If you’re looking for a way to spice up your weight training workout, or maybe just need an exercise system that’s compact and good for travel, you might want to check out Smart Bells from Think Fit. As you can see from the picture, they’re a bit different than your average free weights.
The sculptural weights are meant to “uniquely conform to the shape of your body,” and they “flow aerodynamically as you move them through the circular motions of the patented Smart Bells Routine.” It’s supposed to be a combination of strength training with aerobics, which incorporates Tai Chi and Yoga moves into the workouts (don’t worry, there is a DVD that comes with the system to show you what to do).
The Smart Bells cost $75 from https://thinkfit.com/.
Can’t afford a personal trainer? Well, maybe the PumpOne is more up your alley, especially if you already have an iPod or Treo. This software runs on your mp3 player to walk you through workouts and show you proper form (a little dude or dudette on the screen demonstrates each exercise). I’d like to recommend this software for all you guys out there who think biceps curls are whole body exercises… I’m just waiting for one of you to throw out your back while you’re jerking that barbell up there.
Even if you’re an experienced lifter who does everything correct, your body can get bored running through the same routine every time you hit the gym. When this happens, you’re not likely to experience any more muscle growth. And who has time to read a zillion weight lifting magazines to work out new routines? The PumpOne lets you download new programs for $20-$30 bucks a piece (which is quite a bit cheaper than hiring a personal trainer for an hour).
I’m actually tempted to try this out myself, except I’ve still got a ghetto monocolor iPod, and I’m not sure how good those animated trainers would look on the off-gray. I keep waiting to drop a dumbbell on the old iPod, so I have an excuse to buy a new one.
Whenever I’m at the gym, I see two or three determined weight lifters with notebooks, keeping track of their weights and reps. It always looks a little unwiedly, so I was pleased to see this gadget from Polar. The Polar F55 is a combination watch, heart-rate monitor, and “muscle monitor.” It can track the details of your work out, monitoring pounds lifted, repetitions done, and the number of sets completed for 17 different exercises. Available in black or aluminum (a fancy way of saying gray), the watch monitor can be purchased from Amazon.com for under $200: