…Ten Exercise Machines That Offer Exceptional Cardio Workouts…

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Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio for short, has a plethora of benefits. Cardio is good for your whole body, helping to prevent heart problems, manage your blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. It’s also a proven way to relieve stress and boost brainpower.

One of the main selling points of cardio is how much it can assist in burning fat. Even doing a few 30-minute cardio workouts a week can boost weight loss, when combined with a healthy diet. With such extensive benefits, there’s really no reason not to do some cardio.

These exercise machines offer great cardio workouts for boosting health and burning fat. While they are available in many gyms, you can also buy your own to get a good home workout.

Treadmill

The original and the most popular cardio machine. Treadmills are appreciated for their simplicity- all you need to do is get on, start and run! Modern electric treadmills offer a range of controls for your workout. You can raise the speed for a more heart-pumping workout. Increasing the incline is also an effective way to get a better workout at lower speeds.

It depends on the level of incline and speed you use, but you could potentially burn a few hundred calories in a 30-minute treadmill workout. The only real drawback of the treadmill is it can feel limiting. If you’re happy to run on a small patch of rubber, you might be happier to be out running in nature.

Elliptical Machine

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Elliptical machines, also known as cross-trainers, are a relatively new entry to the cardio machine market. They were first introduced by the Precor company in 1995 and have since become one of the trendiest machines for cardio workouts.

Ellipticals work both your upper and lower body, as you push and pull on handles while you run. They have fewer controls than some other cardio machines, but generally offer different levels of tension. You generate the workout yourself with how fast you use your arms and legs. You can choose to give yourself a fast-paced, fat-burning sprint or a slow walking marathon.

Elliptical machines are a favorite for many cardio enthusiasts. If you’re in the market for one, it’s worth looking at an Elliptical Machines Review.

Climbing Machine

Workouts on climbing machines can be absolutely exhausting. You use both your arms and legs to replicate the motion of climbing, making it an excellent upper and lower body workout. Most climbing machines use pedals and handles. The Jacob’s Ladder is an interesting alternative, on which you climb up a revolving ladder.

Exercise Bike

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Exercise bikes (also referred to as stationary bikes) are another popular cardio machine available in all gyms. The name says it all- these are simply bikes without wheels. You pedal while you hold onto handles which can measure your heart rate and let you know how much fat you’re burning.

Regular exercise bikes usually have controls to change the pedal resistance and see your workout stats. Another common form is the spin bike. Spin bikes are smaller exercise bikes without electronics. They use a weighted flywheel for you to generate your own level of resistance. Spinning is hugely popular for workout classes.

Recumbent Bike

An offshoot of the exercise bike. Recumbent bikes offer all the same features with the key difference being the position. You lean back in a chair with a backrest and have handles at the side of you. These can be better for your back, although the workouts can be less intense.

The fact you can lean back and use nothing but your legs makes recumbent bikes ideal for reading or using your phone while you work out.

Stair Climbers

If you’ve ever sprinted up a long flight of stairs, you know how easy it is to break a sweat doing it. Now imagine sprinting up a never-ending escalator.

That’s the general concept behind stair climbers. They provide a grueling fat-burning workout while also toning your legs.

The problem with stair climbers (or stair machines) is they require a lot of power and cost a lot. This means it isn’t practical to get one for home use, but if there’s one at your gym it’s well worth using!

Stepping Machine

Stepping machines are similar to stair machines, and often referred to by the same name. The difference is that instead of a revolving stairwell, they use stepping pedals with varying levels of resistance.

You can also get portable steppers without handles. These are good for home workouts. While you might not get as much of a cardio workout, they can burn a few extra calories while you tone your legs.

Rowing Machine

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Rowing machines offer one of the most complete cardio workouts in the sense they put your whole body to work. Pulling back on the handle pumps your lats and contracts your biceps while pushing away from the pedals works your glutes and quads. Your core is also used throughout to keep a straight posture.

