Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
In just a few months, the next CrossFit season will begin with the 2023 CrossFit Open launching on Feb. 16, 2023. Before the season begins, however, parts of its overall setup will be shifting around. On Oct. 11, 2022, through a press release, CrossFit HQ announced several new changes that will be implemented for the 2023 competitive season.
Here’s an overview of what to expect from the changes to the 2023 CrossFit campaign.
New Competition Map
According to CrossFit HQ’s announcement, athletes will compete in regions based on their country of citizenship, starting with the CrossFit Open and carrying on through the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. Meanwhile, any Individuals or Teams in North America will be divided into regions in the East and West.
Here are the seven competitive regions around the world for 2023 CrossFit:
North America West
North America East
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
The main purpose of these changes is to give the respective competitors an idea of the region and path they must choose to advance to the 2023 CrossFit Games in Madison, WI.
Standardized Programming
Every Semifinals competition will have standardized programming for any athletes who advance to the 2023 CrossFit Semifinals. This is a shift from the 2022 CrossFit Semifinals, which had just two standardized workouts. The same sentiment will apply to the rest of the CrossFit season, which will also be standardized.
The only significant change to the Quarterfinals portion of the 2023 CrossFit season is that 2023 will have just two submission windows. The 2022 campaign had three submission windows. However, eligible athletes can choose which Quarterfinal they want to compete in.
Semifinals
Once in the Semifinals portion, there will be two Semifinals in North America, one in Europe, and other organizers for the regions left on the map. In total, there will be seven Semifinals with a “guaranteed” number of CrossFit Games berths.
Here’s how the qualifying spots will shake out according to CrossFit HQ’s announcement:
The top 60 Individual Women’s athletes, the top 60 Individual Men’s athletes, and the top 40 Teams will compete at the North American East, North American West, and European Semifinals.
The top 30 Individual Women’s athletes, Individual Men’s athletes, and the top 20 Teams will compete at each of the Semifinals in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America.
The top 40 Individual Women’s athletes, Individual Men’s athletes, top 38 Teams, and the top 10 athletes in each Age Group will qualify for the 2023 CrossFit Games.
No More Last-Chance Qualifier
The Last-Chance Qualifier that determined any remaining entrants to the CrossFit Games will no longer be around in 2023. Instead, any remaining spots in the 2023 CrossFit Games will be determined by a ranking system from the Semifinals based on the strength of that competition’s field. At the time of this writing, there is no word on how a field’s strength will be calculated.
As for the Teams during the 2023 CrossFit season, any athletes competing in the Teams category still need to participate as Individuals during the Open. When the Open concludes, Teams will choose groups of six people with four regulars and two alternates.
There will also be new eligibility requirements for Adaptive athletes, though those details are unavailable at the time of this article’s publication.
Even with these new changes across the board, the 2023 CrossFit season should be another doozy.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Working out at home has a ton of benefits: You can save time and gas from not driving, you won’t have to wait to use any equipment, and you’ll have the ability to curl in the squat rack because no one is there to stop you. There are some important considerations to take into account when looking for a home gym machine such as space, budget, and the types of workouts you would like to perform. You can start with just your bodyweight, but there’s only so much you can do without some real equipment.
Thankfully, there are a ton of options nowadays for home gym machines that fit every niche and type of workout you could want to do. Maybe you want to compete in a powerlifting meet, so you’ll need a solid power rack to train. Or you could want to simply stay in shape with some trainer-led workouts, which could lead you to a smart home gym. No matter what you’re looking for, we’ve rounded up the best home gym machines on the market to help you find the right fit for your needs. Let’s dive in and find your match.
Most people searching for a home gym machine are looking for one piece of equipment that can take care of most (if not all) of their workout needs. We’re here to tell you that you don’t have to look any further than this monster piece of gym equipment, the Force USA X20 Pro.
Force USA X20 Home Gym
No matter if you’re just getting started working out or if you’re an advanced lifter, this power rack that doubles as a functional trainer can accommodate your needs. The power rack portion, made from high-quality 3×3 inch 11-gauge steel, is rated to hold up to 992 pounds, so even the most elite-level lifters can smash their lifts with confidence. As a functional trainer, the X20 Pro features two cable pulley systems with a weight stack for each that ranges from 20 to 289 pounds.
The Force USA X20 Pro comes with a variety of extras to help round out your home gym needs with slots to hang two barbells, a landmine, multiple cable attachments, band pegs for accommodating resistance, two pull-up bars, and upgrade kits available like a lat pulldown for even more versatility. The dimensions for the exterior of the rack are 70 inches wide by 87 inches deep and 92 inches tall, so make sure you measure your space (and measure again) to ensure you have enough room. You can pick the X20 Pro up for around $4,999 before taxes and shipping, and financing is offered depending on credit.
This behemoth of a power rack also doubles as a functional trainer with two 289-pound stacks on a 2:1 cable system. Even the basic package includes 17 different attachments which can be upgraded to include more. The rack can hold up to 992 pounds thanks to heavy-duty 11-gauge steel uprights.
People who want a one-and-done home gym machine that can take care of virtually all their needs with just one piece of equipment.
Those who like to do a variety of different workout types. This home gym can support powerlifting, bodybuilding, suspension training, and general fitness workouts.
Those with a large budget and sufficient space. This rack is expensive, but it takes the place of up to 10 pieces of equipment even without the upgrade kits.
Force USA X20 Home Gym Might Not Be Good For
Anyone trying to ball on a budget would do better to check out some other options on the list before committing to this one.
Those who don’t need all the different pieces of equipment that come with this machine and want a simpler setup may want to look at other options on this list.
People who are limited on space. This rack is not small or lightweight, measuring over seven and a half feet tall and over two tons when assembled.
This isn’t the cheapest or the smallest option, but it’s likely the most robust and versatile one that you’ll find. There are very few types of workouts you can’t do with this machine as it can take the place of up to 10 other machines even without the upgrade kits. Anyone who has the cash and the space will be unlikely to find a better option.
Best Home Gym Machine On a Budget
Sometimes, you have to respect what your pockets are telling you. In cases like that, we’ve got you covered with a home gym machine that still offers a ton of versatility at a lower price point. It may not have as many bells and whistles as some of the other picks, but it’s a solid no-nonsense option that gets the job done.
Sporzon! Home Gym Workout Station
This workout station offers up to 330 pounds of resistance, though it only includes a 125-pound weight stack. Made from steel, this machine is designed to support up to 400 pounds of user weight with a maximum total weight of 1,000 pounds. The cables themselves that are used in the machine are aircraft quality and tested up to 1,000 pounds, as well. A high and low pulley system of 12 total pulleys gives a smooth and consistent resistance throughout the range of motion for each exercise. The best part is the price, which is about $535 before taxes and shipping.
The list of exercises you can do is quite long thanks to the high and low pulley system. You can do flyes, lat pulldowns, triceps extensions, low rows, glute kickbacks, curls with the preacher pad, and even train legs with the leg developer. The included cable attachments are removable, so you can replace them with your preferred type of attachment for even more exercises. This machine measures 80.5 inches tall by 48 inches long and 30 inches wide, and weighs 216 pounds when fully assembled.
Crush a variety of different exercises for a full-body workout with this home gym machine without crushing your bank account. You can train your back, chest, arms, and legs up to 330 pounds of resistance all with this one machine.
Sporzon! Home Gym Workout Station Should Be Good For
Anyone who wants to do full-body workouts with one machine will like that you can accomplish that with the Sporzon! Home Gym Workout Station.
Those who are on a budget but looking for a home gym machine solution. The price is right for the versatility this provides.
People who like to rearrange their home gym. Despite being 216 pounds, 125 pounds of that is the weight stack, so you can maneuver this machine somewhat easily without the weight stack attached.
Sporzon! Home Gym Workout Station Might Not Be Good For
Anyone who competes in a strength sport like powerlifting, strongman, or weightlifting. You’ll need something with a free-weight component.
Athletes who are particularly strong may find the resistance to be insufficient to elicit strength gains.
Those who like variety. It’s true you can train a lot of body parts with this machine, but there are only one or two exercises per body part that this machine can accommodate.
If you’re trying to find the right home gym machine while on a budget, this may be it. You can have a solid full-body workout with a decent amount of resistance while taking up relatively little space compared to other options. Sporzon! made this machine to be versatile and cost-effective, and it hit both of those marks well.
Best Smart Home Gym Machine
Home gym appeal has been on the rise for a while and smart home gym machines have taken over in force by putting all of your workout equipment in one compact package. For a smart home gym machine with almost no setup required that can suit nearly anyone’s fitness needs, look no further than our pick for this category — the Speediance Home Gym.
Speediance Home Gym
Speediance is an all-in-one smart home gym machine that offers hundreds of workouts that are updated nearly every day. These workouts can be sorted by body part worked or type (such as strength, stretching, or yoga). With almost no setup required unless you opt for the additional weight bench and rower, you can get to working out within minutes of unboxing Speediance. Like many smart home gym machines, Speediance uses electromagnetic weight resistance via two cable pulleys offering a total resistance of 220 pounds. Speediance measures about six feet tall, two and a half feet wide, and four feet long when unfolded, but only sticks out about a foot from the wall.
Thanks to the foldable design, it’s easy to store away when not in use and set back up when you want to work out. If you spring for the optional smart accessories (about $400), Speediance will even count your reps and range of motion with built-in technology in the attachments. The basic package, which will run you about $2,700, includes two regular handle attachments, a barbell, and a weight bench, as well as the Speediance system itself. You will need a subscription membership as sadly you can’t use Speediance without one. The subscription is about $29 per month, and this grants you access to all of the workouts in Speediance’s library.
This next-level smart home gym features a set of cables with resistance up to 110 pounds per side (220 pounds total) and a foldable platform for easy storage. The huge and ever-expanding workout library means you’ll never get bored with the same old workouts.
Those who are new to working out. The workouts feature voiceovers and video guides to help you learn the movements better.
People who are limited on space will appreciate that this folds away neatly for storage and even has wheels to make moving it easier.
Athletes who want to work on stability. The type of resistance used in this machine can potentially help with improving stabilizing muscles over other types of resistance.
Speediance Home Gym Might Not Be Good For
Folks on a budget. This is more of a luxury piece of equipment that can end up costing almost $4,000 with the smart accessories and rowing bench included.
Athletes who are quite strong may find the 220 pounds of resistance to be too light to elicit adaptations for strength or even hypertrophy.
