Every once in a while, as you browse the endless products of Amazon, you find something that makes you say, “Wow! I didn’t know I needed this but I do!” I found one of those things for my home gym recently.
My initial search on Amazon was for inspiring posters I could put on the wall (of my favorite athletes such as Barry Sanders and Stephen Curry). But I first saw this, and immediately added it to my cart.
This is a set of 10 posters that give brief but effective instructions for a gazillion different exercises. Each poster focuses on a particular kind of exercise, such as dumbbell, bodyweight, resistance bands, stretches, or yoga poses. Then they are sorted by body part. So if you have a pair of dumbbells and want to work your back, you look at the dumbbell poster and you’ll find 5 different back exercises you can do with dumbbells.
Here are some of the benefits that these posters can provide.
Efficient and Organized
I’ve been working out a long time, and I know a lot of exercises. But when it comes time to work out, I might only think of a few exercises, and they might not be the best ones for that day. If I’m working my arms, I can quickly scan the upper body section of each poster to get a read on my options.
Or if I want to use dumbbells or bands (I have these moods where I feel like using particular equipment), I can look at those posters specifically. This is more relevant than just for moods, however, as some injuries and conditions make it so that you need to lay off of the heavy weights and go with resistance bands. Or maybe you want to bulk up, in which case you’ll want to focus on dumbbell and barbell exercises.
Variety to Keep Your Interest
If you’re like me (most people aren’t), you like habits, but not routines. I find going through a list of exercises like a robot to be mundane and terrible. I understand why it’s a good idea and all that, but I wouldn’t exercise as much if every session was scripted. One thing I plan to do with these posters (I received mine yesterday) is pick a focal area like chest and triceps, and then choose one exercise from each poster.
- Chest fly (resistance band)
- Push-ups (bodyweight)
- Bench press (barbell)
- Tricep kickbacks (dumbbell)
- Chest stretches
Since each poster gives me several options, it will feel like ordering off of a menu instead of “Ugh, I have to do squats now.” Again, not everyone is like me in that regard, and that’s okay! These posters will also help those who prefer structured workouts, as the plethora of options will create great planning opportunities.
There are apps (JEFIT is good) that can do this as well, but it’s actually faster and easier to process the information on these posters if they are on your wall. There’s no text searching and going from page to page to find something, just start with a body part or type of exercise and you’ll find what you need very fast.
Excuse Killer
One of the many possible excuses to skip exercise is “I’m not even sure what I’d do.” This is particularly true in cases where you are limited in certain areas because of soreness or injury. These posters give you so many options, including yoga and stretching, that you can always find something to do.
Gamification
Grab something sticky, take several steps back, and throw it at a poster. Whatever exercise it lands on, do it. Or grab a couple of dice and roll them to pick a poster number and then again for an exercise.
I’ve missed playing competitive basketball at LA Fitness dearly. It’s been a challenge for me to get the same amount of cardio, since playing basketball for 2 hours is effortless, and just running feels like work. But I’ve found a solution! I’ve been playing a game where I have to make four shots from select cracks in my driveway before a song ends. I’ve listen to just one song for this (“The Man” by the Killers) for consistency. And wow, is it a cardio workout chasing the ball around racing against time!
Games help work feel like play, and that’s a big deal, because for every workaholic, there are 10 playaholics (I’m in this camp).
Bonus: Anatomy Poster Shows You Which of Your Muscles Are Betraying You
If you’re like me and you wonder which muscle in your neck is the one ruining your life, this anatomy poster is for you. It shows you the complete musculature of the human body, which is complex and amazing. It gives your home workout area that classic doctor’s office feel.
In conclusion…
Buy these posters if you work out at home because they are a game changer!
Note: I am not affiliated with this company and have never heard of them before, I just love this idea and these laminated posters. I’m a satisfied customer. They’re quite large posters, too, which is nice, but something to consider if you have limited wall space. I generally use Amazon affiliate links when I link to Amazon because it doesn’t cost you anything, but helps me cover the cost of running this website.
Note #2: I use this poster tack to put them on the wall and it seems to be working well despite the posters’ strong desire to jump off the wall. They come in a tube, so they try to stay rolled. But there are a few tips they give to flatten them, including rubber bands and hair dryers. For the most stubborn posters, I’m going with the classic “put dumbbells on them until they give in and decide to remain flat” technique.
Note #3: One last cool feature… they have the exercises on both sides of the poster, one in portrait and the other in landscape. I’m using them in portrait (vertically) to suit my wall space, but you have the option for either orientation. Thanks for reading!
