If you are reading this, there is a good chance that you have been getting creative with your at-home workouts recently. It makes me happy to see everyone continuing to stick to their goals, regardless of the circumstances placed in front of us. Although this pandemic is a very rare occurrence, there is a good chance that something like this may happen again (or at least something that may keep us out of our favorite gym). Because of this, it might be beneficial to work on putting together a home gym. This way, we can pick up right where we left off without any worries or hesitation when this happens again.

I do understand that by being the director of a gym that relies on members, it kind of goes against the grain telling you to start putting together your own gym so you can train at home. But I also understand that what makes a gym great is it’s community. There’s nothing better than training with or around a group of like minded individuals who are all pushing each another to be better. It’s also important to be realistic, and understand that there will always be times where it just may not be possible to make it into the gym, and that occasionally a workout may need to be done at home (if possible). 

Now, the term “home gym” can mean many different things. It can be a collaboration of simply the absolute necessities and nothing more, or an array of equipment for a full body weight training workout. Either way, having your own at-home equipment at your disposal will allow you to get a quality workout in during a time of need, and will easily pay for itself down the line. Listed below are two separate lists of at home equipment. One for the individual on a limited budget or with limited space, and one for the individual who has access to a larger area, looking to invest a little more into equipment.

Budget built:

1.Yoga mat: If you have hardwood floors or are down in your garage, this is definitely a necessity for all floor exercises.

2.Resistance bands: You can replicate almost any exercise with a quality set of resistance bands. Companies such as Elitefts sell bands individually, or in a variety pack, ranging 

3.Adjustable dumbbells: Yes, these can be a bit pricey compared to a set of resistance band and a yoga mat, but their versatility speaks for itself. The list of exercises you can perform with a pair of dumbbells are endless, and will easily pay for itself over your time training at home.

Bang for your buck:

1.Power rack: If you have the space and the funds, a power rack is an absolute necessity for strength training. Squats, bench press, overhead press, rows, and pull-ups can all be performed using a power rack, just to name a few.

2.Adjustable bench: Having an adjustable bench over a flat bench with increase the number of exercises that you can perform.

3.Power bar: It’s hard to get strong without being able to perform compound lifts. A good quality power bar will last a lifetime, and is one of the best investments you can make.

4.Plate loaded dumbbells: Since you will have an array of 45, 25, 10, and 5 pound plates, you won’t need to purchase a pair of adjustable dumbbells (unless you prefer). Plate loaded dumbbells are simple, durable, effective, and can be used for almost any exercise.

Whichever you choose, there is no doubt that you will be able to have a quality training session during those times of need. We only get one body, invest in taking care of it so it will take care of us for many years to come.

These are very uncertain times that we are living in. With things changing day to day in the world, it’s hard to tell what tomorrow will bring. Unfortunately, there are many things that are out of our control right now. That’s just the reality of it. However, it’s important to stay focused on the things that we can control. Especially those things that are most important, but which we often easily overlook. During these times of change, it’s easy to force ourselves to keep moving just to stay busy, even if that means adding more stress. My advice, slow down and challenge your perspective.

A little over a week ago, I was admitted into the hospital for a few tests and precautionary measures. I ended up having a case of the flu, as well and pneumonia. It’s safe to say that this put me on my ass for a while. During that period of forced downtime, I began reflecting on different things. Things that I had never really thought about before, or at least for a very long time. Over the past week, I have reached out to friends and family to see how they were doing. One of the common responses I received was that they were worried about their training, or bummed that the gym was closed. Believe me, I completely understand. Especially when you’ve done something a certain way for so long and have established progress and a routine. Then all of a sudden it feels like it was taken from you. But guess what, it’s going to be okay! Maybe even a blessing in disguise.

I’ve been training in one capacity or another for 12 years straight. During that time, I have never gone a week without training, until now. While I was sick, I went 13 days without any sort of exercise. Yesterday was my first day back, and it felt like I had never exercised a day in my entire life. My routine was simple. I walked 2 miles, then did 2 sets of 10 tempo goblet squats with a 25lb bag of jasmine rice, 2 sets of 10 pull-ups from an I-beam in my basement, and 2 sets of 15 push-ups. I was absolutely gassed. The flu and pneumonia definitely took a toll on me. After I was finished, I sat down and reflected. I was not one bit depressed or upset with how much I had declined while not being able to train, or the fact that I did not train 2 weeks, for I understood that 2 weeks of not exercising is not going to erase what I have built in 12 years (remember that). In fact, it gave me time to focus on other things in my life. Things that maybe I’ve been over looking and taking for granted. That’s very easy to do if we let it happen.

