Tips, guides and buying advice to help you get the most out of your fitness equipment.
Explore our latest posts on gym equipment, buying guides and more.
Rucking is walking with a weighted pack. Here's why it works and how to start safely.
No gym, no problem. This 30-day home workout challenge builds strength and fitness with bodyweight alone.
Bands are a gentle, effective way for older adults to build strength at home. Here's a safe chair-based routine.
Walking is one of the most sustainable ways to lose weight. Here's how much to walk and a plan to get there.
Zone 2 is easy, steady cardio that builds a strong aerobic base. Here's how to find it and train it.
Short, intense and joint-friendly. These stationary bike HIIT workouts burn serious calories in under 30 minutes.
Five beginner-friendly 30-minute treadmill workouts, from steady walks to gentle intervals.
New to the gym? This beginner plan builds strength, shape and confidence in three sessions a week.
Five sets of five on the big lifts. The 5x5 is one of the simplest and most effective strength programs.
Four days, each muscle twice a week. The upper/lower split is one of the most balanced ways to train.
PPL is one of the most popular training splits for building muscle. Here's how it works and a full plan.
Three days a week, every muscle, every session. This beginner full body plan uses gym machines and free weights.
Built your home gym? Here's a 4-week beginner program to put it to work, three days a week.
Building glutes takes the right exercises and progressive loading. Here are the best and a ready-made workout.
Face pulls strengthen the often-neglected rear delts and upper back. Here's how to do them right.
Pick up something heavy and walk. The farmer's carry is simple, brutal and incredibly effective.
Holding a weight at your chest makes great squat form almost automatic. Here's how to master the goblet squat.
Both are leg-day staples. Here's how the hack squat and leg press compare and how to use each.
Where you put your feet on the leg press changes which muscles do the work. Here's the guide.
The overhead press builds strong shoulders and a solid core. Here's how to press with good form.
Can't do a pull-up yet? This progression plan takes you from hangs to your first full rep.
A barbell in a corner or landmine attachment unlocks a whole toolbox of exercises. Here are the best ones.
One cable machine, 30 exercises. Here's the complete list with attachments and pulley heights.
The lat pulldown builds a wider back if you pull with your back, not your arms. Here's how.
Loved and hated in equal measure, the Bulgarian split squat builds legs with minimal equipment. Here's how to nail it.
The hip thrust is a top glute builder. Here's how to set up the barbell, machine and bench versions.
The Romanian deadlift is one of the best hamstring and glute builders. Here's how to do it right.
The squat is the king of lower-body exercises. Here's how to set up, descend and stand up with great form.
The deadlift builds total-body strength like nothing else. Here's how to set up, pull and lower the bar safely.
Machines don't start at zero. Here's how much Smith bars and leg press sleds typically weigh, and how to find yours.
Cable machines look complicated but are simple once you know the three settings. Here's how to set one up for any exercise.
Treadmills are heavy, awkward and easy to damage. Here's how to move one safely, including up and down stairs.
Most elliptical squeaks come from a loose bolt or dry pivot point. Here's how to find and fix the noise.
Setting the damper to 10 doesn't make you fitter. Here's what the damper actually does and the best setting for you.
Rubber flooring lasts for decades if you clean it right. Here's how to clean, disinfect and de-smell your gym mats.
Some racks must be bolted down; others are stable on their own. Here's how to tell and what to do if you can't drill.
Most power racks go together in two to four hours with two people. Here's the order, tools and checks that make it painless.
A few minutes of lubrication can add years to your treadmill's motor and belt. Here's exactly how to do it.
A slipping treadmill belt is usually a quick fix with an Allen wrench. Here's how to diagnose it and adjust it safely.
The Smith machine is one of the easiest ways to lift heavy alone, once you know how the hooks and safeties work. Here's a step-by-step guide.
Walking into a gym for the first time? This glossary explains what each machine is called and what it does.
Cold plunges are everywhere. Here's what the research actually supports, and how to start safely.
Both help you feel looser and less sore. Here's how a massage gun and foam roller compare and when to use each.
