How we It was misinterpreted. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below masks a must for outdoor runs amongst crowds, the tools and gear we needed to not just sweat but stay healthy and motivated has evolved. That’s why our annual Fitness Awards focuses on what made the biggest impact on our home workouts and modified routines—from free apps, to home gym essentials, to investment pieces that are worth every penny.
We rigorously evaluated and sweat-tested hundreds of options in tiny apartments, on long runs, after track intervals, and during workouts of all varieties to find these 31 items that will boost your performance. As things stand, 2021 might not be much different, but that doesn’t mean your goals have to stay the same.
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H O M E G Y M
Best Kettlebell
Rogue Rubber Coated Kettlebell
This cast-iron kettlebell will be the last you ever buy. Its thick, urethane coating protects your home gym from the scratches, chips, and other abuse that working out with a flat-bottomed cannon ball with a handle usually entails. The grip is textured and seamless for a secure and comfortable hold through long chipper workouts. Available in 26, 35, 44, 53, and 70 pounds.
Best Workout Upgrade
TRX Home 2 Suspension Trainer
With gyms closed or restricted, and more difficult by adding instability. This tool does that, requiring nothing more than a doorway or high anchor point (like a tree). “If I were to make a list of my top five pieces of equipment for effective home workouts, the TRX would be my first, second, and third choice,” says certified personal trainer Ramsey Bergeron.
Best Investment Piece
Peloton Bike+
Low-impact cross-training is one of the most effective ways runners can build cardio capacity, speed, and endurance without risking injury. Indoor cycling is our favorite mode because it works complementary muscle groups for running. And unlike swimming (another good option), there’s no water required.
The new Peloton Bike+ is the best indoor bike you can buy. The updated design is sturdier to eliminate the back-and-forth rocking that was a complaint of the original. A new auto-follow feature adjusts resistance to match the trainer throughout a ride, which lets you focus on each interval and eliminates the temptation to ease off resistance on hills. The bigger, 23.8-inch screen is immersive and swivels, allowing you to hop off the bike for Peloton’s strength-training, yoga, stretching, or boot camp–style classes. And if you love the Apple Watch as much as we do, the Bike+ is also equipped with Apple GymKit, These Treadmill Apps Will Make Indoor Runs Fun.
Best Treadmill
Nordictrack Commercial 2950
Get lost in your own basement with the 2950, thanks to an enormous 22-inch touchscreen display and a broad range of training options. NordicTrack’s interactive iFit platform is more engaging than listening to music or bingeing sitcoms, delivering video lessons from elite coaches and scenic runs from destinations around the globe. On a virtual jog in Iceland, you can cruise along Ring Road while the machine automatically adjusts the incline and speed to make the experience feel realistic.
Best Mat
Lululemon The Reversible Mat 5mm
Exercise mats exist for every need: from ultra-plush for achy knees to “smart” mats that talk to you. But this all-around favorite mat from Lululemon is durable (one tester has had one for four years), with yoga-specific features that are ideal for runners: One side is grippy for barefoot work like mobility or feet-strengthening exercises; the flip side is smooth for when you need less traction (think: plyos and sliding moves); and it’s thick enough to be forgiving on sensitive joints.
Best Exercise Band
Gymshark Resistance Bands, Medium or Heavy
This travel-friendly tool can make a world of difference for glute and hip activation, an essential but often overlooked aspect of warming up for running. Unlike most rubber resistance bands, which roll up during exercise and stretch out over time, this extra thick, fabric-covered option is more comfortable on your skin, has silicone tape that holds it in place, and provides 40 to 50 pounds of resistance for both your warmups and your workouts.
How to Buy the Right Dumbbells for Your Home Gym
At home, most of us only need three weight options, says certified personal trainer and running coach Kourtney Thomas, C.S.C.S.: a light, a medium, and a heavy set. When choosing your light set, pick an amount that you could easily complete 20 or even 30 reps of most exercises with, especially upper-body moves like biceps curls and overhead presses. For a medium weight, you should be able to do 10 to 12 reps, and heavy would be seven to 10 reps.
Most dumbbells are essentially the same (20 pounds is 20 pounds), but rubber-coated bells offer a comfortable grip and come in smaller sizes, while hex bells rest flat on the floor for moves like renegade rows and can easily be stored. “Even better is a great set of adjustable dumbbells, which can potentially last a bit longer on your strength journey before you have to upgrade to heavier weights,” she adds. The downside to this type, Thomas says, is that they can sometimes feel bulky or too large for some people to easily work with. Our testers’ favorite is the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells (currently sold out, with a wait list), but the NordicTrack SpeedWeight dumbbells ($399) are another great option.
Bowflex Bowflex SelectTech 552
The Best Workout Apps for You
Home workouts will continue to be a necessity for many of us for the foreseeable future. The upside: There’s an endless number of training apps, from free resources like YouTube to paid subscription services you’ll see below, that help you get fit and build strength at home.
