Gadgets & Gear: February 2008

The other day I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what I would write about for this month’s Gadgets and Gear article; when all of a sudden I was inundated with questions about elliptical trainers. I am, by no means, an expert on ellipticals but most of the people who know me, know that it is my favorite cardio machine. I like it so much and was so sick of waiting for available ones at my gym (I guess a lot of people like them), that I purchased my own gym quality elliptical last year.

I did a ton of research last year when picking my elliptical and have recently updated that information to help out my friends. So, I thought I would share with you the fruits of all this research. This article isn’t going to tell you the specific model of elliptical to buy (yeah, I know, I’m a ton of help) but is going to be more in line with my buying guide for cameras and will go over the factors you need to consider when purchasing an elliptical trainer for the home.

First off, why do I love ellipticals so much? Because they don’t make me hurt the way I do when I use a treadmill. Years of running in combat boots did a number on my knees and shins and if I can keep from pounding my feet on a treadmill or a track, I’m all for it. Ellipticals give the best sensation of running with the least amount of impact and I actually find it a bit fun to use. I can not say the same about most other exercise machines.

There are several things you need to check out and/or do prior to purchasing an elliptical machine. These factors are stride length, how much space you have available for the machine, how much you are going to use it, accessories/programs you would like available, and your price range.

Stride Length: The first is to figure out the stride length that you find most comfortable. This will help you rule out tons of machines right off the bat. Most machines have a range from 16 to 24 inches in stride length. The most common length you will find will typically be an 18-inch model and this will work well for many people. To find out if that is a good number for you, you are going to have to hop on an elliptical and give it a good test (not just one or two seconds, but actually a few minutes on there). Also, just because it ‘works’ for you, don’t assume that any particular stride length is the best for you just off of one test, try a few different ones. I actually prefer a 22 inch stride because it best simulates my stride when I run. My wife on the other hand being a petite 4’ 11” likes the 18” stride and could probably even use a shorter one. On any given person, the longer the stride length, the more it moves towards a sprinting action.

If you have several people who are going to be using the elliptical, you will want to look into a model with a variable stride length, unless you all agree that you prefer a specific set stride. The model I have has a range from 18 – 24 inches in two-inch increments.

A small subset of this consideration – and one that will also affect the next topic regarding available space – is whether you get a front wheel or rear wheel configuration. Many ‘experts’ believe that the rear wheel set-up gives the most natural stride. While my elliptical is a rear wheel elliptical, I have used many front wheel units that I felt were just fine. Again you are going to have to try it out. The space consideration comes from the fact that typically the rear wheel units take up a lot more room than the front wheel ones.

Space Availability: Do you live in an apartment, a house, or a mansion? This will greatly affect which model of elliptical you will want to buy. Unfortunately, almost all elliptical machines take up a lot of room. Some are smaller than others and some can even ‘fold up’ a bit, but any elliptical is going to take up some space in your house. I have seen a few models of ellipticals that are the size of a stair-master and I have seen others that can fold up. I have reservations on both of these types of machines because it seems difficult to really get up a decent running pace when you are all bunched up by the console on the stair-master sized units.

On the fold up units, I question how stable they can be when there is an obvious ‘break’ in the platform so that it can fold up and stability is a big issue when you are hauling at top speed on one of these things. If you don’t have a good space that is about 8 x 3 feet, you might want to consider another machine like a stationary bike.

Durability: How often and how long do you plan on using the elliptical? How many different people will use the machine? These are all huge considerations when buying an elliptical. The biggest difference between the $3000 elliptical and the $300 model is really how sturdy they are (there are other differences but the biggest one is the quality). The expensive gym quality machines are made for almost constant use by thousands of people, while the cheaper models are designed for one or two people to use them for an hour or two every other day. The expensive models will have lots of welded steel for stability, while the less expensive models will be held together by screws and bolts that will become loose over time.

If you want to know how well built a machine is, look at the warranty. The best units will have a lifetime frame warranty and a year or two on parts and labor. The lower quality units might have a lifetime frame warranty but the parts and labor will only be 90 days at most. You can’t go by price alone on this one; I have seen some pretty expensive units with really weak warranties and that should raise an alarm in your head. Now this isn’t to say that a unit with a weaker warranty won’t do well for you – especially, if you are using it for 30 minutes every other day. But, if you are going to have multiple users or longer workouts, you definitely need to shop for quality.

This is also another time you will want to go in person to test the model you are looking considering. If you get on the machine and it is wobbly and makes a lot of funny noises (not the funny noises you make, but the actual machine), it will do that very quickly after you get it home as well.

Accessories/Programs: This one is pretty easy. Are you looking for all kinds of programs so that you can switch up your workout every day or do you only care about a timer or distance meter? Some people like to have a built-in heart monitor and time their exercises by their heart rate while others go by time and distance and vary their exercises by themselves. Be careful here since a lot of the cheaper companies throw in tons of ‘features’ that really don’t add any real value to the machine but disguise the fact that the important parts are pretty cheap. All the bells and whistles just make it so they feel they can charge more. Pay for quality and not for the cool graphical interface or iPod dock.

Price: This is probably what you are most concerned with but it should be last on your list. Think of it this way, you go out and buy yourself a cool looking elliptical for $700 and after a month or two of use, it creaks and wobbles and it just isn’t that comfortable or fun to use so you stop using it. Guess what, you just threw away $700. Let’s say you go out and spend $1400 on a mid-level unit, you really enjoy it and get years of use out of it. Just with all the health benefits you’ve reaped, you have made a really good investment.

I would stay away from a lot of the ‘big box’ athletic stores and especially stay away from the department stores where they sell a ‘so-called’ $1200 unit for $500 (guess how much it’s really worth?) Go to a specialty fitness store. Not only are you going to be able to try out several different models but they will have a decent price range as well. They may not be as low as the department store, but their low end is above the department stores’ high end. Also, the fitness store will be able to work with you to find the best unit for your needs. Most stores will come and set the machine up for you and many have their own financing (many times interest free) to help ease the sticker shock.

Finally, my biggest warning to you would be to make sure you try out any elliptical first (this actually goes for any exercise machine). Don’t just buy some unit off the internet because it looks cool or is really cheap. Finally, try to find some reviews of the model you are thinking of buying. One good source of reviews for a lot of different models is www.ellipticaltrainers.com. Don’t be shocked by some of the prices they quote in their reviews. You can often find many of the models for less in the store where you are going to physically test the machine out, right?

That’s it for this month! As always, feel free to write to me if you have any questions at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Fitness: Let the Good Times Roll

Warning: The techniques being presented here may reveal issues you did not want to know about!

Flexibility is often one of the most neglected areas of fitness. Some find it boring, too time consuming, painful, not worth the effort (after all, you cannot really “see” flexibility in most cases), or ineffective – this is what we are going to talk about.

There are many different types of stretching: static, dynamic, ballistic, and PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation). There are also many philosophies about how and when to stretch: pre or post workout, hold for 10 seconds or 30 minutes. While there are physiological principles that do determine all the variables of effective stretching, that is not what this article is about. Many people attempt to stretch to increase flexibility, diminish pain, or “warm up” – all to no avail; this is where foam rolling can help.

Foam rollers are tools which help relax muscles to allow proper stretching to occur. If a muscle is too tense and cannot relax it is very difficult to improve the flexibility. Foam rolling will help inhibit these overactive muscles. Conversely, foam rolling can also help stimulate underactive muscles and “wake them up” when they have been inactive due to immobility, injury, or misuse. All of this can help with flexibility, pain, and tissue warm up, as well as strength, speed, power, coordination, and overall performance.

Foam rolling is a fairly simple technique to understand, but more difficult to perform for most people in the beginning. It can be uncomfortable to the point of painful if the muscles are extraordinarily tight. It can be very physically taxing on the arms (they are supporting most of your bodyweight), and it can be time consuming. However, the dedicated addition of foam rolling to your exercise regime can be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body, regardless of your fitness goals.

The rules are the same for all body parts: 10-20 rolls per part (you may need to build up to this); put as much weight from the chosen body part onto the roller as you can tolerate; avoid bony prominences; and DO NOT AVOID TENDER SPOTS – this is where you need it most. So let’s get to it!

HIPS

Common problems associated with tight hips: back, hip, and knee pain.

Gluteals/Piriformis – Sit on the roller (Fig. 1). Cross one leg over the other. Shift your weight onto the side of the crossed leg. Roll from your butt bone (the one you sit on) to the bone that sticks out just above your butt muscle (in the low back area). You will need to shift from the back of your butt to the outside of it to get the whole area rolled.

THIGHS

Common problems associated with tight thigh muscles: back, hip, knee and ankle pain.

Hamstrings – Roll along the back of the thigh from the butt to the knee. Roll directly on the back (in the middle), then also slightly rotate your leg in and out to get the inside and outsides of your hamstring.

Quadriceps – Roll along the front of the thigh from the hip to the knee (Fig. 2). Roll directly on the front (in the middle), then also slightly rotate your leg in and out to get the inside and outsides of your quads. Try to do one leg at a time.

IT Band – One of the worst exercises (and most needed) for most people. Lay on your side with the top leg crossed over the bottom one and the top foot flat on the floor (Fig. 3). Roll along the outside of your thigh – make sure you are not getting the front muscles (quadriceps) or back (hamstrings). The IT Band runs right along the outside from the side of the hip to the outside of the knee. Many hip, back, and knee problems come from tightness in this area.

Adductors – Lay down like you did for the quadriceps but bring your leg out from your body with the knee bent (Fig. 4). Position the foam roll so it makes a 90 degree angle with your thigh. Roll along the inner thigh from the knee to the groin. This is another “un-fun” exercise, but also another source of many problems.

LOWER LEGS

Common problems associated with tight lower legs: knee and ankle pain, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis.

Gastroc/Soleus (Calf muscle) – Roll along the back of the calf from the knee to the heel (Fig. 5). Roll your leg in and out to get the whole calf muscle.

Peroneals – Lay like you did for the IT band (Fig. 6). Roll along the outside of the lower leg from the knee to the ankle.

TORSO

Common problems associated with tight torso: pain anywhere in the body.

Lumbar/Thoracic Spine – Lay down and roll along the spine, from the low back through the upper back (Fig. 7). This may need to be broken up into two parts (low back, then upper back). Try to position your torso horizontal. Added bonus: your abdominals will get a workout, especially when doing the low back.

Latissimus Dorsi/Posterior Shoulder Muscles – Lay on your side with the bottom arm stretched out (in the direction of your head) (Fig. 8). Roll along the side of your upper back (outside of your shoulder blade) up to the armpit and back of the shoulder.

EVERYTHING ELSE

While foam rolling is certainly easier to apply to some areas than others, it can be done throughout the body in addition to what was presented here. There are other tools on the market that can be used similarly to foam rolls and should also be considered as supplements. Foam rollers can also be used for different training purposes, including balance training (generally done with foam rolls cut in half lengthwise).

Foam rollers can be purchased from $10-25 and range in length from 1-3 feet with diameters of 3-6 inches. Just make sure to use a quality roll that will not break down quickly with use. Quality foam rollers can be purchased at www.performbetter.com and/or www.power-systems.com.

Special thanks to Tara Egli, for subjecting her body to these demonstrations and allowing me to photograph it.

