Daily Fitness Tips from Extremely-Fit » Gear and Equipment

Work Your Core with the P90X Pull-up Bar

Robert Harden — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:47:01 +0000

Let’s talk about the P90X Pull-Up Bar. This is a great addition to your home gym and workout. You don’t have to go to a fitness club just to have access to this simple piece of equipment. This addition will bring your workout up a level. Including pull-ups (and chin-ups!) in your fitness routine will do wonders for the muscle development in your back, shoulders, arms, and core. For a little variety, we will also refer to the pull-up bar as a chin-up bar throughout the course of this article.

When you pull up on a bar, you work a significant number of muscles in your upper body, including shoulders, upper back, and arms as well as your chest. Exerting yourself as you lift your body weight tightens your core. At first, completing just one pull-up will seem like a monumental task. But over time, as your upper body grows stronger, pull-ups will become one of your favorite exercises. Honestly!

Like push-ups, pull-ups and chin-ups are a fitness mainstay. They’ll always be popular. Why? Because they get results—without fancy equipment. Just as a pull-up is a simple move that works your body hard, a pull-up bar is a simple piece of equipment that can really increase the intensity of your workout.

Chin-up bars can be used in several workouts that are part of the P90X fitness system. As you do P90X, you’ll learn to alter your grip in order to work different muscles. These changes, although small, that can have a huge effect on your muscles.

If you’re new to P90X or are just thinking about upgrading your home gym, check out the P90X pull-up bar. It’s built to last. And the P90X pull-up bar is also designed for convenient use. It installs easily over doorways and is just as easy to remove.

Resistance Bands vs. Weights – What are the Differences?

Robert Harden — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:31:14 +0000

I often get asked, “What’s better, Weights or Resistance Bands?” With that in mind, I thought I’d give my two cents. When you’re ready to start working out at home, and are trying to get ready, this question is often on the top of the list. I’ve used most of the Beachbody programs from P90X, Chalean Extreme, Power 90, and others including Insanity (which requires no equipment). I feel I have a pretty good grasp of what’s needed, what works, and what doesn’t. Let’s start with the technical differences first, and then move into my personal opinion.

Free weights heavily rely on the effects of gravity to complete each exercise. So it is gravity that provides the resistance for the exercises.
Resistance bands allow for a greater freedom of movement within an exercise and as a result a person can mimic more natural movements which are more unlikely to cause strains.
Free weights can put undue strain on a person if they choose weights that are too heavy, and caution should be used to maintain good form throughout the workouts. Resistance bands on the other hand are unlikely to do this as they are not weighted.
Weights are obviously very heavy and need to be used in the appropriate places, such as in the home or at the gym, and can not be easily transported.
Resistance bands are lightweight and can be transported around with ease. With this in mind many people chose to take them with them when they travel so that they can continue to exercise when away from home.
When in use resistance bands create a constant source of tension which free weights do not. Instead the level of tension provided with free weights will vary throughout a movement and can change dramatically in the space of an inch or so.
Financially speaking, you can get resistance bands at a more affordable price, and if used correctly, you can still get a great workout.
If you track your progress, such as amount of weight used and your number of reps, then weights are best. Sure you can write down what color band you used, but I often change the tension of my bands by “looping the band” and standing on it. It’s difficult to know exactly how much you changed the tension. I know this may not matter to some, but for those that carefully track their progress, it matters.
Weights can take up a lot of space, unless you use something like PowerBlocks, where you “stack” the weight into one dumbbell, and then change the weight with a pin selection. (Although you will have an initial investment, I have been using mine for 4 years, and they are still working the same as they did on day one!)

I personally believe that both resistance bands and weights can provide the same end result, which is a great workout.

With the primary difference being that resistance bands are portable, and will not place undue strain on your body. Free weights, on the other hand, can provide a more intense workout when using larger weights which is ideal for those wanting to add muscle.

As a final thought, I enjoy both weights and resistance bands. I prefer weights, if I had to choose one. But resistance bands are my first choice when traveling or away from home. I also throw in resistance bands if I’m looking for a change of pace, or as a way to add to muscle confusion. In the end you will need to make your own decision, but I hope this gives you some information to make the best decision that works for you.

Also, most of the Beachbody programs, including P90X, Chalean Extreme, and Power 90, there is always someone on the DVD that is demonstrating both weights and bands, so you will always have proper instruction and visual demonstration. If you have found this article helpful, please do me a favor and share it on your social networks. Keep pushing play!

If your program of choice is P90X, I dedicated an entire article to the required and optional P90X Equipment needed.

Killing Germs in Your Home Gym

Stephanie Saunders — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:54:19 +0000

Unless you live in a hypoallergenic bubble, it’s awfully hard to steer clear of germs. And during cold and flu season, or if you’re in a job that involves working with children, it’s even harder. But what if your workouts are making you sick? No, I’m not referring to pushing so hard it makes you hurl; I’m referring to the parasites, viruses, and bacteria that live on gym equipment, flooring, and even your shoes.The New York Times recently ran a story about a high school student who almost died from an antibiotic-resistant form of staph infection, which he most likely contracted from an exercise mat. More and more dermatologists and podiatrists are seeing cases of plantar warts, fungi, and rashes that they’re attributing to shared equipment in gym or yoga classes.

“Not a problem!” you retort, “I do P90X® in my living room, so I don’t have to worry about this.” Think again . . . because bugs can find their way into your home more easily than you’d think. Eighty percent of disease is transmitted through interactions with someone who’s carrying germs, or touching a surface where those organisms live. So if you meet a friend for lunch, go to a meeting at work, or play with your kids in the park, then hit the home gym and crank out 60 minutes of cardio, you spread the germs to your gear, where bacteria can survive for days and viruses can hang out for weeks. The often sweaty and warm conditions are the perfect breeding grounds for these bugs.

And it’s not just exercise gear. Charles P. Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, found that after 3 months of wear, 13 percent of shoes carry E. coli bacteria, and 90 percent of shoes carry traces of feces. So unless you have a pair of workout shoes earmarked specifically for indoor use, you’re tracking germs into your house, and probably onto your equipment.

So what can you do? Let’s look at some steps you can take for better home gym hygiene.

Shoes

A good portion of the world’s population removes all shoes before entering the home. Maybe their flooring is just more delicate, but perhaps it’s that they’re more aware of what they’re bringing into their homes. You can pick up some of the worst shoe-germs simply from walking down the street, and while it’s hard to avoid those germs on the mats of your local gym, you do have the option of keeping them off that fancy plyo mat at home.

The ideal solution would be to segregate one pair of athletic shoes just for your workouts, but if a second pair of athletic shoes isn’t an option, throwing your sneakers into a washing machine every few weeks can kill a plethora of bugs. If your shoes aren’t tough enough to take the pounding, you can spray the soles with Lysol®, then clean the rest of the shoe by hand with a gentle cleaner. It may take a bit of time, but isn’t that better than doing push-ups on a poopy surface?

Dumbbells/medicine balls/ankle weights

Resistance equipment comes in a variety of styles—squishy, round, ankle-binding, shiny, handled, neon-colored . . . Regardless, any kind of dumbbell can hold onto bacteria for days at a time. And since they now come in so many shapes and sizes, they give germs more places to hide, especially in foam-covered dumbbells. So until someone invents a self-cleaning dumbbell, please make friends with the Clorox® Disinfecting Wipe. Wiping down equipment daily after use would be ideal, but if you’re too busy, once a week should work. Make sure you get into the creases of the medicine ball and the folds of the ankle weights. If you happen to live in a particularly humid or warm climate, try to swab your gear at least a couple of times a week.

Mats

These are probably the biggest pain to clean, as they’re such a large surface. But since you lie on them, roll around on them, and do everything short of lick them, you really need to keep them sanitary. Happily, there are a ton of products out there designed specifically for cleaning yoga mats. There are washes, sprays, and wipes that maintain the mat’s necessary, inherent stickiness while removing the dirt. You can pick up any of these cleaning aids at health food stores or online. Also, should you have the extra cash, there are sticky towels that are made specifically for placing on top of an exercise mat and that can easily be thrown into the washing machine.

If you don’t want to invest in fancy cleaning accessories, you can actually put your mat in the washing machine, as long as you remove it before the spin cycle. Use a mild detergent and wash in cold water only. Let the mat air-dry completely before you use it again, or you might find yourself with a bit of a drippy mess on your hands (and floor).

And if you don’t have access to a washing machine (and you don’t want to drag your mat to a laundromat), taking a shower with your yoga mat can be some multitasking fun. Okay, maybe not fun, but you can lather up your mat with the same antibacterial soap you use on your skin, then rinse the mat completely and hang it over the shower rack to dry.

Pull-up bars/push-up stands

Very similar to dumbbells in terms of nooks and crannies providing cleaning challenges. Like some dumbbells, they often have foam padding. The denseness of this foam makes them incredibly durable, but that same denseness makes it much easier for germs to get trapped, which makes keeping them clean especially important. Harsh chemicals can break down the foam, so Clorox wipes aren’t your best bet for the nonmetal parts. Your best bet is probably to squeeze some mild soapy water into the foam, then squeeze in some clean water to release the dirt. The most important part would be to make sure you dry the foam padding adequately; this will help you avoid mildew. Make sure you squeeze out all excess water with a towel, then if possible, let the whole unit dry completely in the sun.