Rowing is the best way to get cardio while working all muscle groups. The technique is important, so make sure you practice the right form for rowing.

Airdyne Bike

Airdyne bikes are like a mixture of exercise bikes and elliptical machines, as you push and pull the handles while pedaling. These can be perfect for a heart-pumping workout. It’s even possible to burn 87 calories in a minute! Airdyne bikes create more resistance the harder you pedal. If you’re looking for a challenging workout, they’re a great alternative to a regular stationary bike.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workouts

Alright, so this last one isn’t an exercise machine. But it is an effective cardio-boosting method you can use with any kind of cardio machine.

High-Intensity Interval Training workouts involve alternating between slow and fast paces while doing cardio. For example, you might walk on a treadmill for a minute, sprint at a high speed for 30 seconds then repeat the cycle for 20 minutes.

Interval training is hailed for its range of benefits. You can burn more fat, prevent muscle breakdown and even boost your metabolism in a much shorter workout. You can apply HIIT to all kinds of cardio. If you want a cheap workout, you can even do interval training with a jump rope!

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Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Chocolate and Cinnamon Breakfast Bites…

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There are a few ways that you can make this, but I decided to make mine in a unique way.

This is a GREAT breakfast option for those who need to grab food and GO in the morning.

Ingredients:

  • I tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1 scoop protein or 1 pack or 1/4 cup (*** PLEASE be aware that different protein powders will produce different results. For this Recipe I used the Advocare Vanilla Meal Replacement Shake***
  • 1/4 cup of honey
  • 1/2 cup of oat flour
  • 1/4 cup of Chocolate peanut butter (BUT you can use regular peanut butter)
  • 3/4 cup of whole oats
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

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You can MAKE your own oat flour! All you need is rolled oats and a food processor OR blender.  Put a few cups of rolled oat into the food processor/blender and mix it until it becomes fine like “Flour”. You can also purchase it BUT I just decided to make my own.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and a bowl.  Contents in bowl will start to clump together BUT it will not be a paste or batter.  You will want to grab small amounts of the mixture and roll them into small balls (about the size of a ping pong ball). Stick them in the freezer (Leave them in the freezer LONGER FOR BEST RESULTS! I stuck mine in the freezer overnight but around 4 hours should be good enough) and then enjoy.

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Like I stated in the video, I also dipped my breakfast bites with Greek Yogurt! You can use 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt and drizzle about 1 tbsp of honey to make a dip. You can also find caramel, chocolate, or other flavors at your local store and use those prepackaged yogurts to dip your bites.

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You can make these several different ways! You can use regular peanut butter with cinnamon. You can use other spices, you can use other types of nut butter, you can pretty much get as creative as you would like!

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Jennifer’s Journey: My History

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My first blog post provided a bit of information about myself as well as the reason why I wanted to blog for the site. This next post is a bit longer, but as a history nerd (I do teach 8th grade Social Studies) I think that it is important to know someone’s history in order to understand how they became the person they are today.

About a year ago I was fortunate enough to get engaged to the love of my life. Around that time I was making some pretty big changes in my life. I just graduated from a Master’s Degree program and was about to start my first year of teaching. One day I took a look at myself and realized that this change that I was doing needed to be reflected in every aspect of my life.

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I have always been fat for as long as I could remember. I am very blunt and brutally honest about it because why sugarcoat it? In elementary school, I was the big girl who wore boys clothes all of the time. Even with my rapidly developing body, I was always the biggest person in my class. I didn’t have soft curves, but round lumps and rolls that continued to grow, no matter what I did. My mom made sure that I was very active in a variety of things. I had academic camps, played tennis, basketball, and golf, and acted in the local children’s theater. Towards the end of elementary school and into middle school I began to largely focus on Tennis. I loved being on the court. It was such a whirlwind feeling for me that I felt at home. I played at least 5 days a week with additional practice, private lessons, and tournaments regularly. Even then I was on the heavier side. I would walk onto the court and have people make fun of me, “Look at that fat girl. Who does she think she is? This is going to be a really easy match.” Little did they know that I was blessed with an ace serve by Jesus himself and they would end up losing miserably, to the fat girl. I never really got over that and it was something that I always had replaying in the back of my mind my entire life.

