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The Best Places to Buy Home Gym Equipment Online

In Equip Your Gym, Guides by Tim Steward

Last updated on May 21st, 2022 at 06:17 pmMost people building a garage or basement gym can’t go to a local store to see, feel, and try things before buying them. There simply aren’t that many stores in the world that display and sell quality home gym gear. Big box retailers and sporting goods stores have some stuff, but it’s primarily low to mediocre quality, and there isn’t much of an assortment. There certainly aren’t any …

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14 Books That Every Home Gym Owner Should Read in 2022

In Equip Your Gym, Guides by Tim Steward

Last updated on November 13th, 2021 at 06:30 pmThere are a lot of books out there that would benefit you as a garage or basement gym owner. There are also a lot of books that are mediocre at best and misleading at worst. I know because I’ve read a couple hundred of them. And out of all of those, there are shockingly few that I would say everyone should own, read, and keep around for …

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The Ready State Virtual Mobility Coach Review – Does it Work?

In Programs by Tim Steward

If you train regularly or play a sport, having an effective mobility program in your health and fitness toolkit is essential. The same is true if you are feeling those creeping aches and pains that come with age. As someone who is 50 years old, participates in several sports, and trains six days a week, I am constantly searching for the perfect mobility program. A daily mobility practice is one of the only reasons I …

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Center Barbell Knurl – Does Your Home Gym Barbell Need It?

In Equip Your Gym by Tim Steward

If you are shopping for a new barbell, one of the options you’ll see is whether or not to get one with a center knurl. To many people, this option is confusing. What is a center barbell knurl? Why would you want one or not? Does it even matter? A center barbell knurl helps prevent the bar from slipping on your back while squatting and also helps to align the bar properly when lifting. Traditional …

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Power Bar or Olympic Bar – Which is Better for Your Home Gym?

In Equip Your Gym by Tim Steward

When selecting a barbell for your garage or basement gym, you’ll typically end up choosing between two basic categories: Power bars and Olympic weightlifting bars. Knowing the differences and which will work better for you is important for many reasons. The best type of barbell for most basement and garage gym owners is a power bar. It’s well suited for almost every type of lift and can serve as the only bar you’ll need in …

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Should You Use EVA Tiles for Home Gym Flooring?

In Guides, Plan Your Gym by Tim Steward

Last updated on October 27th, 2021 at 09:40 amIf you go to almost any home improvement or sporting goods store (in person or online) and search for “home gym flooring,” you’ll almost always find EVA as a recommended option. EVA is one of many different materials explicitly marketed as “home gym flooring.” The problem with most of them is that they are not well-suited for that job and this is especially true of EVA. EVA …

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MAPS Anabolic Review – The Ideal Garage Gym Training Program?

In Programs by Tim Steward

Properly designed and effective programming is the key to getting results from your home or garage gym. The problem is that the internet is littered with crappy programs sold mostly by fitness models. Their six-pack abs and toned bodies sway thousands of people into spending millions of dollars. The problem is that 95% of all the exercise programs sold on the web and social media are mediocre at best (most are downright terrible). And while …

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Functional Patterns 10 week Course Review – Is It Worth Your Money?

In Programs by Tim Steward

Last updated on October 18th, 2021 at 11:20 amThere are a seemingly endless number of options in the fitness space when it comes to mobility and movement programming. Everything from free YouTube channels to costly in-person guidance is available. One of the more visible options these days is the 10-week online postural dysfunction course by Functional Patterns. Backed by a good number of 5-star reviews and a very persuasive marketing campaign, it’s an attractive option …

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MAPS Prime, A 3-Year User’s Review

In Programs by Tim Steward

I’ve been using the MAPS Prime program from the guys over at Mind Pump for a little over three years now. Even when I’m not running a MAPS-based program, Prime is integrated into my practice. MAPS Prime is a program that helps you self-assess movement and mobility issues that should be addressed when training. It then helps you, step by step, to develop a customized warm-up and recovery program that is specific to you and …

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I used MAPS Prime Pro for 2 years and this is what happened

In Programs by Tim Steward

As a 50-year-old with a history of injuries, I have to do everything I can to not only deal with the injuries I’ve had in the past but to make sure I don’t injure myself going forward. Several years ago, I’d simply had enough. I found myself absolutely fed up with the state of my health at that time. I was in my late 40’s, overweight by almost 40 lbs, and in pain. I needed …

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Rep Fitness AB-5200 Bench: An Owner’s Review

In Equip Your Gym by Tim Steward

Last updated on May 21st, 2022 at 06:14 pmEight months ago, I ordered the Rep Fitness AB-5200 adjustable weight bench. I didn’t need a new bench (my Rep AB-3000 was working beautifully for me), but I like to buy new gear every now and then, and I’d been looking at the AB-5200 for some time. I originally bought the AB-3000 because of its price and ability to decline. I ended up never using the decline, …

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Rep Fitness AB-3000 Bench: An Owner’s Review

In Equip Your Gym by Tim Steward

Last updated on April 19th, 2021 at 05:48 pmThe big four of rack, weights, bar, and bench are essential parts of a complete home gym. It’s hard to say that one of those is more important than the others. It’s not hard to say which will be most noticeable if you go cheap or low quality. Buying a cheap or low-quality bench is immediately noticeable. Safety, durability, and comfort all suffer when using a sub-par …

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How to do pull-ups in gyms with low ceilings.

In Equip Your Gym, Guides, Plan Your Gym by Tim Steward

Last updated on April 8th, 2022 at 03:57 pmThe pull-up is a foundational functional movement pattern that everyone should train regularly. While it’s one of the more challenging movements anyone can do in a gym, it’s one that has a myriad of benefits that apply to everyday life. The pull-up is also a movement that requires more vertical room to perform than any other resistance training movement pattern. This makes it challenging to do in …

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Overhead Pressing in gyms with low ceilings.

In Equip Your Gym, Guides, Plan Your Gym by Tim Steward

Last updated on July 7th, 2021 at 01:34 pmIn its many forms, the overhead press is one of the best compound lifts you can do when training with weights. After the “big three” (bench press, squat, and deadlift), some consider the overhead press a very close fourth when it comes to critical lifts. While there are a significant number of variations of this lift, all of them require you to press weight over your head. …

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Picking the right size motor for your treadmill

In Equip Your Gym by Tim Steward

Last updated on February 27th, 2021 at 05:35 pmWhile all treadmills look similar to each other, some key differences will help you determine which treadmill is right for you. Deck height, deck cushion, belt width, platform length, and motor size are just a few. Some of those differences will determine how well the treadmill performs. Others will determine how long the treadmill lasts. Some, like the size of the motor, will impact both. For this …