Let’s start with the question: what pieces of equipment are essential to get in phenomenal shape?

None.

End of article.

But seriously, you do not NEED any equipment.

Like most things related to this Strength and Fitness world, the answer is “it depends”.

On what?

It depends on what your goal is.

If you are clear on what you want to achieve and you know precisely what that looks like, you will be miles ahead of someone that has no idea what they want.

With that being said, let’s get into the BEST tools you can use to get strong, fit, and in great condition.

1- The Sled

Any sled will do here. A drag sled, push/pull (prowler) or any sort of homemade contraption you can put together works. Just something you drag on the ground while walking forwards, backwards, sideways etc..There are a million benefits to the sled that I’ve written about in other articles.

2- Barbell and weights. You can get plenty strong with just a barbell and weights. If you only had a decent bar and a few hundred pounds, along with the sled you could be strong, fit and in great condition with consistent dedicated training.

3- Dip stand. This one is personal, mainly because I love dips. A pullup bar would be tied for this spot but I just love dips more but a chin-up bar is always a good option.

If you only had those 3 tools you could put together a kick-ass program that would get you strong, fit and in excellent condition.

Sure there are a ton of other options, most of which I have utilized at some point and will likely use again in the future but you don’t need everything. You don’t even need a gym or any equipment. It all depends on what you want to accomplish with your training.

I love steps and hills. Logs and stones. Workouts in nature. Carrying heavy weight for short distances and carrying light weight for long distance. All of these work great and don’t require anything beyond you getting outside into nature and using a little creativity.

Whether you use equipment or not, the key is to bring the focus into your training. Attack it with all you have and forget the world while you build yourself up.

If you need help putting together a program, check out my online training page for a personalized plan.