Blog

How to Heat a Garage Gym: The Best Tips and Equipment

December 11, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

I am republishing this as of December 2024, because I’m another year in to experimenting on how to heat a garage gym. we are starting to get down into the 30s here in Austin, and it’s enough to make all the dumbbells and barbells cold.

So, let’s get to it: here are the best ways to heat a garage gym this winter.

Some links in this post are Amazon affiliate links to products that I love and regularly use.

Heat Your Garage Gym This Winter!

Whether you live in harsher environments with more extreme weather, or farther south, the cold can present a challenge for your garage gym workouts. This isn’t you being a wuss, either; cold weather changes the game, and it’s good for you to have options on how to heat your space to a more comfortable temperature.

personal trainer Austin Kathryn Alexander — Headlamps are a must for home improvement projects 🙂

To make my winter garage sessions more survivable, I have added insulation to my garage walls behind new sheetrock, I insulated the door, and bought an electric heater. Worth every bit of the investment! I’ll give you all the details below.

Ways to Heat a Garage Gym in Winter

Learning how to heat a garage gym for cold winter weather is one of the best things you can do to continue making progress on your health and strength goals. Don’t skip your garage gym workout because of the cold weather!

There are several heating methods for warming your cold garage gym to a comfortable temperature in the winter months, the best way to warm your home gym this winter. Check them out below.

Propane Heaters

Propane heaters are one of the most effective options for heating a garage in the cold weather, but they do come with down sides.

A propane heater will put out a lot of heat and can create warm air in a large space like the whole garage, not just a corner. Most propane heaters are forced air heaters, meaning they propel air out instead of simply heating in a radiant fashion.

Examples of propane heaters are the torpedo heaters you have probably seen in warehouse style gyms, and at the front of The Home Depot and Lowe’s in cooler months.

You’ll need a fuel source such as a propane tank if you don’t have a gas line in your garage.

However, the byproduct of a burning propane is carbon monoxide, so you must have proper ventilation. This part is crucial!

You must leave the garage doors somewhat open and/or a window partially open to safely operate a propane heater.

You should also have a carbon monoxide detector. You should have this anyway! But you should especially have it if you are using a propane heater.

If you go this route, please research it further. It would also be a good idea to consult your local HVAC specialist first.

If this concerns you, a better option might be a radiant heater.

Radiant Heaters and Infrared Heaters

Radiant heaters are a great heat source during the cold season. They can warm a small space or pocket of a room. Since they only radiate and do not force air out, they heat smaller areas. Infrared heaters are examples of radiant heaters. Infrared heaters can be free standing portable heaters or mounted to the ceiling to save floor space. They heat objects and people instead of heating the air around them. Depending on the size of your garage, radiant heaters might be a great option.

Electric Heaters

Electric heaters are one of the easiest ways to heat a garage on cold days. I use an electric heater in my garage gym. It is an oil filled space heater which I put it near my squat rack, where I’ll be doing most of the work. It doesn’t dramatically heat the whole garage, but it makes the cold bearable.

I use a DeLonghi oil filled radiator heater, which is about $100 – $150. Worth it to me. (Affiliate link).

I have two of these, one in my garage gym, and I use one inside too. It makes a room nice and cozy warm without having to raise the heat in the whole house.

You can google “best electric space heaters” to see which fits your space and budget. There will be many options and you should find many that will comfortably heat small garages.

Mini Split Ductless Heaters

One of the most effective and convenient solutions for heating your garage gym in winter is installing a mini split. A mini split is an electric ductless heating system. They run about $1,000 and will need to be installed by a professional. These might be the best heaters, as they provide both heating and cooling, and are effective enough to combat the most extreme temperatures in cold climates, and fight off the heat in the summer.

Mini splits will probably come with a fancy little remote control and put out all the hot air you’d like.

Consider a mini split a complete and full heat and cold solution. It will affect your electric bill more than the smaller heaters and heating solutions, but it will be a permanent solution that will last a long time.

Other Ways to Heat a Garage Gym

There are of course other ways to heat a garage gym, including a wood stove, pellet stove or natural gas heaters. These are less convenient in a garage and more suitable for finished rooms. You would of course have to take care with these, as they have open flame. Generally I would suggest the above solutions before you use a wood or pellet stove, but if you have experience with these and can tell me otherwise, please let me know! I have admittedly lived pretty far south my whole life, and the portable electric heaters have been plenty for me.

Insulation for Walls, Doors and Floors of Garage Gyms

One of the most effective, easy and cost saving ways to keep the cold air out is to ensure your garage is well insulated. Proper insulation on the walls, doors and floors can go a long way in holding heat in and reducing the cost of heating the garage.

And, speaking of essentials, here are some home gym equipment essentials.

Floor Insulation

Concrete floors become brutally cold in the winter, bringing all that cold in via the floor. Laying down a solid flooring foundation is smart for any gym, for safety, preservation of your floor and sport performance.

One often overlooked benefit is that a thick floor covering will help with insulation. I recommend horse stall mats like the ones that can be found at Tractor Supply. These are 3/4 – 1” thick and do a great job of buffering the temperature of the cold floor.

You might want different thicknesses if you’re using your garage gym for different purposes. Here are more factors to consider when you are deciding how thick your gym flooring needs to be.

floors mats for heat retention in garage — Approximately 12 floor mats cover my garage gym floor to cushion and protect the floor, and insulate.

In the harsher winter of colder climates, some people elect to heat their garage floor. This is a more expensive and comprehensive solution, as it involves installing the heating elements into the floor. If you are considering this, do further research in finding reputable companies who specialize in heating floors.

Wall Insulation

If you are renovating the garage walls and have the opportunity to install sheet insulation, take it. That will help tremendously to keep heat from escaping in the winter. The Home Depot gives a great idea of what kind of insulation level you need, including R-values by region of the US. Check this out if you are adding insulation.

How to heat a garage gym and use insulation to retain heat — This is the fiberglass I used in the garage gym walls, and you can see the garage door insulation packed into the panels.

fiberglass insulation in garage gym walls — Fiberglass insulation in the garage gym walls, trimmed to fit between studs.

If you aren’t redoing the walls anytime soon, the next best thing is to insulate the garage door.

Garage Door Insulation

There are several ways to insulate an existing garage door. The two most common are fiberglass insulation, which comes in blankets, and foam panel insulation. I bought a garage door insulation kit with sheets of fiberglass insulation and installed it myself. It was around $200 from Home Depot for my two garage doors, and was fairly easy to do. It required fitting the insulation between the garage door panels, sealing the edges with tape clips.

I have since learned that this can get heavy because of accumulation of moisture in the fiberglass insulation, so foam panels might be a better option. Again, contact a trusted HVAC professional to help you make the right decision. Foam panel insulation also looks a bit sharper.

I don’t regret my insulation at all, and it’s effective. But, I might do it differently in the future to heat my next garage gym.

Finally, you can add weatherstripping or seal to the bottom of your garage door if you have large gaps that allow heat loss.

Dress for Cold Weather

The last thing you can do, which doesn’t involve modifying your garage, is dressing yourself for the cold weather. Invest in cold gear in layers: a base layer, an insulating layer, and an outer layer. I swear by REI merino wool socks, and thermal middle layers.

To be fully honest with you, you need to ask your cold weather friends or google how to dress for winter weather. I do not know how, and my strategy is to avoid harsh winters. I’ve been skiing once and boy, was it a bad time.

I was cold cold! I try every year to find better gear, but I still get cold, which is the reason I have added insulation behind my sheet rock, the garage door insulation, and a heater to my garage.

Read also my favorite home gym organization ideas and storage solutions.

Make a Plan for Cold Weather Lifting

Make a cold weather plan so you continue getting your lifting in this winter. By adding a bit of weather stripping, insulation, and investing in the right type of heater, you can create a comfortable environment.

You can also be strategic by warming up inside to begin the warming up/sweating process, and moving to the garage while it has had to for you, and it, to warm up.

In summary, to keep warm in your garage gym in the cold winter:

Identify leaks in your garage
Add weather stripping and insulation
Purchase a good heater for your space
Dress in layers in cold weather gear
Start your heater in the garage gym
Warm up inside
Go dominate your training session!

Cold Weather Not For You?

Join me in a heated gym with infrared saunas! You can’t always out run the cold. If this is the case for you, do the next best thing and meet me at Big Tex Gym in Austin, Texas for some climate controlled personal training!

Check out these training options here and let me know how I can help you!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cable Squats: Muscles Worked and How to do Them

April 12, 2025 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

What Are Cable Squats

Cable squats: muscles worked, how to do them, and why you would do them. Cable squats are a great accessory exercise for your lower body. They are different than barbell squats, and are a great way to get in some extra volume.

Cable squats are a variation of the traditional squat exercise, but they use a cable machine for resistance instead of a barbell. Instead of holding weights on your shoulders, like in a barbell squat, you hold a cable attachment (such as a rope or handle) in front of you and squat while pulling moving the cable stack.

cable squats muscles worked by Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer

Cable squats can help target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, while also engaging your core to stabilize your body as you perform the movement. It’s a great option if you’re looking to add variety to your leg workouts or if you want to minimize stress on the spine compared to barbell squats.

Let’s discuss what muscles are worked during the cable squats.

Cable Squats: Muscles Worked

Cable squats primarily work the following muscle groups:

Quadriceps (Front of the Thigh): The quads are heavily engaged during the squatting motion, as they extend the knees when you drive up from the squat position.
Glutes (Buttocks): The glutes are heavily involved in the hip extension that occurs when you return to the standing position from the squat.
Hamstrings (Back of the Thigh): The hamstrings assist in controlling the movement during the downward portion of the squat and help with the hip extension as you drive back up.
Core Muscles: Your abdominals and obliques are engaged to stabilize your torso and maintain proper posture throughout the movement, especially since the cable attachment adds an element of resistance pulling you forward.
Adductors (Inner Thighs): The adductors, or inner thigh muscles, help stabilize your legs as you squat, particularly if you perform the movement with a wider stance.
Erector Spinae (Lower Back): While not the primary muscles, your lower back muscles work to help keep your spine in a neutral position, preventing you from rounding your back during the squat. The erector spinae muscles are particularly worked here, since the cable pulls you forward, unless gravity pulling you downward on traditional squats.

Overall, cable squats provide a full-body workout that primarily targets the lower body muscles, with an emphasis on the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, while also engaging your core for stability.

Please note this was like my 200th exercise to film. I was very tired 😅. Kathryn Alexander at Hyde Park Gym circle 2016

How Do You Do Cable Squats?

Here’s how you can perform cable squats for proper form:

Set up the machine: Attach a rope or handle to the low pulley on a cable machine. Set the weight to an appropriate level. If you don’t know where to start, start with a few plates in.
Position yourself: For your starting position, stand facing the machine, feet shoulder-width apart, with the cable attachment in both hands. Hold the rope or handle at chest height, keeping your arms extended in front of you.
Squat: Lower your hips and bend your knees, keeping your chest up and back straight, just like in a regular squat. The cable should remain taut as you squat down.
Stand up: Push through your heels to return to the standing position, resisting the pull of the cable as you go.

Common Mistakes on Cable Squats

Cable squats can be a killer move when done right, but there are definitely some common mistakes that can mess with your form or even lead to injury. Here are the most frequent ones:

1. Bending Your Elbows

Why it’s bad: Bad may be overkill, but if you bend your elbows too much, you’ll probably lose your balance.
Fix: Keep your arms long with elbows straight. Think of your arms like a tether, so your lower body can do the work.

2. Letting the Knees Cave In (Knee Valgus)

Why it’s bad: Can lead to knee pain or injury.
Fix: Focus on keeping your knees as wide as your big toe or wider. This will help you use your glute muscles optimally and keep your knees tracking the way you want them to.

3. Rounding the Lower Back

Why it’s bad: Again, bad is situational here. The goal is to work your legs and glutes, with your upper body and core as supporting staff. If your back is rounded, you’ll have a lot of energy leakage there and you’re not exactly working what you’re aiming for.
Fix: Engage your core and keep a neutral spine. Stick your middle back engaged and maintain that posture throughout.

4. Not Going Low Enough (Shallow Squats)

Why it’s bad: You’re not working the full range of motion, so you’re leaving gains on the table.
Fix: Aim to get your thighs at least parallel to the floor, or lower if flexibility and control allow.

5. Letting the Cable Control You

Why it’s bad: You lose tension, control, and the benefits of the exercise.
Fix: Actively control both the descent and the ascent. Don’t let the weight pull you. You can control this by using your core strength!

Cable Squat Variations

1. Cable Goblet Squats

How: Hold the cable handle (or rope attachment) close to your chest like a goblet.
Why: Encourages an upright torso, great for quad focus and core engagement.
Tip: Works well with a rope attachment for better grip and wrist comfort.

2. Cable Front Squat

How: Use dual cables, one in each hand, held at shoulder height like a barbell front squat.
Why: More upper body involvement, good for balance and posture.
Tip: Keep elbows up high to mimic barbell form.

3. Cable Zercher Squat

How: Hold the cable in the crook of your elbows (like a Zercher squat with a barbell).
Why: Torches your core, quads, and biceps all at once. Killer compound movement.
Tip: Use a towel or pad if it’s uncomfortable on the arms.

4. Cable Squat to Row

How: Squat down, then row the cable to your torso as you stand.
Why: Adds upper body pulling, making it a full-body movement.
Tip: Focus on rowing after completing the squat portion to avoid cheating the row.

5. Cable Split Squat / Bulgarian Split Squat

How: Stand in a lunge or split stance with cable in one or both hands.
Why: Emphasizes one leg at a time, great for fixing imbalances.
Tip: Try using the cable for balance and constant tension rather than max resistance.

6. Cable Sissy Squat

How: Lean back slightly as you squat down, letting knees travel forward.
Why: Massive quad burner—like a sissy squat but the cable gives balance and resistance.
Tip: Keep your hips forward and heels down for the full effect.

7. Cable Thruster

How: Do a full squat, then push the cable handles overhead like a shoulder press.
Why: Combo of legs + shoulders = spicy. Great for conditioning days.
Tip: Use lighter weight to maintain speed and control.

You’ve got a ton of room to play with cable squats, whether you’re chasing glute gains, building quads, or adding a little spice to your leg days. Here’s a deeper dive into how you can use each variation depending on your goal—and some sneaky pro tips too.

Goal-Based Cable Squat Variations

Since we’re talking about cable squats muscles worked, let’s discuss how you can focus on different muscle groups by adjusting your setup and form.

For Glute & Hamstring Focus

You want moves that shift tension to the back side (posterior chain):

Cable Pull-Through Squat (Hybrid)
- Think: RDL meets squat. Set the cable low behind you, grab with both hands through your legs, and squat.
- Glute Level: 10/10
- Tip: Squeeze hard at the top. Slow tempo down = more gains.
Cable Bulgarian Split Squat (Rear Foot Elevated)
- Isolates the glutes and hams more, especially if you keep your chest slightly leaned forward.
- Tip: Let the front leg do all the work—don’t push off the back foot. Almost becomes single cable squats.

For Quad Dominance

You’ll want upright torso, knees forward, and deep range:

Cable Goblet Squat
- Super quad-dominant when you go deep and keep tension at the bottom.
- Tip: Add a pause at the bottom to crush your quads.
Cable Sissy Squat
- Looks crazy, feels even crazier—in a good way. Pure quad annihilation.
- Tip: Hold onto the cable for balance, lean back, and go slowww.

For Full-Body / Athletic Conditioning

These variations are great for circuits, supersets, or metabolic work for the entire body:

Cable Squat Row
- Hits legs, core, and upper back. Keeps the heart rate up.
- Tip: Think power on the row—shoulder blades together at the top.
Cable Thruster
- Total-body push movement—legs to shoulders in one smooth flow.
- Tip: Exhale as you press; helps keep your core tight and protect your back.

For Core Stability & Balance

These challenge your stabilizers and help with athletic control:

Cable Offset Squat
- Hold the handle with one arm (off to the side), forcing your core to stabilize.
- Tip: Keep hips square; don’t let the cable pull you off-center.
Cable Zercher Squat
- Front-loaded = core is lit up the entire time.
- Tip: Brace abs like a plank—super useful if you’re building towards barbell squats.

BONUS: Try This Cable Squat Finisher

“10-10-10” Cable Squat Burnout:

10 slow tempo reps (4s down, 1s up)
10 pulse reps at the bottom
10 fast explosive reps

Your legs will be questioning everything.

Don’t have a cable for cable machine exercises? You can do many similar exercises with free weights or resistance bands.

What Are The Best Leg Exercises

Historically, the best exercises for lower body strength are going to be traditional barbell squats, deadlifts, lunges, and some of their variations. If your goal is to gain muscle mass, especially mass in your legs, then include these on some or all of your leg days. But if you are looking for a change of pace and different exercises, add these cable machine squats to your fitness routine.

How To Include Cable Squats In Your Fitness Routine

Keep the basics the basics. Traditional strength training with regular squats is a good idea. But, add in cable squats as one of your accessory exercises. In a nutshell, you’ll want to do your warm up, compound exercises and main lifts like back squats. Then add in cable squats to get more volume on your leg day before you wrap up.

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Message me here for a free consult about personal training in Austin, Texas, or here for online personal training, and we’ll discuss your goals, background, equipment availability, schedule, and exercise preferences.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

New Semi Private Personal Training in Austin, Texas!

April 2, 2025 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Hey there! I am happy to announce new semi-private personal training, live in Austin, Texas!

semi private personal training Austin Texas — New semi private personal training by Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) in Austin, Texas!

I have had some small group training going steadily for years, and my clients are seeing great results! They are getting stronger, leaner, and making friends in the process of sweating together.

They’re doing so great that they’re bringing their own friends, and more and more people are getting in on the training.

Because of that, I have opened new hours for groups of up to 4 clients at a time. This means you’ll still get custom plans tailored to your goals, and eyes on your training form and intensity.

What is Semi Private Personal Training?

Semi-private personal training is small group training. In this case, it is up to 4 clients. You have to rest when you’re strength training, so we do an “I go, you go” method, which means you lift the weight that is for you. When you are resting, your training partner lifts. We adjust the weights between lifters so you’re doing what’s appropriate for your ability.

This method allows several people to be training together at a time, without decreasing effort or results.

Does Semi-Private Personal Training Work?

Yes! Semi-private training is great for people who thrive in a group or social atmosphere. Now, don’t get it wrong: you have to put in the work for yourself. But having a coach and accountability buddies built in? That’s a recipe for success!

How Does Semi-Private Personal Training Work?

Inherently, some exercises require more instruction. Some exercises are easy to do on your own once you’ve had a little bit of instruction.

We do a full body training, but we do have a particular goal each session. We might do a more technical lift, or a lift that you need a spot for. In that case, I am with you during your lift.

You might superset that with a less technical lift that you are comfortable doing on your own, or stretches that you need, while you are resting.

It takes planning, but that’s my job! I’ll do the planning; you do the lifting!

We meet at Big Tex Gym, in Austin, Texas.

How Do I Join? Tell Me More!

Want to see if semi-private training is a good step for you? Send me a message here, and we’ll get on the phone or meet to discuss your goals and the best plan for you!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

The Best Workouts for Health: Contributor for Epoch Times

February 24, 2025 by Kathryn Alexander

I was recently honored to help with an article written by Emma Suttie and published in the Epoch Times.

The article is called “From Cardio to Play: The Best Workouts for Your Health”, and covers multiple ways you can exercise and how those different ways of exercise help you.

