5 Simple Training Tools Every Home Gym Needs
Thank you to Diane Raymond for this guest post.
Think you need lots of space (and money), to kit out your home gym? Think again. Some of my favorite “tools of the trade” cost very little, require minimal space, are easy to use, and in some cases, are portable, making them great travel companions too!
Gliding Discs
The little purple discs that can help you achieve great results. Gliding discs, made of high-tech polymer, resemble plastic plates, and when placed under the ball of the foot, make lunges much harder, and very effective. Because they are light weight, and can be used to strengthen and tone virtually any muscle group on the body, they are idea for travel, or for toting to the gym, as well as regular, in-home use. A set of discs that includes instructional videos only costs around $24, making them a bargain as well.
TRX
For a more challenging workout, consider investing in the TRX, which is a suspension training system originally developed for the Navy Seals. The TRX made its mainstream debut several years ago and has become one of the fastest selling strength training tools for both novices and hard-core fitness buffs. It is a total body strengthening and conditioning tool that is a snap to assemble. It weighs less than 2lbs, sets up in under 1 minute, and you can use it in the hotel room, outdoors, at the gym. Options are nearly endless.
Jump rope
Sometimes, the simple, tried and true toys make the most sense for home use. Easy to store and use, jump ropes come in varying lengths, and some are even weighted – making them a touch more difficult (insert “mean trainer” grin here). If you haven’t jumped in some time, you will definitely feel your calf muscles talking back to you. Don’t listen – they’ll become accustomed to this form of cardio in no time.
Cost: $5-$20
Stability Ball with accessories (Click image for details)
Resistance tubing
Originally designed for use in physical therapy offices as a rehabilitation tool, resistance tubing is one of the fitness industry’s most used pieces of equipment. Tubes are versatile, portable, challenging, and cheap. I even recommend to clients who are purchasing tubing to buy two or three: one for home, one for the car (you never know when you’ll be at the playground with the kids and looking for something to do), and one for your suitcase. That’s right, just stick one in your suitcase and leave it there. Next time you travel, you’ll have a great tool for toning and strengthening, right in your hotel room. Any exercise you do at the gym with either dumbbells, cables, or fixed machines…you can do with tubing.
Cost: $8 will get you a nice quality tube.
Stability ball
It looks so simple, yet it can do so much. Every home needs a stability ball. Use the ball in the same way you would a weight bench. Since balls have a tendency to roll, you will be forced to engage your core and improve your balance – or fall off. Use the ball alone, or with weighted resistance, such as BodyBars, dumbbells, resistance tubing, cables…you get the picture.
Diane Raymond is an ACE-certified personal trainer and the owner of Blue Sky Gym, a personal training business specializing in outdoor and in home personal training, lifestyle and weight management coaching, workshops and educational resources. She is a noted consultant, workshop presenter and freelance writer. Check out her daily musings about training, health, and personal fitness at Diane Raymond’s Blue Sky Blog and Fit Girl in the City
Ultimate Skiing Fitness Exercise
I have to say up front that I have never tried skiing (something to do with a horror of going downhill fast and out of control and hating the cold) but my friends love it and as we have been snowed in in many parts of the UK in the past couple of weeks I thought it was about time I talked about it.
There’s a natural rhythm to skiing which is like the best workout you ever had and it appears while you are enjoying yourself (!) you don’t even notice you are exercising! An ideal combination.
The reason it is so good in terms of exercise is that each downhill run is like a 10 minute high intensity “mini” interval training workout. Then you get a little necessary rest while you make your way back up in the slope in the ski lift.
Plus you tend to do it all day long so it’s not just a one hour workout followed by sitting at your desk all day. It keeps your metabolism stoked all day long. It’s like having 10 or 15 mini workouts a day.
You know I wish I could bring myself to try it! But it’s never going to be a sport to love with me
My friends on the other hand who love skiing have to get in training each winter before going off on their skiing vacation – it’s Wengen in Switzerland this year. I am a little jealous of that I must admit as I brave the cold in Scotland without the fun activity to go with it!
