Editor’s (Rick) Note: A couple of months ago, FitJerk invited me to write an article on his web site. We have been working to figure out how to bring his expertise over to HelpMeRick.com and he came up with this great article melding fitness and technology. FJ hails from Canada and is a personal trainer and fitness guru who motivates people every day to reach their fitness goals. Check out his guest article below. Thanks FJ.
photo credit: chrisdlugosz
Let’s face it, when it comes to the holiday season there are a crap load of ways that you can gain some weight. You can overfeed yourself on turkey, drink outrageous amounts of wine, dive into the dessert dish, swallow your Christmas present or deliberately switch with Windows Vista. Indeed, for the skinny twig that is looking to put on some mass, there is no shortage of choice. So I figured I would share a few geeky gadgets that will help you burn calories and help you guys keep OFF those pounds or better yet, burn more of them off than you take in.
Oh and for the ones lacking a little creativity, let me stroke you the right way. These gadgets make EXCELLENT gifts as well. There is nothing that encourages the happiness of Christmas like a gift that says “hey, you could lose some weight”. Men, your wifey will LOVE these gifts, honest! Two birds, one stone, that’s how I like to roll.
Gymboss Interval Timer ($19.99)
Here’s the description from the official site: “This quality interval timer will make any workout easier to plan and execute with more accuracy and consistency. It can be used for:
At first this timer doesn’t look like anything special… I mean why should you clip around an extra gadget to your pants (or undies, if you like that sorta thing) when you already have a stop watch on your watch? Well, the reason being is that it’s an interval timer. What this means is that it will keep your actual workout and rest periods consistent, which will keep your workouts consistent and efficient so you can do your business and get the hell out of the gym as soon as possible.
Let me give you one example of how to use it (there are other ways since it’s got more than 1 mode but that’s for you to explore). Let’s say you want to do 4 sets of squats and you know that with a tempo of 3 seconds per rep for 8 reps = 24 seconds, plus a few extra seconds thrown in. Then since you’re lifting some heavy shit (you should be if you’re able) you might want to rest for a minute and a half between each of your 4 sets.
So you set the # of intervals to 4, set the initial time to 30, and set the secondary time to 1:20. Then all you do is press “start” and go. As soon as you finish your set, it will go “beep” and your rest period will start, you don’t have to look at a clock. Then after 90 seconds it will again go “beep” and that’s when you start your second set. It’s like having a trainer telling you when to go.
Personally, this thing is invaluable and for 20 bucks, a worthwhile investment for anyone who works out on a consistent basis.
iPhone (Apps) $0 – $5
I’m not a huge iPhone fan but you cannot afford to ignore the phone’s massive library of apps, some of which include some nifty fitness and “personal trainer” apps. So if you’re one of the millions of people who owns this phone, here are some of the top fitness apps you can chose from:
So if your child or loved one has been begging you to get an iphone, maybe you can pre-load these nifty apps on it for good measure.
PowerBall By Dynaflex ($40)
This thing looks like a toy, straight up, no word of a lie. When I got the Powerball in the mail for a review I was like “hmm, there is no way this thing can provide an effective workout”. Oh, how WRONG I was. I’m going to skip the details because if you want to read all of it, you can check out FitJerk’s Power Ball Review. But in essence, this thing rocks! It’s basically a hand-held gyro and when it starts to spin at 18,000 rpm, it can generate almost 40lbs of resistance!
It helps develop a stronger grip, powerful forearm muscles and can also be used to slightly target the biceps and tricpes. It won’t substitute a dumbbell but the best part is that you can use it while sitting down at your desk at work. You really have to try it out to know what I mean, words cannot really explain the feeling of an insanely rotating gyro in your hands. I think if it spun any faster, it would create it’s own damn gravity.
Dynamax Core Trainer 2 ($199)
So the powerball is one thing, but by using the same gyro technology, Dynaflex has come up with a bigger, badder and meaner gyro trainer. This one targets the abs and upper body all at once. Now I haven’t used this product personally, but I’ve heard good things about it. Here’s the description from the company itself:
“At the top of the Dynaflex Gyroscopic “food chain” is the DynaMax Core Trainer 2! Just pull the easy starter cord, and hold on for the gyroscopic ride of your life! Instantly, you’ll start experiencing body sculpting variable dynamic resistance building within the machine’s internal gyroscope, giving you a remarkable core and upper body workout in a fraction of the time. The question is how can a machine weighing a scant 3 pounds deliver up to 8,000 RPMs, and produce up to 200 pounds of resistance? The only way to understand the Dynamax difference is to try one for yourself!”
Two hundred pounds of resistance is a lot of force, but the cool thing about a manual gyro is that you can control the intensity by the way you move it about. I know that with the Powerball you can speed it up or slow it down based on the speed at which your move your wrists so the same concept should apply here, accept you’ll be moving your arms as well. It looks promising.
