Review: FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike with Massage Bar

Home fitness equipment is more popular now than ever. People are growing more aware of the importance of personal health and wellbeing, and more and more people are enjoying the convenience of working out at home, along with the cost savings of not having to join a gym.

Many people find themselves stuck at a desk all day long. If you work from home and have a desk-bound job then you might struggle to get much daily exercise. And if you’re very busy, working out at the end of the day might also not be possible. Machines like the FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike allow you to combine exercise with your work.

Of course, there are other products like this on the market, so the FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike has competition. The question is therefore whether it’s a decent product in a market full of alternatives. Let’s take a more in depth look and find out.

Key Features Of The FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike

RRP: $298.99
Product Dimensions: 28 x 16 x 45 inches
Maximum User Weight: 250 lbs
Desk Surface Dimensions: 16 X 19 inches
Warranty: 1 year

FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike: The Pros

1. Be Fit And Stay Productive: The reason products like this are designed is to combine exercise with work. This allows you to keep a reasonable fitness level without having to do extra hours of exercise outside of your working day. It’s also great for those who don’t get much daily exercise because their job revolves around a desk.

This machine combines a work surface with an exercise bike. You can sit at the work surface and pedal while you work. This allows you to improve your cardiovascular health as well as the strength and endurance of your legs without having to leave your work. Combining the two is an efficient solution to many of the problems and challenges that desk-workers face.

2. The Price: At around $300 this is a pretty reasonably priced product. Alternatives in the same market go up to the multiple thousands of dollars which is far too expensive for most people. Those who are on a tight budget will find that this is a product they can more easily stretch to.

3. It's Compact: A great feature of this product is its compact design. If you live in a small home and don’t have much room for exercise equipment you’ll find that this is a good option. It’s got a small footprint meaning that it takes up hardly any floor space. As a result it can easily be squeezed into even very compact living or working environments.

4. It Folds For Storage: Not only is this a very compact machine but it also folds down for storage. That means it can be stashed away out of sight and where it doesn’t get in the way. Again this is great news for a small home, but is also an advantage for anyone who would rather keep clutter to a minimum.

5. Padded Massage Rollers: The adjustable armrest with padded and contoured massage rollers functions both as a rest for your arms when working and also as a support during your exercise. This helps you stay comfortable even for long periods of use, and the adjustable feature accommodates people of any height.

6. It's Quiet: An essential feature for any machine that’s to be used in a home environment is that it be quiet. But this is even more important for a machine intended to be used in a work environment. Noise can be very distracting, interfering with your work. The FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike has a quiet mechanism. This means you can easily use it during work without feeling overly distracted.

7. Easy Assembly: Many find the idea of home assembly daunting. This can be a source of great frustration, especially for those who aren’t particularly mechanically minded. Fortunately this machine has a good set of instructions and a pretty simple assembly process. Even those with the worst self-assembly skills shouldn’t find this too taxing to put together.

8. Comfortable Seat Design: Any product designed to be sat on for long periods of time should be comfy, and even more so if it’s meant for a bicycle riding-type motion. The seat on this machine has been improved over the last model, and is now even wider and more well cushioned. It provides plenty of support for your bum so you can work and pedal in comfort even for extended periods of time.

FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike: The Cons

1. Desk Not Adjustable: One design let down is that the desk on this machine is fixed and can't be adjusted forward or backward. That means for those who are short, or have short legs, the desk may be further away from the body than you would like for typing.

Small Surface: The work surface is also quite small. It’s about big enough to place a 17” laptop on, but more than that and you’ll struggle. So if you hope to use this as a multi-purpose work space you’ll be frustrated.

Is The FitDesk v2.0 Desk Exercise Bike with Massage Bar Worth Buying?

On the whole this is a good product. Its desk isn’t ideal however, so consider how you plan to use the work surface before committing to this product. However, with that in mind the price is right so this is a machine that can definitely be recommended.

You can currently find it on Amazon.com with free shipping.

Review: FitDesk 2.0 Folding Exercise Bike With Massage Bar

Home exercise equipment is a growing market. People are growing increasingly concerned about personal health and well-being, and are seeking ways to ensure they get enough exercise. But people are also concerned about the economy and are trying to cut their costs. Home exercise equipment allows people to drop their gym membership and still get a decent workout at home, meaning they save money on expensive gym fees.