They say it’s tough to do the right exercises before they go to make sure they are ready for the slopes but they say they have to do it otherwise they suffer quite a bit and don’t have such a great time when they are away.
Now I see that Mike Greary of Truth about Abs fame has brought out a new ski fitness program guaranteeing rock hard legs that last all day long when you’re skiing so I’ll be pointing that out to them next time I see them.
I have a lot of respect for Mike’s programs – he walks the talk every time and he certainly knows what he is talking about when it comes to skiing – he can’t wait to get out on the slopes every winter. Complete Madness! LOL
Top 5 Ways to Enjoy Exercise
I always say that the very best way to exercise is to do something you love and guest author Holly McCarthy in the article below is very much in agreement.
You never have a prima ballerina complaining about dancing or a baseball fanatic complaining about playing a game in the park.
What will you find to love this year? If you don’t think there’s anything, you haven’t tried enough activities!
But if you still insist there’s nothing that will get you going, Holly has 4 more ways to encourage you to exercise …
Top 5 Ways to Enjoy Your Exercise
Exercise! Now all of us know its benefits and how we must make it a part of our daily lives so that we may be fit and healthy. Most of us start a fitness program with great enthusiasm but find it difficult to stick to the program when we get bored or when the results come too slowly. It is quite a challenge to beat exercise boredom. But that should be no excuse to quit your workout. Check out these tips to make your exercise program more enjoyable.
- Do physical activities that you enjoy doing. Nothing can be more fun than doing something that you love doing. You like dancing? Then maybe your exercise routine should be all about dance – some salsa, jazz or, ballroom dancing would be a lot of fun and at the same time give you a perfect workout. Don’t like dancing? Then, how about bicycling, swimming, or maybe even a game of football or basket ball? That should do the trick. Exercise does not have to be about boring gym equipment alone?
- Join a friend or a group of friends in their routine. Wise was he who said ‘the more, the merrier’. Unless you are one of those loners that like no company, working out all alone can be very boring. Join a group and make exercise more fun. A group can keep you more committed to your routine and it will also cheer you up when you are down. Friendly competition and challenges can keep you greatly motivated. Also, a few laughs with friends while working out can make exercise something to look forward to.
- Have a nice mix of activities. However much you like what you are doing, there is a chance that it will get monotonous when you do it everyday. So have a nice variety of activities so that when you are bored with one activity, you could try another one. I love dancing, power walking, bicycling, and high energy aerobics. But I get very bored when I stick to just one of these. If its dance for Monday and Wednesday, I try bicycling on a Tuesday and Thursday and aerobics on Sunday. Believe-you-me, this is a great way to beat the drudgery that goes with exercise.
- Take your routine outdoors. Yes, I agree, gym routines, swimming in an indoor pool and aerobics in a studio are fun and effective but make sure you do not miss out on the pleasures of working out outside too. Jogging through the local park, a walk along the beach, ice skating in winter can all make exercise more exciting. And if it is done in the morning, you get to take in the cool fresh air too – an added advantage!
- Take a break occasionally. If in spite of the above tips you find your exercise is getting boring, just take a break. I know you have to be consistent with your exercise. But a break from routine once in a while will do no harm. In fact, it will make you return to your routine with more gusto. While taking that break, you could do some stretches and lunges as you clean your windows, rake your garden or run up and down the stairs at home. That way you will not feel very guilty about your break.
Now, if exercising could be made fun and enjoyable, who wouldn’t want to go for that healthy and chic body that comes with it?
This post was contributed by Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of geriatric nursing certificates She invites your feedback at hollymccarthy12 at gmail dot com
Great Time to Get A Motivation Boost with a Heart Rate Monitor
If you are struggling to keep your fitness motivation going after starting out full of enthusiasm in the New Year it’s time to give your fitness regime a motivational boost.
If you are not already using a heart rate monitor then seriously think about getting one.
The thing is that a heart rate monitor will show you how much fitter you are getting before you feel any difference yourself. And you will always have something to challenge yourself with.