Fast forward to high school. I was still putting on weight and trying to navigate the horror that is high school. By this time I had become more of an academic. I still did play tennis from time to time, but my main sport was marching band. I was also very active in numerous clubs and organizations around campus. As an academic I was nominated constantly for some type of award or honor at the school and throughout the city. I was always embarrassed to be nominated for such awards because of the dreaded ceremonies that came along with it. At these ceremonies, one was expected to dress in “professional wear” in order to receive their award. As a bigger girl, this always posed a problem. There was very little in the way of options in the “juniors plus size” section at stores. Also, due to my rapid development that had come with a few curves by, this time, my chest size was waaaaaay beyond that of a junior. I would then have to go to the small upstairs section and look at the “old woman’s clothes” in order to find something to wear. The clothes always came with built-in shoulder pads and were in horrible prints. I always tried to stick to a neutral solid color, but there were never any guarantees. I hated these awards ceremonies because as my classmates went to get their awards in their age appropriate dresses and skirts, here I was in my ill-fitting grandmother style dress. Time and time again, ceremony after ceremony, I was nominated and I had to bite the bullet and “just find something” that would work.

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Dating never really interested me and I was not concerned with my weight in that manner. I did have the fleeting moments when dancing in the basement of Tri-Kap or the AAm (both dorms on my alma mater’s campus) that maybe I would have more people dance with me if I was skinnier, or prettier, or a host of other things. Looking back I realized that those parties were jokes and I had ample fun dancing with my friends and was lucky to not be harassed or receive any unwanted attention. My diet at college was that of a typical college aged student—junk, fried food, and midnight pizza. My weight fluctuated up and down. I went to the gym and I started eating salads. I had a paper due. I binge ate pizza and ice cream and started the process all over again. My weight was something that I had lived with so long that it was just as much a part of me as my name or where I came from.

There were a few instances in college that made me cringe, but as I said, I was fairly comfortable with who I was. Anytime I wrote an Op-Ed piece or was interviewed for something in the newspaper the Internet trolls would inevitably point out my weight and say that it was the cornerstone for all of my problems. Maybe if I just weren’t so fat then my peers would speak to me outside of the classroom. Maybe if I weren’t so fat, I would be presented with better-paying job opportunities on campus or I would get better grades. Most of the stuff sounded completely and utterly ridiculous and I looked at it just as that. Yes, many times I wished there was a magic pill I could take to help me lose weight. Yes, I thought about starving myself or purging after eating a meal. It never manifested, but they were definitively things on my mind.

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Fast forward to more recent times and my life today. Kids are some of the most brutally rude (there is definitely a difference between being honest and being rude, they haven’t mastered it yet) people I ever met. Whenever a student wanted to insult me in the classroom, they would inevitably point out something with my weight. As if that was the worst insult that I had ever heard and as if I was going to go running from the classroom, tears streaming down my face, because of their comments. Because I had 25 years of being me, in my body, I always had a snarky comeback (you either laugh about it or come after the person—figuratively speaking—that has always been my ultimate defense mechanism) to say to them. But, I also knew that it was something that I needed to bring up to my students because I had both female and male students who I could tell struggled with their weight and were made fun of because of those things. I tried to have many candid conversations with my students about this issue. How much they absorbed, who knows, they are 8th graders. I hope that they will one day realize that there is so much more to a person than a number that may pop up one day on a scale.

When I began to see my last primary care provider (moving to Boston, I cycled through plenty) she recommended that I begin to work with the Center for Weight Control at St. Elizabeth’s hospital. At first, when she brought up bariatrics, I heard geriatrics (an old people’s doctor) and was utterly appalled. After we fixed the word miscommunication, I felt a heavy burden on my shoulders. I had struggled with my weight my entire life. I had tried personal trainers and diets and counting calories and not eating. I honestly wanted to be healthy for not only me but also my fiancé and my future children. My mother died when she was young and I did not want my children to worry about me struggling through that same kind of trauma. I decided to go check it out, what would it hurt? If I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to go back.