This isn’t the only problem people face though. As we've been discussing this month, for many people who spend their time sitting in a chair and getting very little exercise on a daily basis it can be hard to meet the demands of bodily health with work commitments. That’s why products like the FitDesk 2.0 are gaining in popularity. They offer fitness equipment with a built-in work station, meaning you can actually work at your job or desk while you stay healthy.

The FitDesk 2.0 is much like an exercise bike, although it’s not a recumbent device. This allows you to sit upright with a good posture as you work at the built-in work surface. But is this product any good, or does it fall short of its aims? Let’s take a closer look to find out.

Key Features Of The FitDesk 2.0

RRP: $239.99
Dimensions: 28 x 16 x 45 inches
Weight: 45 lbs
Desk Surface Dimensions: 18 X 19 inches
Warranty: 1 year

FitDesk 2.0: The Pros

Be Fit And Stay Productive: The whole point of equipment like the FitDesk is to combine your workspace with fitness equipment. This is perfect for those who work from home and struggle to find the time to keep fit. It’s especially good for those who have jobs that require you to be seated for the majority of the day – such as any computer-based job.

So if you are chained to the desk, it can be really hard to get any exercise at all. Sure you could work out after you’re done for the day, but sometimes that’s not enough, and sometimes you’ll have other commitments. Products like this take away the dilemma.

This machine functions like an exercise bike. You pedal with various resistance settings to improve your cardiovascular health and strengthen your legs. But the big difference is that there’s a work surface built into this machine. So you can sit on it and pedal while you get on with paperwork or place a laptop on the surface and get on with your emails. This allows you to be more efficient with your time and keep up your productivity even as you get fit.

Compact: Another great thing about the FitDesk 2.0 is that it’s very compact. Not only is it’s footprint pretty small, meaning that it can be set up in small places, but it’s also able to fold away. This means it can be stored in small areas and doesn’t have to be left out all the time. If you’re living in a small apartment where space is at a premium, this is a great advantage, and really makes the FitDesk an excellent choice.

Price: At around $300 (less on Amazon.com) the FitDesk 2.0 is pretty affordable. It falls at the lower end of the price range, with many similar products coming in at around $1,000, and a handful coming in slightly cheaper than this. But for the money this is a good solid product. It won’t break the bank so it’s affordable for most, helping you if you’re trying to stick to a budget and keep your costs low.

Massage Rollers: The FitDesk 2.0 has conveniently placed massage rollers. These allow you to relieve strained wrists after extended periods of typing. If you often find your wrists getting tired and uncomfortable, the massage rollers can alleviate the discomfort and help to prevent wrist injury.

Squeeze Grips: This machine also has built-in squeeze grips. These allow you to develop grip strength as you work, and can alleviate stress in a way similar to a stress ball. There are also resistance bands built-in so you can do some upper body resistance exercise whilst sat at the machine.

Quiet: The FitDesk 2.0 runs quietly. Some machines generate a lot of noise which can be distracting and also interfere with others in the house. If you like to watch TV as you exercise this can also be a problem. You won’t have any issues with this machine though.

Sturdy: All machines benefit from being sturdy, but it’s especially important when you’re going to work on a desk that’s attached to the machine. Whether you’re sorting papers, writing or using a laptop it’s important that your work surface remains stable at all times. The FitDesk 2.0 does this nicely.

FitDesk 2.0: The Cons

Weight Limit: The weight limit of the FitDesk is 250 pounds. That will cover most people, but definitely not all. Some home exercise equipment goes up to 300 pounds or even beyond and that’s desirable, especially when the product is targeted at people who have sedentary desk-oriented lifestyles. It’s a shame this machine can’t support heavier users.

Assembly: The assembly of this product isn’t all that tricky in itself, but the instructions that guide you are poor. Good instructions would make this a breeze, but as it is those who aren’t mechanically minded might find the assembly frustrating.

No Bottle Holder: This is a fairly minor issue, but the lack of bottle holder is a disappointment. It would be helpful for those using this while working for extended periods of time who don't want to risk spilling drinks on the desk while working.

Is The FitDesk 2.0 Worth Buying?
There’s very little wrong with the FitDesk 2.0, certainly nothing significant that I've heard about. And it’s reasonably priced too. If you’re on a budget and tight for space in your home this is a great choice for getting more exercise while working, watching TV, writing, or other typically sedentary activities.

Click Here to Buy the FitDesk 2.0 on Amazon.com

Video: Ab Wheel Exercises for Total Body Strength

Think ab wheels are just for your abs? Think again! This versatile piece of exercise equipment can be used in many different ways, as shown in this quick video. From arms and chest, to upper back, legs, and your entire core, this is a great piece of equipment to have on hand. It's small, portable, storable, and affordable!

Check out all of the great ways you can use your ab wheel to build strength and get the body you desire:

AB WHEEL AB WORKOUT (home workout for your entire body!)
Crazy ab wheel workout for more than just your abs... http://athleanx.com/x/howtogetripped If you are into fitness at all, either you or someone you know has...

Review: Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro

When it comes to improving your fitness, core strength is key, and the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro allows you to target your core as well as your arms and back to get an effective high-performance workout.

This system comes with a wide wheel with sturdy handles that allows you to perform an ab workout that will sculpt and tone your abs very easily.  You'll also appreciate the included knee pads that help protect your knees while you're exercising.

The Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro

Using this piece of equipment couldn't be easier. Just get on your hands and knees, grab the handles on the wheel and then roll out and roll back.  This simple motion targets your core muscles.  The longer the distance you roll out and back, the more intense the workout. You can also use the ab carver to target specific areas such as the oblique muscles for the best possible overall workout.

You might look at this little exercise tool and think it's too simple to do much good. But it turns out that this provides you with a very intense workout - sometimes good things do come in small packages! Unlike situps, which can be hard on the lower back and even cause injury, this tool actually strengthens the back and shoulders, as well as the abs, so it's not just an abdominal workout - it improves your total core and upper body strength at the same time.

The Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro is designed to be sturdy and handle any amount of body weight you apply to it, but it requires you to do all of the work. Balancing and rolling the device takes a lot more effort than you might think.  You'll get more out of your workout in less time - and isn't that what everyone wants from their fitness program?

After you've purchased the product, you'll be able to download a workout plan to your computer that helps you get started with a 21 day fitness plan.  This allows a beginner to get started with a plan that's easy to follow.  However, even an fit and experienced person can benefit from the workout.

Whether you're a newbie looking to improve your exercise routine, or you're ready to take your workout routine to the next level, this exercise tool will help you to meet your goals.

Customers who have purchased this exercise device have been surprised at their quick results.  They rave about the stability and quality of the product.  After using this for a few weeks you'll begin to see a big difference in your core strength. With this added strength you'll find that you're standing taller, have fewer aches and pains, and look better in your clothes.  With the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro may even find that you're finally able to achieve the six pack you've always wanted! It's up to you and the effort you put into it, but this is a very effective and affordable piece of exercise equipment to have on hand.

Plus it's small enough to store easily, and portable if you need to use it in a different location.

Check out the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro and get your abs in shape quickly this holiday season - and it also makes a great gift for those interested in fitness! You can find it at Amazon.com and other online retailers and fitness stores.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and we'll be back on Friday with your weekly workout!

Best Exercise Equipment For Home Gyms

Staying fit and healthy is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Not only does it make you feel and look better, it can lead to a longer life! Some people like to work out at the gym, others only exercise through recreational activities, while some prefer to sweat in the comforts of their own abode.

Not only do you not have to drive anywhere, there is a convenient non-public shower available for you when finished!

There is no denying that exercise can be expensive, especially when equipment is involved, but there are amazing ways to get the heart rate going while saving some pocket change, if you are so inclined.

Best Exercise Equipment For The Home 

Jump Ropes

One of the cheapest things to buy is a jump rope (less than $10). It gets the heart rate going quickly and can be found in almost any store that sells exercise products. It’s a great work out for the legs and can be quite challenging, depending upon how far you want to push yourself. Plus, it brings about childhood nostalgia, and it's a lot of fun!

Resistance Bands

Along the lines of jump ropes are resistance bands. They are extremely versatile and can be used to work out many different areas of the body. They provide a low-impact workout, and are very small and light, therefore making them easy to store. Though resistance bands have been seen stereotypically as a work out for middle-aged ladies, they have become an integral part of professional body building due to their ability to target many different muscle areas. These bands can range anywhere from $10 to $50.


Exercise Balls

A piece that is not quite as easy to store is the fitness/exercise ball. Inflated and made of sturdy, puncture-proof elastic, these balls are used for weight training or physical therapy. Just sitting on them have been known to be a great work out for the abs (more fun than an office chair!). Some people enjoy using them so they simply do not have to sit on the hard ground while performing an exercise; others use them to add some muscle strengthening, or balance conditioning. Fitness balls come in many different diameters and run the gamut from $12 to $60 depending upon how much pressure or pounds they can support.

