Many of my clients have been reaching out the last few weeks asking what equipment they should buy to stay in shape during Covid-19 lockdowns. My recommendations have been the similar to all, whether they are in the suburbs in a house with a backyard, or a 500 square foot New York City apartment. Keep things simple and functional. Getting a few pieces of equipment that are multi functional is a far better idea than trying to order an entire rack of dumbbells (and much nicer for the underpaid Amazon and Fedex employees that would have to carry them).
Resistance Bands
The most versatile piece of equipment and my number one recommendation has been a set of resistance bands. I have been recommending Tribe Fitness’s 11 Piece Premium Resistance Band Set. A few of my clients have received them already. We’ve used them for everything from Front Squats to Lat Pulldowns (the set comes with a door anchor that allows you to hang it from any doorway in your home) and successfully had their muscles as sore the next day as our barbell workouts in the gym. Here are a list of my top five favorite resistance band workouts that I have been doing myself and with my clients.
- Front Squat
- Deadlift
- Half Kneeling Row
- Lat Pulldown
- Shoulder Press
TRX
The second piece of equipment I have been recommending is a TRX. TRX is one of my absolute favorite pieces of equipment for inside or outside the gym. It’s rare that I complete a workout without at least one exercise that uses my TRX. The versatility was obvious all the way back to its invention by Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick. His interview with How I Built It This is one of my all time favorites. Hetrick’s concept started with a Jiu jitsu belt strung up over a door to do Pull-Ups. Since then he’s made some upgrades and now a TRX is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment, that is a must for any gym. This might be a little tougher for those setting up in small apartments, but it can be set up a variety of ways. Currently I have mine strung up on a tree in my backyard. Below is a list of my favorite TRX workouts.
- Inverted Row
- Knee Tuck
- Bent Knee Pull-Up
- Body Weight Curl
- T-Spine Mobility Squat
TRX Setup 
TRX Squat w/ Row 
TRX Rear Deltoid T
There may have never been a time in recent history when it has been more important to improve or at least maintain your fitness level. Restrictions on our daily movement make it even easier to sit around all day without even noticing. One of my clients pointed out yesterday his daily step count has decreased from an average of 15,000 steps to 400 steps per day! We don’t have to run marathons in our backyard, but we must find ways to keep moving and stay healthy.
