If you are a frequent (or infrequent) gym visitor, you know doubt have used plenty of machines and free-weight equipment. Chances are that you start zeroing in on equipment that you like or become comfortable with over time and a lot of other pieces of equipment start escaping your attention. Or, you see some various gym equipment and wonder what the heck it’s for. Either way, it’s a safe bet that there are some pieces of equipment at your gym that neither you nor anyone else seems to use all that often.
Sometimes, this is because the equipment just isn’t that great (like some of those twisty abdominal machines where you add weight - which every personal trainer I know thinks is an injury waiting to happen). But, there are definitely some hidden gems gathering a bit of dust that you and some other gym-goers might want to try out one of these days when you’re looking for a change. Let’s look at 3 pieces of gym equipment that you might have at your gym, that probably don’t get much use.
The Sled
If you played football in high school or later on, then you are familiar with a hated piece of equipment known as the blocking sled. It’s a terribly unpleasant (and highly useful) metal apparatus with a big pad on one end. As a player you would be tasked with running into the blocking pad, giving it a bit of a lift, and then driving the sled backward for however many yards your coach demanded. There are no wheels on the blocking sled, so you had to fight friction and mass to get it moving. I remember it well and not fondly.
Today, you can find a modified version of the blocking sled in many local gyms. Remove the blocking pad and attached a handle for pushing. Then add a place to add as many weighted plates as you want. Some of these have wheels (with adjustable tension), so they can be used on a hard surface like a basketball court. Others are flat bottomed and can be used on artificial turf sections that many gyms have installed. Either way, the idea is to push (or pull) the sled back and forth across the gym. Like the blocking sled, it’s pretty awful and that’s what makes it so good.
You likely won’t enjoy this workout, but your legs will thank you (after a few days) and your cardio will also get a big boost.
Battle Ropes
If you went to school in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, you may have had the experience of going to gym class and climbing thick ropes to the ceiling. Pretty fun, actually. But, that was pretty much it for those ropes, other than swinging on them and then getting yelled at by your gym teacher. Well, someone figured out that the ropes had another, maybe even better use.
Unhook them from the ceiling and instead attach the middle to a spot on the floor. Then take the two ends out until they are almost taut. Then work the ropes up and down, side to side, etc. Alternating arms or together, either works well. Might seem easy at first, but oh my will your arms start to burn as your heart rate climbs. Because the ropes get heavier to you as you lift more off the ground they offer a resistance that is very different from typical free weights or fitness bands. Try to create a constant snake-like wave going on each one for a period of time and I promise you will gain an appreciation for these highly underrated pieces of gym equipment. These days I do see a few more people using them, but it is typically a personal trainer making a client use them, rather than the average workout warrior.
Landmine
This is an easily missed piece of equipment in the gym. It is typically a metal square plate attached to the floor, with a pivot and a hollow tube on top of it. A lot of folks may look at it and just wonder what the heck is that for? The key is what’s missing - an Olympic barbell. Stick the end of an Olympic barbell into the metal tube and you get an extremely versatile piece of equipment that can help you perform a wide array of exercises in different ways.
You can for bent-over rows, one-armed shoulder presses, twisting extensions, and a variety of other push or pull-focused exercises. The angle can make many of these exercises feel different than when you perform them on a machine or with free weights. And that’s the point! It can give you a fresh take on some exercises that your body has become very accustomed to performing. That muscle confusion is a key to continuing your progress.
