Everyone would love to be able to buy just one piece of weight training equipment and have it meet all their fitness needs. The only problem is, that piece of equipment really doesn’t exist…at least not for less than $14,572 (have you ever seen that stupid contraption that they sell in all the onflight airplane magazines?!).
I definitely wouldn’t recommend spending this type of money on something that looks like a trap out of the “SAW” movies, so we’re forced to look for alternatives.
The “PERFECT PUSHUP”
That said, the Perfect Pushup was one of the most solid entries into this competition a couple of years ago and still is hanging on as one of the top favorites of all home exercisers. But is it worth it?!?
Well, to be honest while the little device is certainly portable, unique and effective…it does have it’s limitations. You definitely couldn’t order one of these and think you’re getting a complete workout.
What about the legs? What about the back? What about the biceps? What about conditioning? That’s a lot of “whats”, especially for a contraption that calls itself “PERFECT”! Perfect for pushups…..yes (by easing the unnecessary strain on the wrists). Just plain perfect? Heck no.
So you need to consider other options.
Other Contraptions
Kettlebells? Again, while I personally love them and feel they have many benefits, the learning curve is too steep for the average consumer. I have seen more than just one person smash the back of their wrist using the kettlebell and trying to do somme kind of one arm swing or clean. They’re very difficult to control and for that reason, they don’t make the ideal training device for the home gym rat.
Total Gym? How could it be bad? Chuck freaking Norris endorses it! Well, it’s definitely not bad. In fact, it’s good for helping you to get a pretty good home workout and for hitting all the major muscle groups like the biceps, triceps, chest, legs, back and shoulders. The problem is that most guys feel as if this thing is made for women, and that by somehow stepping foot on one they are checking their manhood at the door. Rubbish!
This machine is effective and can even be made to be MORE challenging than some non-total gym exercises. Now if we could only do something about that size of this darn thing. No traveling with the Total Gym….sorry. Now how is that one going to get through the radar detectors at the airport!
The ValSlide? Ummm…not really. Any exercise device that you could easily replicate by taking off your shoes and working out in your socks (especially if you have access to some hardwood floors) cannot be called a great workout equipment piece.
Finally…the plain old fashioned medicine ball? While this may be my favorite of the bunch there are still some major limitations to what the medicine ball can do. Usually, with just under 10 lbs of weight (most often) the ball won’t help when you’re trying to create a significant muscle overload.
For this you need some dumbbells that can pump up the weight pretty significantly pretty quickly. Also…the round shape can make this sucker difficult to deal with especially when you’re relying on a stable base when you’re exercising.
So, Just USE The Equipment You Have
So you see…nothing is perfect! The only formula for true longstanding suXXess is to USE the equipment that you have. I don’t care if you have a Total Gym, the Perfect Pushup, the Valslide, a med ball, whatever. If you leave it unused and sitting around to do nothing but collect dust, you’re body may start to resemble the very same pile. Don’t turn to dust. Turn into AthLEAN instead!
Stay Strong,
Jeff
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Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS
Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.
