Top 10 Gifts for the Meathead Dad of Young Children (or the Meathead Dad-to-Be)
Remember the days when you could put a little extra time in at the office, kill it at the gym, then meet the wife/girlfriend out for drinks and dinner on a Tuesday night and do it all over again the next day? Well, forget it now. Ever since you had the little rugrat(s), those days are over. And while you wouldn’t trade your newfound fatherhood for anything, you’re finding that between the hours at the office, daycare drop-off and pick-up, mealtimes, baths and bedtimes, you’re lucky if you get any time at all to keep your gym game up. But never fear—here are the top 10 gifts you need to ask for this holiday season in order to stay big, strong and swole now that you’re a frazzled dad..
1. The Econo Rack
These days you’re lucky if you even get a half hour to work out. If any of that time has to be spent in the car driving to and from the local gym, forget it. But the Econo Rack is the perfect rack for the home gym. It fits most ceiling clearances and you can tell it’s built solid and ultra sturdy. Squats, presses, pulls, rows, power shrugs, (even curls, though it’s not a curl rack): anything you can do with a bar, you can do with the Econo Rack.
$699.00
EFS Econo Full Power Rack
Great for saving space and setting records.
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2. Bumper Plates
You’re a Meathead: you lift things up, you put them down, you repeat. The heavier the better. In all likelihood, the hamsters at Planet Fatness have sounded the “Lunk Alarm” on you. You wear it as a badge of honor. But now you’ve got the kids and the wife, and if you manage to find time to work out, it’s most likely because someone (or everyone) is sleeping. No naps for the Meathead dad, but naptime for the wife and kids means workout time for you. But you can’t have the Missus angrily stomping around and telling you to keep it down every time your weights crash back to the ground after a deadlift or clank together on a monster squat or press. Not only will Bumper Plates protect your floors from damage, they will also provide a much quieter (and thus more sleep-friendly) weightlifting experience.
$24.00
Solid Rubber Bumper Plate
Solid Rubber Bumper Plate
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3. Fat Gripz
You know you need a fat bar. Everything you read about pressing and pulling shows you that it gives you huge gains in strength and forearm muscularity. But with all the rocking horses, wooden trains, Buzz Lightyears and Lightning McQueens cluttering up your home, space for additional bars is limited. Fat Gripz will provide the huge grip and forearm-strength advantages of a fat bar, but at a fraction of the space, which is often easier to argue for despite the cost.
4&5. The Prowler with Blast Straps
When it’s nice outside, you need to get the kids out and get some fresh air, but you still want to get your workout in. The Prowler is the perfect piece of family equipment. My four-year-old is already so excited for the day he can push the Prowler himself. He tries everyday. Until that day comes, the kids can sit on the prowler while you push and pull it. It’s quite the family workout. Push, pull, and drag the sled up and down the street with the little ones on it. It’s a blast, plus the neighbors will get a kick out of seeing you. Are your kids too little? Pair it with the blast straps for pulls and presses, while you’re wearing a Baby Bjorn…but stay upright! It’s the perfect way to share some masculine bonding time with your infant, plus it’s the only exercise where it’s safe to wear your baby.
$279.00
Prowler: Econo Prowler
The best tool for conditioning just got more affordable.
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$79.95
Blast Straps
The best way to perform suspended push-ups, chin-ups, face pulls and other bodyweight exercises.
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6. Pro Mini and Pro Monster Mini Bands
There are days where you mentally want to workout, but out of sheer physical exhaustion (most likely from being kept up all night by someone else’s ear, nose or throat infection), the idea of lowering heavy weights onto your chest or toward the floor is the last thing on your to-do list. Use these bands for training on your less-than-enthusiastic days. Pulls and presses with a long squeeze on the muscle contraction and absolutely no eccentric load will get your blood pumping and your muscles firing without putting more fatigue on your body’s central nervous system. It’s not for everyday use, but instead for when you can’t muster up the energy to do anything else.
$9.00
EFS Pro Mini Band
Mini bands for big benches.
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$13.50
EFS Pro Monster Mini Bands
New EFS Pro Bands
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7. PR Hoodie
On a cold winter afternoon, when the chores are done, the weights have been lifted, and you’re playing Legos on the floor, toss on an elitefts™ hoodie and be comfortable while still looking good.
$26.95
EFS PR Hoodie
Good lift!
**More colors available**
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8. Yoga Mat
There are very few places to stretch out in a home. Maybe the carpet, but that still might not cut it. Most home gyms are in the basement or garage, on hard concrete. This comfortable mat rolls up, again to conserve space, and can be put anywhere.
$20.00
TKO Yoga Mat
Yoga Mat
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9. Foam Roller
You’re a big broad-chested dude and your children find you very comfortable when they are sick or can’t sleep. They love their mommy, but when they need to be kept upright because of a stuffy nose, they want to sleep on daddy. After a night of sleeping upright in the recliner with what amounts to a 15-25 pound weight on your chest, you’ll need to roll out those stiff aches and tight muscles. The foam roller stands up nicely in any closet and will get out all the knots in your back, legs and glutes.
$19.95
EFS Foam Roller 36×6
Work out the kinks with our tough roller.
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10. BSN AXIS HT
Having kids lowers your testosterone; study after study shows it. Couple that with the lack of sleep over the first eight months, and then over the first two years or so due to childhood colds (if they are in daycare, they catch everything), and your T-levels are bound to drop. This will help keep the testosterone up so you can stay strong in the gym, office, and bedroom (since the grandparents are probably already bugging you about the next little grandbaby).
$46.95
BSN Axis HT 120 Tablets
Increase your testosterone!
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Children are a blessing. They fill your life with joy and you wouldn’t trade them for the world. But the first few years are extremely challenging when it comes to keeping your fitness life moving forward or, at the very least, not regressing. Life is made up of seasons, and winter is the season of fussy sleeps, ear infections, colds, and stuffy noses, all of which are bound to keep you up at night and to rob you of your energy and proper recovery. You want to get through this season without having wasted the last 10+ years of gym gains. The above tools will help you keep your game face during this latest season of your life.
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