reviews

BOB Punching Bag Review

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:09:58 +0100

This is a guest post by Ra Mahadev

Average price range: $250-300

Usefulness: You don’t know what it means to have a realistic boxing experience until you’ve met BOB (Body Opponent Bag). Literally, the best ‘bag’ I have ever trained with. Whether you’re boxing, kickboxing, or practicing poison strikes, BOB is your man.

With full facial detail (including an ear orifice), and musculature (not including the bones), BOB is composed of a skin made of high strength plastisol (plastic that feels similar to a soft dolphin) & an inner cavity filled with durable urethane foam. His height is adjustable between 5′6″ & 6′8″ (though not fully stable at his maximum height). Filled with sand, he will stand strong and take any beating you dish out. But if you fill him with water, he’ll continuously bob and weave, provoking you to move and employ better hand-eye coordination with striking.

Downsides: You may not be used to practicing on a figure with an un-uniform shape. If you are practicing kick boxing or savate, you may not be able to execute knee strikes or low kicks, but perhaps you may on the larger model that includes the shorts. BOB discolors very easily especially when subjected to heat. You may injure your hand if you punch him in the face without gloves, due to his strong/hard facial structure.

In simple: Nothing simulates hitting a person better than BOB. His unique design allows for uppercuts, jabs, and hooks like nothing else.

For an added bonus, you can accessorize your BOB up any way you want to help you release any bottled emotions or aggression.... Fight against evil hoodlums by dressing BOB up with a hoodie and a bandana... Don't like Britney Spears? Throw on pink tube top! Got problems with Eminem? Give BOB a nice diamond stud and paint in some angry yellow eyebrows.

Resistance Bands Review

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:15:45 +0100

I live and die by resistance bands. There’s no equipment that’s more versatile and portable as the bands. Unlike traditional weights, you can bring them just about anywhere to satisfy your fitness needs. Don’t be fooled, because not all bands are built the same.

What you need to know

You can purchase the bands from just about any local department store. However, I would suggest that you not do so. Why? Because they’ll likely break or snap on you. Believe me; I am speaking from personal experience and it had hurt like hell. Many of the bands sold at a Target or Wal-mart are not durable enough for everyday usage.

Higher quality bands are usually sold at specialty sports stores such as Sports Authority, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and other such retailers. If they come in a box, DON’T buy them. The higher quality bands are usually hanging on a rack with interchangeable handles. Most importantly, look for labels such as “repeatedly-dipped”, “won’t snap”, and other indicators of durability—you’ll save yourself a ton of money.

Many of them are color coded, which indicates the different tensions. Personally, I like to use ones that provide enough tension to perform a variety of exercises. If the tensions are too high, your range of motion will be limited (I’m only speaking from a versatility perspective), but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with heavier tension tubing.

So those are the basics on how to properly buy resistance bands. They provide many of the same benefits as traditional weights, but with added portability and safety. Since my discovery with these bands, I have ceased to use weights. They’re just too damn enjoyable to use and I wouldn’t prefer anything else. For now, just purchase some quality bands and begin utilizing them. I will post pictorials and videos on some personal routines later. Believe me—they’re worth it!

The Brainy Brawn,

Sidney

The Ab Wheel Review

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:39:52 +0100

You may have seen this piece of equipment many times before. It’s probably lying around in the corner of a gym, the living room, or even your basement just collecting dust and begging to be utilized. There’s not much to this machinery. There are no cable wires, pins and needles, and doesn’t take up much space at all. It’s as simple as a stick through a wheel, yet it’s extremely effective on the abdominals.

Look, there isn’t much to using the ab wheel. However, if not used properly, you can still injure yourself. Don’t get fooled by the simplicity of this product, because you’ll quickly learn that it’s still difficult to use…at first.

To perform the exercises, you simply kneel, hold the wheel out in front of you, extend forward, and then contract back to the starting position. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. If you don’t have strong back and core muscles, you’re going to fall flat on your face. This was the result at my first attempt using the ab wheel.

Make no mistake about it, this little piece of equipment provides an extremely challenging abdominal workout. It simultaneously works your core and lower back muscles. With time, some practice and repetition, maybe you’ll be able to perform the more advanced maneuver—no kneeling. If you need a pictorial or tutorial, send me a message and I’ll provide some personal exercise routines.

Don’t hesitate to use the ab wheel. If you’re looking for abdominal definition, and hate doing crunches or sit-ups, then use the wheel. It’s small, cheap, portable, and challenging (initially). Yes, it may look as simple as a stick through a wheel, but don’t forget what history has taught us since the advent of the wheel. Don’t neglect it.

The Brainy Brawn,

Sidney

P90X Review

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:03:04 +0100

There were plenty of times that I had seen the P90X infomercial and quickly changed the channel. I’m pretty sure many of you have done the same because—the honest truth—most infomercials are bullshit! The usual “Get ripped”, “build a quick 6-pack”, and other bogus marketing tactics are commonly used to fool the modern day idiot—the human. Unfortunately, it works! How else would fitness become a billion-dollar industry!

One night, and bored out of my mind, I decided to watch the whole damn infomercial promoting this product. Of course I had my skepticisms, and had changed the channel on this Tony Horton (the P90X instructor) many times before, but I was compelled to watch the entire program.

The ad heavily emphasized on a “90 Day Transformation”. Of course it displayed the standard before and after pictures of participants, but in 90 days? Why 90 days? No other product on the market would commit such a timeframe. Although still skeptical, I ordered the product. 90 days? I’ll see about that.

Here’s what I discovered.

For a long time, I had always thought my workouts were pretty intensive. Spending about 2 hours of exercise a day is considered above average. However, P90X still kicked my ass. The program didn’t introduce anything new. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and other such exercises were already known to me. What made it so difficult was the level of intensity.

The entire program is based on the principle of Muscle Confusion. By constantly introducing new exercises, the plateau effect is minimized. What’s the plateau effect? Basically, if you perform the same old workout for too long, your results will diminish due to muscle adaptation. It’s very a common effect for many of us, but this is what separates P90X from all other products.

It introduces different exercises, targeting different muscle groups, on different days, and in 3 different phases. Once you’ve adapted to the first phase of the program, then it’s on to the next, and so on—this program will kick your ass! If you put in the time and effort, the results are second to none.

If you’re clueless about exercise, this product may be very difficult at first. Even if you’re a little more experienced, it’s still possible to find yourself struggling. However, many of the moves are easy to perform. For the more advanced exercises, you can modify it to your needs, and still be able to follow the program. Don’t get discouraged if you find yourself initially struggling, because that’s the whole point. It’s designed so that it never gets easy for anyone. Muscle confusion, remember?

The entire P90X package consists of 12 DVD’s, fitness plan, and a meal plan. I didn’t follow any of the plans but if you choose to do so, you’ll experience much better results than I had. The only downside is that the program is a bit expensive. From my research, I found the average price to be about $120, but it’s still cheaper than most gym memberships. Believe me, it’s still a good investment!

It’s been years since I had done the program, but it has completely changed my perspective on “working out”. It breaks the barrier of the typical routine and provides real results with easy-to-follow exercises. It may be difficult at first, but what’s more impressive are the results. If you’re seeking a challenge, then you need not look further. P90X is the real deal.

The Brainy Brawn,

Sidney