The best workouts for healthy Emma Suttie Kathryn Alexander epoch Times — The best workouts for health, by Emma Suttie. Kathryn Alexander contributes. Published in Epoch Times.

Ms. Suttie, a health expert herself, consulted experts to discuss the benefits of cardio, high intensity interval training (HIIT), mobility, strength training and play.

Below is a snippet of the article. The rest is published here at The Epoch Times.

The best workouts for health Emma Suttie Kathryn Alexander epoch Times

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Dumbbell Back Workout: The 5 Best Exercises

February 4, 2025 by Kathryn Alexander

Dumbbell back workouts are great complements to gym sessions for your upper body pulling days. If you’ve done much lifting in gyms, you know that the best back workouts are usually done with equipment you typically find in gyms.

Lat pulldowns, cable rows, and machine rows are easier to do with cable systems and equipment that you find in the gym.

However, you can get a great dumbbell back workout done at home if you do the following exercise.

dumbbell back workout Kathryn Alexander Austin pesonal trainer — dumbbell back workout with Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer. Hyde Park Gym circa 2014.

Why is a Strong Back Important?

Having a strong back is important for health, safety prevention, and for looking strong and athletic. This applies to men and women. A strong back means you’ll have good posture, lowered risk of injury, and and likely a pain free upper body. A muscular back will make your overall physique look strong and balanced.

In this article, I am going to explain how to do the 5 best dumbbell back exercises. Back in this case refers mostly to the muscle groups that work on the humerus and shoulder blades, as opposed to exercises that work your lower back musculature. In other words, I am referring to your latissimus dorsi, trapezius muscles, and rhomboids.

The teres minor, teres major, infraspinatus, (rotator cuff) and rear deltoids will be involved too. (Note that I am not focusing on rear delts either, so the rear delt fly is categorized with shoulder work in my book).

The lower back muscles, or erector spinae muscles and exercises that them, like deadlifts and hinges, will be covered in another article.

The Dumbbell Back Workout

Here it is: my favorite dumbbell back workout, and how to do these 5 best back exercises that you can do with a set of dumbbells. I’ll give a quick overview, then dive into each one.

Bent-Over Row

The single-arm dumbbell row, or bent over row, is probably what first comes to mind when lifters think of dumbbell back exercises, and for good reason. It’s a classic!

2 Arm Dumbbell Row

The same movement, but with both arms at a time, is one of the most popular row variations. This does work the lower back a good bit too, in addition to the upper back muscles.

Dumbbell Pullover

The dumbbell pullover *might* be my favorite upper body exercises, certainly one of the best dumbbell exercises. It works so many things, and feels so good!

Renegade Row

Full disclosure, not my favorite, but lots of people do them, so let me explain. The renegade row requires so much stability from the body that it really limits how much you can row, and the range of motion is not great.

Good Mornings

I’m giving good mornings an honorable mention because I love them so much. They actually do involved a lot of low back, and they aren’t a row. They are a hinge. But, I make the rules around here so I’m adding them to the list.

Bent Over Rows

Like I said, these are a fundamental movement to target the lats, traps, and rhomboids. I want my clients to learn proper form here, and then learn when to use a little more body English. Let’s start with ideal form.

To do the one arm bent over dumbbell row:

stand with your legs staggered, with the leg holding the dumbbell behind the other
with a hinge in your hips and neutral, straight back, brace one arm on something sturdy in front of you
extend the dumbbell toward the floor, keeping your back straight, but letting your shoulder stretch slightly toward the floor
squeeze your shoulders back and immediately follow by pulling your elbow to your sides
extend your elbow first to return to your start position
allow your shoulders to again stretch toward the floor

bent over row, by Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer

2 Arm Dumbbell Rows

This is essentially the same exercise as the 1 arm dumbbell row, except you are using a pair of dumbbells here. You are providing all the stability since you are not propping a hand or knee on any other surface. This is a great exercise for full back involvement.

To do the 2 arm dumbbell row:

hinge at the hips with your back straight and neutral
extend your elbows, keeping your back straight, but letting your shoulders stretch slightly toward the floor
squeeze your shoulders back and immediately follow by pulling your elbows to your sides
extend your elbows first to return to your start position
allow your shoulders to again stretch toward the floor
your pattern here is shoulders back, elbows back, elbows straight, shoulders stretch toward floor, repeat

Pullover

YASSS the pullover! Arnold (and a lot of other people) use these for chest development. It does work chest, and triceps, and abs. I just really like it for back. Grab a lighter weight until you get the feel for this. Also, if hurts your shoulder, skip it.

Note that I also do these a bit differently, as I like to lay on a bench like I would for bench press. Some people lay perpendicular and cross the bench. You can do either. Experiment to see which setup works best for you.

To do dumbbell pullovers:

lay flat on ground or bench, and then build up an arch in your lower back. I don’t want a flat back here.
press your shoulders down toward your hip pockets and keep them there for the duration of this exercise
make a big arc over your head with the weight
keep elbows soft and ribcage up
press your arms back until your hands are over your face, not farther toward bellybutton
repeat

Renegade Row

As I mentioned, the renegade row works so much of the body that it doesn’t focus on a rowing pattern. It requires so much stability that you have to use lighter weights on your row. But, try it and see if you like it.

To do the renegade row:

start in a high plank position, gripping a dumbbell in each hand
keep feet hip-width apart (wider for stability, narrower for difficulty)
brace your core. engage your abs and keep your body straight (no sagging hips)
pull one dumbbell towards your ribs, keeping your elbow close to your body
avoid twisting your torso—keep your hips squared to the ground
slowly return the dumbbell to the ground without dropping it
maintain a stable plank position, neutral spine, throughout the movement
of course, do the other arm

Good Mornings

And here we have the good morning! These DO work the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings. They are a lower body exercise and work the entire posterior chain. I heart them.

To do good mornings:

hold the dumbbell at your chest
keep your torso tight and neutral, not bending or flexing the spine
keeping your whole feet flat on the ground, hinge at the hips and send your hips behind you
keep your torso tight and aim to feel a stretch in your hamstrings
squeeze your glutes to push your hips back under you
return to your starting position
repeat for as many reps as is your goal

Benefits of Using Dumbbells for Back Work

There are some really great benefits of dumbbell workouts that I don’t want to overlook. Among them, dumbbell work typically works both sides of your body independently, improving muscle imbalances. This unilateral work can also build balanced strength.

Dumbbells allow a greater range of motion than barbells or machines, leading to greater involvement (muscle activation). A dumbbell back workout is also pretty joint friendly. Since you aren’t committed to a grip like you are with a barbell, dumbbells let your wrists, elbows, and shoulders move freely, reducing stress on the joints. You don’t have to commit to an overhand grip if a neutral grip feels better, for example.

Free weights are also so so versatile! You can work your entire body, and get not just good back workouts. For example, managing dumbbells works your grip, forearms, stabilizers mores than machines.

Back is such an important muscle group to work! Be sure to prioritize your good pulling movements, or your back day if you split it up like a bodybuilder. Add in the single-arm row, the bent-over dumbbell row, pullovers and some hinges. Building muscle mass and back strength will always serve you well!

How To Work All Back Large Muscle Groups

To ensure muscle growth and development in all areas of your back, you’ll want to work a variety of angles to work upper traps, mid traps, lower traps, lats, rhomboids, and the teres minor and major.

Some other exercises that you can include in your dumbbell back workout routine are the reverse fly, dumbbell upright row, and dumbbell shrugs, high pulls, and upright rows. These are pulling type movements, but I mentally categorize them with shoulder work.

Here are some other dumbbell arm exercises you can add in too.

Likewise, I suggest always categorizing deadlifts, dumbbell deadlifts, barbell deadlifts, etc, on leg day. Yes they do work your lower back, but they aren’t primarily lower back exercises. They are full body, but leg work. If you find you’re using your back most, then I really suggest you adjust your form.

Want to lift heavier weights with barbell rows? Learn how in this comprehensive post.

Do you have questions about your dumbbell back workout, or your workout program in general?

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Dumbbell Arm Workout At Home

January 13, 2025 by Kathryn Alexander

Doing a dumbbell arm workout at home can be simple and effective. Notice I didn’t say easy, but simple. You just need a pair of dumbbells, some lighter weights and maybe some heavier weights.

You don’t need fancy machines or big equipment that takes up a lot of floor space. Regardless of fitness level, you can get a lot done with even just one set of dumbbells.

Dumbbell arm workout at home with Kathryn Alexander

With a few weights and a lot of focus, you can develop aesthetically pleasing and strong arms right from home.

Read on for 10 of the best dumbbell arm exercises.

Biceps and Triceps Exercises

Note that I am referring to true arm work, which involves the biceps brachii and triceps brachii. Most of these movements are biceps curls, and triceps extensions. They will work the forearm muscles, but are primarily for the upper arms. Additionally, this is not a full upper body workout. I am not referring to all the major upper body muscle groups, so I won’t be listing my favorite back chest or shoulder exercises. Bench press, pulldowns, etc, will all be covered in another post. This is just arms.

Ok grab your dumbbells! Here we go!

Top 5 Dumbbell Biceps Exercises

Dumbbell Biceps Curl – A classic exercise for the biceps. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and curl the weights towards your shoulders.
Hammer Curl – Similar to bicep curls, but with your palms facing each other, working the brachialis muscle and forearms more.
Concentration Curl – Seated with your elbow resting on your thigh, curl one dumbbell at a time to focus deeply on the biceps.
Incline Dumbbell Curl – Lie back on an incline bench and curl the dumbbells. This variation adds a deeper stretch to the biceps.
Zottman Curl – Curl the dumbbells up with a standard bicep curl, then rotate your wrists to a pronated grip (palms down) at the top before lowering. This targets both the biceps and forearms.

Top 5 Dumbbell Triceps Exercises

Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension – Hold a dumbbell overhead with both hands and lower it behind your head, extending it back up to work the triceps.
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback – Bend at the hips and extend your arm behind you while holding a dumbbell to isolate the triceps.
Close-Grip Dumbbell Press – Similar to a chest press, but with your hands close together to engage the triceps more.
Dumbbell Skull Crushers – Lie flat on a bench and lower the dumbbells towards your forehead, keeping your elbows steady to focus on the triceps.
Dumbbell Tate Press – Lying on a bench, hold the dumbbells with your palms facing forward and lower them towards your chest, then press up.

Biceps Exercises:

Dumbbell Biceps Curl:
- How to do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing forward. Keep your elbows close to your torso and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Squeeze your biceps at the top, then slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position. If you’re standing, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and knees not locked out, slight bend.
- As you do curls, think about using your latissimus dorsi (back) and other back/chest musculature to stabilize your shoulder joint and shoulder blades. In other words, don’t be swinging your shoulder all over the places to get the dumbbell moved.
- (There’s a joke meme that says, “any exercise can be a lower back exercise if you do it wrong enough!” 😂 don’t make this a lower back exercise! Learn how to do it well before you try to break the rules).
- Muscles targeted: This exercise isolates the biceps brachii, the large muscle in the front of the upper arm, and engages the brachialis and brachioradialis for stabilization.
Hammer Curl:
- How to do it: Hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing your torso. Curl the weights as you would in a regular curl but keep your palms in a neutral position (facing each other) throughout the movement. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position. Same standing positioning as I mentioned above where you can and hip with or feet hip-width.
- Muscles targeted: This movement emphasizes the brachialis, a muscle underneath the biceps, helping to add thickness to the arm. It also engages the brachioradialis in the forearm.
Concentration Curl:
- How to do it: Sit on a bench with your legs spread apart. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and rest your elbow on the inside of your thigh. Curl the dumbbell towards your shoulder, concentrating on squeezing the biceps at the top of the movement, and lower it slowly. If you stabilize well, you can really see how this is considered one of the most common isolation exercises.
- Muscles targeted: This highly focused curl isolates the biceps brachii, minimizing the involvement of other muscles to help build peak contraction strength and enhance bicep definition.
Incline Dumbbell Curl:
- How to do it: Sit on an incline bench with your back fully supported and hold a dumbbell in each hand, allowing your arms to hang straight down. Curl the weights towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows tight to your body, and slowly lower them back down.
- Muscles targeted: This exercise stretches the long head of the biceps, allowing for a greater range of motion and engagement. The incline position puts extra tension on the biceps throughout the curl.
Zottman Curl:
- How to do it: Perform a regular bicep curl by lifting the weights with your palms facing up. At the top, rotate your wrists so your palms face down, and slowly lower the weights in this pronated grip. Reverse the rotation on the way up.
- Muscles targeted: This curl variation targets both the biceps and the forearms (specifically the brachioradialis), offering a balanced arm workout. The downward portion of the lift strengthens the forearms.

home dumbbell arm workout. Biceps curls with personal trainer Kathryn Alexander

Triceps Exercises:

Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension:
- How to do it: Stand or sit and hold one dumbbell with both hands overhead. Keep your elbows close to your ears, and lower the weight behind your head by bending your elbows. Extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Muscles targeted: This exercise targets all three heads of the triceps (long, medial, and lateral), with a particular focus on the long head due to the overhead position.
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback:
- How to do it: Bend at your hips with your torso nearly parallel to the ground and hold a dumbbell in one hand. Keeping your upper arm stationary and close to your torso, extend your forearm backward until your arm is fully straight. Slowly return to the starting position.
- Muscles targeted: This movement isolates the triceps, especially the lateral head, and works on elbow extension, which is the primary function of the triceps.
Close-Grip Dumbbell Press:
- How to do it: Lie on a flat bench holding two dumbbells close together directly over your chest. Lower the weights towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in, and then press them back up.
- Muscles targeted: The close grip emphasizes the triceps more than a regular chest press, particularly engaging the medial and lateral heads, while also working the chest and shoulders as secondary muscles.
Dumbbell Skull Crushers:
- How to do it: Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling, then slowly lower the dumbbells towards your forehead by bending your elbows. Extend your arms back up to complete the rep. Your elbows will bend approximately in a 90-degree angle, give or take a few.
- Muscles targeted: This exercise targets the triceps brachii, especially the long head, and is excellent for building mass and strength in the upper arms.
Dumbbell Tate Press:
- How to do it: Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. Bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells towards your chest while keeping them angled inward. Push them back up to the starting position.
- Muscles targeted: The Tate Press is an effective isolation exercise for the triceps, emphasizing the medial head and improving overall arm definition.

How to Incorporate These Dumbbell Arm Exercises

First things first, aim for great mind-muscle connection and proper form. With arm work, you’ll sometimes hear people say, “make light weight feel heavy.” This means that you’re focused on the muscular connection and recruiting as many motor units (muscle fibers and they nerves that innervate them) as possible. The lifters who get the best arm workouts are really great at focusing on the muscles, not the movement.

Next, remember to still add in other appropriate strength training for your arms. As you can, add in body weight exercises, resistance bands, and barbell work and machines.

Remember also to get a full upper body strength program. Add in your chest, back and shoulder work to get your other upper-body muscles. Chest muscles and back muscles need love too, especially if you’re trying to fully develop your upper body.

home dumbbell arm workout. Skullcrushers for triceps with Austin personal trainer Kathryn Alexander

Dumbbell Arm Workout for Home Summary

There you have it! Some of the best dumbbell exercises for a well-rounded workout for your arms, hitting the major muscles and offering a variety of movements to build both strength and muscle tone.

If you are looking for specific shoulder exercises like the shoulder press, front raise, overhead press, lateral raise, check out this blog post for dumbbell shoulder workouts at home.

Finally, don’t forget to also work lower body. For the best case muscular development and fitness, you’ll want to work your whole body. Here’s a great leg and glute workout that you can do with your home gym.

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Plank Exercises for Beginners

January 4, 2025 by Kathryn Alexander

Plank exercises for beginners: a simple way to get started on core strength and endurance. Learn how to work abs with planks.

Plank exercises are isometric core strength exercises that involve resisting gravity and rotation. There are many plank variations, and they all work the abdominal muscles, back, shoulders, arms, and even glutes, quads, and other leg muscles.

I said they are simple, but they aren’t always easy. They are one of the best exercises to master as a beginner, because they teach you how to build a strong and stable torso. If you have a good plank, your whole body stabilizes.

You can do them anywhere, with no equipment, since it’s is a bodyweight exercise. Full body stability is great for any fitness level, too.

Let’s discuss how to do planks, variations of planks, proper form, and common mistakes.

One Situation Where I Don’t Recommend Planks

Quick note on the risks of planks. Planks aren’t terribly risky, but one contraindication is having high blood pressure. If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, isometrics aren’t recommended. An isometric exercise is one in which you are exerting muscular effort, but not moving. Think planks, static presses, etc.

Other potential “risks” of planks include maybe some upper body discomfort like wrist or joint pain, but planks usually end pretty quickly. They’re usually pretty self limiting. If you have a medical condition or debilitating pain, please consult a doctor.

However – again, if you have high blood pressure, I’d rather you do other exercises that you move and breathe through, like pushups, crunches, lunges, etc. Message me or if you have specific questions!

This is a super exciting video of me holding a plank 🙂

Common Types of Plank Exercises

Planks are excellent for building stability, endurance, and overall strength. There are several variations of the plank, each working the body slightly differently. Here’s a quick rundown of the different variations of planks and what they work.

Forearm Plank (Standard Plank Position):
- How to do it:
  - Start by lying face down on the ground.
  - Place your forearms on the floor, with elbows directly under your shoulders.
  - Lift your body up into a straight line from head to heels, maintaining a neutral spine.
  - Engage your core, glutes, and thighs to prevent your hips from sagging. I mean it, squeeze your butt! Squeeze your legs!
  - Hold this position for a set time, usually between 20 seconds to a few minutes.
  - Breathe the entire time you are holding your plank.
High Plank (Push-up Position):
- How to do it:
  - Start in a push-up position with your arms extended straight, hands placed under your shoulders.
  - Keep your body in a straight line from your head to heels. Don’t let your head sag, or shoulder blades squeeze together.
  - Engage your core, glutes, and quads.
  - Hold the position while keeping your body as still as possible.
  - This is also called a straight-arm plank. It is basically the top of push up position.
Side Plank:
- How to do it:
  - Lie on your side, stacking your feet on top of each other.
  - Place your forearm on the ground, keeping your elbow directly below your shoulder.
  - Lift your hips off the floor so your body forms a straight line from head to feet.
  - Side planks work your arms individually so they can even be tougher.
Plank with Leg Lift:
- How to do it:
  - Start in a forearm plank or high plank position.
  - While maintaining a stable body, lift one leg up off the ground a few inches, keeping it straight.
  - Hold briefly, then switch legs.
  - This variation challenges balance and increases intensity by incorporating more core and glute activation.
Plank to Push-Up:
- How to do it:
  - Begin in a forearm plank position.
  - One arm at a time, push yourself up into a high plank (push-up position).
  - Lower yourself back down to the forearm plank one arm at a time.
  - Repeat the movement, alternating arms.
Plank Jacks:
- How to do it:
  - Start in a high plank position.
  - Jump your feet outward and then back together, similar to a jumping jack, while keeping your core tight.
  - This adds a cardio element to the basic plank.
  - You can adjust plank jacks to be less dynamic but still challenging by doing one leg at a time.

Plank jacks

What Body Parts do Planks Work?

Planks really pull in much of the body’s musculature. Since you are using your own body weight, and no equipment is stabilizing you, you’ll feel how much they are whole body work.

They primarily work the abs, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, which are considered the deepest abs muscles. They work internal and external obliques as well. People like to call them a lower back exercise, and you’ll definitely feel them working your low back when you are fighting for those last few seconds!