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Almost one year later and I got the gastric sleeve surgery done. The choice for surgery was not one that I made lightly. Along with lots of soul searching and personal meditation, I also had to meet with teams of doctors and nurses and all kinds of other people in order to even begin the process for surgery. I had to meet with nutritionists to make sure that my eating habits were where they needed to be. I definitely had to make some major changes to my diet, but having someone who has studied this and creating an individualized plan for me was so very beneficial to me. I had to meet with my shrink to make sure that I was doing this for the right reasons. Some people do the surgery in order to fit others ideas of who they should be. I have no set weight in mind. I don’t care if I’m a size 20 or a size 2. I want to be healthy and happy in my body so that I can pass along all of my amazingness to the next generation. I had to meet with the anesthesiologist, a sleep specialist, and a neurologist, while having an EKG and barium swallow along with an unscheduled mammogram done. It has been a long road, but one that is well worth it.

Now what? I am out of surgery, I spent two days in the hospital (one day extra due to nausea and lack of fluids), but now I am back home. It has been slow going. I am working on getting enough protein and water while being stuck on a liquid only diet. I can only have a few ounces of food at a time and I have to make my meals last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size. I have to walk in order to get my body to heal the stitches and rest so that it can do the work properly. I will have to take antacids and multivitamins for the rest of my life. Every. Single. Day. In hindsight, multivitamins are better than shots and amputations any day of the week.

At the end of the day, I am happy to say that I am using surgery as a tool, not a get out of jail free card. For people who think I took the easy way out by having surgery how about you go through it first and recover and then tell me if it was worth it. But honestly, I could care less if you agree with it or not. Some people have fast metabolisms; some people are into steroids; I chose to do a healthy alternative to help make me the person both inside and outside who I want to be. So if you want to follow me through my journey great! If you don’t great! Either way, I am working to be a healthier and happier me. I am looking forward to the changes and preparing for the good and the bad. I know that it will not be smooth sailing all of the time, but I am dedicated to making this workout. Whatever I want to do, I make it happen, so watch out!

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…What To Look For In Your Workout…

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When you are choosing between workouts, it can be tough figuring out what you should be going for. The truth is, there are so many on the market these days, that it is a real challenge just sifting through them. With that in mind, it is a good idea to get rid of the ones which are obviously no good. And the quickest way to do that is to know what it is that you are really looking for in your workouts. This is the kind of thing where no two people will have the same opinion. However, there are some common ideas which the majority of people will share. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the key attributes you should be looking for in your workout. Bear these in mind when you are trying to decide between two or more workout regimes.

Predictable Results

No two people are the same, and exercise affects every individual differently from the next. However, that is not to say that it is entirely sporadic. To tell the truth, when you are looking for a good workout, you should aim for something which is able to offer you predictable results. Again, you can never know for certain what effect a workout will have on you until you try it. The best you can do is go on appraisals and your better instinct. This way, you can go for something which is more likely to offer clear-cut results, which you can measure over time. That way, you can be far more certain of continued success with your workout.

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A Learning Curve

Depending on what kind of exercise regime you go for, there will always be some kind of learning curve. That is to say, there is almost always something new to learn. Either this will be something for your mind to grasp, or for your muscles memory to get used to. Whatever it is, make sure that it is a learning curve that you can handle. There are many different types of workout out there, and the fact is that some might be far too steep for you. It is always a sound idea to thoroughly research them first. Otherwise, you might find yourself straining needlessly.

Value For Money

This is something that is, for some reason, routinely overlooked. However, it is just as important here as it is with anything else. The fact is, when you hand your money over, you want to know that you are getting your money’s worth. This can be difficult to know straight off the bat, so you should look for clear signs. Try to avoid those which ask for refresh fees for DVDs, as they are often a rip off. Take a look at this info about max workouts for an example of the kind of workout scheme to avoid.

