which home fitness equipment is best?

The 10 Top-Rated Home Workout Essentials for a Fitter, Healthier Body

One of the best things you can do for your body is to exercise with gym equipment. Yet, many people balk at heading to the gym out of personal fears such as embarrassment in addition to some gym memberships being quite expensive. Moreover, it’s not always fun working out and sweating in front of strangers. Not to mention, it can be a struggle to find time to get ready and then drive to a gym every day, let alone fit a workout in.

Instead, it is much more convenient to have and use your own home workout equipment. In contrast to paying for a membership, you have everything available at your convenience. Plus, you don’t have to drive to the fitness center, and you get to work out in the privacy of your own home.

To help you find the best home workout equipment, we’ve curated a list of 25 top-rated essentials, from chin-up bars to exercise balls, complete home workout gyms, and more. Ratings information is based on Amazon reviews and is current at the time of publication.

1. Ab Roller:

Current Rating: 4.3

The ab roller is one of the most popular forms of gym equipment because it is affordable, portable, and it works. Who doesn’t love the look of tight, lean abs? Now, you can finally get rid of that muffin top. Yet, standard ab crunches can quickly hurt your back. With this ab roller, you can ensure perfect form while whittling away that tummy butter.

Key Features:

• Good for all fitness levels.
• Portable.
• Lightweight.

2. Odoland 3-In-1 Ab Wheel Roller Kit:

Current Rating: 4.4

The Odoland Ab Wheel Roller has 3 wheels that let you roll in any direction, on any floor surface. In addition, it comes with a resistance band to heighten the level of training. Once you feel you’ve moved up a level, just add a resistance band to improve your results. Moreover, it’s so portable, you can travel with it. With this ab roller, you’ll be ready for the summer in no time.

Key Features:

• Includes a knee pad.
• No-slip comfort grip.
• Comes with travel bag.

3. Balance Ball Chair

Current Rating: 3.7

Having proper balance is essential to good health. When you have bad posture, it affects your internal organs since they feel the pressure as well. Plus, you need core strength to improve posture, too. Well, this alternative desk chair helps you do just that by simply sitting down. The Gaiam balance ball chair fits most chairs from desk chairs to dining chairs. When sitting, this balance ball helps to relieve back pain, boost energy, and align the spine. If you’re suffering from back issues, you should add this to your pain management routine.

Key Features:

• Build a healthier back.
• Removable balance ball.
• Comes with air pump.

4. Best Choice Tri-fold Gym Mat

Current Rating: 4.5

When working out, it is essential to have a comfortable mat. No one wants to lie on a potentially dirty floor. Plus, the mat helps to take the pressure off the impact of cardio exercise. And, it offers soft support when performing exercises while lying down. What’s nice about this mat is it folds for portability. And, it has carrying handles for easy transport.

Key Features:

• Puncture-resistant.
• Carrying handles.
• Portable.

5. Best Fitness Functional Trainer:

Current Rating: 3.7

One of the most efficient methods for losing weight and building muscle mass is through weight lifting. In fact, you need to lift weights to increase your metabolism. Well, now you can easily do so with this functional trainer. It comes with 19 vertical pulley adjustments and a 190-lb weight stack. Yet, surprisingly, it won’t take up a lot of space. In addition, it is easy to set up.

Key Features:

• Integrated straight chinning bar.
• Three-year frame warranty.
• Adjustable pulleys.

6. Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym

Current Rating: 4.4

When it comes to home workout equipment, who hasn’t heard of the Bowflex? Well, the PR1000 version is the perfect model to get newbies back to exercising. For this type of equipment, it has an affordable price point that offers over 30 strength exercises. Plus, you get up to 210 pounds of resistance. Once you start using this machine, you may be surprised how quickly your body starts to shape up.

Key Features:

• Horizontal bench.
• Lat pull down.
• Rowing machine rail.

7. Bowflex Xtreme

Current Rating: 4.3

Now that you are aware of the power of the Bowflex, it is time for an upgrade. If you’re ready to take your fitness to the next level, then the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE is for you. In fact, you can add up to 410 pounds of resistance. You might not need that much weight to keep your body toned and tight, but it’s nice to know you have the option. Still, it is compact enough to fit in a room or the garage. And, it features over 70 exercises to ensure you have a rockin’ body.

Key Features:

• Compact.
• Integrated lat tower.
• Patented power rods.

