20 Holiday Gifts That Don’t Suck

Posted by Jason Ferruggia

Jungle Gym XT There are countless exercises that can be done on the Jungle Gym XT; many more effective than using a machine or even free weights, such as pushups, flys, dips, assisted handstand pushups, leg curls, hip thrusts, ab fall outs and many more.  At Renegade Training Center we use big, basic barbell lifts as our main maximal strength exercises and then supplement with bodyweight, kettlebell, dumbell and strongman type lifts for accessory work. The Jungle Gym XT gets used at every workout, without fail. It’s also great to travel with because it’s small and light and will fit in your suitcase or backpack with ease. When you have a Jungle Gym XT you can always get a workout on the road no matter where you are.

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Fat GripzThese little suckers instantly turn any standard bar or dumbbell into a fat bar. This increases your grip strength and stimulates arm growth beyond what a normal bar or dumbbell can. They easily slip on an off and are made of extremely high quality, heavy duty rubber which is hard as a rock and doesn’t wear out or compress. The benefit most people don’t know about is that pressing with fat diameter bars is actually far less stressful on the elbows and shoulders. These would make a great stocking stuffer for the meathead on your list.

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Sun Warrior Protein – While a bottle of wine or Scotch might make dealing with the in-laws a little easier, a bottle of Sun Warrior will help you build size and strength and recover from workouts faster. And like Uncle Eddie said, “That’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

Sun Warrior is a great option for those who don’t eat dairy and is made from all natural 100% organic ingredients, is a complete protein with a great biological value, mixes easily and is the best tasting plant based protein powder on the market.

The vanilla and chocolate are equally as tasty. But don’t order unflavored. Actually never order any protein powder unflavored. You’ll puke.

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Blend Tec, 560 Watt High Powered Blender To mix up the Sun Warrior with some frozen berries, nuts, cacao nibs and whatever else you can think of you are going to need a high powered blender. The best one on the market, the Bentley of blenders, is the Blend Tech, 560 Watt Total Blender. This would be an awesome gift for the busy, fitness conscious crowd who likes to blend up their nutrition once a day.

The nice thing about blending up a shake like this once per day is it allows you to get more greens, fruits and veggies in than you normally would. I put more spinach in one shake than I could ever eat in a salad. I would be lost without my blender.

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Vibram Five FingersThese are by far and away the best shoes to train in as they allow you to simultaneously strengthen your toes and feet with the rest of your body. This often leads to fewer ankle, knee, hip and lower back issues. The Vibrams are also great for sprinting, hiking and walking. Best given to those who are not slaves to fashion, as you may get some funny looks and annoying comments while wearing them. The benefits make it all worth it, though.

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Head Harness As I’ve said several times before, nobody should walk around with a stack of dimes holding up their head. Do everyone on your list a huge favor and get them a head harness. Owning one should be mandatory for all males. It will protect you from injury both physical and emotional. Use this 3-6 times per week for 1-3 sets of 15-50 reps.  Make it part of your routine. Like brushing your teeth and putting on your shoes.

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Power WheelThis is definitely one of the best ab training tools on the market and would make an awesome gift for the athlete or meathead on your list. If anyone you know is still asking for one of those silly ab rockers or whatever other gimmicks they sell on late night infomercials, I suggest you do them a favor and surprise them with something that actually works the abs properly.

We use the Power Wheel for pikes, low ab pull ins, leg curls, roll outs (on knees and feet), hand walking (insane total body workout), and Alligator pushups.

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Heavy GripsThese make a great stocking stuffer and forge a killer grip, which is a huge benefit for all lifters and athletes. A strong grip is like a big neck; it’s mandatory, commands respect and greatly increases your status as a man.

They come in five different strengths but most men should be able to start with the first or second level. I recommend working grip strength 2-3 times per week at the end of a workout; not on off days. An improved grip will lead to bigger lifts and better athletic performance in a wide variety of sports.

