Category: exercise

How To Workout From Home in 20 minutes a Day with No Equipment

Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking we need to spend money on a gym or a nice set of weights. That thinking usually is more or less of a procrastination method. There are excellent ways to workout from home without equipment or even much time!

In fact, you can tone your body in only 20 minutes per day!

Start By Setting Aside Time

The most important thing that you are going to need is to have time in your schedule that is dedicated to fitness.

But, I get it, time is precious. So, let’s start with setting aside 20 minutes each day.

I like to assign that time to a constant that I won’t forget to do. For example, you could decide to workout for 20 minutes just prior to eating. Or you put your workout immediately after awaking in the morning.

Having another dedicated activity right before or after your workout will help you to stick with it. If you plan on working out right before bed, then sleep can be your reward for completing a workout.

Master Body Weight Exercises

Bodyweight exercises are extremely effective and very useful. They are functional exercises which can help to improve your activities of daily living. Simple bodyweight exercises can get an efficient total-body workout.

Many body weight exercises are compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups. This makes them very time-efficient as well.

What are some great bodyweight exercises to start with?

  • Squatting
  • Lateral lunges
  • Push-ups
  • Going up Stairs
  • High Knees
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Pilates exercises
  • Yoga poses

Putting Your Workout Together

You can select five or six moves that will focus on different body movements. Do each one for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds between moves. If you need longer rest, take it. Complete the circuit of moves three times for a fifteen-minute workout.

Here’s an example:

  • Bodyweight squats — 45 seconds. Rest 15 seconds.
  • Jumping jacks — 45 seconds. Rest 15 seconds.
  • Stairs – 45 seconds Rest 15 seconds.
  • Push-ups — 45 seconds. Rest 15 seconds.
  • Lateral lunges — 45 seconds. Rest 15 seconds.

Repeat three times for a fifteen-minute circuit.

 

Use Free Online Resources

Many fitness professionals are putting great workouts on YouTube to promote their products and services. You can take advantage of these free resources and incorporate them into your daily workouts.

Here are three excellent 20 minute workouts that you can do from home without any equipment.

 

 

 

When you are ready for longer workouts, you can simply search for longer or more complicated workouts in YouTube.

 

Fitness Apps to Help You Track Your Workout

Let’s face it, sometimes we need a bit of accountability to stick with a fitness routine. Fitness apps are great at tracking our goals and reminding us to workout.

This free app is a no-fuss approach to fitness. You can launch the app and do the quick set of exercises anywhere without any special equipment. Wahoo’s app provides you with a standard seven-minute workout that has 12 high-intensity bodyweight exercises in cycles of 30 seconds followed by a short rest.

Some of the workout variations will charge $0.99 and some are free. Wahoo has a heart rate monitor to improve your workout experience and help you track the amount of effort you are putting in.

The FitBit Coach is a free app that can be used with or without the Fitbit tracker. You can also upgrade to premium for $39.99 per year. The FitBit coach app has short workout videos that you can do almost anywhere.

This is a great app for people who want to be talked through their exercise routines and see humans doing the moves in a video. The workouts are similar to the seven-minute app with a bit more variety.

You can choose to add background music or play your own. FitBit’s free account has limited workout options, while Premium will unlock the entire selection of workouts.

Daily Workouts provides you with free 5-30 minute daily workout routines. These exercises can all be done from the comfort of your own home. They are demonstrated by a certified personal trainer and target all the major muscle groups.

It features ten different 5-10 minute workouts, over 100 exercises, videos showing how to do each exercise, on-screen instructions and a timer.

The premium app offers even more workouts, more exercises, Pilates, kettlebell, stretch and ball workouts.

As you can see, it is possible to get fit at home even if you barely have enough time to watch a sitcom on television. There are workouts for even the busiest person and apps to help you track them! So what are you waiting for?

Get moving!

 

Walking Off The Weight

I will admit, I succumbed to the treats during Teacher Appreciation week. I ate cookies, donuts, pizza, and more. Yes, it was delicious. Yes, I was in denial about how much I was eating, but at the end of the day, the scale doesn’t lie. I probably packed on a good 5-10 pounds with junk foods from being appreciated. It is wonderful to feel appreciated. It isn’t so wonderful to deal with the repercussions of overeating a few unhealthy foods. I will be walking off the weight this summer!

So far, I’ve lost about half of what I put on simply by walking and cutting out all sugar. I also drastically cut back on my carbohydrate consumption, and it seems to be working. I’ve also been walking. No gym, no serious weight training program, just the simplicity of a daily walk. I add in Pilates and light weights or a rebounding exercise program when I have the time, but I focus on consistently getting in a daily walk.

 

Walking Schedule to Lose Weight

I’ve always set aside some time in the morning to exercise. Whether that exercise happened, was a bit inconsistent. However, one thing that I have learned over the years is that if you want to be successful at something, you should schedule it into your day. For me, this means that I’m scheduling in a morning walk for thirty minutes and an evening walk for thirty minutes.

Tips for scheduling your walk:

  1. Find a consistent time each day. This will help you to make your daily walk a habit.
  2. Schedule a time when you usually don’t have other commitments that will distract you from your walk. For example, you don’t want to schedule a lunchtime walk when your boss frequently schedules impromptu meetings or your co-workers invite you to lunch.
  3. Block off time for your walk first and foremost. Then schedule the rest of your day, so you won’t be tempted to do other tasks during your scheduled walking time.
  4. Schedule two walks if possible. For many people, this won’t be possible, but a morning and evening walk helps to keep my energy high throughout the day and ensures a restful night’s sleep.

 

Making Walking Fun

Let’s face it, putting one foot in front of the other on your treadmill for an hour a day is one of the most boring things that you can do with your life. There just isn’t that much to it and it isn’t that fun. However, there are some ways that you can make walking a bit more challenging and add some incentive to your routine.

