BONUS CHAPTER EQUIPMENT

In this chapter we’ll go over the different pieces of equipment that you may find in the weightroom, help you understand it’s general uses, and to begin to recognize them so that you can feel confident and comfortable in the weightroom. 

By no means is the list here exhaustive. There are plenty more pieces of equitpment, “toys” and accessories that you may find in your local gym. Each tool has it’s place; some will become regulars in your strength training regimen, while others you may never touch or need. 

Just as you may not feel the need to learn how to say “lug nut” in german or french, if you plan on traveling by car through a country in which either of those languages is spoken, it sure as hell is comforting to know exactly what to ask for if the odd chance comes around that you DO need to ask for a lug nut in some far off village along your drive!

BARBELLS

“Spin-lok” Barbell – Often sold for home-gyms, these can serve their purpose of keeping costs low, although the ability to load them up with weight will be limited, and they are NOT appropriate for Olympic lifts.

Standard Barbell – Relatively cheap, not built to hold heavy weights, or withstand beatings. Often found at low-end gyms and hotel gyms.

Powerlifting barbell – Stiffer than Olympic barbells, can be longer in length to allow for more weight, may be thicker in diameter, hash marks on bar are closer together (32 inches vs 36 inches on Olympic bar), no bearings doesn’t really spin, center knurling to help keep barbell from sliding off back during back squat

Olympic barbell – Solid sleeves, with bushings and sleeves with bearings that allow the bar to “spin” while loaded, 7.2 ft long (2.2m), standard bar diameter (28mm), 44 pounds (20kg), has more flex (called “whip”) than a powerlifting barbell, built to take a beating of being dropped repeatedly

Olympic Barbell (women’s/ beginners) – Solid Sleeves, with bushings and sleeves with bearings that allow the bar to “spin” while loaded, No center knurling, 6.9 ft long (2.1m), smaller bar diameter (25mm), 33 pounds (15kg), has more flex (called “whip”) than powerlifting barbell, built to take a beating of being dropped repeatedly

EZ curl bar – This bar has a slight W pattern to it. Usually used for bicep curls and tricep exercises which the bar was originally designed for, it can also be used for hip thrusts, as the shorter bar length and mid-bar curvature make it easier to control and somewhat more comfortable

Safety Squat Bar – Looking like a yoke, the safety squat bar is a great tool for cyclists- if you have access to one- as it takes a lot of stress off of the shoulder, upper, and middle back, due to your being able to hold the bar with the handles in front of you.

Hex Bar- A go-to choice for deadlifts, the hex bar allows you to not have to worry about “clearing the bar” over the knees, and gives you a more natural hand position, allowing you to better produce trunk stiffness and great positions to lift from. This small, yet significant change, is very often a game-changer for cyclists to be able to get the most out of their deadlifting.

Be aware of the weight, as hex bars can come in a variety of weights, from 30lb. (15kg) all the way up to 100lb. (45+kg). If unsure, ask staff.

Swiss bar- Also known as a “football bar” due to the shaping of the center handled section, the Swiss bar is like the Swiss army knife of pressing and rowing barbells due to the variety of handle positions it offers you.  Much like the hex bar, the Swiss bar comes in a variety of weights, although most usually 35-40lb. (15-20kg) in weight.

Plates & Collars

Bumper Plates – There is a VERY significant and important difference between the kinds of plates you use, especially for anything where you are lifting the barbell off the floor or lower position, as well as for Olympic lifts, where you need to drop the barbell. 

The weights that are made for these activities are called “bumper plates” and are made of a synthetic material, usually plastic, or they are coated in a special plastic that is meant to take a beating. 

No matter what the weight, all of the bumper plates- from 5# up to 100#, will be the SAME DIAMETER. 

Standard Plates – Standard plates are what most gyms have, and especially if you’re doing deadlifts or movements from the floor, you MUST be sure to put blocks, or something else under the plates on the bar, so that the bar begins at least ⅓ up your shin. 

