What’s the key to success? The key is, there is no key. Be humble, hungry, and the hardest worker in any room.
– Dwayne Johnson
Note: I am writing this post as a kind of part of an extension to two earlier posts, 10 Things I Can’t Live Without After a Breakup, and 10 Cheap Workout Items I Can’t Live Without After a Breakup.
Earlier I did a post on 10 items I can’t live without after a breakup, which seemed pretty popular. I followed up with ten workout items I can’t live without after a breakup which was fairly popular as well, and I talked about in that post doing a continuation of 10 more additional workout items I can’t live without after a breakup, so here they are. Keep in mind these are the ten additional workout items I can’t live without post-breakup – so some of these may be a little more hard on the wallet, but will be just as important, effective, and useful for helping you get your workout in and making progress in your workouts, so you can get over your breakup with your ex-girlfriend, and be on your way to becoming a better man. Here they are:
- Homemade weight belt
If there was something to show you I am a true Georgia farm-boy, this item is it. I have always been too cheap (or too lazy for that matter) to actually fork out the money for a true weight belt where I can hang weight from when I do my pullups from my homemade pullup bar outside in the garage (our garage is actually more like a lean-to than an actual real garage). So, to combat this problem I have constructed a simple but in my opinion effective contraption that allows you to hang weight around your waist as you do pullups. I took an old belt of mine and got some farm rope we had laying around, and tied the weight to the rope and tied the rope to my belt which was fastened around my waist, and viola! I had engineered my own weight belt and it has worked like a charm every since. Now do I recommend you do this at home for yourself? Absolutely not. It is probably not safe, and I would recommend that you go out and not be cheap like me and buy your own weight belt. I am just telling you what has worked for me, and am giving you ten additional workout items that I can’t live without. It is important to be safe, especially when it comes to working out, and if you can protect yourself for $20, why wouldn’t you? So go pick yourselves up a cheap weight belt so you can grow those lats.
2. Yoga block
I had been searching for nearly a year at the start of COVID for a good yoga block, because I was getting more and more into doing yoga at home. I was really enjoying the meditation, and feeling the stretches and overall just feeling better. Then one day, out of the clear blue sky, I saw it. I was wondering around my local dollar store which is only about ten minutes from my house and saw a yoga block there in the clearance section for around five bucks. I was sold and it was a very happy buy for me, and have used it several times since then. If you want to really make yoga easier, then I highly highly recommend picking up a yoga block the next time you are at the store. It will give you a much easier time holding the poses, and they are actually really nice to sit on during meditation. They even can help you massage sore muscles if you sit on them or lean your weight on them at the right angle, which is a life-saver when your calves are really sore.
3. Yoga mat
Having a yoga mat will also take your yoga workouts to the next level, and are more helpful than you think. If you are like me and have tried to do yoga at home without a yoga mat on carpet, you will notice that this can be a disaster and very frustrating. Your feet will slide around, your hands won’t grip the floor, you will get carpet-burn, and it will just be plain uncomfortable at times. Yoga mats actually have a grippy rubber-ey like material to them that makes it much, much easier to grip the floor with your feet and hands and get that good, deep stretch that feels relaxing and nourishing at the same time.
4. Swiss ball/ exercise ball
These are also incredibly helpful when it comes to working out because it allows you to do ab crunches, as well as any type of chest pressing movement or dumbbell pullovers without needing a weight bench. My favorite exercises to use the swiss ball for are weighted crunches and dumbbell pullovers. These really allow you to get a full extension and range of motion and feel a good stretch and pump while doing the exercise.
5. Homemade pullup bar (ideally outside)
In my previous post on ten workout items I can’t live without, I mentioned as one of the things I couldn’t live without to be an indoor pullup bar that fits through the doorway. While this is nice and very effective, I also like to utilize an outdoor pullup bar I made myself that is tall enough so that I can extend my legs. I like having a taller, more durable pullup bar outside because when I do pullups I don’t feel cramped, and never worry that the pullup bar will fall and I will break my back. The one I built outside is attached to the garage, and it is completely sturdy and safe to the point where I rarely worry about it’s ability to hold me or any amount of weight I have attached to my homemade weight belt. If you build a homemade pullup bar at home, I highly recommend you find a guide or you get someone to do it who knows what they are doing, so you can stay safe and don’t hurt yourself.