  1. Get a FitBit – Fitbits can monitor your steps. You can even join walking challenges with your friends and see who can walk the most.
  2. Take a dog with you. My pooch passed away this year, but I have discovered that my neighbor’s dog enjoys walking with me as much as my own dog did. You can also turn your fitness routine into a bit of a money maker and sign up for Rover.com to earn money while you walk.
  3. Combine it with entertainment. I love to walk on my treadmill desk and watch silly youtube videos. The videos take my mind of the boredom that walking on a treadmill provides.
  4. Create a walking group. Many of your neighbors have the same health goals as you. It is a great idea to team up with some of them and walk your way to better health. Not only will you be healthier, but you’ll form stronger relationships with your neighbors in the process.

Health Benefits of 30 Minutes of Walking Per Day

  1. Weight Loss. You’ll be burning more calories per day that you had been.
  2. Reduced risk of chronic disease. According to the American Diabetes Association, walking will lower your blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of diabetes. The researchers at the University of Boulder Colorado and the University of Tennessee discovered that walking lowered blood pressure as much as eleven points. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002 found that 30 minutes of walking per day lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30%.
  3. Improved Digestion. Some people who are sedentary have issues with constipation or diarrhea. When you regularly walk, you stimulate the peristalsis in your digestive system. It improves gastric mobility. When patients go through abdominal surgery, one of the first things that they do is walk because it uses the core and abdominal muscles. This encourages movement in our gastrointestinal system.
  4. Improve mood. Researchers for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health who studied the effect of an urban walk in the fall, found that a short walk in an urban park can induce parasympathetic nerve activity. It can suppress sympathetic nerve activity and decrease your heart rate. This will enhance your mood and reduce anxiety. A walk in the park can confer the physiological and psychological effects of relaxation.
  5. Goals seem achievable. When you are able to stick with a consistent routine, you become more confident in your ability to achieve tasks. Kim Evans, a personal trainer, says, “I firmly believe that walking regularly can help you accomplish the goals you set your mind to.” As you believe you can achieve more, you start to take the action steps that will help you reach your goals.

 

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Active Sitting Office Chair – Workout Your Core!

We are learning how sitting can be killing us. Some people even compare sitting all day to being as damaging as smoking! So, what do you do if you have a desk job? Active Sitting! I absolutely love this stability ball office chair. It is an active sitting office chair that strengthens your core!

Gaiam Balance Ball Chair Review

Name: Gaiam Balance Ball Chair
Website:
Price: $69.98
Owners: Gaiam
Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

Gaiam Balance Ball Chair, Product Overview

This is a revolutionary active sitting office chair that will transform your daily desk job into a core workout. It is designed with a work-life balance in mind. The Gaiam balance ball chair was created with the help of a chiropractor, Dr. Randy WEinzoft. It provides the all-day ergonomic support that is needed for sitting for a long duration.

You will feel better at your desk by using this alternative chair solution that encourages wellness and helps to soothe the aches that can arise from sitting at a desk for long periods of time. This chair promotes micro movements and constant stimulation of the body. Your mind will experience a heighteneed sense of focus and concentration while you are on this chair.

The Gaiam Stability Ball Chair features:

  • Yoga ball
  • Exercise guide
  • Rolling, lockable caster wheels
  • Designed for users who are 5′ to 5’11 tall.
  • Fits most standard height desks
  • Includes exercise ball, air pump, adjustable metal support bar

 

It is important to know that for optimal performance, the customer should follow the inflation instructions and inflate their ball properly. These instructions are found as an insert in the packaging. They are also listed multiple times on the product detail page.

 

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: It is comfortable to sit in this type of chair. It almost feels just like sitting in a regular office chair, with the exception of being able to move your hips and legs a bit more.
PRO #2: You can lean back on the back rest when you get fatigued.
PRO #3: This chair is capable of sliding around just like a regular office chair. This is helpful if you are used to sliding your chair under your desk and making slight movements in an office chair.

PRO#4: This ball enables you to turn your sitting desk job into a core workout. Micro movements will challenge your core.

PRO #5: You can take the ball off the chair and use it for your yoga exercises. You can do push ups with it.

PRO #6: It prevents you from slouching and improves your posture.

The Bad:

CON #1: There were some unsatisfied customers. Not everyone was enamored by this chair.
CON #2: You may find the first few days of sitting on a stability ball challenging and a little uncomfortable. In time, you will probably adjust.

CON #3: While I didn’t experience any difficulty with the metal bar, there are a few reviewers who found that it came off easily.

 

 

Who is Gaiam Stability Ball Chair For?

This chair is designed for people who want to improve their core strength. It is especially helpful for people who spend a lot of time sitting at desks. It enables more flexibility and movement for when you are sitting at your desk. You can swivel your hips around and stretch from side to side.

This desk challenges your core muscles by providing a slight bit of instability on the ball. The nice thing about the stability ball combined with the chair is that when you are tired, you can lean back onto the backrest as you may do in a regular chair.

 

Gaiam Stability Ball Chair  Tools & Training

You don’t actually need a lot of training to sit in these chairs. However, if you want to incorporate some core strengthening movements into your day, you could check out some videos on the stability ball chair.

 

Gaiam Stability Ball Chair Support

The support offered with Gaiam Stability balls is through email and phone. You can contact support at customerservice@gaiam.com or call them at 1-877-989-6321 if you have any questions regarding your Gaiam Stability Ball Chair.

Gaiam Stability Ball Chair Price

The stability ball is on sale at Amazon for $69.98. This is comparably priced to other stability ball chairs on the market, which can range from $62.98 to $99.99.

