How to Build The Ultimate Unconventional Gym

For most people, a gym is just a place where you go to sweat a little, work some muscles, pat yourself on the back, and call it a day. Trainees pay their monthly dues and some even muster up the energy to make it there on a regular basis (most just pay and never show up).

For others, the gym is a totally different place. It is a sanctuary from the everyday grind. It is a place where you can test yourself, push your limits, and see what you're really made of (and what you can possibly be).

For those select few who have the drive and the bollocks for gut wrenching, tough workouts in solitude, an Unconventional Home Gym is what you need.

Pieces of unconventional training equipment have been invading home gyms for years now. Even so, standard conventional gyms have been slow to catch up. You still wonâ€™t find Kettlebells, Sandbags, Indian Clubs, Battle Ropes, or Sledgehammers in your neighborhood fitness center.

Fortunately, these items are perfect for home use. Theyâ€™re inexpensive relative to big, complicated machines and are capable of providing full-body, "kick your own ass" workouts (rather than isolation movements that only hit one body part).

An Unconventional Home Gym is perfect for anyone who has the ability to train on their own without mirrors or the need for another Black Eyed Peas remix. No waiting for machines. No people to distract you. No training tools that are focused on anything other than usable strength and endurance.

So what should you put in the ultimate home gym that will soon be your best way of releasing stress and building a phenomenal body in the process? Here are three samples (from least to most expensive) that will get you on your way:

Unconventional Gym Level 1: The Bare Bones Basics

These tools are what I find to be the most essential tools for building your physique from head to toe while not breaking the bank. We utilize them in almost each and every workout to some degree.

With this set you can hit every muscle, work your conditioning, build unreal strength and raw power, transforming your body into a piece of art. Art made of forged steel that is.

Start and end your workouts with some joint mobility work and Indian Clubs to get your engine started. Go from heavy deadlifts and overhead presses to ring work and pull ups. Get some walking lunges and front squats and finish with some snatches, juggling and jump rope work for some nice cardiovascular conditioning.

This is just one of the many possible workouts with this wide range of tools that will give you the most bang for your buck.

Unconventional Gym 1 - Equipment Needed:
1)	Kettlebells (3) - Light, Medium, Heavy	from $66.62
2)	Jump Rope	from $9.99
3)	Pull Up Bar	from $14.99
4)	Gym Rings	from $55.00
5)	Indian Clubs	from $34.95
		Total: $181.55

Unconventional Gym Level 2: Getting Serious

The tools found in the Level 1 package will do a body good, but if you're ready to take it to the next level a couple of additions are necessary.

Now you might say a power rack and barbell isn't very unconventional. Well, unless you walked into a gym recently and saw everybody performing barbell squats and Olympic Lifts, you'd see a power rack is pretty unconventional by typical gym standards.

Pairs of kettlebells offer the ability to add in some double work and a slew of new exercises. This is great for adding in powerful movements like Double Snatches, Swings, Front Squats, and more. Throw in some great fat-burning techniques like double kettlebell complexes and give you a wide array of weights to work with.

A weight vest is a nice addition for pretty much every exercise done with Gym Rings or bodyweight. Add some weight to your Push Ups and Body Rows for a great upper body workout. The Sandbag is also a fun addition by absolutely murdering your core and grip every single time.

The tire and sledgehammer will give you a fantastic core and conditioning workout (and nothing is more fun hitting stuff with a hammer). Get some aggression out and build massive amounts of power and endurance. It also gives you some variety in your conditioning options, or throw them in with your Kettlebell Swings and Jump Rope for a killer workout.

Unconventional Gym 2 - Equipment Needed:
1)	Kettlebells (6) - Double Light, Medium, Heavy	from $198.16
2)	Jump Rope	from $9.99
3)	Pull Up Bar	from $14.99
4)	Gym Rings	from $55.00
5)	Indian Clubs	from $34.95
6)	Sandbag	from $29.99
7)	Weight Vest	from $49.99
8)	Sledgehammer	from $24.99
9)	Tractor Tire	from FREE
		Total: $418.06

Unconventional Gym Level 3: The Ultimate Gym

The Ultimate Unconventional Home Gym would include everything you would ever need to achieve all the strength, power, and conditioning goals you could set for yourself (and plenty of fun stuff to keep you entertained too).

The addition of the Macebell and Heavy Clubs will give you great shoulder strength and mobility as well as the grip strength of a bear. As with most of these tools, effectiveness is only one attribute. They are also very different and fun (not to be confused with easy, of course).

Using the Fat Bar is a great way to build massive forearms and grip strength. The wide range of kettlebells will allow you to do everything from juggling to heavy strength exercises. This gives you a ton of variety for light, medium, and heavy days any time you want.

With the Battle Ropes and Dragging Sled, your body will be taken to a whole new levelof pain. Both tools require every muscle in the body to be firing as you're working as intensely as possible. Combined with speed, using these tools will equate to the workout from hell. Very few things will get your heart racing and muscles trembling as a Sled Drag across a field or a long set of slams with a 2-inch Manila Battle Ropes.

Home gyms are a breath of fresh air from the staleness of traditional gym routines and body part splits. At home you can train how you want. No manager telling you that you can't do Olympic Lifts or that you canâ€™t train with your kettlebells in the gym. You're the boss and you train how you please.

With the tools mentioned here you will have the key that will unlock your body's ultimate potential. Strength, power, agility and a lean, muscular physique can be yours with any of these unconventional training centers. The best part is you won't have to leave the comfort of your own home.

Unconventional Gym 3 - Equipment Needed:
1)	Kettlebells (6) - Double Light, Medium, Heavy	from $198.16
2)	Jump Rope	from $9.99
3)	Pull Up Bar	from $14.99
4)	Gym Rings	from $55.00
5)	Indian Clubs	from $34.95
6)	Sandbag	from $29.99
7)	Weight Vest	from $49.99
8)	Sledgehammer	from $24.99
9)	Tractor Tire	from FREE
10)	Macebell	from $159.50
11)	Heavy Clubs	from $99.90
12)	Fat Bar	from $255.00
13)	Battling Ropes	from $89.99
14)	Dragging Sled	from $75.00
		Total: $1,097.45

Article Information
	This article was featured in the August 2010 Issue of the My Mad Methods Magazine. The article"Build The Ultimate Unconventional Home Gym" was written by Mark de Grasse. You can purchase this article by Clicking Here.

Author Information
	Mark de Grasse is the owner of MyMadMethods.com, My Mad Methods Magazine, and My Mad Methods Productions. In addition to being a certified trainer specializing in kettlebells and bodyweight training, Mark is also the chief editor and designer of both the website, magazine, and My Mad Methods Productions DVDs. Find out more.