You don’t need a lot of space or equipment to keep your fitness routine on track while working out from home. One or two pieces of equipment can go a long way in building strength, power, and endurance. There are a lot of options on the market, and selecting the best equipment to complement your workout can be overwhelming. Personal trainer DeJuana Richardson shares the fitness tools he can’t live without—and how you can incorporate them into your routine.
A Kettlebell
“It's hard to find a better single piece of equipment that develops strength, power, function, and conditioning all in one. Because you are using one kettlebell, you can perform unilateral training—exercises that use one side of the body,” DeJuana says. “This builds core strength while addressing muscle weaknesses and imbalances. The kettlebell also takes up very little space and is and portable.”
Favorite exercise: Single-arm kettlebell muscle clean to thruster
“This movement incorporates three major compound movements and utilizes almost every muscle in your body. Efficiently getting that kettlebell from the floor to the overhead position requires strength, power, and mobility. Start performing multiple sets and reps and you will also develop a strong heart and lungs,” DeJuana says.
Do the move:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the kettlebell in your right hand in a racked position, with your elbow close to your chest, wrist straight, and knuckles facing the ceiling.
- Bend your knees to squat, keeping the weight in your heels.
- As you straighten your legs, raise the kettlebell overhead.
- Return to starting position and repeat. Switch sides after 10-12 reps.
Modification: Hold the kettlebell with two hands.
Pull-Up Bar
“All important aspects of health and fitness that can be addressed with a pull-up bar,” DeJuana says. “Exercises strengthen the back, develop grip strength, decompress the spine, and work the core, all things that are correlated with health and longevity.”
Favorite exercise: Pull-ups
“Pull-ups are one of the most difficult yet rewarding acts of strength to develop. I've never seen clients more excited than when they develop the ability to go from a dead hang to pulling their chin up and over a bar,” DeJuana says. “The ability to perform this movement is one of the best ways to measure one's relative functional strength.”
Do the move:
- Hang from a bar with your arms extended.
- Keeping your core and shoulders engaged, pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar. Hold the position for a second.
- Maintaining control, slowly lower yourself to start position.
Modification: Use a resistance band to support your body weight. Wrap the band around the pull-up bar so it forms a loop at the bottom. Place knees in the loop when you perform the exercise to support your weight.
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