Home sick and infomercials
and miserable of course. Thank God, its not a normal training day. I’m just going to lay around all day and nap. I took the day off sick from work, so I will be here if you want to chat. I think I am going to go throw in the movie 300 as it always seems to motivate me. I am always rooting for the underdogs.
I wanted to rant a little about infomercials for a sec. I saw a new one called the "Corevolution", this one seems great! I will have to agree with what they are selling. Its a great glute and lower back workout. To stregthen the erectors helps dramactically in reducing back problems.
The standing still pilates thingy…….on the fence about this one. They are just stretching and I don’t now that you are actually going to get a lean , toned body from that. How does no cardio in any form, help you lose weight?
The Px90 (I think I am missing a letter). This workout is insane to say the least, but I totally agree with muscle confusion. They mix up tons of cardio/weight exercises and I think its a good one if you can actually keep up with it. Their testers are all pretty long and skinny/fat to begin with though. They started with no one in the "larger" bodytype for their before and afters.
The new ab chair. Ah, don’t see much happening here. Its like a short beach chair that helps you do situps without grabbing behind your head. It has some sort of spring system to assist you. Okay, we have already talked about spot toning before. If you are holding alot of bodyfat, doing sit ups will not make you lean and show your abs. Its an all over bodyfat issue. thats diet………lose fat, then build muscle and it will show more.
The seat that rotates right and left like a bar chair (sorry I forget the names of these things) No way you are getting abs from just moving right to left. I used a similar machine in the gym and gave it up. I think it just torques my spine. One move is not going to lean out your whole body and make you a god.
The Chuck Norris/Christy Brinkly (total gym?). This one seems pretty good. There seems to be alot of exercises you can do on it using your own bodyweight. I think it would be good for toning full body. Hopefully, the rollers stay smooth and it doesnt fall apart and end up under the bed.
Bowflex. I had a Weider band machine a long time ago. the only thing that concerns me is after you pull the resistance bar, it has to go back. Will it jerk you? The bands kind of hand a snap back thing going on. Guess I would have to try a boxflex to get a more accurate assessment.
My sears/weider home gym. It has 2 stations and I never touch it. It was never really fluid to me, even when I oiled it. The leg press caused me back pain as you can never get it small enough for me to be seated properly. My leg range was about 4 inches max. It’s so crappy compared to my gyms equipment. I dont find home machine adjustable enought to suit needs of people of different sizes….its a $500 pile of crap now.
The "bargain gym memberships…I pay about $40 a month for my membership. Some people complain it is too expensive, so they go to the $10 gyms. You get what you pay for is all I have to say. My gym has classes you can join and they actually talk to you and know my name. You are allowed to make some measure of noise without a light going off. I am not talking loud grunting, but people tend to make noise when they exert themselves. Its human ya know. Thats why we are there, to exert ourselves……….duh.
Okay, I talked enough. I think I am going to go watch some infomercials instead.
October 29, 2007 at 6:32 am
Great post. And thanks for the reviews. Sorry that your under the weather. Get some rest, watch 300! Because I don’t know about where you are, but here in Texas, daytime TV bites. Its all soap opera’s and judge/court shows! I hate being sick!
October 29, 2007 at 6:49 am
I first came into contact with a Total Gym in Rehab. Years before the infomercial version came available. It was permanently attached to a wall. This was in 1980. I bought one of the cheap versions in 1997 and used it for an hour a day for over a year. Gave it to my brother who used it for several years. I wore out a cable, the company sent me one no charge. I upgraded to the Total Gym 2000 that is a step below the Commercial version and a step above the infomercial version. I liked it, but it never gave me a good enough leg work out. I have really strong legs.
A neighbor who is moving and just lost his job sold me his $2,000+ Bowflex this weekend for $200. I haven’t used it yet, but I always wanted one. I will get it together this week and play with it. I can go up to over 500 pounds on it, and it has the leg extension attachment, so it should work out well for me.
I work out at a $10 a month gym, that is actually a $19 a month gym. I signed up before they opened. It has about 2,000sqft of Cardio equipment, and 3,000sqft of machines and free weights. No classes, no showers, no frills. Just the basics. I love it. I am .5 miles from the front door. Thats 6 miles closer than the next closest gym. It is between my house and business, so I can stop in on my way home if I don’t get in for the morning workout.
It works for me.
October 29, 2007 at 9:04 am
Most of those home gyms are gimmicks and tricks playing on peoples emotion and guilt. These companies should be ashamed of themselves. IMO
October 29, 2007 at 1:15 pm
OK I have to give 2 cents here. My wife bought P90x a few weeks ago and has been following it. She doesn’t want or have a gym membership, so she works out at home. I had been telling her for years/months that she was getting the results she wanted because she wasn’t pushing herself and she wasn’t lifting heavy enough. Since she started doing P90x she has really began to push herself, I can’t say she is lifting heavy since I haven’t tracked that (I get kicked out when she is lifting ..LOL) but we are seeing some great progress already. So I don’t think that one is bad..
October 29, 2007 at 1:59 pm
We had a Bowflex, bought it brand new in 2003. Spent 2000+ for it. We hated it, it toke to long to change cables, unhook the bottom ones to hook up the top. Sold the darn thing this past X-Mas for 600. One good thing about it was you really don’t need a spotter! For now, I’ll stick to my free weights and my gym membership.
October 29, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Sorry you feel bad!
infomercials are funny sometimes. I find myself sitting there for 20 minutes, contemplating if it would work or not.
October 29, 2007 at 3:30 pm
That"s alot of info for not feeling well. But that just seems to be your nature. You are more up than most peole i know who aren’t sick. YOUR BODY WILL BE UP TO YOUR ATTITUDE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. REST WELL..and kepp knocking us out with your photos!!