Stuff We Like

Fit up to 19" arms. No, yours aren't bigger than that.

This is one of the highest rated armbands on the market. Just click your phone into the mount and start sweating. A quick twist and it pops right off. And the low profile design means it won't get in the way of your workout.

– Chris Shugart

Slow Down to Charge Ahead

Stop letting other people jerk your emotions around. Stop getting distracted from what you need to be doing. Read this, quiet your anxious mind, put things into perspective, and seize the day.

– Dani Shugart

5 Movement Principles for a Stronger Body, Sharper Mind, and Stress-Proof Life

Fix your injury-prone body, gain a better posture, and have more mobility. This book is full of new info you probably haven't heard before. Bonus: It's actually fun to read.

– Dani Shugart

An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over

You've got the strong body, now let's build your relationships, your career, and everything in between. Improve your LQ (Likeability Quotient) and just about everything gets better.

– Chris Shugart

Rubber fill, water resistant, 20-100 pounds

We first wrote about sandbag training way back in 2005, and it's still a legit training method. It's also a helluva lot of fun. The problem? The sand. Even the quality bags we've tested tend to leak after a few years of hard use. Enter the Wreck Bag. These tough bags are mess-free and pre-filled with a non-toxic rubber blend, which makes them shock absorbent and stable. The load remains evenly distributed. Clean it, press it, throw it, curl it, squat it, or just toss it over your shoulders and haul your big fat ass up a hill. The bag will survive. You may not.

– Chris Shugart

3" diameter handles, textured steel, integrated hooks and carabiner hole

Have you been hitting the iron hard for years? Then your elbows are probably telling you the same thing mine are telling me: "Hey Chris, we're getting older, we're feeling cranky, and we're not going to let you lift like you used to." We have to out-smart those cantankerous, get-off-my-lawn joints. A proven way to do it? Adopt a fat, neutral grip whenever possible. That's where the Bazooka Bar comes in. Use it for pull-ups, pulldowns, and rows. The hooks fit over any standard bar and it even has a hole for attaching it to cable machines. Your crotchety elbows will thank you, and you'll build some new grip strength and forearm size to boot.

– Chris Shugart

Double-walled, leak proof, BPA-free, mixer ball included

It's time to upgrade your stinky plastic shaker bottle. This is a nice one. It's double walled and vacuum insulated, meaning there's no condensation with cold drinks and no burned fingers with hot drinks. Fits most cup holders too.

– Chris Shugart

Antibacterial, organic

Get a grip... without the messy chalk. Instead of applying it to your hands, you just rub it directly onto your barbell, pull-up bar, or gymnastic rings. It provides just the right amount of tack for a sure grip. It'll even help keep your hands from getting torn up – no sissy gloves required. Rep Wax also has antibacterial properties to help fight off the bacteria left on gym equipment, which might be pretty important these days.

– Chris Shugart

Anti-slip rubber base, fit together for easy storage

I love seeing people doing push-ups using the handles of round dumbbells. It tells me that I should avoid that person... just in case stupidity is an airborne contagion. I'm kidding. Mostly. Doing push-ups with your palms flat on the floor CAN be uncomfortable, especially for beat-up lifters who've lost some wrist mobility. But ditch the wobbly dumbbells and try these blocks instead (recommended to us by coach Lee Boyce). Unlike standard push-up handles, Bear Blocks have a wide, flat hand surface that's angled just right for maximum comfort. No more wrist strain or impingement. Sweet.

– Chris Shugart

Trail running shoe, Quicklace system, all-terrain grip

Some people enjoy running along endless stretches of straight asphalt... for miles. We call those people "masochists." If I'm going to run, I prefer to do it out on some mountain trails where my mind has to stay sharp and my body has to react to unexpected terrain changes. Also, I get to see chipmunks and shit. If that's the kind of running you like, your regular gym shoes aren't going to cut it. You need something with traction and protection, like these third generation Sense Rides from Salomon. These shoes have road-ride comfort combined with all the tactical extras you need to bound over sharp rocks and loose debris. And the one-pull, wire-like laces mean they'll never come untied when you're running from a bear or backwoods serial killer.

– Chris Shugart

Lightweight EVA foam cushioning, mesh upper, flexible outsole

Back in the 1980s, Reebok briefly overtook Nike as the top athletic shoe brand. They did it by creating a shoe made specifically for a new exercise craze: step aerobics. (They made the plastic step too. Smart.) Nike countered by creating a brand new category of footwear: the cross trainer. That marketing game is still being played today. What's popular? HIIT or high intensity interval training. So why not make a shoe just for it? That's exactly what Reebok did with the HIIT TR. It's a grippy, versatile shoe designed to support whatever style of jumping around you like to do to make your heart beat fast.

– Chris Shugart

Rubber wraps for rope climbs, flexible and lightweight design

Voted the best all-around gym shoe by magazines who vote on such things, the latest "CrossFit without saying the word CrossFit" shoe by Nike looks like a winner. Reviewers love the extra ankle support and breathability. Perfect for your "mixed workouts" with "varied movement patterns." Wink-wink.

– Chris Shugart