Parkour (and its fancier cousin, Freerunning) is fast becoming one of the most accessible sports. Unlike most sports, you don't need a ball, protective equipment, a team, or any specialized field. Just put a pair of shoes on and you're ready to take part in quickly traversing the terrain you're in. Whether you are making your way downtown, running through the wilderness, or running through hallways, Parkour is all about speed and efficiency. When a Parkour practitioner, or traceur, wants to bring supplies, the best backpack won't be the same one they use for class. The process for choosing a Parkour backpack has to have mobility in mind.

What To Consider While Choosing A Parkour Backpack

Other Criteria For The Best Parkour Backpack

While a good Parkour Backpack can also be useful for students, daytrippers, or public commuters, a regular backpack won't be of much use to traceurs. The best Parkour Backpacks are small and sleek whereas most backpacks are too large to be comfortably used during Parkour or Freerunning. They can easily get caught on something. A regular backpack is more useful to travelers, students with a heavy workload, or anyone that needs sheer storage capability over anything else. The best Parkour Backpack is for someone focused on mobility.

Why Do People Use A Backpack For Parkour?

When running at the brisk pace used for Parkour and Freerunning, storing things in your pockets isn't always the best idea. The pockets may be thin and small, which could lead to the contents uncomfortably scraping against your legs or falling out altogether. Depending on the type of shorts or pants you're wearing, you may not even have a lot of pocket space. A good backpack gives you storage space for essentials without inhibiting your run.

Parkour Essentials For The Best Backpack

While all you need for a good Parkour session are comfortable running shoes, there are some items that can serve a traceur or freerunner well. These items are:

Who Else Would Benefit From The Best Parkour Backpack

Besides a traceur or freerunner, many people would enjoy a small lightweight backpack. Someone who uses public transportation to go to school or work also often use packs to carry items that won't fit in their pockets such as their lunch, extra pairs of socks, paperwork, notebooks, or small tools. A large backpack would complicate their commute on crowded buses and trains. Day trip travelers who do a lot of walking fall in the same category. A Parkour pack can keep anyone light on their feet and ready to maneuver.

The Best Backpack For Parkour

Conclusion

Criteria that helps anybody choose their personal best backpack will differ as needs do. If you are into Parkour or Freerunning, your needs will include a backpack that doesn't hinder you from the running, sliding, flipping, jumping, and rolling that comes with your territory. Choose the best backpack with your lifestyle in mind.

Choosing the best resistance bands for your exercise and training routines can be difficult, especially if you’re unfamiliar with resistance bands. When most people think of strength training, they think of weights or machines. Not latex ropes with handles attached. But they are missing out. Resistance bands are one of the most versatile exercise and training tools available. They help with everything from strength training, to stretching, yoga, and even physical therapy.

So when choosing the best resistance bands, you want to make sure you find one that is strong and versatile, but also affordable. The best resistance bands aren't always obvious, and the price is not such a helpful indication of the true value of your resistance bands.

So we have researched for you. Below we have researched and vetted ten different resistance bands, and we give you all the details about them. We have taken the guesswork out of finding the best resistance bands for your routine, that way you can spend less time online, and more time reaching your fitness goals.

Resistance Band FAQ

Below we answer some of the most common questions about resistance bands and their uses.

How We Reviewed the Best Resistance Bands

The following products were reviewed based on price, pros & cons of use, features, and customer remarks. To provide our readers with a comprehensive top 10 best resistance bands list, we invested our time in researching products that were readily available for purchase and had verifiable customer reviews.

Overall Price Range of Resistance Bands

While many times the price of a product can show its value that's not always the case. Sometimes a more expensive product is simply priced higher because of the materials that are chosen or the brand name on the box. Often you can get the same value out of a less expensive version of the same product. 

What We Reviewed

• Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands
• Fitness Insanity Resistance Band Set
• Booty Kit Belt Resistance Training Band
• INTEY Pull up Assist Band Exercise Resistance Bands
• Liveup SPORTS Resistance Bands
• Serious Steel Assisted Pull-Up, Resistance & Stretch Bands
• Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set
• Rubberbanditz Heavy Duty Resistance Bands
• Limm Resistance Bands Exercise Loops
• Lifeline USA TNT Resistance Cable System

Comparison Table

The Verdict

Resistance bands are getting a lot of attention lately, and it's no surprise really. Because of their versatility, cost-effectiveness, and portability, they are ideal for just about every fitness enthusiast.