Good Use Of Time

Let’s not forget that other essential commodity, time. The fact is, you will be spending probably a fair amount of time on this new workout. As such, you should do everything you can to ensure that it is going to be worth your while. Again, this can be difficult to work out straight away. But it is worth looking into before you hand any money over. Look at previous reviews of the same product to get a good idea.

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Wait, you did what?!?

My name is Jennifer and I have had the opportunity to know Stephanie for my entire life (literally for all 25 years, she is my big sister you know). I have always struggled with my weight and never seemed to be able to get it under control no matter how much dieting or exercise I did.

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About a year ago I decided to start working with the Center for Weight Control at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston, MA. This was one of the best and scariest decisions of my life. At the Center, they specialize in various bariatric surgeries for people struggling with weight loss. After many hours of soul searching and research, I decided to go through with the surgery. I had the gastric sleeve operation on July 25, 2016. This surgery consists of removing a large part of the stomach (about 80% of it) and creating a food pouch that is the size of a small banana.

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I am still at the very early stages of recovery, but I wanted to document this monumental event in my life. I have asked Stephanie if I could chronicle my weight loss journey on her blog as she has a wide readership and provides excellent sources of recipes and workouts that are fit for anyone.

I know that there are many people out there who struggle with the “traditional” forms of weight loss. I want you to know that you are not alone and that there are options for you. Yes, I did get weight loss surgery. No, I did not take the easy way out. It has been a complete lifestyle change. It took me a lot of time to decide that this was the right path for me. Weight loss surgery is not an automatic fix to every weight issue that I have. Instead, it is another tool that can be used to help you reach your ideal weight. I hope you will follow my journey as I try to navigate through the world with a different outlook on food and nutrition. I am also working with trainer Stephanie in order to incorporate workouts into my routine that will aid with the speed and consistency of my weight loss. If you have any questions for me specifically or about the surgery in general feel free to post in the comments below and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

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Check back to her some background about my struggles with weight and the process that you go through in order to prepare for the surgery.

~Jennifer~

Follow Jennifer’s story HERE on Infinite Life Fitness. You can also follow her on Instagram @jen_n_juice13

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…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: FroYo Bites…

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Seeing as there are only a few weeks left of summer (insert cheering from parents who have had to stay home with kids all summer) it can get hard to find health and fun treats for the family to enjoy.  I do my best to try to find treats that will be healthy, affordable, and fun for every member of the family to help create.

For this recipe I decided to make FroYo bites.  This is a simple, easy, and tasty treat that can be enjoyed by all members of the family!


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Any flavor of Greek yogurt that you like. (you can even use plain unfloavored Greek Yogurt).
  • 1/2 cup Fresh fruit/berries
  • 1/2 cup Granola crumbs (you can even use graham cracker crust)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

  • In a mixing bowl mix the granola, honey, and coconut oil. This will make the granola clump together
  • In cupcake paper (you can use actual paper of silicon cups) pack in a thin layer of the granola/honey/coconut oil mix.
  • Once you create a small base layer dollop on top of the layer your favorite flavor of Greek Yogurt.
  • This is where you can get creative! You can mix in nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, berries, or pretty much anything you want into or on top of your Greek yogurt.
  • Fill your FroYo cup to the top (making sure that it DOES NOT overflow).
  • Place your FroYo cups in the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours (sometimes it does not take as long and sometimes it will take longer! I froze mine over night to make sure they would freeze completely.)
  • Once frozen peel the treats out of the cupcake wrapping.
  • ENJOY!!

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Like I stated above you can get as creative as you would like with this treat! And, it is quick, not very messy, and great to allow kids to help you make.  You can make a whole batch of them and everyone can have their very own unique FroYo Bite.

