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🏋️ The REP Open Trap Bar: 1 Year Later

Author

Erin Chancer
August 02, 2024

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Welcome to Home Gym Club! According to scientific research, the best time to take a nap is between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Any later than that and you may risk disrupting your sleep schedule.

What’s in today’s newsletter:

  • Coop reassesses the REP Open Trap Bar after a year of use.

  • We narrowed down the best under-desk treadmills.

  • These are the seven best acupressure mats for your post-workout recovery.

  • We asked a CPT for a five-minute arm workout that anyone can do.

Gear Heads

REP Open Trap Bar: The TRUTH After A Year

At GGR, we’re all about taking the time to reflect. Sure, we love it when fitness equipment is shiny and new, but we love it even more when it can stand the test of time (or a year’s worth of workouts).

That’s why Coop is slowing down and taking another long look at the REP Open Trap Bar after his initial review. He revisits the important specs, like:

  • The built-in jack

  • Handle knurling depth and quality

  • Interchangeable handle options

Then, he tackles how the REP Open Trap Bar flexes under heavy loads, pricing comparisons, and gives his final assessment after one year.

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Cardio Corner

The Best Under-Desk Treadmills

There’s a new category of treadmills booming — the under-desk variety, also called walking pads. With more people working from home than ever before, the popularity of under-desk treadmills for walking indoors has never been higher. People who use them report not only physical benefits, like getting in more daily activity and having more energy, but also improved mood and stress relief.

After researching and testing more than a dozen under-desk treadmills, our experts picked our favorite compact cardio machines by using the following factors:

  • Ease of use

  • Speed

  • Footprint

  • Versatility

  • Price

Which machines made the cut? Tap the button for the best under-desk treadmills.

Rest & Recovery

Best Acupressure Mats

While acupuncture is best done by a certified professional, acupressure mats are readily attainable for home use and have a broad range of claimed health benefits. But with so many options, it’s hard to know what’s effective and what’s ideal for your needs.

Fear not, because several members of the GGR team have tried out the best acupressure mats on the market to bring you our top picks. Although acupressure mats were new to several experts on our staff, we still brought our decades of experience in the fitness world as certified personal trainers, coaches, and competitive athletes.

We spent hours on each of these mats, working on relaxing and de-stressing (it’s a tough job, but someone had to do it). During our resting…er, testing, we rated factors such as the mat's materials and dimensions to bring you this comprehensive list of the best acupressure mat sets.

Disclaimer: No goldendoodles tested these mats.

Train Station

5-Minute Arm Workout

We know it’s hard to fit a workout into your busy schedule, but what would you say if we told you that you could at least tackle arm day in just five minutes?

That’s right: In the time it takes you to brew your morning cup of coffee, you could perform a five-minute arm workout and make progress toward various fitness goals, including weight loss, strength, and more.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

We asked Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, and GGR director of content, to help craft a five-minute arm workout that includes all the step-by-step instructions and tips you’ll ever need!

PRx VS Force USA: Which Is The Better Deal?

PRx vs. Force USA: which of these fitness equipment giants has the best promotion right now?

The choice is yours. Either way, you’re the winner!

Quick Hits

Curious About Water Aerobics?