5 Gym Gear Mistakes That Are Killing Your Gains

You can eat clean, train hard, and hit every set—but if your gear isn’t dialed, you might still be leaving progress on the table. Home gyms are awesome, but they come with unique challenges (space, functionality, stability). If you’re making mistakes with your gear, your gains—and safety—might suffer.

Here are five common gear mistakes, and how some of Exponent Edge’s Best Sellers can fix them:

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1. Using a Makeshift Landmine Setup

Mistake: MacGyvering a landmine with a barbell in a corner, a bucket, or an unstable fixture. It might “work,” but poor alignment, unstable sleeves, and sloppy anchoring can hurt your wrists, shoulders, or spine.

Solution: Use gear designed for it. The Edge Landmine Bar is purpose-built for landmine work — integrated sleeve, smooth rotation with needle bearings, rack-ready compatibility (3×3, 2×3, 2×2 racks). No slipping, no guessing. Pair it with the Edge Landmine Jack to ease the pain of loading and unloading plates, especially for heavy lifts.

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2. Not Having Solid Support for Press, Rows & Back Work

Mistake: Doing rows or presses without proper back or chest support. Unstable setup = compromised form + unnecessary strain on joints.

Solution: The Infinity Arm 2.0 attaches to your rack and gives you chest-, back-, arm-, or head-supported angles. Adjustable pad positions, multiple arm pivot settings, solid weight capacity (up to 600 lbs / ~270 kg). Great for pressing, rowing, flyes, etc. Plus, it folds away or detaches to free space.

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3. Skipping Specialty Bars

Mistake: Relying only on a straight barbell for everything—cleans, curls, presses, etc. Sometimes the bar is limiting your grip, stressing your joints, or making certain angles nearly impossible.

Solution: Consider hybrid or cambered bars to mix things up. For example, the Edge Rackable Cambered Bar gives you cambered bar benefits (changed leverage, joint stress, muscle activation) but still racks cleanly in your system. Also, the Infinity Bar is great for powerlifting + bodybuilding crossover—knurl designed for heavy lifts but still usable for higher reps without shredding your hands.

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4. Neglecting Calves & Lower Leg Work Because It’s Hard to Load

Mistake: Skipping calf work or hamstring‐focused accessory work because your setup makes it awkward (floor space issues, lack of stable blocks, etc.).

Solution: Use the gear meant for those. The Adjustable Calf Raise Block ‐ Flex Wedge and The Calf Cup Set from Best Sellers let you set up safely and effectively for calf raises, heavy loading, and better range of motion. Also, the Rack Mounted GHD 2.0 helps with hamstrings/glutes/hip extension work.

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5. Overlooking Quality Pins & Hardware

Mistake: Using cheap or mismatched hardware for safety pins, storage, or accessory mounting. Weak, flexible, or ill-fitting pins compromise stability and safety.

Solution: The Magnetic Edge Pins are built strong, compatible with all major racks and Exponent Edge accessories. They help secure your setup so you can load up heavy without worrying about your gear giving way.

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Bottom Line

Every piece of equipment should support your training—not hinder it. When you swap out clunky hacks for gear built for purpose, your training becomes safer, more effective, and more consistent.