I work with many clients who train exclusively at home. One of these clients – who hadn’t exercised regularly in years – made fairly steady initial progress using only his bodyweight.

Eventually, however, he hit a plateau and became frustrated. His progress slowed and he was getting bored with the limited exercises he could do.

Since joining a gym wasn’t an option for this client, I suggested he upgrade his home workout set-up with a set of bands and PowerBlocks.

Within a few weeks, he felt stronger and was noticing renewed changes in his body. He loved being able to push himself more and enjoyed the new exercises he could now perform.

Making a small investment in home exercise equipment put the spark back in my client’s training and helped him get out of a rut.

For most people who train at home, there comes a time when bodyweight exercises are no longer challenging and/or interesting. If you find yourself getting bored with your at-home workouts or dissatisfied with your progress, it may be time to upgrade your home gym.

The good news is you can do this at fairly low cost with minimal equipment. Continue reading to learn my top 6 equipment recommendations for at-home trainees.

Bands

Bands are the first piece of equipment I recommend for all my at-home clients. They’re cheap, lightweight, and easy to store and transport. With a bit of creativity, you can train every muscle in your body using bands.

You can purchase different types of bands including small and large circular bands as well as longer straight bands with handles. Some band sets come with a door mount mount and a strap to attach the band to your ankle so you can target your hips and glutes.

I recommend purchasing a set of bands of varying resistance levels. You will need different thicknesses to effectively train different muscles and movements, especially if bands are the only piece of equipment you have.

The one downside to bands is that by themselves, they may not be sufficiently challenging for stronger trainees. Some movements are also more awkward to load with bands than other types of resistance.

Sliders

Sliders are placed beneath your hands or feet to add resistance to lunges, pushups, leg curls, and core exercises. Although you can order sliders designed for fitness, cheap furniture sliders purchased from a hardware store are just as effective. You may need to buy different kinds of sliders depending on the flooring in your home.

Ross Enamait introduced me to the incredible possibilities of slider training. Watch these videos for ideas on what you can do with sliders. (Note – Ross is also a great guy to check out if you’re interested in building more DIY home gym equipment.)

Door chin-up rig

If you want to get better at chin ups, you have to spend lots of time practicing. Purchasing a door chin-up rig helps you bump up your chin-up volume.

Door rigs can be a single bar or have multiple grip options. Most can be easily removed and stored when not in use. Some rigs can also be used for pushups, modified dips, and other exercises when placed on the floor.

A word of caution – before you buy a door rig, make sure your door frames can support it. Some doorways are too wide or don’t have stable frames. I learned this the hard way when I came crashing down out of an old door frame that couldn’t handle the strain of a chin-up rig. Learn from my mistake and always be careful when hanging or mounting equipment in your apartment or house.

Suspension trainer

A suspension trainer is another effective, minimalist option to train your entire body. TRX is the most well known brand, but there are other, cheaper options which work just as well.

To use a suspension trainer at home, you need a way to mount it on a door, wall, or ceiling. Again, be careful and make sure you can do this safely before investing in the equipment.

Powerblocks

If you really want to level up your home gym setup, you need to invest in weights. Powerblocks are a great option for people used to training with dumbbells or barbells. These adjustable dumbbells allow you to change the weight by adding or removing small plates. You can purchase weights with the potential to be as heavy as 125lbs. Powerblocks take up very little space and essentially replace an entire rack of dumbbells with only two weights.

Powerblocks are the most expensive recommendation on my list, and I wouldn’t recommend purchasing them unless you’re serious about training at home. However, you do get a great value with this purchase. Powerblocks are made well and will certainly last a long time.  

Kettlebells

My final recommendation for your minimal at-home gym is kettlebells. Kettlebells are weights with the load placed beneath the grip, as opposed to on the side like with dumbbells. Kettlebell training has become popular in the last few years thanks to the rise of crossfit and “functional” fitness. You can train every muscle in your body weight a kettlebell and perform certain ballistic and power movements with you can’t do with other types of weights.

The biggest advantage to kettlebells is that you can get away with purchasing just one. This makes kettlebells more cost-effective than other times of weights. I have one 16kg kettlebell at my apartment and I can use it to train every muscle in my body.

However, some people may find your one kettlebell is too heavy for certain movements and too light for others. In that case, I do recommend grabbing a few kettlebells in different sizes so you can have more effective and appropriate training.

Kettlebell training can be more complex than other styles of lifting. You should seek out a qualified coach or take a class to learn the basics. If this is impossible, StrongFirst and Dragon Door are two great places to do some research or seek out instructional materials.

If you’re looking to improve your at-home workouts, purchasing a few small pieces of equipment can be a game changer.

Start with small equipment like bands and sliders.

If you can, hook up a TRX or door chin-up rig.

Finally, if you’re serious about getting stronger or building muscle, invest in some weights that make sense for your setup such as Powerblocks or kettlebells.

Like my client found, this may be exactly the change you need to see renewed progress and start loving your workouts again.

If you’re interested in putting together a fun and effective at-home training program, please apply for my online training program here.

My sister is about to embark on a two-year stint living and working abroad. She knows she likely won’t have easy access to a gym and asked me what equipment I recommend to get the most bang for her buck while training at home. This was an easy question for me to answer.

If you are looking for a lightweight, portable piece of gym equipment you can use to train your entire body, look no further than the TRX.

The TRX is a suspension trainer which allows you to use your own bodyweight as resistance on a wide variety of exercises. You can train anywhere as long as you are able to hook up the TRX.

Keep reading for videos and instructions for my top-5 favorite TRX exercises. These can be combined to create a challenging full-body workout at your local gym or halfway around the world.

Inverted row

The TRX inverted row is one of my all-time favorite exercises. I use inverted rows with all of my clients who have access to a TRX. Inverted rows teach you to control your entire body and are easily scalable for different ability levels. They are also great for building strong backs, arms, and shoulders.

To set up for an inverted row grab the TRX handles and remove all tension in the straps. Your arms should be even with your sides with elbows forming a 90 degree angle. Maintain your plank position (straight line from ears to heels) and walk your feet forward until your body is at an angle.

Initiate the movement by lowering your whole body as one unit until your arms are fully extended. Complete the rep by pulling your body back to the starting position. Do not drive your elbows so far back that your shoulder dips forward. You should finish with your elbows at 90 degrees and your upper arms even with your sides. Don’t allow your hips to move or your shoulders to shrug up toward your ears at any point during the rep.

You can make inverted rows more challenging by using a steeper body angle (i.e., moving your feet farther forward). You can also elevate your feet on a box or add external resistance such as chains or a weighted vest.

Pushup

Performing pushups using a TRX is a great way to challenge your core and shoulder stability. Because of the unstable nature of the TRX,  be sure you have good control while doing a  pushup before attempting this variation.

Set up for TRX pushups by getting up on your toes in pushup position. Your feet will be on the floor and your arms will be fully extended beneath you with your hands on the TRX handles. The rest of your body should form a plank with a straight line from ears to heels. Position your hands at 2 and 10 o’clock.

As you lower yourself into the bottom of the pushup, your shoulder blades should move together toward your spine. Aim to keep your hands directly beneath your elbows and your shoulders down away from your ears. When you push yourself back up, reach your arms away from you. The shoulder blades should pull apart at the top. Be sure to maintain a solid plank position as you complete the entire rep. You should not excessively arch your back or stick your butt up to the ceiling.

Like the rows, pushups can be made more challenging by elevating your feet or adding external resistance.

Leg curl

TRX Leg curls are a great way to build strength in your posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) and core.

Set up for leg curls by lying on your back with your heels in the TRX handles. Initiate the movement by squeezing your butt to raise your hips into a bridge position. Next, curl your heels back toward your body before returning to a legs straight position. If staying in the bridge for the entirety of the set is too challenging, rest on the ground in between reps.

Make these more challenging by a) bending your elbows and lifting your forearms off the ground so only your upper arm is on the ground or b) lifting your entire arm off the ground and reaching up.

Rear foot-elevated split squat

Rear foot-elevated split squats, also known as Bulgarian split squats, are one of the more challenging single-leg exercises. Performing this exercise with the TRX provides a big challenge to your balance and stability. I recommend getting comfortable doing these with your foot on a stationary surface like a bench or box before attempting the TRX version.

Start in the half kneeling position with the front leg at a 90 degree angle and the back foot in one of the TRX handles with the top of your foot facing the ground. Drive through the front heel until you are in the standing position. Lower yourself back toward the ground to complete the rep.

To protect your joints, the front knee must always stay in line with your toe. Drive through the heel of the front foot to increase activation of the glutes and hamstrings. If you struggle with balance, find a focal point in front of you to stare at throughout the entire set.

These can be rather difficult even with no modifications; however, stronger trainees can hold dumbbells or kettlebells for an extra challenge.

Core trio: Jackknife, mountain climber, pike

I couldn’t pick one favorite TRX core exercise so I’ve included three. Try performing all three in a circuit for an added challenge.

Each of these exercises begins in a pushup position plank with your feet secured in the TRX handles. It’s important to maintain this plank position during each exercise. During the jackknives and mountain climbers your body should remain stationary from hips to head. Your butt should never rise toward the ceiling.

Aim to prevent excess movement in your spine during the pikes. Movement should only come from the shoulders and hips.

Whether you are looking for some variety in your gym training or are searching for a way to have more effective workouts on the road, the TRX could be the answer. If you’re interested in learning more tips, tactics, and strategies for training on the road or with a busy schedule, please subscribe to my email newsletter here.

 

A few months ago, I met with a new client who told me she wanted to build more core strength.

This is a common goal I hear from clients of all different ability levels.

My new client mentioned she experienced regular lower back pain after workouts. After a bit of digging, I found out she was regularly performing up 100 crunches at the end of every workout.

Yet when I took her out on the gym floor for an assessment, she could not complete a 20 second plank without arching her back.

Clearly, her current workout was not achieving the desired effect.

Instead of throwing more crunches and planks at this client, I removed these exercises and taught her how to use her core in a different way.

Slowly but surely, her posture improved. She felt much stronger on squats and pushups and no longer experienced back pain after workouts.

How was she able to achieve these results?

Your core is designed to stabilize your torso and transfer force between different parts of your body during activity.

Many popular core exercises can cause discomfort without building a better looking or stronger midsection.

To effectively train your core, your training needs to include more than just crunches and Russian twists; you must prioritize core exercises that force you to resist movement in multiple planes.

These include anti-extension, anti-rotation, and anti-lateral flexion movements.

Rather than jacking up your back and neck with hundreds of crunches, the exercises described below will give you better results with less risk.

Anti-extension

Anti-extension movements challenge your body to resist lumbar extension, or the arching of the lower back.

These movements should form the cornerstone of your core training.

Without anti-extension strength, you will be unable to properly perform many basic exercises like squats, push ups, and deadlifts with proper form.

The most basic anti-extension exercise and the first core exercise I teach to new clients is the dead bug.

To complete a dead bug, lie on your back with your legs rolled off the ground in a 90 degree angle and your arms extended above your chest. Your spine should be completely flat in this position; there should be no gap where air can pass under an arch in your lower back. Take a big breath into your belly and then slowly initiate the exercise by extending the opposite arm and leg toward the ground. Exhale as you reach, then inhale as you return to the starting position.

The goal is to complete the entire set slowly without arching your lower back. When basic dead bugs are no longer challenging, you can progress them by adding resistance via an exercise band, kettlebell, or swiss ball.

Front planks are another great exercise you can use to build anti-extension strength. However, this is not my first choice because if your core is really weak you likely won’t be able to get into a good plank position.

Watch the video for a few tips on how to properly set up for a front plank. If you can’t quite execute this yet, stick with dead bugs for now.

Advanced trainees can test their anti-extension strength with fallout variations. You can perform fallouts using a TRX or other ring system. More commonly, many gyms have a small ab wheel you can use for rollouts. The goal is to maintain a flat back as your arms move up over your head.

A final anti-extension exercise I like is the front-rack carry. Hold two kettlebells in front of your chest in the front rack position (see video) and walk with them. As you walk, keep your rib cage directly on top of your pelvis. Do not lean backwards, arch your back, flare your ribs, or rest the weights on your chest.

Anti-rotation

Anti-rotation exercises test your ability to resist rotation. This is an important skill as many lower back injuries occur during uncontrolled or unintended torso rotation.

Strong anti-rotation strength is also crucial for runners. Good form and endurance require you to run without rotating with every stride.

Read more: What Runners Must Know About Strength Training

I use one primary exercise, the Pallof press, to train anti-rotation strength.

To complete this exercise, stand to the side of a cable stack with a single handle set up at chest height. Your feet should be a bit wider than shoulder width and directly in line with each other. Pull the handle in front of your chest, take a big belly breath, and then exhale as you push your arms out in front of your chest. You will find the weight of the cable stack wants to pull your body around toward it; resist this force and keep your posture squared and straight. Finish the rep by returning your hands to your chest.

There are few ways to progress this exercise if it becomes easy.

First, change your stance. Half-kneeling and tall-kneeling Pallof presses decrease your base of support and force you to truly engage your core to stay square.

You can also add pauses with your arms in the extended position rather than simply returning to your chest immediately after each rep.

Anti-lateral flexion

The final category of anti-movement teaches you to resist bending side to side. The basic side plank is a great example.

Set up on your side with your forearm on the ground and your elbow directly beneath your shoulder. Stack your legs on top of eachother, then use your hips and obliques to push yourself off the floor into a straight line.

Side planks can be quite challenging if you have never tried them before, so start with just 5-10 seconds and build from there.

Another exercise I use to train anti-lateral flexion is the 1-arm farmer carry. Grab a heavy weight in one hand and walk around with it. The goal here is to maintain a tall, balanced posture. Do not lean too far to the opposite side or rest the weight against your leg.

Putting it all together.

If you want to challenge your core strength, try a few of these movements which force you to resist movement in multiple planes at once.

Advanced plank variations

Cross-body carry (combines 1-arm farmer carry and front rack carry)

Proper core training requires you to train your core as a part of your whole body. The muscles of the core must be able to stabilize your position as you move around. Make sure to include some anti-movements in your normal workouts to build a stronger core, reduce back pain, improve form on other exercises, and truly test your body.

If you want a workout program that makes you feel better instead of leaving you feeling beat up, please fill out an application for my online training program here.

The deadlift is probably my favorite exercise. There is something incredibly badass about walking up to a heavy bar and picking it up. You are totally on your own – no spotter, no power rack or bench, no fancy equipment – just you and the weight. I’ve been known to grind out a challenging deadlift for up to 10 seconds. Heavy deadlifts are a true testament to your grit, mental toughness, and all-around physical strength. I love coaching others up to their first big deadlifts because it’s one of the most empowering things you can do in the gym.

My personal best deadlift, 150 kg in April 2014

These days more and more people are catching on to the fact that deadlifts are awesome. Unfortunately, as deadlifts become more popular, the prevalence of bad technique has increased. Deadlifts are one of the most commonly butchered exercises I see at the gym. Because of the nature of the movement, poorly executed deadlifts repeated over and over at heavy loads set you up for acute injuries or chronic pain down the road. It’s important to understand proper form and fix any bad habits before they cause damage.

In this article, I share some of the most common deadlift mistakes I see with new clients and people around the gym. I’ve included plenty of videos and photos to show you what what a proper deadlift looks like and help you spot form errors.

If you are a new lifter, I always recommend spending some time working in-person with a qualified coach to help ensure you are moving properly. Be smart and never train through pain. See a physician if you have any medical concerns.

Mistake #1: Choosing the wrong deadlift type for your body

Sometimes bad deadlift form results from choosing a setup that doesn’t work for your body or skill level. The conventional deadlift is not the best choice for the average gym goer. In order to safely get into a conventional stance you need a great degree of hip mobility. If you sit at a desk all day, there’s a good chance your mobility is lacking. Additionally, some body types are simply not well-built for this position.

If conventional pulling feels all wrong, there are two alternatives I recommend. If your gym has a trap bar (also known as a hex bar), try that first. The higher handles positioned outside the body make the trap bar a very user-friendly implement. You can also try switching to a sumo stance with a regular barbell. A sumo stance is more upright and therefore requires less hip mobility.

Finally, some people simply shouldn’t be deadlifting from the floor at all. If you are very tall, have very poor mobility, or are dealing with lower back issues, you should choose a top-down or elevated deadlift version. Options include Romanian deadlifts, rack pulls, or block pulls.

I wrote a whole post on choosing the right deadlift for your body type if you want more options and information.

Mistake #2: Not setting the upper body correctly

I can predict if someone is going to round their lower back during the deadlift by how they position their upper back, shoulders, and arms during their setup. If you can get your upper body locked in, you greatly reduce the chance of your form breaking down as you start to pick up the bar.

First, you want to pull your shoulders back and down. Do not allow the shoulders to be rotated in toward your chest or elevated toward your ears. Think about keeping the chest tall and pulling your shoulder blades into your back pockets. If you had writing on your shirt, someone standing across the room should be able to read it throughout the entire lift.

Incorrect: rounded upper back and internally rotated shoulders

Next, you want to get the muscles of your middle back firing. Think about squeezing an orange in your armpits. You should feel some activation running from you armpits down to the bottom of your rib cage. Keep the bar pulled close to your body (more on this below).

Finally, your arms should be completely locked out throughout the lift. Yanking the bar up with bent arms is a great way to aggravate the tendons of the shoulders and biceps. Instead, think about engaging the triceps as you would in the bottom of a tricep pressdown. This ensures your elbows are completely extended.

Incorrect: unlocked arms

During the deadlift, the muscles of your upper body help by firing in this tight, immovable position. They should not be actively flexing or changing position. Once you have successfully followed these steps, your upper body should remain locked in this position throughout the lift.

Mistake #3: Letting the bar get away from you

The bar should should be held tight against your body throughout the entire deadlift. Keeping the bar close allows you to properly tap into the power of your legs and ensures that your spine doesn’t handle too much of the load. If you let the bar drift out in front of you, you greatly reduce your chances of completing the lift and increase the risk of injury.

Incorrect: bar too far away from the body

When you set up, pull the bar in tight against your legs. This should happen somewhat automatically when you establish upper back tightness and proper shoulder position in your setup. Think of your body as a tight wedge and focus on squeezing your armpits against your sides. Maintain contact with your legs as you complete the lift and don’t allow the bar to drift out in front of you.

If you are someone whose hips shoot up at the top of your deadlift, bar position and upper back tightness are likely the culprits. If you can keep the bar pulled tight against your body as you initiate the lift, you will have more success moving your body as one unit. This was a huge game changer for my own deadlift.

If you are struggling to keep the bar close, try using the following drill. Attach one end of a band to the barbell and the other end to a power rack or some other immovable object in from of you. A strong partner can also assist you by holding the other end of the band. Now, try to complete the lift without letting the band pull the bar away from you. This teaches you to actively pull the bar into your body.

I’ve also found supersetting light sets of straight arms pulldowns in between sets of deadlifts helps clients activate the lats and learn what a tight position feels like. Focus on squeezing the armpits and holding the flexed position for one second.

I recommend wearing long socks, leggings, or pants on deadlift day. Dragging the bar up unprotected legs can lead to bruising or cuts on your shins. You never want to compromise form because you are worried about something cosmetic.

Mistake #4: Turning the deadlift into a squat

This tip is especially relevant for conventional and trap deadlifting since sumo deadlifts are inherently a bit more squat-like. When you set up for a conventional or trap bar deadlift, be careful not to dip your hips too low. Your deadlift should not look like a squat. In a squat, the torso is more vertical and the knees are out over the toes. In a hip hinge (deadlift), the torso should be more bent and the shins should be mostly vertical. This position is more advantageous for picking up a object from the floor as it allows you to properly tap into your posterior chain (back, hamstrings, and glutes). You will never be able to deadlift much weight if your deadlift is closer to a squat than a hinge.

Incorrect: deadlift looks like a squat. Notice the very low hip position and more vertical torso angle

You may be making this mistake if you are constantly banging the bar into your knees. Spend some time drilling your hip hinge mechanics to learn how to properly reach back and load your posterior chain. If you can’t get into a good hinge with a conventional stance, switch to a sumo stance.

This video shows another drill you can use to improve the bar path during your deadlift by pushing back more from the hips.

Mistake #5: Hips too high at the start of the pull

Think of this mistake as the inverse of the previous tip. Some conventional and trap bar pullers set up with their hips so high that their torsos are parallel to the ground. This position reduces the power of the legs and places excess demand on the spine to complete the lift.

To fix this, set tension in the upper body and then sit the hips back slightly until you feel the point of peak tension in the hips and hamstrings. The strongest hip position is generally somewhere between this torso-parallel setup and the squat setup addressed in the previous tip.

Incorrect: hips too high. You need to sit back slightly from this position to maximize recruitment of the legs. 

This mistake can also occur with sumo deadlifting. In the sumo position, always try to stay as vertical as possible. Think about dropping your hips directly over the bar rather than hinging them back behind you.

Mistake #6: Not using the glutes at lockout

The lockout, or finishing position of the deadlift, is crucially important for maximizing the effectiveness of the lift. The main force driving you into lockout at the top of the deadlift should be your glutes. I frequently see people leaning into the top of the deadlift, over exaggerating the lockout by pushing the hips forward and hyperextending their lower back. This is a dangerous position for the spine when under heavy loads.

Watch this video for a visual representation of what improper and proper lockouts look like:

I always recommend doing a warmup with a few glute activation drills before you deadlift. Sometimes I have clients perform additional sets of bodyweight or band glute bridges in between sets of deadlifts. If you want a big deadlift (or just a nice butt), it’s also a good idea to spend some time specifically building strength in the glutes. My favorite exercises for this are barbell hip thrusts, barbell glute bridges, 1-leg hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, 1-leg deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and back extensions.

Another lockout mistake is shrugging your shoulders and using your upper body to help you pull the bar up at the top. Earlier I discussed the importance of setting tension in the upper body and not allowing it to move at all throughout the lift. If you are a shrugger, record your lifts or have a partner watch you to keep you honest. Think about keeping the shoulders pulled into your back pockets and not allowing them to drift up toward your ears.

Incorrect: shrugging at lockout

Smarter, Safer, Stronger

Deadlifts are a fantastic exercise that almost everyone should perform. However, it’s crucial to use good form in order to stay safe and make better gains.

The six most common deadlift mistakes are:

1. Choosing the wrong deadlift variation for your body type. Sumo deadlifts, trap bar deadlifts, or elevated deadlifts may be a better choice than conventional deadlifts for many people.
2. Not setting the upper body correctly. Prevent rounding of the lower back by starting with proper position of and tension in the upper back.
3. Letting the bar get away from you. Keep the bar right against your legs throughout the entire lift.
4. Turning the deadlift into a squat. Make sure you can hip hinge properly before attempting conventional deadlifts.
5. Positioning the hips too high. Always sit back slightly to maximize recruitment of the legs.
6. Not using the glutes at lockout. Squeeze your butt hard as you stand up but don’t push the hips so far forward that you arch your lower back. Never shrug at the top of the deadlift.

Want to get better at squatting and deadlifting? Download your free copy of my mini ebook, Squat and Deadlift School below.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems like the ones above, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.