THE HOME GYM
When I have proposed that people do their Physical Training at home, I get a variety of answers ranging from the passive agreement to all out rejection of the concept like I asked them to change their religion. This is somewhat entertaining, but mostly heartbreaking because I have seen greater results and freedom from using my own home to get in shape. Here I am going to share my reasons why I think you are much better off getting your own equipment and turning your house into your place of training.
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Whether you just starting your fitness journey, or you have been at it for a long time, you can easily adapt your program to work at home. Whether you live in an apartment, a high-rise condo, or a home with a backyard, you can make it work for you. The first thing we need to evaluate is the type of fitness you are chasing. Are you trying to be a better runner, better at calisthenics, better looking aesthetically, or just move better, you can start and work efficiently from home.
I personally have the goal of performing well as a tactical athlete. This is also referred to as being a hybrid trainer where I do weights and cardio equally. I am looking to be able to punch hard, jump high, run and ruck long distances, and manipulate heavy objects, all without getting tired. The way I like to see it is that I am training to be good at everything by training in many different modalities. I am not looking just for aesthetics or endurance, but functional performance I can use on the street in a fight, on the battlefield, and in everyday life. What are your goals and how are you training to achieve them?
GET THE RIGHT GEAR
To begin getting the gear you need, you need to have a solid idea of the exercises you will need in order to reach your goals. For myself, I do alot of calisthenics, so naturally I need to have a pullup bar. You can do 90% of calisthenics using the ground or a counter, but a pullup bar is sort of non-negotiable unless you have trees you can hang from.
Our cat is taking recess during my morning PT session. (right of dip station)
As you can tell, I have sandbags at the base of my pullup bar to lower the risk of my pullup bar swinging and toppling during certain movements like a muscle-up, which I have yet to work on. Also, you will note that I have a set of rings on the bar for things like ring pullups/dips/rows. I recently acquired the dip attachment for my pullup station, which adds a nice touch and more options. This station can offer a full body training session, if you know how to use it.
Sandbags, like the ones seen in the picture, are great for overhead pressing and carries. I love using two sandbags during step ups and carrying one in a chest carry during lunges. With a fully loaded sandbag weighing 45-60 pounds, it is a sinister way to enhance your training and simulate carrying a combat load.
Sorry about the mess, but this is the collection of tools I have on my back porch. I don’t always run, and on days like this, it is nice to have a cardio option that can be used in the shade where it is only 98 degrees. Also, sometimes I need a non-impact cardio option when I feel a bit stiff and overworked.
I have a few Kettlebells to choose from, and I use them to great effect. I honestly use my kettlebells infinitely more than my dumbbells these days. It is rare for me to use any dumbbell because I hardly have any isolation movements in my training. But, in the event I need them, I have them.
The medicine balls I have are instrumental in making my life difficult in so many ways. Medicine balls are great for ballistic movements like slams or just adding weight to simple movements. I have both an 8 and a 15 pounder medicine ball to choose from. You would be surprised by how versatile these things are.
In this box, I have other smaller gear like an agility ladder, resistance bands, a blue gun, and marker cones. These are great for obvious reasons. The blue gun? well I use that to practice aiming and stabilizing a firearm during different movements like a tactical getup, suitcase carry, etc. I like to use it to train my ability to get my heartrate up through exercise and still be able to stabilize my sight picture.
You will also notice that I have tennis balls. I use these to bounce off my brick walls and catch them one handed. This trains shoulder mobility and hand-eye coordination while being a ton of fun. Who said that training had to be boring?!
Here you can see my home-made sled loaded with three sandbags (150-180lb). I have an Amazon Basics battle rope tied to it and I use this charming little device to conduct rope pulls and drags. I fashioned this out of spare wood from the house they built next door. I use rappel rope with bowline knots tied at each end to act as drag handles. I pull the battle rope one way, and then I go to the back of the sled and drag it back. It is a full body exercise.
Here I have a deployment bag that I got years ago from my unit. It is now filed with dirt and serving as a large sandbag that I use to perform ‘Bag of Body Parts’ and ‘Hop-Ups’ (Exercises featured in Combat Strength Training). I use the pallet stack, which serves as my 3-4 foot platform for these exercises to great effect. I simply screwed the spare OSB and plywood to the tops to make a flat top.
Here you can see three stakes that I drove into my yard. These are only 3 of the seven stakes that I have driven into my backyard to act as markers for “The 7” (A CST exercise). I do that exercise enough to justify having stakes permanently marking the distances for the exercise.
Finally, I have my three big rocks that I took from my Alaska property to learn how to juggle. These rocks are the size of eggs and are relatively dense. I use these a good amount as a finisher to test my focus and coordination, and practice forcing control after I have exerted myself.
BE SOME SUN
One thing i never liked about the gym was that it felt as artificial as it is. I will train in bare feet, in my underwear, or in full combat gear, just because I feel like it. You can’t do that kind of thing at a gym. I also feel a helluva lot better when I PT outside and can wear as much or as little as I wish. It feels more natural and liberating, and my neighbors wives seem to appreciate it too.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
I am all about being efficient. I don’t want to waste time or money of frivilous things. I hear a ton of excuses for why people think they need a gym membership, but realistically, unless you are a professional bodybuilder with a sponsored membership, there is little need for you to be at a gym. Most people are just looking to get fit and feel better, but they may not have a specific function that they want to perform. A Law Enforcement Officer will have a much different set of PT needs compared to someone who works a desk job and just wants to not feel gross when they look in the mirror.
No matter what goals you have for yourself, you can definitely accomplish them from home. If there is one thing that Covid Plan-demic should have taught us, it is that we don’t NEED a gym to get and stay healthy, active, and fit. At this point, I cannot think of a compelling reason to pay for a gym membership and then waste my time commuting and then navigating social graces while I train. I relish the freedom I have at home to express myself without judgement or limits, and I think you will too.