Do you restrict yourself to mainstream weightlifting equipment as you try to increase/improve muscle, strength, and conditioning? By using only barbells and dumbells on pre-programmed routines day in and day out, you could be setting yourself up for failure in several ways. Do you find yourself scratching your head? Do you wish there was some alternative training equipment you could use to spice up your workouts?
I want to introduce you to traditional weightlifting cousins in just a moment. Before I introduce them, I will assure you they are all very viable means to fully develop muscle and also to help you shred your body by accelerating fat loss as well as giving you a variety of choices to complement your weightlifting program.
Without further ado, the cousins to weightlifting are kettlebells, resistance bands, the stability ball, homemade exercise equipment, and perhaps the most exciting of all: odd objects.
Why Use Alternative Training Equipment
Here are three potential ways in which weightlifting can lead to failure and why you might want to consider alternative training equipment to spruce up your routine.
- plateauing – in strength, conditioning, assistance muscles, tendons, and ligaments
- boredom – lifting day in and day out without variation
- injuries – from max effort training with free weights and repetitive paths
Let’s get started with…
5 Examples of Alternative Training Equipment
1. Kettlebells
The kettlebell is one of the newest alternative training equipment to hit the gym. This piece of equipment has a long history of use as a training tool for both Olympic athletes and the military in old Soviet Russia. Many gyms are now incorporating the training into easy-to-learn exercises at many local gyms around the country.
The Kettlebell looks like a bowling ball with a handle and comes in weights ranging from about 5 pounds to more than 89 pounds. It has several advantages over free weights or weight machines. The kettlebell’s primary use is that of a whole-body weight training device. Many of the exercises will work not only your arms and legs but your back and abs as well. The kettlebell is also good for intensity training as it can be used for fast, high-repetition work.
The one drawback of kettlebells is that you must take the time to learn the moves thoroughly before being able to use them full speed. Certain exercises would be better with free weights as it can be difficult to control the trajectory of the kettlebell. For example, push ups with added weight are better done while holding a set of hand weights rather than than bulky kettlebells. Weights are also better for beginners who have joint issues as the movement in a kettlebell workout can put a strain on new users.
2. Resistance Bands
Resistance Bands got their start as physical rehabilitation equipment. They are light and easily transported and take up almost no space. Resistance bands are great for people with limited space and for those who cannot afford the sometimes prohibitive costs of free weight sets or exercise machines. As with kettlebell reviews, there are several websites online that offer reviews of resistance bands for quality versus price.
The concept is very simple-the stretchable bands are designed by color to represent the weight of resistance when pulled on. They can easily be adapted for use either sitting or standing, and the exercises are similar to free weight exercises in terms of hand placement and the like. Resistance bands will give you a great “pump” and offer an alternate way to train isolation exercises without needing free weights.
If you are an extremely strong person, resistance bands would not be your first choice for standalone exercise equipment, unless you are going to use them in conjunction with your barbells and dumbbell to specifically train acceleration. This is a common practice in powerlifting. For standalone use, free weights would be better by far for any exercise involving a large amount of weight as resistance bands usually max out at about 250-300 pounds of resistance.
3. Stability Ball
Called by a variety of names, the stability ball (balance ball, Swiss ball) is also a piece of equipment developed for physical rehabilitation. The stability ball is versatile and can be used in conjunction with hand weights to perform almost any exercise you would wish.
Stability balls are excellent equipment when used for core exercises and work both the back muscles and the stomach muscles while in use. There are a large number of different exercises available to balance balls and they can be tailored for individual uses.
The stability ball would not be a good fit for someone who is using it as a ‘base’ for heavy lifting. There have been reports of balls popping because of misuse in this way. Free weights alone are much better for heavy weight work and a regular weight bench is the best base for activities with weights over about 50 pounds.
4. Home-Made Equipment
As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention”, and nowhere is this more true than with homemade equipment. Many people cannot afford to buy the items needed to train properly and they have developed many ingenious ways to build their own. A good example of homemade weights would be the humble one-gallon plastic jug.
Filled with water, it can weigh up to three pounds; filled with sand, it can weigh up to 10. The gallon jug can be used in many of the same ways as hand weights are used a second equally filled jug and either a broomstick or a piece of pipe and you have a weight bar to use as well. Other materials for homemade equipment could include cinder blocks, bricks, garden timbers, filled cans, and so forth.
The great thing about all of these items is that they are usually found around most homes, and you can use them to replicate the workouts you would do with a weight set. The caution with these items is that they can be bulky and hard to control. These are not the type of weights children should use, for example. Free weights would be better for some of the overhead exercises because unless secured to the bar, the homemade ones can slip off and injure you.
5. Odd Objects
Odd object training involves lifting and manipulating unconventional items such as sandbags, stones, kegs, and logs. This approach offers several benefits that can enhance your fitness regimen:
- Functional Strength Development: Handling irregularly shaped objects mimics real-world tasks, improving your ability to perform daily activities that require lifting or carrying awkward items.
- Enhanced Muscle Engagement: The instability of odd objects forces your body to recruit additional muscle fibers, particularly in the stabilizing muscles, leading to increased overall strength.
- Improved Grip Strength: Grasping and controlling uneven objects challenges your grip, enhancing hand and forearm strength.
- Mental Toughness: Training with unpredictable loads can develop mental resilience as you adapt to the challenges posed by these unconventional implements.
- Versatility and Creativity: Incorporating odd objects into your workouts adds variety, preventing monotony and keeping your training engaging.
To get started with odd object training, consider the following exercises:
- Sandbag Deadlifts and Cleans: These movements build full-body strength and power.
- Stone Lifting: Lifting stones enhances grip strength and functional lifting capacity.
- Keg Carries and Presses: These exercises improve core stability and upper body strength.
- Log Presses: Pressing logs overhead develops shoulder strength and stability.
Incorporating odd object training into your routine can provide a comprehensive workout that enhances both the physical and mental aspects of fitness. Learn more at Legendary Strength
For a visual demonstration of gym exercises that can assist with odd object lifting, you might find the following video helpful:
Final Thoughts
Exploring alternative training equipment, from odd objects like sandbags and stones to kettlebells, homemade gear, resistance bands, and stability balls, unlocks a new realm of possibilities for athletes of all shapes, sizes, and goals. Each of these tools offers distinct benefits, from functional strength and improved stability to enhanced grip and muscle engagement.
Incorporating these “cousins” of traditional weightlifting into your routine diversifies your training, keeping it engaging and aligned with a broader range of physical and mental goals. Whether you are looking to break through a plateau, reduce monotony, or enhance specific aspects of performance, these tools offer an effective and accessible way to elevate your fitness journey.
And there we have it; the cousins to mainstream weightlifting equipment. Some of it is very rudimentary, but all can give you a decent workout and change up your routine. By stepping outside the norm, you not only challenge your body in new ways but also cultivate resilience, creativity, and adaptability—qualities that extend far beyond the gym.
Read more: Have You Considered This List of Unique Home Gym Equipment?
Tags: equipment, exercise, fitness, kettlebells, resistance bands, stability balls