For more information on foam rolling, contact Bob at: bob@functional-strength-training.com, or visit his website at: www.functional-strength-training.com.

Fitness: Make a Strong First Impression

In today’s world, it is important to make a good first impression, and then also leave a lasting memorable impression on everyone you come in contact with. Few gestures provide these impressions as well as a strong handshake. It does not matter what type of business you are in, or if you are just making/greeting friends, you will likely shake hands.

Besides a good handshake, it is also important to maintain good hand health because it is the most commonly used part of almost everyone’s body. Arguably, the sudden inability for any of us to use our hands would be one of the more debilitating events we could face. I can speak from experience. After a traumatic tubing accident (try to control your laughter), and losing the use of my dominant hand for about one month, I had to give serious thought to things that were no-brainers before.

If you look at any activity involving heavy use of the upper extremity, the hands are often the weak link, which prevents good performance. Increase the strength of the hands, and you will directly, or indirectly, improve the strength of the entire arm.

So how do we achieve and maintain healthy hands? First you must understand that the hand is a fairly complex body part – this is why there are doctors and therapists who specialize only in hands. Most people think that if you buy a hand gripper from a sporting goods store and squeeze it 100 times a day, that is all you need. First, let me be clear – if you currently have a hand injury or pain in any area of the hand(s), you need to consult a hand physician and/or hand therapist. Besides the multitude of problems that can arise from the hands themselves, hand pain can also stem from anywhere else in the arm up to the shoulder, upper back, and neck. For the purposes of this article, we are going to look at strengthening of the hands for maintenance.

Hand Strength

First, we must identify the different types of strength necessary for proper hand function. It goes beyond the gripper. Proper hand strengthening will also help improve hand mobility, circulation, and endurance.

1) Crushing grip

This is what most people think of as it relates to strong hands. How much force can you exert with a squeezing motion of your whole hand? This type of grip strength is necessary for many sports and occupational duties, as well as different household tasks such as moving heavy items.

Yes, a hand gripper works this type of strength, however, what you get at most sporting goods stores will not cut it. Generally, a store bought gripper provides about 30 lbs. of tension.

In a study by Mathiowetz, et al, grip strength was tested in men and women aged 20-75+ years old. Results showed that the average grip strength in men was 93-104 lbs, with the low being 55 lbs., while women demonstrated an average of 54-63 lbs with a low of 38 lbs. Therefore, while a 30 pound gripper may improve endurance if done for multiple repetitions, it will not do much to improve strength in most people. To increase crushing grip, there are many tools, including grippers with tension ranges up to 300+ lbs (a feat accomplished by very few people)!

Another method is to take a racquet/tennis/small medicine ball, depending on your strength level, and maximally squeeze it. Just remember, crushing strength does not require, and should not involve a high number of repetitions – generally sets of 10 reps or less. If you can do many reps, you need higher resistance. Also, as with any type of grip strength, the size and shape of whatever you are gripping will affect your overall strength.

2) Supporting grip

One of the more commonly used types of grip, this is more of an endurance vs. strength requirement. Supporting grip may use a similar position to a crushing grip, but is maintained for an extended period to “hold” something, as opposed to maximally crushing it. This type of grip is useful for activities like doing pull-ups, carrying/holding a suitcase, or playing tennis.

To increase support grip, pulling/rowing exercises are great. You can also try a farmer’s walk/hold – grab anything heavy and either stand or walk with it as long as you can. This can be done using one or both hands.

3) Pinch grip

This is the strength of your grip using mainly the fingers, especially the tips, as opposed to the whole hand. Pinch grip can include each of the fingers individually, or all of the fingers together. Pinch gripping can be used as a strength or endurance tool, depending on your needs. A good pinch grip has numerous sports and occupational applications, as well as opening jars (depending on the size) at home.

For “whole hand” pinch grip, use a 2×4 with a weight hanging from it. You can either hold it as long as you can, or while holding it, lift up and down for repetitions. To improve pinch grip of the individual fingers, grab the end of a dumbbell with the index finger and thumb, then alternately switch from index, to middle, ring, and pinky fingers as many times as possible.

4) Hand extensor strength

All of the above types of grip strength involved strength to bend the fingers towards the palm. Hand extension is strength to straighten the fingers (opposite of gripping). Though not used as often as gripping, extension strength is important to maintain overall stability throughout the hand, and when done properly, can help fight the effects of arthritis and other conditions which keep the hands/fingers “stuck” in a bent/flexed position.

Fingertip pushups work well to increase this type of strength. Be careful not to let the fingers hyperextend while doing this. If standard pushups are too difficult, try them on your knees.

5) Wrist/forearm strength

Wrist and forearm strength directly contribute to overall hand strength. People who wish to strengthen their forearms to get the “Popeye look” often do “wrist” curls for the front of the forearms. This is only one technique for the forearms, but lacks the ability to recruit a large portion of the forearm necessary for proper function.

In addition to bending the wrist forward, it is also helpful to bend it backwards, sideways towards the thumb, sideways towards the pinky, and to rotate it in both directions.

Other good wrist and forearms strengtheners include a piece of PVC pipe with caps on the ends and a rope hanging down with a weight. Keeping the elbows bent, roll the weight up and down with the rope towards and away from you, and with the palm up and/or down and on the sides. A piece of metal pipe or a sledge hammer can also be held at the end, and with the elbows bent, and forearms parallel to the ground, make circles in a clockwise and counter clockwise directions. Alternate the left, then right hand on top.

Practicing these exercises 1x times per week can dramatically improve the strength in your hands and maintain their health for years to come. For more great information on hand strengthening, visit the following websites:

www.ironmind.com

www.functionalhandstrength.com

Gadgets & Gear: April 2007

I’ve always said that video game consoles could be good for you. I personally believe that when you have age appropriate games, kids (and adults) can learn a lot about themselves and others by playing video games. You also can develop hand/eye coordination, problem solving skills, and fine motor skills. Now as it turns out, you can also get yourself into shape using your Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Wii, and Sony Playstation.

Games that get you moving are nothing new, but up until a few years ago you only really found them in arcades. The big game that a lot of people know is Dance Dance Revolution (otherwise known as DDR, go figure). Ever since DDR and its sequels hit the Playstation 2 a few years back, kids and adults have been working up a sweat and mastering dance moves that would make John Travolta cry. A few other games have hit the consoles since then, but with the advent of the Nintendo Wii and it’s innovative controller, the attention has really been drawn to what can be done with a video game console.

A few weeks ago both local and national news covered the story of a man in Philadelphia who conducted his own little Wii fitness experiment. Over the course of six weeks, he played the Wii Sports game 30 minutes a day and kept the rest of his routine the same. During the “experiment” he tracked a wide variety of fitness measures to include weight, Body Mass Index, calories burned, and body fat. What happened was pretty amazing.

At the end of the six weeks, he had lost 9 pounds, his BMI went from 25.1 to 24, body fat went from 19% to 17.2%, and he lost 3.5 inches from his waist! Now the nine pounds may not sound like a lot, but I’m betting that he added some muscle to himself which countered a bit of fat he lost. I was most impressed at the 3.5 inches off his waist. He did this by playing four of the five games on the disk (which comes bundled with the Wii): bowling (yes, bowling), tennis, baseball, and boxing. He didn’t play the golf game since he didn’t think he could get enough into the game to burn a lot of calories.

As part of the experiment he also measured how many calories he burned during each of the games to find which gave him the best workout. The device he used is good for measuring calories burned, though there is some argument over whether it accurately measured everything. Either way it gives a good idea of how many calories you can burn playing each game. Here is what he found (each is calories burned during a 15-minute interval):

• Wii Baseball: No Data

• Wii Bowling: 77 calories

• Wii Tennis: 92 calories

• Wii Boxing: 125 calories

Granted he played each of these rather aggressively with full motions and was even doing the dodges and hopping/bouncing like a real boxer would, but these are still some pretty impressive numbers. And to think, he did it all in the comfort of his own living room. He didn’t have to drive to a gym or hire a trainer, and the best part is that he had fun doing it. I think that he may have changed his lifestyle a bit to get these results in just six weeks, but I still think that the Wii Sports helped a lot.

There is another story of a girl, now 21, who over the last four years has played Dance Dance Revolution and burned off over 95 pounds! She credits the game for being so fun that it added movement to her rather sedentary lifestyle and that she enjoyed it so much that it just became a regular activity. She is going to be working with a national group to help teach kids about adding activity to their day to help lose weight and stay fit.

Now I’m not saying that all games, or even most games, are going to do much for you fitness-wise but most of the game systems out there have one or two games that can help give you a workout and be a little fun at the same time.

Here are a few programs and the systems you can find them on.

Dance Dance Revolution (Playstation, Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Xbox 360, and coming soon to the Wii) – This is the one that got the movement going (pardon the pun). Using a pad that you put on the floor in front of the TV, you try to match your foot movements (by stepping on one of four directional arrows) to the beat and the commands on the screen. This game is not only fun by yourself, but the fun factor goes up exponentially when you have a group of people and goes up even more if you have two of the pads so that you can duel. Only drawbacks to this game are the seizure inducing graphics, “interesting” song choices, and making a fool out of yourself in front of your children and friends.

Wii Sports (Nintendo Wii) – As mentioned above, this game comes bundled with the Wii and has five different sports from which to choose: baseball, golf, boxing, bowling, and tennis. Depending on how much you put in to each of these games, meaning how much you move your entire body, you can get one heck of a workout. Just watch out because they are already talking about ‘Wii elbow’ from people getting repetitive use injuries from these games as well as injuries from flying controllers!

Yourself Fitness (PC, Xbox, Playstation 2) – This “game” never really took off, even though it is executed very well and has a very good exercise program. Perhaps the problem is that it is quite obviously an exercise program (hence the fitness in the title) and people like to be tricked into working out.

Anyway, this program has a virtual trainer named Maya who leads you through a fitness routine of your choosing and even shows you how to properly perform each action and after getting feedback from you, even adjust the program to suit your goals. The program has over 500 different exercises and over 2000 recipes to help you lead a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully they will give this program an update and try again because it really was a great idea.

You may have to hunt for this program since the game platforms (with the exception of the PC), are all last generation and the supplies of games for them are drying up.

Video Camera Games (Playstation 2, Xbox 360) – There are actually a few different games under this category. Both the Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 have little web cameras that you can plug into them. The Playstation 2 device is called the Eye Toy and has a whole suite of games that allow you to interact with the game on the screen. The Xbox 360 has the Live! Vision camera which right now really just adds video messaging and video chat to the system, but it does have one game, TotemBall. TotemBall requires you to hold your arms out in front of you and move them up or down to help steer a ball around the screen. I played this for about 15 minutes and at the end of that time I thought my arms were going to fall off! The Eye Toy games have a lot more variety to them, though only a few of them have the potential to actually give you a workout.

As you can see, video games aren’t always about shooting aliens, blowing things up or driving around a city committing crimes. Some games can help get your rear end off the couch and even burn off a few pounds from said rear end. This is only the start of this trend; Nintendo has already announced plans for a Wii Fitness game that will help expand on the publicity it has gotten from the Wii Sports games. Never ones to turn away from tons of money, I’m sure Microsoft and Sony will have something out as well in the near future. Who knows, perhaps in a year or two, parents are going to be telling their kids to play their video games or better yet, fighting them for the controller.

Fitness: Kettlebells 101

What is a kettlebell? Funny you should ask.

You could go see the latest Rocky movie, but let me give a little background (no offense to Stallone). A kettlebell, also known in Russian as “giri” or “girya”, resembles a cannonball with a handle. While its exact origins are not known for certain – several cultures, including the ancient Greeks, Scots, Germans, and Shaolin monks have record of using a “ball with a handle” – the kettlebell.

By most accounts, it appears to have its roots in Russia sometime around the 18th century. At one time, the kettlebell was used as a farming implement to measure grain, using units called “poods”, with 1 pood equaling 16 kilograms (about 35 lbs).

Currently, kettlebells generally range (with a few exceptions) between 9 lbs. and over 100 lbs. In the early 1900’s, kettlebells were used by many of the famous strongmen, including Eugene Sandow and Arthur Saxon.

In 1985, the modern sport of kettlebell lifting was developed with the current rules in the Soviet Union. In 2000, former Soviet special forces instructor Pavel Tsatsouline, introduced kettlebells to America and began the first instructor certification – the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC).

Currently, there are 3 main categories of kettlebell lifting:

1. Classical (competition) – Includes 2 different lifts: a one arm snatch (raising the bell from just above the ground to overhead in one fluid motion repeatedly); and a two arm jerk (starting with two bells at chest level and press both overhead repeatedly). Each is performed for 10 minutes without stopping. Men use 70 lb. bells, while women use 35 lbs.

2. Juggling – Actually using various size bells and flipping them in the air

3. General fitness – Kettlebells have been shown to be one of the most efficient and effective training tools for weight loss, strength, endurance, speed, agility, power, flexibility, and balance; as well as requiring mental concentration and focus. The perfect portable gym, only one kettlebell is initially required, along with a 4 ft x 4 ft area, and as little as 10-30 minutes of time. Exercises can mimic common dumbbell exercises, but generally include kettlebell specific moves.

While kettlebells are nothing new in the coastal states, they are slowly gaining popularity in Michigan. You may have seen them advertised on-line or in magazines. You may have also seen them at local gyms and health clubs. These little tools have produced miraculous results for some people – weight loss of up to 100 lbs in one year (extreme example) – significant strength and endurance increases at all levels of fitness (including professional athletes), and rehabilitation for injuries.

Kettlebells are extremely safe and effective, however, in untrained hands – like anything – they can be dangerous. As is common in the fitness industry, people take a good thing and apply an instant gratification mindset. They don’t want to take the time to properly learn, so they are content to do it incorrectly. Do not be fooled by the so called “expert” personal trainer who appears very strong or athletic. Kettlebells require a different kind of strength than common exercise tools, as well as appropriate education.

There are few qualified certifying agencies for kettlebells, and only about 11 certified kettlebell instructors (not all of them practicing trainers) in Michigan. Personal trainers need to make the effort to properly learn kettlebells. You would not learn to play basketball from a book or video, you need actual instruction and practice, kettlebells are a skill, also, and require the same respect. If you are interested in exercising with kettlebells, follow this simple advise: do your homework when choosing a trainer, have an open mind, and give kettlebells a shot – you will be amazed with the results.

Bob Budai is a physical therapist, personal trainer, and certified kettlebell instructor. He can be reached for questions at: bob@functional-strength-training.com.

Gadgets & Gear: February 2007

Welcome back to this month’s edition of Gadgets-n-Gear!

Every year, I smile at the influx of new members at my local gym, only to see them disappear by the time March/April rolls around. This is great for the gyms since they get so many new members who enroll, go for a short time, stop going, still pay their dues and tell all their friends that they have a gym membership!

The key to staying with any exercise regimen is keeping up your motivation. Last month, I reviewed several MP3 players that can help keep you entertained as the treadmill rolls past your feet, and that can immeasurably help you stay with a program.

The thing that will motivate you the most though, is for you to see results from your workout. Nothing is more demoralizing than being sweaty and sore and not seeing any benefit from it.

That’s why my other “must have” gadget for the gym is a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) watch. They are also referred to as running computers but what sets it apart from a regular running watch is that it comes with a telemetry strap (the band that goes around your chest). This allows it to keep track of your heart rate throughout your workout.

Some of the more inexpensive watches have little sensors on them to put your fingers on to check your heart rate, but I don’t recommend these watches. Not only are they awkward to use while running on a treadmill, but having a constant monitor of your heart rate will give you better data to work with.

If you had told me several years ago that I was going to be a gym rat, have expensive running shoes, and have a HRM watch, I would have laughed you out of the building. After years of running in combat boots, I told everyone within earshot that the only time they would see me running again is if something big and scary was chasing me, or there was a Dairy Queen at the end of the street!

Running was very popular in the Air Force and I saw lots of people with their HRM watches. To tell you the truth, I thought they looked like pretentious dorks. I know now that they were working out smarter, not just harder – so at least they were smart, pretentious dorks.

I worked out for a long time without ever feeling the need to get a Heart Rate Monitor. It wasn’t until I realized that I had hit a wall in my workouts. I was getting diminishing returns from my time on the elliptical machine and from the strength training.

I asked one of the trainers in my gym for some advice. I assumed that he would offer his services at $75/hour, but he actually said that I should get a HRM watch. So I did.

The beauty of the HRM watch is that it allows you to do heart-rate based interval training. What does that mean? It means that instead of just putting in 30-40 minutes on the treadmill, elliptical, or cycle, you can break that time up into chunks and work out at different intensities.

Want to lose weight or train for a triathlon? Once you know your heart-rate zones, you will be able to optimize each workout to get you the result you want to achieve.

