EMPOWER FITNESS PRODUCT REVIEWS

Power Abs Workout by Gin Miller from Empower Fitness.

The kit I purchased came with a 6 lb Medicine ball, a 30 minute workout DVD along with a workout guide, which includes the strength moves on the DVD. They have other kits, with lighter and heavier medicine balls.   The DVD includes a warm-up, and 45 seconds of simple cardio moves between each exercise. So you have the option to make the workout as easy or as difficult as you would like.  This is a great way to get familiar with a few different ways to use and incorporate medicine ball training into your workouts. Gin Miller’s instructions and cues are right in spot.    This DVD is great for an easy workout day, if you are short on time and can’t make it to the gym. If you are a beginner the moves are great for you as well but I would suggest purchasing the kit with the lighter medicine ball.   The medicine ball is fantastic and very versatile; you can use it in a variety of different exercises and it is also as a great way to increase the cardio effect in certain moves. This Empower Fitness  6lb Soft Medicine Ball with workout DVD  set is available on Amazon.com .

Next up is the Pilates Mini Medicine Ball Workout by Gin Miller from Empower Fitness.   This kit comes with two 2lb mini medicine balls, a bonus workout DVD and a workout guide.

Ok right off the bat the title is misleading, because you think you will be getting a Pilates workout but you are not. The moves are “gym exercises” using the mini medicine balls. The DVD comes with a bonus cardio section, which I did not like.   That being said the DVD and the mini medicine balls are great to keep in your at home fitness stash, to add variety to your routine.   This workout routine can be used on lighter workout days.  I will be using these Pilates mini medicine balls with my Pilates clients. This Empower Fitness Pilates Mini Medicine Balls with workout DVD set is available on Amazon.com.

Next review:  Trudie Stylers Core Strength Pilates DVD.

WORKOUT PAGE ADDED

Just a quick mini post to let you know I added a  new workout tab, located at the top of the blog .  These are my own personal sweat sessions.  More to come soon.

FITNESS GOALS

Fitness Goals I know you have thought about it but have you written it down and committed to it? What am I talking about?  Your fitness plan! Now is the time to set some fitness goals for yourself, whether your plan is geared towards starting a running routine, or adding a few strength training exercises or taking some Pilate’s sessions.

Appropriate goal setting will help you to stay focused  and it will allow you to train your body to achieve your particular goal, for example, if your plan is to improve your flexibility, implementing 2-3 pilates training  sessions each week will allow you to do this and your fitness schedule will reflect this, which will keep you motivated.   Be specific with your plan, the more specific you are the better. We have all heard our goals should be SMART, ie: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. If improving your strength routine is a goal you are aiming for, a smart goal might be saying “I will strength train 3 times each week, every Monday, Thursday and Sunday   for the next 2 months.”

Commit your plan in writing, by keeping a workout log, you can make your own or buy a training book and another fun way is to write yourself a “contract”, sign and date it and post it in a place where you will see it, for example, on the refrigerator.   Occasionally review your log, if you are doing the same strength routine, for example, and not seeing anymore improvements, change it up. Try different training splits, or adding staggered sets, (performing a set abdominal or calf work in between sets for your back); or change the weight, reps or number of sets.   Rest is another important goal to implement; strength is gained not during the workout but rather when your body is resting.  Have at least 1 full day off each week and aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.   We all have different schedules so take into consideration the time you will have to commit to the plan and other lifestyle factors.   The key is to be consistent, some weeks you may not be able to devote a full hour to exercise but you may have 20 minutes, use those 20 minutes, short, quick workouts are just as effective. But be consistent.   Most of all have fun.

BEAUTY BARGAINS ON THE WEB

I am always looking for ways to save money, I shop the sales, I clip coupons,  upon entering a store I make a ” beeline” to the back of the store for the sales rack.    Get the idea?   So why not search for beauty ( makeup ) bargains?   I have found some great sites on the web, many of them offer free shipping , free samples ( I don’t know about you but I love free samples) and coupons.   Here are just  few: Beauty.com :  They offer free samples, gifts with purchases SpaLook.com:  They specialize in luxury and high-performance skincare brands, like Obagi, Pevonia, you also have the option to shop by ingredient.

SaffronRouge.com:   If you only use organic products this site is for you.

BeautySak.com:  Free samples and free shipping.

I am sure there are many more bargain sites like these, so if you know of any more please share.