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 — Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation — |
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Xcessorize for Size: We do not sell training accessories at X-Rep.com, but there are a number of them that we recommend that can make your muscle-building workouts more efficient and effective—and that’s what X-Rep.com is all about! Here are a few of our favorite efficiency-of-effort accessories. For more info and to purchase, click on the picture or product name and a new window will open. (Note: We’ll add to this page as we run across more innovative training gear. Ratings are based on five Xes—XXXXX being the best.)... Schiek Padded Lifting Straps. Straps are straps, right? Not so fast. These have a wrist band that Velcros tightly into place so no dangerous slippage can happen. It’s like having a thick, rugged wrist support with a vertical strap attached to it. The strap runs vertically up your hand and past your fingers so you can wrap it around the bar a few times for added stability and power. Plus, when you don’t need them for an exercise, simply wrap the strap around the wrist band and Velcro into place out of the way. It’s like you’re wearing a double-thick wrist support (which makes your forearms look bigger, by the way.) We love these straps! Rating: XXXXX
Ultra Grip Lifting Gloves. The problem with many brands of gloves is that the are too thick—too much material that bunches up when you try to grip the bar, which can decrease your power output. We wanted a glove that was thin enough to be like a second skin, but thick enough to protect our palms and fingers. The micro-beaded material of the Ultra Grips is thin but it enhances grip without bunching up. And the terry-cloth backing provides ventilation so they don’t start stinking up the gym too soon (less frequent washing required). Rating: XXXX
Forearm Bar. There are only so many forearm exercises you can do with barbells and dumbbells. This unique bar provides a new angle for forearm training, allowing you to do wrist curls and reverse wrist curls standing with your arms straight—and with continuous resistance thanks to the angled plate rod. Notice how the bar is V-shaped for a more ergonomically correct wrist-curling angle. We use it at almost every forearm workout. It’s great for reverse wrist curls too (a killer after you max out on reverse wrist curls!). Rating: XXXX
Ab Bench. This is the Rolls-Royce of ab-training machines. It has a rounded lower-back pad, which allows you to reach the abs’ full-stretch position for maximum fiber activation (you completely miss that critical stretch position with on-the-floor crunches). Plus, it’s easy to add weight to the plate holder that’s attached to a cable-connected hand grip (no more juggling weight plates behind your head or over you face, as with standard crunches). You get a smooth move from full stretch to complete contraction for acid-etched abs. It’s the most efficient ab exercise we’ve ever done. Bonus: It’s also perfect for incline curls, incline dumbbell presses and forward-lean lateral raises. In our opinion, this is a must-have for any home gym. Rating: XXXXX
PowerBlock. If you train at home, you gotta have a pair of these amazing selectorized dumbbells. It’s like having an entire rack of fixed commercial-gym dumbbells in an area the size of two shoe boxes. How is that possible? Remember we said they are selectorized: You simply move the U-shaped pin up or down on each dumbbell weight stack, and you pull off the exact dumbbell poundage you need—the rest of the plates stay on the stand. Ingenious! In fact, these are the only dumbbells we use in our gym (we have the heaviest set—each dumbbell can go up to 130 pounds!). With a PowerBlock set and an adjustable bench, you’ve got a real home gym that allows you to work every bodypart hard for real muscle-building progress. (What about leg work? Try Double-X Overload dumbbell squats—holding a PowerBlock in each hand at the sides of your thighs, you squat down, drive up halfway, squat back down, then rise almost to lockout before executing another DXO rep. X-cellent quad exercise!) Our only reservation is that they are somewhat pricey and the stand is extra (the only reason we give it four Xes instead of five); however, they will last a lifetime, and everyone in your home can use them. Rating: XXXX
The e-books on this site were written to help you get closer to your physical potential with sensible bodybuilding strategies. Weight training is a demanding activity, however, so it is highly recommended that you consult your physician and have a physical examination prior to beginning a weight-training program. Any comments provided are for general information purposes only and do not represent medical advice. Proceed with the suggested diets, exercises and routines at your own risk. Results using the programs and diets in these e-books vary from individual to individual. Testimonial endorsers’ results using it may be considered atypical. Copyright © 2008 by Homebody Productions |
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