8. Doorway Chin Up Bar

Current Rating: 3.9

If you’ve been looking for something portable that will give you a great workout, then this doorway chin up bar is the way to go. Put it on your bedroom door and get some chin ups in before breakfast. It’s fun to use, and the solid steel construction ensures it is durable. In fact, it can safely support up to 300 pounds. And, it is a great workout for your back, abs, shoulders, chest, arms, lats, triceps, and biceps.

Key Features:

• Multiple foam grip positions.
• Flat design.
• Easy to install.

9. OYO PERSONAL GYM 25

Current Rating: 4.0

What’s nice about this piece of gym equipment is the fact that it is so portable. All you do is snap on flex packs for extra resistance. With the leg and door attachments, you can get a full body workout. Plus, it comes with a guide that includes workouts and nutritional guidance.

Key Features:

• Two-year warranty.
• SpiraFlex resistance.
• Comes with exercise DVD.

10. DynaPro Exercise Ball

Current Rating: 4.5

All home gyms need a stability ball. The DynaPro exercise ball provides 2,000 pounds of stability. Use it for balance, to gain core strength, and for yoga. It also comes with an anti-burst feature to ensure many comfortable uses. Plus, you can inflate it quickly with its accompanying hand pump. Not to mention, at under $20, you just can’t beat the price.

Key Features:

• Work out anywhere.
• Use for all forms of exercise.
• Portable.

How do you define and measure physical fitness?

Aerobic fitness is generally measured quantitatively using one measurement: VO2(max) [1]. This is deemed sufficient for anyone who is a casual athlete or below; you would need more metrics for, say, an olympic athlete or an air force pilot. VO2 is measured as 15*(fraction of resting heart-rate), or

Where HR(rest) is your resting heart-rate, such as 15-20 minutes after you've woken up, before you've started any strenuous exercise. To get to your HR(max), the most common, and easiest, way is to use a treadmill that has a heart-rate monitoring device. 

The treadmill is the best device to use for this because it keeps you at a consistent pace. The general method (off the top of my head) is 

1. Start off at a pace of 1.5-2mph and 0% incline for 2-3 minutes
2. After given time, measure heart-rate
3. Increase incline by 1%
4. Walk at current pace and incline for 2-3min
5. Measure HR
6. Increase pace by 1mph
7. Walk at current pace and incline for 2-3min
8. Measure HR
9. Repeat until you either have to stop or your HR plateaus (be careful not to go above 5% incline - just increase pace)
   

The idea is to let your heart adjust your heart-rate to compensate for the increased metabolic consumption of oxygen because of your muscles. You stay at the given pace/incline for a few minutes because your HR will jump at first, then slope down to a level that your heart and body is comfortable at. If you want to be absolutely safe and accurate in your measurements you could allow for about 5 minutes per fluctuation, but that would take a long time.

Numbers - There technically isn't any max, but if anybody has a number of above 60 either you did something wrong or your heart can handle a HUGE strain: it would imply that your HR(max) is at least 4 times your HR(rest), which is unlikely unless you're a trained athlete. My number, for instance, is 54, but I train every day and my resting HR is very low. Some athletes can reach 70-80 and above, but they would be world-class (such as olympians).

According to the Wikipedia page, the average VO2 is -

Men (untrained): 45

Women (untrained): 38

Note: If you don't have access to a treadmill, and/or a hear-rate measuring device, I would recommend using a local high school track and measuring your heart-rate with your fingers and a watch.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2...

How can I increase my fitness?

Once we know what physical conditions we have, the next step is to improve them. For this I give you 5 practical tips that will help you a lot on your way to a healthier life

1-Take care of your diet

The way you feed yourself will depend on your progress. To eat in a healthy way, I recommend two aspects. First, learn to prepare your food, because knowing what you eat and the way it was prepared will help you to have control over your diet. Eating healthy does not have to be boring; Be creative in the kitchen and this will help you both achieve your goals and save money. Second, avoid processed foods , as they contain sugars and preservatives that harm your health and therefore affect your physical condition. Buy more vegetables, vegetables, fruits, eggs and meats (red and white).

2-Create your training ruin and follow it

Organize a training plan according to your physical abilities and establish the time you will spend. Thirty minutes a day 4 times a week is a good start. Find the activity that best suits you, whether it is running, walking, swimming or doing functional exercises. The important thing is that you work your body as a unit, that is, doing exercises where as many muscles are involved as possible.