So what HRM watch should you buy? The leader, nay, OWNER, of this market is Polar. I thought about talking about some other manufacturers, but there really is no point in doing so. Polar is the best and has enough variety in their products (34 models at last count) to match any person or budget. You could spend $40 for a glorified pulse counter and not get much more than that, or you can spend a little (sometimes a lot) more and get something that will give you the tools to make the most of your workout.

I bought my Polar RS 200 at my gym. After I configured the screen to show me the time, what heart-rate zone I was in, and my heart-rate, the trainers helped me calibrate it. Calibration involved monitoring my heart-rate on a treadmill over a period of time with increasing speed/incline. There is an ‘easy’ calibration feature, but I recommend that you do the treadmill, because it only takes about ten minutes and it gives you much better data. Now that my watch is calibrated to me, I can monitor how hard I’m working throughout my routine.

Another benefit of the HRM watch is that it gives me a much more realistic estimate of the calories that I burn during my workouts since it is calibrated to know my cardiovascular fitness level, my age, my weight, and my body size.

The gym’s machines that have you just enter your weight don’t incorporate any other factors about you, thus giving you less accurate estimates on your calories burned.

Most machines I’ve used in the gym tend to over-estimate the calories burned between 20-25%. While I’m sure that helps people feel better about their workouts, it doesn’t help someone who is serious about losing weight.

This was a huge reason for the ‘wall’ I had hit. I had calculated my calories burned based on the machine’s totals and planned my calorie intake accordingly. But, I was way off and didn’t lose any more weight.

So, how did the heart-rate watch take me to the next level of working out? In addition to giving me a graphical representation of just how hard I worked out and how many calories I had burned, it also keeps records for several weeks that let me see how well I’m progressing. The Polar system is really nice because it has a website (www.polarpersonaltrainer.com) that allows you to transmit your data from some of their watches to their database. This feature allows you to track your progress according to the type of workout you set up on the site. If you want to lose weight, keep it in zones one and two; increase your cardiovascular fitness, use zones three and four; build serious athletic endurance, push it to zone five.

This is extremely helpful for someone who wants to see exactly what they have done and how they are improving. If you follow some of the plans they have on the site, you will start seeing results. At the very least, just having the watch and using the data it provides can help give you better results.

I also chose Polar over other HRM watches because they have the best technical support.

Most cardio gym equipment with heart-rate monitors (those bio-electric metal contacts on the machine), also synch with Polar telemetry straps. This allows you to bypass the heart-rate sensors on the machine – which can be awkward to use. As a result, you get the readout on the machines’ screen so you don’t have to look at your watch.

Polar’s 34 different watch models cater to any level of workout, budget or geek factor. I had a very hard time selecting which models to showcase here since there are so many to choose. I decided on three models: an entry level watch, an enthusiast level watch, and one for a pro. I highly encourage you to take a look at their watches at www.polarusa.com and find the one that matches your needs the best.

THE WATCHES

Entry Level –

Polar F6. The F6 isn’t Polar’s lowest model in specs or price. However, it is probably the most basic HRM watch that I would recommend for someone who is just starting a serious workout routine and plans on sticking to it (well, everyone PLANS on sticking with it).

The F6 comes in four different colors to match anyone’s taste and has all the bells and whistles to get serious results. It features “OwnZone” and “OwnCal” to calculate your workout zone and calories burned. It also has a coded telemetry strap to ensure that there is no overlap with other HRM watches. You can download your data to the Polar Personal Trainer website and update your watch with your settings through your home computer. MSRP: $109.95

Enthusiast Level –

Polar RS200/RS200sd. This is the model that I own (RS200). Not only does it have OwnZone and OwnCal, but also OwnIndex, which can tell you your real fitness level. This model also has the SportZone system which makes it easier to monitor your workout level (those zones 1-5 mentioned earlier).

The RS200 features a stopwatch and lap timer. It can tell you your average, and maximum, heart-rate for the workout as well as the time you spent in each zone.

The difference between the RS200 and the RS200sd, is that the RS200sd also has a foot pod that attaches to your shoe that adds speed and distance data to your workout. This feature is best for those who like to do their running outside.

I prefer to stay warm, dry and off the hoods of passing cars, so I stick to the machines in my gym and they tell me how far and fast I ran. The RS200 can also transmit and receive data to/from your home computer. MSRP: $149.95 (RS200) & $239.95 (RS200sd)

Pro Level –

Polar S625X. In addition to all the bells and whistles of the RS200sd, the S625X also gives altitude and ascent data for route profiling. The S625X adds the OwnOptimizer to let you know if you have rested enough before your next training session. The watch also supports the Polar bike accessories. A tri-athlete can store all the data they need to properly train with this watch and with the built-in infrared transmitter, it is even easier to transmit your workout data to your computer and the Polar training website. MSRP: $369.95

As I stated earlier, these are just a few of the huge array of models that Polar offers. With so much to choose from, you will find one that matches your goals and your budget. They may be a little more expensive than some other HRM watches, but you will be hard-pressed to find a watch that matches the tools and support of a Polar watch.

If you find yourself hitting that wall in your workout, you should see if a heart-rate monitor watch can help you leap over that wall and help you reach your real potential.

As always, if you have a question or comment on this topic, or any other gadget or gear topic, please feel free to write to me at: jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

See you next month!

Gadgets & Gear: MP3 Players for the Gym

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Health and Leisure magazine and this column, Gadgets & Gear. Every month, I will be giving you a look at what is new in entertainment gadgets and fitness gear.

For this first column, I decided to focus on one of the two pieces of exercise gear (many would call them gadgets) that I consider essential to keeping me in the fitness game – an MP3 music player. I use the term MP3 loosely, meaning any compressed digital music format. The second is a heart rate monitor watch, which will be the topic of next month’s column. I make sure that I have both of these items before I even think of working out. I credit both of them with elevating my fitness levels and keeping me motivated to push myself that extra mile (or two, or three).