 

My Final Opinion of Gaiam Stability Ball Chairs

I happen to love these chairs for the office. I love them for adults. However, our middle school is testing them out in classrooms with ADHD students and they are not ideal for learning in a classroom. Here’s the problem with allowing pre-teens to use these chairs. They like to roll across the classroom. This can become loud and a distraction. They bounce a lot of them. When you have multiple kids bouncing on stability balls while trying to teach a concept, you can start to feel slightly seasick! I would love to discover a way to implement them in the classroom because I feel like they are a great way to improve your core and add some movement to these kid’s incredibly sedentary lives.

I love the stability ball as a chair. I have noticed that it helps to improve my core strength and my posture. I like that my hips have a bit more movement capability while I am working at my desk and using a stability ball chair. I do prefer the chair over a plain stability ball. I find that when I am working, I do want the option of leaning back on the backrest. There is a little bit more stability in the chair versus a stability ball.

Overall, I highly recommend these chairs!

Gaiam Stability Ball Chairs at a Glance…

Name: Gaiam Stability Ball Chairs

Website:

Owners: Gaiam
Price: $69.98
Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! I love this product. You will improve your core stability muscles by using this ball when you are working at your desk.

Best Fitness Monitors for 2018

You may be looking to increase your fitness, but a bit concerned about how to do it. A fitness monitor can help you track where you are and help you get to where you want to be. After you start using a fitness monitor, you may be surprised to discover how much you actually move throughout the day. On the other hand, you may be a bit discouraged to discover how many of your hours are sedentary!

When you are shopping for a fitness monitor, you should consider your activity level, your budget and the features that you need. If you are an athlete, you may want to consider a sport specific monitor. Swimmers may need a water-proof fitness monitor, while runners may want one with GPS that records miles. Whatever your needs are, there is a fitness monitor out there for you!

 

 

Fitbit Flex 2 – Best Cheap Fitness Monitor

There are not a ton of features with the Fitbit Flex 2, but it is inexpensive, gives you the basic data that you need and it works well! This is perfect for the person just getting into fitness who has a budget!

Screen: No

Heart rate tracker: No

[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” cart=”n” identifier=”B01KH2PV4U” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]

Waterproof: Yes

Activity tracking: Yes

GPS: No

Battery life: 5 days

Compatibility: Android/iOS/Windows

Features:

  • Comfortable and light
  • Fun software
  • Battery life isn’t stunning
  • Feature-light

The design of the Fitbit Flex 2 is simple. It should suit a variety of styles. There are a selection of different straps that you can use to accessorize it. Flex 2 is also waterproof, so it can go with you into the shower or the pool!
One of the drawbacks of the Fitbit Flex 2 is that there is no screan or heart rate tracker. Therefore, five days of battery life isn’t that great. However, if you want a fitness monitor that is light and comfortable on your wrist, offers the basic features and is inexpensive, Flex 2 is definitely a great option.

Fitbit’s Flex 2 is an affordable and versatile sensor that can be popped into a wristband or a pendant to wear around your neck. The tracker is swim-proof and can track lap swims, plus it automatically recognizes a variety of exercises so you don’t have to launch a workout on the device or in the Fitbit smartphone app to track your stats. It offers smartphone alerts via vibration and color-coded lights, too.

  • SIZES Small and large
  • BATTERY LIFE Up to 5 days
  • MYFITNESSPAL COMPATIBLE Yes
  • FOOD TRACKING Yes

 

Amazon’s Bestseller

The Fitbit Blaze costs just $20 more than the Fitbit Charge 2, yet offers a larger, more colorful display and guided on-screen workouts. You can also swap out its band, and the Blaze lasts a good week before needing to be recharged. At $149, it’s definitely worth considering.[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” cart=”n” identifier=”B019VM3CPW” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]

  • SIZES                                     Small, Large
  • BATTERY LIFE                        5 days
  • MYFITNESSPAL COMPATIBLE Yes
  • FOOD TRACKING                    Yes
  • COMPATIBILITY                       Android, iOS
  • WATER-RESISTANCE              Splash-proof
  • SLEEP TRACKING                   Yes
  • SILENT ALARM                       Yes
  • GPS                                         No
  • HEART RATE MONITOR          Yes

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Best Running Fitness Monitor – Garmin Forerunner 25

For runners, you want a fitness monitor that will track distance, speed and pace. The Garmin Forerunner 25 will notify you of every mile that you run! The Garmin Forerunner 25 looks great and with a battery life of 10 hours, it can double as your everyday timepiece. It is affordable and has all the basics that a runner would need!

  • SIZES -One size/adjustable strap[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” identifier=”B013GVDTI4″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]
  • BATTERY LIFE                           10 weeks or 8-10 hours in GPS mode
  • MYFITNESSPAL COMPATIBLE    Yes
  • FOOD TRACKING                       No
  • COMPATIBILITY                          Android and iOS
  • WATER-RESISTANCE                 Swim-proof
  • SLEEP TRACKING                      No
  • SILENT ALARM                           No
  • GPS                                            Yes
  • HEART RATE MONITOR              No, sold separately

 

Garmin Vivosmart 3

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The Garmin brand’s fitness monitors and trackers are often thought to be for the more serious athlete than most other brands. This is evident from the complexity of Garmin’s Connect app and the numerous variables that are monitored. Garmin’s Vivosmart 3 is great for the swimmer. It is waterproof and can be worn while showering or during a pool workout. It also has a rep counter for use during workouts.

Some of the other great features of the Garmin Vivosmart 3 include a heart rate monitor and music controls for your smartphone. The battery life is 5 days. I lacks a GPS, which makes it a bit less expensive than other Garmin models. Garmin’s app is a bit harder to navigate than the trendy Fitbit brands which use Myfitnesspal.

It is priced well at $114.99. You get lots of great features for just around $100!

