I had the opportunity to train at the James Gym at Scott Air Force Base near St. Louis. There are two gyms on base plus a pool and a track.
James Gym is well appointed with lots of cardio equipment in two separate rooms, a jungle gym area for kids along, basketball court, locker rooms, Iron Grip dumbbells to 150 pounds, power cages, Functional Fitness Area (with Concept2 equipment, rig, Rogue and Gopher Fitness equipment), and Lifetime Fitness Machines. My only criticism would be the barbells were not great and there was not much recovery gear such as foam rollers and bands. Overall, it was pretty great. I will admit that I am becoming increasingly fond of Iron Grip weight plates for bench press and squat. They are so comfortable to handle.
The track had outdoor rigs and a storage shed that even offered a Rogue Worm. There were tractor tires and sleds on the track infield.
However the piece de resistance was a Jacobs Ladder. I had been wanting to train on one of these for a while. It is a little awkward at first, but is a great and unique tool for cardiovascular conditioning. Once I found a rhythm, I could enjoy a work out, but speeding up or slowing down is kind of rough and choppy.
Thursday - Jacob's Ladder, Bench Press, Pull-ups and GHD sit-ups, "stone" over shoulder
Friday - (with Diya) - Jacob's Ladder, Back Squat, Metcon of row, box jumps and walking lunges
Saturday - Jacob's Ladder, overhead squat, Concept2 ski erg
I worked with the Gopher Fit 60 pound soft Atlas stone and it really fit the bill. Unfortunately the $219 cost is ridiculous.