Free Weights

Another great item to have on hand is a set of free weights. Many different exercises can be performed using them, including curls, squats, dead lifts, and lunges, all which trigger different muscle groups. If you are willing to be very patient and super thrifty, these can usually be found in garage sales or second hand stores for very inexpensive prices. Otherwise, you can find dumbells at discount stores for $20 and up.

Kettlebells

Kettlebells are great for building strength and endurance. Originally of Russian invention and usually made of cast iron, kettlebells have the look of a cannon ball with a handle on top. They come in many different weights and are normally used to build the legs, arms, shoulders and lower back. Prices of these can be anywhere from $30 to $70 depending upon the style and weight desired.

Treadmills

For those looking to invest in a larger piece of equipment, there are many different large pieces that are extremely useful as well as popular. The most popular and obvious choice would be a home treadmill.

A staple in gyms across the nation, you can run, walk, trot, strut, and stroll at your own desired pace without having to bother about the weather. It works up a great sweat and many of the machines will keep track of your distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate, etc.

The cost of a treadmill can run anywhere between $250 and $3,000 but they should last for many years, and can provide a great workout in a home gym, and you can use them while watching TV or even catching up  on your reading.

Final Thoughts

There are many more options available for working out at home, including elliptical triners, exercise bikes, ab trainers, steppers and much more. Consider the space you have at home, your goals and fitness and your budget when shopping.

Video: 7-Minute Medicine Ball Core Workout

Medicine balls are a very versatile piece of exercise equipment, and they are particularly helpful for building core strength.

This short video shows you 7 quick exercises you can do to tighten and strengthen your core muscles using no equipment other than a medicine ball. One cool thing about using a medicine ball is it is a strength-training tool, so even when you're focusing on the core, you're also building strength in your back, glutes, arms, thighs, and throughout your body.

She only does 10 reps of each of these, so it's nice as a beginner workout, but feel free to add more reps as you progress, or repeat the sets again as she instructs in the video.

Check it out, and have fun getting a strong core and flatter abs for summer beach season!

MEDICINE BALL WORKOUT: 7 Exercises to FLATTEN and STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE | Autumn Fitness
Mountain Climbers, Push Ups, Squats, Sit Ups—Today we are working our CORE MUSCLES by doing 7 MED BALL EXERCISES!


Need A Medicine Ball? Get Yours Here:
    

Review: Valeo Medicine Ball

A medicine ball is a classic tool for improving strength and coordination, and the Valeo Medicine Ball is a wonderful update on this classic. This ball looks sleek and modern and comes in a wide variety of weights to meet your needs.

Some medicine balls are actually soft. While this works for some exercise routines, many people find that a harder ball is better and provides for more flexibility. Especially if you’re doing a home workout such as P90X, you’ll want a firm ball.

This medicine ball comes in five different weights ranging from 2 pounds to 10 pounds. Each weight is brightly colored in a different shade so that you can quickly tell them apart when you’re working out. The 2 pound ball is yellow, the 4 pound ball is purple, the 6 pound ball is aqua, the 8 pound ball is pink, and the 10 pound ball is black. All of the colors are bright and easy to differentiate.

The finish of the ball is textured so that it’s easy to grip when you toss it and catch it. The ball is made from rubber so it can actually bounce off of hard surfaces rather than banging into them and causing damage. The bounce also allows you to keep momentum going from exercises that require tossing.

Medicine balls are particularly good for helping to improve core strength. You can use them for a wide variety of activities including lunges, squats, deadlift, jumping, push-ups, chest toss, and shoulder press. But if you need some help determining what to do with the ball, you’ll be happy with the included exercise chart. This wall chart helps you to know what you can do with the ball to enhance your routine.

If you’re ready to improve your strength, particularly your core strength, increase your flexibility, and improve your coordination these medicine balls are a must-have for your home gym.

Some customers have noted that the balls have a strong chemical smell when they come out of the package. What you’re smelling there is the rubber, but the smell will fade after a day or two outside of a box. But customers who have purchased these balls also rave about the easy grip and the high quality. They particularly like that these medicine balls can bounce, increasing the range of possible exercises that can be performed.

 If you want to improve your core strength, the Valeo Medicine Ball is a great choice for your home gym.

Buy Valeo Medicine Balls on Amazon.com:
   

4 Benefits of Using Free Weights As Part of a Weight Training Program

When you decide to embark on a weight training program, one of the first questions you will have to address is, "Do I use machine weights or free weights?"

