it is the most versatile equipment you’ll ever find in a gym. With the right techniques you can complete a full-body workout in that one station. Squats are the main exercise you can do here but other leg exercises work nicely as well.
Foam Roller
In many cases, warm-ups are short, executed incorrectly or missed entirely. The average gym goer wants to get into the gym and start lifting weight as fast possible. However, optimum performance at the gym is reliant on a proper warm up. The foam roller is arguably one of the best pieces of gym equipment to use in warm ups. With a good foam roll, you can get your body ready for gym action by loosening muscles and increasing blood flow. Time spent on the roller is a also a good period to mentally prepare yourself for your workout. Spend 10 minutes using the roller on your hamstrings, quads, glutes, back or any other areas of your body that may be sore.
The Body
This is obvious but the body is very much underrated when it comes to workouts. Your body will only take care of you if you take care of it. Not feeding it right means it will not perform right. If you don’t stretch or do any sort of alignment or corrective drills you are setting yourself up for injury. You can also use your body weight in numerous exercises and improve your strength to weight ratio.
Landmine Set-up
Very few people know what this is. It is indeed very curious looking. You can start using this tool to add some variety to your workout routine and give yourself a bit of a challenge. You can try a half-kneeling press with the land mine to work your glutes and posture muscle to make your torso upright.