So when it comes to training methods now a days people ask, what is the best way to train or best piece of equipment to use? Is it; kettle bells, med balls, physio balls, Bosu ball, TRX, heavy ropes, sand bags, or should you do the normal free weights and machines?
Well to answer part of the question, is one piece of equipment better than the other, my simple answer is NO, but I do feel they all have their place in the fitness industry. I actually use all the above mentioned pieces of equipment with my clients and athletes.
What is particularly nerve racking is seeing other fitness professionals out there claiming the only way to get “X” result is to use “X” piece of equipment, this makes no sense to me. I really didn’t think about it much, until I was researching ideas for my new website and saw numerous websites out there with these fitness “gurus” saying “doing a lunge with this 20lb sand bag is way better than doing a lunge with a 20lb dumbbell weight.” Seriously how is anybody going to get a better “result” holding a 20lb sandbag vs. a 20lb dumbbell?? Please show me a scientific study that proves this claim.
I could go on about each piece of equipment and give more examples of their superiority claims, but that’s not the focus of this post. I really do not feel one piece of equipment is better than another, but I do feel that at certain points in someone’s training, one piece of equipment or style of training should be the focal point over another training modality. I hope that makes sense.
It basically comes back to what is your goal? When you determine your goal, then you can decide what style of training and what types of equipment are best suited to get you to your goals.
An example of an athlete that has a goal of a stronger squat or power clean, does not want to do minute intervals of balancing on a Bosu ball, well that might help their stability, it’s not going to get them stronger. On the other hand, if the average joe training for general fitness and wants a stronger core along with a slight increase of strength and decrease in body fat percentage. I would then add in some Bosu ball stability training doing some exercises while balancing on the Bosu.
So when you are planning out your fitness goals this upcoming year, focus on your goals, then decide what would be the best way to achieve that goal, using the proper style of training and proper equipment, take care.
Rick Baird C.S.C.S.
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Do you think kettlebells or indian clubs are a better workout for upper-body muscles and joints?
ReplyDeleteSorry it took me a while to reply, I had a track and field camp all weekend I was putting on, busy busy.
ReplyDeleteMy knee jerk reaction to indian clubs would be to say "another gimmick" but I did some research on a few websites, and think they would be ok for some rotational therapy type exercises, but I also think using a dumbbell or small 2 lb plate could accomplish the same thing as an indian club.
I'm just not a fan of when I see products that claim to be "better" then traditional weights and 5 times the cost of traditional weights. Looking at the "official" indian clubs site, would you pay $50 for a pair of 1 pound indian clubs?