First, we’ll look at features you will want to consider for your music player. I’m going to argue for the idea that you have at least two music players in your possession (I own three myself). People have different roles for their players and some models are better suited for one role versus another.

Your primary player will probably have a lot more bells and whistles than the one you need for working out. The 30 gigabyte (GB) hard drive player with the two and a half inch screen that holds your entire music collection and plays videos, is probably not the player you want strapped to your arm while on the treadmill or getting knocked around by the free weights and nautilus equipment.

For the gym or outdoor exercise, you ought to be looking at flash memory players. Flash players have no moving parts and while they cost more on gigabyte to gigabyte comparison, you don’t need that much memory for a good workout mix. In fact, you can get a 512 megabyte (MB) player that will hold several hours of music for well under $100.

I’m going to get on my soapbox now and state for the record that I never used to like iPods. Perhaps it was the rebel streak in me going against 95% of the world. Or, perhaps I just didn’t think I was cool enough to have one – but I was not a fan.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the iPod is (or ever was) a bad music player; it wouldn’t have single-handedly pulled Apple out of obscurity if that was true. In fact, I think that iPods are beautiful works of technological art and are topnotch sound systems. I wish all music players were as stylish and well designed (for the most part) as iPods. I guess I should really say that I hated (and still do) iTunes. I am now able to separate the two in my mind and can acknowledge the many great things iPods have to offer: outstanding sound quality, surprisingly great video playback (especially on the new generation), and style coming out of it’s ears, or actually yours.

It’s actually very hard to separate an iPod and iTunes, because you really can’t. You need iTunes to load the music and video on to your player, but they are kind of like a hot supermodel and her dysfunctional rock star boyfriend. Every time I have ever used the iTunes it has always given me problems, i.e. finding music files that weren’t really there, making multiple copies of files and filling up my hard drive, and trying to take over as the ONLY music player on my computer.

Perhaps I know too much for my own good and it is operator error, but it always seems buggy to me. Maybe it’s really Steve Jobs’ way of making everyone who owns an iPod and a PC pay for not having a Mac!

My problem could always be the fact that I have hundreds – if not thousands – of hours of audio formatted in WMA (Windows Media Audio format), which iPods don’t play. I’m loathe to burn my audio all over again.

I could have gone for maximum flexibility and burned it all in MP3 format but it really isn’t the best format and it takes up a lot more memory than others of similar quality. iPods can play MP3s but the “default” music format is AAC (Advanced Audio Codec). The music you download from iTunes is a protected version of this and can only be played on an iPod (I prefer Microsoft’s WMA format since it is supported by ALL the other music players and services such as Napster and Rhapsody).

While some people may argue, perhaps correctly, that AAC is better than run of the mill WMA, for me, the difference is imperceptible. Most differences are due to the player and not the format if they are at equivalent quality levels. If you are a huge audiophile, you shouldn’t be using either format and should be using a lossless codec like the Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC). If most of this last paragraph didn’t make much sense, don’t worry, I’ll go into the benefits and drawbacks of the most popular music formats in a future column.

Would you take a sports car out on an off road adventure? I didn’t think so. You also shouldn’t bring your 30-80GB video iPod or any other hard-drive based music player to the gym or out on your favorite running trail. You should be looking for a Jeep that gets the job done and has all the little extra tools that make it better suited to a variety of situations.

So what exactly does a good workout music player look like? Here is a list of some things that I consider to be pretty important:

a. Flash memory based – Makes it lighter in weight and since it has no moving parts, it won’t skip on you. Apple does make the snazzy Nano and functional Shuffle players that are both flash memory based, but they both violate one or more of the other rules here. Plus, the Nano is just a little too fragile (though the new version with the wrap-around aluminum case took care of the most common complaints).

b. At least 512MB of memory – This will give you several hours of music time and you can probably make it through several workouts without hearing the same song twice. You can, of course, go up in memory. Flash players top out at about 8GB but you will pay a premium for all that space. Do you really need all those songs in the gym?

c. A radio tuner – One of the big deal breakers for me for the Apple iPod is that none of them have a radio tuner built in. I refuse to believe that the incredibly talented designers at Apple couldn’t figure out a way to squeeze in a radio tuner into any of their iPods. The cynic in me thinks that was a business decision to make you buy songs from iTunes or the radio tuner accessory. Why a radio? Most gyms have TVs that are broadcasting their sound over radio channels. This is good for those people who like to watch CNN or ESPN while they workout instead of listening to music. Having Chris Mathews or Jim Cramer yell at me gets my heart beating faster than a lap around the track!

d. Easy to use controls – This is important – especially when you need to change the song quickly because you notice everyone is looking at you in the free weight area while you have been singing aloud to Kelly Clarkston! Really, you should have a player that you can do all the major functions (next/previous song and volume) without looking at it.

e. A good work-out case – Something that can either clip to your waist or strap around your arm is probably the best option. I can’t tell you how many times

I’ve seen people at the gym pull some maneuver and end up causing their music player to go crashing to the ground. In one case, I even saw a big, hard-drive based player fall into the rails of an elliptical machine and shatter.

f. Powered by a replaceable battery – Go for a player that uses a single AA or AAA alkaline/rechargeable battery instead of one that must have it’s own internal battery charged before use (this will be the hardest rule to follow since most flash based players are so small now that there is no room for an AA/AAA battery).

There will be a lot of times you run out the door without checking the charge status on your player and it will fizzle out five minutes into your workout. Listening to the guy wheeze on the elliptical machine next to you for the next 40 minutes will make it a loooooooong workout! Many gyms sell batteries for just such an occasion or you can pack an extra box of them in you bag. Another benefit is that you won’t eventually burn out that non-replaceable battery in the other players (*cough*, iPod). Most players that use AA/AAA batteries get 12 to 45 hours out of one battery.

