An athlete using the Victory Multi-Grip functional trainer
Exercise Equipment

Functional Trainer Cable Machines

Let’s talk about functional trainers, also called cable machines. What’s a functional trainer? Here’s an example – the Victory FT-5000 Multi-Grip Functional Trainer from Rep Fitness. This is our top pick for an affordable functional trainer for your home gym or garage gym in the year 2022. A Functional Trainer is a cable machine that uses two independent weight stacks, pulleys, and cables (with handles) to provide unique workout benefits. Here’s the functional trainer cable machines that we will cover: FT 5000 Victory Multi-Grip Functional Trainer This functional trainer from Rep Fitness has everything we’d look for – two 220 lb weight stacks, height adjustable handles, pull-up handles, and plenty of attachment options. All that – and a great price. [Read more …]

The best women's olympic barbell will have a 25 mm shaft diameter - so it's easy to grip for those with smaller hands. It will weight 15 kilograms or 33 pounds. It can be used for Olympic Weightlifting or strength building power lifts.
Exercise Equipment

Best Women’s Olympic Barbell

Let’s look at some options for the best women’s Olympic barbell for CrossFit. First of all – do women need a special barbell for weightlifting? Short answer – they don’t. But, women’s barbells have a shaft diameter of only 25 mm. Compare this to the 28 or 29 mm diameter of a men’s bar. It is 10% less diameter. And that means it’s easier to grip for those with smaller hands. Here’s the barbells we are going to review today. Read on to find out about the important qualities of the best women’s barbell. Rogue Bella Bar 2.0 15kg women’s bushing bar – A multipurpose bar, made in the USA with 190K tensile strength steel. Outstanding Rogue Fitness quality. (Rogue [Read more …]

GORUCK Wire Dopp Review 25
Rucking

Best Rucking Accessories for GORUCK

Now that you’ve picked out your ideal GORUCK rucking backpack you should look at some rucking gear that helps you get the best packing and storage efficiency out of that GR1 or Rucker backpack. We’re going to review the best rucksack accessories for the GR1 – or any GORUCK bag. These choices have been vetted by rucking enthusiasts – so consider them the “best of the best”. Whether you are using a GR1, or other rucking backpack – all of these items are great aftermarket rucking gear. MOLLE Accessories We’re going to mention “MOLLE” a lot in this article. MOLLE, or Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, is the military’s solution for versatile equipment loading and accessories. The most important feature of [Read more …]

An air bike (also called an assault bike) workout in a CrossFit box.
Exercise

28 Awesome Assault Bike Workouts

The assault bike (also commonly called an air bike, or fan bike) is an awesome, calorie-burning workout. Why? Because it’s a total body effort – you push, pull, and pedal against resistance that gets more intense the more you go. The faster and harder you go, the more resistance there is. The assault bike has earned it’s nickname: Satan’s Tricycle The assault bike can be used for steady state cardio or super-efficient interval style workouts. In this article, we’ll bring you a round up of 28 of the best air bike workout ideas. Find out why people have a love-hate relationship with this burn inducing, hard hitting workout device. But why workout easy when you can workout hard? These all [Read more …]

Hoisting a kettlebell overhead - great single limb workout that builds strength, power, balance, and stability
Exercise Equipment

Best Kettlebells – the Buyer’s Guide to Kettlebells

Rogue E-Coat Kettlebells – Made in the USA Rogue Fitness now has a new line of made in the USA kettlebells – with their glossy and tough “e-coat” coating – available now. Let’s talk about the best kettlebells– the versatile hand held weight that resembles a cannon ball with a handle. We’re going to explain why you should add kettlebell lifts to your workout, and what the best kettlebells look like. In this article, we’re going to highlight some of the best kettlebell brands around – those from: Kettlebell Kings, Rogue Fitness, and Fringe Sport. Black Friday Kettlebell Sales Looking for Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) kettlebell sales? Check back here – we’ll have all the details as soon as [Read more …]