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Holosync Meditation CD’s Meditation has been around forever and isn’t some gimmick that will be going away any time soon. It’s proven and it works. I can’t say enough about the benefits of the Holosync Meditation program. I have been using it for nearly two years now and it has made a huge difference in my life. I’m happier, calmer and more productive. I also sleep better. All these benefits can be seen in only 30-60 minutes per day. Last year I gave out quite a few of these for Christmas and will be doing the same again this year.

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Dragging SledNothing will kick your ass and whip you into shape faster than sled work. We use it all the time at Renegade Training Center and I guarantee that any fitness enthusiast or strength coach would love to find one of these waiting for them under the tree. Because there is no eccentric component you can use it to build up work capacity, bring up weak muscle groups and aid in recovery.

As I’ve said a million times nothing that can replace it. You can use it to build bigger, stronger legs, improve speed or for the ultimate conditioning workout.  I consider it a must-have piece of equipment and absolutely love it.

 

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KettlebellKettlebells are awesome training tools that allow you to do a wide variety of exercises. Snatches and swings are my two personal favorites. If you know someone who trains at home or outside on their own, a kettlbell would be a great addition to their workouts and would make for a great gift. Males could start with somewhere between a 35 and a 53 pound kettlebell (depending on their size and strength) and females could start with an 18 or a 26.  Instead of jogging or riding a stationary bike try swinging a kettlebell for sixty seconds, resting for 30 seconds, jumping rope for sixty seconds and repeating for ten minutes straight. That’s a killer conditioning workout.

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GymBoss Interval Timer– This is a great way to time your rest periods during strength training or conditioning and makes a cool little stocking stuffer for all the fitness enthusiasts on your list.
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The Rotater– This is a cool little tool that was sent to me recently which is great for shoulder rehab and prehab. Anyone you know with shoulder problems could benefit from incorporating some work on the Rotater into their regular program.
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Stainless Steel Food Containers & Water Bottles– The dangers of plastic are widely known by now. Do everyone you know a favor and help them eliminate man boobs and other estrogen related issues by picking them up some stainless steel containers or water bottles.
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Strength Training Bands– High tension bands can be used for dozens of productive exercises such as pull downs, face pulls, pull aparts, pulldown abs, isometric hold exericises, ankle walks, resisted pushups, resisted sprints and many others. They make a great addition to any home gym and are an effective weapon in every geared powerlifters arsenal (for adding to squats, deads and bench presses).

The biggest benefit of bands in my opinion, is that they allow you to do bodyweight exercises that you aren’t strong enough to do on your own, such as chins, handstand pushups, muscle ups and other advanced moves. For those exercises right there I believe it’s crucial for everyone to own a set of these bands.
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Elbow & Knee Sleeves– These are great for keeping your elbows and knees warm during training. Not of as much benefit to young, healthy guys, but for the older, more beat up crowd these can be a big help in avoiding injuries and will keep you feeling good (and safe) throughout your workouts.
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Superfood Snacks– Foods like goji berries, cacao nibs and maca are all known as superfoods and have tremendous health benefits. Before you thinking about stuffing a stocking with junk food, I highly recommend you pick up a few bags of these tasty treats.

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sandbags-lgSandbags
– Sandbags are a phenomenal strength and conditioning tool that make a great addition to any training program. Personally I like to use them for finishers. If you think you’re in shape, just try doing a high rep set of heavy sandbag shouldering. Talk to me afterwards. Some other good exercises you can do with sandbags are shouldering, zercher squats and lunges, snatches and a wide variety of throws.

Any hard training athlete or meathead on your list would be thrilled to find one of these waiting for him under the tree.

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Jump Rope We have still yet to develop a conditioning method more effective than jumping rope. Not only does jumping rope burn fat and improve your conditioning but it also works wonders for foot speed and coordination. Your ankles and calves will also get a great strengthening workout from jumping rope which will help prevent injury. It worked for Ali and it will work for anyone one on your shopping list this year.

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Renegade Barbell Club or Renegade Strength & Conditioning T-Shirt– You can’t find a more stylin’ t-shirt anywhere on the market. Spread the word and help grow the Renegade Nation to one million strong by sportin’ one of these bad boys to the gym. Guaranteed to get you 23.7% more girls. Well, maybe not guaranteed, but chances are good.

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Happy Holidays.