Secondarily, planks work shoulders, arms, glutes, legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves), and neck.

Essentially, planks engage the entire body to maintain stability and prevent sagging or shifting. Because of this, planks are highly efficient for developing strength and endurance across a broad range of muscle groups. They also improve overall body coordination and posture.

Plank Tips for Beginners

I want to further explain back positioning on the plank. You’ll hear people say to keep a flat back, or keep your back straight, but what this means is neutral position. Your spine has a natural curve; you can’t get away from that, and you wouldn’t want to.

Your goal is to think about tightening your core so that you don’t sag or pike. I tell my clients that you are not on either end of the twerking spectrum 😂 Google if you need more info. I will not be demonstrating that one.

How to Incorporate Planks Into Your Training

I like adding planks into the end of the session. I want you to be doing as many of the basic, compounds lifts as you can. By that I mean deadlifts, overhead presses, squats, bench presses and pull-ups. When you do these, I want your core to be strong and fresh. Finishing with a plank lets you add a little more work to your abs and core before you’re done.

I recommend adding one big plank into the end of your session 1-2 times a week, rather than doing a 30-day plank challenge or something like that. However, do what motivates you. For best results, aim to increase hold time over the weeks and months of practicing planks. A full minute is pretty solid, but you can even improve beyond that.

I love when people get their training partners or spouses involved, too. You can plank together. Get the kids in on it as well! Make it a friendly competition.

Plank Exercise Benefits

Planks are great for building core strength by engaging the abdominals, lower back, and obliques, which improves stability and posture by keeping the spine aligned. They also provide a full-body workout, activating the shoulders, arms, chest, and legs. Additionally, holding the plank position strengthens stabilizer muscles, enhancing overall balance and stability.

Planks with Kathryn Alexander, Austin personal trainer

Some Quick FAQs About Plank Exercises:

Do planks work the entire body?

Mostly. The full plank position works much of your abs. Side plank exercises work external obliques a little more. And yes, proper plank form works low back, upper back, butt muscles, back muscles. It’s a full-body move.

Do planks give you abs?

They don’t hurt the goal of getting abs, but no. To see visible abs, you need to work your entire core, the whole rest of your body, and maintain a low enough body fat percentage. Don’t let this discourage you though, because planks will help with many other goals, like easy of every day activities and improved posture.

Here’s a simple core workout you can do at home that will help your ab goals.

Do planks build muscle?

Planks don’t NOT build muscle, but they aren’t as much of a muscle builder as they are an endurance and stability exercise. This is because you aren’t moving through a full range of motion. If your goal is to build muscle, you’ll want to do other ab exercises like crunches, bicycle crunches, and even full body work like carries.

Do planks help you lose belly fat?

Eh, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but not really. Planks are quick, and beneficial, but they don’t burn a ton of calories. You just don’t do planks long enough for them to burn so many calories that you see your abs. however, if you have a solid exercise program or fitness routine and are eating a healthy amount of protein and calories for you, you’ll see progress toward your fat loss goals.

Do planks help with lower back pain?

They can, and they can help prevent lower back pain as yo strengthen a weak core. However, if they do hurt, ease into them. If they hurt you after doing them, you might back off of them and strengthen your back at other exercises.

Plank Exercises for Beginners: A Summary

Planks are great for many goals, and can be easily modified to suit different fitness levels. Starting with shorter holds and gradually increasing the duration or adding variations is a great way to progress.

Try adding them at the end of your training sessions, and see how they work for you!

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Merry Christmas from Alexander Training

December 24, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Merry Christmas, yall!

I hope you are having a Christmas that fills your heart with peace. I hope you are able to take time and slow down, and enjoy family, friends, and reflection.

My greatest hope for my clients (and you!) is that they truly make fitness a lifestyle that will last their whole life. If you think about it like this, you’ll realize you are guaranteed to have busy times, slow times, sad times, good times.

Even the Bible says there is a time for everything.

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Time for Christmas

The verse above is so interesting to me, because it really helps me remember that I can’t just inflict my preferred schedule on every day of my life.

So – give yourself some grace if you are off your routine. If you can’t find the perfect gym while you are traveling, or if you have to just add in some walks, or even just rest, it’s ok.

Please take this time to enjoy, because this is the stuff life is made of.

I’ll be thinking of those of you that are having a tougher holiday.

Merry Christmas, and see you in 2025!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Home Leg Workouts With Dumbbells

November 26, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Home leg workouts with dumbbells are simple, accessible, and so beneficial! Leg day is the big one! The toughest, hardest, most gut checking day of the week! In the gym, you can load up a heavy bar for barbell squats or deadlifts, or load up machines for a crushing leg workout.

But, you can also get a great leg workout by strength training from home. A dumbbell leg workout done with focus on movements can build and strengthen your legs (quads, hamstrings, calves), glutes, and lower back. And truly, your whole body. Grab some dumbbells and get to building strong legs.

Equipment

Of course, for home workouts with dumbbells, you’ll want dumbbells. You can do so much great work with body weight, and a little bit of equipment. Free weights are expensive, so you can be strategic about getting a medium pair of dumbbells, and maybe 1 or 2 heavy dumbbells or kettlebells. If you have read much about my recommendations for home equipment, you know I suggest a pair of light dumbbells, medium dumbbells, one heavier dumbbell (or kettlebell), and some resistance bands.

If you have the space and budget for a bench, that’s great too. This is plenty of equipment to build leg strength at home. Get you a good mat to protect yourself and the floor, and you are good to go!

Speaking of equipment, are you shopping for a powerlifter? If so, here are the best gifts for powerlifters and one that I would absolutely not recommend.

The Exercises

There are SO many dumbbell leg exercises; you are really only limited by your imagination. I will run through the basics, my favorites, and a few weird ones. Here is a list first so you can see the bird’s eye view, and I will explain how to do each one below.

Goblet squats (front squat)
Dumbbell squats
Lunges (dumbbell lunges)
Romanian deadlifts
Single leg deadlift (or B stance deadlift) single-leg deadlift
Bulgarian split squat
Dumbbell deadlift
Curtsy lunges
Glute bridge /hip thrust
Dumbbell step-ups
Farmer’s walk/Farmer’s carry

How to Organize Your Home Leg Workout With Dumbbells

Goblet squats
Dumbbell Squats
Dumbbell deadlifts

Lunges
Curtsy lunges
Dumbbell step ups
Bulgarian split squat

Romanian deadlifts
Single leg deadlifts

*glute bridge/hip thrust

*Farmer’s walk/farmer’s carry

Pick one exercise from each of the above columns. Add in one or both of the glute bridge/hip thrust, or a farmer’s carry. With each exercise, you’ll warm up well, do some increasingly heavy sets, until you reach 3 work sets.

These 3 work sets can be between 5 and 12 reps that are challenging, where you have 1-2 reps left in reserve. I’d suggest you do two of these workouts each week, sticking to the same exercises. From there, utilize the concept of progressive overload, which means you try to overload from the last week, assuming you get all green lights (feeling good, getting good quality reps, etc.).

For example, your leg session A might be dumbbell squats, lunges, RDL’s and a farmer’s walk. Your B session that week could be goblet squats, dumbbell step ups, B stance RDL’s, and a glute bridge.

Record your sets, reps and weight, and the next week, try to do a little heavier. If you continue this way, you will see progress.

Goblet Squats/Front Squats

To do a goblet squat, start by holding a dumbbell vertically with both hands at chest level, gripping it by one end (like a goblet). Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Keeping your chest upright and your core engaged, lower your body into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, as if sitting into a chair. Go as low as your flexibility allows, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Grip the ground with your whole foot (and toes) and squeeze your glutes to drive yourself back up to the starting position. Maintain good form by keeping your back straight (no twerking) and avoiding letting your knees cave inward.

goblet squats

Dumbbell Squats

To do a dumbbell squat, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your arms fully extended. Keep your chest upright, your core engaged, and your shoulders relaxed. Slowly lower your body into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, as if sitting into a chair. Keep the dumbbells steady by your sides throughout the movement.

Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as low as your mobility allows. Grip the ground with your whole foot (and toes) and squeeze your glutes to drive yourself back up, ensuring your knees track over your toes and your back remains straight. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Lunges

To do walking dumbbell lunges, start by standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended at your sides. Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees. On your front leg, ensure your front knee stays directly above your ankle, and your back knee hovers just above the floor. Keep your chest upright and your core engaged throughout the movement. Push through your whole foot to return to the starting position, then alternate legs.

You can do a reverse lunge, where you are stepping back with one leg. You can do a forward lunge, where you step forward, then back. With these, as you step back with your back leg, most of your weight stays on, and most of the work is done, by your front leg. Whichever way you do these, keep your feet hip-width apart, like you are walking on railroad tracks, not a tight tope. Lunges are fantastic for your whole posterior chain.

One other option is a lateral lunge, or side lunges. With these, you’ll step out to your side with one leg, bending into that leg. For example, you’ll step out with your right leg, plant your right foot, and bend your right knee. Your leg leg with be mostly straight, and your torso will hinge forward. From here, press into the ground with your right foot, and stand back up into position. Repeat the exercise on the other side, stepping out with your left leg. Lateral lunges help with strength and hip mobility.

walking lunges, Kathryn Alexander at her home garage gym

Romanian Deadlifts

To do Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Keep your chest lifted, shoulders back, tight upper back, and a slight bend in your knees. Hinge at the hips by pushing them backward, lowering the dumbbells along the front of your legs while maintaining a straight back and tight core.

Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings or the dumbbells reach about mid-shin level, grab the ground with your whole foot, and squeeze your glutes back under you to return to the starting position. Keep the movement controlled and avoid rounding your back. Everyone’s range of motion is different, depending your your hamstrings flexibility, among other things. Big glute squeeze with all variations!

B Stance RDLs

To do B-stance Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), start by standing with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended by your side or in front of your body. Position one foot slightly behind the other with just the ball of the back foot touching the ground for balance, while your front foot bears most of the weight.

Keeping your chest upright and back straight, hinge at the hips, lowering the dumbbells along the front leg until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Maintain a slight bend in the front knee and keep your back leg straight. Return to your upright position and repeat on one side for the desired number of reps, then switch legs.

Bulgarian Split Squats

To do Bulgarian split squats, start by standing a few feet in front of a sturdy bench or elevated surface. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides and place the top of one foot on the bench behind you. With your chest upright and core engaged, lower your body by bending your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor or as low as your mobility allows.

There are different ways to do these, but I prefer to slightly shift my weight so that most of my weight is on my front leg. Complete the desired reps on one leg, then switch sides. You can do a good bit of weight on split squats, so as you feel comfortable, don’t be afraid to move into heavier weights. BSS’s are one of the best single-leg exercises. They’ve even been the subject of many memes, lamenting how challenging they are.

Dumbbell Deadlift

To do dumbbell deadlifts, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Keep your chest upright, shoulders back, and torso tight. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly, lowering the dumbbells down the front of your legs. Keep your back straight and lower until the dumbbells are near your shins or you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.

Grab the ground with your toes, push through your whole foot, squeeze your glutes, and return to the starting position, ensuring you maintain proper posture throughout. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Keep straight arms here; no elbow bending.

These are a staple for home leg workouts with dumbbells.

Curtsy Lunges

To do curtsy lunges, start by standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended at your sides. Step one leg diagonally behind the other, crossing it as if performing a “curtsy,” and lower your hips until your front knee forms a 90-degree angle. Keep your torso upright and your back straight throughout the movement.

Push through your front foot to return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite leg. Alternate legs for the desired number of reps, focusing on controlled movements to engage your glutes and inner thighs.

Glute Bridge /Hip Thrust

To do a hip thrust with a dumbbell, sit on the ground with your upper back resting against a sturdy bench or elevated surface. Roll a dumbbell onto your lap, holding it securely with both hands. You can put a towel or cushion here to protect your hip bones. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.

Drive through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, squeezing your glutes at the top. Lower your hips back down in a controlled motion and repeat for the desired number of reps. These are a great addition to your lower-body workout, especially if they are new to you. Give them a try!

Dumbbell Step-ups

To do dumbbell step-ups, start by standing in front of a sturdy bench or platform that’s about knee height. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your arms extended. OR hold just one dumbbell, and hold on to something for balance. The #1 rule is no falling! Step up onto the platform with one foot, pressing through your heel to lift your body until your standing leg is fully extended.

Bring your other foot up to meet the first, then step back down one foot at a time. If you started on your left foot, repeat all reps on your left foot before switching to your right, keeping your chest upright and core engaged throughout the movement. Adjust the platform height and dumbbell weight as needed for your fitness level. Step ups are one of my favorite compound exercises to do with dumbbells (or even without!).

Step ups at Hyde Park Gym, Austin, Texas

Farmer’s Walk/Farmer’s carry

To do a farmer’s walk with dumbbells, start by standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended at your sides, and palms facing in. Keep your chest upright, shoulders back, and core engaged. Walk forward in a straight line, taking controlled steps, and focus on maintaining good posture throughout.

Avoid letting the dumbbells sway or pulling you off balance. Continue walking for a set distance or time, then set the dumbbells down carefully. This exercise builds grip strength, core stability, and overall endurance. Since it allows you to carry a good bit of heavy weight, it also works core strength and upper body.

Farmer’s carry march

Benefits of Home Gym Workouts

Home workouts are convenient, time saving, and can be* cost effective. A single pair of dumbbells can provide a wide range of exercises, making them an affordable and versatile investment. Adjustable dumbbells aren’t inexpensive, but they are much cheaper than a whole set of dumbbells. They save space too. In theory, home workouts save you money on gym memberships and expensive equipment.

*Unless you get bit by the garage gym or home gym bug, then you’ll probably blow your budget on more fun things for your gym. But there are way worse ways to spend your money!

Remind yourself you aren’t commuting to the gym, dealing with Austin traffic, or wherever you life. You can workout any time that you are home and don’t have to worry about compatible schedules with training partners or your personal trainer.

You can practice new or weird things in the privacy of your own home. You don’t have to worry about sharing space or what you’re wearing. Blare your own music and fly your own flags! Working out at home is the best!

Home workouts are family-friendly. Everyone in the household, including kids, can join in, making it a fun and healthy activity. Exercises can be scaled for children or beginners using lighter weights or bodyweight options. I don’t have kids but I write programs for my niece and nephew, and I think it’s amazing that they see their whole family exercise together.

Benefits of Leg Workouts With Dumbbells

Leg workouts improve lower-body strength, which is essential for everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and lifting objects. They enhance functional fitness, helping you move better in daily life and reducing the risk of injury.

Additionally, the large muscle groups in the legs burn more calories during and after exercise compared to smaller muscle groups. Strengthening your legs can support weight management and increase overall energy expenditure. This improves your balance, stability and strength. Home leg workouts with dumbbells can improve all of these.

Here’s a great exercise to do on a cable stack: cable squats.

Do you need an arm dumbbell workout at home? I got you!

Home Leg Workouts With Dumbbells: Try It Now!

Home leg workouts are a great way to develop leg strength, balance, and athletic performance. You’ll see muscle growth, increases in overall health, and maybe even improvements in body composition with challenging lower body workouts. Additionally, the benefits are unique to lifting. You can’t replicate these benefits with walking, jogging, or other forms of cardio.

If these are new to you, start very lightly and just go through the motions, learning and perfecting the form. After a few weeks, you can employ progressive overload, which means that you increase the challenge over time. You can do this by going heavier, doing more reps, more sets, or shortening the rest times.

It can be confusing to pick the best exercises and the most effective way to add these in to your lower body workout. If you have questions, please reach out! You can leave a comment on this post, or message me. Let me know how your home leg workouts with dumbbells are going! Don’t be scared to try anything! Be curious and have fun with your training!

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Horizontal Pressing Exercises

November 16, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Horizontal pressing exercises for upper body strength are some of the most common and fun exercises there are. Think bench presses and dumbbell presses and pushups.

You might not categorize exercises in your head as horizontal pressing or horizontal pushing exercises, or even vertical push, etc., but knowing the fundamental movement patterns is a great way make sure you are working all planes of motion.

And besides, no one ever says, “hey, how much do you horizontal press?” Lol but people definitely ask, “how much ya bench?”

horizontal pressing exercises: pushups, by Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer — horizontal pressing exercises: pushups, Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer

Horizontal Pressing Exercises as Fundamental Moves

When I say horizontal press, I mean a horizontal exercise in relation to your body. This is one of the most basic movement patterns the body does, so it is worth practicing. You can be on your back doing a horizontal press, as you press a barbell upward toward the ceiling. You can be doing a horizontal press while seated upright, pushing into a machine or bands. You can really be facing any direction, as long as the resistance allows you to push outward from your chest into the resistance.

horizontal pressing exercises: bench press, by Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer — horizontal pressing exercises: bench press, Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer

You might hear some people split their training into a push-pull workout. The target muscle group during a push day is usually chest and/or shoulders. Horizontal pressing exercises will be a large part of that push day.

Horizontal presses are fundamental for building upper body strength, particularly in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. If you want any width on your shoulders or depth to your upper body, you’ve got to include these exercises. Your entire body will look strong and balanced when you do. This post covers how to incorporate this basic movement pattern into your workout, no matter what level you are at.

Eight of My Favorite Horizontal Pressing Exercises

1. Barbell Bench Press

Muscles Targeted: Chest (pectoralis major), shoulders (anterior deltoids), triceps.
Benefits: Allows for heavy loading, great for overall upper body strength, and foundational for powerlifting.
Variation: Incline bench press and decline bench press to target different parts of the chest.
muscle mass, shoulder blades

The bench press is a foundational upper-body strength exercise that primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. This compound movement is what you think of when you think of a regular bench press. It is performed by lying on a bench and pressing a barbell or dumbbells upward from chest level.

The movement involves lowering the weight to the chest and then pushing it back to the starting position. The prime movers during the bench press are the pectoralis major (chest muscles), anterior deltoids (front shoulders), and triceps brachii (back of the upper arms). Supporting muscles like the serratus anterior, rotator cuff, and lats also play a role in stabilizing the movement.

The bench press is a staple in strength training because of its versatility and effectiveness. It helps build muscle mass, increase upper-body strength, and improve overall pressing power, which is beneficial for sports performance and daily activities.

Additionally, incorporating the bench press into your workout routine can enhance posture and boost bone density in the upper body due to the load-bearing nature of the exercise. Whether you’re aiming to gain muscle, improve athletic performance, or maintain functional strength, the bench press is a valuable addition to nearly every training program.

For the bench press haters: remember, you don’t have to max all the time! In fact, please don’t max all the time! The bench press is one of the best exercises for upper body strength, which is hugely beneficial, not just for powerlifters, but especially people who need to build upper body strength, muscle mass and bone mass. Like all of these exercises, you can reap great benefits from it in sub max work.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
Benefits: Increased range of motion compared to the barbell bench press, improves muscle imbalances, and enhances shoulder stability.
If you want to work more of your upper chest muscles, you can set up your bench at an incline, so this becomes an incline dumbbell bench press.

The dumbbell bench press is a versatile upper-body exercise that primarily targets the pectoralis major (chest muscles), anterior deltoid (front shoulders), and triceps brachii (back of the arms). Performed by lying on a bench and pressing dumbbells upward from chest level, it involves lowering the weights to the sides of the chest and pushing them back up.

Unlike the barbell bench press, the dumbbell variation allows for a greater range of motion, engaging stabilizing muscles more effectively and promoting balanced muscle development between both sides of the body. This exercise helps build chest strength, improves shoulder stability, and enhances overall pressing power, making it an excellent addition to strength training for improved functional strength and aesthetics.