3-Train by circuits

When doing aerobic activities (running, walking or swimming) train by circuits, doing short repetitions at your maximum capacity. This type of training is very effective because it is a high intensity work that will help you burn more fat, develop and improve your cardio respiratory capabilities in a short time. I give you an example:

Trot 5 to 10 minutes at a gentle pace to warm up, then do 10 repetitions of 20 seconds at full speed and rest 40 seconds. You can also do this by bicycle, swimming or jumping rope.

4-Work your flexibility

Muscle flexibility is very important to avoid injuries. We must understand that, as we get older, we lose it and that is why it is essential that we work it. At the end of your workout spend at least 8 minutes to stretch all the muscles, to relax and to avoid pain after training. In addition to maintaining our muscular health, flexibility improves circulation, balance and coordination, which is very important in older people to avoid falls. It also improves posture and helps fight stress.

5-Train or play in a group

If you do not like to train just join a training group or invite your friends to exercise with you. This will make you feel challenged and motivated to achieve your goals. One way to exercise and have fun is to play with your friends or your family sports such as football, basketball, volleyball or any activity that helps you stay active outside the routine, in addition to sharing good times will help to substantially improve your physical condition .

Here is an example of a routine you can do from the comfort of your home:

Heating

-2 rounds rest 1 minute between series.

-50 jumping jacks or marine jump as fast as you can.

training

-2 to 3 rounds without rest (depends on your physical capacity).

-20 squats.

-20 push-ups or push-ups.

-20 kneeling up.

-20 abdominals.

Remember to work your flexibility. Always stretch your muscles.

This routine can be followed for 1 to 2 weeks and you can add more rounds, or if you prefer, more repetitions per exercise. It is a complete body routine that you can do anywhere without much space or much time. A final tip: do it as fast as you can.

What foods should you eat before bed?

To get a good sleep of 7 or 8 hours, all you have to do is eat the following foods about 90 minutes before bed. Eat lightly (about 200 calories) to avoid overloading the digestive system. Yawning already?

flaxseed:

Try to sprinkle 2 teaspoons of flax seeds into your oatmeal bowl.


They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which have a natural mood enhancement.

Chamomile tea:

The chamomile tea is so good at bedtime thanks to its calming effect on our bodies, making it a natural remedy for restless body and mind.

honey:

Mix some honey with warm milk or herb tea for a good sleep.

According to studies seem that much sugar raises, while a small amount of glucose tells your brain to turn off the Haorksin, which is associated with the level of our awareness.

Oatmeal:

Oatmeal is a great source of melatonin-rich sleep order.

The oatmeal also contributes to a pleasant feeling of satiety. Which will cause you to "lose consciousness" for a moment.

Almonds:

These delicious eye-shaped nuts can quickly send you to prairie sleep, thanks to the tryptophan content and a nice amount of magnesium that relaxes your body muscles.

Banana:

Banana is literally a sleeping ball in a shell.

In addition to its effect on serotonin and melotonin in our bodies, the bananas contain magnesium that causes the muscles to relax in our bodies.

Whole wheat bread:

A piece of toast with tea and honey will release the insulin in the body, which helps the tryptophan to reach the brain, where it is converted to serotonin which will quietly make you fall asleep for better sleep.

Red Tea Detox Review – Is It Worth the Money?

Since this product is gaining such popularity, we decided to provide our own red tea detox review. But first, let’s talk about detox teas in general.

We’ve seen the popularity of detox teas for weight loss has been rising steadily over the years, thanks to the great benefits these drinks have to offer.

Besides getting rid of toxins from your body, these special concoctions are responsible for nourishing the liver and improving the digestive system.

So What is the Red Tea Detox Program?

The Red Tea Detox is the latest cleansing and weight loss brew to hit the market. It is described as a secret African drink that is widely acclaimed for its ability to burn a pound of fat every 72 hours.

The red coloring comes from the Rooibos plant. A South-African herb that has fat-burning traits.

In fact, the author & creator Liz Swann Miller shed over 14 pounds of fat! after consuming this tea for a few weeks. After noticing the big difference, she continued with the program and dropped another 41 pounds!

So, this brings us to the big question, is this West African red tea the best detox drink for weight loss?My answer is unequivocally “Yes” but let’s discuss why in detail.

What is the Red Tea Detox?

Red Tea Detox is a new, comprehensive detoxification and cleansing program that is tailored to help you lose weight within a matter of weeks. A brainchild of Liz Swann Miller, this African detox tea has undergone a decade of advanced research coupled with more than 500 medical studies to ascertain its potency and efficiency.

Due to it’s popularity, you can now find numerous red tea detox review articles online

The Red Tea Detox program is more than just a tasty cup of tea. It offers a new holistic approach to detoxification and weight loss, covering every aspect of your health, including the body, mind, and soul.