  • Garmin vivosmart 3 – Black, Large
  • Monitor wellness with all-day stress tracking and the relaxation-based breathing timer
  • BUNDLE INCLUDES:Garmin 010-01755-13 vivosmart 3 – Black, Large – 1 Year Extended Warranty
  • “1 Year Extended Warranty in Addition to the Included Full Manufacturer Warranty”

 

Apple’s 3rd Generation Smartwatch

For the athlete with a larger budget and desiring lots of features, Apple’s third generation smartwatch is a great pick! It has cellular network connectivity, so you can leave your phone behind during your workouts. The Series 3 is waterproof up 50 meters, so you can go for a swim with it as well!

Apple’s 3rd Generation Smartwatch has a built-in GPS, so you can precisely track your outdoor activities. There is also an ultra precise heart-rate sensor. The 3rd Generation comes with casing options that range from aluminum and stainless steel all the way to ceramic in the Edition models. You can also customize it with an excellent selection of bands to help you customize it.

This is one fitness monitor that strikes the perfect balance between design, available features and the ease of use![easyazon_image align=”left” height=”375″ identifier=”B075TDYHPB” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41tetHElCtL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Unlock Your Hip Flexors Review

Unlock Your Hip Flexors DVD Review

Name: Unlock Your Hip Flexors

Website: hiddensurvivalmuscle.com

Price: $10

Owners: Mike Westerdal, CPT, RKC
Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

Unlock Your Hip Flexors, Product Overview

This is a program that targets the hip flexors. The goal of Mike’s exercises is to undo all the damage that hours sitting at a desk is having on your health.

Your constant sitting is impacting your health in three major ways. It is creating a bulging belly. Have you ever wondered why your stomach still sticks out even though you’ve done plenty of core work? The underlying cause is likely a tight psoas muscle, which causes the lower back to curve and pushes out the stomach. With a properly working psoas, the abdomen and tummy are tucked in and looking flat.

The second thing that sitting does is impair your ability to lose fat. The psoas is tied to our fight or flight natural instinct. It is only supposed to tighten in response to adrenaline. In the sitting position, the psoas muscle is constantly tightened. This signals to the body that you are in constant danger. The adrenal glads begin to overwork. As this happens, your immune system suffers and your body automatically switches into fat storing mode in anticipation of danger.

Stress Response System

Finally, a sedentary job could be impacting your sexual performance. Sitting all day and tightening up that hip flexor leaves you stuck in a forward thrust position. This leads to pulling on the lower back and decreased blood circulation and flow through the hips and to your sexual organs.

Tight hip flexors can also lead to the following:

  • Nagging joint pains in your legs, lower back or hips
  • Discomfort when walking
  • Hips locking up
  • Poor posture
  • Drowsiness
  • High Anxiety
  • Digestive problems
  • Compromised Immune System
  • Circulation problems
  • Loss of sexual performance

Rick has pulled together a “sequential flow” designed just for you composed of 10 carefully selected exercises, including PNF Stretching, Static Stretching, Dynamic Stretching, 3-Dimensional Core Stability Exercises, Mobility Exercises, Fascia Stretching and Muscle Activation.

 

Lack of Sexual Performance

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Instant access via a download.

PRO #2: Excellent exercise combinations to strengthen the and unlock the hip flexors. Mike provides you with an exercise sequence that will unlock the hip flexors.

PRO #3: These exercises are more than just stretches. Mike goes more in depth than a simple static stretch. A simple stretch that lasts a few minutes isn’t going to undo hours of sitting at a desk all day.

The Bad:

CON #1: It is a digital product. You won’t get the guidance and training that you would receive from a one-on-one trainer.

Who is Unlock Your Hip Flexors for?

This is an excellent product. Virtually everyone in modern society has tight hip flexors. The people who will receive the most benefit from this product are the ones that are interested in physical fitness, improving athletic performance and relieving pain. However, even the average student or office worker will benefit from this set of exercises.

 

Unlock Your Hip Flexors Tools & Training
You will receive a coaching instructional video where Rick teaches you in depth how to perform all ten exercises. They are demonstrated with perfect form. You’ll fully understand why you are doing each exercise, the best for it and how it should feel. The second video you will receive is a follow along type of instructional video. This format is designed so that you can do the exercises along with the video without it stopping for explanation.

You will receive a manual with more details about the psoas muscle and the impacts that it can have on shortening your health and well-being. The manual also includes pictures and detailed descriptions of the exact exercise movements.

 

Unlock Your Hip Flexors Support

You can contact the owner if you have questions at criticalbench1@gmail.com.

 

Unlock Your Hip Flexors Price

The digital version of this program is only $10. That is very inexpensive for a DVD and a manual of this caliber. You can find plenty of generic exercise DVDs for about $10, but this one is designed to improve the blood flow to your hips and reverse the damage of sitting for hours on end.

In addition to the hip flexor exercises, you also receive some great bonuses. You will also receive the Unlock Your Tight Hamstrings program as well as The anti-inflammatory diet. In less than 24 hours, you can turn your body’s switch on to its naturally healing process rather than the pain and inflammation which leads to chronic disease. The Hamstring Program is definitely a great bonus. However, I feel the ketogenic diet is probably the best anti-inflammatory diet around.

At only $10 for the digital version and a money-back guarantee, you can’t go wrong with this product! It is top-notch and a big bang for your buck!

My Final Opinion of Unlock Your Hip Flexors

This product delivers. As a certified personal trainer, I knew about these exercises and even taught clients to use them. However, I never thought to combine them in such a clever way. This is an excellent exercise routine for unlocking the hip flexors. Rick provides great detail in his videos and his explanation of how to do the exercises are on point.

If you are suffering from unexplained hip pain, back pain or joint pain, this is the product for you. Not only is it reasonably priced, but they stand behind their product with a 100% money-back guarantee. No questions asked. If you don’t feel relief after implementing these exercises, just ask for your money back!