Incline Horizontal Pressing

A note about incline work here. So far, we’ve covered the best horizontal push exercises and quickly mentioned incline work. If you picture an overhead press, that is strictly a vertical exercise where you press weight overhead. Of course, the flat bench press is a horizontal press. The incline dumbbell bench press or bench press will be some degree between those two.

We can really split work into the basic movements, but the truth is life doesn’t always work strictly on planes of movement. Therefore, you will benefit from working at inclines between totally horizontal and vertical presses. The best way to get full pectoral development and strength is to work these different angles.

Incline dumbbell pressing; a different way to horizontal press

3. Push-Up

Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.
Benefits: Bodyweight exercise that can be done anywhere, scalable with variations like incline push-ups, decline push-ups, and weighted push-ups.

Push ups are a classic bodyweight exercise that, like other pushing movements, work the pecs, shoulders and triceps. I LOVE pushups! They also work abs, back, all of your core and stabilizing muscles. As a horizontal pressing movement, push-ups are one of the best exercises due to their accessibility—requiring no equipment—and scalability for all fitness levels.

They’re fantastic for your abs and core, too. The top of push up position is just a high plank position. Then, a pushup is a moving plank!

Pushup negatives, which are a great way to work into pushups if you can’t do full length pushups yet. They are also a way to make pushups tougher if you slow down the pace.

You can do them anywhere, anytime! They build functional strength by working natural movement patterns and train the body to work as a unit, improving stability and coordination. Push-ups also offer versatility, with variations to increase difficulty or target specific muscles, making them ideal for building strength, enhancing endurance, and supporting overall upper-body development.

If you get really good at pushups and want to get crazy, you can move from a stable surface to something that moves and challenges you more. You can add pauses, tempo work, or even plyometric pushups if you’re very powerful.

Here’s a whole tutorial on how to do pushups.

Pushups modified. You can do these from anything sturdy. Pushups like this are a great use of a Smith machine.

4. Close-Grip Bench Press

Muscles Targeted: Triceps, chest, shoulders.
Benefits: Emphasizes the triceps more than the traditional bench press, good for building arm strength.

Like the other horizontal pressing movements, the main muscles close grip bench presses work are chest, shoulders and triceps. However, since the close grip bench press allows for much more elbow flexion, it uses more triceps. Some people find this grip is kinder to their shoulder joint, and some people use as an elbow extension exercise to focus on triceps.

Kathryn Alexander, personal trainer in Austin

We’re halfway through! Is this more than you want to think about? If so, talk to a quality personal trainer about your workout program. Sometimes, even with lots of training experience, it’s just helpful to have someone plan your training. Message me if you’d like to talk about your exercise selection or training program.

5. Chest Press Machine

Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
Benefits: Provides stability and can be safer for beginners or those with shoulder issues, allows for controlled movement and isolation.
This is one of the most intuitive horizontal pushes, because the lifter is usually seated, and pushing horizontally.

6. Floor Press

Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
Benefits: Reduced range of motion helps protect the shoulders, great for focusing on the lockout phase of the press.

7. Dumbbell Floor Press

Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
Benefits: Similar benefits to the floor press but allows for individual arm work, improving unilateral strength.

8. Resistance Band Press

Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
Benefits: Provides variable resistance throughout the range of motion, good for shoulder health and can be done anywhere.

More Tips for Horizontal Push Work

As you can see, the main types of horizontal push exercises are barbell, dumbbell, and machine presses. Include both a machine chest press and free weight press (dumbbell and barbell presses) in your training. Varying your chest presses will benefit you.

Including a mix of these exercises in your routine can help you build a strong, balanced upper body.

I suggest you start with pushups and dumbbell presses. If you can handle the barbell, that is a good starting point too. I’m generally not a smith machine fan, but they are super helpful for doing pushups from if you’d like that modification.

Final Notes About Horizontal Presses

There are very few true isolation exercises. Your horizontal pushing exercises will be compound exercises. Whether your grip is shoulder width, wide, close grip, whether your hands are neutral grip or overhand, will not work different muscle groups. With all these horizontal press exercises, you’re working pectoral muscles, shoulder muscles, and triceps. These are compound movements.

You’ll also want to do horizontal pulling exercises too, to have a balanced body.

Of course, you’ll want to work lower body too. You can expand the push-pull routines into your lower body as well with a push-pull-squat workout. There are many different exercises and workout splits. If you’d just like to follow a plan that works your whole body in balanced proportions, check out The Works, a full-body strength training program that includes resistance training, cardio, abs and stretching. This program can be done at a gym or at home and will take into account what available equipment you have.

Of course, message me or leave a comment with any questions. Happy horizontal pressing! 😊 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

The Best Gifts for Powerlifters and What 1 Gift to Avoid

November 15, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

It’s that time of year! Are you looking for the best gifts for a powerlifter? Maybe your best friend or significant other is a powerlifter, and you’re looking for the perfect gift. Some of these are affiliate links to products I use and love.

Gifts for Powerlifters: 2024 Gift Guide

Below is a list of great gifts for powerlifters for a variety of price ranges. While this is mostly for powerlifters, I have to throw in a couple weight training and strongman suggestions too. These are pretty specific to powerlifting and weight lifting, more so than general fitness. These might not all work in a commercial gym or for the casual gym go-er.

But, for that powerlifter in your life? You’ve come to the right place.

Stocking Stuffer Gifts for Powerlifters

These first few gifts are quick and easy, and relatively affordable. As with anything, you can find more expensive versions, but most of these run between $10 and $50. Check out these gifts for your boo.

Wrist Wraps

Wrist wraps are used by powerlifters to give wrist support during pressing movements such as bench press and overhead press. I have two pairs, one from Shiek and one from Elite FTS. One which is stiffer and provides more rigid support, and the other is longer and more compliant. These are fun, and highly portable; easy to throw in the gym bag and go.

Wrist wraps generally run $20-$50, and there are many many brand options out there.

Water Bottle

Water bottles are an essential for any exerciser. If your powerlifter also drinks pre-workouts, protein drinks, essential amino acids, or other powders mixed with water, then he or she will definitely need a dedicated water bottle. Those plastic shaker bottles never feel completely clean to me, so my water bottle keeps nothing but the pure stuff.

The Stanleys are all over now. They’re so cute! This one has a handle so you can throw it in your gym bag without spilling.

My favorite is the Yeti 26 ounce chug bottle. It’s highly durable, and has a great handle top for easy transport. Mine is all covered in stickers.

Water bottle range from $10-50, depending on how fancy you want to get.

Shaker Bottle

No list of gifts for powerlifters would be complete without mentioning shaker bottles. A shaker bottle, as mentioned above, is great for mixing drink ingredients for pre-, peri-, and post-workout. Avid gym lovers might already have a stash of shaker bottles, but can always use a new and fresh one.

This Blender Bottle is a classic. I guarantee you’ve seen these. I have so many of these that I have extra shaker balls rolling around my kitchen.

Pro tip: if you forget and leave a shake bottle of protein in your car in Austin in the summer, it’s game over. Don’t open it, just throw it away. You’ll only make this mistake once.

Shaker bottles run $8-$30+.

Protein Snacks

Protein snacks make great stocking stuffers! Throw some beef sticks in with all the chocolate. It’s called *balance*. In all seriousness though, maintaining protein through holiday eating is a very simple and effective way to continue eating well and not go overboard. There are tons of high protein snacks, meat sticks, and baked goods now, so these are fun and easy treats for your powerlifting friend. Get yourself some too!

These Epic beef sea salt and pepper bars are 10 grams of protein per serving. They are easy to transport and don’t require refrigeration.

Protein snacks can range from single serving sizes at $3 or so, all the way up as much as you’d like to spend.

Protein Powders

Protein powders are a great option for a gift, too. These usually come in jugs that are too big to stuff in a stocking, but they’ll be much appreciated and enjoyed if wrapped under the tree. There are many different kinds of protein powders: whey protein, casein, and egg. There are vegan options such as pea and hemp protein as well.

Expect to spend $25 – 35 for a bag or tub of protein.

Serious Gifts for Powerlifters

And by serious, I mean expensive. We all know exercise equipment can add up. If you buy quality, it’ll last a lifetime, though. If you are looking to make a big investment in your powerlifting gift, check out the following suggestions of weights, barbells and other equipment.

Heavy Weights

I know I could have just said “weights” but “heavy weights” sounds so much cooler! If your powerlifting boo has a home gym, there’s a good chance he or she would love some more weight plates, or heavier weights.

From tiny fractional plates to large kilo plates, you can spend up to hundreds of dollars here, so be sure this is something that will go to good use before purchasing.

I have several of these bumper plates from Fringe in my home gym. I love metal plates, but these are really friendly on my garage floor, and of course you can do some Olympic lifts with them too.

Barbells

You can never have too many barbells. With all the specialty barbells out there, there’s always another that would look great in your garage. There are dedicated powerlifting barbells, squat bars, and deadlift bars. Barbells are necessary though, because you can’t do the heavy lifts without them. Again, this is a big purchase which will likely be $250+, up to near $700 for some really high quality bearing barbells, so do some appropriate “wish list” snooping before buying.

I LOVE Fringe and their headquarters are here in Austin. Their Wonder Bar is a high quality bar that you can pick up in store or here via Amazon.

I currently have 4 barbells and my favorite is the the Original Texas Power bar.

Squat Rack

For the serious lifter or fitness fanatic, a home squat rack is freedom. I started with freestanding squat stands, which retail about $150 and up. I upgraded to a Sorinex power cage, but occasionally use my first squat stands. York is a reputable brand with a pair of free standing stands around $150.

The freestanding squat stands I started with. You can see the plates on the mats because I didn’t even have plate storage yet.

For squat racks and power cages, you can spend well into the thousands. Make sure to know your space available and other specs to be sure this is a good fit for your powerlifter. If it is, look at Sorinex, Hammer Strength, Fringe, Dynamic Fitness & Strength, Rogue, and other brands.

This compact set up from Fringe is really great! This gives you a lot more space than a rack like mine, which is a behemoth. They both serve their purpose, but for space reasons, I’d recommend one like this at home.

Adjustable Dumbbell Set

While we’re talking about big gifts, let’s discuss adjustable dumbbell sets. These are big time space savers, and while they are pricey, they are cheaper than buying a large set of dumbbells and a rack. Bowflex, Power Block and more recently Nuobell are the major brands of adjustable dumbbells. These would be amazing gifts for powerlifters who do home workouts, but be prepared to spend $200 or more on these.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are great accessories for strength training. They are some of the best gift ideas for those who will be sharing with a family member or training partner, as they come in a variety of strengths and different sizes. I prefer the flat bands instead of tubing, but you may prefer the handles that typically come standard with tubing.

Resistance bands run $10 and up.

Powerlifting Accessories as Gifts

The sport of powerlifting comes with many many accessories. From sleeves, belts, and wraps, to bags and gear, there are many accessories that would make a powerlifter happy to unwrap on Christmas morning. These range from stocking stuffer type to personalized and sentimental. At least I find my belt sentimental. haha

Knee Sleeves

Knee sleeves provide compression and support for lower body movements. Knee sleeves just feel so good! You’ll want to size this right, so maybe you can sneakily measure your friend’s knee? These really are a great Christmas gift, but on second though, perhaps you can drop a hint and get some input on the sizing. I have used a pair of STrong knee sleeves for years, and I love them. Other good brands are SBD, Rehband, and Rogue.

Knee sleeves for powerlifting will be around $45-85.

Weight Belt

Belts are the most fun accessory in powerlifting! Powerlifting belts come in more varieties than you can imagine: width, thickness, material, length, color, accessory decor, and level/prong. I have a lever belt and a prong. My all time favorite is my Inzer prong belt. Inzer calls their belts forever belts because they are guaranteed forever. (This is not an ad.)

A weightlifting belt is different than a powerlifting belt, so be sure of your competitor’s sport and belt needs. This might be a gift that you let them choose, and then purchase for them. Belts are a great idea though, so keep it in your back pocket.

The belt just like mine, the Inzer Forever 10mm, is currently selling for $129. (November 2023). Again, belts exist in a wide variety, so expect a variety of prices too.

Squat Shoes

Squat shoes are pretty crucial for the very specific training needs of competitive powerlifters. Squat shoes come in different heel heights, different widths. There are powerlifting shoes, shoes for Olympic weightlifting, shoes for the “crossover” athlete who doesn’t want to carry a gym bag with 3 pairs of shoes like the rest of us. Anyway, these would be a great gift, and even better if you have some input from the lifter. Maybe don’t surprise them with these.

Squat shoes typically run $100-200. These Adidas lifting shoes are the classics. Heads up, I haven’t lifted in these. I’ve long been a Chuck Taylor kinda girl. You don’t need lifted shoes for deadlifting, but for Olympic lifting, they will be really helpful.

Gym Bag

A gym bag is a highly practical gift for a powerlifting friend. While some gym bags have a lot of specific compartments, these are not nearly as important to get perfectly specced as say, shoes and a belt. This would be a great mid-priced surprise as a powerlifting gift. Expect to spend $40-80, unless you want to drop over $200 at Lululemon. But really, every serious powerlifter has a shocking collection of wraps, straps, sleeves, towels, chalk, and shoes. Gym bags are a must!

Here’s a cute cute Puma gym bag for a fraction of the expensive ones.

Barbell Collars

Barbell collars are a great stocking stuffer type powerlifting gift. You can pick different colors, different brands, and they just have to work. You don’t have to pick a particular size, and you won’t get it wrong. These are fantastic gifts for powerlifters with a home gym. While not as inexpensive as other stocking stuffers, they’re small enough to be easily wrapped and transported, unlike a squat rack.

I have about 3 pairs of these Lock Jaw collars and I love them.

barbell collars as a stocking stuffer for a gift for a powerlifter

Expect to spend $12 – 50 on a pair of barbell collars.

Personal Training Sessions with a Great Personal Trainer

If you’re more into gifting experiences and education than gifts, you can gift some training sessions with a personal trainer who coaches the power lifts. I am biased, but I think if the person you are gifting this to is on board, this is one of the best gift ideas. Personal trainers can help save time, energy, and accelerate results by helping you find your best lifts sooner. With a trainer, you can work on learning what is proper form in general, what is the best form specifically for you, and what are the best options for training programs.

A trainer can also spot you when you are lifting heavier weights, and help answer questions in the future.

If you are in a big city, expect to spend at least $100 a session.

If you are interested in training, or gifting someone training, I am happy to help talk about options. You can see my 1:1 training details, programs, and plans here.

Fitness Trackers

I’m mentioning these because fitness trackers and collectible data are hot hot right now. I would LOVE to be proven wrong, but from my experience, and what I see from my clients, most data trackers do a better job with running, cardiovascular activities, heart rate data collection, and lifestyle tracking. Fitness trackers for lifting just don’t work that well.

I highly recommend tracking your own data, but I’d suggest an app like TrainHeroic where you input your data. Trainheroic is free as an athlete, and you can input and track your data, like sets x reps, weight, and changes in your lifts over time.

There are expertly programs available for purchase in TrainHeroic, which are priced from $15 up. In lieu of purchasing a Fitbit, tell your powerlifting friend about TrainHeroic! This is a really good gift, and if you are reading this, I think you’d love it too!

Is drinking at holiday parties making you gain weight? Read here about how alcohol affects you.

Chalk

Chalk is crucial for heavier lifts in powerlifting. Chalk helps with grip, and is a staple at any powerlifting gym. Not all gyms have chalk though, so some lifters, including home garage gym lifters, have to buy their own chalk. Liquid chalk is an option, as it is easier to clean up. I’ve heard* it’s easier to sneak into gyms that don’t allow chalk (although gyms not allowing chalk shouldn’t be allowed) since you can be a little more incognito.

Chalk is $8-15 dollars, approximately.

*Just kidding about hearing it. I’m the problem, it’s me. 🙂

Specialty Gifts for Powerlifters

If you want to get really specific into strongman and grip training, there are a variety of apparel options like lifting gear and bar grip shirts. There are specially built handgrip tools and barbell and cable attachments too. These range from $30 to over $100.

Recovery Tools

One last category of useful gifts is recovery tools. Foam rollers, triggerpoint grid foam rollers, massage guns like the Theragun, and are typically useful and portable gadgets. Massage tools, rollers and lacrosse balls are in this category too. These products and prices can vary widely from simple and inexpensive to a couple hundred dollars for some massage guns.

It’s almost the new year! Read here about how to make new year fitness resolutions and keep them.

Powerlifting Gifts for 2024

There you have it! My exhaustive list of what to buy the powerlifter in your life for Christmas 2024. I hope something on this list has helped you find the perfect gift, in the perfect price range. If you have any questions or want a more specific suggestion, I always have opinions. 🙂 Email me! Kathryn (at) kathrynalexander.com.

And what’s the 1 thing not to buy them? Gloves! Just don’t buy them gloves.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Restaurants Near Domain Austin

November 12, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Restaurants near the Domain Austin are plentiful! The Domain Northside is the most happening place in North Austin. I love the Domain! It’s convenient to where I work (Big Tex Gym), and I go frequently. It’s the perfect place for food, drinks, shopping and fun.

Whether you’re looking for the best restaurants, craft cocktails, high fashion, or even a new Mac, you can find it all at the Domain. The Domain has residential areas, an outdoor shopping mall, and tons of restaurants.

You can find a daily happy hour if you just want to grab a drink, or a restaurant for great food, or window shop all the high-end boutiques if you want to walk a little bit after you eat. If you’re on a first date that went great, you can go putt putt at Dirdie Birdie or watch a movie at iPic Theaters.

Eating Well and Eating Healthy

It’s really too much to focus on in one blog post, so let’s just cover the restaurants at The Domain.

For some background info, I am an personal trainer, exercise coach and I teach people how to lift weights. I am NOT a dietitian and I don’t put people on diets. I am a big believer in eating well most of the time. That way you can splurge, and have room to not obsess over food choices. Additionally, you’ll feel great if you’re eating well, getting all the nutrients you need, and not over indulging. Then when you want to indulge, it’s enjoyable and won’t set you back.

Related: Check out these Austin gift ideas for those on your Christmas list this year.

That said, at most of these restaurants, you an find something healthy. Remember that even on special event meals or splurges, you want to get protein. Look for steak, chicken or other proteins to, add in fruits and/or vegetables, and then add in the splurgy sides if that’s what you’re going for. Bottom line, most restaurants have plenty of healthy menu items.