Those who prefer to use free weights to work out will find this lacking in that department as it only uses cables with electromagnetic weights.
As far as smart home gym machines go, Speediance is doing it right with an ever-growing library of workouts and a bunch of workout programs to follow, the average person should make great progress. If you can pony up for the price point, then you’ll have a top-tier smart home gym machine you won’t soon become bored or stagnate with.
Best Home Gym Machine and Rack
For many avid fitness enthusiasts, it’s not enough to just have a home gym machine. They crave more. They want the time-tested ability to use a weight rack in their home gym. If you want it all, then the Force USA X20 Pro Home Gym has you covered.
Force USA X20 Home Gym
The X20 Pro combines a high-end functional trainer with a heavy-duty power rack and throws in barbell storage, a low-row, pull-up bars, a landmine attachment, band pegs, and about a dozen cable attachments to boot. The only thing this machine can’t do for you is cook you dinner, but Force USA may be working on an upgrade kit for that. They’ve already got upgrade kits for jammer arms, a lat pulldown, and dip handles. The cable attachments include a lat pulldown bar, close-grip triangle, plastic D handles, triceps rope and pressdown V bar, ankle cuff, and more — 17 in total for the base model.
The complete home gym solution features a half-rack with safety spotter arms on the outside as well as a full, four-post rack with 3×3 inch uprights made from 11-gauge steel. The weight capacity comes in at 992 pounds, so all but the strongest few people in the world can safely lift in this rack. The two weight stacks that attach to either cable pulley are 289 pounds each with a 2:1 ratio (every two pounds on the stack is one pound in hand) to satisfy those of all strength levels. This machine and rack isn’t small though, so measure before you make your purchase. Its dimensions are 70 inches wide by 87 inches deep and 92 inches tall.
This behemoth of a power rack also doubles as a functional trainer with two 289-pound stacks on a 2:1 cable system. Even the basic package includes 17 different attachments which can be upgraded to include more. The rack can hold up to 992 pounds thanks to heavy-duty 11-gauge steel uprights.
Those who want a centerpiece of their home gym. This machine and rack combo does it all and will make itself the central component of your home gym.
Anyone who wants to only buy one time. With proper care, you can use this rack for a lifetime thanks to the heavy-duty build and stout weight stacks.
Athletes who like variety. There are few exercises you can’t perform with the X20 Pro.
Force USA X20 Home Gym Might Not Be Good For
Anyone on a budget will want to check for other options on this list as this product is quite pricey — around $5,000 before taxes, shipping, and upgrade kits or add-ons.
Those who like to rearrange their gym often. This rack is about two tons when assembled so it’s not being moved easily.
People with low ceilings. The rack itself is over seven and a half feet tall, but you’ll need even more clearance to perform pull-ups safely without bonking your noodle.
It can be difficult to replace so many different pieces of gym equipment, but the Force USA X20 Pro manages to do so in a relatively compact way by wrapping a functional trainer and rack together. The 11-gauge uprights will allow you to use this rack for a lifetime and the 992-pound weight capacity means you can grow into the X20 Pro without worrying about upgrading.
Best Home Gym Cable Machine
So you’ve already got a power rack and some dumbbells, now it’s time to add a cable machine to complete your home gym. Maybe you just want a cable machine to supplement your current workouts or to get a quick pump in at home. This functional trainer is made for a home gym environment — meet the REP Fitness FT-3000.
REP Fitness FT-3000
Designed to be compact and still provide a commercial gym feel, this functional trainer splits the difference well. A footprint of 78 inches tall by 53 inches wide and 34 inches deep means you’ll likely be able to find space for this machine — we’ve found a corner works nicely. Despite the low profile, REP squeezed two hefty weight stacks in, each weighing 180 pounds for a total resistance of 360 pounds. The price isn’t too bad compared to regular functional trainers either, coming in around $2,150 before taxes with free shipping.
The pulley system is designed to operate smoothly with a constant resistance all the way through the range of motion. If you’ve got some room overhead, you can even do pull-ups with the built-in pull-up bar. For the people with a ton of cable attachments, REP included some hand-dandy storage pegs to hang your attachments on in the center. A consideration to keep in mind for the really strong folks out there is that the pulleys are on a 2:1 ratio which means every two pounds on the weight stack is one pound of resistance in hand.
The REP Fitness FT-3000 is a compact dual cable pulley system that brings commercial gym feel to your home gym space. Though it’s compact, this thing packs a punch with two 180-pound weight stacks and a pull-up bar included.
Those who want the utility of a functional trainer without sacrificing the space these machines normally take up.
People who are more focused on fitness or hypertrophy can achieve quite a bit of work with this relatively small piece of equipment.
Athletes who already have a decent home gym set up but are missing a cable system. This could be the capstone that you need.
REP Fitness FT-3000 Might Not Be Good For
Those who have a bunch of space may want to opt for a larger, non-compact functional trainer that allows more room for cable crossovers and similar exercises.
Anyone who prefers barbell or free weight training will want to check out other options on this list before opting for a functional trainer.
Athletes who are very strong will want to keep in mind that each weight stack maxes out at 90 pounds of real resistance due to the 2:1 ratio.
When selecting home gym machines, space is one of the most important factors, and the FT-3000 takes that to heart. Whether you’ve got a ton of space or you are working with limited real estate, the REP FT-3000 can be your pocket Hercules.
Best Home Gym Machine for Small Places
If you’re working with a really limited space then a smart home gym that mounts on the wall may be a great option. Our pick for this category mounts to the wall and is compact enough to fit in an office, bedroom, living room, or any multi-purpose space in your home.
Tonal Home Gym
Tonal wanted to bring the tech and fitness world together to make a superior product. At its core, the Tonal Home Gym is a compact smart device that hangs on your wall, guides you through workouts and adapts to your skills and strengths. With a floor space of a seven-foot by seven-foot box, and a ceiling height of almost eight feet, you have enough room to perform any of the workouts on the device (according to Tonal’s recommendations).
The Tonal Home Gym is pricey at around $3,500 before accessories, delivery, taxes, and the required monthly subscription, but if that doesn’t turn you off then this product can be a great option for those with limited space. You can work with up to 200 pounds of virtual resistance via two easily configurable electromagnetic pulleys. The Tonal software tracks your progress and automatically adjusts the resistance to help you keep making gains. One of the best features is the expert installation which includes installing the system on your wall, pairing the Bluetooth accessories, and setting it up with your WiFi, so you can start working out right away.
Tonal is a blend of tech and fitness that’s interactive and can give up to 200 pounds of electromagnetic resistance through two pulleys. The system adapts as you progress to help keep the workouts challenging and ensure you make progress.
Those with limited space. You can set this up anywhere that there’s a wall and a WiFi connection.
People who want a personal trainer, but don’t have time or can’t make it to the gym. The guided virtual classes here are a happy medium.
Folks who have trouble making progress on their own. Tonal takes the reins here and helps you progress when it senses you can by increasing the resistance.
Tonal Home Gym Might Not Be Good For
Anyone on a tight budget. Tonal does offer financing based on credit approval, but there are cheaper options for home gym machines on this list.
Those who compete in strength sports. The lack of free weights and 200-pound limit may not be enough for you.
People who don’t want to have to pay a monthly subscription on top of the initial cost of the device.
This machine is not only great for those with limited space, it’s a solid option for anyone who wants to work on their general fitness. The guided classes and intuitive nature of the product make it solid for amateurs and moderate lifters alike.
Best Home Gym Treadmill Machine
If you’re training for endurance or simply enjoy running, then you’ll likely want to opt for a treadmill as your home gym machine of choice. Not all treadmill machines are made the same though, and for our pick here, running isn’t even half of it.
NordicTrack X22i Treadmill
This treadmill has the ability to take you from climbing up a steep mountain to hiking down a decline without ever leaving your house. With the capability of inclining up to 40 percent and declining down to negative five percent speeds of 0.5 through 12 miles per hour, there’s virtually no terrain the X22i can’t simulate. If you want to really feel the burn, you can try the “sled push” mode, which allows you to push the tread belt with just your leg drive. Your legs and lungs will be burning after that for sure.
On top of being a great treadmill, the NordicTrack X22i brings a sophisticated technology to the table with either 22-inch or 32-inch touchscreen display options that tilt and pivot. On these large screens, you can partake in iFit classes which will automatically adjust the incline or decline and speed for you throughout the course of the workout. Thanks to the tilt and pivot screen, you can also perform strengthening or stretching workouts via iFit off the treadmill too. You’ll receive a free 30-day subscription to iFit with your purchase. This premium product does come at a premium price of about $3,500 for the 22inch screen option and $4,500 for the 32-inch screen option (with financing available depending on credit).
The NordicTrack X22i Treadmill is for those who want the feel of running or hiking outdoors while staying in the comfort of their own home. It offers an incline up to 40 percent with a decline down to five percent. Choose from two tilt and pivot touchscreen displays — 22 inches or 32 inches.
People who like to have a large display that they can utilize when running. This treadmill is like having a TV in front of you that doubles as a trainer for other types of workouts like flexibility, strength, and bodyweight, in addition to running.
Athletes who want to prepare for a challenging hike or run will appreciate the wide incline and decline range.
Those who want to just get on and train without having to adjust the settings will like the AutoAdjust technology.
NordicTrack X22i Treadmill Might Not Be Good For
Those who are looking for a more traditional functional trainer or cable machine as a treadmill isn’t a typical home gym machine.
People who are on a budget may want to consider a more budget-friendly alternative.
Heavier users and large athletes who may exceed the 300-pound weight capacity.
If you like to hike or run often but don’t always have a way of getting to the great outdoors, then this treadmill and its huge screen can bring the outdoors to you. Not only that, but the X22i can challenge you in ways others can’t — with a wide incline range and “sled push” mode, you’ll be getting your “runner’s high” in no time.
Best Home Gym Squat Rack
A squat rack can be the centerpiece of any home gym, and it’s oftentimes the largest purchase you’ll make for your home gym. High-quality squat racks aren’t cheap, but the versatility they offer is unrivaled. The right squat rack should be sturdy and able to grow with you, which is why we chose the REP Fitness PR-5000 for this pick.
