Articles by gymadmin

Assault Fitness AssaultBike Elite with a model
Garage Gym

Assault Bikes from Assault Fitness

April 12, 2021 gymadmin 0

Let’s review Assault Bikes from Assault Fitness. Just in case you are wondering, an air bike is an stationary bike with a built-in wind-resistant fan. To use it, you have to take a seated position and move the large fan flywheel by pedaling and pulling and pushing two vertical arms – the harder you work, the more resistance you’ll get, which gives you a great cardio workout. Here are some of the styles we are going to look at: Assault Bikes – Overview Indoor exercises have become normal these days, not only during the pandemic but also because they are more comfortable to use in any weather, place, and time. Depending on your workout intensity, the AssaultBikes can help you burn up to 80 calories per minute. Assaultbikes are not only good at giving you a low-impact full-body exercise, but they are also an excellent tool for rehabilitation because they provide safe movements with no impact. AssaultBikes are manufactured by […]

A big deadlift by a powerlifter.
Garage Gym

Invest in Home Gym Equipment – Gains Lost

September 25, 2020 gymadmin 1

Greatest regret in life? Not buying lots of Apple stock when it was $0.52 per share in 1997. But my second greatest regret is that I didn’t invest in proper gym equipment early on in my life. So, I’m here to tell you – your 20s and 30s will be your most productive age for your training and physical accomplishments. Don’t fritter them away by doing the wrong things, in the wrong places, with the wrong equipment. And even worse – don’t let time pass you by because you are too cheap, or “don’t know how.” Let me explain deeper. Get ready for an old guy rant… This is a tale of gains (gainz?) lost – or more accurately never to be had in the first place. Why Younger Is Better When you are young(er) your hormonal levels are better for training. You recover quicker – which means you can train more. You don’t have much “wear and tear” or […]

Your Gym Sucks - Reasons the Garage Gym Rules
Garage Gym

Your Gym Sucks – Reasons the Garage Gym Rules

March 14, 2020 gymadmin 0

Membership at the globogym? No way – too crowded, and too many gym-idiots. Membership at the local CrossFit box? No thanks. It costs too much, the hours are odd, and they really don’t let you do your own thing. Face it – your gym sucks. So make your own garage gym. Let me convince you. There’s a myriad of reasons to DIY – Do It Yourself. Let’s dive right in. No Fees! The garage gym has no sign-up fees, no late fees, no early cancellation fees, and no contracts. No punch cards, no drop-in fees, no parking fees. And where is that money going anyways? Probably to finance a whole bunch of crap you’ll never use – treadmills, a variety of arcane cable machines, and that weird thigh-master thing. We all know barbell, dumbbell/kettlebells, and body weight are all you really need for EFFECTIVE exercise that gets results. So let’s skip all that garbage – and save that money. What […]

Woman performing the single leg (unilateral) leg press
Garage Gym

To Leg Press or Not To Leg Press?

September 26, 2019 gymadmin 0

The Leg Press – evil gym equipment or mis-understood good guy of the gym? The leg press machine gets a lot of hate. And some of it is warranted, because people do a lot of dumb things with the leg press machine. First of all, it’s easy to do a lot of weight in the leg press. Surely you’ve seen the local gym buffoon using every 45lb plate in the area to load up the machine. Why is it so easy? Well, first of all – we’re talking the 45 degree leg machine. That takes a good deal of the load off – it’s not like you are lifting that amount of weight up and down. Secondly, the leg press machine makes it really easy to use a micro range of motion. 1,200lb leg press? Sure – but what’s the range of motion? 2 inches? This is also a problem when it comes time to unload the machine. Or rather, […]

Bench press form
Garage Gym

Ode to the Bench Press

September 22, 2019 gymadmin 1

The Bench Press is a gym legend. But, nowadays it catches a lot of flak. For no good reason, in my opinion. The mighty bench press was the first thing I ever did in the gym (30+ years ago). And, god willing, it’ll be the last thing I do too. Let’s discuss why the bench press rules. First of all – you can build massive pecs. You also get to lay down. In fact, it’s not correct form to do anything other than lay down on the padded bench. Are you seeing the benefits now? It’s the most weight you can move with your upper body. Dips, curls, overhead press – all great. But nobody is every going to overhead press 1,000 lbs. Oh – but that’s wearing an artificial performance device like a bench shirt?

Air Bike or Rower? Which is the best metcon tool for you?
Garage Gym

Rower vs Air Bike – FIGHT!

August 19, 2020 gymadmin 4

What’s the best metcon equipment for a home gym or garage gym? Is it the air bike or the indoor rower? That’s what we’ll discuss here. We’ll be looking at the pros and cons of indoor rowers like the Concept 2 Model D rower and air bikes like the Assault Fitness AirBike. NOTE: We’ve posted an up to date comparison of Rower vs Assault Bike over on our sister site, you may want to get the latest details there. Both are low impact exercise. There’s no jarring impacts to the joints. Can’t run? You may be able to row or bike instead. Back problems? The Air Bike might be the better bet. Your lower back is kept in a relatively static position. The forward lean required for the rower could cause you problems. The air bike seat gets uncomfortable pretty quick. The rower is definitely the better choice for stead state cardio or LSD (Long, Slow, Distance) type training. The […]

Fit woman using a kettlebell as part of a "Turkish Get Up"
Garage Gym

Kettlebells are Sexy

August 18, 2019 gymadmin 0

Kettle bells … crazy fad or legitimate fitness tool? A few years ago kettlebells reached the peak of the hype cycle. They are not a miracle tool for fitness, but they are a solid choice for your home gym or garage gym that let you do some things you couldn’t do otherwise. And they are a lot of fun. And sexy. Let’s talk about why you should have kettlebells in your home gym. Kettlebells Look Cool. Kettlebells are Sexy. They are a conversation starter. Let’s face it – a really big kettlebell just looks evil. It’s a cannonball with a handle. Is there a “sexy” piece of workout equipment? We vote for the kettlebell. Secondly, kettlebells are part of the modern training landscape. Do you consider yourself a home fitness guru or expert? You’ve got to know kettlebell basics, at least. Kettlebells Have a Handle The handle on the kettlebell makes them superior to dumbbells for exercises like the kettlebell […]

Bumper plates in their natural habitat - spread all over the floor of the gym
Garage Gym

Your Garage Gym Needs Bumper Plates

January 3, 2020 gymadmin 0

Starting a home gym or garage gym? Bumper plates will be your best bet. Sure, iron plates are cheaper (and dirtier and uglier) – but in this article we’ll explain why bumper plates are the better choice. This article is sort of tongue-in-cheek. But there’s some truth to it as well. Bumper Plates Are Bigger Bumper plates are bigger (for the smaller sizes – like the 10kg, 15kg sizes). Everybody wants to lift the big weight plates, not the little ones. What’s more impressive? Hoisting two tiny 10kg iron plates or two MASSIVE 10kg bumper plates? Bumper plates let you do that – without overloading the bar for the exercise at hand. Think this is a joke? It’s not. Don’t you workout to feel better? The mental confidence boost of heavy lifting is one of the perks of fitness. So, go ahead and slap those 10Kg plates on – and feel good about yourself. But, perhaps more importantly they put […]