Many injuries have happened to riders because they do not know the differences here.

Standard plates are usually metal, and are NOT made to be dropped.

Collars, also called “clips” are used to lock the weights onto the bar so that do not move on the bar or fall off while you lift. Be aware that collars DO add weight to the bar. Usually, but not always, spring collars and plastic collars will weight around 0.25 pounds, while Olympic Collars will vary. 

ALWAYS USE COLLARS!! No matter if the weight is light or very heavy, ALWAYS use collars to secure your weights. NO EXCUSES!

Plastic Collars – These have become more popular the last few years as they are relatively cheap, and easy to use. The usually open and close like a latch, with a CLICK.

Oly Collars – The heavy duty, rugged, “The weight isn’t gonna move anywhere” collar, Olympic Collars are used for Olympic weightlifting, as they are SUPER secure, and keep the weights from moving at all. There are a variety of styles, but if possible, these should be used for all Olympic lifts.

Spring Collars – Always “fun” to get on and off the bar, spring collars can be a pain to until you get the hand strength & angles correct… but USE THEM, even if they’re you’re only option!

KETTLEBELLS

A foundational piece to your home gym or training studio, we start with 1-2 kettlebells (beginners 8kg & 12kg, Intermediate 12kg & 16kg, Advanced 16kg &24 kg), kettlebells will serve you extremely well. Allowing you to perform a broad variety of strength and explosive strength exercises in a small space, kettlebells are extremely portable and along with a suspension trainer and 2-3 bands, will fill-out your low-cost, high impact home gym or studio.

Traditional & Non-Competition – Traditional kettlebells are an all iron, with a slightly oversized handle. In the early 90’s when kettlebells were just being introduced to western civilization, Dragon Door Publications were the sole importers and producers. 

Now days there are a number of companies that produce kettlebells, but beware! Not all kettlebells are created equal! If you have the option, go with the traditional kettlebells or competition kettlebells, as they are the sturdy workhorses, and have many years of development to their subtle shapes, and smooth, single-cast handles.

While there are kettlebells with plastic coating, vinyl coating, filled with sand, etc. I do NOT advise going with them, as the quality of the handles and the bells themselves have a track record of not being as high quality. 

Competition – My preference for home gyms for cyclists and triathletes, as every single weight of the competition kettlebells are the exact same size, and built exactly the same. 

While kettlebell purists will say it’s blasphemy, as learning to master the bigger kettlebell is part of the challenge and skill, I prefer to keep the instrument the same, as it decreases your learning curve, and helps you progress in your main sport of cycling, and getting what you need out of your strength training, a bit faster. 

One thing to note- competition kettlebells are not as rough and tumble as their traditional cousins. Especially for the weights below 20kg, if dropped too many times, or on the wrong surface, the inner core can come loose and cause problems. However in our program you won’t be throwing or dropping the kettlebells. Competition kettlebells are my choice for beginner and intermediate strength training cyclists.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR KETTLEBELLS – Make sure the handle is completely smooth and does not have any bumps or ridges on it. While it may feel ok while just picking it up and putting it down, these small deformities on the handles can tear up your hands when doing swings, cleans, and other dynamic movements.

If you have a high quality wood, parquet, or tile floor, coated kettlebells might be a good choice after all… just make sure the handles are smooth. 

When purchasing kettlebells do NOT give in to the temptation for small weight differences. Kettlebells serve a great purpose by being made in 4kg increments, as it forces you to truly master a movement and kettlebell at that weight, before thinking about moving on.

For those living in the US, divide the weight of the kettlebell in pounds by 2.2 in order to determine how many kilograms it is. 

DUMBBELLS

Standard (Plastic Coated) – I’m not going to spend a lot of time here on dumbells, as they’re fairly straight forward. Most modern gyms use plastic/PVC coated round or hexagonal dumbbells. Things to pay attention to are the shape of the handles- especially those who have smaller hands. 

Metal – Some gyms still have the old hexagonal metal dumbbells, while others have nicely machined and polished metal dumbells up to 30# (20kg). 

Pay attention the the size of the handles, and note that there be more variation in how the weight balances and feels in your hands.

Adjustable (for in-home) – There are a number of these on the market, from “spinner” weights where the collars spin onto a machined bar, to PowerBlock and BowFlex brand, and many more. For those who are more advanced, or require heavier weights for home use, these can be great choices.

But bear in mind that adjustable dumbbells may have some limitations as to explosive or power movements. Always read the owners manual and know what is, and is not safe. 

BANDS

For all bands, we want to be aware of what and how you are anchoring them or tying them, as sharp corners will compromise the bands, and make them unsafe/unfit for use. 

Purchase a “door anchor” to help give you more options and abilities for what exercises you can perform. 

Jump Stretch – These look like giant rubber bands, and are made of one continuous piece. They are usually priced by the resistance level. Make sure your are purchasing the correct sizes for you. 

Mini – These small continuous loops generally are around 6-8 inches in length (15-18cm), and are used for smaller muscle group targeting movements at the hip and shoulder. Don’t be fooled, they’ll make you work!

Hip Loop – Made of a more durable cloth-like material, the hip loop has been growing in popularity since around 2012 when Bret Contreras started working with them for his glute workouts. These can serve a purpose in your strength training, but will usually be used for intermediate to advanced strength training athletes, after they’ve graduated from the mini band resistances.

Tubing & Bungee Cord – Popular in physical therapy clinics, tubing usually has handles at either end, making them a bit easier to use as the hands don’t start to hurt, unlike the jump stretch bands. There are a number of varieties of tubing, including “bungee cords” which will offer you a slightly different length-tension curve than the standard tubing. 

Tubing may be used for upper body exercises instead of jump stretch bands for those whose hands are bothered.

SUSPENSION TRAINERS

A foundational piece to your home gym or training studio, a suspension trainer will serve you extremely well. They also travel extremely well for race weekends… just remember where you put it in the car, and do not leave it hanging while you are out for your race/ride… someone WILL take it. 

TRX –  “The original” TRX is a highly compact and travel-friendly piece of equipment. Offering two handles that are directly tied together in one continuous piece, performing single arm and single leg versions of exercises may prove to be a little challenging, especially for those with small hands and feet, due to the handle and hook sizes.

Jungle Gym – The most popular follow up to the TRX, this is my choice, as the straps are completely independent and come with a built-in heavy-duty rubber/plastic anchor to each strap, which can be used pretty much anywhere.  

Handles are made of plastic and rubber and are NOT one piece, but they do have a non-slip built in stirrup which makes putting your feet in far easier. 

BENCHES

Cheap – Don’t go cheap. Ever. I’ve seen cheap benches in clients houses and at commercial gyms nearly kill or maim people due to poor construction, poor stability, or just being used in ways they are not built for. 

Your safety and well being is worth the $100 extra to pay for a sturdy, well-built bench. 

Heavy Duty – The only kind of bench to buy, in my opinion, as they DO come in a variety of weight limits, adjustability, and prices. Your bench should have feet at least as wide as the bench itself, with rubber “ends” that help it keep non-slip contact with the floor. 

Adjustable – Heavy duty benches come in a variety, usually flat, or adjustable. If you’re going to go adjustable for your home gym, (again heavy duty benches rated for at LEAST 400#), go with the one that allows you to adjust the incline from 0 to 165 degrees. Being able to decline is nice, but we won’t need it.

CABLE STACKS

Adjustable – Usually, but not always in commercial gyms as a “cable cross”, there will be a weight stack with a pin to change the weight selection, often times with one weight stack on the right, and another on the left. Sometimes the pulleys will have a slight 20-30 degree angle, in an effort to make chest flies easier to execute.

The adjustable variety of the cable stacks will have a pulley that can be moved up and down and locked in at a variety of heights in order to be able to execute a number of exercises, at a number of angles.

Non-Adjustable – The less “useful” version of the adjustable cable stack, these will have a pulley either at the floor level, at the top of the machine, or both. These pulleys will be fixed in place.

Free Motion – The super-cool, super adaptable and useful cousin of the cable stack is the Free Motion machine. This cable stack will have the weights for both sides located in the middle, with arms that come off at either side- some at set angles, and others with a number of angles that you can adjust the arms to, and at a variety of heights. 

A fantastically useful, yet often under-utilized piece of equipment in the gym. 

CABLE STACK HANDLES

D-Grip – Single hand grips that look like the letter “D”

Soft Grip –  Single hand grip with a plastic handle set on a nylon loop. 

V-Grip – Looking like the letter “V” this grip is most often used for rowing exercises.

EZ Grip – an attachment for the cable stacks that is shaped just like it’s barbell cousin, the EZ bar, in the shape of a “W”

Straight Bar –  Clip on attachment around the length of your forearm, that is perfectly straight

Neutral Grip –  Clip on attachment that looks almost like a handlebar on the road bike, as at either end there are handles that are parallel to each other. Almost like a handlebar mustache.

Wide Neutral Grip –  Clip on attachment similar to the neutral grip, except the parallel handles are wider than YOUR shoulder width

Lat Bar –  Clip on attachment that the ends slant down at about a 30 degree angle. Most often found on the Latissimus Dorsi pulldown machine.

No-Grip Ankle/ Wrist Attachment –  Clip on attachment, usually velcro, that you can attach to your ankle, forearm, or wrist, so you can do grip free upper body work, or hip work.

Rotational Grip –  Clip on attachment usually looks like the wide neutral grip bar, except the ends spin and move as you go through the exercise of choice. 

SQUAT RACK

Moveable/Storable – These can be movable racks that require you to add 20kg (45#) plates on the bottom to stabilize it (this version is common in CrossFit gyms), and can be adjusted to heights ranging from 1m (~3ft) tall up to almost 2m (~)6ft.

Basic – Tend to have multiple levels for you to rack the bar on. Usually used for squatting, although are also useful for overhead pressing, and some top-down hinge variations, like the Romanian Deadlift.

Often have storage pins for weights on the side or front, helping to weight the rack down so you don’t tip it over.

Cages –These enclosed “cages” can be used for a broad number of exercises. Called cages due to their being no way to get the bar out unless you move it on it’s side, cages often come with “pins” which can be used for self-spotting, safety for bench press, or a number of other uses.

Olympic Platforms – Not just squat racks! Olympic Platforms are very specifically designed to allow an athlete to perform explosive power movements such as the clean and the snatch. Noted for its center wooden platform and hard, but absorbant black (or other colored) flooring on either side of the wooden center, Olympic platforms are often incredibly well built and sturdy. 

Keep in mind that these are incredibly rare to find in non-athletic facilities, and often facilities that do have them will most likely also have an Olympic weightlifting club or coach. 

Gym etiquette tip: If you have the choice between a cage/squat rack or an Olympic platform, and are doing squats, DON’T take the Oly platform. 

Smith Machine – Special racks that are made for benching, squatting, and a number of other exercises, the Smith Machine is a barbell that is permanently connected to a pair (or quartet) of metal rails. 

This is meant to allow the user to have some safety, as they can turn the bar and lock the weight onto the rack at any point, as there are multiple levels, and to allow you to work with different angles. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Smith machine bars are NOT all the same weight! Be careful and mindful if you are using these in your program and are at a new gym. ALWAYS do a warmup set with just a barbell/bar to see how you’re feeling for a given movement. This will also allow you to get a feel of what the bar weights on that specific smith machine.