REP Fitness PR-5000
Everything about this rack was designed to be versatile and adaptable. REP bills this as the “power rack you’ll never need to upgrade” because of its robust build. Made from heavy-duty 11-gauge steel, the robotic welded 3×3 inch uprights can handle 1,000 pounds. When ordering the PR-5000 first choose your rack height of either 80 inches or 93 inches depending on your ceiling height. Then pick your depth — either 16, 30, or 41 inches depending on your needs. After that, the add-ons are numerous with weight storage options, pull-up bar options, different safety arms, and J-cups. Match your favorite of eight color options to your home gym color scheme while you’re at it.
If attachments are your thing, then you’ll find no shortage here with 49 in total to choose from, like a belt squat, dip station, lat pulldown, ISO arms, and more. The rack builder is interactive and you can even view the rack in your space using your cell phone. Hole spacing on this rack is industry standard at two-inch spacing with one-inch sized holes, so other companies’ attachments are compatible with this rack too. As icing on the cake, REP backs up this rack with a lifetime warranty. The one drawback is the price, which can exceed $1,000 even with the cheapest configuration and go well into a few thousand dollars when all is said and done.
The REP PR-5000 will be the centerpiece of any home gym with a total of 49 different attachments for unquestionable versatility. Even the strongest lifters can use this rack with a weight capacity of 1,000 pounds due to the 3×3 inch, 11-gauge steel. It even comes with a lifetime warranty.
Those who are looking for a squat rack that they can grow into and adapt based on their training interests and needs.
Heavy lifters who want a squat rack they know can handle the weight they’re lifting with confidence. This rack won’t even blink at 500 or 600 pounds — it can accommodate 1,000 pounds.
Anyone who’s into customizing their gym equipment. Eight colors and dozens of attachments make this one of the most versatile racks on the market.
REP Fitness PR-5000 Might Not Be Good For
Those who want a more cost-effective squat rack may want to look at other options as the price can get quite high once you start adding things on.
Anyone who is working with limited space may want to opt for a more space-friendly design, like a squat stand or a folding rack.
Athletes who just want a basic squat rack without any bells and whistles. This is far from basic and represents the sometimes indulgent side of the home gym community.
True, the REP PR-5000 is going to cost more than many other options for squat racks, but what you pay upfront you receive as returns in the long run. This rack can last a lifetime and has the ability to be upgraded and built out with seemingly endless possibilities. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more versatile squat rack on the market.
Best Home Gym Smith Machine
Contrary to what some lifters may think, smith machines can be useful for way more than something to lean on or a towel rack. They’re legitimate pieces of equipment and even the strongest people in the world (like Brian Shaw) have them in their gyms. Our pick for best home gym smith machine is affordable and doesn’t take up as much space as others.
Titan Fitness Smith Machine
This smith machine is about as straightforward as its name. With no frills, this piece of equipment is built to be a sturdy workhorse day in and day out. Each side of the machine has a smooth track for the barbell to glide on and features a safety spotter arm. The spotter arms are adjustable to eight different heights to fit your needs.
Okay, so this smith machine does have some extras, like built-in band pegs for accommodating resistance training. It also has six storage posts to keep your plates on for easy access. There are only a couple of drawbacks here, like a slightly shorter loadable sleeve length than a standard barbell at 13.25 inches compared to the typical 16 inches. The other is a relatively low weight capacity of 600 pounds — well above what most people will need, but still lower than a typical squat rack or other higher-end smith machines. The budget-friendly price of about $1,650 before taxes and possible shipping charges make this a great option though.
Anyone looking to add a smith machine to their gym will like this straightforward option. It offers great value and can take plenty of daily use. This is similar to what you’d find in a commercial gym with a few added features like band pegs and weight storage posts.
Those who are looking for a solid smith machine that won’t break the bank. This machine is priced well and does what you need.
Anyone who needs some extra weight storage will appreciate the built-in storage pegs here.
People who lift alone and want some protection while lifting. Simply flick your wrists forward to lock the bar onto one of the catch hooks.
Titan Fitness Smith Machine Might Not Be Good For
People who are on a very tight budget may want to opt for a few different pieces of more versatile equipment.
Those who prefer a smith machine with a vertical bar path instead of one with a slight pitch like this one has.
Athletes who compete in strength sports. If you’ve got the room and funds for free weights and a smith machine then go for it; otherwise, you’d be better off sticking with free weights.
Titan designed this smith machine to be simple, reliable, and tough. It offers a high quality product at a budget-friendly price point for those in the market for a smith machine. You’re not going to find any high-end extras like cable pulleys, but if you just need a solid smith machine to round out your home gym build, this is the option for you.
What Are the Benefits of Home Gym Machines?
Home gym machines can be a considerable investment up front, but the rewards you can reap are well worth it for many people. They offer convenience, the exact equipment you want, and can even be cost-effective over time.
Convenience
The biggest benefit of owning a home gym machine is the convenience afforded to you. Imagine never having to drive to the gym in the dead of winter or not having to wait for someone doing curls in the squat rack before you can start your max effort lower body day. Heck, you can even curl in your own squat rack — no one can stop you.
Image via Shutterstock / America Captain
Thanks to the convenience, you may even find yourself more dedicated to your program and making better gains than ever before. If you’re the type of person who has an erratic schedule, you won’t have to worry about checking the gym hours or squeezing in a condensed workout with the person at the front desk staring at you because they close in ten minutes.
Tailored to Your Needs
Training for a marathon or big hiking vacation coming up? Get the perfect treadmill with a high incline. Do you prefer to compete in bodybuilding? Then pick up a functional trainer and a wide range of dumbbells. No matter what kind of workouts you prefer to do, your home gym machines can be tailored to your needs since you’re the one selecting the equipment.
Image via Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images
You can set up your space as a minimalist with just the necessary stuff and few distractions, or you can go all out, so you can change up your workouts daily. The only person you’ll have to answer to is you — and perhaps your significant other.
Cost-Effective Over Time
Despite home gym machines being quite a large investment up front, buying one does end up being more cost-effective over time. Not only will you save by not spending money on a gym membership, but you’ll eliminate the commute to the gym, as well as time spent waiting for equipment to be free — and as the saying goes, time is money.
How We Choose Our Picks
Home gym machines are as varied and unique as the people who use them. They come in all different shapes, designs, and prices. We put higher consideration to the utility, value provided, and overall functionality compared to the space the machine takes up.
Utility
Home gym machines are by design different than commercial gym equipment in that they generally have multiple uses. Unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, you likely don’t have a money pit to pull funds from and unlimited space for equipment. The more utility a piece of equipment provides, the higher it’s likely to rank on our list because that makes it better suited for home use.
Value
We acknowledge that home gym machines can be quite an investment, which is why we regard pieces with great value highly. A home gym machine’s value is weighted heavily in our picks, which often is heavily influenced by the quality, functionality, and longevity of the equipment. That said, there are some very pricey items on the list, but rest assured that those pieces will last a lifetime with proper care.
Space Requirement vs. Functionality
If you’re limited on space, then a full dumbbell set might not be the optimal choice for your home gym, and a set of adjustable dumbbells could be more appropriate. A piece of equipment has to be functional, but the functionality has to be worth it for the space it takes up. Power racks are a great example of this — they take up a considerable amount of room, but offer unrivaled functionality. Large pieces of equipment that serve only one purpose are likely to not rank as highly as more compact and versatile machines.
What To Know Before Buying A Home Gym Machine
Okay, so now you know all about home gym machines, but which one is right for you? A quick inventory checklist can help you figure that out. Start by thinking through your fitness goals and how much space you have for the machine(s). After that, gather your all-important budget, and you’ll have a solid idea of what’s right for you.
Fitness Goals
If your goal is to run a marathon, then buying a squat rack instead of a treadmill may not be the best idea. That’s an obvious case with an easy choice. Other times, the decision may not be so easy. If you like to work out for general fitness, then a squat rack may suit your needs, but a functional trainer would as well. It depends on your space and budget at that point. Most of the time though, people have varied goals, so narrow it down to the top few goals and go from there. You can always add on or replace equipment thanks to a thriving pre-owned equipment market.
Space
This consideration is as much about the physical space you have as it is your current lifestyle. If you’re living in an apartment, then a full squat rack and plates may not be the best option, as your neighbors will likely complain about the noise. A smart home gym may be the better choice in that situation.
Image via Shutterstock / MR.SOMKIAT BOONSING
If you’ve got a garage or a roomy basement though, you likely have some space to build out with home gym machines that require more room, like a smith machine or functional trainer.
Budget
This one is pretty straightforward. What can you afford to spend on a home gym machine? The answer will vary from person to person, but keep in mind that you don’t need to get everything all at once, and you can build up your home gym machines over time. A common sentiment in the home gym community is that you’re never done building your home gym.
Wrapping Up
Home gym machines vary greatly in design, function, and type of fitness they focus on developing. One of the most important things you’ll have to do before making an investment in a home gym machine is decide the type of exercise(s) you enjoy doing and will stick to. The last thing anyone wants is an expensive home gym machine to end up as a towel rack, collecting dust. Keep in mind the utility, value provided, and space versus functionality when making your decision, and you’ll be golden.
No matter what type of fitness you’re into — from CrossFit to triathlons, hardcore powerlifting or moderate training — there’s a home gym machine that can accommodate your needs on this list. Regardless of which option you choose, we hope that this article makes your decision easier, so you can catch those gains sooner rather than later.
FAQs
Who should invest in a home gym machine?
Though we’re a big fan of home gym machines, they aren’t ideal for everyone. Some folks really like the social aspect of going to the gym and the comradery that can come along with it. For folks that just want to get their workouts done in the most convenient way possible, home gym machines may be the way to go. You’ll need adequate space and funds up front, as well as the drive to workout at home.
Are home gym machines suitable for those with minimal experience?
In short, it depends. We wouldn’t recommend starting out using a squat rack and heavy weights without any experience. You should invest in a qualified trainer to teach you how to safely lift in that discipline first. There are many options that are ideal for beginners though, such as trainer-led smart home gym machines and non-free weight home gym machines. Take an honest inventory of your experience level and if needed, seek out someone with more time under the bar for some guidance.
How much will it cost for a home gym machine?
Costs range greatly depending on the type of home gym machine you select. For a simpler, budget-friendly option you might spend around $400 to $600. For more advanced and complete options, as well as anything with technology heavily involved, you can spend upwards of $3,000 or more easily. Most options in that price range offer some sort of financing though, depending on credit.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
The International Sports Science Association (ISSA) has been around for decades — 34 years to be exact — and is well-regarded in the personal training community. The mission statement of the ISSA is to bring healthy living to everybody in the world through education and community. Their personal trainer certification is a great way to get started sharing your passion for fitness with others, so you can help them be the best version of themselves, too. In our ISSA Personal Trainer certification review, we found that the curriculum covered a broad range of information such as anatomy, program building, and how diet and exercise work together. We also liked that ISSA puts an emphasis on helping you learn how to market yourself as a professional in the fitness industry with information on marketing, business development, and sales.