Restaurants of The Domain

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille – Steakhouse
Flower Child – Health-focused American
Xian Sushi and Noodle – Sushi and Asian cuisine
Houndstooth Coffee – Coffee shop
Thai Kun – Thai street food
Culinary Dropout – Gastropub
North Italia – Italian
Bakery Lorraine – Bakery
Taverna – Italian
True Food Kitchen – Mediterranean and health-conscious
Plank Seafood Provisions – Seafood and oyster bar
Shake Shack – Burgers
Gloria’s Latin Cuisine – Salvadorian and Tex-Mex
Maggiano’s – Italian-American
Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café – Crêpes
The Yard Milkshake Bar – Ice cream and milkshakes
Punch Bowl Social – Bar and entertainment venue
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar – Steakhouse and wine bar
JINYA Ramen Bar – Ramen
Velvet Taco – Tacos
Beirut – Lebanese

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille – Known for its upscale, classic steakhouse vibes, Perry’s serves prime cuts and creative dishes in a refined atmosphere. Their famous pork chop is a must-try, along with an extensive wine list for pairing. Perry’s is one of my favorites for special occasions.
Flower Child – A health-conscious eatery offering flavorful dishes with options for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets. The menu emphasizes fresh ingredients, perfect for those seeking a nourishing meal in a bright, casual setting.
Xian Sushi and Noodle – Specializing in hand-pulled noodles and freshly prepared sushi, Xian offers authentic Asian cuisine with a focus on quality and unique flavors. This spot is great for sushi lovers and noodle enthusiasts alike.
Houndstooth Coffee – A specialty coffee shop with a pretty but minimal vibe, Houndstooth is dedicated to serving high-quality brews made with carefully sourced beans. It’s a great place to people watch or work, but be aware there aren’t outlets. If your computer is dead like mine was last time, you might want to go somewhere else.
Thai Kun – A vibrant spot that brings bold, authentic Thai street food flavors to Austin. Known for its spicy dishes and lively atmosphere, it’s a go-to for fans of flavorful, Southeast Asian cuisine.
Culinary Dropout – This trendy restaurant serves up classic American fare with a twist, along with creative cocktails. Culinary Dropout includes a bar, restaurant, and sometimes live music, making it perfect for social gatherings. A good bit of it is outside seating too, which is fun for much of the year in Austin.
North Italia – A modern Italian restaurant offering handcrafted pizzas, fresh pasta, and an inviting ambiance. North Italia is perfect for fans of traditional Italian food with a contemporary twist.
Bakery Lorraine – A charming artisan bakery that’s loved for its delicate pastries, freshly baked breads, and breakfast items. It’s a delightful spot for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon coffee and pastry break.
Taverna – Known for its authentic Italian cuisine, Taverna serves up delicious risotto, pasta, and wood-fired pizzas in a warm, cozy setting. It’s a great spot for a relaxed meal with a taste of Italy.
True Food Kitchen – With a menu that focuses on seasonal, health-conscious dishes, True Food Kitchen caters to many kinds of diets, making it ideal for meeting people with different taste buds and preferences. They have a variety of salads, vegetarian dishes, and gluten-free options. The ambiance is casual, making it a good choice for an easy, wholesome meal.
Plank Seafood Provisions – A coastal-inspired seafood restaurant and oyster bar, Plank offers a fresh take on seafood classics with a relaxed, beachy atmosphere. Fresh oysters might be the most popular item on the menu. Overall, this feels like a classy seafood grill with great cocktails.
Shake Shack – A casual burger joint offering all-natural Angus beef burgers, hot dogs, and creamy frozen custard. This modern roadside stand is the perfect place for a quick, satisfying bite.
Gloria’s Latin Cuisine – A lively Tex-Mex and Salvadorian restaurant known for its flavorful dishes and award-winning margaritas. They have amazing tortilla chips & salsa, but the winner is the bean dip. It’s my favorite. If you’re looking for late night fun, don’t miss salsa dancing with a live DJ at Gloria’s every Saturday from 11:00 pm – 2:00 am.
Maggiano’s Little Italy – This Italian-American restaurant serves classic Italian favorites, including pasta, flatbreads, and house-made sauces, in a family-style setting. The menu and ambiance make it ideal for group dining.
Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café – Specializing in both sweet and savory crêpes, Sweet Paris offers a charming, Parisian-inspired dining experience. It’s perfect for brunch or a light meal with a touch of elegance.
The Yard Milkshake Bar – Known for its extravagant milkshakes and decadent ice cream creations, The Yard is a hit with dessert lovers and those looking for a sweet treat with a playful twist. It has a tiny little dining room, so head to The Yard on a pretty day and take your dessert outside.
Punch Bowl Social – This expansive venue offers classic American dishes and cocktails alongside a range of entertainment options, like bowling and karaoke, making it ideal for a fun night out with friends.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar – A luxurious steakhouse with a reputation for perfectly cooked steaks and an award-winning wine list. It’s an ideal choice for a fine dining experience and delectable dishes.
JINYA Ramen Bar – An authentic Japanese ramen bar with a modern touch, JINYA specializes in rich, flavorful ramen bowls and a variety of toppings. It’s a cozy spot for ramen enthusiasts seeking bold flavors.
Lone Star Court – The Lone Star Court is a super cute area that has a hotel, pool, fire pit and a bar called The Water Trough. If you’re hungry, grab food from a food truck in their outside dining area too.
The Velvet Taco – Located just north of Esperanza Crossing and Rock Rose Ave, The Velvet Taco makes unusually delicious tacos. They open at 11:00 so it’s more of a brunch than breakfast tacos type place, but I recommend trying a few of their unique tacos.
Beirut – Beirut, a Lebanese food trailer, is located near the Lawn, on the south side of the Domain. I’ve never been here, but I’ve heard the French fry-stuffed shawarma is a favorite menu item.

Honorable Mentions

Dos Salsas is a delicious Tex Mex restaurant just east of Burnet Road, across from the Domain. Dos Salsas is big and fun and often has a mariachi band. I like their margaritas too. It always feels like a festival in there.

Chi’Lantro is in a little strip just a quarter mile south of Dos Salsas. Chi’Lantro is Korean bbq known for it’s bowls and kim chi fries. I often meet friends here because there are so many options.

Yard House, on the north side of the Domain, has great food, a bar with tons of tvs for watching sports, and is generally a good time.

Restaurants Near Domain Austin for Your Next Adventure

Next time you’re in the North Austin area, stop into the domain. You’ll find a delicious meal and plenty of stuff to do on Domain Dr. Let me know if I missed your favorite!

If you’re looking for more outdoorsy stuff in Austin, here are my favorite parks in Austin.

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How Much Does a Barbell Weigh?

November 5, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

How much does a barbell weigh? There’s a short answer and a long answer, and I’ll tell you both.

(Nerd alert, I’m going to get in the weeds about barbells here! I love barbells. I collect barbells. I had a dream I had 7 more barbells as I was writing this post lol)

Short answer: 45 pounds, or 20 kilograms.
Long answer: 10 pounds, 15 pounds, 35 pounds, 10 kilos, 20 kilos, 45 pounds, 70 pounds, and more.

If you’ve ever been new in a gym, you know you have to familiarize yourself with the equipment. You’ll usually see what you consider standard barbells, and you can assume they weight 45 pounds. Most barbells do. But, there are so many specialty bars, and it seems like there are more being made every day. They’re pretty fun, too! If you’re lucky, you’re in a gym that has many of these barbells, so you can play with them all.

Gym Cat and barbell during garage gym workout. For reference, the bar is loaded to 95 and Cat weights about 14 pounds here.

Check out this guide so that you can distinguish different types of bars and know the weight of the barbell you’ll be training with.

How Much Does a Standard Barbell Weigh?

As I mentioned above, the most common barbell weighs 45 pounds, which is about 20 kilograms. Twenty kilograms equals 44.1 pounds, but most everybody says 45. Most Olympic barbells and power bars weigh this. If you’re in commercial gyms or mainstream big box gyms, this is probably what you’ll encounter. Unless it is notably different in size or is marked, you can probably safely assume a bar is 45 pounds.

Note that sometimes a bar is called a standard bar, and this is the skinny bar that you can buy from Academy or Dick’s Sporting Goods. These have a small diameter and don’t weight 45.

When you hear people colloquially say “standard bar”, it usually means what is generally found in gyms. Those are 45 pounds.

Marking Barbells

You’ll see that some gyms mark barbells with different colored tape on the collars. This helps distinguish which bar is which. I don’t think there is a standard across gyms in America for barbells colors, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

For example, at Big Tex Gym where I train my clients now, the squat bar is labeled in yellow tape. The deadlift bars are labeled red, power barbells are labeled blue. Bent or damaged bars are labeled with gray. These are nice to keep around too, in case you are doing rack pulls or other lifts that are hard on the bar. This way you can use the gray bar and not ruin a $850 Eleiko.

How Much Does a Barbell Weigh? Olympic and power bars

If you’re doing a heavy bench press or squat though, you do NOT want the bar to rotate in your hand because you unknowingly loaded up a bent bar. This is also why I chase down people who are abusive to bars in the gym. If I’ve done that to you, sorry not sorry.

Different Types of Barbells

There are sooo many different types of barbells! I LOVE this, because it’s cool for the barbell to fit your specific lift and your specific goals. There are squat bars, deadlift bars, training bars, cambered and bent bars, bars in other atypical shapes, and many more. They began as a straight metal bar, but there are so many variations now! Each of these bars has a different purpose and was created for a specific reason. It makes sense to know the use of a bar and the weight of a barbell before you get started training with it.

Olympic Barbells

A standard Olympic barbell is 45 pounds, typically has knurling for your grip but no center knurling, and spins really well. This is crucial for the Olympic lifts, since the clean requires the bar come into contact with the skin around the collarbones, neck and shoulders. An exception to this weight is that women’s bars for Olympic lifting are 15 kilos, which is about 33 pounds. Women’s bars are a bit thinner diameter too (25mm verses the men 28mm), which allows people with smaller hands to grip it better. Women can choose to train with a standard weight bar, but should train with the women’s barbell if they are training to compete. The International Weightlifting Federation uses women’s bars in all competitions.

Powerlifting Barbells

A straight barbell with good knurling, a power bar is probably the most common type of barbell outside of just regular barbells that are sold en masse from Amazon, etc. Power bars have great knurling both for grip, and center knurling for back squats.

To my knowledge, no powerlifting federations use different bars for men and women. The International Powerlifting Federation, USA Powerlifting (USAPL), and others do not use gender specific bars.

Here’s a list of various types of barbells commonly found in gyms and their uses:

1. Olympic Barbell

Weight: 20 kg (44 lbs) for men, 15 kg (33 lbs) for women.
Length: Typically 7 feet (84 inches).
Use: Designed for Olympic weightlifting movements like the snatch and clean & jerk. The barbell has rotating sleeves for smoother lifts. It should go with out saying, but Olympic-style lifts should be performed with Olympic bars and Olympic plates.
Features: Knurling for grip, whip (flexibility), and rotating sleeves for dynamic lifts.

2. Powerlifting Barbell

Weight: Typically 20 kg (44 lbs).
Use: A power bar is specifically for the big three lifts in powerlifting—squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
Features: Stiffer (less whip), more aggressive knurling, and usually no rotating sleeves (or less rotation).

3. Trap Bar / Hex Bar

Weight: Typically 45-70 lbs, depending on the model.
Use: Primarily used for deadlifts, shrugs, and farmer’s carries. The lifter stands inside the bar, allowing for a more neutral grip and upright posture during lifts. This makes the deadlift a bit less of a hinge, and slightly more like a squat. This uses your lower back a little less since you won’t have to hinge as much. Some people find they can use heavier weights here too.
Features: Hexagonal or trapezoidal shape with handles on either side. There are many different manufacturers of these and they all have a unique shape.

4. EZ Curl Bar

Weight: Typically 10-15 lbs.
Use: Primarily used for biceps curls, triceps extensions, and other arm exercises. The wavy design of ez-curl bars reduces strain on wrists.
Features: Shorter length and wavy shaft. The EZ bar is easy to grip. Since it’s not as long, it doesn’t hold as much weight. That’s typically not a limitation on biceps curls, though.

5. Swiss Bar (Multi-Grip Bar, Football bar)

Weight: Typically 35-55 lbs.
Use: Allows for multiple neutral grip positions, used for pressing movements (bench press, overhead press), and rows. Great for reducing stress on shoulders and wrists. This is pretty much a press and bench press bar. You won’t do lower body lifts with this.
Features: Multiple parallel handles for different grip options.

Football bar and rack belonging to Kathryn Alexander, Austin personal trainer

6. Safety Squat Bar

Weight: Typically 60-70 lbs.
Use: Designed for squatting, especially for those with shoulder mobility issues. The bar has padded shoulder rests and handles for easier squatting without shoulder strain.
Features: The weight distribution is more forward, making the squat more quad-dominant.

7. Deadlift Bar

Weight: 20 kg (44 lbs).
Use: Specifically designed for deadlifting, this barbell has more flex (whip), allowing the lifter to pull more weight before the plates leave the ground.
Features: Longer and thinner than a standard bar, with aggressive knurling for a better grip. The longer sleeve on this bar (the end of the bar) allows for very heavy loads, and can stand up to a huge total weight. The length of the barbell is something to consider if you have a home gym or garage gym. I love the whippy bar though. It’s fun to pull with!

8. Cambered Bar

Weight: Typically 60-70 lbs.
Use: Primarily used for squats and good mornings. The cambered shape of the bar shifts the weight distribution, making the movement more challenging for stabilizers.
Features: A distinctive downward curve on the barbell, often with handles.

9. Log Bar (Log Press Bar)

Weight: Typically 70-100 lbs.
Use: Common in strongman training for overhead pressing movements.
Features: Large, cylindrical shape with neutral grip handles in the center.

10. Axle Bar (Fat Bar)

Weight: Varies, often around 45 lbs.
Use: Used for grip strength training, overhead presses, deadlifts, and rows.
Features: Thicker diameter than a standard barbell (usually 2 inches or more), making it harder to grip.

11. Technique Bar

Weight: Typically 5-15 lbs.
Use: Used to teach and practice proper lifting technique, especially for beginners or those recovering from injury.
Features: Lighter weight than standard barbells, with the biggest difference being that they are often made from aluminum or other lightweight materials.

12. Women’s Olympic Barbell

Weight: 15 kg (33 lbs).
Length: Typically 6.5 feet (79 inches).
Use: Designed for Olympic lifting for women, with slightly smaller diameter and length compared to the men’s version.
Features: Same rotating sleeves and knurling as the men’s barbell but with smaller dimensions. The diameter of the bar helps with grip.

13. Squat Bar

Weight: 25 kg (55 lbs).
Use: Specifically designed for squats. These bars are stiffer and usually longer to accommodate wider grip positions.
Features: Stiff bar, aggressive knurling, and a thicker diameter. A squat barbell can accommodate a huge amount of weight; load capacity is insane.

14. Buffalo Bar (Bowed Bar)

Weight: Typically 45-55 lbs.
Use: Mostly used for squatting, this bar has a slight curve that reduces strain on the shoulders and elbows, making it ideal for lifters with shoulder mobility issues.
Features: A curved barbell that allows for more comfortable squatting or bench pressing.

15. Short Barbell

Weight: 25-35 lbs.
Use: Used in smaller spaces or for specific exercises like curls or presses where a full-length barbell is unnecessary. These are also great for home gyms or garage gyms when you don’t have a ton of room and don’t want to put holes in your walls.
Features: Shorter than a standard barbell, often around 5 feet in length.

16. Youth Barbell

Weight: Typically 10-15 lbs.
Use: Designed for younger or smaller lifters to practice technique and build strength. This allows training plates and lighter loads to be used. Training plates are important because they are the same size as 45 pound weight plates, so people who can’t quite deadlift 135 (bar + two 45 pound plates) can still learn the deadlift with the exact same form.
Features: Lighter and shorter than a standard barbell, often made of lightweight materials like aluminum. The lifter can develop strength here and add additional weight until they are able to use a standard barbell weight.

What Weight Barbell Should You Use?

Probably 45 pounds. If that is challenging for you, use a shorter barbell or training bar. Find the right weight for you, one where you can lift well for 8+ reps. If you have general fitness goals like getting stronger, toning up, losing weight and getting fitter, you can use pretty much any kind of bar. Traditional barbells are a great tool for so many uses, and various exercises. Don’t feel like you can’t make progress without all the fancy bars! Use proper form and work hard, and you’ll go far on your fitness journey.

If you have a home gym or garage gym, check out this article about how to maximize your gym organization, and how to store barbells.

One more common question I get is about smith machine bars and how much they weight. Smith machines, where the bar is on a guided track, vary widely. The Smith machine bar can be completely counterbalanced so that it weights nothing, or it can be closer to 45. Know this as you approach any smith machine, and be prepared for it to be heavy just in case. If that makes you nervous, just ask someone who works there. Most of us who work in gyms are equipment nerds and fitness enthusiasts who would be so happy to help you.

However. It’s more FUN to use specific bars 🙂 but you can use any. If you have sport specific goals like competing in Olympic lifting competitions or powerlifting, then I would suggest finding a local gym or power gym for your strength and conditioning goals. The wide variety of specialty barbells allows for specific training adaptations depending on your goals and needs. Each barbell type is designed to optimize performance and comfort for specific lifts and training styles.

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Lat Pulldown Machine Exercises and Variations

October 21, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Lat pulldown machine exercises and variations: how to execute and implement them for your best back development.

Lat pulldown machines are a fantastic tool for back exercises. There are many different ways to use the lat pulldown machine and all it’s variations. Lat pulldown exercises can be varied by grip width, grip type, hand positioning, and angle of the pull. Even if you can do pull-ups and don’t technically need a lat pulldown machine, it can be a very great tool for back strength, size and development.

What are Lat Pulldowns?

Lat pulldowns are typically a seated pulling motion that mimics a pull-up. Because pull-ups are basically all or nothing; binary; you can do one or you cannot, they are tough to practice well. If you cannot pull up your own body weight, you need to build strength at that angle first. Resistance bands and machine lat pulldowns allow you to do this.

Lat pulldowns allow you to practice this movement well, using full control of the muscles around your shoulder blades and perfecting your form. Don’t get me wrong: to achieve the ability to do pull-ups, you have to do some ugly pull-ups. But, along the way, lat pulldowns are a great way to take steps toward pull-ups.

Why Are Lat Pulldown Exercises Important to Do?

Strong lats are crucial to building and maintaining good posture, significant upper body strength, and preventing biomechanical stress from muscular imbalances. Lats are one of the most interesting muscle groups, and one of the largest contributors to full body strength.

A strong back makes a statement; it is undeniable that a person with an impressive back lifts, and pulldowns are one of the best exercises to help with this. In men, this looks strong and powerful. In women, this looks strong and graceful. I often hear my clients tell me their goals include having a strong, pain free, and aesthetically pleasing back.

Finally, if you are a bench only type of person, you’ll develop imbalances that the lat pulldown can help you fix. Excessive stress on the shoulders from a heavy bench routine can be helped by balancing out the chest work with back work.

Are you shopping for Austin gift ideas? Check out my favorites!

Why Are Lat Pulldown Exercises Important to Do?

Lat pulldowns work the whole back: lower back, middle back, upper back, and even arms. We don’t really want this to be an isolation exercise, but the pull up does not work your back in isolation. The muscles used from doing the lat pulldown exercise are the latissimus dorsi muscles, rhomboids, upper and lower trapezius muscles, and rear deltoids. The grip muscles of the hands and fingers, and forearm flexors, and biceps also assist in these exercises.

Fun fact: the first time I achieved a pull up, my abs were the most sore of all my muscles. Isn’t that wild? I had prepared my back muscles well and built stronger lats by doing a solid strength training program and pull-down exercises, but my abdominal muscles had not fully joined the game until I did full range of motion, unassisted pull-ups. I point this out just to highlight how pulls are not an isolation exercise.