One of the great things about this program is that you don’t need a gym or special equipment to complete it. You can do it from your home every day.

Unlock Your Hip Flexors at a Glance…

Name: Unlock Your Hip Flexors

Website: hiddensurvivalmuscle.com

Owners: Mike Westerdal, CPT, RKC

Price: $10 – digital – $15 DVD = $7.95 shipping and handling

Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! I really like this program and recommend it. I know how much damage sitting can cause even though it doesn’t seem like it. This program teaches you to reverse some of the damage that you have done over the years.

Best Ab Workout Routine For Women – Ultimate Plank Fitness

Many people wonder what the best workout is to get their abs in shape. It is not the sit up! It is the Plank! There are far more muscles involved in doing a plank than a sit up. Planks can be held longer and the variations of planks can strengthen multiple muscle groups. [easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”1592336604″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51luJWxU1gL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”405″]

Ultimate Plank Fitness Review

Name: Ultimate Plank Fitness

Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”B07237Z2XK” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]Amazon.com[/easyazon_link]

Price: $10.99

Owners: Jennifer DeCurtins

Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

Ultimate Plank Fitness, Book Overview

This is a safe and effective, yet challenging method of core conditioning. Planking is one of the best ways to get fit and toned. Jennifer DeCurtains provides variations of planks that are used in many fitness domains including personal training, home workouts, yoga, barre, Pilates, CrossFit and many more!

Planks have the ability to sculpt abs, shoulders, pectorals, biceps, triceps, glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Planking also increases your heart rate, which increases calorie burning. You will be working out your muscles and your heart at the same time.

Ultimate Plank Fitness features one hundred different variations of planks. You can use these different planks to customize your workout. As you progress, you can increase the difficulty of your core strengthening exercises by adding gliders, weights and stability balls.

The exercises each include a step-by-step photo demonstration, points of performance, where to engage, along with common faults. Jennifer DeCurtins also includes ten 5-minute workouts which incorporate several planks that you can use to target the trouble areas and increase strength.[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”1592336604″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jCYUiFx6L.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”408″]

You can program your workout around the plank with the numerous variations of planks that are available in this book. You can do side planks, traditional planks and planks involving moving surfaces. The Ultimate Plank Fitness enables you to work your way to a healthy core!

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: This is very convenient and can be done from the comfort of your own home!

PRO #2: It is competitively priced at only about ten dollars.

PRO #3: The exercises build the strength of multiple muscle groups and strengthen your core.

PRO #4: By improving your core strength, your posture will improve and you will look better.

The Bad:

CON #1: You won’t have an instructor nearby correcting your form, so you have to be attentive and mindful of your body’s positioning.

CON #2: You have to remember to set aside the time each day and actually do it!

Who is Ultimate Plank Fitness for?

Ultimate Plank Fitness is for the person who wants to improve their core fitness without going to a gym. It is for people who want to get in shape that are self-motivated to create a workout routine and stick to it. It is great for stay at home moms who want to tone their figures, but don’t want to pay for a babysitter to watch their kids while they work out.

It can also be great for the business professional that travels a lot, but wants a consistency in their workout. These planks can be done from a hotel room!

Ultimate Plank Fitness Tools & Training

This is a 160-page book with details on how to do over one hundred different variations of planks and exercises that strengthen your core.

Ultimate Plank Fitness Support

There is not support associated with this product. It is simply a book of workouts, so it should be used by someone with confidence in their own ability to perform exercises.

Ultimate Plank Fitness Price

At only $10, you’ll receive a wealth of information and ideas on how to challenge your core with p

My Final Opinion of Ultimate Plank Fitness

Planking is one of the most effective methods of working out your core, upper body and legs all at once. This book provides you with a lot of different planks to use in your daily workouts that will challenge you and build your strength. This book is laid out well with pictures that demonstrate the exercises and captions that point out pitfalls that you look out for when you are working out.

The average rating this book was given on Amazon was 4.5. Most of the people who ordered the book found it very helpful.

Ultimate Plank Fitness at a Glance…
Name: Ultimate Plank Fitness

Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”1592336604″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″ cart=”n”]

Amazon.com

 

[/easyazon_link]

Owners: Jennifer DeCurtins

Price: $10.99

Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! Great book that will demonstrate planks and their variations.

Skillshare for Online Fitness Workouts

Unsure what type of workouts are best for you? Do you like to explore a lot of different classes from the convenience of your home? You may want to check out Skillshare. It has a wealth of information not just for creative crafty courses, but also for fitness, healthy cooking and self-improvement.

Skillshare Review

Name: Skillshare Online Classes

Website: skillshare.com

Price: First month Free then $15 per month

Owners: Skillshare

Overall Rank: 75 out of 100

Skillshare Online Fitness Workouts, Product Overview

Skillshare is an online subscription based platform that offers a wide variety of courses online. The fitness workouts that are available are great workouts that you can do at home including yoga, kettlebell workouts, weight lifting, calisthenics, and a few Pilates classes.

Skillshare allows up and coming online instructors to upload the courses that they created without really looking into the expertise or background of the individual. Therefore, if you have basic knowledge of something, you can teach it on Skillshare. Many people use skillshare to increase their online presence when they are just starting to build a following. It helps online instructors to gain some exposure.

You will discover with Skillshare that some courses are excellent and others are lacking. Some instructors’ teaching styles will resonate with you and others will fall flat.

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: The cost is low. You have access to hundreds of courses for the cost of $15 per month.

PRO #2: There is a wide variety of fitness courses, including health and wellness, self-improvement, strength training, and dieting.

PRO #3: In addition to some online fitness workouts, skillshare has classes on time management in order to help you fit these classes into your busy life.

 

The Bad:

CON #1: Hundreds of courses can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where you want to start. You may have one topic in mind, but get distracted by the dozens of other courses that look great.
CON #2: The quality of each course varies dramatically. Some courses seem like they are just put together quickly and others seem very professional. It can be really hit or miss.