A personal trainer certification enables you to work with the general public with a focus on improving fitness and health. You’ll learn how to be a personal trainer in all aspects, from exercise selection to motivation, and even business development. After you complete the course you can practice as a certified personal trainer and help members of the public reach their fitness goals. Additionally, you’ll be able to instruct your clients on how diet and exercise work together to improve their fitness. With the host of resources available for you from the ISSA, you can complete this certification in 10 weeks. For those who want to take their passion for fitness and turn it into a career as a personal trainer, this certification is a worthwhile undertaking with everything you need to start.
Turn your passion for fitness into a career with the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification. With only one hour per day, you can finish in as little as 10 weeks and the ISSA guarantees you’ll find a job. Included in the Personal Trainer Certification Bundle are audio lectures, assigned readings, quizzes, a personal success coach, and more to help you succeed.
This certification is an excellent way to break into the fitness industry, especially for those without a formal education in exercise science.
The resources are vast and it’s clear ISSA has your success in mind with so many different ways to support your learning journey and beyond. Getting the certification is just the start. They have a job placement tool, website builder, client intake forms, and a step-by-step business guide, as well — all of which come included with your purchase of the course.
Whatever your learning style, the courses can work for you with both audio lectures and reading assignments for each week.
ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Highlights
Over the course of 10 weeks with only one hour per day, ISSA has all the tools that you can need to complete this personal trainer certification. This comes thanks to the included comprehensive guided study program that includes a textbook, audio lectures, and quizzes (one for each concept). All of your hard studying culminates in a 200-question exam, but don’t sweat if you get test anxiety — the final exam is open book. The exam is more about applying the concepts rather than just memorizing stuff, so it’s more beneficial to real-world scenarios.
From the time you enroll in the program, the team, which includes enrollment specialists, a success coach, and bootcamp instructors, who make every effort to see you succeed with their guidance and support. We loved that the entire program is at your own pace, so you can take your time or grind it out depending on how much time you have and what your goals are. There’s a lot to like about the way this certification is run and the quality of knowledge you’ll obtain through it. The only downside is that the program may be a bit too expensive for some people, but there are payment options available in that case.
Who Should Get the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification
Anyone with a passion for health and fitness who wants to turn that passion into a career as a personal trainer.
People who like to learn at their own pace. The guided study portion of this certification allows you to blast through the information you’re comfortable with and take deep dives into new material.
Those who want to be their own boss. ISSA includes a number of lessons on marketing, sales, and business development for those who don’t want to work for a gym as a personal trainer.
Who Shouldn’t Get the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification
Anyone looking to train special populations — such as those with diabetes, heart conditions, or other chronic diseases — may want to look at other, more specialized certifications.
If you just want to learn more about working out and lifting but don’t expect to work as a personal trainer, there are more cost-effective and directed ways to do so.
Those who want to give diet and nutrition advice will want to get a nutritionist or another dietician-related certification.
How Much Does The ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Cost?
The Certified Personal Trainer bundle from ISSA comes with a bunch of extras included, helping you get the most out of the certification process. Each bundle comes with the CPT online boot camp, which offers individualized guidance weekly and a study group, so you can work with a community of your peers. You’ll also receive 18 practice quizzes and both audio and video lectures to set you up for success. Without any discounts, the course costs $1,427 normally, but ISSA offers discounts regularly, which include other certifications or study materials, so be sure to check before making a purchase. The price can be paid in full or broken down into five or 11 payments with as little as one dollar to get started. If you don’t already have a CPR/AED certification, you’ll need one, which will cost you another $49 as a one-time charge.
Who is the International Sports Sciences Association?
The ISSA was formed in 1988 by a team of fitness experts with the goal of stemming the tide of physical decline and specifically “to increase the fitness of the people on our planet by helping more fitness professionals enjoy a successful career in fitness.” They offer a ton of certifications on top of the Personal Trainer Certification, like Nutritionist, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Online Coach, Kickboxing Instructor, and many more. Whatever aspect of fitness you’re interested in, they’ve probably got a certification for it.
The certifications issued by the International Sports Science Association are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the Distance Education and Teaching Council (DETC), both are nationally recognized accrediting organizations. They’re also affiliated with top-tier organizations like the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association. The ISSA partners with a lot of fitness facilities that you probably already work out at, which means you know that your certifications will hold value.
ISSA Certified Personal Trainer Study Materials
The ISSA has a wide variety of study materials ranging from audio lessons to guided readings to quizzes and boot camps. There are a ton of different ways to prepare for the final exam and each person will want to utilize the resources available differently. No matter what type of learner you are, there’s study material for you.
Study Guides
With your purchase of the Personal Trainer Certification bundle, you receive the ISSA’s guided study online material. The guided study lays out reading material, audio lessons, and a quiz each week for 10 weeks. Upon completion of the guided study, you should be ready to take and pass the final exam. Each week you can expect to dedicate between two to four hours to study, depending on your speed and familiarity with the week’s topic. You’ll want to read the assigned chapters of the textbook, listen to the audio lectures, then complete the quiz for the week. After that, check back to any info you were unsure of and brush up on it.
Quizzes
There are 18 different quizzes available on subjects from the psychology of behavior change, to client assessments, and business and marketing. The quizzes encompass all of the areas of study you’ll need to master to become a great personal trainer. They’re all multiple choice and pertain to the reading and lecture information of that week. You receive instant feedback on the questions you answered correctly and those you missed, so you can read up on the information. Each quiz should only take about 15 minutes to complete.
Online Forum
ISSA includes their CPT Educational Bootcamp which runs an online meeting once per week for five weeks to help you study and get you acquainted with other aspiring personal trainers. Each week focuses on a different topic and is designed to expand your knowledge on the subject, such as exercise selection. In addition, the instructors have office hours weekly to help give more individualized guidance.
Study Material Medium
Most of the material is online for the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification. That said, the option to do everything on paper and send it in for grading is still available — it just takes longer to get your results. ISSA doesn’t indicate how long the results will take to receive, but it could easily be over a week. You’ll also have to front the cost for postage. Though the textbook is available in paperback for purchase, this certification is meant to be taken online and is designed as such. You’ll be missing out on a ton of helpful information like the online lectures and boot camp if you choose to do everything on paper.
Guarantees
The ISSA guarantees that you’ll find a job within six months of completing their personal trainer certification, or they’ll give you a full refund. If you take and pass the certification exams and apply to at least three gyms within six months of completing your certification, but you aren’t hired, ISSA will give you your money back.
Final Exam for the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification
The final exam for certification is long at 200 questions and meant to be challenging— they aren’t just giving these certs out to anyone. Despite the length and challenge, if you’ve prepared well and completed the prep material you should be well on your way to passing the final exam.
Exam Sections
The final exam has six sections, which have a total of 200 questions. The sections are: Basic and Applied Science, Client Assessment, Special Populations, Program Design, Nutrition, and Professional Practice, Drawing-In Phase, and Fiscal Fitness. As you can see, the sections are quite varied as your job as a personal trainer will be too. The questions are all multiple choice, and you can expect the final exam to take anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours or more depending on your test-taking speed. You can break it up though. If you log out you can pick up where you left off when you sign back in.
Expected Study Time
ISSA says the certification can be completed in as little as ten weeks and the guided study is set up for exactly that. If you come into this program with absolutely no knowledge, it may take you a bit longer. On the other hand, if you already have a solid base of knowledge in exercise science you could potentially complete the course in a few weeks if you dedicated a few hours per day to it.
Pass Rate
You need a score of 75 percent or better to pass, and the pass rate for this certification is 90 percent — but don’t think the exam is a cakewalk because of that. The preparation and study materials are top quality and prepare you to do well.
Retest Cost
Should you have skipped some of the preparation, or test anxiety got the best of you, don’t sweat. Luckily, ISSA knows that, and you can retake the final exam — for free — within 30 days. You’ll only have to retest on the questions that you missed too since you already know the other stuff.
Continuing Education Requirements
In order to renew your certification, you need to prove that you’ve been keeping up with the latest science related to personal training and exercise. You can do this by providing proof of at least 20 continuing education units (CEUs) in the form of workshops, other certifications, seminars, or other approved activities. In addition, the recertification cost is $99 which is among the lowest prices in the industry. Other recertification costs range from $150 to $300, depending on the organization.
Possible Career Paths
It may seem pretty straightforward that getting a personal trainer certification opens up the career path of being a personal trainer, but there are more options available than just that one. If you want to explore other career paths with a personal trainer certification, there are many out there. They include fitness center manager, group fitness instructor, health coach, fitness writer, workout developer, and fitness model.
Expected Salary
This one is tough to nail down as salary varies wildly in the fitness industry and especially amongst personal trainers. Celebrity personal trainers make easy six figures while the personal trainers at your local gym are more likely closer to the national average of $50,872. (1)
Accreditation
ISSA certifications are accredited by some of the biggest accreditation organizations in the U.S., which means their certifications hold weight. ISSA certs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the Distance Education and Teaching Council (DETC). Both are highly regarded and nationally recognized. On top of this, there are numerous organizations like the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) and the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) that are partnered or affiliated with the ISSA.
Popularity
ISSA is one of the most popular personal trainer certifications and certainly among the most widely sought after personal trainers certifications that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree. Having been around for so long and being accredited by top national organizations, the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification is among the most desired and respected in the industry. This certification is highly sought after not because of the name alone, but because of the high quality of training that comes along with it.
Final Word
If you’re looking to start your career as a personal trainer no matter the circumstances, the ISSA Personal Trainer Certification is a great place to look. They offer top-notch preparation materials for all types of learners and even give you a week-by-week guide to keep you on track. The final exam is challenging, and that’s a good thing to know that this isn’t somewhere you can go to just pay for a certification. That’s attested to by all of the accreditations and affiliates that ISSA has racked up over their 34 years of being in business. With a certification like the ISSA behind your name, you’re guaranteed to land a job, or they’ll give you your money back. They may be somewhat pricey up front, but we think it’s worth it for the high quality of what you receive with this cert for your career in the long run.
FAQs
What is required to get my ISSA personal training certificate?