How to do the Classic Machine Lat Pulldown (Regular Grip)

Adjust the Seat and Knee Pads:
- Sit on the pulldown machine and adjust the seat height so that your feet are flat on the floor.
- Position the knee pads so they sit comfortably on your thighs, holding you in place during the exercise. (This helps a ton! Don’t skip this!)
- You’ll stand back up and start in a standing position while you get your grip on, next.
Grip the Bar:
- Reach up and grab the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Not a super close grip or very wide yet.
- Make sure your hands are evenly spaced on the bar. Don’t set up crooked, ain’t nobody got time for that.
Starting Position:
- Sit down with your arms fully extended and your torso upright. Think chest up, and allow your shoulders to stretch up.
- Pull your shoulder blades down and move smoothly into driving your elbows down, into your hips.
Pull the Bar Down:
- Pull the bar to your upper chest or just below your chin, keeping your torso steady and your core engaged.
- As mentioned above, think about your elbows retracting into your hips, not pointing back behind you.
Return to Starting Position:
- Return the bar overhead. Control your movement upwards, extending the elbow joint first, and then letting the bar pull you back into the stretched position.
- Keep your chest up as you are stretched back into your initial position.

Lat Pulldown Variations

The classic lat pull-down, described above, is one you should practice first. It’s symmetrical and balanced, and will help you learn to recruit and connect to your lat muscles. From there, experiment with different variations on the pulldown machine so that you can truly begin to feel how you can use your lats to control your shoulder joint and your arms. Then, try to feel, individually, your lower lats*, upper back muscles, mid back muscles.

Focus on learning this scapular depression and elevation first:

Scapular elevation and depression, demonstrated by Austin personal trainer Kathryn Alexander.

Start with light weights so you can learn that mind muscle connection. Don’t be afraid to go heavier though; the pulldown is pretty forgiving. It’s not dangerous to increase the weight as you’re learning.

*There’s truly no “lower lats” because the lats are one muscle group that originates from the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and fascia, ninth to twelfth ribs, and posterior half of the iliac crest. This means your lower back, and hip bones. From there, imagine the muscles attaching to your upper arm.

Note that you do not have to MASTER the basic lat pulldown to move on to any other pulldown variations. Do your best to practice good form on all of them, and you’ll learn from each exercise to the next. For best results in building muscle and just learning the exercise, practice many variations doing the best you can.

Single Arm Lat Pulldown

The single arm lat pulldown is an excellent variation of the first exercise. In this exercise, you’ll use a single handle or ring instead of a straight bar attachment. You’ll perform your pull one side at a time. I like to stretch the whole side that I’m working. For example, if I’m pulling with my right side, I’ll grip the ring or handle with my right hand, and then skooch over in the seat, dropping my right leg closer to the floor. This creates a straight line stretch all the way down my right side, from my right arm, all the way down to my right knee, which is either close to or resting on the floor.

This is a great exercise to feel one side at a time, and to make sure your arms are being worked symmetrically.

Here are some barbell and dumbbell back exercises if you are looking to expand your workouts.

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown

The wide grip lat pulldown is an excellent variation of the first exercise. For this exercise, you’ll set up just like you would for the class pulldown, except you’ll take a wider grip. You can think about doing the top of the “Y” in the “YMCA”. This variation might feel a little tougher, so start light again. This is an excellent exercise to focus on that mind muscle connection, and really feel your lats. This is a great option to really challenge yourself to move into pulling heavy weights.

Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown

Neutral grip means that your hands face each other the whole time. You might not use a typical lat pulldown bar for this exercise. You can do this with a bar attachment that places your hands facing each other, or you can use two separate attachments like rings or handles that you can control yourself. For these neutral grip lat pulldowns, the primary difference is just hand placement. Focus also on the main technical points of the classic lat pulldown, above.

This is a neutral grip lat pulldown with a MAG grip attachment.

Underhand Grip Lat Pulldown

Also called a reverse grip lat pulldown, this is also like a chin up. In this case, you’ll use an underhand position, meaning your palms are facing you. For wrist comfort, you’ll probably have a shoulder width grip, or even closer. This is one of the best pullup options to begin, because you’ll find you can progress on these faster than on a wide grip lat pulldown. Your biceps will really get a workout and help out with this movement.

reverse grip lat pulldown; Hyde Park Gym in Austin, Texas.

Pulldown Machine Exercises and Variations: Execution

With a couple of different attachments (tricep rope, straight bar attachment), the pulldown machine can be used like a cable machine for other exercises. These include cable face pulls, tricep pushdowns, the straight-arm pulldown, seated row and low rows (if it is a lat pulldown low row machine). Every weight machine is different, and you’ll typically find better options at a gym than at a home gym. So if you are a hybrid home gym/gym gym athlete, be strategic and take advantage of a few of these pulldown machine exercises while you have gym access!

Learning the basic exercises, working your whole body (full body push pull upper style), eating healthy cooking, and lifting with good technique will drive you to your goals the fastest you can go!

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Austin Gift Ideas

October 8, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

This is a comprehensive list of Austin gift ideas for your local friends, and those you are trying to convince to move here!

You’ll find the perfect gift at any of the unique Austin businesses around town. Local businesses here are different, off the beaten path, and offer novel gifts that your people will love.

Whether it’s gift cards, gift certificates, or IOUs for local outdoor adventures, you’ll find the best great Austin gifts here!

It’s Shopping Season!

Yall, the weather is getting cooler and the holidays are fast approaching! It’s not only sweater weather, holiday season, it’s shopping season!

Austin has such a unique vibe: it has combination of creative energy, Texas hospitality, and just enough weirdness to make it a place where people feel free to express themselves, try new things, and enjoy the good things in life. It’s a city that offers both a small-town feel and big-city amenities, making it truly one of a kind.

Check out these authentic gifts to catch the spirit of Austin for your shopping this season! Some of these are amazon affiliate links, which I may make a small commission from.

Austin Gift Guide 2024

Austin Foods and Snacks

Local food and snacks are always a good idea! Whether you’re sending deliciousness through the mail or treating your friends in person, food gifts are always great ideas.

Austin’s Own Barbecue Sauce

Austin’s Own is truly a family-recipe barbecue sauce that has grown from a small batch to national distribution. They are still local though and can be found here.

Austin's Own BBQ Sauce — Austin’s Own BBQ Sauce

Franklin’s Barbecue

Franklin’s Barbecue might be the most famous barbecue in Austin. If you aren’t wanting to send an edible gift, consider this box set of paperbacks from Aaron Franklin. This includes Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak.

Franklin Barbecue; Aaron Franklin's book set. Steak and Barbecue — Book set by Aaron Franklin

Franklin Steak; Aaron Franklin's book. Franklin Barbecue — Franklin Steak

Franklin Barbecue; Aaron Franklin's book. Great Austin gift idea — Franklin Barbecue

The Salt Lick

The Salt Lick is a famous and fantastic barbecue restaurant just south of Austin. If you can’t treat your loved ones to a trip to the pit, you can send them a little bit of local flavor with Salt Lick dry rubs.

Tacos!

No Austin culinary scene would be complete without tacos, and tacos are always good gifts. My favorite tacos available for local delivery are Torchy’s, Tacodeli, and Veracruz All Natural.

Austin Gifts

The Burlap Bag

The Burlap Bag candles have amazing names (Puppy Breath, Smelly Cat, Someone in Austin Loves Me). They are made from all natural US soy beans and are hand poured in Austin, Texas in small batches to ensure quality. I happen to know the owner and have bought many candles from her. I can vouch!

Whiskey Glasses

Whiskey glasses for Austin lovers and bourbon drinkers! These glasses features a map of the city etched into the glass. Find your favorite neighborhood and sip away.

Uncommon Objects

Uncommon Objects is one of the most interesting stores in Austin. They source their “transcendent junk” from craft shows, estate sales, and markets all over. They do not sell online, so head over to South Austin to check out their one of a kind hand picked goods.

Austin gift ideas: a brass pegasus from Uncommon Goods

The Austin Gift Company

The Austin Gift Company features over 150 booths from local artists and artisans under one roof. With a wide selection of gifts, this is a one-stop shop. You’ll find gifts that capture Austin’s iconic skyline, images of the Texas Hill Country, and the famous Mexican free-tailed bats. Christmas gifts are abundant here too.

Austin Adventures and Experiences

Adventures and experiences are fantastic gifts! From guided walks around Lady Bird Lake to being tourists on South Congress, doing is sometimes the best gift.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Do you have a film buff on your shopping list? The Alamo Drafthouse is seriously one of the most fun places in Austin. With their big comfy lounge chairs and full food and drink menu, it’s a better way to watch a movie! You can get Alamo Drafthouse gift cards so your friends and family can redeem at their leisure.

Guided Tour of Austin

Sometimes experience gifts are the most fun kind of gifts. This book, Austin Like a Local, includes 6 walking tours and is updated for 2024. This is a great Austin gift, as it will provide hours of experiences and memories.

Viva Day Spa

Viva Day Spa is a great way to gift a relaxing time. Founded by 3 women in Austin, Viva Day Spa is one of the best med spa locations, and day spas in Austin. Treat your significant other or bff to a blissful time here. Gift certificates are available.

Austin Music and Memorabilia

The music scene in Austin is popping! It’s my absolute favorite thing about Austin, formerly the city of Waterloo, currently the Live Music Capital of the World!

Waterloo Records

Waterloo Records is a staple in Austin. Located downtown on North Lamar, Waterloo features vinyl records from local bands and more. Your favorite music lover will cherish a gift from the live music capital of the world!

Live Music Tickets

If you are looking to create a really special event for an Austin gift, check out tickets for SXSW, ACL, or even one day concerts at Saxon Pub, The Continental Club, the Moody Center or Moody Amphitheater, Emo’s, Stubb’s, Antone’s…. there are sooo many great venues here. Keep up with the latest news and event calendars to find a show you’ll love.

Other Austin Favorites

Toy Joy

Toy Joy has provided Austin with games, books, puzzles, and toys since 1987. Visiting the store is an experience in itself! It’s not only children’s toys either! They have something fun for everyone!

Austin Rocks

Austin Rocks is a funky little boutique on 2nd Street. Here you can find any Austin gifts, from guitar picks, to cool shirts, shot glasses to “I love you so much” coasters. You can absolutely find unique and kind gifts here, to tell someone you are thinking about them!

The Austin Visitor Center

Located in the heart of Austin on 4th Street, the Visitor Center can help you plan the perfect experiences in Austin. If you are still looking for the best way to give the gift of Austin, check out the visitor center.

Keep Austin Weird

Shop local yall, and Keep Austin Weird!

These gifts are way cooler than another thing from Home Goods or Target. No shade, but these unique gift items are a fantastic idea to spread the weird, lovable vibe, from Austin zip codes to Round Rock, Georgetown, Houston, Dallas, and beyond.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

5 Tips to Plan for a Fit Fall Season

September 27, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Now is the time to plan for a fit fall season – make your fall workout plan now!

It’s fall, yall! It’s football, bbq, jambalaya and stew season! Sweater weather! We are so close to chillier weather, I can almost feel it! Almost, lol.

Kathryn Alexander Austin coach and personal trainer

But seriously, we are getting back into the routine of school, fall work, and the upcoming 4th quarter. It’s a whirlwind for sure, especially if you have kids in fall sports and activities. It’s not getting quieter though, so it is time to make yourself a fall fitness plan.

If you are able to get on a plan now, do regular workouts and training, and plan around the holiday disruptions, you’ll be able to keep that moment for a healthy and fun fall, and then holiday season.

Here are 5 ways to set yourself up for workout success through the fall season and the busy holiday season.

1. Get Some Momentum Now!

Start stacking wins now! Get on a schedule and maintain it. Make this promise to yourself and keep it. Like I said, I know not many people are sitting around with tons of extra time during the fall season, but if you are able to schedule in at least 2-3 training sessions a week, do that now.

Use the structure you have in place around family schedules and obligations to cement in a couple workouts, and commit to your training.

Set yourself up for success, so that you have a schedule in place for when the holidays get busy.

2. Get On a Workout Plan

This is one of the easiest ways to keep your training in place. Get on a plan that fits your schedule and goals so that you do not have to think about it when it comes time to train. Sometimes that little bit of extra brain power required is what can make the workout feel daunting. When you are tired and worn out, the last thing you want to think about is what to do. That is why, if you already have plan to follow, you just have to do it.

If you need help getting on a plan, here are ones I have written. Currently, there is The Home Team, which is made to do all your training from home with minimal equipment. The Garage Squad is FUN – we use barbells and lift 3 times a week. Square 1 walks you through your first day in the gym and teaches you how to lift safely and successfully. \Any Gym USA allows you to walk into any basic gym and get a good session. Don’t be tripped up by fancy equipment or specialty equipment – this is good, meat and potatoes training you can do anywhere.

Finally, The Works Strength & Conditioning is a plan that includes gym sessions, home sessions, cardio, and abs, core and stretching. Don’t sleep on this one!

Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer, programs — Kathryn Alexander Austin personal trainer has programs for your goals!

3. Identify Barriers

I like to remind myself when I am looking at a challenge that somebody somewhere has been through a challenge like mine successfully. There IS a way!

The biggest barriers are time constraints, lack of energy/desire, and not having a plan. I addressed having a plan in the section above. This takes a few minutes of prep, but there are many great plans to pick from. Don’t over think it; pick one and commit.

As far as time constraints, I know this is real. If you even have to do quick home sessions that are equipment free, you can do that! If you have kids playing soccer and can walk laps around the field, do it! Throw in a few lunges next week. Maybe pushups on a park bench.

If you have 15 minutes at night, do 5 sets of 10 squats, and 5 sets of bear crawls. Full body session done!

Get creative here; nobody knows your schedule better than you. Think of every way you can fit in exercise, and then pick your plan.

If you are lacking motivation, take some time to reflect on your reason why. This is deeper than a quick hit of “Just do it!” style motivation. Really think deeply about why exercise matters to you. I’ll bet that you do have physique goals, which are completely valid.

I bet you have health goals as well, and people who love you and want you to be around for a long time. Think about the example you’d like to set for your children, and the foundation you’d like to lay for healthy golden years. Write these down! Revisit this when you need a reminder.

4. Look Ahead

Look ahead to vacations, family trips and prior commitments. Like you just did with your schedule, think through what you can do to make your training work. Can you visit travel gyms on the road, or will you do maintenance workouts? That totally works too!

Pack resistance bands or plan bodyweight workouts that you can do at the in-laws. If you’re taking a beach trip, walk through the sand after you eat each night. It will be great for digestion, and a beautiful departure from normal evenings.

Finally, when you are on vacation, remember that it is OK to take time off. Sometimes during the holidays, you can’t do it all. Training is supposed to help you life a better life, and you have to go live life! Take your time off, enjoy, and then have a planned date that you get back on your routine.

5. Contact Me

Finally, contact me! I’ve been a trainer for 19 years, y’all! I have been through a lot of season changes, and so have my clients. I am grateful that they have shared with me how they have trained through challenge, health issues, holidays, family commitments and time constraints. There IS a way!

I can help you find a plan, make a plan, and execute.

I’d love to see your success story of how you make deliberate healthy choices now and thrived through the holiday season!

By setting clear goals, planning ahead, and staying flexible, you can maintain your workout routine throughout the holiday season and start the new year on a strong note!

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Home Gym Ideas: Garage Edition (2024)

September 10, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Home gym ideas, garage edition! Home gyms are the most fun! I am a huge proponent of having your own home gym, whether it’s in a spare room, a back yard shed, or in your garage.

People get caught up in the pros and cons of a home gym, or a garage gym vs gym membership, or what’s the best equipment for home workouts? There are a million answers to these questions, and the good news, there are lots of ways to get it right!

home gym ideas garage. Kathryn Alexander personal trainer Austin

If you need home gym ideas, garage gym ideas, or just want to brainstorm, please read along! You are truly only limited by your imagination! And maybe budget, but we’ll address that too. 🙂

Some links in this post are Amazon affiliate links to products that I love and regularly use.

I have put quite a bit of effort and investment into my garage gym. I have a two-car garage, and though I have somewhat limited space, I can park my truck in one side, and house all my home gym equipment on the other. It allows for me to use my own garage gym for good workouts, and active lifestyle, and spending time in a private space. Sometimes there are just so many people out there in public gyms, you know? 🙂

The great thing is that this also allows me to maintain my own equipment. I buy quality equipment and treat it well. After all, I intend to use it for a long time!

Build Your Dream Garage Gym

The best thing about the millions of options when building your home gym is that you can perfectly and precisely tailor it to you. I encourage you to think about what would be the most fun thing for you to be able to train at home. What would be the best thing that you look forward to having the freedom to do in the comfort of your own home?

That seems easy enough, but sometimes it’s hard to think that big, or get that creative! That’s ok! Just start thinking on that as you read the following ideas for how to make your home gym or garage gym the best facility for you!

Why Should You Have a Home Garage Gym?

No commute!
Save time!
No waiting for equipment!
No weirdos! (Unless you invite them over)
Nobody else’s sweat!
No distractions!
All the equipment you have picked!
Your own music!
Your own lighting!
Solitude! Or, invite your friends!

I could go on about what makes a garage gym so great! The convenience of skipping the commute and time can really increase your consistency in training. You can really find tune all the details of your gym too: like I mentioned, the music decisions are yours. You can put the fans and heaters on how you’d like. No weather’s going to stop you from training!

Of course, a garage home gym is private and comfortable too. You can really focus on your own workouts without the distractions of a public commercial gym.

Notice I didn’t say this really saves you money, because it can really put a dent in your fun budget, if you know what I mean. It saves you so much time! But not much money. Yes, if you forego your gym memberships, you’ll save a bit of that recurring cost. And weights last forever; if you take good care of your equipment, you can pass it on to your grand kids, and I’m not exaggerating.

Probably most importantly, having a dedicated workout space at home encourages a healthy lifestyle, making it easier to integrate exercise into your daily routines. This is probably the most important thing for building your health, strength, and reaching your fitness goals.

What Is Your Training Style?

Alright, let’s get down to details. As you read this, consider what equipment you need for your home garage gym. Remember that question I asked, about what would be the best thing you can have readily accessible, to train with? That’s what we need to think about now. Are you a cardio, high reps, high volume kind of exerciser? If so, you might be able to build your dream garage gym space with floor mats, resistance bands, jump ropes and some light dumbbells or kettlebells. If this is your style of activity, you just need extra space to do your work.

If your idea of an awesome workout is a powerlifting style training session, then you’ll need a squat rack, lots of metal plates, and a good barbell or two. Similarly, if you’ll be doing Olympic lifting/weightlifting, you’ll need a quality barbell, bumper plates, and some open space to move around as well.

If you are training primarily for hypertrophy or physique goals, then you’ll want free weights, resistance bands, and maybe a few specialty pieces of equipment. You might not need a full power rack but you’ll need more weights than people who are primarily working conditioning or cardiovascular training.

Finally, the more athletic your goals are, the more floor space you will need. If you can open your garage door, you can open up a small space for a little more room. That might help expand your training options.

a home gym in Austin Texas, by Kathryn Alexander — a home gym in Austin Texas, designed by Kathryn Alexander

Home Gym Ideas for All Training Styles

Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about the kinds of equipment you’ll need that will apply to all kinds of training. In a nutshell, this means:

safe and durable flooring
storage space
good quality exercise equipment

Flooring For Your Home Gym

When building a home gym, choosing the right flooring is crucial for protecting your equipment, reducing noise, and ensuring safety. Most garages have concrete flooring, so it’s particularly important to add some kind of protective layer. Here’s why and what to consider:

Why You Need Mats or Flooring Over Concrete:

Shock Absorption: Concrete is hard, offering no cushioning. Using mats or gym flooring will absorb impact from exercises like lifting weights or jumping, which can reduce the risk of injury and protect your joints.
Protect Equipment: Dropping weights on concrete can damage the equipment and the floor itself. Mats help to cushion the impact and prevent damage.
Noise Reduction: Mats can help reduce noise when moving or dropping weights, which is particularly useful if your gym is located near living spaces.
Comfort: Mats provide a more comfortable surface for exercises like yoga, stretching, or bodyweight workouts.
Anti-Slip Surface: Concrete can be slippery, especially if you sweat during workouts. Mats with textured surfaces provide grip and reduce the risk of slipping.