The Reebok CrossFit Nano 4.0 is a classic CrossFit Training shoe - DuraCage technology delivers an indestructible yet lightweight upper while RopePro protection wrap gives bite and support for rope climbs. 4mm heel to toe drop for stability.
Cross Training Shoes

Reebok CrossFit Nano 4.0 Shoe Returns For A Limited Time

For a limited time, the classic CrossFit training shoe made by Reebok is back – the CrossFit Nano 4.0. This shoe hasn’t been available in quite some time. But, it’s a classic design and people love it. It’s considered be one of the best rope climbing shoes, amongst other things. Here’s two of the styles still available: Let’s talk some more about why these are considered to be such great shoes. What’s Great About the Nano 4.0 This shoe was well-loved by CrossFit trainees. Why? Because it’s a great training shoe. Stability First, let’s talk about stability. For cross training and functional fitness you need a versatile training shoe. running shoes won’t cut it. Why not? Because they have too [Read more …]

murph workout using vests
Exercise Equipment

Weight Vests vs Plate Carriers

What’s the best way to add weight for the murph wod: Weight vest or plate carrier? What’s the difference in terms of using these workout implements for health and fitness? What is the best weighted vest for CrossFit? That’s what we’ll review here. At first glance, they seem similar – they both provide a way to add additional resistance to a variety of exercises. But there are important differences. And, you’ve probably seen plate carriers in use at the CrossFit games. Let’s compare plate carriers to weighted vests, and determine which is best for your workout. We’ll copmare the 5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier, the Condor Plate Carrier, and Box weighted vests, and other options too. Box Weight Vest This weight [Read more …]

The Assault AirRunner Treadmill is an excellent version of the motorless treadmill. It can burn up to 30% more calories compared to a traditional motorized treadmill.
Exercise Equipment

Assault Fitness AirRunner Treadmill Review

The Assault Fitness AirRunner treadmill is a motorless treadmill that burns calories and enforces efficient running form. This manual treadmill is built by an innovator in fitness products – the same company who created the Assault Fitness AirBike – which is very popular in CrossFit. We’ll tell you why this treadmill is so much different than your average treadmill. Here’s the treadmills we will review in this article. Looking for Black Friday 2019 sales on curved treadmills? Check back here the week of Black Friday for our recommended choices and deals. Black Friday is the best time of the year to buy fitness equipment. AirRunner vs Motorized Treadmills Why use a manual or motorless treadmill? The treadmills you have used [Read more …]

The Rogue Echo Bike combines heavy-duty steel, precision engineering, and convenient customization to forge a stronger, sturdier fan bike.
Exercise Equipment

Guide to the Best Air Bikes for Fitness

Let’s talk about the best air bike (AirBike or Assault Bike) for 2022. We’ve got details on all the popular models. The Rogue Echo Bike is our top pick for 2022, and is shown here as an example. Let’s dive right in, by first explaining what the best air bike would look like – and how it is used. Here’s the air bikes we’ll be reviewing in this article. Be sure to read the entire article to understand the pros and cons of each. What is an Air Bike (Assault Bike)? An air bike, also called a fan bike, is an upright, stationary bicycle for indoor fitness use. They can also be called assault bikes, but that is usually referring [Read more …]

Prilepin's Chart (or table) shows the optimal intensity (% of 1RM) and volume (total numer of reps) for Olympic weightlifting training as observed by AS Prilepin - who was a junior and national weightlifting coach for the Soviet Union.
Exercise

Prilepin’s Chart Explained

NEW FOR 2022! Check out Black Friday Gym Sales 2022. Prilepin’s Chart is a table of optimal Olympic weight lifting rep ranges to be used for training. It was created by A.S. Prilepin, a Soviet era sports scientist. The chart was created by reviewing the training journals of thousands of weightlifting athletes. It is meant to portray the optimal number of reps per set, and total rep count (volume) for power training required for the Olympic lifts (the Snatch, and Clean and Jerk). The chart, also called Prilepin’s Table, is as follows: The first column shows the training intensity – the percentage of 1RM (1 Repetition Maximum) being used. The second column lists the number of reps per set observed [Read more …]