Welcome to WodHardware.com, where I share ideas that I have at the gym about the gear and equipment that I use, the problems that I experience, and the solutions that I come up with.
Since I started doing the CrossFit workouts, I have been amazed by the minimal amount of gear required to get the results I get (sometimes none is needed at all for bodyweight workouts). All you need for a well-equipped gym is a set of Olympic weights with a rack and a bench, a box for jumping, a bar for pull-ups, a rope for climbing, a medicine ball, a few dumbbells and kettle-bells, a jump-rope, a GHD machine, and a Concept II rower. These items are well designed and will take a beating (which they should) because this stuff gets used hard. The weights are often dropped from overhead and the pull-up bars, ropes and rowers see huge duty cycles, especially in a commercial gym. CrossFit is not designed to be easy on equipment.
Despite good design, there will be breakdowns which can be hard on the budget as well as pose safety problems. And this is the main reason for this website: I want to explore how to get the most out of the gear we use, how to fix it when it breaks and invent upgrades that add variety and more enjoyment to the workouts.
The interface between human and equipment is another area of interest for me. The CrossFit workouts are specifically designed to add variety to fitness utilizing less equipment. Sometimes, though, the human and the equipment don’t fit together very well. For instance, I have struggled with wrist pain lifting heavy loads in the overhead position. I’ve also met athletes that have disabilities that get in the way. I want to explore ways through these roadblocks when I encounter them and offer solutions on this website.
There can be many creative solutions and alternatives to ubiquitous problems in the gym. I hope you enjoy what I post here and that my ideas help you get more out of your equipment and your workouts.
Steve Lauman