Recommended Types of Flooring for Home Gyms:

Rubber Flooring:
- Durability: Rubber is the most common material used in gym flooring because it’s durable and provides good shock absorption.
- Thickness: Thicker rubber (8mm to ¾ inch or more) is ideal for heavy lifting areas, while thinner rubber (6mm) works for cardio and general fitness areas.
- Rolls or Tiles: You can buy rubber flooring in rolls (for covering large areas) or tiles (for more customizable spaces). Tiles are easier to install.
Foam Mats:
- Lightweight Use: Foam tiles or mats are great for light exercises like yoga, stretching, or bodyweight exercises but not recommended for heavy weights as they may dent or wear down.
- Interlocking Design: These mats usually have an interlocking puzzle design, making them easy to install and replace if damaged.
PVC or Vinyl Flooring:
- For Multipurpose Areas: These materials offer a more polished look and are durable. They are good for areas used for multiple purposes beyond just fitness (e.g., garages).
- Less Shock Absorption: They aren’t as shock-absorbent as rubber but are good for areas where you won’t be dropping heavy weights.
Horse Stall Mats:
- Cost-Effective Option: These are thick, durable rubber mats commonly used in gyms. They are cheaper than gym-specific rubber flooring but offer similar protection.
- Size: They typically come in larger 4’x6’ sections and can cover a significant area.

What to Consider:

Thickness: For weightlifting or using heavy equipment, go for 8mm or thicker rubber mats. These are a bit more heavy duty. If you’re doing mostly cardio, bodyweight exercises, or lighter weight training, 6mm to 8mm mats should suffice.
Area of Use: You can use thicker mats in specific areas where you do heavy lifting and thinner, less cushioned mats for stretching or cardio zones.

If you have a concrete floor, rubber mats or horse stall mats are highly recommended to prevent damage to the concrete and equipment, as well as to provide better comfort and shock absorption.

I have stall mats from Tractor Supply. You can also get good mats from Home Depot or Amazon.

home gym ideas garage; where I got started — Where my gym I got started!

Equipment Storage

Organizing a garage space/home gym efficiently is key to keeping your workout space functional, safe, and clutter-free. Here are some essential storage solutions for common gym equipment, including barbells, plates, and accessories:

1. Barbell Storage

Vertical Barbell Holder (Barbell Rack): These hold barbells vertically to save floor space. They typically hold multiple barbells (2, 4, or even more). This type of storage also protects the barbell’s knurling and keeps them from rolling around.
Horizontal Wall-Mounted Barbell Rack: Also called barbell gun racks, these racks mount on the wall and hold the barbells horizontally. They’re great if you have more wall space and want easy access to the bars.
Floor-Mounted Barbell Rack: If you don’t want to mount anything on the wall, floor racks can store barbells horizontally on the ground. Some also come with additional storage for other equipment like plates or collars.

2. Weight Plate Storage

Plate Tree (Vertical Plate Storage): A plate tree is a vertical storage unit with arms for organizing different-sized plates. It keeps your plates off the floor and makes them easy to access.
Wall-Mounted Plate Storage Pegs: If you want to save floor space, wall-mounted pegs allow you to store your weight plates on the wall. They are especially helpful for keeping bumper plates organized.
Power Rack with Plate Storage: Many power racks come with built-in plate storage attachments, so you can store your plates right on the rack without needing additional equipment.
Rolling Plate Rack: This mobile storage option is great for easily moving weight plates around the gym, especially if you have a larger space.

3. Dumbbell and Kettlebell Storage

Dumbbell Rack: A 2- or 3-tier dumbbell rack is essential for keeping your dumbbells organized. They’re available in different sizes depending on how many dumbbells you have.
Kettlebell Rack or Shelf: Kettlebells can be stored on either a dedicated rack or a multi-purpose shelving unit. Some racks have flat shelves to accommodate various sizes.
Wall-Mounted Kettlebell Hooks: If floor space is limited, you can install wall-mounted hooks specifically designed to hold kettlebells.

4. Resistance Bands and Small Accessories

Wall-Mounted Pegboard: A pegboard with hooks is perfect for storing resistance bands, jump ropes, collars, lifting belts, and other smaller accessories. It keeps them organized and easy to access. Bands are crucial for back exercises, which are sometimes harder to do at home.
Over-the-Door Storage Rack: These racks have hooks or mesh compartments to store bands, towels, or smaller gym items, and they can be easily hung over a door in your gym.
Storage Bins or Baskets: Stackable bins or baskets can store miscellaneous items like foam rollers, yoga blocks, or smaller pieces of equipment.
Drawer Units or Shelves: Small drawer units or shelves can help keep accessories like chalk, wrist wraps, lifting straps, and other items organized and easy to reach.

5. Medicine Ball and Slam Ball Storage

Ball Rack: A vertical or tiered rack designed to hold medicine balls, slam balls, or wall balls can keep these pieces organized and prevent them from rolling around.
Wall-Mounted Ball Storage: Wall-mounted holders are also an option to keep balls off the floor and save space.

6. Storage for Mats and Foam Rollers

Wall-Mounted Mat Hooks: Mats can be hung on hooks or rails to keep them off the floor and to ensure they don’t take up unnecessary space.
Foam Roller Stand or Wall Rack: You can get a small rack or holder that keeps foam rollers standing upright. Some wall-mounted racks can also hold rollers alongside mats or bands.

7. Power Rack Storage Attachments

Power Rack Storage Attachments: Many modern power racks offer attachment options for storing accessories like resistance bands, weight plates, barbells, or even landmine attachments. This can maximize space and reduce clutter in your gym.

8. Wall-Mounted Shelves or Cabinets

Multi-Purpose Shelving: For items like water bottles, towels, or tech (phones, headphones, etc.), wall-mounted shelving units or cabinets can keep everything tidy and off the floor.

9. Collar and Clip Storage

Magnetic Wall Mounts: Magnetic storage solutions for collars and clips can attach them directly to a rack or the wall, making them easily accessible.
Small Hooks or Bins: You can also use small hooks or bins specifically for your collars, which can be mounted on a wall or attached to a rack.

10. Multi-Purpose Storage Benches

Storage Bench: A flat or adjustable bench that doubles as a storage compartment can hold smaller equipment like resistance bands, wraps, or dumbbells. This is a great way to save space while adding utility to your bench.

Whether you are training for specific competitive goals, or training to increase health of fitness, there are some pieces of equipment you will need regardless. In various strength training disciplines like powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, and general strength training, several pieces of equipment are essential, despite the differences in technique, goals, and training styles.

Here’s a list of equipment that is commonly used across these disciplines:

1. Olympic Barbell

Description: The Olympic barbell is a staple across almost all forms of lifting. It typically weighs 20 kg (45 lbs) for men and 15 kg (33 lbs) for women. The sleeves of the bar rotate (bearings or bushings), which is crucial for exercises like cleans and snatches.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Used for squats, bench press, and deadlifts.
- Olympic Lifting: Central to movements like the snatch and clean & jerk.
- Bodybuilding & General Strength: Used for a wide range of compound and isolation exercises.

2. Weight Plates (Bumper Plates or Metal Plates)

Description: Plates are needed to load the barbell, and they come in different materials. Bumper plates are rubberized and designed to be dropped safely, while metal plates are often used for powerlifting and bodybuilding.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Metal or iron plates are typically used for precise weight loading in squat, bench, and deadlift.
- Olympic Lifting: Bumper plates are essential to allow for the bar to be safely dropped during cleans, snatches, and jerks.
- General Strength & Bodybuilding: Both types are used depending on the exercise and preference.

3. Squat Rack / Power Rack

Description: A sturdy frame with adjustable safety bars and pins for holding the barbell at different heights. This allows for safe squatting and other lifts like bench presses and overhead presses. The best squat racks are heavy, sturdy, and safe. If you don’t want a whole squat cage or power rack, you can use a squat stand.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Essential for squats and often for bench press.
- Olympic Lifting: Often used for squats (front and back) as part of strength development.
- General Strength & Bodybuilding: Used for squats, presses, and even pull-ups if it has a bar attachment.

4. Weightlifting Shoes

Description: Specialized shoes with a raised heel that helps lifters maintain better form, especially in squats and Olympic lifts, by allowing for better ankle mobility.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Often used during squats for improved depth and form.
- Olympic Lifting: Essential for snatches, clean & jerks, and squats.
- General Strength: Some lifters use them for squats and overhead presses.

5. Chalk

Description: Lifting chalk (magnesium carbonate) helps to improve grip by reducing sweat on the hands.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Common for deadlifts and other heavy lifts to enhance grip.
- Olympic Lifting: Essential for cleans, snatches, and jerks.
- General Strength & Bodybuilding: Used by some lifters for grip-intensive exercises like deadlifts or pull-ups.

6. Lifting Belt

Description: A weightlifting belt helps stabilize the core and reduce stress on the lower back by providing intra-abdominal pressure during heavy lifts.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Heavily used for squats and deadlifts.
- Olympic Lifting: Some lifters use it for clean & jerk or snatch, especially during heavy sets.
- General Strength & Bodybuilding: Optional but commonly used during heavy compound lifts like squats and deadlifts.

7. Collars/Clips

Description: Collars or clips secure the plates on the barbell to prevent them from sliding off during lifts.
Use Across Disciplines: Used universally across powerlifting, Olympic lifting, bodybuilding, and general strength training to secure weight plates during lifts.

8. Bench

Description: A flat or adjustable bench is used for exercises like the bench press and a variety of other pressing and pulling exercises. I have a bench from Sorinex and a bench from Fringe sport. I love both.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Essential for the bench press.
- General Strength & Bodybuilding: Used for bench press, incline press, dumbbell exercises, and more.

9. Resistance Bands

Description: Bands add resistance or assistance in lifts. They can be used for mobility work, warm-ups, or to change the resistance curve of an exercise (accommodating resistance).
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Used for accommodating resistance (e.g., banded squats, deadlifts) or warm-ups.
- Olympic Lifting: Often used for mobility work or warm-ups.
- General Strength & Bodybuilding: Common for warm-ups, mobility, or even adding resistance to lifts.

10. Kettlebells and Dumbbells

Description: While barbell training is central, kettlebells and dumbbells are used to supplement training and for accessory work.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting: Used for accessory exercises like rows, lunges, and presses.
- Olympic Lifting: Often used for mobility and supplemental strength training.
- Bodybuilding & General Strength: Common for hypertrophy work and targeting smaller muscles.

11. Pull-Up Bar

Description: A pull-up bar is a versatile piece of equipment for bodyweight exercises, often included as part of a power rack.
Use Across Disciplines:
- Powerlifting & Olympic Lifting: Used for accessory back and grip work.
- General Strength & Bodybuilding: Common for pull-ups, chin-ups, and core exercises.

While each lifting discipline has its unique requirements, these pieces of equipment serve as a foundation for strength training across the board, allowing for versatile and effective workouts regardless of the specific focus.

Home Gym Ideas: Garage Decoration

The best part about getting a good workout in your own garage gym is that you are in charge of every last thing. You can take an empty garage and make it the best home gym ever. Hang your motivational posters, decorate your garage walls, and hang that American flag. Play your loud music, crank the air conditioning if you’ve installed one.

These are some of the best garage gym ideas I have! Let me know if I’ve missed an essential piece of equipment, of a fun way you’ve built up your own gym. Happy training in your own garage gym!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Austin in September (2024 Events)

August 28, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Welcome to Austin in September, where the scorching weather finally breaks, people get out and enjoy, and events are happening! There is live entertainment, music, festivals, all kinds of performing arts, and football! It’s still warm enough for a swim in chilly Barton Springs Pool, but it’s not so hot that you can’t enjoy outside activities. In short, getting the whole family out and about in Austin in September is a great idea!

I’m not meteorologist, but I can google weather data 😉 The average temperature decreases to 70-90 degrees, obviously getting cooler toward the end of the month. There are pretty sunny days and so much to enjoy outside. Austin has amazing parks for outdoor recreation and tons of other fun stuff happening. It’s still a good idea to check the weather before you plan outdoor Labor Day weekend and September events in Austin, but likely it’ll be good weather for you.

Austin in September: events, festivals, relays, ACL Live.

Read below to get involved with the music, food, and pop culture scene in Austin in September 2024.

Zilker Relays

Date: September 6, 2024
Location: Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
The Zilker Relays is a popular community event held annually at Zilker Park, where teams of four runners each complete a 2.5-mile loop, totaling a 10-mile race. The event is known for its inclusive atmosphere, featuring categories for all-men’s, all-women’s, mixed-gender teams, and even family teams. After the race, participants and spectators can enjoy an energetic afterparty with food, drinks, and live music, making it a great way to kick off September in Austin.

Do you need Austin gift ideas? Check out this list and make your shopping easy!

Bat Fest

Date: September 7, 2024
Location: Congress Avenue Bridge, 100 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Bat Fest celebrates one of Austin’s most unique natural spectacles—the flight of 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. The festival, now in its 19th year, features live music from local bands, food and craft vendors, and a family-friendly atmosphere. Musicians this year include Dylan Wheeler, Paul Wall, Ghostland Observatory, and Pecos and the Rooftops. It’s a perfect blend of nature and culture, offering both locals and visitors a chance to experience the best of Austin. Tickets range from $30 general admission to $190 VIP tickets.

Here are the best hiking trails in Austin with wate r.

Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival

Date: September 8, 2024
Location: The Far Out Lounge & Stage, 8504 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78745
The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival is a fiery celebration of all the spicy sauces. As one of the world’s largest hot sauce festivals, it draws over 10,000 attendees each year who come to sample hot sauces, enjoy local food vendors, and listen to live music. The event doubles as a fundraiser for the Central Texas Food Bank, so attendees can feel good about indulging in some serious heat while supporting a good cause.

Fantastic Fest

Date: September 19-26, 2024
Location: Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the United States, dedicated to horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and action movies. Held at the iconic Alamo Drafthouse, this eight-day event is a paradise for film buffs, featuring world premieres, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, and themed parties. The festival is known for its eclectic mix of films and has premiered cult favorites like John Wick and Zombieland.

Fall Pecan Street Festival

Date: September 14-15, 2024
Location: Sixth Street, Downtown Austin, TX 78701
The Fall Pecan Street Festival is a bi-annual arts and crafts festival held on the historic Sixth Street. This free, family-friendly event features over 300 arts and crafts vendors, local musicians, and an array of food stalls.

The festival is a great way to experience Austin’s creative spirit and enjoy a weekend of shopping, eating, and entertainment in the heart of the city. You’ll find food trucks from local restaurants, local artists, and all kinds of family fun at the Pecan Street Festival. You can find parking at parking garages, some street parking potentially a few blocks out, and other various locations.

Austin Museum Day

Date: September 22, 2024
Location: Various museums across Austin
Austin Museum Day is a special event where many of Austin’s museums open their doors to the public for free. Participating museums include the Bullock Texas State History Museum, Blanton Museum of Art, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, among others. This Austin museum partnership for free admission is a fantastic opportunity to explore the city’s cultural and historical institutions without any cost, with many museums offering special exhibits and family-friendly activities.

Austin in September. South Congress, ATX Austin Texas.

Austin Fall Home and Garden Show Date

Date: September 28 & 29
Location: Austin Convention Center
The Austin Fall Home and Garden Show features a wide variety of exhibits related to home improvement, landscaping, gardening, and interior design. Attendees can explore the latest products and services for home renovation, landscaping, and décor, and can interact with local and national experts in these fields.The event includes demonstrations, workshops, and seminars led by professionals, providing valuable insights and tips for homeowners. Vendors offer products ranging from outdoor furniture and kitchen appliances to garden tools and eco-friendly home solutions. It’s a great opportunity for homeowners, DIY enthusiasts, and gardening aficionados to gather ideas and make purchases for their home improvement projects.

Great Weather in Austin in September!

Great weather In general! September in Austin Texas is so fun! Rent some bikes, scooters or even kayaks. Enjoy the lawn at the Long Center or Zilker Park. Try to get tickets to ACL Live at the Moody Center. Check out the Moody Amphitheater’s concert schedule to see touring and Austin musicians. Enjoy wine tasting on the many patios of local restaurants. And if you need a break, go inside to one of the best gyms in Austin.

The month of September in Austin is worth exploring! From wine festivals to the University of Texas football games to exciting events at the best hotels, Austin has something for everyone. If I missed your favorite exciting event of Saturday night situation in Austin, let me know!

Austin in September: ACL Live. Yes, this was in April. You can still go in September. Jelly Roll was amazing!

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to do RDLs with dumbbells (Romanian deadlifts)

August 11, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Learn how to do RDLs with dumbbells, for hamstring, back and glute development. Romanian deadlifts, also called RDLs, work your entire posterior chain. They are fantastic for many reasons, including being a great strength exercise for your lower body, while being extremely knee friendly. They should have a place in your training routine!

You can do RDLs with a pair of dumbbells, one dumbbell, a barbell, bands, or a kettlebell or two. They are versatile, beneficial, and dare I say, FUN! Actually, many of my clients agree with me, so I’m not just saying it to you because I’m a personal trainer! 🙂

RDLs are effective for developing strength, stability, and flexibility in these areas, and are a great way to improve performance in other lifts and athletic activities.

Let’s take a quick look at the benefits of RDLs and what they work, and I’ll explain how to do RDLs with dumbbells for a highly beneficial variation on this great lift.

how to do RDLs with dumbbells. Personal trainer Kathryn Alexander at Hyde Park Gym in Austin

Benefits of Romanian Deadlifts

As I mentioned before, there are many reasons to do RDLs. They are great for strength, targeted hypertrophy, and well rounded muscular development. Specifically, they improve posterior chain strength in a very functional way. They build strength and endurance of the muscles along the back of your body, which is crucial for overall athletic performance and injury prevention.

A Romanian deadlift is essentially a loaded hip hinge, so practicing RDLs reinforces proper hip hinge mechanics. This is fundamental to athletic movement and strength. The hinge is crucial to the conventional deadlift, squat, kettlebell swings, and generally any movement that utilizes glute and hip function.

The RDL, especially the dumbbell Romanian deadlift, works your entire torso as you maintain a neutral spine through the lift. This stability and strength component is great work for the entirety of your core musculature.

Finally, you can consider Romanian deadlifts like a loaded flexibility exercise. It is essentially a weighted stretch. It is mobility work if you take your time to set up well and move through a big (but appropriate for you) range of motion.

As you can see, Romanian deadlifts are a great exercise which can benefit almost everyone. I highly recommend practicing them in your training program.

What’s The Difference Between Romanian Deadlifts and Traditional Deadlifts?

Romanian deadlifts and traditional deadlifts are both powerful exercises that target the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. However, they have key differences in execution, muscle emphasis, and purpose.

Traditional, or conventional, deadlifts start from the ground with the barbell resting on the floor. You initiate the lift by bending your knees and hips, gripping the bar, and then lifting it by extending your knees and hips until you are standing upright.

Romanian deadlifts start at the top position, from a standing position with the barbell in your hands. The movement begins by hinging at the hips, pushing them back while keeping a slight bend in the knees, lowering the bar along your legs until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, and then returning to the starting position by driving your hips forward.

This is a big difference, enough that I’d like you to consider these two separate lifts.

