My Workout Equipment Top 5 Wishlist

I am fairly satisfied with the workout equipment I have in my garage gym but to keep things interesting I am always looking for some new items. Over the past few years I added a pull-up bar and the Ultimate Strength Apparatus - a unique type of suspension trainer. Last year, I added ropes from Cal-Ropes. A couple of year ago I purchased the Bulgarian Training Bag, weighted chaps, the hypervest and a talking jump rope. All this in addition to my medicine balls, kettlebells, and other stuff. With all this old school equipment it is easy to arrange my workouts so that they keep me interested. So this year I figured I would list 5 more items that I would love to add to my collection...

1) The Ultimate Sandbag - I have wanted one of these for awhile but never purchased one. I like the variety of exercises that can be done with them.

2) The Bulgarian Training Bag - The Bulgarian Training Bag is similar to the Ultimate Sandbag but you have to buy it in fixed weights. It also has a much different look than a typical sandbag. As I mentioned I already have one - the 26 pounder - and love it. I got the leather one. It is very well constructed and it can take a beating. There are loads of exercises you can do with it and it comes with a very helpful DVD. My favorite exercise is the spin - a great transverse plane exercise. The reason I want another one is that I think I am ready to move up to the 37 pounder. Unlike the sandbag, there is no shifting sand but it is still one great piece of equipment.

3) Schwinn Airdyne Bike - I first tried one of these bikes at my local Crossfit and my last place of employment had one of these as well. I think I may have been one of the few people that used it. The faster you peddle - the harder the resistance. It is great for building tremendous cardio. If you watch The Ultimate Fighter - the bikes are a mainstay in their gym. The funny thing about these bikes is that they look really old-fashioned but they are rather pricey if you buy one brand new - upwards of $600. They are fantastic for interval training. Best place to look for one is on Craigslist.com where you can often pick one up for well under $300.

4) A Heavier Kettlebell - I have a 16kg, 20kg, and 24kg kettlebells. Lately I have been doing a great number of two-handed swings with the 24kg and think I can benefit by moving up to a 28kg - or maybe - dare I say a 32kg. When I first started using the 24kg I could hardly move it - I am sure a 28kg will feel that way at first too but I welcome the challenge. I usually get the gray series kettlebells from MuscleDriverUSA.com.

5) Hyperwear Hypervest COOL - This one I currently don't need so badly with the weather getting cooler - but would like to pick one up before next summer. I already have Hyperwear's 10 pound hypervest. I have had it two years now and use it regularly to add extra resistance to my workouts. It is very well made and fits me perfectly. What I like best is that it does not limit my range of motion when I am wearing it - it just makes the workout tougher. Based on this I would assume that their cooling vest will also fit perfectly and allow full range of motion as well. I want to try out their cooling vest for next summer as my garage gets hot even in the early morning hours. I would also like to use it for trail running in the hot weather to see if it helps my performance. I do not run well in the heat and prefer cooler temperatures.

Well, there you have it. My current fitness equipment wishlist. If you know of a piece of equipment I might want to add to my list let me know!