You must meet the criteria set forth by the ISSA which includes submitting all course quizzes, passing the final exam with a score of 75 percent or better, and provide proof of a current adult CPR/AED certificate. All of these requirements are neatly laid out on the home screen for you, and the final exam is locked until you complete all the quizzes.
Can I get a printed copy of the textbook for the ISSA personal trainer certification?
If you’re the type of person who prefers pen and paper or likes to read paper books, then ISSA has you covered. You can purchase a printed version of the textbook online and have it sent to you as well as textbooks for any course they offer.
Once I pass the personal trainer certification, what other programs does ISSA offer?
Once you pass the personal trainer certification, you can also take the nutritionist certification that ISSA offers. Those are the two primary certs available to which you can add specialization certifications, such as advanced personal training, strength coach, glute specialist, and more.
References:
What is the average personal trainer salary by state – ziprecruiter. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-Personal-Trainer-Salary-by-State
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
During the 2022 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Masters Powerlifting Championships, Shelly Stettner took first place in the Masters 4 (ages 70-plus) 63-kilogram weight class thanks to a raw 325.5-kilogram (717.6-pound) total. That total is an IPFWorld Record in her respective Masters category and weight class.
In addition to Stettner’s record total, the athlete also logged three more IPF World Records with a top back squat of 115 kilograms (253.5 pounds), a top bench press of 68 kilograms (149.9 pounds), and a top deadlift of 142.5 kilograms (314.1 pounds). Stettner wore a lifting belt for each portion of the competition and also had knee wraps on during her squat.
Here’s a rundown of Stettner’s complete performance at the 2022 IPF Masters Worlds:
Shelly Stettner (63KG) Masters 4 | 2022 IPF World Masters Championships Top Stats
Squat — 115 kilograms (253.5 pounds) | Masters 4 63-kilogram IPF World Record
Bench Press — 68 kilograms (149.9 pounds) | Masters 4 63-kilogram IPF World Record
Deadlift — 142.5 kilograms (314.1 pounds) | Masters 4 63-kilogram IPF World Record
Total — 325.5-kilogram (717.6-pound) | Masters 4 63-kilogram IPF World Record
Stettner enjoyed quite the dominant meet when put into context. According to the IPF database, her IPF World Record Masters 4 squat is 20 kilograms (44 pounds) more than the previous top figure in the 63-kilogram division. Russia’s Tatyana Fomina held that mark with a squat of 95 kilograms (209.4 pounds) from the 2017 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships.
Stettner’s record bench press is 6.5 kilograms (14.3 pounds) more than the past best press. That belonged to the Czech Republic’s Adina Hykova, who scored a bench press of 61.5 kilograms (135.3 pounds) at the 2019 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Masters Classic Championships.
Finally, Stettner’s top deadlift and total are nine kilograms (19.8 pounds) and 45 kilograms (99.2 pounds) more than the previous best numbers, respectively. Both marks belonged to the Netherlands’ Ina Koolhaas-Revers, who logged a 133.5-kilogram (294.3-pound) deadlift at the 2019 IPF Worlds and a 280.5-kilogram (618.4-pound) total during the 2018 IPF Worlds.
Notably, Stettner actually surpassed the previous record squat and bench presses on her first attempt, and the deadlift on her second attempt, before extending the records in later attempts. Overall, Stettner sparkled at the contest by successfully finishing eight of nine lifts.
It’s been an eventful 2022 for Stettner thus far. Her record-laden performance at the 2022 IPF Masters Worlds aside, the athlete also took home first place at the 2022 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Arnold Masters of Iron Pro and the 2022 AMP Masters Nationals. She now has five straight wins dating back to June 2021.
For Stettner as a competitor, it’s likely we haven’t seen the last of her dominance on any sanctioned lifting platforms.
Featured image: @powerlifting_america on Instagram
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Mitchell Hooper stormed the professional strongman scene with an outstanding debut at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM). Just months later, the star is already in a place where he may keep stacking achievements on top of achievements.
On Oct. 11, 2022, Hooper shared an Instagram clip of himself completing a raw 488.6-kilogram (1,075-pound) 19-inch deadlift. According to the caption of the Canadian athlete’s post, it’s a new personal record (PR). Hooper wore a lifting belt and lifting straps and completed the pull in his socks.
Hooper wrote that he completed his deadlift from a 19-inch position for “strongman reasons.” What he’s alluding to is the 2022 Rogue Invitational, which will take place on Oct. 28-30, 2022, in Austin, TX. At the time of this writing, the contest’s events have not been announced. It appears Hooper is preparing his strength for a related deadlift as a contingency.
The Canadian strongman has shown off plenty of eye-opening training displays of strength in recent months.
Should Hooper transfer his power to Austin and win, it will mark his third consecutive victory in a strongman competition. The athlete previously won his first pro contest at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK in late September. Then, in early October 2022, he followed that performance with his first career victory on the Giants Live circuit at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals. Perhaps even more impressively, if Hooper finishes in the top three again, it will be his sixth straight appearance on a strongman podium dating back to the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic.
Here’s the current roster of athletes Hooper will try to topple at the 2022 Rogue Invitational:
Hooper has enjoyed a meteoric rise in his early strongman career, and it doesn’t seem like he plans to slow down any time soon. At his rapid pace, this 26-year-old phenom could very well cement himself as a prominent fixture in the sport for years to come.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Months removed from an unfortunate tear of his left triceps tendon in May 2022, Daniel Ryjov is back to doing what he best — notching impressive feats of upper-body strength.
On Oct. 10, 2022, Ryjov uploaded an Instagram video of himself completing a 143-kilogram (315-pound) bench press for an astonishing 55 reps during a training session. While unconfirmed, Ryjov implies the feat might be a potential reps World Record for the weight on his loaded barbell. The athlete performed softer lockouts of the majority of reps and wore a lifting belt, wrist wraps, and elbow wraps, which might have been a continued precaution for his injury.
Ryjov’s incredible comeback from his triceps injury aside, his jaw-dropping bench press AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) display might be even more impressive when put into proper juxtaposed context.
For example, the National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine record for the bench press is 51 reps from Justin Ernest. However, the weight for that record is 102 kilograms (225 pounds). Ryjov not only logged four more reps than Ernest, he did it with 40.8 kilograms (90 pounds) more on his barbell. Similarly, professional strongmen Brian Shaw and Robert Oberst tried their hands at the NFL Combine record for 225 pounds in July 2020. Shaw captured 44 reps, while Oberst had 42. Similarly, Ryjov has bested both of the elite athletes’ figures while pressing more weight.
This isn’t the first recent instance where Ryjov showed his upper-body strength and power were returning.
One week prior to this recent record, in early October 2022, the athlete scored 100 reps of a 225-pound bench press for a self-proclaimed World Record. (Note: It is unclear whose World Record he passed, though Larry Wheels did bench press 225 pounds for 70 reps in 2018).
In addition, he became the first known person to complete at least 100 reps of a 225-pound bench press. This stunning display followed Ryjov logging 90 reps with 225 pounds in mid-August 2022, where it seemed he was still focusing primarily on recovery from his injury rather than pushing himself to the limit.
Judging by his social media and the accomplishments he shares, it appears Ryjov has been exclusively focusing on augmenting his bench press for a little while. The athlete does have two powerlifting competitions to his name — earning first place at the 2016 Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate (RPS) InsurreXtion V and a first-place performance at the 2017 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) SMG’s March Mayhem — but has not competed on a sanctioned lifting platform since.
At the time of this writing, Ryjov hasn’t hinted at the next bench-press barrier he’ll try to break through. Though, if he’s returning to a place of total health, Ryjov could indeed be a pioneer with another milestone soon enough.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Ronnie Coleman might be retired from competitive bodybuilding, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t keep a close eye on the current state of the sport. With the 2022 Mr. Olympia on the horizon, the eight-time winner of the prestigious contest (1998-2005) maximized an opportunity to dispense his expertise.
On Oct. 10, 2022, Coleman uploaded a video to his YouTube channel where he breaks down who he feels are the top contenders for this year’s Olympia title. In a stacked field, Coleman centers on two-time reigning champ Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay as his overall winner. Still, he offers thoughtful insights on everyone trying to topple the massive Egyptian athlete.
“He’s [Walker] got great shoulders and great arms,” Coleman said. “As far as his chest, he’s got a decent-sized chest, it just needs to be a little bit wider. For the most part, he needs to work on his conditioning, and he’s going to do pretty good against these current competitors.”
Hunter Labrada
Coleman appreciates Labrada’s overall build but thinks his current v-taper and back muscles need work for the athlete to be a serious contender.
“I think once he [Labrada] gets his separation going, once he works on his hamstrings, he’ll have some nice hamstrings,” Coleman said. “But for the most part, he got a pretty good wide back, but he probably needs to be just a little bit wider because his v-taper isn’t all that good right now.”
Blessing Awodibu
For Coleman, Awodibu has the necessary aesthetic to stand out, but he needs more polish on his arms and legs.
“He’s [Awodibu] got great ab shots and a great side serratus shot,” Coleman clarified. “He probably needs more separation in his legs from the front there. A lot of trap work. His traps aren’t too good right here, but I think if he can get his traps up, get some roundness on his arms, and a little bit more separation on his legs, then he’d be pretty good.”
Križánek might have recently earned his International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro Card, but Coleman still thinks the ascending athlete has a lot of ground to make up.
“Križánek’s got some freaky arms,” Coleman said. “A nice and big chest, but he needs some width on it, I’d say. I don’t see a lot of width on his back. That’s not a good backshot. He doesn’t have a v-taper going. Now, I see, he has great arms, though. But they are kind of throwing off his physique.”
Hadi Choopan
After years of finishing near the top, Coleman thinks Choopan is potentially on the brink of Olympia greatness.
“Hadi [Choopan], I see great things ahead for him,” Coleman maintained. “This guy can probably win the Olympia once he puts it all together. He’s not that far off at all. Hadi .. keep it up, my man.”
“With all this size, and the great v-taper he’s [Elssbiay] got, and the biggest shoulders you’ve ever wanted to see, I don’t see nobody taking him out, nobody at all,” Coleman noted. “So, Big Ramy, congrats on your third Olympia, my friend. I think you’re going to take it again.”
To Coleman, Bonac is one of the true dark horses at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. He believes that with a little polish here and there, Bonac could make noise on stage.
“This guy [Bonac] could be unstoppable,” Coleman said. “He’s got nice peaks from the backs on his arms, he’s got a good Christmas tree, and he’s got a nice wide back. Yeah, I think he can do some real damage.”