Nike + iPod ($29 + cost of ipod and Nike+ shoes)
If you already own an iPod of some sort, this would be a good investment. Although Nike says that you’ll need the Nike+ shoes, I’ve seen plenty of tutorials on the web that allow you to use the Nike sensor with almost any other shoes on the market. The concept is simple, the sensor is basically a pedometer and as you run, it records the data and wirelessly sends it to your ipod VIA a connector.
Then using your iPod you can see all sorts of nifty data such as how far you’ve run, calories burnt and the pace of your running. Then you can even sync all of this with your computer back home and track it all.
I’ve heard some pretty good things about this little combo so if you’re a runner that owns an iPod or happen to know one, I think it would make an excellent gift.
Wii Fit ($99.99)
I’ve tried the Wii fit and besides the balance games, or should I say “yoga” I wasn’t impressed. But there is a reason for that… I consider myself a bit more considerably more advance that the average Joe for which the Wii Fit was designed for.
Before we move further, you just NEED to check out this Wii Fit parody video…
Ok so I didn’t find it challenging and a few people have poked fun at it, but truth be told… if you’re a newbie or happen to know a newbie when it comes to working out, I think the Wii Fit is an excellent starting point. I mean in the end, it gets you moving (which is the important bit) and also has some nifty tracking features.
Plus I’d rather use the Wii Fit than hear Tony Horton from P90X make corny jokes all day long and what’s more? You can get the whole family to join in on the fun… and step up on the white thing!
Digital Weight Scales ($120 – $160)
I know I know, why can’t you just use the cheapo bathroom scale you have? Well, because this is cooler! Besides being ultra-cool, the digital scales I’m talking about have a few features that go above and beyond. Personally, I’m going to recommend the two that come to mind that I’ve heard good things about:
Withings ($120) and BodyTrace ($120 or $12/month contract for 1 year)
They each have advantages and disadvantages. The Withings (stupid name IMO) scale is more expensive initially, but comes with built-in WiFi so that it can directly connect to your computer and keep track of your weight, BMI, and fat% every time you step on it. You can even buy an iPhone app and send the data directly to it. The only down side is that WiFi connections are range-limited. So if you’re the kind of chap that’s always home, this won’t be a problem, but if you happen to be the type that is always on the move, BodyTrace might be the better solution.
Unlike Withings, BodyTrace relies on the GSM cell phone technology… so you can basically use this scale throughout North America. Whenever you step on it, it will send your data to your user account on their site, and from there you can manage, track, edit to your heart’s content. The only down side is that after the 1st free year, you’ll have to pay $12/month for the service of using the website’s tracking feature since GSM data transfers aren’t cheap.
Depending on your situation, pick the one that’s right for you. I’m a HUGE believer in tracking when it comes to your health and fitness. You should track everything you do in the gym, along with your weight, BMI, fat mass etc. The more data you have, the better.
If you don’t track, you are wasting your damn time and you’ll never know how and where to improve. You’ll be completely aimless and end up lifting the same weight day after day and trust me, your results plateau faster than John Mcenroe’s talk show was taken off the air. Oh you didn’t know he had a talk show? Exactly. No one will notice you. Wouldn’t that suck?
Let’s Wrap This Up
So depending on your situation (and your budget) I’ve just given you 7 ways that you can burn some calories and keep the weight off this Holiday season. If you’re already in shape, think of others, set aside the notion of “hurt feelings” and give the gift of health because joking aside, a few extra years to someone’s life is probably the best thing you could ever give them.
As always, be reasonable and do it my way!
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I love the wi spoof. Fantastic fun !!
Thanks, Fit Jerk is a a fun and knowledgeable guy, and we are lucky to have him share his expertise here at HMR.
Informative but many of us cannot afford a lot of gadgets.
I use my stretch band and buy used exercise video tapes.
I did not like the profanity in is articles.
Stretch bands and resistance bands are a worthwhile investment. I own a sturdy pair… they act as a portable gym when I’m on the go. Specially in hotels that have no concept of what a real gym SHOULD have and just smother the place with useless machines.
Profanity… hmm I guess everyone has a limiting treshold of what’s considered “profane” but you’re totally entitled to your opinion.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) Maria, I’m an acquired taste. Appreciate the feedback though.
Wow, I can’t believe I missed this post in my reader. This is awesome! If I can buy more geeky things to get in shape, then it’s time to get in shape!
I really like the Withings (you are right, it is a terrible name) idea and would possibly use that if there was an Android application for it.
Right now for Android I am using an app called Absolute Fitness. It is pretty decent and keeps track of inputs and exercise that is done throughout the day. It has a decent sized food database and can be added to very easily. I sort of wish there was a desktop sync for it but I don’t find it to hard or frustrating to use on the Droid.
Thanks for this awesome post, Fit Jerk!