Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are all at their worst yet in the United States. In Kentucky, a new set of restrictions has gone into place and in general I support them all. Gym capacities are restricted as part of those measures. While they’re not closed, I’m electing to train in my home gym until further notice. I’ll still keep my membership at White Buffalo to support them while they weather all this.
I thought it’d be fun to think through all the stuff I have available to me. When it’s all listed out, it’s obvious I’m not deprived at all.
Running. I have routes from my front door for 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m runs. I have measuring tape and cones (okay, cat litter jugs with some water in them) to set up for shuttle sprints. MapMyRun for long runs, jogging, intervals, and tempo running. Fancy running shoes I got from the fancy running shoe store.
Pull up bar, also useful for knees-to-elbow, hanging knee raises. My bar is stable enough for toes-to-bar but I don’t have the core strength for that movement yet. The room my bar is in doesn’t have the clearance for muscle-ups but I’m not there yet either.
Rings hanging from the bar for ring rows, low-ring muscle-ups, dips, L-sit and other static holds.
35lb dumbbells. My ideal weight for dumbbells at intensity: thrusters, squats, shoulder press, push press, clean and jerk, single-arm dumbbell snatches. Better-than-nothing for accessory work: single-arm stiff legged-deadlifts, bent-over rows, farmers carry, overhead carry, lunges with load. Substitute heavy lifts with additional volume of dumbbell variations and accessory movements. Substitute olympic barbell lifts with dumbbell variations plus technique work with broom handle.
5lb dumbbells. The 4-year-old likes to workout too.
30lb kettlebell. Swings, single-arm swings, clean and jerks, snatches, windmills. Would prefer a 53-lb now, but this one has served me well for 4 years.
Jump rope. Still working on long strings of basic bounce single-unders and alternating single-foot single-unders. If I get those more stable can move on to double-unders.
No-equipment training: push-ups, air squats, pistol squats (still working on these, but they’re coming,) burpees, broad jumps, sit-ups (substitute Abmat with towel), wall walks, shoulder taps, planks, mountain climbers, hollow rocks, hollow holds, v-ups, candlesticks.
Mobility and recovery: Foam roller, lacrosse ball, peanut balls, Theragun, GOWOD mobility app. Mats for yoga and stretching.
Bands for pull-up assistance, mobility work, and accessories.
Programming: CrossFit Linchpin’s limited equipment option. Endurance training schedule for half marathon in May. Beyond the Whiteboard app.
I’d love to have olympic barbells and bumper plates, lifting platforms, rope climbing, pull-up rigs with more height and clearance, wall balls, rowers, and a bunch of other amenities I’m used to at White Buffalo. Not to mention the value of in-person coaching, community, and the habits around attending classes and going to a specific location for a task. But if I couldn’t get fit with all the stuff I do have, it wouldn’t be the equipment’s fault. I made the most of the summer and I’ll make the most of this.
Alex Gustafson 