The same holds true for all of you reading this. It makes me happy to see everyone continuing to find ways to workout and train during these times, but remember not to let it consume you. Don’t train because you feel like you HAVE to, or because you want people to know that you still are. If you chose to train, do it because you love it, and because it gives you joy. If you chose to take a break, that’s fine. Honestly, there’s no better time then now. If you’ve been exercising for any extended amount of time, there’s even a good chance that your body actually needs a break, and it will help your progress in the long run. Your strength wasn’t built in two weeks, and it certainly won’t leave you that quickly.

During this time of quarantine, the lack of worrying about my workouts has given me time to focus on my perspective. What is really important in my life, and what can I learn today? I challenge you to do the same. Slow down, and take some time out of your day to reflect on what is truly important in your life. I’ve talked to my parents every day since the start of this Pandemic. That’s something that I’ve now realized I don’t do enough of. I’ve gotten in touch with friends and family who I haven’t spoken to in quite some time. Yesterday I watched my Fiancé sew masks together to be donated to Hospitals in need. That inspired me more than I can explain, and even inspired me to learn how to sew. I saw a picture of a friend of mine on Instagram with his Guitar. Something that maybe he hasn’t taken the time to do in a while.

During these times of uncertainty, slow down, and take some time to challenge your perspective. Reach out to those who you care about, put your phone away and go for a walk, read a book, write something, and learn something new that you’ve always been curious about. Believe it or not, this will all be over before we know it. When that time comes, I hope we are all able to look ourselves in the mirror and know that we have become a better person because of it. 

If you didn’t catch my last blog post, Stew and I have been having some fun with safety squats on Saturday mornings. It feels like we’ve been running these sets of 10 for 3 months or so, but in actuality, it’s only been 5 weeks. I guess that’s what happens when you are in pain. Time moves slowly.

During one of my first Swedish massage classes, our instructor asked how many of us had ever had a Massage Therapist work on our glutes.  If I remember correctly, I believe one out of 15 or so said yes. I was not that one person and despite knowing the importance of the muscles in this area, I had never even known it was an option.

During a separate class we spent the entire time learning how to massage the muscle group and getting over our fear of working on an area that society has made feel off-limits. I get it.  I get that it can be awkward, I get that it can cause someone anxiety, and at the least, it is out of the norm. However, if you feel comfortable with your Massage Therapist, it will be life changing!

Why? Consider the glutes to be your connecting force between your upper body and lower body.  The glutes alone consist of the gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the body and primary hip extensor (think walking – as your foot hits the ground and moves you forward); the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, both hip abductors (think stepping to the side).  Deep to the glute max and med, you have 6 (SIX!) external hip rotators: piriformis, gemellus superior and inferior, obturator internus and externus, and quadratus femoris. Aside from those nine muscles, the hip bone is the attachment site for many other muscles including more hip extensors (hamstrings), hip flexors (quads), abdominal and lower back muscles.

Who would benefit? Everyone.  Literally everyone.

For us as lifters, we need all of these muscles! Each muscle has its primary action and when it cannot perform its intended job, the body finishes the task by compensating.  This becomes an issue when it is a continuous pattern and can lead to, at the least, an incorrect trained movement, and at the worst, an injury.

During long bouts of sitting, the hip flexors become tight and after an extended period the glutes decide to shut down and the lower back will take over.  If you have lower back pain, this is a likely cause.

Although a more serious case, piriformis syndrome is another possibility if the muscle remains tight for an extended period of time. This happens because the piriformis extends across the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve running from the lower back to the feet.  If the muscle becomes too tight it will begin to compress the nerve causing sciatic symptoms such as pain or numbness in the butt or even along the entire leg.

How is the area worked? This can depend on the Massage Therapist.  Personally I will work on the area while still covered. If it is a part of the massage, your legs will be covered with the top sheet and I will work through the draping.  If it is a session directly focused on that area, I may have you wear gym shorts and lay over top of the sheets.

Well, there you have it. If you already have this area worked on, kudos to you! Your body thanks you for it. If not, I hope this has reminded you of an often forgotten but very important area of your body. As Shakira has said, “Hips don’t lie” and she is not wrong!