The fitness industry is inundated with promotional crap targeting people for the purposes of stealing their money. It has nothing to do with whether or not something helps you. This is how it is in any industry. Most people buy this stuff because they think it's necessary, a means to an end. Plus, it's easier to sell stuff to somebody who's excited about what they're about to engage in--people don't buy on intelligence, they buy on emotion. Pay attention to how most people conduct themselves when "working out" and you'll start to notice that most people don't like to be uncomfortable. They don't like to apply themselves, to push past any limitations they have put on themselves. That's what this list is all about. These are things that don't belong in Fatal Fitness, because we're about getting the job done, and most of the time, the job doesn't require a whole lot of extra luxuries. This isn't a health "club". It's a torture facility. It is through adversity that a man or woman discovers him/herself. You should discover yourself every day.

5. Reading Material

If you have the ability to read a magazine or newspaper while working out, you're not really working out. Knock it off.

4. Weightlifting Gloves

You don't need these. The only real purpose they serve is to make you look like a tool.

3.Supplements

There's no end to these gimmicks. I see guys relying on these to get jacked, pumped, shredded, ripped, cut, huge, buff, and energized, and most of the time they have no idea what they're doing. Unless you're a championship bodybuilder, chances are you don't need these. The human body produces enough crap on its own--spurred into action by what you do--that you'll be able to reach your goals just the same. If you absolutely must use these, test them out to see which ones work and which ones don't (a lot of them don't work, so don't continue wasting money on them if they don't). How can you test them to see if they work? Pick one. Use it exclusively for 6 weeks. Document your progress. Try another one and do the same thing. You'll either see a pattern or you'll notice that one works better than others. But don't rely on these over hard work and dedication.

2. Music

Vince Gironda, otherwise known as the "Iron Guru," didn't allow any music in his gym. He wanted people to get serious, without any distractions. (Other distractions include talking too much with other people.) Portable electronic musical devices are probably the single most utilized fitness "accessory". While they do have their benefits--getting you pumped, distracting you from any discomfort you might be experiencing, these things also have a tendency to cause you to be dependent on them, which is the last thing you need. Some people can't work out without them. Don't let something like this prevent you from reaching your goals if you find yourself without one. Figure out how to motivate yourself in other ways and you'll not only be training your body but also your mind, which is what this Autopsy is all about.

1. Exercise Mats

The number one thing you do NOT need is an exercise mat to do abdominal exercises on. This is the single largest piece of bullshit exercise equipment you can use, and I'll tell you why. First off, as I said before, you don't need one to do ab exercises. Once you get hooked on these things, if you have to do abs on any other "hard" surface, such as, say, a gymnasium floor or outside on the sidewalk, the only thing you'll be thinking about it how much you wish you had one. If you do the exercises correctly in the first place, there should be no reason why your spine should be digging into the ground. Plus, if you rely too much on these, odds are you'll forego ab exercises altogether should you find yourself without one. So don't even use them. After a while, you'll find that you don't even want them anymore, which makes you more hardcore than anyone else at the gym.

If you ever find yourself thinking you need something to work out, you should stop for a minute and think again. If the item is a piece of equipment, find an acceptable substitute. If the item is an accessory--suck it up and get your ass in gear. You'll be much better off.

New exercise equipment comes out every day. The unfortunate truth is that most of them are absolute crap. That's really no secret. But every once in a while a truly remarkable product emerges from the legions of inadequacy, and these products deserve our respect and usage. Today, we're going to discuss the aspects of a few devices that will help augment your standard pushup. In the spirit of competition we're pitting these products against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the death. Now, let's introduce our competitors.

Pushup Bars

The Perfect Pushup

A dip/pullup belt should be standard equipment for every gym.  There's nothing I hate more than going someplace to workout and finding they don't have one.  That means I have to hold a dumbbell between my legs, which is easy enough, but I prefer using belts.  The one I'm about to show you all how to make has no leather, is simple to construct, and costs $20.  Normal ones average about $25-40.  So it's not that much of a difference, but if you're like me, a) you don't like to wait, b) you don't like to pay for shipping, c) you like rugged

The use of traditional bodybuilding equipment such as barbells, dumbbells, and machines like the leg press for application during physical conditioning is perhaps the most common practice today.  It's in style.  Everyone does it.  You can't walk into any franchise fitness center without seeing benches, pulley machines, treadmills, and all that jazz.  Add that to the fact that many people end up quitting their programs out of sheer boredom because most of the time it's the same old-same old, and one is left wondering what the hell there is to do about it.  The answer to

 

These kinds of articles are all over, but I figured I'd make it easier to people who use this site, and also add some of my own experience into the article to help you optimize your "ring making".  All the stuff can be bought with less than $20, so this is great for those who want rings and just can't afford the real thing.

What You Will Need:

Many companies spend thousands of dollars on marketing their products or services, all in the hopes that it will enhance business and bring in more revenue.  They all know it’s smart to utilize a vast array of marketing techniques.  The only difficult thing the companies face with all this is, how do they know what is working and what isn’t?  Perhaps a more important question should be, why would a company spend thousands of dollars on marketing and research and then just leave everything to chance?  The answer is it’s imperative for the company to track a