As a disclaimer: YOU WANT TO WATCH WHAT YOU ADD TO YOUR FROYO BITES! If you add a ton of sugar and added things, it can quickly decrease the health value of this snack. You will also want to use GREEK YOGURT. I tried making this treat with regular yogurt. Yes it was good, BUT having the thick consistency that Greek Yogurt offers makes the treat better (in my opinion).  

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE CUPCAKE WRAPPING BEFORE YOU EAT IT. You do not want to get a mouthful of paper/plastic/rubber while trying to enjoy these treats.

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…Building Muscle Is About Being Smart, Not Just Strong…

It is sometimes said that the brain is the most powerful muscle in your body. This isn’t quite accurate, as the brain is not really a muscle. Part of it is, but for the most part it is made of other organic matter. But the saying does have a point. You can take all of your physical stamina and throw it at getting fitter. But if you don’t work smart as well as working hard, then your efforts will be half as effective as they could be.

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If you really want to get the most from your workout regime, it is not enough simply to spend every spare moment in the gym. Your body gets stronger from exercise and diet. We all know this. But think of your body for one moment as a building. Do bricks, mortar and all the other supplies you have make a house? Does standing six builders next to all of the supplies make a house? No, and without a plan, it will never be a house.

What you need, then, if you want to get stronger is a plan. Enthusiasm and stamina are going to be useful, but you also need to learn how to gain muscle. Without the involvement of your brain, you’re never going to get there.

  1. Schedule Your Workouts

There is a certain culture that seems to set itself around being in the gym whenever there is a spare moment. Working through the pain is seen as a sign of commitment and toughness. However, this is not working smart and it won’t help you reach your goal. Planning your workouts for when you will get the most out of them will get better results.

  1. Eat Smart, Build Nutrients

Any muscle-gain regime will depend on getting a lot of calories – there is a certain amount you need just to maintain your current size. To really build muscle you need to get more than that – in some cases a lot more. While this does allow you to eat some fast food, you need to make sure you’re eating the right things. Protein is an absolute essential, so foods like chicken and eggs are key.

  1. Build To An End Goal

Flying out of the blocks and doing everything at once is not the way to go here. Building muscle depends on doing things in stages. Set yourself goals along the way and work to them, then elevate what you are doing. The steadier the build, the more efficient the results will be.

  1. Don’t Just Work Through Pain

It’s fair to say there will be some physical discomfort as you go about getting bigger. There’s really no avoiding it, and so you have to work through some pain. But if you are feeling sore for a long time, or a sudden acute pain strikes, don’t work through it. It’s likely you’ve injured yourself, and working the muscle more is only going to aggravate it. Rehab it, eat well, get some rest and only then should you go back into the gym.

We all know the feeling of wanting to prove ourselves. It’s a natural human impulse. But if you prove yourself smart, then it’s going to be a shorter and more rewarding road to proving yourself strong.

 

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…Benefits of Free Weights Vs Using Machines…

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Free weights and lifting machines can often be found in fitness facilities across the world.  Often people ask, which is better to use. There are always many suggestions as to which is better.  But, the following information is something that I concluded from what I have learned in school and what I have learned from working with clients:

Free weights

Free weights allow for more range of motion when completing an exercise.  You have the ability to contract and use more muscles fibers which in return allow you to stabilize your muscles.  This has been proven to yield maximum results.

Using free weights allow for the most variation with your workouts.  You can create the most unique (or simple) workout with the assistance of weights. You can have more fun and take your workouts practically anywhere where you use free weights.

Free weights are also more affordable.  You can typically purchase (or even make) your own weights for a reasonable price.

HOWEVER, it is still wise to incorporate lifting machines in your workout. It is always wise to vary your workout between various different movements, machines, and exercises. Free weights exercies can be the most rewarding if incorporated with a well balance workout routine.

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Machines

These are great for first time gym rats. Most machines display a guide that will direct you on how to use the machine.  Some machines also show you which muscle groups you are targeting.  Some machines go a step further and can show you various exercises to do with that particular machine.