OLYMPIC EQUIPMENT

Blocks (& substitutes) – While not technically only for Olympic lifting, blocks, pins, and other pieces designed to help dial in the starting height of the bar are usually very easy to find at gyms that have Olympic platforms. However, a growing number of commercial gyms also offer these. 

Wrist Wraps – Elastic cloth with a small loop for the thumb + strong velcro on the outside, wrist wraps are made to help support the wrists through flexion (bending the hand backwards). While designed for Olympic lifting, they are also useful for those starting to do kettlebell cleans and a number of other exercises. 

However, as with all assistive equipment, aim to work up to not needing it to perform the lifts, or to use them only for heavier or more challenging sets.

Shoes – Olympic shoes are very specially designed shoes that offer a hard, non-moveable sole, much like that of the high-end road cycling shoe. These shoes also put the wearer in a slightly elevated heel position, which helps in getting to the different hip angles needed for olympic lifting. 

Chalk – More and more commercial gyms are banning chalk, as it is messy and hard to clean up. While I know the struggle of having to vacuum chalk up at 10:30pm on a random Thursday night after the gym has closed (grrrrrrr!), I don’t agree 100% with this, as chalk is used to help keep a firm grip on the barbell/kettlebell/dumbbell. 

There are liquid versions of chalk you can get, which I always try to travel with, as it’s not messy and gives you the same grip-assurance as its powdery cousin.

Just be sure to thoroughly wash your hands, and don’t rub your eyes (or cough/ sneeze into your freshly chalked hands!)

BELTS

A word about belts: As discussed in the Healthy Spine/ Back & hips chapter, we want to build up your “natural” weight belt’s abilities to protect your spine and produce stiffness when and where you need it. 

Most beginners, unless they have been instructed by a physical therapist or doctor, should first work with weights that do not require support, and through movements that are low-risk of injury that will teach them HOW to brace properly. 

Simply slapping on a belt and having at it only drastically slows your strength in the long run, as well as keeps you from learning the strategies, skills,  and approaches you need in oder to see results out on the bike. 

As always- it depends! If you’re unsure talk with your physical therapist, or see a skilled and reputable strength coach or personal trainer for personal guidance on this issue. 

Olympic – These belts tend to be slimmer than their powerlifting cousins, as greater movement is needed for the Olympic movements. 

Powerlifting – Sturdier and wider than Olympic belts, powerlifting belts are meant for handling big heavy weights in the movements of bench press, squat, and deadlift, but are not too useful for much else. 

PLYO BOXES

Note on plyo boxes- When doing plyometrics or jumps, as a whole, NEVER land hard or “stomp down!” This is incredibly bad for the joints, and for the movement patterns you’re teaching your body! Learn how to use the muscles to decrease the impact of landing as much as possible!

Wood – Probably the most common, especially at CrossFit, it’s important to note that many of these boxes do NOT lock together to keep them from sliding around. While most won’t need to stack two on top of each other for anything in our program, perhaps you will get to that level in the future. 

If you’re using these beware of the fact that they can, and probably will, slip at some point in time if you’re not careful.

Soft – Coming in just a few varieties, “soft” plyo boxes are usually some kind of nylon or other grippy but soft material. These boxes, while soft, are not squishy!

Most often these come with long velcro flaps that allow you to connect the boxes together so they do not slip or move. 

What’s that? A combination of a firm, but soft surface and the ability to lock these boxed together? Let’s use these! (As long as the heights are appropriate for you)

Aerobic Step – For many beginners, an aerobic step will do more than fine for step-ups, step downs, jumps, and much more. Just be careful as to the stability of thestep (those square plastic risers are not as sturdy as you think, especially if your doing jumps and explosive work!

BALLS & BAGS

Medicine Ball

Slam Ball

SandBag

Ankle Weights 

IMPORTANT PIECES 

GHD

45 degree back extension (adjustable)

Assisted Pullup Machine

Hip Thruster Bench