Alright, I received some comments and crits from my article "The Five Worst Pieces of Exercise Equipment". The majority of fitness enthusiasts who have written to me want to know why on earth would I just simply list the worst gym equipment without giving up the best gym equipment? Well, I'm selfish. Just joking with you. For those interested in the best exercise equipment in the gym, here are my choices:

1. Squat Rack or Half Rack:

Where the Smith Machine will do you wrong, this will do you right. Anytime you are able to stand and use free weight, please do so. Smith Machine will not allow for natural (functional) joint movement. Many times bad habits are formed and the "core" is weakened. Many exercises can be used with a plain squat rack. Conquer the basics and progress as needed.

2. Dumbbells:

These older than time pieces training equipment are perfect for those solo training people out there. They are safer forms of free weights and you can really get creative with them. Don't be afraid to try the heavy ones out from time to time, if you are used to using the baby blue or hot pink dumbbells. Grab the big grey and black ones and really start training.

3. Bands:

One thing I like doing from time to time is going outside, enjoying the sunny weather, and training hard with elastic bands. Just like dumbbells you can get pretty creative with these. This is also a great choice for folks who travel a lot. Instead of relying on a machine-ridden gyms, grab some bands (which are very affordable by the way) and train hard.

4. Chinup/Pullup Bar:

Welcome back to grade school. The coach blows the whistle and you better do a chinup. Chinups are squats for the upperbody. If you can not do a chinup, just regress down a bit until you can. Start by jumping up and holding yourself there for as long as you can. You can even jump up and slowly lower yourself down. Trust me, you are exposing your body to the mechanics of a chinup and it will learn the new skill. I'm not a big fan of assisted chinup machines. The transition from machine to free weight is pretty harsh.

5. You!

That's right. The human body is an amazing, complex and organic machine. Luckily, you are equipped with one. This machine will perform above standards any time it is fueled properly, trained, and maintained. Each body has the potential to get stronger, faster and look better naked. Even without other pieces of equipment it can get better.

To wrap this up, if you are interested in getting more information on training from me, just go to my website and download the free ebook "Proving Ground".