7 Fitness Gadgets I Love — And 5 That Were a Waste of Money

I am the world’s most hyper-buyer when it comes to fitness equipment.

Every new gadget that promises some boost in strength, recovery, muscle growth, fat loss, etc., gets my attention and usually, my money.

Here are the gadgets I’ve purchased over the years that I actually love and use, and then five that were a waste of money.

The Best Fitness Gadgets

Alright, here are the biggest winners. I use these things daily or at least weekly.

#1 Forearm and Wrist Trainer ($14.99 on Amazon)

There is no product I own that gives me more bang for my buck than this one.

The forearms and wrists are such an overlooked body region. Most people only work them out as secondary targets behind more common arm and upper body lifts.

I love and hate this product because it’s extremely challenging.

While other forearm exercises seem to put more strain on the wrist and hands with little actual forearm activation, these rollers are quite the opposite.

Trying to do three reps (up and down counts as one rep) with just a 5 lb plate attached will make me struggle.

Most people skip forearms because there isn’t much interest in getting those weird “Popeye” front-loaded arms, but forearm strength goes well beyond size. Increasing forearm strength will spill over into the other strength exercises that matter. I credit it with helping increase my max reps on 225 lbs from a measly six to 12+.

#2 Waist Trimmer Wrap (Under $20 on Amazon)

WAIT! BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS ARTICLE, HEAR ME OUT!

My biggest problem area has always been my midsection.

I easily carry most of my excess weight in my lower abs and back.

I’ve always written these wraps off because I thought they were just something men would wear 24/7 to make themselves appear leaner than they are.

This summer, though, I started using a waist wrap just when I lift.

I’m not wearing it out and about; it actually is terrible if you’re trying to look “trim” since it’s pretty thick.

I wear it because it causes me to really sweat over the area it covers.

This causes a very slight reduction throughout the day in my waist. Or at least it feels that way; measuring it showed just a few fractions of an inch difference.

Also, it provides similar stability to the leather weight straps power lifters wear. It made me feel like my core was more activated and I was stronger.

Again, placebo? Maybe.

If you want even more sweat and don’t want people to see the bulge of the straps, throw on a hoodie. I’m lifting in a hoodie now just to actually get a bigger sweat anyway.

Does this actually target fat though? Probably not; there’s literally no great evidence suggesting that, and you can’t selectively burn fat with anything that isn’t surgery.

Does it make me feel and look leaner immediately after lifting? Absolutely.

I should note that there are also some concerns that wearing these too often might actually cause some weakening of the core muscles. The people who have raised these concerns are mostly talking about the more serious corsets that have actual laces, like 17th-century royalty.

If this were factual, though, we would have likely seen more literature about the more powerful weight lifting belts that are commonplace.

Simply loosening the belt gives me enough sweat and no fear of muscle damage or weakening.

#3 Leg Straps for Cable Machine (Under $20 on Amazon)

My second biggest problem area has been my legs. I don’t skip leg day, but I don’t get the same results in terms of muscle growth as I do with my upper body.

These straps open up a number of awesome new leg workouts I can do in any cable machine. Some gyms have these straps but they're usually probably and you have to wait for your turn. Investing in my own pair ensures I skip the line.

#4 At Home Pulley System ($59 on Amazon)

Ok this is one thing I don’t actually use daily because I rarely work out from home now. But, during COVID, this was a game changer.

All you need is a good solid place on a ceiling to attach this and you can do many of the pulling and pushing type exercises that are traditionally only possible at a gym or by purchasing an expensive machine.

#5 BFR Bands ($36 on Amazon)

Fair warning, the science is still out on this type of training. It’s called BFR (“Blood Flow Restricted”) training. This training type is relatively niche, but it involves slowing circulation of blood flow to your arms or legs.

This dramatically increases the “pump” you get and allows you to lift lighter weights than normal with the same effect.

The set I like comes with bands for both your arms (biceps) and legs (hamstrings or calves).

This is a pretty advanced type workout and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Consult a physician (who specializes in sports preferably) and ask them if you’re healthy enough to try this type of workout.

Be careful and do not go too tight on these.

#6 Wrist Straps (Under $10 on Amazon)

Many weight lifters don’t move around the maximum weight they could because they lose their grip on the bar.

Deadlifts and pull-ups especially.

These wraps will help you ensure it’s your muscles going to failure that cause you to stop, not lost grip.

I like the cheap, durable ones that you actually wrap around the bar. I’m not as big of a fan of the ones that are smaller pads that just cover your hands and fingers.

#7 Simple Ab Roller (Under $20 on Amazon)

You can absolutely get a perfect ab workout with no equipment. However, it’s tough to do abs so why not use the tools that make them slightly more enjoyable?

These ab rollers, for me, are enjoyable in a “hurts so good” kind of way.

Honorable Mention

These aren’t fitness gadgets per se, but they are wildly useful in hitting your fitness goals.

#1 Withings Body Scan ($399 on Amazon 😬)

This is actually my favorite purchase of all of these items but it’s not technically workout equipment.

I literally look forward to using this scale every morning. It shows exactly where my body is changing, for better or for worse.

It comes with a handle that you squeeze and hold for a few seconds. It scans your body and gives you insanely detailed results both on the scale’s screen and via their mobile app.

If you’ve read my other fitness-related posts (like the one below), you’ve seen what the scans look like inside of the app.

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This is as close to a DexaScan as you can get at home (and without paying $140 each time you use it).

I am obsessed with mine.

The Duds

Ok I won't call out these with specific brand names. It’s mostly just the underlying concepts that didn’t work for me rather than a specific brand.

1. “Smart” Roller: Just get a regular foam roller. The vibration and all that is kinda silly.
2. Neck Resistance Trainer: This thing might work but you will feel like a pervert using it in the gym.
3. Grip Strength Trainer: These are cool and I have one at my office desk to use… and it’s been there for years with maybe 2–3 uses?
4. Any at home cardio equipment: We all have that piece of cardio equipment (usually a bike) that we don’t use. Maybe you’re one of the exceptions, but most of us thought that too.
5. Push-up Boards: These are actually awesome, but let’s face it, most people aren’t doing push-ups. Don’t buy one of these until you’ve committed to regular push-ups for a while.

Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!