I use these to simulate pull ups. I would highly recommend a pull up bar. While the resistance bands do a decent job of simulating a pull up, a real pull up would be better. There are several types that can be installed in your home.
Dumbbells
Most of the upper body exercises use dumbbells. I have the Bowflex Selectech dumbbells. They are nice, but they are overpriced. Shop around, you can find dumbbells for about $0.50 per pound. OR….you can use your resistance bands. The videos show how to use the resistance band for every exercise. This is the cost-effective way to go!
Yoga Mat
This is a great piece of equipment. From stretching to yoga to plyometrics. This is a must have and fairly cheap. Check out your local Target store.
Yoga Blocks
I don’t yet have the full range of motion for many of the yoga positions. These blocks help achieve that. These are also priced fair and can be purchased at Target.
Heart-Rate Monitor
I trained for a half-marathon a few years ago, and was skeptical when the coach suggested one of these. As it turns out, this is a valuable tool. I highly suggest it, however, its not mandatory. I purchased mine at Target for $50. It also has a feature that calculates calories burned. This is a great feature if you are trying to cut weight.
Push Up Bars
These are great. While I am not in great shape, I can do push ups with little difficulty. Push up bars don’t make push ups harder (well, a little), they make the push up more effective by providing an additional 6 inches to the range of motion. If you have wrist problems that prevent you from doing push ups, these will help ease the tension. You will do thousands of push ups with P90X. These are pretty cheap and can be purchased at Target or your local sports store.
That’s about it. Most of the people who have posted videos on youtube or written blogs have high-end equipment. I don’t think that is necessary. In fact, the only necessary piece of equipment is probably resistance bands. These are very affordable at any sporting goods store.
