Strength and endurance sports in the garden or on the terrace - which equipment is good?

Outdoor fitness has been booming for years, and there is no end in sight. Most active people go to parks or meadows to do their strength training and endurance training. The garden at home and the terrace are at least as suitable for outdoor fitness because of the greater privacy. Here you can find out which equipment you need for a comprehensive workout.

Sling Trainer: The feather-light all-rounder

The sling trainer is an ultra-light training device made of industrial nylon, plastic and very little metal, which enables effective strength training in the smallest of spaces. The device was developed in the 1990s by scientists from the US military to enable the armed forces to carry out intensive and efficient training on site.

The highlight: A sling trainer works without any additional weight. The belt system with loops achieves the training resistance from gravity alone. If a fixation point (tree, scaffolding, door frame, etc.) has been selected, the trainee can use the belt adjustment and the angle of attack to determine which angle and thus also which degree of difficulty he wants to master in the next exercise.

A sling trainer enables a range of more than 100 exercises and you can work up a sweat (Fancy a fitness towel?). These include classics such as push-ups, rows, flys or squats. At the same time, a sling trainer offers the possibility of combining complex exercises with one another in order to further strengthen the training stimulus. A prime example of this is the combination exercise push-ups with hanging crunches, in which the upper body and abdominal muscles are equally involved.

Another point of the Sling Trainer: Due to the instability of the slings, the user has to make a lot of compensatory movements with his core muscles during the workout. This automatically strengthens the deep muscles that are difficult to train.

Buying tip: Sling Trainer from TRX - de.trxtraining.com

Stainless steel pull-up bars: For the entire upper body

The pull-up is one of the most effective fitness exercises. Using the back muscles, arms and trunk, the entire body weight is lifted up on a bar and then lowered again in a controlled manner. The arms are bent until there is an acute angle in the joint between the upper arm and forearm and the chin protrudes over the pull-up bar. We recommend using Trainingshandschuhe for the protection of the hands.

Thanks to numerous grip variants and grip widths, pull-ups allow a varied training in which many muscle groups in the upper body can be targeted. The following applies: The tighter you grip when doing a pull-up, the more strength you have to generate from your arms. With a wide grip, on the other hand, the strength is increasingly taken from the back muscles. The grip options in the overhand grip, underhand grip and hammer grip further expand the range of variants.

All you need to do pull-ups is a pull-up bar. In the garden or on the terrace, a pull-up bar for wall mounting is ideal. Stainless steel pull-up bars, in particular, are very stable and, thanks to several horizontal and vertical bars, offer an enormous variety of exercises.

Buying tip: Pull-up bars from HOLD STRONG Fitness - www.klimmzugstange.de

Rowing machines: quickly to the limit

The perfect cardio machine for a workout in the garden and on the terrace is the rowing machine. Because arms, legs and torso are permanently involved in rowing, the cardiovascular system is exposed to a load similar to that of running, cross-country skiing or swimming. In addition to endurance, regular rowing also improves fat metabolism and effectively builds muscle mass.

When buying a rowing machine, there are several points to consider. The braking system is a key seal of approval that allows conclusions to be drawn about the quality of the device as a whole. Rowing machines with an air resistance system, eddy current brake or magnetic brake system are clearly preferable to models with technically outdated hydraulic cylinders. Two rowing arms are also better and more effective than one, because the load is balanced and the movement when rowing in the water is more accurately simulated.

When buying a rowing machine, you should also look for a technically high-quality and at the same time easy-to-use training computer. In addition to basic functions such as recording the heart rate, the distance covered, the training duration and the calorie consumption, the computer should offer several different training programs in order to make the training varied and diverse.

Buying tip: Rowing machines from concept2 - www.concept2.de

Jump rope: on the go

Pull-ups and rowing machines are classics of strength and endurance sports, and despite all the trends, the jump rope has secured its place in the fitness studios and boxing gyms of the republic to this day. No wonder, considering the low acquisition costs, training with the jump rope is very intensive for the cardiovascular system and thus perfectly trains endurance.

The muscles in the legs in particular benefit enormously from training with a skipping rope. Because the feet are literally always on the go, the muscles learn over time to adjust to the short times with the ground and to contract faster. This leads to an increase in strength values ​​in the legs, which is particularly evident in an improvement in jumping strength.

When purchasing, you should make sure that it is a length-adjustable rope. The rope itself should be made of plastic or metal. Metal ropes enable a high speed of rotation and are particularly suitable for ambitious athletes. The handles should be made of plastic and fit comfortably in your hand. Ball bearings in the handles ensure that the rope turns with the training. This also allows you to jump rope for minutes without impairment.

Buying tip: Skipping rope from Best Body Nutrition - www.muskelfarm.de

Dip stand: For strong arms and a strong stomach

A dip stand is a space-saving device for self-weight training that rounds off the "fitness park" in your own garden or on the terrace. In addition to the classic self-weight exercise triceps dips, which can be performed on the bars of the stable device, a dip stand is particularly suitable for training the straight and lateral abdominal muscles.

The best ab exercise on the dip stand is the knee raise. First you position yourself with your back straight against the backrest, support your arms on the armrest and lift your legs so that the weight of your body is borne primarily by your forearms. The stretched legs are raised straight or by turning in the stomach to hip height.

When buying a dip stand, make sure that the device is made of sturdy metal, that the back is well padded and that it has its center of gravity there. This is the only way to guarantee a safe stance during abdominal muscle exercises and dips.

Buying tip: Dip stand from Rouge Fitness - www.roguefitness.com