{"id":649387,"date":"2026-11-03T03:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T03:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/649387\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T03:30:10","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T03:30:10","slug":"you-only-need-3-pieces-of-kit-to-get-seriously-fit-these-3-workouts-from-a-legendary-coach-prove-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/649387\/","title":{"rendered":"You Only Need 3 Pieces of Kit to Get Seriously Fit \u2013 These 3 Workouts from a Legendary Coach Prove It"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’re living in the age of optimisation. Red light<\/a> panels, cold plunges<\/a>, blood flow restriction<\/a> bands and specialist recovery equipment are all being added to increasingly elaborate home gym setups. You’d be forgiven for thinking that everyone on your Instagram feed has a small sports science lab tucked away in their garage.<\/p>\n

And whilst we’re all for using whatever tools you have at your disposal to make your life better, you could also be forgiven for thinking that building a seriously impressive level of fitness requires a seriously impressive amount of equipment.<\/p>\n

But according to legendary CrossFit coach Pat Sherwood<\/a>, you might not need anywhere near as much kit as you think.<\/p>\n

Sherwood is something of an institution in the CrossFit world. A former Navy SEAL, long-time coach and commentator, he’s been involved in the sport since its earliest days. These days, he runs CrossFit Linchpin<\/a>, an online platform built around a refreshingly simple idea: intelligently programmed workouts, performed consistently and at a decent intensity, can build extraordinary levels of fitness without requiring extraordinary amounts of equipment.<\/p>\n

And whilst the CrossFit Games<\/a> may conjure up images of athletes throwing around heavy barbells and performing high-skill feats of gymnastics, the methodology itself has always been rooted in developing broad, general fitness \u2013 being strong, fast and powerful, while possessing the sort of cardiovascular engine that allows you to put all of those attributes to good use.<\/p>\n

The best part? According to Sherwood, you can get a long way towards those goals with little more than two dumbbells, a pull-up bar and a skipping rope.<\/p>\n

Limited Equipment Doesn’t Mean Limited Fitness<\/p>\n

‘Don’t be fooled, limited equipment does not mean limited fitness,’ Linchpin states on its website.<\/p>\n

Its official limited-equipment recommendation includes a pair of dumbbells<\/a>, a pull-up bar<\/a>, a skipping rope<\/a> and gymnastics rings or suspension straps. But even without that final addition, there’s an awful lot of work you can get done.<\/p>\n

Think about it. With a pair of dumbbells, you can squat, hinge, lunge, press, row, clean, snatch and carry. You’ve got almost every major movement pattern covered, with enough variation to keep you progressing for years.<\/p>\n

Throw in a pull-up bar and you’ve got the ability to develop serious upper-body pulling strength, as well as a host of hanging abdominal exercises. A skipping rope takes care of your conditioning without even having to head out to run, and that’s before we’ve even considered the near-endless range of movements you can perform with nothing more than your own bodyweight.<\/p>\n

Of course, there are limitations. You’re unlikely to build a world-class deadlift<\/a> with a pair of 22.5kg dumbbells. But when it comes to building muscle, developing muscular endurance and forging an impressive cardiovascular engine, there’s an awful lot of potential in that modest collection of kit.<\/p>\n

Why Intensity Matters More Than Equipment<\/p>\n

The equipment is only half of the equation, though. The real magic is in the programming.<\/p>\n

Sherwood’s philosophy prioritises intensity over unnecessary volume, with workouts designed to deliver a specific training stimulus rather than simply throwing together endless exercises to keep you busy.<\/p>\n

‘I have never cared if a workout seemed creative or flashy,’ Sherwood has explained. ‘I only care about creating programming that is effective and produces results.’<\/p>\n

That means some days might involve a relatively short, lung-busting combination of dumbbell movements and gymnastics. Others might be longer, slower efforts designed to build endurance. And sometimes, the entire workout might simply involve lifting something heavy and then cracking on with your day.<\/p>\n

\"burpee3 CrossFit Linchpin Workouts to Test Your Fitness<\/p>\n

Want to put the theory into practice? These three workouts come directly from Linchpin’s programming, including one of its official benchmark tests. Between them, they demonstrate just how challenging training with minimal equipment can be.<\/p>\n

Your goal? Attempt the workouts, record your scores, find your weaknesses and train to fill those gaps. Come back to these tests to assess your progress.<\/p>\n

Workout 1: Linchpin Test 13<\/p>\n

For time:<\/p>\n

Run 400m20 burpeesRun 400m19 burpeesRun 400m18 burpees, etc…<\/p>\n

Continue this pattern, reducing the burpees by one rep each round, finishing with a 400m run and one burpee.<\/p>\n

No dumbbells, no pull-up bar, not even a skipping rope. Just 8.4km of running and 210 burpees.<\/p>\n

This is a serious test of cardiovascular endurance, muscular stamina and, frankly, your willingness to just keep moving.<\/p>\n

Pace yourself from the outset. There’s a good chunk of work to get through here.<\/p>\n

Workout 2: The Dumbbell and Gymnastics Test<\/p>\n

Prescribed dumbbells: 2 x 22.5kg.
Complete the following for time:<\/p>\n

30 toes-to-bar25 dumbbell push presses25 chest-to-bar pull-ups25 dumbbell push presses30 toes-to-bar<\/p>\n

This one combines upper-body pushing and pulling with a hefty dose of trunk work, challenging your grip, shoulders and lungs in equal measure.<\/p>\n

Scale the toes-to-bar to hanging knee raises and the chest-to-bar pull-ups to regular pull-ups if necessary. The goal is to move efficiently and maintain good technique, rather than simply survive the repetitions.<\/p>\n

Workout 3: Linchpin Test 15<\/p>\n

Prescribed dumbbells: 2 x 22.5kg.
Complete the following for time:<\/p>\n

50m dumbbell front-rack walking lunges400m single-arm dumbbell suitcase carry30 dumbbell clean and jerks20 pull-ups1-mile run<\/p>\n

Originally programmed with kettlebells, this Linchpin benchmark can be performed using dumbbells instead. It’s a formidable test of full-body strength, grip, muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness, combining loaded carries and lunges with explosive lifting, gymnastics and running.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men\u2019s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that\u2019s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for \u2018free pizza\u2019 and wait for him to appear.<\/p>\n