Resistance bands can be used for yoga or Pilates, at home workouts, or the gym. Often they are used to help train muscles to do other exercises, like pull-ups and chin-ups. They are also great for aiding in injury recovery, or any other physical therapy needs your body may need. They help you stretch out and provide “weight” with no harsh impact on joints or bones.

Incorporating the best resistance bands into training routines can be beneficial to just about everyone. Whether they are recovering from an injury, building targeted strengths, or simply need assistance in other exercises, finding the best resistance bands for your routine will take things up a notch in your training. Resistance bands are an incredible tool for anyone regular workout routine.

Most of us are probably familiar with (mainly) men doing some hardcore, off-the-wall, freestyle tricks around parks or buildings. And believe it or not, there's a term for it. ‘Parkour' is an expanding worldwide movement where people express themselves by free-running, jumping, climbing, flipping, and performing unique stunts—just about anywhere and anytime they want. They can get very creative and will use anything around them as their obstacles. And, although it's said to be “80% mental and 20% physical,” parkour is undoubtedly a physically demanding sport. As your mind is making all the spur-the-moment decisions to get from point ‘a' to ‘b' at the speed of wind, your body is what's following through with those decisions with such dynamic physical movements.

Therefore, as we could only imagine, comfortability and safety of the clothing articles one wears while training is of uttermost importance. This is especially true for your legs since free-running and jumping are the main movements involved. Compression pants are the best way to go for this kind of physical performance. Not only do they firmly hold your muscles in place and improve blood flow to your legs, but they also allow a vast variety of all parkour-type free movements to occur naturally without the dangers of getting snagged or tangled up somewhere due to excess/loose fabric with other types of pants.

Product FAQ

1. What Are Compression Pants?

They are firm/tight fitting long pants (or shorts) that are designed for high-performance movement and exercise.

2. What Do Compression Pants Do?

Compression pants firmly hold your muscles intact and increase blood flow to the legs.

3. How Do Compression Pants Work with Parkour?

Compression pants allow a vast variety of high-impact freestyle movements to occur naturally without the dangers of getting snagged or tangled up somewhere due to excess/loose fabric from other types of pants.

4. Where Can You Buy Them?

Compression pants can be purchased on online sites—mainly on amazon—and also at local stores such as DICK's sporting goods, JCPenny's, Kohl's, and Dunham's. 

How We Reviewed

The following products were reviewed based on the following parameters: features, pros and cons, price, and where to buy. We invested time and effort to research on different types of compression pants suitable for parkour performance in order to come up with this list and to provide an unbiased analysis.

Overall Price Range of Compression Pants

The overall prices of these products generally range from around $20-$150. Higher-priced compression pants usually entail higher quality of fabrics and/or a bigger name brand than those of lower-priced.

What We Reviewed

• KEFITEVD Men's Sport Pants
• Nike Power Tech Running Tights
• Champion Men's Retro Jogger Pants
• Tani Move Performance Leggings
• YoungLA Track Pants for Men
• 2XU Men's MCS Thermal Compression Tights
• Under Armour Men's Q4 Superbase Legging
• EvoShield Recovery DNA Compression Tights
• Stretch Denim Pants
• zipravs BJJ Compression Tight Pants
• BROKIG Mens Zip Joggers

Comparison Table

The Verdict

So there we have it: the 11 best compression pants for parkour. Some are actual tights/leggings and some are more joggers/light sweats, yet still slim-fitting to reduce risks of catching and snagging from any excess or loose material. So whichever pair is more your style, all 11 are suitable for high-impact movement and great flexibility. Nike and Under Armour are probably the two most well-known name brands listed, so perhaps those would be good options for starters who want to invest in something they're most familiar with for their first pair or two and then branch out with the other brands. Or maybe you want to go all out and go with the EvoShield recovery pants for max protection. And don't forget the MCS thermal tights for those cold winters spent outdoor parkour training!

But for the ultimate parkour fashion, the Etre-Fort stretchy jeans are undoubtedly the best fit. Yet even more than fashion, style, and name brand logos, you may find durability and comfortability are of uttermost importance for parkour training (next to safety). That's why you may want to splurge on one high-quality, more expensive pairs you can take good care of and re-wear for a long time instead of buying multiple $20 pairs that won't hold up for over a year. Whatever pair(s) you choose, we hope this list helped you decide on the perfect ones!

This article will highlight and review the function of compression shorts and how they can benefit athletes who perform Parkour activities. This article will also evaluate different compression short products to help you find the best compression shorts to fit your needs and price range.

What We Reviewed

• Under Armour Men's HeatGear Sonic Compression Shorts
• 2XU Compression Shorts
• Jordan Air Stay Cool Compression Shorts
• NIKE Pro Compression Shorts
• Tommie Copper Core Compression Shorts
• Mava Compression Short Leggings
• CW-X Pro Compression Shorts
• adidas Performance Techfit Base Short Tights
• Champion Powerflex Compression Shorts

Best Compression Shorts

The Verdict

We found the best compression shorts to be the Champion Powerflex Compression Shorts. Based on the criteria and features of many of the products in this list, Champion offers the most features for the lowest price. Champion also sets itself apart from other compression shorts in its color selection. Champion proves that the best compression shorts are not the most expensive. Champion provides the features usually found in other shorts 5 times its price and outperforms more iconic brands in features and performance.

Other notable mentions for the best compression shorts include The Mava Compression Shorts. These compression shorts offer high-quality compression that supports circulation and muscle recovery. The careful construction of these shorts will cost a little more, but this product delivers the quality.

Are you ready for some hardcore parkour? Parkour is an exciting and unique sport nearly anyone can practice. Whether you are looking to find an easy and engaging way to exercise more, trying to get in shape, or are already an avid parkour enthusiast in need of new parkour training strategies, this article is here to help. We have compiled a list of the ten best parkour training practices and strategies, perfect for people of all parkour skill levels.

What are you waiting for? Let’s parkour!

Parkour FAQ

How We Reviewed

The following products were reviewed based on the following parameters: overall benefits, expected takeaways, and potential hazards to watch out for. We scoured the internet to come up with the best information for each parkour training method just for you.

Overall Price Range of This Product (and Similar Products)

Parkour is an incredibly affordable sport. You can even do it without shoes! You don't need to spend any money at all on training.

What We Reviewed

• Body Weight Training
• Running
• Weight Lifting
• Stretching
• Healthy Diet
• Good Shoes
• Perfect Your Jump
• Master Your Landing
• Learn the Shoulder Roll
• Run Up Walls

The Verdict

All the previous elements can be effectively used in your training. Vary your workouts by including cardio, weight elements, and parkour specific moves to make sure you are getting the most out of your parkour training. Whether you practice parkour for fun or are the next parkour YouTube star, these parkour training tips will help and inspire you.

If you're interested in strengthening your parkour skills, you may be surprised to know you can do it using a total gym. There are various ways a total gym can be used to improve parkour, many of which you're likely unaware. Parkour has been on the rise in popularity due to wild videos shared across the internet and renewed awareness of the amazing things that can be done using the human body to navigate through obstacles.

Even if you're just a beginner and have never attempted parkour, a good starting point can be right in your own home using your total gym. There are over 75 different exercises you can do with that single piece of equipment, many of which will increase your strength, endurance, and balance.

Parkour is all about testing yourself and your body. By completing simple exercises daily and slowly moving on to new, more advanced exercises, techniques, and movements, you'll be able to jump, swing and move through obstacles like a pro in no time. But remember, you have to start somewhere. Always practice parkour safely, with a buddy if you can, and make sure you're always stretching before you partake in any form of exercise.

Here, we'll be talking about all the ways you can use your total gym to enhance your parkour skills and be able to impress and have a great time.

An Introduction to Parkour

If you don't already know, parkour is a style of training in which a person harnesses the power of both their body and mind to overcome obstacles with efficiency, speed, and power. Practicing parkour involves various challenges that are unique, meaning you have to use strategy to move your way quickly through obstacles. Those who practice parkour have unique athletic skills that include, but aren't limited to: climbing, swinging, running, vaulting, hopping, balancing and the ability to pass both under and over obstacles with speed and precision.