I have a Polar F6F which is a great little mid range heart rate monitor. It is like having a coach asking you to work a little bit harder, a little bit longer, an extra few calories during your fitness session yet it tells you if you are pushing yourself too hard. You never have to reach a level higher than you are capable of, yet you can’t get away with slacking either – your heart rate will tell you when you are.
And if you like to see your progress in black and white you can plot your results until the cows come home until you are literally off the charts from where you are just now.
Lazy by nature, I use my heart rate monitor whenever I exercise so that I can’t get away with anything. And I’m convinced (in fact, I know) I wouldn’t do half as much without it)
Just now Amazon have some great deals on heart rate monitors with up to 30% off – if finances are a bit tight don’t go for anything fancy – the basic functionality will do just great and you can always upgrade if you get hooked. (The Polar F6F is my second heart rate monitor.)
Nordic Track Horror Story
If you bought fitness equipment and it was covered by a year long parts and labor warranty you would expect that if the machine went wrong in the second week you would be fully covered for repair wouldn’t you?
Me too and Noridic Track buyer Howard Baulch thought so too.
But not according to Nordic Track Customer Services department.
Howard writes that his Nordic Track Audiostrider 990 has not worked at all since he received it late December. Nordic Track suspect a bearing problem yet they are trying to make him pay for parts delivery and call out charges in the second week of ownership!
See the full tale here Nordic Track Audiostrider 990 customer service problem.
Hopefully with a bit of publicity Howard will have better news from Nordic track soon. But whatever happens in the end, this sorry tale shows a complete disregard for customers at a time when I would have thought every customer should be treated like gold dust.
STOP! Don’t Join a Gym
If you are thinking of joining a gym, don’t.
I’m not joking.
January is the very worst time to join a gym – it will be crowded, full to bursting with new gym-goers, fresh from making their New Year’s resolutions and you won’t be able to move easily from machine to machine. You might love the atmosphere at the gym by March and might even enjoy going but the crowds in January will put you off like nothing else.
Also, if you think you truly want to join a gym, consider whether you have enough commitment to keep going after January is out. For most people it is a complete waste of money. 80% of the people who join a gym in January never go much beyond February (if they even last that long).
Though you think the pain of paying for something and not using it will make you go – it doesn’t seem to work for most people. The pain of going to the gym seems to be bigger than the pain of paying for it!
If you think you want to become a regular gym goer, think about what a commitment that is. How much time will it take you to get to the gym, get changed, work out and get showered and home again, three or more times a week? What will you NOT do to make time for that? And if you don’t think you will have to give anything up, then think again so that you can be ready for how much time will disappear rather than surprised!
If you still think you want to join a gym, prove to yourself that you are committed to fitness…
Keep up a non-gym exercise routine for two months and then reward yourself with gym membership. You can work out with weights at home (the weights will cost less than a gym membership) and you can run or walk for cardio training.
Better still take up an exercise you will love, something where they won’t be able to keep you away, like dancing or skating or rock climbing – whatever floats your boat.
Pedometer Weight Loss Program
A few people have asked me about my walk off your weight program.
It is a simple step by step plan for losing weight by walking. A pedometer helps by measuring the number of steps you take each day – and you help yourself by gradually increasing that number 
Though the plan was kept exclusively for my private weight loss clients until very recently, I decided at the beginning of December that others might appreciate this program especially in these credit crunch times when a hefty gym membership fee might be out of reach.
Since then I’ve expanded it for general consumption and released it out into the world for those who need a low-cost way to get fit and lose weight.
You can find it on eBay U.K. just now. If you’re not in the U.K. or you’d prefer an immediate download (and no postage charges) you can also get it here.
Walking, Fitness, Weight Loss and Me
I feel that walking has had a bad press among exercisers. After all, it can’t be real exercise, can it…
- if you don’t have to get yourself to a gym
- if you don’t have to learn complicated moves with state of the art equipment
- if you don’t have to get showered immediately afterwards
- if you don’t even need to change your clothes before you begin ?