Allow you to isolate certain muscle groups and target them while lifting. This can also be done with free weights, but it can be more effectively done with a machine.

A downside is that machines can be big, bulky, and expensive! You not only need the space to have the machines you would like, you will also need the money to collect the amount of machines you would like to get a well rounded workout.

With machines, you will also NOT need a spotter if you are lifting heavy weights. Most of them have some sort of safety mechanism that allows you to drop or release the weight if it is too difficult for you to lift.

So I would have to say, go for free weights if you have the chance. It is always wise to spice up your workout and use machines. BUT do not allow machines to be the main thing that you use during your workouts.

Variation is key! And you also want to try to vary your workout to keep it fun and exciting!

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…Merchandise Evaluation: SKINS Compression Pants…

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SKINS was kind enough to send me some of their compression pants to try out on my own.

Overall Comments:

First I would like to say that, when you get these pants they will look small. You will order your “regular” size and when you get them and hold them up you will think.. “There is no way I will be able to fit my quad-zillas into these!”.

But, when you slide your legs into them and adjust your curves into them…they fit LIKE A GLOVE! Not like a glove that is too tight and will suffocate you.  They fit like a glove that is comfortable and that will allow you to move freely.

I will admit, the material seems somewhat thin, but I really wanted to put these pants to the TEST!

I conducted THREE fitness test wearing these pants.

  • The Yoga Test: Everyone knows yoga requires you to move freely with limited limitations (especially from what you are wearing). I found that with these pants I had ZERO issues with feeling constricted or restricted with any movements that I did.

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  • The Plyo test: I regularly do plyo workouts. For those of you who do not know what plyos are, they are exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power (speed-strength). The pants did NOT slip at all (ladies!!! You know what I am talking about! When pants start to slip at your waist line and you constantly keep pulling them up to prevent your butt from showing. I had ZERO issues with that while wearing these pants.
  • The Ruck Test: My friends know that I am an avid rucker. I ruck for 3-20 miles weekly. For those of you who do not know what rucking is check out THIS LINK for more information.

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Overall I would have to give these pants two thumbs up. I had NO issues what so ever. They were very comfortable, stylish, and I was able to use them in several DIFFERENT workouts and had no issues at all.

Quality for Price:

I am a firm believer that when it comes to athletic gear/clothing you get what you pay for. You are paying not for the name but for the quality and durability of the product you are using. The clothing on the SKINS site compares very similarly to competitor brands. I would say the price range is the same.

Side Note:

I will say that I will honestly purchase more of these products. I do so many races and workout in various different sports that It was very nice to find a product that molded and fit my body type. I will honestly say that I will put this gear to the test when I decide to do another obstacle course race. That will be the true test of the durability of this product.

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Ranking Scale: (on a scale from 1-5)

Price: 4.0

Overall Quality: 4.0

Quality for Price: 4.5

Overall Ranking: 4.2

Yes, I really enjoyed these pants. FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM TO ENTER/QUALIFY For a chance to win a pair of SKINS ! I am also going to release the offer via the Infinite Life Fitness Newsletter!

skins_5

 

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…Why I DISLIKE PokemonGO and why you should do the same…

pokemon-go-warning-screen

What is Pokemon Go?

It is a FREE game that you can download on your mobile device. You navigate through your neighborhood, city streets, parks, and pretty much any public place to capture virtual creatures. The goal is to catch as many of these virtual creaturesd you can. You can then at some point battle your high-ranking creatures against opposing players creatures.

