What should I get my gym for Christmas?
3 Pieces of Equipment every gym needs
Where do you get your biggest bang for your buck?
Every gym needs a stationary bike and a total gym. These two pieces of equipment will give you the biggest bang for your buck! They give you versatility, strength, endurance, and low impact ways to train. Third on the wish list is an eliptical, it’s the closest thing you’ll get to simulate running without the unneeded impact on the joints and body.
Uses for each equipment:
Stationary bike can be purchased at your local Academy, Walmart, or on craigslist in excellent condition from $75 to $200 for a really nice bike with multiple training programs. Really you don’t have to have multiple training programs, you can get by with manual resistance and have the athlete change the resistance in intervals and get a great workout!
Ways to use a stationary bike in the gym:
-interval training in between routines on any event. Minute and half routine followed by 1 min mid range resistance and speed then 1 min and half higher resistance bike sprint. Repeat 3 times then do anothe routine.
– great for warm up for all athletes especially injured athletes who need decrease repititions of impact or no impact.
-great for cross training and cardiovascular fitness post season getting ready for new skills. Place the bike on higher resistance and mid to low range speed go 10-20 min.
-great for end of season training to keep up fitness level when doing lower reptitions on events.
-great for injury prevention and injury rehab.
– when an athlete can’t do something due to pain stick them on the bike and let them go!
-self paced or pre paced by the bike…no supervision required once the athlete has been instructed on equipment use and safety. Tell the athlete they must stay at a certain RPM or be sweating and depending on the goal unable to carry a conversation, otherwise they owe you a rope climb.
Total Gym uses:
A total gym can be purchased at Academy or craig’s list in excellent condition from $100-200. You do need to make sure you get a platform with the total gym to use for squats.
-lower body workouts: both leg squats, single leg squats, plyometerics, heel raises, hamstring curls, and many other exercise. Change the resistance depending on the goal strength, endurance, or rehab.
-upper body workouts: lat pulls great for free hip drills, rows, biceps, triceps and many other exercise
-use the total gym on any event as a drill or station
-use it in conditioning or as a dynamic warm up
-gymnast can use it without supervision once instructed on technique and safety
Eliptical uses:
Eliptical is the best way to get the benefits of running and sprinting without the impact. Gymnast put 5-14 times their body weight through their joints. Low impact exercises is imperative to prolonging thier careers and decreased injury. You can find an elliptical from $75-150 at Academy or on Craig’s List which will work for what you need.
-Great for warm-up, cool-down or during practice to increase cardiovascular output.
-use for interval training between routines (see bike instructions)
-great for cross training and to increase or maintain fitness level
-great for rehab to progress return to full sport
These simple and inexpensive additions to your gym can improve your training, increase performance results, enhance return to sport after an injury, and decrease injury prolonging your gymnast’s careers.
Give your gym the gift of “Cross Training” for Christmas:) Happy Holidays!!!