Yet regular walkers are some of the fittest and healthiest people around and they rarely suffer the injuries and set backs of runners, joggers and regular gym goers.
Usually at this time of year I am thinking about starting to run as training for an annual charity race – the Race for Life. Then as I get going I decide I hate running and never run again after the race until the same time next year.
This year I’ve decided to add a regular walk to my fitness routine instead and see how I like that as a “rest of my life” activity. It feels right as I will be following in the footsteps of my Dad who walked every day of his adult life until he died last year aged 86 – staying fit until the very end.
Walking is great for weight loss too of course. Though that’s not my primary motive in taking up this form of exercise, I have some clients who follow a weight loss walking program I put together and find this the very best way to lose weight and keep it off. It will do me no harm to join them – especially as I have eaten so much after Christmas….
Fitness Made Cool
A couple of weeks ago I heard about a great organization for kids (of all ages) which promotes physical fitness and makes it seem cool. Kamau Hunter of Bartendaz Physical Fitness pointed me to his videos.
One in particular – the one above, reminded me of a group of breakdancers I saw in Central Park in New York in the summer. We stood mesmerized for at least 20 minutes while the guys (and girls) demonstrated amazing muscle tone, rhythm and sheer joy in moving to music.
Bartendaz are a community based non profit dedicated to fighting youth obesity and childhood diabetes through exercise. Rooted in hip hop and in partnership with artists such as Ludacris, 50cent, Jadakiss, Warren G, N.O.R.E and the RUFF RYDAS they have pledged to promote physical fitness in youth in a way which makes it irrefutably cool and popular. I couldn’t help but spread the word!
A few day ago I caught up with Kamau and asked him a few questions:-
How did you get started doing this?
They say necessity is the mother of invention, & it’s true because that’s how this BARTENDAZ movement was created as a way to fill a need that was missing in our communities.
What do you hope to achieve in 2009?
Expansion is the key for 2009. Expansion in every sense of the word. The constant expansion of the BARTENDAZ brand. Reaching more youth across the globe & increasing the good, 1 person at a time. Because we firmly believe that, better people make a better world.
What is your ultimate goal?
Good question. In a nutshell our goal is to create a indigenous weight-free movement system in the states that becomes part of the fabric of peoples daily existence.
As we look around the world, different people from various backgrounds all have exercise or movement as a fundamental part of their cultures. We’re talking yoga, tai chi, caporeia, to name a few, well that’s what we are doing with the BARTENDAZ – Natural Movement system creating a program that people can do everyday that heals as well as strengthens their body inside & out, that becomes a main part of our American culture.
Could it be the lack of such of system in the USA that accounts for the high rates of preventable diseases among Americans?
Do you have a specific example of 1 person who has benefited & what getting involved has done for them?
Of course, we have numerous examples of people who have benefited greatly from their interaction with our system & its principals. One young man named Cody, went from being a gang member on the verge of dropping out of high school when we first met him to a BARTENDAZ Jr. 5 star general, who’s now enrolled & excelling in college as a exercise science major.
How can people help?
Great question, the first thing people can do is simply get more movement in their life. Turn off the tv, turn off the computer, put down the soda & the cheese burgers and get up & get moving, it can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, whatever it takes to jumpstart the process.
On a larger note if you know someone in a position of power who’s is doing something or wants to do something positive for the youth, tell them you know the perfect grass roots program to help them further their efforts and have them reach out to us ASAP! www.myspace.com/bartendaz
If you know any way to help, please do
Secrets of a 4 Minute Workout
The idea of a 4 minute workout is very appealing. Let’s get it all done in 4 minutes and get on with your life.
I came across this fitness video today which is meant to be a 4 minute workout for beginners.
No beginners I ever met could manage this 4 minute exercise program, so please don’t even try unless you are reasonably fit!
But if you are why not give it a go…
If this 4 minute workout looks too strenuous for you, yet you want to get fit without taking up much time, my Fitness in No Time program will be much more to your liking
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CLICK ON THE IMAGE above
for your FREE course -