Resistance bands

These wonderful bands, usually made of latex rubber, come in a variety of makes, models, sizes, and colors. Whether you use the tubular kind with handles, or the long flat kind you can tie, resistance bands are durable and portable—and they hold on to germs like there’s no tomorrow. Because there isn’t a whole lot you can do to mess them up, you can fill a sink with warm water and antibacterial dishwashing liquid and drop all your resistance bands in at once. If you want to be particularly OCD-ish, you can also scrub them with a toothbrush, but just letting them sit in the warm soapy water will generally be enough to get them clean. Allow them to air-dry completely before you use them again.

Flooring/carpets

Tidying your workout area seems like a given, but most of us stop at putting our dumbbells behind the couch at the end of the session. However, the floor you were just doing dive bombers on could probably use some attention. If you have hardwood or tile floors, find a good antibacterial cleaning product that’s safe for all floors. Swiffer® even has a product line specifically for wood floors and the germs that love them. If your floor is less sensitive, a bucket of Lysol and some elbow grease will do it.

If you’re a carpet person, there are many options. Dry carpet powders that you sprinkle on carpet and then vacuum up supposedly kill mold, bacteria, and dust mites. Then there are steam and vapor carpet cleaners you can rent or purchase, many with antibacterial and anti-mold properties. And for those of you with green-minded intentions, there are plenty of environmentally friendly cleaning products that can be put into any steamer. You should sweep or vacuum your floors regularly, and aim for a deeper cleaning every few months.

You

Odds are you had your last official hygiene lesson in 7th-grade health class. And not to sound like your teacher, but showering after a workout is still really important. We know you’re busy, and you were just going to run to the store. We know your INSANITY® video ran 20 minutes longer than you thought it would. We know you just don’t have enough time. But also we know your skin is now swimming in bacteria, and frankly, you smell a little ripe. Furthermore, no one you encounter wants that bacteria handed off to them, so a quick rinse will make you a better acquaintance. And one more thing (although this should be common knowledge): putting on clean clothes after your shower is a vital piece of the puzzle.

Taking a few extra minutes to clean up your workout gear can make the difference between healthy and sick. With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”) bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics, there’s no reason to take a chance, because no matter how much you love working out, there’s nothing fun about catching a disease.

Looking for a P90X Adjustable Dumbbell? Here You Go!

Lori Harden — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:27:01 +0000

So, you’re looking for a P90X adjustable dumbbell set? I think I can point you in the right direction. My husband has done 7, maybe 8 (to be honest, I’ve lost count) rotations/rounds of P90X. One of the first investments he made, was a set of PowerBlock dumbbells. The second investment was the P90X Chin-Up Bar. Anyway, the PowerBlock set has been the best investment we have made to help us meet our fitness goals.

I have used them personally for ChaLEAN Extreme program. These are great dumbbells! They are much smaller than SelectTech dumbbells and conventional dumbbells. PowerBlocks are very easy to use, and the best part is that they are affordable! When I say affordable, they are less expensive per pound than their competitors. They are easy to control and balance. Another plus is that PowerBlocks do not inhibit your movements. As your dumbbell weight needs increase with time, you have the option to buy add-on kits that allow you to add even more weight! A few of the models available cannot be modified. There are several series of PowerBlocks available that are made of different materials. They have urethane-coated, aluminum, and professional/commerical gym sets available. There is the Sport series which is a bit more rounded and updated, and the Classic series which is more square in shape. PowerBlock also has many types of stands available that provides a great place to store your weights. We own the Sport Tray with Wings, and it is a great storage item because we are able to store the add-on weights my husband likes to use without having to purchase an additional stand.

Any of the workout routines that use resistance bands are ideal to use dumbbells as a substitute. I personally prefer the dumbbells, but the resistance bands are great for travel. It’s not feasible to drag your weights along with you on vacation or business trips, the resistance bands are quick and easy. You can just roll them up and store them in your luggage.

Like I said earlier in this review, PowerBlocks are not as pricey as other types/brands of dumbbells. Dumbbells are an investment. The entry level PowerBlocks are $149 plus $35 for shipping and handling. If you don’t have a lot of money to invest early on, or if you’re not sure whether or not you’ll stick with it, resistance bands are probably the equipment of choice for beginners. You can get a set of B-Lines Resistance Bands for less than $50 including shipping and handling. A small price to pay for something that will pay for itself in a few weeks of use!