 

Who is Skillshare for?

Skillshare is for the individual who is into self-improvement and wants to learn new things from the comfort of his or her own home. Skillshare is great for the creative individual who wants to gain more skills and create more from home. Skillshare is an excellent option for a homeschooling mom who may need some creative projects to keep her kids busy.

Skillshare is great for the self-motivated learner who is willing to put the time into learning a skill online. Many people sign up for skillshare and then forget about it and never get through one course on the platform. However, for those who are self-motivated to learn a skill, this is an inexpensive way to learn something new.

 

Skillshare Tools & Training

The tools and training for each fitness course in Skillshare will vary based on what the instructor has uploaded onto the platform. Many courses are only videos. However, some courses have accompanying worksheets that you can download in the form of a PDF. The best courses will also have a Facebook group or an online forum that you can join and ask questions regarding the course that you are taking.

 

Skillshare Support

Skillshare offers email support to its members. You can contact Skillshare support through their help center. Here’s the link for their help center: https://help.skillshare.com/hc/en-us

 

Skillshare Pricing

Skillshare charges a monthly fee of $15 per month. However, you can sign up for $99 per year if you want to reduce your cost and envision yourself using the service for a full year.

This price is a bit high considering you can find many YouTube tutorials online that don’t charge you anything. However, YouTube videos don’t always take you step by step through instructions. Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. If you are learning something, you may not think about a step that is essential. This is where taking a course from an instructor can be very helpful.

 

My Final Opinion of Skillshare Online Courses
I like Skillshare for the creative courses. However, it is a bit lacking in the fitness arena. There are plenty of courses online to take through Skillshare. I have been a member for about a month and the novelty of taking online courses seems to be wearing off on me a bit.

I have found some Skillshare self-improvement courses very helpful. I have enjoyed learning about a variety of different topics as part of my two month membership. However, it is unlikely that I will continue my membership. I don’t find that I am going to watch the courses on a regular basis. I still have a tendency to gravitate towards quick YouTube videos rather than 2 hour long courses with worksheets.

Skillshare is not the best for online fitness workouts. You’d probably do better finding a free YouTube workout or joining Beachbody for online workouts instead. However, if you want additional creative courses and some home workouts, it may be the perfect solution for you.

Overall, I gave it a C. When you first join, it is fun and exciting to try to learn a lot of cool things online. However, when reality kicks in and you are faced with implementing those skills and changing your habits, it is often more effective to take a course in person. I have also discovered that if I pay a bit more for an online course, I’m more likely to stick with it and get the biggest bang for my buck. At $15 per month, it isn’t a huge investment and often I find myself forgetting to log into the site and finish the courses that I start.
Learn on Skillshare
Skillshare at a Glance…

Name: Skillshare

Website: Skillshare.com

Owners: Skillshare

Price: FREE trial- then $15 per month

Overall Scam Rank: 75 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT – This isn’t a scam. You may discover some wonderful instructors on Skillshare that you truly love. However, it is very easy to get overwhelmed with the wide variety of courses and not know where to start.

Fit Over 40 Review

Fit Over 40 Review

Name: Fit Over 40
Website: FitOver40asap.com
Price: $39.95
Owners: Brett Yokley
Overall Rank: 65 out of 100

Fit Over 40, Product Overview

Fit Over 40 is an online course to help people who are over the age of 40 slim down quickly. Brett Yokley is a personal trainer and he focuses on diet and exercise. Rather than cardio exercise, he prescribes weight training exercises to build muscle.

Brett Yokley makes recommendations for supplementation that he feels is essential and unique to people who are over forty years of age. As we age, our hormones and metabolism does change, so it can be worthwhile to take a look at the nutrients that you are getting.

Finally, Brett gives you a simple diet plan to follow. He says that it works every time. This is delievered to you throug a manual in a PDF format. He claims that with a simple 60/40 rule, you will have sustained energy all day long and you won’t feel hungry.

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Solid recommendations for exercising focusing more on weight training than on cardiovascular exercise.
PRO #2: Eight customizable workouts that are geared towards fat loss.
PRO #3: You are taught how to easily incorporate these workouts into your daily life. This means that you are more likely to do them!

The Bad:

CON #1: Supplements are not necessary to lose weight. However, this program recommends five essential supplements and a schedule of when to take them during the day.
CON #2: The dietary recommendations are sub-par. If you are not going to cut carbohydrates, you are going to continually have inflammation in your body. The dietary recommendations are based on calories and do not eliminate carbohydrates.

Who is Fit Over 40 for?

Fit over 40 is designed for the person who is over forty who just wants to slim down. This program is not designed well for anyone over 40 who has a metabolic disorder, epilepsy, or a psychiatric condition. The recommended diet in this program is based on a calories in and calories out approach. This could be detrimental to anyone who has a pre-existing or inflammatory condition.

Fit Over 40 Tools & Training

You’ll receive a digital manual that gives you information on what diet to follow, what supplements to take and what exercises to do. The instructions will come to your email inbox and be in a PDF format.

 

Fit Over 40 Support

With this product, you will receive email support. The support for this product is at – support@fitover40asap.com

Fit Over 40 Price

The cost of this program is $39.95. This program comes with a sixty day money back guarantee if you don’t see results. Therefore, there is no risk to you as a consumer.

The program does come with a bunch of bonuses that may make it worth the price! The first bonus is Healthy Eating Cookbook Special by Canadian Living. This ebook contains over 125 good for you recipes that are healthy and delicious. They are also super effective at fat loss.

The second bonus is the Science of Staying Young by Scientific American. This is a 14.95 value. You will discover firsthand reports from leading researchers. It is jam packed with in depth reports on how to slow down the aging process.

backpainebookThe third bonus that is included is the Top 10 Exercises for Beating Back Pain by Dr. Tom Meehan. This ebook is a $19.99 value!