Chinedu Andrew Obieaka, aka “Andrew Jacked”
While Coleman thinks Jacked can be a force in bodybuilding, the legend made it seem as if the young phenom needs a little more time before he’s at the top of the Olympia mountain.
“Andrew [Jacked] has a nice physique going,” Coleman said. “He’s got nice arms on him. The only thing I can tell he needs to work on is his back. That comes in time. As you can see, he’s got a nice backshot. You get that bad boy separated and a little bit thicker in his upper back, and he will be hard to beat. He’d probably kill these guys in these Open shows they got.”
To close the video, Coleman made his official prediction for the top 10 at the Mr. Olympia, with Elssbiay sitting on top:
Ronnie Coleman | 2022 Mr. Olympia Top 10 Prediction
*Note: Clarida, winner of the 212 Olympia in 2020 and consistent top-placing competitor in the 212 division, has not confirmed if he would compete in the Open division at the time of this writing.
Whether anyone can beat Elssbiay and prevent his potential three-peat remains to be seen. Even if Coleman doesn’t see it happening, the Mr. Olympia should be a fascinating competition this late fall.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
As a legendary bodybuilder and Hollywood icon, Arnold Schwarzenegger built his success through a commitment to fitness, strength, and nutrition. It’s that same commitment the living legend used to raise money for a recent good cause.
On Oct. 10, 2022, Schwarzenegger revealed that his charity, After-School All-Stars, raisedover $5 million during the weekend of Oct. 7-9, 2022. Part of the proceeds came from personal training sessions led by Schwarzenegger, who charged individuals $150,000 per workout. Other segments of the funds came from Schwarzenegger auctioning off clothes, memorabilia, and even a ride in his tank. Schwarzenegger conducted the training sessions at the famous Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA.
In a post on his Instagram, Schwarzenegger expressed appreciation for his donors and how they’ll help those in need.
“We raised over five million dollars last night for [After-School All-Stars],” Schwarzenegger wrote. “Thank you to all of our donors. I started this program with a vision of keeping kids safe and growing between 3-6 p.m., but we couldn’t serve 100,000 kids in 60 cities without you.”
In a video shared by TMZ from part of the charity event, Schwarzenegger broke down why he thinks after-school programs, in general, are vital to helping youth.
“Kids are like a muscle,” Schwarzenegger explained. “If you train and use it every day, it will grow. The kids grow really well if we attend to them, help them, push them, support them, and be there for them. That’s the bottom line.”
According to the fitness luminary, with houses across the country working to pay bills and put food on the table, someone has to fill in the gaps for children.
“I think there’s a huge vacuum in America right now, where kids aren’t getting enough attention,” Schwarzenegger says in the clip. “More than 70 percent of kids come from households with both of the parents working — that means there is no one there after 3 o’clock when they get out. That’s why we have to fill that vacuum that after-school programs are all about.”
Established in 1992 by Schwarzenegger, After-School All-Stars is a national non-profit that aims to offer comprehensive after-school programs for children of low-income backgrounds. Currently, the organization serves nearly 100,000 kids across 400 schools in 10 states all over the United States.
Pushing forward a cause like this is nothing out of the ordinary for Schwarzenegger. In 2020, per Rolling Stone, the three-time Mr. Olympia donated $1 million to frontline and healthcare workers during the early throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, in late 2021, around the American holiday season, the Terminator star donated 25 homes to military veterans in the state of California
For Schwarzenegger — a fitness and acting jack-of-all-trades — it seems philanthropy is an essential way of giving back after his success.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
You’ve heard about being “down to your last dime,” but how about being “down to your last dumbbell?”
Maybe a hard economy forced the fire sale of your once epic home gym. Maybe you’re making do at a poorly equipped hotel gym. Or maybe you’re on a road trip with limited space for strength equipment.
Hryshchyshen Serhii / Shutterstock
No matter the scenario, these single-dumbbell workouts will help you turn strife into strength, lean times into lean mass, and hardship into a hard body. But don’t expect charity gains. You’re going to have to work for it.
Training to put on muscle without the niceties of a fully equipped gym? Fortunately, muscle gain occurs across a wide range of repetitions and using weights ranging from light to heavy (e.g. 30% to more than 80% of maximum). (1)(2)(3)(4)
As such, a single dumbbell of moderate weight may be the most utilitarian tool for whole-body hypertrophy training. With thoughtful exercise selection and a time-saving strategy like agonist-antagonist supersets, you’ve got a no-frills recipe for growth.
For this single-dumbbell hypertrophy workout, a moderate weight works best (e.g. 15 to 50 pounds). Training to failure is not “required” for noteworthy gains. (5)(6) For best results with limited equipment, however, you will need to take these sets to a high level of effort. (4) That is, each set should approach failure. Select a number of repetitions that leaves between one and four repetitions “in the tank.”
Build Size with One Weight
This full-body workout uses paired exercises and an emphasis on single-arm or single-leg movements to get the most from minimal equipment. Begin targeting the back and chest. Like a standard row, the wide dumbbell row hits the mid-back (middle trapezius and rhomboids) but may better train the rear deltoids. (7)(8) Elevating one hand during the push-up will increase the difficulty of the exercise by achieving a greater stretch across pectoralis major (chest) in the bottom position.
Next you’ll tackle legs. During the single-leg Romanian deadlift, you can use a sturdy object, such as a chair or bench, for balance assistance and to keep the focus on your hamstrings rather than stabilizing muscles. But be disciplined. Do not push with your support hand.
You’ll end the session with some direct arm work. You’re welcome. By bracing your upper arm against your thigh during the concentration curl, you eliminate “cheating” from body sway and shoulder flexion. The long head of triceps is lengthened across the shoulder during the overhead triceps extension, making this exercise superior for muscle growth. (9)
Wide Dumbbell Row
How to Do it: Brace your free arm on a flat bench with your feet in a stable stance. Grab the dumbbell with your working arm and pull it “up and out.” In the top position, your elbow should be nearly in line with your shoulder and away from your ribs. Keep your torso level and avoid rotating as you pull and lower the weight.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets to muscular fatigue, per arm. Depending on the weight of your dumbbell, repetitions may range from six to 30 or more.
Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Single-Arm Emphasis Push-Up
How to Do it: Lie on the ground with one hand on the dumbbell and the other hand flat on the floor. Keep your spine and legs straight as you lower into a deep push-up. The chest of the elevated hand will be put into a significant stretch. Press up until the non-elevated hand is locked out. Perform an even number of repetitions with each hand elevated.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets to muscular fatigue.
Rest time: No rest between arms. Rest 90 seconds before repeating the previous exercise.
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
How to Do it: Stand near a chair or the back of an incline bench while holding a dumbbell in one hand. Use the bench, as needed, for stability. Lift the leg of the working side slightly off the ground and softly bend the opposite knee. Bend at your hips as you “reach” the dumbbell toward your foot on the ground. Allow your working-side leg to rise into the air behind you. Keep your torso straight and don’t bend at the spine. Pull your torso back to stand upright.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets to muscular fatigue, per leg. Depending on the weight of your dumbbell, repetitions may range from six to 30 or more.
Rest time: No rest between legs. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat
How to Do it: Face away from a flat bench while holding a dumbbell in one hand. Place the same-side leg behind you, resting your shoelaces on the bench. Squat down with your front leg and allow your back knee to drop to the floor. Keep your shoulders pulled back and your torso upright during the movement. Drive through your front foot to stand upright.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets to muscular fatigue, per leg. Depending on the weight of your dumbbell, repetitions may range from six to 30 or more.
Rest time: No rest between legs. Rest 90 seconds before repeating the previous exercise.
Concentration Curl
How to Do it: Sit on a bench with your feet wider than shoulder-width. Grab a dumbbell with a palms-up grip in one hand and rest the triceps of that arm near the same-side knee. Curl the weight toward your face. Don’t allow your legs or torso to swing the weight up. Lower the weight to full straight-arm extension.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets to muscular fatigue, per arm. Depending on the weight of your dumbbell, repetitions may range from six to 30 or more.
Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Single-Arm Overhead Extension
How to Do it: Sit upright on a flat bench. Press a dumbbell overhead with one arm. Keep your torso tight and upright. Lower the weight behind your head until your hand is roughly in line with the top of your head. Keep your elbow pointed generally toward the ceiling, don’t allow it to move significantly. Only your hand should move with the weight.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets to muscular fatigue, per leg. Depending on the weight of your dumbbell, repetitions may range from six to 30 or more.
Rest time: No rest between arms. Rest 90 seconds before repeating the previous exercise.
Best Single-Dumbbell Workout for Fat Loss
Circuit training, a method of exercise that links multiple exercises together with minimal rest between each, is effective for improving body composition. In addition to decreasing body fat percentage and increasing muscularity, circuits may also promote modest improvements in aerobic fitness and strength. (10)(11)
Single-dumbbell exercises are ideal for circuit training because they require minimal setup. Machine-based circuit training obviously requires plenty of equipment, but it also requires monopolizing more than one’s fair of the gym. Single-dumbbell circuit training can just as easily be done in a small corner of a busy gym or a lonely motel room.
One-Dumbbell Fat-Burning Circuit
A light dumbbell works well for this whole-body resistance training circuit — 10 to 30 pounds should work for most lifters, depending on your strength and fitness level. It uses a descending repetition scheme, with each exercise performed for progressively fewer reps, to accommodate fatigue as you continue to work.
Perform the exercises in order, rest briefly, and then repeat the entire sequence for a total of three rounds.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
How to Do it: Take a staggered stance with your front foot next to the dumbbell. Your working arm will be opposite your front foot — left foot forward with your right arm working, and vice versa. Brace your non-working forearm on your front thigh. Grab the dumbbell with your working arm and row toward your back hip. Maintain a neutral grip with your palm facing your leg. Lower the weight to a full stretch, nearly reaching ankle-level.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 30 per arm.
Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Single-Arm Floor Press
How to Do it: Lie down with the dumbbell in one hand and your elbow resting on the ground. Bend your legs with your feet flat. Press the weight above your chest to full lockout. Lower under control. Do not bounce your arm off the ground between repetitions.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 25 per arm.
Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Goblet Squat
How to Do it: Stand up while holding the dumbbell in the “goblet position,” supporting the dumbbell with both hands in front of your chin or neck. Keep your elbows close to your torso. Squat down as low as possible while keeping your upper body vertical. Keep your feet flat on the floor throughout each repetition.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 20
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Dumbbell Good Morning
How to Do it: Hold the dumbbell to your upper chest using both hands. Slightly bend your knees while pushing your hips back and bending at the waist. When your upper body is nearly parallel to the ground, “pull” with your glutes and hamstrings to return upright. Keep a neutral spine during the movement. Don’t allow your back to round forward.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 15
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Single-Arm Arnold Z Press
How to Do it: Get on the ground in a “long-sitting position” with your legs extended in front of you and your upper body straight. Hold the dumbbell in front of your working-side shoulder with your palm facing your body. As you press overhead, rotate the dumbbell so your palm faces forward in the top position. Reverse the movement as you lower the weight.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per arm.
Rest time: No rest between arms. Rest 60 seconds before repeating the first exercise.
Best Single Dumbbell Workout for Conditioning
A complex is a series of lifts performed in immediate succession with the same piece of equipment. Barbell and kettlebell complexes are extremely popular, and for good reasons. They train all major energy systems, build multi-joint strength, and fortify your grip. But the humble dumbbell does not get the notoriety it deserves for complexes.
As a unilateral (single–arm) implement, it hammers the core while its balanced center of mass may be more user-friendly than a kettlebell for certain Olympic lift-inspired exercises, such as the dumbbell snatch.
One-Dumbbell Conditioning Complex
The exercises in this conditioning complex are power- and strength-based, which would tend to tax the quick-energy phosphagen system when performed in isolation. However, as the repetitions and rounds of the complex add up, you will lean hard into the anaerobic glycolysis and aerobic systems. Meaning this single-dumbbell complex is a multi-functional conditioning workout.
Perform all repetitions with the dumbbell in your left hand, followed by all repetitions with the dumbbell in your right hand, before immediately moving on to the next exercise.
Dumbbell Snatch
How to Do it: Start with the dumbbell in the “hang position” between your knees — your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width and your palm facing your body. Drive through your hips and knees toward the ceiling. Carry that momentum through the dumbbell as you “zip” the weight in front of your midline and “flick” it into the overhead position. Lockout with a straight arm. Lower the weight with control to the starting position and repeat.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 5 x 4 per arm.
Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Front-Loaded Reverse Lunge
How to Do it: Hold the dumbbell at shoulder-level with your thumb near your shoulder. Step backward into a deep lunge position with your leg on the same side as the weight. Keep your torso upright and resist the weight pulling your upper body to the side. When your rear knee is close to the ground, drive through your front leg to return to a standing position. Perform all reps with one leg, then switch hands and repeat with the opposite leg.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 5 x 4 per leg.
Rest time: No rest between legs. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Dumbbell Push Press
How to Do it: Combine a mini-squat and ballistic overhead press to drive the weight overhead. Begin with the dumbbell near your shoulder and your palm facing your head. Squat down several inches before exploding upward as you press overhead to full lockout. Lower the weight under control.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 5 x 4 per arm.
Rest time: No rest between arms. No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Single-Arm Overhead Squat
How to Do it: Challenge your trunk stability and shoulder complex mobility with this full-body squat. Press the weight to lockout overhead and widen your stance. Squat as low as possible without moving your locked out arm overhead. Keep your torso as upright as possible and resist any rotation or twisting.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 5 x 4 per arm.
Rest time: No rest between arms. Rest 90 seconds before repeating the first exercise.
Best Single Dumbbell Workout for Strength
Heavy bilateral (double-limb) movements with barbells and machines tend to be the go-to exercises for strength in traditional gyms. But if all you’ve got is a single dumbbell, you’re going to have to make it work.
An effective strategy for enhancing strength is “accentuated eccentric training.” Accentuated eccentrics apply greater loads during the negative or lowering phase of the exercise than those applied during the concentric phase. (12) Weight releasers are commonly used for accentuated eccentric training, but this specialized device only works for one repetition, as the extra weight is jettisoned at the bottom of the first repetition. More importantly, it’s not compatible with dumbbell training.
Fortunately, accentuated eccentric loading can be accomplished by performing a unilateral, or single-sided, exercise with the assistance of the other limb during the concentric (lifting) phase. In plain English, you will use your off-side arm or leg to “help” during the upward phase of the lift and lower the weight with only your working side.
Build Strength with Just One Weight
Just as training to failure is not essential for muscle hypertrophy, it is not a requirement for strength. (6) You can and will build strength with not-to-failure sets of these exercises as long as your dumbbell is moderately heavy (e.g. 30 to 70 pounds, depending on your strength).
Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Overhead Press
How to Do it: Kneel on the ground with the weight on the same side as the down knee. Use your off-side arm to assist in lifting the dumbbell from the bottom of the movement to lockout. Lower the weight using only your working-side arm. For each repetition, use the non-working arm to help lift the weight.
Sets and Reps: 2 to 6 x 4 to 6 per arm.
Rest time: Rest two minutes between sets.
Skater Squat
How to Do it: Stand on your working leg while holding the dumbbell in the front rack position, hugged to your upper chest with both hands. Squat down until your off-side knee gently contacts the floor. Dig your off-side foot into the floor to assist back to a standing position. If you are unable to perform skater squats with control, place a pillow or stack of textbooks under your off-side knee to limit the range of motion.
Sets and Reps: 2 to 6 x 4 to 6 per leg.
Rest time: Rest two minutes between sets.
Single-Leg Good Morning
How to Do it: Begin standing on one leg with the dumbbell in the front rack position, hugged to your upper chest with both hands. Hinge forward at the hips with minimal knee bend. Allow your back leg to rise into the air until your torso is nearly parallel to the ground. In the bottom position, bring your off-side foot to the floor to assist your return to a standing position. Perform all reps with one leg before switching sides.
Sets and Reps: 2 to 6 x 4 to 6 per leg.
Rest time: Rest two minutes between sets.
How to Warm-Up for Single-Dumbbell Workouts
A typical warm-up consists of five to ten minutes of general aerobic exercise followed by several lighter sets of the exercises that will be included in the workout. Since you’ve only got one dumbbell, cardio equipment and lighter “work-up sets” are out of reach.
Credit: Dusan Petkovic / Shutterstock
However, even in these desperate times, a warm-up is important to get the most out of your workout. Consider jogging or ropeless jump rope (“pogo hops”) to elevate your body temperature.
For squats, lunges, Romanian deadlifts, and good mornings, a bodyweight warm-up of three sets of 10 to 12 reps should suffice. For non-bodyweight exercises, perform non-challenging, low-repetition sets of the primary movements you will train in the workout.
One Weight is All it Takes
Performed with intent and intensity, single-dumbbell workouts can build muscle size, promote fat loss, improve conditioning, and develop strength. These workouts can be useful when you find yourself in less-than-ideal scenarios where equipment is limited or you can deliberately program a single-dumbbell workout as an exercise in minimalism. Benefits of single-dumbbell training include versatility, the potential for unilateral loading for a challenging stimulus to the core, and the ability to efficiently perform accentuated eccentric exercises. Next time you are “down to your last dumbbell,” a single-dumbbell workout might change your outlook from grim to grateful.
References
Lasevicius, T., et al. (2018). Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(6), 772-780.
Jenkins, N. D., et al. (2017). Greater neural adaptations following high-vs. low-load resistance training. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 331.
Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2021). Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. Sports, 9(2), 32.
Pareja‐Blanco, F., et al. (2017). Effects of velocity loss during resistance training on athletic performance, strength gains and muscle adaptations. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 27(7), 724-735.
Vieira, A. F., et al. (2021). Effects of resistance training performed to failure or not to failure on muscle strength, hypertrophy, and power output: a systematic review with meta-analysis. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(4), 1165-1175.
Grgic, J., et al. (2021). Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science.
Hedrick, A., & Herl, M. (2021). Technique of the Unilateral Dumbbell Wide Row. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 43(4), 121-123.
García-Jaén, M., et al. (2021). Electromyographical responses of the lumbar, dorsal and shoulder musculature during the bent-over row exercise: a comparison between standing and bench postures (a preliminary study). Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(4), 1871-1877.
Maeo, S., et al. (2022). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Science, 1-11.
Ramos-Campo, D. J., et al. (2021). Effects of resistance circuit-based training on body composition, strength and cardiorespiratory fitness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biology, 10(5), 377.
Schmidt, D., Anderson, K., Graff, M., & Strutz, V. (2015). The effect of high-intensity circuit training on physical fitness. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 56(5), 534-540.
Wagle, J. P., et al. (2017). Accentuated eccentric loading for training and performance: A review. Sports Medicine, 47(12), 2473-2495.
I’ve been around for long enough to see health trends come and go, but cold therapy is one that has staying power. Humans have probably been using cold water to treat injury and illness, wake up their senses, and challenge their physical fortitude for all of human history. The modern obsession with cold plunges, cryotherapy chambers, and sitting underclothed in the snow doing controlled hyperventilation (a la “The Iceman” Wim Hof and his eponymous method of breathwork paired with extreme cold endurance feats) is just the newest iteration. There is something fundamental about the relationship between humans and the cold.
Of course, Grok wasn’t taking cold showers to stimulate his immune system or revive senses dulled by hours and years of participating in corporate drudgery. He was washing in cold rivers and wading into the ocean to trap sea creatures out of necessity. But the effect was the same as when we modern humans do a polar bear plunge in the icy sea—a stronger, more robust body.
Today, most of us enjoy (or rather, suffer from) round-the-clock thermally controlled environments. We’re rarely ever truly cold, not that bone-chilling, teeth-chattering cold where you wonder if you’ll ever feel warm again. Not unless we go out of our way to get uncomfortable. Many people claim to hate the cold, and I admittedly did my fair share of grumbling about having to face frigid mornings as a kid growing up in Maine. But as anyone who has taken the time to embrace the cold knows, once you get used to it, your body actually craves the cold. Like so many things that are uncomfortable in the moment, it’s good for you in the long run. Your body knows that on a cell-deep level.
At the same time, there is a lot of academic debate about the limitations of cold exposure and cold therapy. Promoters of cold water therapy say that it can boost immune function, decrease inflammation and pain, and increase blood flow. Skeptics wonder if it’s all it’s cracked up to be. Some go so far as to argue that it does more harm than good in certain circumstances. Let’s explore.
