Surf ‘n’ Snow Home Gym – What You Need And Where To Get It
One question I get asked quite frequently is where to get some of the equipment you see me using in my workouts. So I thought I would show you all the main equipment I use and give you some options about where to purchase it from.
The video below shows my home gym setup in the garage so you can see what I use…
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Essential Equipment
Adjustable Dumbbells – Get hold of a set of adjustable dumbbells with enough weight for at least 10-20 kg (22-45 lbs) per dumbbell. Most women should be fine with up to 10kg per dumbbell to start with. Men will more than likely need 15-20kg per dumbbell.
Remember you can always buy more weight plates if you need to increase the weight. Adjustable dumbbells can be purchased from any fitness store if you don’t already have a set.
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Swiss Ball – Also called stability ball, exercise ball or fitball. Make sure you purchase an ‘anti-burst’ swiss ball. For most people a 65cm ball will do the trick just fine unless you are extra tall (try a 75cm ball) or short (try a 55cm ball).
Stability balls are available for purchase at all major fitness stores. Just make sure you pay a few dollars extra and get one that is ‘anti-burst’ so it will last longer.
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Pullup Bar – Everyone should have somewhere they can hang to do pullups and chinups.If you don’t have anywhere to do chin-ups then I would recommend you purchase a pullup bar that mounts in your door frame.
These can be purchased from most major fitness stores. Basically they just fit into a door frame in your house and you are good to go. There are several brands available so check your local fitness store or just search online.
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Non-Essential Equipment (But Makes Workouts More Fun!)
Resistance Bands – Bands are awesome for doing all sorts of pushing and pulling exercises as well as rotational core training.
Make sure you get bands that have enough 
resistance to challenge you. Many bands available at fitness stores are designed more for rehabilitation and are not strong enough for challenging resistance exercises.
Personally I use ‘Smart Toners’ which are available at www.qpec.com.au (Australian / NZ customers), www.twistconditioning.com (North American customers) or www.physicalcompany.com (UK customers).
If I had to get just one band I would get the “6 Foot Very Heavy Smart Toner.” It has enough resistance for most people. If you are pretty strong then you could get the “6 Foot Ultra Heavy Smart Toner” as well.
Surfers, if you are wanting a resistance band for band paddling practice, I would just get a fairly light resistance band from your local fitness store. You are working on paddling endurance, so you only want a very light resistance.
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Balance Board – A balance board is a great piece of equipment to help improve your balance and core stability.
There are plenty of great balance boards available on the market, however I personally like using the Extreme Balance Board (the new version is called the Smart Balance Board) which can be purchased from www.qpec.com.au (Australian / NZ customers), www.twistconditioning.com (North American customers) or www.physicalcompany.com (UK customers)..
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BOSU Balance Trainer – A BOSU is basically like half a stability ball with a flat hard plastic surface on one side. It is a very versatile piece of equipment that allows you to challenge your balance and core stability in so many different ways.
BOSUs can be purchased at most major fitness stores, or online through the previously listed suppliers.
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TRX Suspension Trainer – Suspension trainers allow you to use your own bodyweight to build strength in all three planes of motion. Suspension trainers also pack away into a small package, so you can take them with you wherever you go, meaning even when you are traveling you never have an excuse not to workout.
You can purchase one online from www.trxtraining.com (North American customers) or www.slingfitness.com (Australian / NZ customers).
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Foam Roller – Foam rolling is great for helping massage and loosen tight muscles. Every surf and snow sport athlete should have one on hand. Foam rollers are available from most major fitness stores, however if you want the “bees knees” of foam rollers, I would check out www.tptherapy.com.
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Other Equipment – Other equipment you might want to add to your home gym depending on your space and budget are: an exercise bench, power rack, olympic bar and weights, kettlebells, medicine balls, skipping rope, weight vest.
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I hope that gives you the information you need to start your own Surf ‘n’ Snow Home Gym. Don’t think you need to get everything at once. Just start with the essentials and over time you can add equipment to your workouts to add variety and increase your enjoyment.
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If you have any questions or comments, make sure you leave them below…
Cheers,
Clayton
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Got Your Equipment – Now Get Your Workouts
