The Only Equipment You Need for The Master’s Hammer & Chisel Workout

Hammer and Chisel is a full body workout that features strength training exercises using resistance. This means the program requires some basic workout equipment. But don’t worry, because you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on exercise equipment after you read this.

The Recommended Equipment for Hammer and Chisel

Dumbbells (no alternative)

Resistance Band (used mainly for the warm-up in Sagi’s workouts) OR towel (alternative)

Chin-up Bar OR Resistance Band with Door Attachment (alternative)

Adjustable Bench OR a Stability Ball (alternative)

Deluxe Workouts 0nly – Medicine Ball OR Dumbbell (alternative)

Modifier Equipment(alternative)

In Master’s Hammer and Chisel, there is not really a less intense version of the exercise moves on screen. The modifier is used in a different way. The workouts always show someone using the alternative equipment to do a slightly different variation of the exercise. For instance, a dumbbell press performed on a bench would be performed on a stability ball by the modifier. You can also do a number of the moves with the support of a folding chair or sitting entryway bench if you don’t have a weight bench. No need to worry about buying one!

In case you do need to modify the moves to match your current fitness level, you will simply lower the weight you’re using or stretch out/walk it out if you can’t keep up.

What Equipment I Used

The chin-up bar or resistance band with door attachment is only used a maximum of a couple times during an individual workout for pull-ups or chin-ups. When doing this program, I didn’t have access to a place for chin-ups or the attachment, so when a workout called for these, I simply did an alternative back exercise that was not already featured in the workout to make sure I mixed things up.

For example, when overhand grip chin-ups were done, I did standard dumbbell rows, and when underhand grip pull-ups were done, I did underhand grip rows. I still managed to get a great workout with these tools. Plus, chin-ups tend to cause discomfort in my shoulder, which I try to avoid.

Here is what I used:

• Dumbbells up to 40lbs
• Therapy Band for Sagi’s warm-up
• Stability Ball
• Folding Chair
• Yoga Mat
• Medicine Ball (comes with the Hammer and Chisel Deluxe package)

All of the equipment I used I already owned, or it came with the program. It really is an easy program to make adjustments to when necessary, because you can easily do an alternative exercise or follow the modifier when you have to.

Just to note, I do have an adjustable bench and chin-up station, but they had been in storage. After doing a couple of the workouts, I felt I really didn’t need them to get an effective workout, so that is where I kept them.

What Size Dumbbells You Need

You will need a good selection of dumbbells for this program. You do everything from rear delt lateral raises that require very low weight to deadlifts that require a lot more weight.

For men, I would recommend 5 to 40lb dumbbells. For most exercises, you would be using the 20-25 lb dumbbell range.

For women, I would recommend 5 to 20 lb dumbbells, with the 10-15lb dumbbells being used the most often.

Equipment Needed for Each Hammer and Chisel Workout

• Hammer Plyometrics: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Resistance Band or Towel, Chin-up bar or band with door attachment, optional Chin-up max.
• Iso Speed Hammer: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Resistance Band or Towel, Chin-up bar or band with door attachment, optional Chin-up max.
• Total Body Hammer:  Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Resistance Band or Towel, Chin-up bar or band with door attachment, optional Chin-up max.
• Max Hammer Strength: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Resistance Band or Towel, Chin-up bar or band with door attachment, optional Chin-up max.
• Hammer Power: Weights, Resistance Band or Towel
• Hammer Conditioning: Weights, Resistance Band or Towel
• 10 Min Ab Hammer: Optional Mat
• Chisel Balance: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Optional Mat
• Iso Strength Chisel: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Chin-up bar or band with door attachment, Optional Mat, Optional Chin-up Max
• Chisel Endurance: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Chin-up bar or band with door attachment, Optional Mat, Optional Chin-up Max
• Chisel Cardio: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights, Chin-up bar or band with door attachment, Optional Mat, Optional Chin-up Max
• Chisel Agility: None
• Total Body Chisel: Bench or Stability Ball, Weights
• 10 Min Ab Chisel: Bench or Stability Ball, Optional Mat

Where to Buy Equipment for Master’s Hammer and Chisel

All of the equipment you need is available for purchase directly from Team Beachbody except for dumbbells.

→ Dumbbells

The biggest investment for the Master’s Hammer & program would be the dumbbells, but they are also a wise investment if you plan to continue living a healthier lifestyle. To save money, here are few options and ideas:

1. Buy used. Cast iron dumbbells will last a very long time when properly maintained. Classifieds and Craigslist type sites are great places to search for used exercise equipment in your local area. Plus, no expensive shipping charges.
2. Buy new weights when you need them. As you train, you will get stronger. Instead of buying all the weight you think you will someday need all at once, buy them as you need them.
3. If you are going to buy online, look for free shipping. Heavy dumbbells can cost a lot to ship and will need to be packaged well to make a safe trip. Online sites like Amazon.com often offer shipping no matter what the weight of an item is.
4. Adjustable dumbbells like the Bowflex SelectTech or PowerBlock Elite Dumbbells are a good option if you are starting a home gym area from scratch. Adjustable dumbbells allow you to select the weight in 5lb increments and are great for saving space, too.

→ PowerBlock Sport Bench

The adjustable bench that is used in the Hammer & Chisel workout videos is the PowerBlock Sport Bench. The brand of the bench you use really doesn’t matter, but what you want to look for is a bench that has the incline adjust feature. There are a lot of incline presses and flyes that require using the inclined bench or stability ball.

→ Chin-up Bar

There are many options for chin-up bars,. In the videos, chin-ups are demonstrated on a power rack (a pretty advanced piece of equipment for a home gym!) For most people, a chin-up bar that installs in the doorway or a wall mounted chin-up bar is a better and much more realistic option. Here are a couple of the best options here:

→ Chin-up Max Pull-Up Assist Band

If you can’t do 10 to 12 body weight chin-ups, you are going to need to modify the exercise with a little help. The Chin-up Max allows you to get a little less resistance when doing pull-ups by supporting some of your bodyweight. Personally, I have always used a stool to place my feet on for a little leg assistance.

→ Stability Ball

If you don’t have a bench, a stability ball can be used in it’s place. While a bench allows for more weight to be used on most exercises, a stability ball also has its benefits. When you use a stability ball over a bench, your body needs to use the small stabilizer muscles and more of your core muscles to hold you stable. When selecting a stability ball, always choose a burst proof stability ball and place the ball on a towel or on a yoga mat if you are using on a hard surface to avoid puncturing the ball. I have seen someone go down real quick when a ball popped while being used on a hard surface, so it really is best to be safe.

→ Resistance Bands with Door Attachment

If you don’t have anywhere to do chin-ups, the program does recommend using a resistance band and door attachment in their place. At most, you would only be using this a couple times during a workout, and you could always replace chin-ups with rows or another back exercise if you need to.

Conclusion

I hope this post will help shed a little light on the actual amount of equipment you need to do the Hammer and Chisel workout program. I know when I first saw the amount of recommended equipment, it was pretty overwhelming. However with a few minor adjustments, you can get by with a lot less than is recommended while saving yourself a ton of money.