So, How Does it Work?

The detox program is divided into three parts. These include:

• Diet

For any weight loss program to succeed, you must watch what you eat.

This section focuses on the importance of cleansing your body before embarking on a weight loss program, as it is well-documented that the presence of toxins may negatively affect the rate of metabolism.

This diet section will teach you about high-energy foods that can aid you in your weight loss efforts.

• Exercise

Adopting a weight loss program without involving exercises is simply an activity in futility. You are less likely to succeed if you do not exercise.

There is plenty of research proving the positive correlation between exercising and fat-loss.

• Willpower

You cannot make any progress if you have a negative attitude about your prospects of losing weight. Anyone can lose weight by drinking this African red tea. However, you must first change your mindset, and everything will fall into place naturally.

Studies show that parts of the brain associated with reward and decision-making are also vital when attempting to lose weight.

Our brains can easily convince us to give up which is why Liz focuses so much on the willpower component of detoxing.

Product Ingredients

The creator of this recipe uses pseudo names to describe these ingredients. This special tea has five secret ingredients. These include:

• The Fat Unlocker
• Ultimate Fat Cleanser
• The Fat Shrinker
• The Hunger Killer
• The Fat Storage Stopper

What you get with the Red Tea Detox package:

Besides, the program includes a lot of bonuses that come in the form of video tutorials and audio books. These include:

• The Red Smoothie Recipe
• The Ultimate Super Food Guide
• 5 Detox Methods of Fabulous Celebrities
• Effortless Weight Loss Hypnosis (Audio Book)

Weight Loss Benefits

The red tea detox program comes with a lot of benefits and a few downsides. However, the pros clearly outweigh the cons. Let’s have a look at what this special tea has to offer.

Overall Pros

• Flexibility in diet

What we liked about this detox tea is that it is flexible. You are not restricted from eating certain foods as compared to other programs for weight loss. In fact, you can incorporate this drink with other diets such as smoothies and lattes.

• Almost zero side effects

We’ve found the Red Detox program to have almost zero side effects. You may experience a slight headache or nausea during the first few days but this will subside in no time.

• Scientifically proven benefits

This detox program works beyond expectations. It has undergone years of research and over 500 medical studies to prove its effectiveness.

African red tea, more commonly known as Rooibos Tea has been shown to be extremely effective for weight loss.

• Rapid results

One main benefit of consuming this tea is that delivers rapid results. You may start noticing a change in your weight and health within two weeks of using this product.Isn’t that good!

• Enhances energy

It produces and maintains your energy levels throughout the day. This gives you the impetus to face the day ahead with the liveliness that it deserves.

• It helps in reducing hunger

This detox tea is renowned as a hunger stopper. It acts swiftly to cut out all the cravings you might have for junk and fatty foods. Research has shown that consuming just 17oz of liquids can provide fullness signals to the brain.

Overall Cons

• Requires Some Discipline

Like any other weight loss program, this does requires some discipline. If you stick with it though, you will see results. Some people find it really difficult to adjust their diets at the drop of a hat. Remember to start slowly and “re-wire” your brain so that you eventually begins craving the Tea.

• You have to pay extra for the audio format.

That being said, you don’t really need to purchase the audio format as it provides no extra benefit.

What is Origanum majorana and how is it healthy for us?

Origanum majorana is a perennial shrub from the lip family. Moss leaves are used for seasoning and are very common in Mediterranean cuisine in general and Italian in particular.

Para-medical uses:
According to popular medicine moss antiseptic properties, and analgesic and for moss leaves many uses:

-Origanum majorana antiseptic properties so it is very effective in preventing colds, against    mouth infections.
  And throat and cough.
- Tea relaxes nervousness, reduces mental stress
- Relieves toothache and headaches
- Reduces menstrual pain
- Regulates minor digestive disorders, dissipates gases and strengthens stomach and liver   activity
 Effective against sea sickness. Drink before sailing
 According to popular medicine, the leaves are also added as an ingredient in herbal tea mixtures, for example the tea used to boost milk production in lactating women.

According to folk medicine, the essential oil extracted from the moss is effective against joint and muscle pain, rheumatism and healing of wounds and bruises. According to folk medicine, the oil is also used to treat psoriasis on a mental background.

Uses as a spice:
Owners (fresh or dried) use to season meat and fish, salads, soups, sauces, egg and potato foods, cheeses and turkey fillings. It also serves as a spice for pizza and can be added to the bread dough and oil for a gentle aroma. The dried origanum majorana sold as spice also contains thin branches and inflorescences. Origanum majorana is an ingredient in the French spice blend Herb de Provence.

