The Best Strength Training Equipment for Personal Trainers Without A Facility
If you don’t have a facility to train clients having portable strength training equipment can be the answer you need, and you didn’t even…
If you don’t have a facility to train clients having portable strength training equipment can be the answer you need, and you didn’t even know it existed.
What unique and portable equipment you will see:
Dumbbell Set
Olympic style barbells
Squat racks
Flywheel/ Iso-inertia trainers
Farmer Carry Handles+ Sled combo
Landmine attachments
Endless rope trainer
I’m writing this as the United States is starting to establish the new norms after the Corona Virus lock-downs; I say new norms because it’s definitely not “going back to normal” as of yet. It’s been difficult to both experience work/life without access to facilities to train clients, and to talk with other self employed personal trainers and small business gym owners as they are also in the same situations I am. I hope everyone reading this has been able to stay afloat and safe from harm.
Since moving down to Miami I’ve trained ~80% of my clients “where they are”(home or a condo facility), and only ~20% at a private facility, so having some portable equipment is huge for filling the gaps their facility might have in equipment selection. Most of the options I chose were relatively inexpensive, very durable, and fit into one medium sized dufflebag. This was my “lowest overhead system” and it worked since I was lucky enough to have clients with pretty good condo and home gyms. However this changed once all facilities were closed indefinitely, and eventually not considered essential in the re-opening process. My lowest overhead system now leaves me with a very limited selection of equipment to and those limitations can bleed down to the exercise selection for my clients based on their needs and/or own limitations. You can only progress a body-weight squat so far before you end up doing something pretty ridiculous to make it more difficult or just do 1000’s of reps.
I dug deep into some pretty detailed Google searches and came up with a list that will surprise you. You can actually travel with Strength training equipment without needing a special mobile gym unit.
Before I begin I want to clarify that this is not an ad for these piece of equipment, nor am I currently paid by or affiliated with any of these companies for making a referral to their products.
All “underlined text” are links directly to their website and include a “tag” I created that shows their site analytics you came form this article.
Portable Dumbbells
Starting with the least surprising piece of portable equipment is the dumbbell. While there are quite a few adjustable dumbbell sets available, I think only one really earns their place here. That’s the PowerBlock Adjustable dumbbells. ~$200–$900 depending on what weight you get.
The 4 biggest reasons why these are better than some of the other options for portable use are:
POWERBLOCKS DON’T NEED A SEPARATE BASE TO HOLD or SWITCH THE WEIGHT SELECTION!
They are expandable to heavier weights up to 175lbs each if you need it down the road.
The weight selection tool is not mechanical dials or switches. Its a simple pin selector.
They have a highly beneficial selection of attachments for their dumbbells. including an attachment to make one of the dumbbells a kettlebell, and an attachment to make both dumbbells an EZ Curl bar or a straight bar.
The first reason is really the biggest advantage for the sake of both portability and durability. If I need to walk with a pair of 50lb dumbbells I can literally grab them by the handle and perform a farmers carry to my destination and not be stuck only using the 50lb increment because they are constructed to be their own base. Also, having a base that is required leaves it open to getting broken during transport in a vehicle or in replacing the weights to make an adjustment. Some of my clients own adjustable dumbbell options that have a base that is required to hold plates, and both the base has broken or the mechanical weight selection methods have broken.
Powerblock Adjustable Dumbbells: powerblock.com
If you don’t need to move the dumbbells frequently you can get away with a few other options that are still high quality space savers.
Portable Olympic Barbells
Before my search I didn’t think this was a thing. Funny enough, for April Fools 2020 Eleiko actually “Launched” a portable barbell as their gag for the year. It came with it’s own carrying case, had a 5-piece assembly, competition collars among other features that seemed crazy. The real crazy part is these pieced bars really exist. Here are some of the best ones.
Mobell Muscle’s “Mobell Bar” $425:
Out of the 4 options I found this is probably the most versatile given the amount of information they display about it. It’s all standard specs of any Oly type bar, it just happens to be manufactured to disassemble into 3 pieces. The bar assembles by screwing the 3 pieces together and doesn't require any additional tools.
They list it’s 20kg, 87.5" long tested up to ~317.5kg weight capacity 170/190,000 PSI tensile strength, steel construction, bronze bushing sleeves, rust prevention coating, fits 2" diameter standard weight plates & Bumpers.
They also offer a full kit that includes some specialized sandbags to use for the bar as well, that that could be a 2 in one purchase if you liked that option add-on.
Sorniex “Recon Bar” $430:
Sorinex usually put out high quality products, so I don’t see why this one would be any different. However, they don’t provide a lot of information about the Recon Bar other than some basic 2/3 piece construction, does require some screwing into the bar, and standard barbell dimensions.
We don’t know the weight capacity limits, tensile strength, type of knurling, bushings etc. It does say it weights apprx. 50lbs
You can see that it does require 4 allen key type screws for assembly which is more work than the previous bar which just screws together. However, if it has the durability like most of their other equipment It can be worth the gamble.