A belt doesn't do the work for you, but it can help you brace harder on heavy lifts. Here's when and how to use one.
No weights? No problem. This full body resistance band workout trains every major muscle with just a few bands.
Treadmills burn a few more calories at high intensity; ellipticals are gentler on joints. Here's the full comparison.
Both burn serious calories. Here's how the rower and treadmill compare and which one will help you lose weight.
Learn the stroke, then try three beginner rowing workouts that build fitness without beating up your joints.
12% incline, 3 mph, 30 minutes. Here's what the viral 12-3-30 treadmill workout actually does and how to make it work for you.
The Smith machine gets a bad reputation, but it has a place. Here's how it compares with free weights and when to use each.
A bench and a pair of dumbbells is a complete gym. Here are the best dumbbell bench exercises and a full workout to try.
The bench press looks simple, but small setup details make a big difference. Here's how to bench press safely and get stronger.
Knurling is the crosshatch pattern that gives your barbell grip. Here's how depth, pattern and placement change the way a bar feels.
The EZ curl bar's angled grip is easier on the wrists, while the straight bar hits the biceps a little harder. Here's how to choose.
The trap bar puts the load at your sides; the straight bar puts it in front. Here's how that changes the lift and which is right for you.
The difference is the hole size, but it changes what bars you can use and how heavy you can go. Here's what to know.
45 pounds? Not always. Here's how much every type of barbell weighs, from Olympic bars to EZ curl bars and trap bars.
One kettlebell, 20 minutes, full-body burn. This kettlebell circuit combines strength and HIIT to support fat loss.
The kettlebell swing is one of the best exercises you can do, if you do it right. Here's a step-by-step guide to perfect swing form.
Most beginners pick a kettlebell that's too light for swings and too heavy for presses. Here's how to choose your first size.
All you need is a pair of dumbbells. This beginner full body dumbbell workout trains every major muscle three days a week.
Too light and you won't progress; too heavy and your form breaks down. Here's how to pick the right dumbbell weights for your goals.
Upstairs neighbors and thin floors don't have to end your home workouts. Here's how to cut gym noise and vibration the right way.
Five AMT workouts that use the machine's adaptive stride to target glutes, boost calorie burn and keep cardio interesting.
Six S-Drive workouts for power, speed and conditioning, with resistance settings and form tips for every level.
Five Jacobs Ladder workouts for every level, from your first 5-minute climb to brutal sprint intervals, plus form tips to climb safely.
The stair climber is one of the hardest machines in the gym, and one of the most rewarding. Here are its real benefits and three workouts to get started.
Tall metal racks and tier shelving units are a garage gym's best friend for storing gear. Here's how to choose one that's strong enough and safe.
From tier racks and shelving units to cube storage bins and wall hooks, here's how to organize a home gym of any size.
That elliptical-looking machine with the arc motion is an Arc Trainer. Here's how to use it at Planet Fitness or any gym — and how to get one for home.
New to the arc machine? Here's how to set it up, use good form and follow three Arc Trainer workouts built for fat loss.
Lower prices, commercial quality and less waste — here are the real benefits of buying used gym equipment, and the risks to manage along the way.
Muscles worked, good form, and three elliptical workouts you can use today — getting the most from your cross trainer.
Both are low impact, but they train your body differently. Here's how ellipticals and stationary bikes compare — and when a hybrid makes sense.
Treadmill, elliptical, bike, rower, stepper or hybrid — what each cardio machine does best and how to choose the right one for your goals.
From the utility bench to the preacher curl bench, here's what every common gym bench is for and which ones your gym really needs.
What each bench angle actually trains, and how to decide between fixed benches and an incline-decline weight bench.
Biceps pull, triceps push — opposing muscles that happen to pair perfectly on arm day. Here's how to structure a machine-based session for both.
Chest, shoulders and triceps all push in similar directions, which is exactly why they pair well in one machine-based session — here's how to structure it.
Weight loss and muscle building call for a different equipment mix — here's what to prioritize when the goal is fat loss specifically.
You don't need a warehouse of machines to build real strength at home. Here's what earns its floor space, in the order most people should buy it.
