Just because 9 out of every 10 fitness gadgets are ICPMA (International Crap Product Makers Association) of approved that doesn’t mean they all are. Here are some me likes a lot.
Blast Straps: They best investment ever…
These make bodyweight movements much more scalable. They can be adjusted to add difficulty or even stability on literally hundreds of movements and variations. Yes, you can use a TRX or rings or whatever, but I have these and use them almost every workout.
Cant do a pull-up? ….The assisted pull up machine isn’t the answer, it doesn’t teach you how to control your body through the range of motion..ie not swing back and forth…bands solve that problem.
btw: if you use 2 green bands, like the girl above, you suck, seriously, your pathetically weak.
Cheap like blast straps, bands, make everything more scalable. Spend the money though and get Jumpstretch or EFS bands. They are multilayered and will last longer than the cheaper single layered bands.
The Manta Ray:
News flash, unless you really like working out you do not like to squat.
For most people it’s not the movement that they hate, it’s the bar. When done properly the bar sits on the upper back in a nice little ridge and it’s not that bad once you get used to it…..thats the thing “once you get used to it” . I don’t have time for people to get used to it, so I use the Manta Ray. It makes the bar 100x’s more comfortable for a beginning lifter which will decrease the chances of them killing themselves by doing something stupid while training by a factor of at least 10.
Occasionally, I use the Manta Ray for myself also. It does offer a higher bar placement which will overload the quads and lower back to a greater degree than the traditional back squat which, because of the lower bar placement, tends to hit the hips and hamstrings harder. Plus, it forces your chest up. This bad boy becomes very uncomfortable if you lean forward while using it, for this alone it can be a huge technique/ teaching tool.
Tip o’ the day: Stop worrying about knees over toes. It’s complete Broscience, it’s stupid and if someone says it to you they probably don’t know why nor what they are talking about. Keep your heels down and initiate all movement from the hips, not the knees.
Take it from REAL science: Effect of Knee Position on Hip and Knee Torques during the Barbell Squat
Your knees travel over your toes all day (walking, going up stairs)…and nothing bad happens. It’s where the hips are what’s important. If the hips create the movement, if your butt and hamstrings are doing the work, it won’t matter much if your knees go a little over your toes, unless of course your built like Manute Bol.
Yeah, those knees? Going over the toes….
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