I hope this article on P90X adjustable dumbbells helps you out. Feel free to click on any of the PowerBlock links in this article to be guided to their website. The website if packed full of information, and can answer just about any question you might have. Good luck!

P90X Chin Up Bar Review

Robert Harden — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:19:18 +0000

One of our most popular products is the P90X Chin Up Bar. Since this is such a popular product (with good reason), I thought I would write up a review regarding this chin up bar. I’m going to try my best to remain objective. I see this product from two different view points. The seller and the buyer. Some of you may read the review, and say, “Well sure he’s giving it a good review because he wants us to buy it.” Well, of course I want you to buy it. It’s a great chin up bar! But I also own this chin up bar, and it has served me well for 3 years!

The P90X Chin Up Bar requires assembly. It comes in eight different pieces, and requires you to bolt the chin up bar together in about ten different locations. Inside the box, you should also receive a hardware box (that contains your two wall brackets and the bolts and nuts). You should receive installation instructions inside the box. But if not, don’t worry! If by a slim chance you don’t get the instructions, you can view them from our product page. Or, alternatively, you can visit the following link for the P90X Chin Up Bar Instructions and P90X Downloads page. On this Download page, you may find some other P90X goodies you may want to download as well.

So you take the P90X Chin Up Bar out of the box, assemble the eight pieces with the included ten bolts/nuts. Now you should have the bar assembled and ready to use! Now all you need is a door frame.

Important Requirements for the P90X Chin Up Bar:

Fits doorways up to 32″ wide (sturdy doorframe with trim required—minimum 5″ width, maximum 6.5″).

So if your door frame is in the “standard” or “average” category, you’re more than likely in good shape. But please make sure. I don’t want you to get stuck with a chin up bar that doesn’t work for you. We’ll help you return it for a full refund, but since return shipping is not included by Beachbody (the manufacturer), please double check!

Now you have the required door frame and the assembled chin up bar. Inside your hardware package, you should find two wall brackets. These brackets will go on the inside of your door frame at the top. The brackets come in an “L” shape, so the bottom of the “L” will rest on the door frame trim. With your chin up bar, you should have eight screws and eight wall anchors. You’ll drill into the sheet rock, and tap in the wall anchors. Then place the bracket over the holes and the anchors and screw both brackets into place. Simple. Easy. I’d say “easy as 1,2,3″, but it’s actually 1 through 8.

So now the assembled chin up bar will slip right into the brackets and use the door frame to secure it into place. On my P90X Chin Up Bar product page I have two videos. One shows the bracket installation, and one shows the actual use of the chin up bar. Be sure to take a moment and check those out as well.

The chin up bar is rated to hold up to 300 lbs. I have personally used this bar at 205 with no problems at my home. I’m no longer 205 (P90X tends to cause weight loss). But even still, I have been known to use a weight belt and add 35 lbs back onto my chin ups. Which makes up for the 30+ lbs I lost using P90 and P90X

This chin up bar has multiple hand positions, which makes it more convenient than a straight chin up bar. The multiple positions are important, because the P90X program has you performing multiple exercises, suing all of the positions. After all, it’s call the P90X Chin Up Bar for a very good reason.

Each hand position has a nice foam grip. Not all chin up bars come with the softened grips. Which is nice, when you are doing numerous pull ups.

You can easily remove the chin up bar when you’re done. It slides into place in SECONDS. So the only thing remaining is the brackets. Since mine is mounted on the inside of a bedroom, these brackets go unnoticed by everyone that visits. So don’t think you have to look at a chin up bar every day. Although I have tried to leave mine up, so I could knock out a pull up or two while walking down the hall. But my wife put her foot down! So mine is only mounted on the days it’s needed.

Now, being objective, there are a couple of things I don’t like about the P90X Chin Up Bar. One, the black handles that rest on the door trim, can leave some slight (non damaging) black marks. I’m a VERY observant person. So this may not be enough to matter to anyone. It may also depend on the color of your trim. This is an easy fix, just take some old wash rags, and when you mount the bar, slide them between the trim and your chin up bar.

Two, I like the old feeling of jumping up and grabbing a chin up bar, and allowing my legs to remain straight. Since I’m tall, 6’3, I have to bend my legs a little to keep my feet from touching. My legs never touch while doing the chin ups. Again, this is a personal preference and may not matter at all to you. I think most people bend their legs anyway.

Overall, the chin up bar is great, I’ve used mine for 3 years , and have had no problems. Not to mention it’s convenient. I work out in my home, like most of us will/do, and this allows me to workout and go to the “pull up station” within ear shot of my television where the P90X DVD is playing.