With conventional deadlifts, the range of motion is often greater as you lift the bar from the ground to a fully upright position. With Romanian deadlifts, the range of motion is shorter because you only lower the bar to just below your knees or until your hamstrings are fully stretched.

The traditional deadlift is a bit more of a full body exercise. Because there is a greater knee bend, there is a greater involvement of the quads. Both versions of the deadlift work auds, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, lower back/erector spinae, traps, forearms, etc. But, RDLs place a stronger emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes with less involvement of the quads. The lower back and core are still engaged to stabilize the movement.

The conventional barbell deadlift is one of the 3 exercises in powerlifting. It is often called the king of the lifts. Because of this, it is a test of full-body strength. It is a step in powerlifting and strength programs. Typically, you can lift heavier weights since the movement allows for greater power generation. Most people who train can deadlift their body weight, and sometimes even multiples of it.

You’ll hear people ask, “How much do you deadlift?”. The Romanian deadlift, and especially a dumbbell deadlift, is rarely used as a test of strength.

In summary, traditional deadlifts are a full-body strength exercise, while Romanian deadlifts are more specialized for targeting and strengthening the hamstrings and glutes through a controlled hip hinge movement. Both exercises are valuable but serve different purposes in a workout program.

How Do Dumbbell RDL’s Benefit Your Training?

All versions of RDLs (barbell Romanian deadlifts, dumbbell RDLs, single-leg RDL’s, etc) work the following muscle groups. Where dumbbell Romanian deadlifts differ is that they require you to contribute more of the stability, since you are using two different implements instead of one. In other words, holding a barbell is much more stable than holding two dumbbells. This means that the dumbbell work is essentially tougher because you have to stabilize both pieces of equipment.

For example, if you do a barbell Romanian deadlift with 100 pounds, then you do a dumbbell RDL with two 50 pound dumbbells, you’ll notice that the dumbbell version is much tougher even though it weights the same in total. It’ll feel harder to hold, more challenging on your grip, and possibly less controlled throughout the movement. This is FINE and there are benefits to performing their either way! It’s just important to know that even though they are very similar, they are not the same lift.

Also, it’s great to practice both. You might be in a facility that only has dumbbells, or in a hotel gym that doesn’t have barbells. In this case, practice and learn how to do RDLs with dumbbells, and practice a variety of deadlift variations to optimize your strength development.

What Muscles Do RDLs Work?

In short, Romanian deadlifts work several groups of muscles, and primarily work the posterior chain muscles. These primary muscle groups work in both the dumbbell and barbell RDL lifts:

Hamstrings: The main muscle group worked during RDLs. Hamstrings are comprised of the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus.
Glutes: They are engaged to a significant degree, especially during the hip extension phase. The gluteal muscles include the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.
Lower Back (Erector Spinae): Helps to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
Adductors: This group of muscles in the inner thigh muscles assist in stabilizing the legs.
Core Muscles: Engaged to stabilize the torso during the lift. Strong core muscles are crucial to protecting your lumbar spine.

Deadlifts, RDLs, and stiff leg deadlifts primary work your lower body, but they work your upper body as well. Your upper body, especially your back muscles, perform a crucial stability role during RDLs.

How to Perform Romanian Deadlifts with Dumbbells

Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs with an closed (thumbs wrapped) overhand grip. Keep your knees slightly bent. You can experiment with foot positioning, but I like to stand with my feet about shoulder width.
Movement:
- stand tall with dumbbells in front of you
- hold the dumbbells close to your body, even touching the front of your legs, for the duration of the exercise
- squeeze your back to keep it straight and neutral
- shoulder blades don’t have to be aggressively pressed back – but keep your upper back strong and neutral
- push your hips behind you with knees soft
- let your hamstrings stretch as you lower the weights, keeping them close to your legs
- at the bottom of the movement, drive your big toes into the ground and push your hips forward (squeeze glutes) until you are standing tall again
Return: Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position, maintaining the barbell close to your body throughout the lift.

Tips for Proper Form During the Dumbbell RDL

Neutral Spine: Maintain a neutral position in your back throughout the movement to prevent injury. You can think of keeping a flat back. No big arch or tuck in your low back.
Controlled Movement: Focus on a controlled movement, particularly during the lowering phase, to maximize muscle engagement and reduce the risk of injury. It doesn’t have to be excessively slow, but don’t let gravity steal your work. No dive bombing!
Weight Selection: Start with a light weight to master the form before progressing to heavier loads.
Foot Position: Ensure your feet are firmly planted and your weight is distributed evenly across your heels and midfoot. Press into the ground with your big toe as you initiate movement and return to your tall standing position.

Variations of Romanian Deadlifts

There are many Romanian deadlift variations, and they are all uniquely beneficial.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Performed on one leg, the single leg RDL increases the balance and stability challenges. Theoretically, these are great for working muscle imbalances and addressing lower body strength. In practice, they’re just sometimes too difficult. If your goal is to work the posterior during your RDL, but your balance isn’t letting you, then you can try the B Stance, or kickstand, RDL

how to do the single leg Romanian deadlift

How to do the single leg Romanian deadlift

-stand tall with dumbbells in front of you
-shift your weight to one leg, while the other leg hovers
-(the other leg will move with your torso through the movement)
-hold the dumbbells close to your body for the duration of the exercise
-squeeze your back to keep it straight and neutral
-shoulder blades don’t have to be aggressively pressed back – but keep your upper back strong and neutral
-push your hips behind you with knees soft
let your hamstrings stretch as you lower the weights, keeping them close to your legs
-at the bottom of the movement, drive your big toes into the ground and push your hips forward (squeeze glutes) until you are standing tall again

B Stance RDL

The B stance RDL is a staggered stance lift. It allows you to shift most of your weight, and most of the challenge to one leg. By having both feet on the ground, though, then you remove the challenge balance presents. In this case, this is good. If you aren’t using this as a balance exercise, then you don’t want balance to limit it.

In this video, I demonstrate how to do a B stance RDL with a kettlebell. It’s similar if you use a dumbbell.

B Stance, or staggered stance, RDL

stand tall with dumbbells in front of you
shift most of your weight to one leg
keeping your hips square, step the other leg slightly behind you
hold the dumbbells close to your body for the duration of the exercise
squeeze your back to keep it straight and neutral
shoulder blades don’t have to be aggressively pressed back – but keep your upper back strong and neutral
push your hips behind you with knees soft
let your hamstrings stretch as you lower the weights, keeping them close to your legs
at the bottom of the movement, drive your big toes into the ground and push your hips forward (squeeze glutes) until you are standing tall again
return to your start position at the top of the movement and repeat for your goal number of reps

Stiff Leg Deadlifts

Stiff leg deadlifts, or straight leg deadlifts, are deadlifts performed with completely straight legs or even locked out knees. As you can imagine, these are a hard hinge that require a strong back and glutes too. Truth be told, I really don’t practice these or have my clients do them, so I’m not going to cover them here. There is nothing wrong with them, but I think RDLs are more beneficial to most of my client’s daily activities and athletic endeavors.

Need other minimal equipment ideas? Here’s a home leg workout with dumbbells. Or Try this full body band workout at home.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Doing the RDL

The most common mistake people make while doing Romanian desdlifts is not effectively utilizing the hip hinge movement pattern. There is a true need for dialing in the mind-muscle connection to utilize the hinge well. When that’s not fully understood, the lifter will tend to round their lower back and not let the hips move with the lift.

There is not a single cue that can make this make sense for every lifter, but it can help to think about “clamping down” a straight back, and letting the hamstrings (back of your leg) open up. This way the hips can move through the lift, and the lifter can effectively utilize the glutes to power the hinge. This can really help you learn how to do RDLs with dumbbells.

Need some upper body work? Here’s a dumbbell shoulder workout you can do at home.

Learn How to Do RDLs with Dumbbells

Incorporating Romanian deadlifts and their different variations into your workout routine can significantly enhance your strength, flexibility, and performance, particularly for activities involving the lower body and posterior chain. They will translate into stronger squats, deadlifts, good mornings and other RDL variations. They will increase hip strength, low back strength, and glute strength.

Deadlifts, dumbbell deadlifts, and their variations are some of the best exercises you can practice. You will see a difference in the ease of your daily tasks, on hikes around town (here are my favorite hikes in Austin) and in maintaining good posture. Having a strong posterior chain always feels good too.

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to Do Barbell Rows and Row Variations

July 22, 2024 by Kathryn Alexander

Learn how to do barbell rows for a bigger and stronger back! Barbell rows are one of the best movements for the upper body, and even for your whole body. They are a large, compound exercise that pays back the effort you put in, in spades!

If you are looking to build strength, develop your posterior, and show off your back, barbell rows should be a staple in your strength training program. Rows are an excellent exercise, both for the physique and performance benefits.

For the best back development, you’ll want to do a variety of exercises. Some of these will use dumbbells, bands, lighter weights, and various angles of pulling. But when you want to add depth to your physique, throw some weight on the bar and add in the barbell row.

Read on to learn more about what muscles the barbell row works, and how to set up rows and row variations for your best workouts!

What Are Barbell Rows?

The barbell row is one of the best upper body rowing movements, and maybe even one of the best upper body lifts. They are on par with bench press for being one of the most beneficial upper body lifts. Barbell rows primarily target several major muscle groups in the back, but they also engage muscles in the arms and shoulders. If you’re doing a bent-over barbell row without a bench or support, then you are also working your lower body, as your legs, glutes and low back provide stability.

Take the photo already, Ben! (https://www.benporterphotography.com)

What are the Benefits of Barbell Rows?

Barbell rows are highly effective for building muscle mass and strength in the back muscles. They strengthen the upper back, improve posture, and help counteract the effects of sitting and slouching and looking at the computer (or Instagram and TikTok) all day. You can gain benefits from rows no matter how much weight you are rowing, but they are a great exercise to really drive strength. And the strength you earn from performing the row in the bent-over position can also help improve your deadlifts and even bench presses.

What Muscles do Barbell Rows Work?

As mentioned above, barbell rows work a lot of muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and trapezius, as well as the biceps and forearms.

Here’s a detailed look at the muscles worked by barbell rows:

Primary Muscles Worked by the Barbell Row

Latissimus Dorsi (Lats):
- These large muscles run down the sides of your back and are primarily responsible for the pulling motion in the barbell row. They help build the V taper and accentuate a small waist.
Rhomboids:
- Located between your shoulder blades, the rhomboids are involved in retracting the scapulae (pulling your shoulder blades together). Rhomboids are essential for great posture.
Trapezius (Traps):
- The trapezius muscles span the upper back and neck, assisting in shoulder blade movement and stabilization. Traps make up much of your upper back muscles, and are crucial for balanced development and ideal posture.

Secondary Muscles Worked

Erector Spinae:
- This group of muscles runs along the spine and helps in maintaining proper posture and stabilizing the back during the bent-over row. Spinal erectors are very pretty muscles, both in men and women.
Posterior Deltoids (Rear Shoulders):
- These muscles on the back of the shoulders assist in the pulling motion.
Biceps Brachii:
- The biceps in the front of the upper arm are engaged during the pulling motion of the row.
Forearms:
- The muscles of the forearms are involved in gripping the barbell. Heavy rows will really help build grip strength.
Core Muscles:
- The abdominal muscles and obliques help stabilize the body during the movement. Remember, a strong back is a huge component of a strong core.

Form and Technique for the Best Barbell Row

Maintaining proper form is crucial to effectively target these muscles and avoid injury. Here are some key points to remember:

Neutral Back: Keep your back straight and avoid rounding to prevent strain on the lower back. Keep this correct position through the whole movement.
Engaged Core: Tighten your core muscles to maintain stability.
Shoulder Blade Retraction: Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. Imagine you’re trying to elbow someone behind you!
Controlled Movement: Lift and lower the barbell in a controlled manner to maximize muscle engagement and prevent using momentum. Caveat: you can pull powerfully. Be sure you control the descent so you don’t let gravity steal your work.

How to Perform Barbell Rows

Let’s discuss the regular barbell row first. This is the first thing most people will think of when you say barbell row. Much of this applies to the other barbell row exercises and variations, unless other technique is specified.

Starting Position:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight and your torso leaning forward.
- Keep your feet flat on the ground, and as you hinge, send your hips behind you.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip (palms facing down) just wider than shoulder-width apart.
Execution:
- Keeping your back flat and core engaged, pull the barbell towards your lower ribcage or upper abdomen. Mid torso.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
- Drive your elbows behind you!
- Lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner, fully extending your arms.
- From here, move into your next rep and continue for as many as is your goal.
Breathing:
- Inhale as you lower the barbell.
- Exhale as you pull the barbell towards your body.

Tips for Proper Form

Maintain a Neutral Spine: Avoid rounding your back to prevent disc injury. Keep your spine in a neutral position throughout the exercise. The most effective way to make sure you have good form is to make sure you have a solid hip hinge.
Engage Your Core: Tighten your abdominal muscles to stabilize your torso.
Control the Movement: Perform the exercise in a controlled manner to maximize muscle engagement and reduce the risk of injury.
Avoid Using Momentum: Focus on using your back muscles to lift the weight, rather than swinging the barbell with momentum. You can use a little body English later, but work on learning to do the bent over row really well before you use heavier weights.

Rows are horizontal pulling exercises. Read here about horizontal pressing exercises.

Mistakes to Avoid While Doing Barbell Rows

The most common mistakes to avoid while doing the barbell rows are setting up with bad form, throwing the weight instead of moving deliberately through it, and creeping out of good form (especially in the top position). Let me explain:

Great barbell row form necessitates and strong hinge position. If you don’t have a solid hinge, then you’ll want to work on strengthening that position before you row. As far as throwing the weights around instead of moving through the weight, I bet you’ve seen this before. Someone loads up a barbell, haphazardly bends over, and jerks their torso up like they are at the beginning of a clean.

I don’t criticize because I don’t know people’s goals, but when this happens, often someone is using heavy weight that they can’t effectively handle, or they’re just not focused on the main muscles that perform the row movement. Instead, focus on keeping that neutral back/rigid torso, and driving your elbows up! At the top of the row, your upper arms will be in line with your torso, or even behind it.

Finally, a big mistake I see people make is to use straps too soon. Sometimes, grip strength becomes a limiting factor, of course. When you are rowing a heavy weight and the weight slips out of your hands, it’s temping to want to turn to straps. They’re not bad to use, and I do recommend using them in later stages of your development. But, don’t jump immediately to using straps, as this can hold back your grip strength and progress.

If grip strength is severely limiting you, I suggest you use straps only on your heaviest sets. Really challenge yourself. This will have huge carry over to your deadlifts.

Barbell rows are one of the most effective exercises, and are great for moving a good amount of weight and building strength. This requires correct form, and performing it the right way through the entire movement, however.

If you need variety in your back exercises, here is a comprehensive look into lat pulldown machine exercises.

Variations of Barbell Rows

The barbell row exercise has several variations that target different muscle groups and can add variety to your workout routine. Here are some common variations:

1. Pendlay Row

Description: Named after Glenn Pendlay, the Pendlay row is a strict form of the barbell row where the barbell is set on the ground between each rep. A dead stop makes it tougher. These are strangely fun! 😆
Focus: Emphasizes explosive power from the ground and stricter form.
How to Perform: Start with a shoulder width grip. Start with the barbell on the ground, hinge at the hips, grip the barbell with a double overhand grip, and pull it to your lower chest, then return it to the ground.

2. Yates Row

Description: Named after bodybuilder Dorian Yates, Yates rows use an underhand grip and a more upright torso position.
Focus: Places more emphasis on the lower lats and biceps.
How to Perform: Bend slightly at the hips with a supinated (underhand) grip, and row the barbell to your lower abdomen or belly button.

3. T-Bar Row

Description: Uses a T-bar row machine or a landmine attachment with a handle.
Focus: Targets the middle of the back.
How to Perform: Place the end of a barbell in a landmine attachment, straddle the bar, and use a V-handle to pull the bar to your chest. Please make sure it is secure so you do not end up on an episode of gym bloopers.

T bar row, unassisted. Kathryn Alexander in Hyde Park Gym in Austin, Texas circa 2014 ish

4. Single-Arm Barbell Row

Description: Performed one arm at a time, similar to a single-arm dumbbell row.
Focus: Allows for a greater range of motion and unilateral strength development.
How to Perform: Place one end of the barbell in a corner or landmine attachment, bend over with one hand on the barbell, and row it to your hip.

5. Meadows Row

Description: Named after bodybuilder John Meadows, this is a single-arm row using a landmine attachment. (John was a super, super nice guy, by the way. I met him briefly at a clinic in Dallas.)
Focus: Targets the upper back and lats with a unique angle.
How to Perform: Place one end of the barbell in a landmine attachment, stand to the side, and row the barbell with a pronated grip.

6. Inverted Row

Description: Uses body weight and is performed under a fixed barbell or Smith machine.
Focus: Engages the upper back and core muscles.
How to Perform: Lie under a barbell set in a rack in a nearly horizontal position, grab the bar with an overhand grip, and pull your chest to the bar while keeping your body straight. This is a great way to involve core more, also.

7. Chest-Supported Row

Description: Uses a bench or a chest-supported row machine.
Focus: Removes the lower back from the movement, focusing entirely on the upper back.
How to Perform: Lie face down on an incline bench and row the weights to your chest.

8. Seal Row

Description: A variation of the chest-supported row where you lie flat on a bench.
Focus: Eliminates lower back involvement, focusing on the upper back and lats.
How to Perform: Lie face down on a bench with weights below, and row the barbell to your chest.

Other Row Variations

In addition to barbell rows, there are several non-barbell rowing exercises that can effectively target and develop your back muscles. These are great to do always, but especially as you are learning how to do barbell rows. Dumbbell rows are a popular alternative, allowing for unilateral training to correct muscle imbalances.

Single-arm dumbbell rows involve bending over a bench and rowing a dumbbell to your hip, engaging the lats and upper back. Bent-over dumbbell rows can be performed similarly to barbell rows but with a dumbbell in each hand, providing a greater range of motion and muscle engagement.

Seated cable rows are another excellent exercise for the back, utilizing a cable machine to maintain constant tension throughout the movement. This exercise focuses on the middle back and helps improve posture. A seated cable row can be done with one arm at a time for another fun variation. T-bar rows, which use a T-bar row machine or a barbell with a landmine attachment, emphasize the middle back and provide a more stable base, allowing you to lift heavier weights safely.

Machine rows, such as the Hammer Strength iso-lateral row or the seated row machine, offer guided motion and adjustable resistance, making them suitable for all fitness levels.

Iso lateral row

For a unique variation, the renegade row combines a plank position with a rowing motion, challenging both the back muscles and the core. An upright row isn’t exactly like a horizontal row, but is great for upper back development. Lastly, the face pull, performed with a rope attachment on a cable machine, targets the rear deltoids and upper back, helping to improve shoulder stability and posture. Incorporating a variety of these rowing exercises into your routine can ensure balanced development and reduce the risk of injury by strengthening different areas of the back.

Of course, you’ll want to round up your training program with upper body work in the opposite direction, of course. Meaning, bench press, pushups, and overhead presses, rear delt work, triceps and biceps work.

Add Barbell Rows to Your Training Now!

So there you have it! These are powerful movements that allow you to move a lot of weight and work the entirely of your back muscles. Barbell rows are a fantastic, compound movement, a fundamental exercise, and one of the best back exercises ever. They allow you to train with a heavy load and are possibly the best way to add mass to your back. Train barbell rows for the most complete whole back workout! And as always, if you have questions, let me know!

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.