Beginners will tend to gravitate toward machine weights, because they do not have to worry about balancing a set of dumbbells through a range of motion, and they can just focus on feeling the burn.  And that's okay.  However, as you progress and become more comfortable with a weight-training program, consider incorporating free weights as they have many advantages.

So what are the advantages of using free weights in comparison to machine weights?

Dumbbell chest fly (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. By using free weights, you will innervate many more stabilizer muscle groups as you work to balance the weight through your range of motion.

* The fact that machine weights are supportive is actually their hugest downfall.  They are so supportive that you only need to use a few major muscles groups for any given exercise.

* In contrast, when you use free weights, you are targeting extra muscle groups.  This will help to burn more calories than with machine weights alone - and will balance your muscles and help avoid injury.

2. Using free weights allows you the flexibility to change the path that you will take when performing an exercise.

* Unlike the singular, repetitive motion of a machine that targets the same muscles over  and over, varying the path of your dumbbells will work different muscle groups.

* Dumbbells and other free weights have a tremendous versatility that machine weights cannot match.  You can use any given dumbbell to work out almost every different area of your body.

For example, in addition to doing bicep curls, a dumbbell can be used: 
o in a bench press
o it can be held against your chest during a series of crunches
o it can be pressed over your head to work out your shoulders
o it can even be held between your feet during a hamstring curl.

* Using machine weights for all of these exercises would require multiple machines.

Free weights (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Free weights take up much less space when compared to the size of a typical machine system.

* Further to this, since machines usually boast of attachments and the latest technology, they inevitably cost many times more than what it would cost to equip yourself with a basic set of free weights.  Cost and space are two key factors when people choose any workout equipment.

4.  Free weights do not allow your stronger side to compensate for the weaker side.

* Weight machines focus on working out both sides of your body in tandem.  The pec fly machine is an example.  If you have one side of your body that is stronger, which is often the case, the machine will allow your stronger side to work harder and compensate for the weaker side.

* As a result, machine weights will often hide your weaknesses on one side, however small they may be.  This cannot happen with free weights, because if your left side cannot push out that last rep, your right side cannot help it at all.  This allows you to develop more evenly balanced strength.

In summary, a weight-training program does not have to be one dimensional – only machine weights or only free weights.  It can be a combination of both.  However, definitely consider letting free weights play a significant role in your weight training, as the benefits to using them are numerous.

Buying An All-In-One Exercise System

These days, more and more people are turning away from memberships to gyms and instead choosing to invest money in the convenience of a home gym.  You can put a home gym in a spare corner of your home, or even in the basement if you wish.  Along with helping you save money by combining several different types of equipment into one machine, these types of equipment can easily fit into small spaces and take up a lot less space than their individual counterparts.

Image by Zepfanman.com via FlickrWhen you are considering to buy an all-in-one piece of exercise equipment, you should first think about your goals.  You should consider what you hope to achieve from exercising and just how well this piece of equipment will benefit you.

There are several types of all-in-one equipment for exercise on the market and almost all of them are advertised well on television, in magazines, and on the internet.  The most popular types on the market are those types that are geared towards individuals who are interested in lifting weights.

Two very popular types of all-in-one exercise systems are the Bowflex and Total Gym brands.  The Bowflex system uses resistant bows that bend instead of the traditional weights that simply lift.  Bowflex is designed to fit a wide variety of budgets and needs, it's widely adaptable and extremely popular as well.

To make things even better, you can store the basic Bowflex system in small and tight places, even under a bed if you choose.  The larger and more expensive Bowflex system competes with the types of professional equipment that you can find in gyms, which allow you a quality workout on quality equipment.

Image via WikipediaThe Total Gym system, advertised by martial arts legend Chuck Norris and supermodel Christie Brinkley, is great as well.  It is less expensive than the Bowflex and uses gravity and resistance instead of traditional weights. By using this system, you have the ability to adapt the machine to a wide variety of exercises that will work many different areas of your body.

When you make that decision about buying an all-in-one exercise system, you must also decide on price, features, brand, and just who will use the machine.  If your family plans to use it as well, then you'll need to get a system that everyone will agree on.  You obviously wouldn't want a machine that is too complicated for others in your home.

Even though Bowflex and Total Gym are currently the 2 most popular types of all-in-one equipment, there are several others out there as well, from brands such as Weider, Pilates Power Gym and many others.  Before you make your choice, you should look at several to see which one offers you more for your money.

More All-In-One Exercise Systems: