These are a great starting point for any athlete. Perfect for warming up the shoulders or throwing down with some heavy weight during a WOD.
Begin by holding the kettlebell with both hands in a dead hang, your core should be activated and your chest proud. Bend your knees slightly, hinge at the hip and push the kettlebell into a swing.
Unlike the full kettlebell swing, the Russian variant stops with the kettlebell at eye level. This protects your lower back from hyperextension if your range of motion is limited.
With gravity assist, control the kettlebell back to the starting position. Rinse and repeat.
AMRAP in 7 minutes of
15 Russian Kettlebell Swings
30 Goblet Squats
5 Pull-ups (this can be scaled to a ring row if necessary)
Many athletes have a love-hate relationship with thrusters, but nobody can deny their awesome effectiveness of the thruster at developing killer shoulder stability. Especially with a kettlebell in the mix instead of a barbell.
Start with a kettlebell in each hand (or singles if you need to work on one side) in the kettlebell front rack position.
Keeping your chest proud and a tight core, descend into a full squat. As you push out of the squat, press the kettlebells overhead until your arms are locked out. There should be a straight line from your legs through to your hands.
Control the kettlebell back down into the rack position as you descend back into the squat.
The majority of athletes, ranging from elites to weekend warriors have some deficiency in their mobility. We will look at a quick and easy kettlebell exercise that will help with your thoracic mobility, the overhead hold.
The best way to start this is de-loaded (without any weight). Stand tall with a proud chest and a neutral spine, make sure your core is activated as you bring your arm overhead into the 12'oclock position. As you do so note how your ribcage will have a tendency to flare up and offset the limited range of mobility to your back. Re-adjust and try again keeping your body in a neutral position.
Once you have that down let's add some weight. Start with a 30-second hold on each side, adding 15-second increments until you can comfortably hold the weight overhead for 3 minutes.
It may take a few days to build up to 3 minutes, so start slow and be sure to maintain good form!
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Firstly let's answer this. Why do you need a garage gym?
Apart from the fact it looks cool and your mates will be super jealous, there are some very good reasons to have one.
An obvious first choice. These are the staple for many Crossfit workouts, not to mention powerlifting and bodybuilding. Squat, Snatch, Clean, Jerk.....the list goes on, a lot of programmes use a barbell so its a no-brainer.
A word for the wise, don't cheap out. Now, this isn't to say you have to go buy a $400 made in NZ bar that self-levitates, set your budget and stick to it. There are many brands that will match those bars for sub $300 and even more in the <$200 price range. For the serious home gym, we would recommend going with an Olympic barbell with good knurling that won't rip up your hands. If budget permits integrated bearing and bushing design is the clear winner as it combines the consistent spin of the bearings with the versatility of the bushings. If you are serious about lifting 2000lb ratings are a must.
Hex bolts are a big NO, the loadable sleeve will just snap off and you would have wasted a bunch of money on scrap metal.
Here at Seventh Sin, we offer a range of Olympic Bars suitable for both Men and Women, with a budget conscious option that still packs a punch. You can check them out here...
So you've bought a barbell, now what's the best thing to put on it? There are a variety of different plates to suit your needs and wants. Bumper Plates are always our go to for a home gym setup. Basically, these are rubberized plates that allow you to drop the bar from the hip (or above the head if necessary) without damaging your bar, the plates or the floor. Perfect for the home gym!
Why not iron? Although the most cost-effective of all the plates, iron plates will cause more damage then you care to admit, and the cost of gym flooring your entire garage really does out weight the few dollars per plate saved. But ultimately its horses for courses, if you max out the loadable sleeve on your bar with Bumper Plates then Iron is the only ones for you.
Virgin vs Crumb...Seventh Sin offers both Virgin rubber and Crumb Bumper Plates, both within quoy of one another on price but fit for different needs. Virgin Bumpers offer the best price to performance, with a smooth finish and dead bounce you can safely drop the bar without the risk of it bouncing into the wall; all at the cost of sound. Crumb Bumpers are your silent assassins. Made from recycled rubber, they offer a softer landing, small bounce with greater durability and protection from cracking in the long run. Perfect for those 5 am training as they are quieter and won't wake up your neighbors or kids!
Check out our complete range here...
Every good home gym has kettlebells, providing the perfect combination of strength and conditioning. From swinging to snatching and all things in between you can't beat a good kettlebell workout.
You don't need the fanciest ones to get the job done, but there are a few key things to keep your eyes open for.
The ideal starting weight varies from person to person. For women just starting out, 6 kgs will suit perfectly, men should opt for a 10 kg.
The Seventh Sin range starts at 6 kgs and maxes out at 28 kg's giving you plenty of growing room! Check them out here...
Another Crossfit staple is the double under, if you haven't tried these you will learn to love them. Simply there are two types of ropes to help you on your way to greatness; the budget-friendly plastic ropes and the bearing integrated ropes (i.e Seventh Sin Cyclone rope). Both of which will get the job done, just depends how much you like your shoulders to burn.
The plastic ropes use a bushing like approach, plastic on plastic friction points, these are cheaper to manufacture but significantly easier to use than the traditional boxers leather rope.
Bearing integrated speed ropes are the top of the bunch. If we use the Seventh Sin Cyclone Rope as an example; it has an aluminum handle with a textured grip for added comfort. At the business end, we use a bearing integrated within the handle to allow the rope to whip around with incredible ease. The result is a much faster and consistent approach to double unders.
Check them both out here...
If you are confused as to why they are here bare with me for a sec. They do everything and I mean EVERYTHING. Muscle ups, pull ups, ring dips, toes to bar, L sits...the list goes on. For the price they pack a massive punch and are a must have in your home gym. We recommend going for the plastic ones as they are significantly cheaper and offer the same performance as the wooden ones. You can get the Seventh Sin rings here...
The wall ball is a functional fitness staple, providing a full body workout everywhere. The standard weights are 6 kg's for women, 9 kg's for men and 12 kg's for those who are a bit more than human.
What are you looking for when buying a wall ball?
The Seventh Sin wall balls are designed with these three things in mind, and all without breaking the bank. Colour coded for ease of identification you can't go wrong. For more details have a look here...
Who needs a GHD? They just take up space, and abs are like calves, we always plan on doing them tomorrow. So why not an Ab Mat instead?
Ab mats give you all the benefits of the GHD without the price tag. By promoting a natural curve in your spine during the sit-up movement you get better ab activation coupled with added protection for the lower back. Honestly, you will be amazed as to how great this little piece of equipment really is.
You are probably wondering why it is so low down the list, simply at $150 for a wooden 3 in 1 or $250 for the softbox option, there are more vital things to spend your hard earned cash on (its an essential, non-essential).
The Plyo Box is the staple of explosive movement training, great for rugby and sports requiring fast power delivery, you can never go wrong with a Plyo Box. The 3 in 1 feature of the premium boxes allows you to set variable jump heights, giving you scaling options to meet your fitness level and bang for your buck. Not to mention, box squats are killer for developing your squat strength!
Check out our epic Plyo Boxes here...
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