My Gym Necessities

Here are a few of my favorite things at the gym. I am always looking for things to help make the workouts more effective, mix up the routine, and get the best results possible!

1. medicine balls are AWESOME. I absolutely love these! Most balls range in weight from 4-12 lbs, and they can be purchased at any sporting goods stores. They are great to increase your resistance on your everyday exercises, and there is a variety of new things you can do with them as well.

2.The Jump Rope. Remember these from 4th grade?? Well they are back, or they should be at least. They are a GREAT cardio workout. On average you can burn 110-200 calories in 10 min. I really like to incorporate my jump rope into a circuit training routine alternating resistance exercises with jump roping, trying to keep my heart rate up the whole time.

3. Sports Beans. These are great for your long endurance runs. I have a really hard time with the GU because i don’t like the texture. These on the other hand, are made by Jelly Belly and are delicious! They aren’t hard to chew while running either! These are available at any sports store, running specialty store, and i’ve found them at target.

4. Nike weight lifting gloves. So, make fun of me if you must, BUT after I started getting really bad calluses I decided to try out the gloves, and i’ve been won over! I really like them! They make the weights easier to hold, and they save your poor little hands! I found mine at Sports Authority for $10.00. Well worth the money!

5. If these were in numerical order I would have to put this item first. These Nike Drifit capris are AMAZING. I have converted many people to loving them as well. They are so comfortable, they hold their shape, they are made of a special material that wicks away sweat, they wash really well, and they just basically rock. You can find them at Nordstrom, Sports Authority, or Nike outlets.

6. My sweet little Ipod Nano. Blessed little thing. This little gem has kept me going on many a long run. I love its tiny little size. I love the stopwatch feature for timing isometric exercises, or recovery times. Its just great all the way around.

7. Skull Candy headphones. As much as I LOVE my Ipod. I detest the Ipod earbuds. They don’t stay in, they aren’t loud enough, they are just a pain. My Skull Candy headphones on the other hand are GREAT. They stay in, they block out all of the outside noise so your I pod doesn’t have to be up so loud. They have a lot of different styles and prices, but I’ve seen them at Target for $15.00.

8. The Bosu Ball. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this guy. If you haven’t worked out with one I recommend you give it a try. It is a great way to work your core while working whatever other muscle groups you’re focusing on. I’m all about the multi tasking. The best place to find these is online.

9. My Asics. I have been running in these for the past little while. They are great! Mainly I’d just say get a pair of shoes that fits your feet and your running style. It makes a huge difference!