Here are some close-up shots of the front of my home gym.

Medicine Balls, Ground n' Pound Bag, Sandbags, Kettlebells, Olympic Dumbbell, Ladder Golf!

This shot is of what’s on the floor under the center shelf.  The medicine balls are a little pricey for what you get, but I got one used from Play it Again Sports and the other was a discontinued model (I didn’t know medicine balls changed all that often) from Dick’s.  They’re great for slams and for core exercises like twists and V-ups.  The sandbags are homemade.  I got the instructions here.  They are great because you can adjust the number of bags for weight.  They’re also the best tools for odd-object training you can: shoulder them, press them, throw them, use them for a farmer’s walk, and even use them for burpees.

The kettlebells are light (10lbs. and 25lbs.) and are mostly for quick, explosive movements such as swings.  I know some people are pretty hardcore with them, but I find I can use dumbbells for most of the heavy and advanced movements.  I got them for free, so I didn’t want to spend extra on a full set of kettlebells.

Resistance Band, Wrist Weights, Weighted Vest, Plastic Dumbbells

I’ve written about wrist weights and weighted vests before.  I like to wear them while doing yard work for a  little extra challenge.  I also like to wear them to add difficulty to body weight exercises like pull-ups, dips, and push-ups.  Ever see a batter use the weight on his bat while warming up?  One workout I’ve adapted from seeing this is to suit up with weights for a few rounds of bag work.  When you strip them for subsequent rounds, you feel so fast!  Needless to say this is good for cardio too.

I often use the bands in conjunction with the light kettlebells.  This is the “heavy band” available at most sports stores, rated at about 20lbs. of resistance.  This doesn’t seem like much, but performing band pulls with the back or the chest at high reps can quickly burn you out.  Plus it’s nice to feel the draw while you’re able to explode through your entire range of motion.  I often tuck one handle of the band beneath my heavy bag and mimic pulling and punching motions.  Like with the weights, it’s neat to feel the speed and power developed when moving through katas or hitting the bag.

Questions?  Comments?  Ideas?  More to come!