Contrary to what you may see online, flipping, spinning and twisting for show aren't necessarily considered parkour, as those kinds of movements aren't necessary to move through obstacles. Flips and such are more for show and can be used in parkour but aren't technically part of the practice.

Besides seamlessly moving between obstacles, parkour also has the advantage of allowing those who practice it to see everything in a highly unique manner. Practicing parkour can also teach you to overcome fears and strategize creative solutions to overcoming obstacles. It's also a fantastic form of exercise and great for fitness buffs looking to set new and exciting goals for themselves.

Parkour is not only a wonderful workout, but it's also a fun one! Experimenting with new movements and challenges will enhance your fitness and abilities. Parkour will naturally improve your movements in day-to-day life, and you'll be able to react quickly to new, physical challenges. It can be intimidating to watch videos of the real pros at first, but know you have to start somewhere to get better. Dedication is the number one thing you will need if you want to get better at parkour as a beginner. Stick with a workout routine, encourage yourself and take care of your body.

Parkour will allow you to see the world differently. Obstacles will no longer appear as daunting as they once were and you'll be surprised at how much easier you'll be able to face your fears through the practice of parkour. It's a practice where exercise and fitness buffs meet their inner-nerd and can have a great time!

Tips for Training

There are lots of ways a person can train to be better at parkour, even if you are just a beginner. To prepare your body, you must implement certain types of exercises into your routine, and many of them can be done using a total gym. Exercises like pull-ups, sit-ups and dips can be completed on your total gym. Any body weight exercises will improve your fitness level, enabling you to be better at parkour.

One of the best ways to become better at parkour is to get out there and try moves. You can start small at first, but any movements you do that involves moving between obstacles will enhance your strength, stamina and the overall awareness you have of your own body. The idea is not to challenge the body alone, but also the mind.

You should always make sure you've thoroughly stretched before attempting parkour. Other exercises such as jogging, running, biking, jumping rope and doing athletic drills will train your body so you can excel at parkour. Incorporate quick, athletic changes in your routine and ample cardio. It's also recommended that you change up your exercises frequently so you can get more creative in dynamic movements and discover new limits you can push your body through. Naturally, training will be the best way to test your skill set and improve.

How to Use the Total Gym to Get Better at Parkour

Now, the information you're here for! How can you use the total gym to get better at parkour? Well, there are multiple ways. Since the total gym is so versatile, there are many exercises you can do that will improve your abilities regarding parkour.

Bodyweight Exercises

With the total gym, there are numerous bodyweight exercises you can do. Pull-ups are a great way to strengthen your upper body. Upper body strength is crucial in a lot of parkour movements. If you're not able to do a full pull-up at first, don't worry. Do half pull-ups, and soon, your body will become stronger and you'll be able to do full pull-ups. Using your total gym, you can also do tricep dips, push-ups, and crunches.

Strength Exercises

Leg lifts, weight lifting, resisted crunches, side planks, sit-ups with the cables, chest presses, squats, and rowing are all fantastic exercises you can do using your total gym that will strengthen parts of your body essential to becoming proficient at parkour. Again, start with what you're able to do at first and then slowly increase the number of reps you're doing. With enhanced strength, your parkour skills will flourish.

Other Exercises on the Total Gym That Will Improve Your Parkour

There are over 75 unique exercises that can be done using a total gym. Most of those exercises will help your body become stronger, enabling you to become advanced in the practice of parkour. Exercises like calf raises, lunges, jumping squats and pullovers will not only make you stronger and increase your stamina, they will also enable you to be better attuned with your body. As you add more exercises to your total gym workout routine, your balance, stamina, body awareness and strength will all improve.

The total gym is one of the best pieces of exercise equipment out there due to its versatility. Every exercise you do on the total gym will improve your overall fitness and get you ready to get out there and show off your parkour skills. It's important always to be safe, stretch before exercising or attempting parkour and start with less strenuous exercises before moving on to more advanced ones. Make sure that as you advance, you're using dynamic exercise movements that include jumping and swinging. Be sure to experiment and mix up the exercises you're doing on your total gym. You'll be a master of parkour in no time!

Conclusion

Getting better at parkour is a matter of dedication. You need to do exercises daily, experiment with new exercises and movements and do all those exercises we mentioned using the total gym. It's also important to experiment with new ways of stretching your body and always stretch before attempting any parkour movement.

Parkour is an amazing form of exercise that improves both the body and the mind. Through practice, you'll be able to challenge yourself more and test the limits of your body. Implement cardio, strength training, balance training, aerobic exercises and all the exercises you're able to do on your total gym. By training your body, your movements will come more natural when you're practicing parkour, enabling you to glide through multiple, more advanced obstacles and leave your friends in awe of your skills.

Becoming good at parkour will take time. Always be sure you're practicing safely. Through parkour, you'll be jumping from point A to point B in no time. Always keep advancing the movement you're doing. Add in moves like swinging, jumping, balancing and even wall running. As long as you stay dedicated, keep doing as many exercises as you can on your total gym, learn your body's strengths and weaknesses, and keep testing your limits—you're on your way to becoming a master of parkour.

While it is easy to regard parkour training as a purely physical endeavor, it is much more than that. Though honing your parkour skills will make you stronger physically, the dedication it takes to excel at it and the symbolism present in an activity that is all about turning obstacles into tools will strengthen you mentally and emotionally.

If you are looking for a good workout regimen that does not require expensive home gym equipment or membership fees, then try parkour. It is literally a "movement" that encourages its practitioner to move efficiently from one point to the other.

Parkour is a good workout because it involves running, jumping and using your hands and legs. It develops your stamina, leg and core strength, flexibility, speed, agility, and body control. The good thing about parkour is it doesn't need any expensive home gym equipment. You can train anywhere and all you need is your body and a good pair of shoes (though barefoot training helps).

How Can I Train for Parkour?

Before we go to the routines and home gym equipment needed for parkour, let us first take a quick dive into this discipline.

What Is Parkour?

Parkour was first developed as an obstacle training program for military and firefighters in France during the 1980s. It was developed by Raymond Belle, a French military educator. It was his son, David Belle, who organized and refined the movements which would eventually become modern parkour.

Parkour is often called the "art of natural movement" because it involves basic human actions such as running, jumping and climbing. Due to its physical requirements, you will need a fit body. At the same time, the movements themselves develop the body further.

The main goal of parkour is to move from Point A to Point B in the fastest, most fluid way possible by moving over, under, through, and around obstacles.

The 3 P's of Parkour

Like in martial arts, parkour is also a way of thinking. It preaches the "3 P's": practice, progression, and patience.

Those big jumps you've seen in videos have been achieved after countless repetitions. Parkour preaches starting "small" before progressing to big movements. To sustain this, you must be patient enough to train your body and practice consistently.

Also, parkour involves navigating urban spaces, so you must have both self and spatial awareness. That's why it is considered a holistic workout that trains both body and mind.

What Are the Different Parkour Movements?

Parkour involves all the natural movements of the body. These are:

• Running
• Balancing
• Jumping
• Leaping
• Vaulting
• Climbing
• Rolling
• Grabbing
• Swinging

Parkour is considered a calisthenics exercise because it involves the whole range of body motions and control of body weight. 

Where to Train for Parkour?

In parkour, the world is your playground. You can do it anywhere: urban spaces, playgrounds, parks, gyms, and even out in the woods!

Training areas are called "spots". Often, these areas have natural or man-made obstacles that can be navigated using only your body. Because of its calisthenics nature, you can also do parkour training in your own home or backyard. You can also train indoors in specialized gyms where you can practice the advanced gymnastics moves like vaulting and flipping.

How to Train for Parkour

Like in other sports, you cannot perform the various moves if your body is not fit.

Here are the traits you need to train:

• Core strength
• Leg strength
• Upper body strength
• Balance and body control
• Agility
• Flexibility
• Spatial awareness

What Is the Best Home Gym Equipment for Parkour Training?

Parkour is a unique discipline because it does not require much home gym equipment for training. However, if you are training indoors in a gym or similar space, you may find that some equipment is useful to maximize the training results.

Progression

1. Increase the vault box height to 4 or 5 feet.
2. Increase reps from 5 to 10.
3. Increase sets to 3-4.

Here's how to construct your own vault box: 

Conclusion

You don't need to spend money on an expensive gym membership or fancy home gym equipment to train your body. With parkour, you can train both indoors and outdoors. As with any workout, always observe proper form and be safe. And most importantly, keep it fun!