You may have noticed that I didn’t say anything about screen size. That’s because I don’t think that’s a big issue for a workout player. It just has to be big enough to select a playlist, and to change any settings such as the radio frequency. The iPod Shuffle doesn’t even have a screen and for your workout playlist, you may not even need one.

That is what you need to look for in a workout player. Buy the hard drive-based player (an iPod, if you must go along with the crowd) to hold your whole music collection, and get another cheap one to bang around while working out. If you buy the big iPod, you should also buy the small one as well. You won’t feel nearly as bad accidentally dropping or destroying it as you would your main player.

So is that Best Buy gift card you got for Christmas burning a hole in your pocket, but you don’t have the time to ask the salesperson about every unit there? I have done the research for you. Here are my top music players for working out:

1. iRiver T-10 (512MB, 1GB, and 2GB) – This is actually the player I own for the gym. First, iRiver has some of the best sound quality in the business (right up there with Apple, Creative, and Sony), and this player in particular is completely designed for the gym. It has both a built-in sport clip and a lanyard to go with it, or it has a very well designed armband case that sets it perfectly for easy use while working out. It has a built in radio tuner and even can record voice clips if you come up with some great idea while working out and need to record a message to yourself. It plays MP3, WMA, and OGG Vorbalis files and it works with subscription music services (except iTunes). This player is the only one that actually meets all my specifications for what makes a good player (though it’s controls could be a little easier to use. This is my #1 pick. The prices for this player for the above mentioned memory configurations are $100, $120, and $150, respectively.

2. Creative Zen V Plus (1GB, 2GB, and 4GB) – This impossibly cute player not only sounds great but also looks great. It not only plays music but, it’s 1.5” display also can show off your pictures as well as play short video clips (though with the size of the screen, you won’t be watching episodes of ‘Lost’ on this player). It has an easy to use joystick on the front for switching between menus and songs and has side volume controls. It doesn’t have a replaceable battery, but the rechargeable one inside is good for about 15 hours of play time. It plays WMA and MP3 and works with all the main music subscription services with the exception of iTunes. It is also very easy to move files between your computer and the player by the simple drag-and-drop affair. You don’t have to use any special software (as you do with an iPod), to get your music ready to play. Prices range from $100 – $180 depending on memory size.

3. Apple iPod Shuffle (512MB old model, 1GB old and new model) – The old iPod Shuffle was a good idea for people who just wanted to take around a couple of hours of music with them and didn’t care about what song was playing. While the original had an interesting design and was ridiculously easy to use, the new Shuffle is an outstanding design and is just as easy to use. I wouldn’t have believed that there would be a digital music player that was more compact than the old Shuffle, but Apple did it with the new version. It is now only 1.3 inches square and about .25 inches deep. It has the trademark shuffle controls on the front but Apple really stepped it up a notch by making the case out of anodized aluminum and adding a clip to the back so you can clip it to anything. You get a surprisingly long 12 hours out of its miniscule battery and of course you get Apple quality sound. For someone who doesn’t care about what the next song is, or a screen to see what is currently playing, this player is a no-brainer, especially since it is only $79 for the new 1GB player. Don’t even bother with the old version.

4. Apple iPod Nano (2GB, 4GB, 8GB) – While the original hard drive iPod is a style icon, the first generation Nano took style to all new levels. People couldn’t believe that you could make something so stylish, functional, AND sleek. While it took some knocks for less than stellar battery life and a case that was way too easy to scratch, it was still THE music player to own last year. Apple has again brought it’s “A Game” and redesigned the Nano to include an anodized aluminum case (must more resistant to scratches), a 40% brighter screen, and improved battery life – all while making it even sleeker than before. It comes in a multitude of colors with the widest choices being with the 4GB version (blue, green, pink, red, and silver), black for the 8GB, and silver for the 2GB. The Nano has a ton of accessories and has a case that works well for the gym; you can even get a radio tuner for it to round out the package. I hate the fact that I would have to reformat all my music and start using iTunes to get this, but the new Nano ALMOST makes me want to do it. Prices range from $149 – $249.

5. SanDisk Sansa e200 Series (2GB, 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB) – SanDisk is the 800lb gorilla of the flash memory market and can afford to price its flash based players very competitively, especially considering most other manufacturers charge a premium for their flash players. The e200 line is the latest in SanDisks’ Sansa series players, which seem to get an upgrade every 6-9 months. I own a Sansa that was absolute top of the line last Christmas and it had the highest memory of any flash player at the time (4GB). It is actually TWO generations old now! SanDisk players used to be a little weak on the design/quality side, but always packed in a bunch of features (radio tuner, voice recorder, long battery life, and of course, memory) for the price. The company has stepped up their game quite a bit with the previous generation and with the current e280 line. Gone are the predominately plastic cases and bland monochrome screens of old. They are now replaced with aluminum casings and bright, vivid color screens, and a nice tactile scroll wheel that makes navigation a breeze. The e200 can now play small video clips and display your pictures. Another cool feature is the fact that all the e200 models have a mini-SD slot so that you can add additional memory if you choose. The sound quality has also been improved, but is still probably the weakest out of all the players in this list. Finally, the last great feature of the e200 series is the fact that you can replace the rechargeable battery inside when it stops holding a charge. That won’t happen for quite some time, but it is something that not a lot of other players can claim. Prices range from $140 – $250.

So, that is a down-and-dirty look at one of the two gadgets that I can’t live without for my workout routine. In next months’ column I will go over the different heart-rate watches available. In future columns, I will go more in-depth on the music formats to fill your music player and also the latest in running shoes, hiking gear, workout equipment, and other recreational gadgets.

If you have anything you would like reviewed or if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.