BandBell “RhinoFlex Bar” $329-$595:
A composite barbell made from carbon fiber-like material. This means for it’s weight it has some pretty serious strength! I like it as a portable option because of this alone, their lowest model weighs 3.4kg and has a capacity of 158.75kg. The 2 other “HD & Super Rhino” options weigh 3.6kg and have a capacity of 272.15kg.
The collars also hold standard weight plates and bumpers so you don’t need any special extras from them.
The fact that the bar is strong and light just means you can transport a full size barbell around that works well for clients who don’t currently have a need to start at the 20kg default of standard barbells.
The diameter of the bar is a little thicker than standard barbells but that’s a minor con to the pros this bar offers.
SWATmine “Swatbar” $405:
This is probably the more limited bar, but still has some benefits. It is shaped and constructed similarly to an standard oly barbell which is nice.
It’s a 4 piece construction weights the standard 20kg, but only intended for landmine type movements. They note that it’s able to hold 300lbs, but also make sure to state in the description
“This is NOT a typical Olympic barbell. Not intended for Bench Pressing, Squats, Deadlifts or any extreme amounts of heavy lifting”
having this disclaimer leads me to believe that it’s durability outside of anything landmine related is to be questioned and might be prone to bending and or breaking if used in a traditional way. This would be a sad reality if it broke so easily because it’s not inexpensive.
Portable Squat Racks
I know the most obvious and more widely available option would be to buy some adjustable portable squat stands. They usually aren’t heavy and stand up on their own individually, and when paired up will hold a barbell just fine. I wanted to see if there were any other options that don’t require 1 time assembly bolting together. I found 3 options, 2 of which are almost identical concepts(which surprised me LOL).
BeaverFit “Gym Boxes” $2K-5,000? :
I believe the price-point above includes some additional equipment in the box besides just the rack and box but they only disclose the pricing if you contact them to by, they don’t have an onsite e-commerce option.
As the name says this is more than “just a squat rack”, its a literal gym in a box. While I believe they do have an option of you just purchasing the basic empty box and rack combo, I did not find the pricing on their website.
The Box serves a dual purpose as it houses the rack for easy storage and transport as well as a counter balance/stability for the use of the dip bar attachments, safety bars, and pull up station.
The box fits in the back of a pick up truck bed lengthwise, has wheels and the rack uprights can be used as handles for transport(like a suitcase). I was also told a full box at their “heavy” equipment option will weigh around 700+ pounds. So, it’s no feather if you get that option, but if they sell it empty and you can store your own lighter equipment in there it can be a nice option.
Mobile Fitness Equipment “HitchFit” $1,500:
It’s a squat rack and pull up bar combo that attaches directly to any motor vehicle hitch whether it be a small car, SUV, or truck. Before assembly its around the size of an over-sized suitcase and weights around 100lbs.
The assembly is said to take about 5 minutes without any need for additional tools.
If you’re not comfortable using it on your small car it’s something you can still travel with in said small car, and use with a clients larger Rolls Royce SUV or Original Hummer H2 from the early 2000's(this last bit is a bit of sarcasm).
4 really cool aspects that make this system stand out is that it comes with a pull up bar, the uprights telescope to whatever your desired height is for pull ups(from 78"-108" tall), It also has adjustable feet in case your are not on level ground, and when you remove the uprights you can fasten them to the rest of the hitch attachment and drive your car without needing to perform a full disassembly every time.
The only 3 negatives were not having any safety bars(even as an add-on), the J-cups are only rated for up to 350lbs(I don’t know if that was each or as a pair), and any rack attachments made from other manufacturers will not be compatible to their system.
Rig Rack “RigRack” $600:
You guessed it. Hooking the squat rack up to your motor vehicle towing rig (tow hitch).
Set up is said to take 3 minutes. They mention that it works with any truck or SUV as long as with any vehicle that has a 2" hitch, so I assume the same versatility as the previous option.
This system weights about 15lbs less and is a similar size. The shape of this one is triangular where the other is rectangular so it might be a little more cumbersome to carry if need be.
This one also looks as though you can travel with it in the hitch which is a plus. I
t does require you to use your own barbell as the pull up bar if and when you want to use it(could you acquire an additional bar to put up there on your own…of course).
I also like that Rig Rack has an add-on called “the pedestal” that allows you to use this freestanding without needing a hitch. It just adds to the versatility if need be.
While it’s not included in the rack set up this company also has some vulcanized rubber “roll stop bumper pads” you can use to save your bumper plates from any unsavory surfaces.
Portable Flywheel Trainers / Portable Isoinertial Trainers
These were a bit more difficult to find because the most popular flywheel devices occupy the search, and fly wheel resistance is also used in commercial gym rower machines, and stationary cycling trainers for competitive cycling athletics. The options I chose here are not a statement they “better than the others in function or manufacturing”, but they are for sure 100% more portable.
ExerFly Sport “Exerfly Portable” $1,500:
The only true portable flywheel device I could find. They took the most important pieces, minimized the construction, and then allowed everything else to be modular and collapsible for travel.