Still, that overabundance of options can lead to analysis paralysis, which ultimately stifles your motivation. Through our testing of dozens of apps, we’ve come to know that there’s no one-size-fits-all suggestion, but there are a few standouts we love.
Best Free App
Nike Training Club NTC App
NTC offers a growing library of over 115 class-style workouts and multi week programs, with options for everybody, from beginners to competitive runners. Our testers particularly loved the motivational trainers, the option to stream your own music (just sync to Spotify or Apple Music), and the run-specific cross-training options (like Runners Strength and Balance or a 12-minute Run Ready Flow). Prior to March 2020, the NTC app offered both free and paywalled workouts, but Nike has since offered all content for free.
Best Subscription
Peloton Digital
You don’t need a bike or treadmill to benefit from Peloton’s programs. The variety, community, and music set this app apart. Trainers craft playlists that bop, and you can virtually high-five your buddy taking the same live class—“almost as good as the real thing,” said one tester. The continually updated offerings—the library grows by 200 classes each week—from yoga and boot camp–style classes to indoor and outdoor runs (including full marathon training programs) will keep you hooked as your fitness goals evolve. (Free for 30 days, then $13 per month.)
Honorable Mentions for Best Apps
T R A I N I N G
Best Percussive Recovery Device (Steal)
Addaday BioZoom Edge
The BioZoom Edge costs as much as a pair of max-cushioned running shoes, but doesn’t skimp on features. Addaday’s Bluetooth app will build you customized warmup and recovery routines based on the workout, sleep, and stress data you input—it can also sync Apple Health data.
The app then guides you through recovery routines, toggling the device speed automatically and guiding the pressure you apply and which head attachment (of the five included) to use. Though one tester noted it felt slower, “jabby,” and less smooth than the Hypervolt Plus, it still packs a lot of power at a whisper-quiet volume for an affordable price.
Best Percussive Recovery Device (Splurge)
Hyperice Hypervolt Plus
The Hypervolt Plus and its new app make a complete recovery coach. The app syncs with Apple Health and Strava to interpret your exercise and how long or hard you’re training. Then, it provides custom recovery routines tailored to your personal goals. The device speeds up and slows down as you follow a guided routine with the app’s demo videos, which are led by experts like middle-distance runner Colleen Quigley and Nike coach Bec Wilcock. Hypervolt’s app also provides a recovery score based on your completed routines, to help you assess how primed your body is to go hard again.
Best Earbuds
Bose Sport Earbuds
These London Marathon Results barely protrude from your ears and are completely button-free. A touch initiates play and pause, and skips tracks. Tapping and holding activates a phone’s voice assistant. The design doesn’t completely seal your ear—we love that—blending excellent audio quality with a comfortable fit that eliminates the dreaded thump you get with each stride when wearing typical sealed-off earbuds.
Best Cross-Training Shoe
Nike Metcon 6
The Nike Metcon, already popular among the CrossFit community for the stability it offers during weight-focused workouts and the freedom of movement for dynamic exercises, has a wide platform to keep you planted firmly when performing lifts. The Metcon 6 offers improved flexibility and makes it easier for you to break a sweat without overheating underfoot.
This updated style features an all-mesh upper that touts an 18-percent increase in breathability from its last version. The fine-tuned cushioning is firmer in the back and just plush enough up front to help maximize your mobility with every move. A durable, ridged outsole does an amazing job at gripping the floor (and ropes!). Buy Men’s Buy Women’s
Best Heart-Rate Monitor
Garmin HRM-Pro
Garmin has long used ANT+ technology to wirelessly send data from external sensors to your GPS watch. The new HRM-Pro chest strap, however, can also communicate with your phone (no watch needed) via a Bluetooth connection. It’s packed with sensors to track your every step and monitor stride length, vertical oscillation, and even your left-right balance in real time. To be fair, Wahoo’s Tickr X strap ($80) records that same data, but opt for this strap if you want to display running power—which helps you manage energy expenditure on the fly—on a Garmin watch.
Understanding Your Watch: What Is Pulse oximetry?
The past year brought a new metric for runners to track: pulse oximetry. “It’s a noninvasive way to measure the amount of oxygen carried in your red blood cells,” says Jonathan Parsons, M.D., a pulmonologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Now, smartwatches, including the Fitbit Sense and Apple Watch 6, have redesigned their optical heart-rate sensors to measure blood-oxygen levels. They can only provide an estimation of your blood oxygen (SpO2), but for data-driven runners, “they’re accurate enough to give you a ballpark number and frame of reference as to how your numbers are trending,” says Parsons. When the number is lower, your blood is carrying less oxygen and workouts will feel harder—this is especially true if you’re at altitude. A lower number may also suggest that you should focus on recovery. As for blood-oxygen levels in relation to COVID-19: A pulse oximeter, in theory, could alert someone to a potential symptom. But “respiratory symptoms related to illness do not always correlate with your SpO2 levels,” says Parsons. “You can be sick, but your pulse oximetry reading is normal. And vice versa.