The fourth free bonus that comes with your order is the Complete Body Detox Guide to Better Health.  This is a complete guide on how to eliminate harmful toxins from your body. It is a 76 page ebook. It will help you clean, clear, and cleanse your system!

downshiftingThe fifth free bonus gift is “Downshifting” How to Work Less and Enjoy Life More. This book by John D. Drake, Ph.D. This ebook demonstrates to readers how to resist pressure and actually spend less time in the office! John Drake examines the frantic pace of today’s business environment, and assists readers in overcoming the fear of working less. He also shows them how to make that change. Dr. Drake uses real-life examples to provide practical strategies for freeing up personal time.

The sixth free bonus you’ll receive is “Bally’s Total Fitness” health eBook, which is valued at $8.95! This ebook gives information on portion control and eliminating workout excuses!

ballyebookAnd your last free bonus is “Time Management with Exercise” that is workth $12.95! This is a workbook that will show you step-by-step how to systematically map out the most efficient use of your time when you exercise.

 

My Final Opinion of Fit Over 40

As someone who has been a personal trainer and studied the different fad diets over the years, I am giving this program a thumbs down. While the exercises may be great and the diet may lead you to weight loss, it won’t do anything in the way of improving health conditions. The ketogenic diet is an anti-inflammatory diet that will reduce your weight and put you on the road to better health.

Fit Over 40 at a Glance…

Name: Fit Over 40

Website: fitover40asap.com
Owners: Bretty Yokley
Price: $39.95
Overall Scam Rank: 65 out of 100

VERDICT: NOT LEGIT

Don’t buy it. Check out the FREE Keto Bacon and Butter cookbook to get yourself on the way to better health! The ketogenic diet has been proven to help eliminate neurological conditions, stabilize your weight, reduce hunger and prevent Alzheimer’s. If you are going to start a diet for your health, this is the diet to go with!

3 Week Yoga Retreat DVD workout review

3 Week Yoga Retreat DVD Workout Review[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B01MUEUXTW” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51A8kpPmlVL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

Name: 3 Week Yoga Retreat

Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MUEUXTW” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]Amazon.com[/easyazon_link]

Price: $71.80

Owners: Beachbody

Overall Rank: 88 out of 100

3 Week Yoga Retreat DVD workout series Product Overview

 

This three week yoga series enables you to learn yoga at home in twenty-one days. You will receive step by step expert instruction over 21 unique classes. This is perfect for beginners to yoga.

The first week of the program lays out the foundation and the basics of yoga. For this week, the expert instructor is Vytas.

The second week focuses on expanding your skills. You will broaden your practice in the second week with the Yoga expert, Elise.

Week three is dedicated to progression. You will try out harder versions of the poses. You will really start to see your progress in week three as you follow along with the yoga expert, Ted. On the weekends, they have relax and unwind classes for you to do.

Faith will be your instructor on the weekends. She will teach you to relax, unwind and destress. The weekend classes are only 10 minutes long. They give you a bit of a break to allow your muscles to renew and repair.

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: It is very convenient to do at home in your spare time. You will eliminate the time you travel to the gym. Very efficient.

PRO #2: The yoga poses are held for a long enough time to be challenging. The background music is not distracting. It is very easy to focus on what is being said about the how to hold the poses.
PRO #3: Yoga poses are well described and demonstrated. It is easy to follow along with what they are doing. You have great visuals and solid instructions.

The Bad:

[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B01MUEUXTW” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BV6Un3-QL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]CON #1: I’m almost always disappointed in the breathing component of yoga instruction. He doesn’t tell you when to breathe in and out, which in my opinion is good. However, the instructions for how to breathe with your diaphragm were lacking.

CON #2: Since it is a DVD, you don’t have the camaraderie of friends with you at a yoga studio.

CON #3: There are advertisements between the workouts, which is disappointing to many. If you pay for a program, you really want to be able to avoid more advertisements and commercials.

Who is 3 Week Yoga Retreat DVD series for?

This is ideal for the individual who is interested in increasing strength and flexibility at home. It is perfect for the stay at home mom who wants to workout and find some inner peace. It is great for the runner to target his underutilized muscles and even out his strength.

Three week yoga retreat is great for people who are interested in learning yoga and doing their workout from home. They will be able to master yoga practice in 30 minutes sessions for 3 weeks.

This workout series is geared toward the beginnger, but even someone who is more advanced in their yoga practice will discover a great home workout. It can be very helpful for someone who is a beginner and self-conscious to master the poses at home instead of in a class where everyone else knows the poses. You can stop and repeat the instructions as many times as you need in order to master the poses.

3 Week Yoga Retreat Tools & Training

This workout series includes 3 weeks of workouts with 3 different instructors. This enables you to discover which style of instruction works best for you. There are 21 different classes that are thirty minutes long.

In addition to the yoga training, you will also receive a class calendar, quick start guide, nutrition guide and a pose tracker to understand how to do the poses better.

3 Week Yoga Retreat DVD Support
This is a Beachbody product. You can contact support with questions regarding the 3-week retreat program at support@Beachbody.com

3 Week Yoga Retreat Price
The price of the 3-Week Retreat is $72.80. This is a great value. If you took a yoga class from the local recreation center, you would end up paying about $15 per class. This product gives you 21 classes, for a cost of $3 per class, with the ability to take the classes over and over! This is a great value you. You could even have friends or family do the workouts for you to gain even more value from your program.

My Final Opinion of 3 Week Yoga Retreat
I loved doing 3 Week Yoga Retreat. I found Ted to be a great yoga instructor. I loved the pacing that he had with each of the poses. I enjoyed that he had you turn your focus inward. I found the workout to be very challenging even for someone with yoga experience.