Chin ups are a part of P90X, so you need a chin up bar or a place to do chin ups. This is an excellent option, and when you look around, it’s rather affordable. Not to mention the shipping price for a longer, heavier box (as this comes in) is amazingly low, which starts at $5.95 for standard UPS here in the store. It comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, and I am readily available if should have any problems. We are happy to help you with your products, whether you have questions, problems, or just need some fitness advice.

On a closing note, if you are using a chin up bar, whether it be a P90X Chin Up Bar or other bar, you might be interested in an article I wrote entitled, How Chin Up Exercises Can Be a Complete Upper Body Workout. Thanks for reading my P90X Chin Up Bar Review! Good luck with your training and nutrition. Talk to you soon!

How chin up exercises can be a complete upper body workout.

Robert Harden — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:34:45 +0000

Want to get in shape without a lot of complicated exercises? It is possible. Unfortunately, many people buy into the idea that you need to learn a bunch of difficult moves just to build some muscle. Others spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on gym memberships and home fitness equipment because they think working out requires a lot of different tools. This, too, is a myth. In fact, you can sculpt the body you want with a few key exercises that can be done by almost anyone, anywhere.

One of the best moves you can incorporate into your exercise routine is the chin up. Perhaps the best part of chin ups, though, is that you can do them with minimal equipment. All you really need is a strong horizontal bar. To get this at home, consider investing in a door frame chin up bar. These pieces are easy to install and support at least two hundred pounds of weight. Plus, most can be used without ever damaging your door frame.

To do a traditional chin up, hold a bar with hands facing you. Let your body hang down, then, simply pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. This works your entire upper body, with special focus on your back and bicep muscles. Specifically, a chin up will target your latissimus dorsi (lat), brachialis, brachioradialis, bicep, tricep, teres major, teres minor, posterior deltoid, lower trapezius, pectoralis, and more. Very few other exercises can boast such an extensive list of utilized muscles with such a simple movement.

Not strong enough to do a traditional chin up? Don’t worry; you can reverse the regular movement to boost your arm strength. Using a chair, let your legs assist in getting to the top of the chin up motion. Then, simply lower your body down as slowly and with as much control as possible, without the chair. Over time, these so-called negative chin ups will help you build muscle and endurance so you can upgrade to a full chin up. You can also do negative chin ups at the end of your workout to push your muscles past the point of exhaustion and promote faster growth.

Once you’ve mastered a regular chin up, you may want to try some simple variations. By flipping your hands, so palms face away, you can switch to an overhand (sometimes called a pull up) pose. This puts greater emphasis on your elbow flexor and forearm muscles. If you switch only one arm to an overhand position, this variation is called a mixed grip. A mixed grip chin up is ideal for stronger individuals who need a new way to challenge their muscles. Remember, though, you want to work both sides equally with this exercise. So, do an even number of sets and switch hands each time.

In addition to changing hand positions, you can also opt for a wide or narrow grip chin up. In a wide grip chin up, you simply move your hands as far apart as you comfortably can. In this position, your muscles, including your lats, teres major, biceps, and rear deltoids, have to work considerably harder. Meanwhile, during a narrow grip chin up, you move your hands closer together, which helps lengthen your lat muscles.

In addition to building a strong upper body, you can also use your chin up bar to work your abdominal muscles. Simply hold onto the bar and lift your lower body by contracting your abs. For an additional variation, consider getting some ab straps that can help you support your arms during the lower body movement.

For an ideal chin up workout, try incorporating several variations into one routine. This way, you will truly work your upper body from every angle. Also, you should focus less on number of repetitions and more on reaching muscle exhaustion. As any weight trainer knows, you cannot build muscle without “maxing out.” So, after one or two sets of each variation, you may want to do a final set where you work until you cannot do another chin up.

Ultimately, doing chin ups is a great way to reshape your body. Not only will you boost all the muscles mentioned here, but you can also improve your posture and core strength. Remember, though, as with any exercise proper technique is necessary to get the most from your chin ups and prevent injury. The right chin up bar can help you master your form and make getting in shape quicker and easier than you ever imagined.

Let me give my personal recommendation to a perfect chin up bar solution. I live in an area where I just did not have room for a traditional chin up bar. Especially one of those free standing chin up bars for the corner of a room. So instead I opted to try the P90X Chin Up Bar, and I have been very impressed. I have used the same bar for approximately 3 years now. It works great today, the same as it did when I first started using it. It also works great if you are working out with P90X, where chin ups are done frequently.