First things first: the classics never get old. Just like Led Zepplin and AC/DC, barbells and bumper plates NEVER go out of style. When you have both, there’s really not much else you need in terms of training tools—but if you’re jonesing to add something new to your training room, it’s easy to get bogged down by whatever latest Thing is new/fancy/trendy. When it comes to what’s best for your athletes, it’s hard to determine which tools will ensure you’re getting the most out of your time AND the most out of your money. Below are a few items I've found to be really worth the price and can be used on any given training day. These items are also incredibly accommodating to ALL skill levels and can fit the needs of your most advanced to your most rookie of athletes.

We’ve all done it. Let he who has never rushed through his warm-up—or just plain skipped it entirely—throw the first stone. I’ve been there, too. It’s one of those things we know we all should do before training, but the reasons why often get lost in the perfunctory nature of it all. 

The front squat is so nice, I had to blog about it twice. Here are 3 more reasons to love and adore the all-important front squat.

Squats are incredible. This is NOT a topic up for debate. Squats are a foundational cog in the human movement machine and are a key element in any athlete's developmental toolbox. Squat properly across the range of squatting movements (i.e. back squats, split squats, etc.), and you will see increases in stability, mobility, strength, and power. No ifs, ands, or butts about it (see what I did there??). But while the back squat gets credited as the King of All Exercises, I believe there's a dark horse of squatting variations that deserves some recognition: the front squat.

In this "Tools of the Trade" series, we highlight important pieces of training equipment and how to implement them into a training program. This post will focus on the most important training apparatus your gym is probably missing: a Glute-Ham Developer (or GHD for short).