6. Resistance bands
I use these occasionally, but I think resistance bands still have a good amount of value for what you pay for them. They are fairly cheap, and you can do a lot of shoulder mobility exercises with them if you need them, and you can also do a lot of burn-out sets with resistance bands if you are working out from home. You can get a fairly good pump by doing things such as bicep curls, chest presses, and lateral raises all with resistance bands.
7. Cheap headband
I included this in my post 10 Things I Can’t Live Without After a Breakup, but thought it is so useful, cheap, and helpful during a workout that it should be included in this list. My hair was fairly long during quarantine, and one of my biggest pet peeves was having my hair in my face while I was riding the exercise bike. Having a headband was a life-saver, and having a cheap one to keep my hair out of my face saved me a ton of frustration and headache. This is equally important when you are lifting weights, whether you are doing curls or tricep extensions, or chest presses or pullups.
8. Exercise bike (stationary bike) (cheap brand)
Ok, here is where we get to the more expensive stuff, but having an exercise bike has been one of the best pieces of workout equipment to have at home for me. Being able to get a steady-state workout in while it’s cold, rainy, and terrible outside has been valuable. Not only is it an effective form of steady state cardio, but I can look on my tablet and read, watch videos, or do other things while I am exercising and effectively “kill two birds with one stone.” (note – no animals have been harmed while I have worked out) I also have a cheap exercise bike to workout on, and do not use the more expensive modern ones with features such as group classes and exercise sessions. The one I have just has a little knob that adjusts the resistance and a seat with handles. That’s all I really need to be good-to-go. Lastly, it gives me a form of exercise that is low-impact and doesn’t take a toll on my joints, which is always a win-win. If you can afford it, I would highly recommend you get one of these to put in your house so you can have access to a cardio machine that’s effective and safe.
9. Cheap squat rack
Although I haven’t used my squat rack recently, if your goal is to put on muscle and gain a bunch of weight I highly recommend getting a cheap one, along with some weights and an Olympic bar. You would be surprised at how cheap you can find a squat rack, and for the price you pay you are getting more than you money’s worth. I got a very cheap squat rack, along with some weights and an Olympic bar and I have used it more times than I can count. If you spend at least 20 dollars a month on a gym membership, a squat rack will pay for itself within several months if you start working out at home instead of going to the gym.
10. Good workout watch
I got a good workout watch for Christmas one year and I reacted the same way as when I got my ab wheel – I thanked them for the present and thought it was going to sit in the corner and only be good for gathering dust. But I actually started using it to make sure I was on time to my new job, and would put it on before I went to work everyday. Then I eventually found myself using it for my workouts – timing my planks, timing my runs, and even timing my exercise bike times. If you can get ahold of one of these they are actually pretty useful. Mine is a nicer model and is waterproof, so I can take it in the pool if I am swimming and has a timer, stopwatch, as well as a regular clock, and can light up when I need it to. It is a simple yet effective tool that has helped me get better workouts, and I am a big believer in the power of simplicity. Along with the previous nine items I listed above, I believe a simple workout watch like this will help give you better workouts, help you achieve your workout goals, and ultimately help you get over your breakup so you can become a more rounded, better overall man.
Like this post? I highly recommend you check out my other similar post, Workout Post-Breakup – The Perfect Workout To Help You Get Over Your Ex-Girlfriend, which describes an effective workout to help you get over that girl who broke your heart. Also check out my post The Best Workout For Getting Over Your Breakup, which in my opinion tells you the single most important workout you can do to help you get over your ex-girlfriend that you probably haven’t thought of.
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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. Please do not take my advice as if I was a doctor or medical professional, as I am not qualified to give that kind of health advice. Please be smart, and use your best judgement when starting a new diet/health/exercise plan and consult your doctor before starting a new diet/health/exercise plan. Thank you.
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