I loved that the yoga classes were only 30 minutes. Many yoga classes are 45-60 minutes. Thirty minutes is a good amount of time for a home workout, you can easily squeeze it in between projects or before work. I love the flexibility of being able to get the workout done at the beginning or the end of the day. It makes it so much more convenient than going down to the local recreation center or yoga studio.

3 Week Yoga Retreat at a Glance…

Name: 3 Week Yoga Retreat DVD series[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B01MUEUXTW” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SybH2bXVL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MUEUXTW” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]3 Week Yoga Retreat Workout Program (DVDs) – Learn Yoga at home in 21 Days[/easyazon_link]

Owners: Beachbody

Price: $72.80

Overall Scam Rank: 88 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT – This is a great yoga workout series! I loved it!

Beachbody’s Ten Minute Trainer | Can You Get Fit in 10 Minutes a Day?

[easyazon_image align=”right” cloak=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B0016PWG7S” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Nd5QvNjIL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]Beachbody Ten Minute Trainer Review

Name: Ten Minute Trainer by Tony Horton

Website: Amazon.com

Price: $92.85

Owners: Tony Horton and Beachbody

Overall Rank: 85 out of 100

Ten Minute Trainer Product Overview

This is a series of ten-minute workouts that is aimed to get you a full body workout in ten minutes.

Tony Horton combined some of his most effective moves in these workouts. He combined some moves into a series of power packed total body workouts. He named his technique super stacking because it combines fat burning cardio, body toning and sculpting and ab moves. He also adds resistance for even better results’. Ten minutes of Tony Horton’s super stacking may burn as many calories as thirty minutes of jogging. This is because he combines arm movements with challenging leg exercises. Ten minute trainer takes away the excuse of not having enough time to work out.

The 10-Minute Trainer Kit includes everything that you will need to complete your workouts fast and effectively. There are six great workouts on 2 separate DVDs, on the go workout cards, a resistance band, a cardio belt, a workout calendar, rapid results’ guidebook, a 2-day jump start plan as well as a recipe guide.

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: This workout does get your heart rate up in ten minutes. The cardio workout was not extremely challenging, but it did target a few different muscle groups. My heart rate was higher after 10 minutes and I was starting to sweat.

PRO #2: The workout is only ten minutes. This is great for people who don’t have a lot of time to exercise.

PRO #3: There is minimal equipment required to complete the workouts, they only require resistance bands and can be done with or without the bands.

PRO #4: The exercises are fairly simple and Tony Horton does a great job describing how to safely and effectively complete each move.

The Bad:

CON #1: It is only ten minutes. You may be able to get fit in ten minutes here and there, but it will definitely take longer to build muscle.

CON #2: You will not build up endurance with short bursts of energy expenditure.
CON #3: Each of the workouts are on different DVDs, so you will have to change the DVDs when you want to move to a different workout.

Who is Tony Horton’s Ten Minute Trainer for?

[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B0016PWG7S” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zVYz6uZAL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

 

This workout series is great for the busy mom or executive that is really struggling to find time in their day to workout. You will benefit from these exercises. It is great for someone who may not have large blocks of time in order to workout, but can fit a workout in during a child’s nap time or while something is baking in the oven.

Tony Horton’s ten-minute trainer can be effectively used by college students who are trying to juggle work and school and don’t seem to be making it to the gym regularly. This is great for the person whose fitness goal is to lose a few pounds and tone up.

This is a great program for people who are struggling to use their gym membership. You don’t have to drive to the gym and drive back. A drive to and from the gym would end up being at least ten minutes and this will eliminate the travel to the gym time.

Ten minute trainer is more beneficial for people who are beginners and those who are just getting back into fitness rather than advanced athletes. An athlete may use the program during the day to enhance what they are already doing or to focus on other movements that aren’t in their normal training program.

Ten Minute Trainer Tools & Training
The Ten Minute trainer comes with an easy to follow eating plan that focuses on decreasing your caloric intake. While this will help you to lose weight, I tend to prefer to recommend the ketogenic diet for your nutrition, as that puts your body in fat burning mode. . It also comes with pro-grade resistance bands that have comfort flex handles.

Ten minute trainer includes a customized workout calendar, bonus abs routine and on the go workout cards.

[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B0016PWG7S” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rhJXJEHmL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

Ten Minute Trainer Support

Since this is a Beachbody product, you can contact support via email at support@beachbody.com. They will answer any questions regarding the schedule or nutrition guide.

Ten Minute Trainer Price

The complete package is $92.85 on Amazon. This is a competitive price for a series of workout DVDs, resistance bands, a nutrition guide and a workout calendar.

My Final Opinion of 10-Minute Trainer

This is a great product for someone whose goal is to lose weight and they can only find time for ten-minute workouts. This gives them a great structure and plan for working out. The workouts are not extremely tough and you won’t be sweating a ton after each one, so you could get by with just wiping the sweat off of your forehead afterward and using some deodorant instead of a full shower.

I think a busy stay at home mom would benefit the most from this product. Often moms have interruptions during their day and it may be better to complete a few different ten-minute workouts instead of not completing a thirty-minute workout.

I had been doing Shaun T’s 25 minute Focus workout for the last week, so the ten-minute trainer seemed like a piece of cake when I did it. However, everyone starts from a different place. I still did end up sweating a little by the end of ten minutes. Having a regular routine of ten-minute workouts and doing them consistently will get you on track to better fitness.

10 Minute trainer at a Glance…
Name: Ten Minute Trainer by Tony Horton

Website: Available at Amazon.com or Beachbody.com[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” identifier=”B0016PWG7S” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]

Owners: Beachbody and Tony HOrton

Price: $92.85

Overall Scam Rank: 85 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! While this isn’t the most challenging workout, it will fit the lives of many people.