So yes, let me start by saying that I can honestly say that I DO NOT LIKE PokemonGo… I LOVE IT! And there are various reasons for my strong emotions towards this virtual pocket zoo: 

  • It forces people of all ages to get up and get outside! I now see kids in parks until the street lights come one (something that I have not seen in a LONG time).
  • It forces people to get up and get active! You have to walk around… YES PHYSICALLY WALK around to find your virtual creatures.  You can also incubate your eggs (something I will discuss in a bit) and hatch them.  BUT this can only be done via walking (or running) around.  And no worries… the games GPS does not allow you to fully “cheat”.  You can not sit cruising on the high way and collect miles on your game.  It calculates your speed, overall movement, and GPS location to determine how fast you are going. That will determine if the game will register that movement. And of course, I am sure there are ways to still cheat the system but what fun is it if you have to cheat to get ahead in the game!?
  • People are utilizing local landmarks, local monuments, and local parks more than they were previously being used. The game creates “PokeStops” where you can collect PokeItems to use in the game. These PokeStops are typically located at local monuments/landmarks/parks.
  • This game is giving families something to do TOGETHER! Each person in the family can download the app. The family can set aside days/times to walk around their neighborhood and play the game. It also allows for a great thing to play when you want to walk your pets. Overall this game is getting people to get up and be more active!

Now with anything there is a downside. People are not using the game like they should.  People are driving slowly to try to collect their creatures and causing car accidents.  People are not paying attention and are wondering into protected areas (or busy streets) to catch Pokemon or collect items from a PokeStop. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN USING THE GAME!

Now for those who are newbies to the game (do not worry… I am still a newbie! I live vicariously thought my friends who get to play this game more than I do) here are some tips to help you out:

  • Turn off your “AR”. This will actually make it easier to catch your Pokemon.  If you like to search around your house or car through the lens of your camera phone that is fine. But if you are in a public place that will limit that turn it on and the Pokemon will pop up on your screen right in front of you.

AR-OFF_1

  • Want to get some extra XP (Experience Points). Use this quick move to add a SPIN to your pokeball. It does take some practice but makes it more fun to catch Pokemon!

 

  • See those leaves tossing around in the “grass” on your screen? That indicates that there is Pokemon near by. That does not mean that they Pokemon will come out so you can catch them.  It just means that there are indeed Pokemon near you.
  • Keep an eye on your “Nearby” guide. it helps to let you know what is around you!

nearby

*If you see a Pokemon that is shaded Grey (like above) That means you have not caught that kind of Pokemon yet! So you want to try to go after those to add them to your Pokedex (Your Pokemon Index/library)

  • Have you collected “berries”? Feed them to the Pokemon BEFORE you try to catch them.  This makes them “less hostile” and less willing to break through your PokeBall or run away.
  • Take advantage of PokeStops! This is where you can score some great items to save in your bag and use for later

PokeStops look like this:

PokeStop

  • DO catch as many Pokemon as you can. You can trade the weaker Pokemon and evolve your Pokemon to be bigger/stronger.
  • Did you get some eggs? Incubate them! As you walk you will gain “KM” (which means Kilometers) that will help to hatch those eggs. You are awarded Pokemon from those eggs that are hatched.

egg incubate

  • Run out of PokeBalls? The App does offer a “in-app” store that will allow you to pay money to purchase coins. These coins can be used to purchase items that you can use in the game (such as PokeBalls).
  • BE WARNED! This game will drain your batter and use a lot of your data! So use with caution if you are on a limited data plan. Or try to find areas that offer free wi-fi and chase Pokemon in those areas.

These are just a few things that I was able to pick up in the short time that I have been playing the game. The goal is to get Pokemon, evolve and grow them, battle them against other Pokemon and win over ‘gyms”. This is where you get more coins and XP (experience points) to help to progress you further and further in the game.

I fell in LOVE with this game when I realized that so many people were actually getting up and going outdoors! I have had several client say that their kids look forward to the long walks they take to play the game.  I get excited to drive past local parks and see swarms of people walking/running/roaming around. I am sad that people do not have this natural excitement to get up and get active. BUT, at least people are finding something to be excited about and something that is giving them a workout (even if they do not realize that they are actually exercising!). This game is a HUGE win because it is getting people to get outside, get active, and have fun at the same time! 

So grab a mobile device, grab some comfy shoes (and water), pick a team (Team Blue, Yellow, or Red), and go catch you some POKEMON!

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