Types of Cold Therapy
I’d roughly break cold therapy into two categories:
Cold exposure to reduce pain, improve mobility, speed healing, or enhance recovery (acute effects)
Cold exposure for general health and longevity (long-term effects)
“Cryotherapy” is the general term for using cold (“cryo”) to produce health benefits, but you probably associate the word specifically with whole-body chambers that blast you with extremely cold air (typically between -200 and -300 degrees Fahrenheit, or -128 to -184 Celsius). That’s one way to access the benefits of chilling out. You can also
Apply ice packs or cold compresses to targeted areas of the body
Partake in ice massage, getting a rubdown with ice cubes or chilled implements
Use cooling sprays
Take cold showers or contrast showers (alternating hot and cold)
Cold water immersion, or dunking your whole self in very cold water, is popular among the ancestral health crowd and potentially the most beneficial form of cold therapy. This covers anything from your standard ice bath to jumping in a brisk mountain lake to joining your local polar bear club and swimming in frigid water in nothing but your skivvies. For a more controlled cold water immersion experience, you can purchase a cold plunge tank for your home, or go the route of my friend and longtime coauthor Brad Kearns and make your own DIY cold plunge out of a chest freezer!
I’d also put going out in cold weather slightly underdressed in the cold therapy camp. It may not be as actively therapeutic as the other methods, but it does a body good nonetheless.
How Does Cold Therapy Work?
Cold therapy falls under the umbrella of hormetic stressors—stressful stimuli that, when applied appropriately, produce adaptations that make us healthier and more resilient to future challenges. It’s the “that which does not kill you makes you stronger” effect.
The body doesn’t like to be too cold or too hot, preferring to stay in that “just right” zone. Hence, it will actively protect itself against big excursions outside its comfort level. When you expose yourself to cold—especially via cold water or air over your whole body—a number of homeostatic mechanisms kick into gear to keep your core temperature from dropping too low.
Blood vessels near the surface of the body constrict, a process known as cutaneous vasoconstriction. This pulls blood into the core and slows heat loss through the skin.
Stay in the cold water or air long enough, and you’ll start shivering, which produces heat.
Next comes an increase in non-shivering thermogenesis (“thermo”=heat, “genesis”=making). You’ve probably heard of brown fat, the mitochondria-rich, metabolically active fat that generates heat in baby and adult humans alike. Well, cold exposure activates existing brown fat and tells the body to make more brown fat to boot. This translates to increased metabolic rate. Besides producing heat, a sped-up metabolism might enhance recovery following workouts and injury.1 It’s also why some people argue that cold exposure could be the next big weight-loss breakthrough (a somewhat dubious claim I’ll discuss shortly).
Cold also stimulates the immune system, reduces oxidative stress, and triggers a host of favorable hormonal responses.23 For example, it increases norepinephrine levels, which decreases pain sensations, and ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone),4 which helps the body respond to stress and regulate blood sugar and blood pressure.
Long-term, repeated exposures to cold improve cold tolerance, which is why those grizzled old-timers in the polar bear club seem to have no trouble jumping into the northern sea despite the ice and slush floating on top. The water literally isn’t as shocking to their systems.
Benefits of Cold Therapy
I’m a fan of cold exposure in general. My interest is mostly related to how it challenges you physically and mentally, making you tougher and perhaps extending healthspan and lifespan, though we can’t say for sure. There are people testing that hypothesis on themselves right now, but those results are decades in the making. In the meantime, I’m thoroughly sold on cold as a hormetic stressor that improves overall well-being.
There are other more immediate benefits too, and some areas where we get it wrong.
Recovery after exercise or injury
The image of a hardcore pro athlete getting into a metal trough of ice water after a big game or meet is burned into the cultural psyche. If you take a spill and twist an ankle or tweak your wrist catching yourself, your first impulse will probably be to ice the injury.
The inclination comes from a good place. Cold blunts pain and reduces inflammation and swelling. However, there is considerable debate about whether icing does more harm than good in the long run, with many experts arguing that you should skip it. I’ll discuss this more in an upcoming post on icing injuries, but for now consider that acute inflammation (not the chronic systemic type) is there for a reason. Trying to shoo it away more quickly than the body would naturally do on its own could actually delay healing or compromise the exercise adaptations that make you stronger in the long run.
That said, there are specific cases in which I would apply cold therapies. One is after an injury if the pain is severe and/or the swelling is great enough to potentially impair healing. The second is for athletes who are doing multi-day events and need to deliver another good performance the day after a hard effort. Cold therapy can be useful for delaying the onset of muscle soreness and, perhaps most importantly, offsetting perceptions of fatigue, helping the athlete to believe they are rested and ready to hit the ground running again.5
Otherwise, for athletes who want to expose themselves to cold for general health reasons, I’d recommend partaking in cold plunges or showers far away from the stimulus of workouts—at least several hours after. Besides blunting the adaptive response to workouts, if you have significantly raised your core body temperature during exercise, you don’t want to drastically and dramatically shock it with frigid temps.
Better immunity, less illness
Cold therapy boosts the immune system, stimulating white blood cells, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and natural killer cells that can fight infections and possibly even gobble up tumors. Now, I’m not suggesting that cold showers cure cancer, but there is the possibility that cold therapy could prove an interesting adjuvant treatment down the road.6
One study of over 3,000 people found that those who took cold showers lasting between 30 and 90 seconds for a month reported 29 percent fewer sick days from work compared to those who did not take cold showers.7 Other researchers have found that cold water swimmers have fewer upper respiratory tract infections than their partners who don’t swim.8
Get cold to lose weight?
There’s some evidence that cold exposure—even just staying in a cool room (62 degrees Fahrenheit, 19 Celsius) for a couple hours a day—can significantly increase metabolic rate and energy expenditure, leading to fat loss.9 Influential self-experimenters like author Tim Ferriss and former NASA scientist Ray Cronise swear by using cold to accelerate fat burning. Average people around the world credit cold plunges with helping them lose weight. What gives?
This isn’t just a tabloid hack. When you’re cold, your body expends a lot of energy to maintain homeostasis—up to five times normal resting metabolic rate in extreme cold conditions.10 Much of this comes from shivering, particularly in acute cold.
As I already mentioned, cold exposure also increases your body’s stores of metabolically active brown fat and dials up non-shivering thermogenesis. Simply having more brown fat on board won’t cause that stubborn white fat to melt away, though. You need repeated cold exposures to “turn on” that brown fat so it burns more calories to produce heat. Cold showers or cold plunges would theoretically need to become a regular thing (or just crank the thermostat down for a couple hours each day). Brown fat, when activated, also pulls glucose and fatty acids out of the bloodstream. More brown fat is associated with lower insulin levels and greater insulin sensitivity.11
So there’s something to this idea that cold could facilitate weight loss. Still, I’d hesitate to put this in the forefront of fat reduction techniques. Even as drug companies are spending millions to develop pharmaceuticals to tap into the power of brown fat, ditching grains and sugars, increasing daily movement, and working on sleep and stress are always going to be the big needle movers when it comes to all aspects of health.
Better sleep
Speaking of sleep, many folks claim that cold showers at night help them sleep more deeply and soundly. I haven’t seen studies to back that up, but I would believe that cold showers kickstart the body’s natural nocturnal drop in body temperature that accompanies sleep onset.
This is something you could experiment with yourself. Try an evening shower where you start warm and gradually drop the temperature into a comfortably cool zone. I wouldn’t recommend jumping into an ice bath right before bed because that will spike your cortisol, which isn’t conducive to falling asleep. One exception is possibly for people who, for reasons of schedules or convenience, have to conduct their workouts close to bedtime and hence raise their body temperatures. One study found that male athletes who worked out at 6 p.m. and then hopped into cold water (56 degrees Fahrenheit, 13 Celsius) for 10 minutes slept better than athletes in a control, no cold water condition.12
But wait, there’s more!
These are the main rationale for using cold therapies, but there are many more. Researchers are also interested in whether cold therapy improves cardiovascular health,13 sleep apnea,14 chronic fatigue syndrome,15 depression16… one almost starts to wonder if there’s anything cold can’t do.
Bear in mind, though, that the degree to which cold therapy actually leads to desirable responses and adaptations depends factors including but not limited to
Type of cold therapy
Temperature
Duration
Age
Sex
Baseline health
That’s a lot of nuance to wade through. You can’t just throw a 10-pound bag of ice in your bathtub and assume all your problems will go away. For long-term benefits to accrue, cold exposure probably needs to become part of your regular routine. Much like meditation, you can get positive results from an occasional session here and there, especially when a new issue crops up in your life. However, the people who get the most out of it will be the ones who practice regularly.
Risks of Cold Therapy
I’m certainly in the camp of “cold exposure does some really cool things and generally makes us healthier and heartier.” Most people probably need less comfort in their lives, and cold showers, chilly winter walks, and the occasional cold plunge would do them a lot of good. Don’t be dumb about it, though. Our ancestors spent a lot of time and effort surviving the cold; the least we could do is respect it.
If you’re new to cold therapies, start small. Go for short times at moderately cold temperatures, and build up your tolerance and exposure gradually. Hypothermia is nothing to mess around with. When you go from an ambient temperature to very cold water, your body has a natural cold shock response that can be dangerous, especially for people with preexisting heart conditions. People who have any kind of cardiovascular issue will want to talk to their doctor before starting cold therapy, especially cold water immersion or cryotherapy. Likewise, for acute or chronic injuries, get advice from a pro who can help you craft a smart recovery protocol.
Is It All Just a Placebo Effect?
A lot of the excitement around cold exposure comes from personal anecdotes from citizen scientists around the world. It’s entirely possible that some of the touted benefits they’re experiencing are due to placebo effects.17 In fact, I’d bet on it.
And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. The mind is a powerful tool, and if it helps us get better just because we believe we can, that’s great. But even if some of it is a product of your own belief system, there are piles of studies showing actual physiological mechanisms that explain or predict the benefits of cold therapy. So no, it’s not just a placebo.
So what say you? Are you already incorporating cold showers, cold plunges, or winter swimming into your healthy lifestyle? If yes, what benefits have you noticed? If no, what’s holding you back?
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
technology.
I’ve been around for long enough to see health trends come and go, but cold therapy is one that has staying power. Humans have probably been using cold water to treat injury and illness, wake up their senses, and challenge their physical fortitude for all of human history. The modern obsession with cold plunges, cryotherapy chambers, and sitting underclothed in the snow doing controlled hyperventilation (a la “The Iceman” Wim Hof and his eponymous method of breathwork paired with extreme cold endurance feats) is just the newest iteration. There is 
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