Advanced GPS Watches We Love
The most ubiquitous smartwatch looks unchanged from earlier generations, but Apple uses a new S6 chip, which launches apps up to 20 percent faster and boosts the brightness of the always-on display so it’s easier to read on sunny days. A new LED cluster on the back side of the watch measures blood oxygen. Perhaps the biggest update is that it charges faster than previous models. That means you can wear it to bed, tracking your sleep, and top off the battery while you shower after your morning run.
This new smartwatch is the closest competitor to an Apple Watch. It’s like Fitbit’s Versa sports watch with extra sensors, including an ECG, blood-oxygen monitor, and a stress scanner (all features found on Apple Watch Series 6). The sleek square-oval design affords plenty of real estate to read splits on the run, though we found the display doesn’t always light up when we raised our wrist, and the touchscreen is somewhat unresponsive to exceptionally sweaty fingers. What makes it stand out from other smartwatches: It offers all those sensors and around-the-clock health monitoring, yet the battery will go five days between charges.
Wearable4U Garmin Forerunner 745
Geared toward triathletes, the 700 series Forerunner can switch to run, bike, and swim displays without stopping your activity. The new 745 has the same features as the top-of-the-line 945, but you save $100 on this smaller watch if you don’t need mapping. It can prescribe workouts, or rest, based on your training load. One tester ignored its rest day suggestion, and ended their run by walking home.
The Science Says to Mask Up
Through lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing, running has remained one thing we can count on. But keeping yourself and fellow runners safe is paramount. Public health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control suggest that wearing a mask is the most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19 when you are in a public place that doesn’t allow for adequate social distancing—even outdoors.
If you plan to run solo or don’t think the trails will be crowded, bring a mask in case you need to stop—whether for a snack, bathroom, or encountering an accident. As for that viral Duke University study that seemingly suggested gaiters are ineffective? It was misinterpreted. The researchers only intended to study one technique for testing mask effectiveness. Newer research from the University of Georgia used a version of the Duke experiment to test the effectiveness of gaiters and found that neck gaiters can provide a level of protection equivalent to masks when used as a face-covering.
While research shows multilayer masks are best, wearing any face covering is important and effective. The best thing you can do is follow this advice from experts like Matt Ferrari, Ph.D., researcher with the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Penn State: Stay apart. Stay outside. Wear a multi-ply mask whenever possible. Wear anything in a pinch.
Best Mask
Under Armour SportsMask
Under Armour’s mask, one of the few that is designed for athletic performance, showed our testers that a mask can be comfortable and functional. The padded material feels pillowy—in a functional, nonsuffocating way. UA used its Iso-Chill fabric for the lining and ear loops, which keeps the material cool to the touch. And a polyurethane open-cell foam won’t heat your face up like a sauna. The contoured fit is comfortable, and the adjustable nose piece is subtle but provides a better fit.
N U T R I T I O N
Top Nutrition Picks
This new high-carb drink mix is made of cluster dextrin, which research suggests is absorbed more easily than glucose or maltodextrin, causes less GI trouble, and may improve performance.
If thick energy gels give you a gag reflex midrun, this new liquid formula has the same fast-absorbing carbs, electrolytes, and BCAAs as Gu’s original gels, but in a more drinkable consistency.
Carbs + caffeine = faster glycogen replenishment after a hard run. Adding protein primes your muscles to rebuild. Each serving of this plant-based mix delivers 10 grams of protein, 43 grams of carbs, and 80 mg of caffeine.
Tailwind Rebuild Caffeinated Recovery
A bottle of this mix replaces a full meal, coffee, and the time it takes to digest it all before a run. The drink provides the calories for runs lasting over two hours with a kick equal to a double espresso.
Just add hot water from a hotel room coffee maker or pop them in the microwave at home, and you’ve got a protein-packed breakfast that tastes like your favorite short stack or oats combo.
With a crisp bite and soft, chewy center, the waffle is an ideal pick-me-up. It has 21 grams of carbs to give you a boost of energy before any run or workout.
Get the caloric boost of an energy bar without having to choke one down on the run. Literally bite-sized, put a few in a sandwich bag and pop them without breaking stride.
The almond butters from Boon—an offshoot from Gu—quickly became a favorite for prerun, recovery, and middle-of-the-afternoon snacks. The four flavors, cinnamon spice, sweet ginger, chai spice, and espresso bean, are all winners, and feature mostly-organic ingredients.
Stash these in your freezer for after your next big run. Each variety (four-cheese, roasted veggie, and margherita) has a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio, which research suggests is the ideal combo for faster recovery. Our testers loved topping the plain crust with eggs, vegetables, and cheese for a weekend recovery brunch.
You can feel good about downing these frozen bars made from almond milk, loaded with fiber, and low in sugar (just 8 grams). Testers raved, “tastes just like a Snickers ice cream bar!”