This was also the only flywheel device I found that allowed for the ability to use it vertically and horizontally. Like I said above, the main piece that includes all the actual components for the device to work is minimized down to literally one piece + the flywheel. The base for vertical movements can be 100% dismantled, and all you need to use it horizontally is use their mounting kit.
The entire system weighs only 22lbs and can fit into a carry on suitcase.
StrexBox “StrexBox Home” $649:
Most platform based models are much larger than this one for one reason, the flywheel plates are usually vertical. In this piece of equipment they are horizontal which allows it to be much more compact.
They don’t list any other features in the product description so, I am unsure of the weight of the equipment. I don’t imagine it would be any heavier than Exxentric’s Kbox options.
Handy Gym $ 730:
This is a flywheel device that “fits in the palm of your hand” not literally, but it is a 100% handheld unit. Yes, a handheld unit that weighs in around 2–3 pounds.
Right “out of the box” you can attach it to a rack upright, pole, tree, fence etc. and do all your horizontal and rotational work. To perform vertical movements like squats you need to purchase their base or create a base of your own.
They have 3 disc options from 90, 135 & 220lb/in(squared) and it looks like their base model comes standard with their the 90 or 135 disc. The 220 is an addon.
This piece is quite literally brand new. As the Covid-19 pandemic was beginning to take hold, they were buttoning up the final touches to their Kickstarter and IndieGoGo campaigns. Their pre-sale orders are hopeful to shit in June/July and then maybe they will start fulfilling new orders again.
Portable Farmers Handles + Sled
Sleds and Farmers handles are usually quite awkward to store or travel with. The sled weighs a lot, and is too large to do anything but drag or pull when moving. The farmer handles are light barbells that only have 1 singular purpose.
Stronger Than U “The Walking Sled” $600:
A real 2 for one combo! It’s sold as a pair so you get 2 farmers handles and 2 sleds. When stood up they are farmer handles, laid down they are sleds. They weight around 20kg each.
each one Accepts 6 standard weight plates and holds over 300 lbs per handle. I don’t know the max it can hold if you were to put competition powerlifting plates on which are not as wide as standard plates are.
The loading diameter is universal and accepts all barbell collars.
One of the benefits for these being farmer handles is also a way for you to transport extra weight plates to the site because you can put them on and walk them over.
They have made note that they are upgrading to a new 3.0 version soon as well.
Spud-Inc “Traveling Farmers Walks” $70:
I think Spud-Inc has a “strap for everything” so I’m not surprised they have one for carrying weights.
The straps are height adjustable and accept all plates with standard barbell diameter opening.
As long as you have weights of almost any kind you can now make farmer handles out of them.
Spud-Inc. “Short Track Sled” $130:
A high quality sled perfect for use on grass, turf, or track without damaging the surface your using it on.
Since it’s not made of metal it can fold or roll up nicely, and be easily transported almost anywhere you need it.
The “short Track” design is just a nice added plus because the top strap makes it easy to change directions without needing to turn the sled around or make an adjustment to the towing strap location.
Portable Barbell Landmines
Stronger Than U “ The Gut Wrench” $150:
The most “minimalized design” I can think of the for the landmine. You get exactly what you need to perform the exercise in any plane of motion you can think of, but also the protection you need for the end cap of your barbell when leaning it on its edge.
The only moving part is the locking screw. This means the durability or risk of it breaking during transport is almost entirely eliminated. The less moving parts, the less of a chance it can fall apart.
The rubber end cap helps the dome end stay in place when using it in the middle of an open area, or on a surface where it might slip like a turf, grass, or carpet. You don’t NEED to use this in the corner of anything or against a wall.
It’s small, maybe 1/4th the length of the end of the barbell and can fit easily in a gym bag.
SwatMine $170:
More or less similar to a standard landmine device, but the base plate is smaller only weighing 12lbs. This is counter to some Landmine devices that require attachment to a rack, or the base weights 20kg+.
It’s shipped fully assembled and doesn't take up a lot of space as they claim it fits in most standard backpacks.
Portable Endless Rope Trainer
Aktiv Solutions “Revvll ONE” $700:
This one was easy for me to find because I actually saw someone I follow on Instagram use it in. Gym Ferris thanks for the introduction to this piece of equipment.
It’s a little under 12lbs and includes the anchoring/mounting sling so you can attach it to anything from a rack upright, a tree, pole, trunk latch, etc.
The rope is 13' in length and is not an actual rope material so its easier to clean than normal braided ropes. They don’t disclose what its actually made out of, but it’s easy to see its not any type of cloth.
includes a rep counter and adjustable resistance dial to you can adjust to your clients levels or change the purpose of the exercise.
What Would your Mobile Set up Look Like?
I hope you liked some of the equipment I found here.
I think some of these items I included + the more popular portable fitness equipment can give you some really unique training set ups.
If you were to take one item from each category + some weight plates you will have an entire gym set up that allows you to be mobile with almost zero limitations.
Check out https://fitletes.com to see what else we have to make your life as a personal trainer a little easier.