Teds Woodworking Review – Legit or Scam?

Youtube- find thousands of videos of people who are good at woodworking and learn from them but the only problem is that YouTube has many videos of which most are not relevant to what you need, so you are gonna have to filter hard to make sure you find what you are looking for.

Skillshare- video tutorials from professionals are available from this site so check it out, most lessons here are good quality .

Tedwoodworkings-Find amazing woodworkings skills and designs all in one place without have to listen to multiple source. High quality instructional videos that show you everything you need to know to start your own business.

Who doesn’t want to engage in a fun yet productive hobby during the weekends and relieve themselves of all the week-long pent up stress?

And in my opinion, when it comes to the field of stress-busting hobbies, there honestly is nothing quite like handcrafted woodworking projects.

The glamour of natural timber is indeed a timeless one. And there’s something uniquely satisfying and calming about crafting toys and furniture with one’s own hands.

But people try to avoid woodworking projects as they feel that they don’t have the required experience or skill set for it. I had the same opinion as well, but that was before I encountered Teds Woodworking program.  

It provides thousands of woodworking plans that even the most amateur of woodworking enthusiasts can follow.  Needless to say, as I grew fonder of creating something new every week, I soon became passionate about a hobby I thought I’d never have.

And I’m sure, Teds Woodworking can help you too.

Teds Woodworking Review: A Brief Overview.

Teds Woodworking is made with the sole purpose of helping out amateur woodworkers who like to employ themselves in a lot of DIY activities around the house. So, I really wouldn’t recommend it for professional wood crafters who know their way around timber carving.

You might be thinking that this product sounds too good to be true and is probably a fake. But before you dismiss it as a Teds Woodworking Scam, let me assure you that it’s as authentic as it gets.

The program contains an incredible number of woodworking plans ranging from a simple cutting and assembly to creating toys with very complicated designs.

In the advertisement, it claims to have 16,000 plans, but in reality, it’s really quite short of that numerical. However the number of ideas it does provide, and the variety of them are more than enough if you ask me, and building each plan gets more satisfying as I advance through the stages.  

Apart from the plans, Teds Woodworking contains a lot of downloadable guides as well. If you find the plans too hard to follow, or you feel that you’re missing a few steps while completing a project, then the videos will come extremely handy.

And to further help the user out, the videos come with unique tutorials as well, along with convenient step by step training clips to help you on each project.

 Pros :

-One of the best customer support team I have seen.

-Each plan is easy to follow for any woodworking amateur.

-Helpful guides hold the customer’s hand through every step.

-A vast category of plans to keep you engaged for days.

Cons :

-Doesn’t provide 16,000 plans as advertised.

-Each plans are in PDF format and cannot be edited.

What kind of projects can you expect from Teds Woodworking Plans?

When it comes to woodworking, my primary desire is always to create items that I can use around the house, or pack them up as a gift for all my friends and relatives. And this is precisely why I was drawn to Teds Woodworking so much.

As most of these projects deal with usable items, I was able to make furniture that I could place around the house conveniently. At times I was even able to make some fun toys for my niece, Stacy.

On her 6th birthday, I had gifted her a life-sized rocking horse and even made her a customized bed which she absolutely loved.

A lot of the woodworking methods today can make the process of building something feel quite intimidating to the amateur. And this is especially true when the plans are not made user-friendly and easy to follow.

But with Teds Woodworking, you will find the digital files to be extremely helpful. I am able to visualize the task before I start it and that is why the whole building process is made so effortless.

What makes Teds Woodworking a class apart?

There are many aspects of Teds Woodworking that keeps it a step ahead of most of its competition. Here are a few:

Amazing Customer support.

What most woodworking products tend to lack is capable customer support, but Teds Woodworking has one that is absolutely amazing. Not only did they answer all my queries within 48 hours, but they even offered me free email coaching if I ever needed it (I should mention here that it’s exclusive to the members.)

A vast category of plans.

The plans that Teds Woodworking contain are pretty diverse and the difficulty of the projects rise considerably as you go through the line-up. But no matter how complicated the plan, it’s very easy to follow, with simple instructions and step by step procedures for the amateur.

Convenient Video Library.

I found the video library to be quite useful as well. And although a lot of woodworking tutorial videos can be located online, nowhere is it as neatly compiled as it is in this product.

Additionally, the videos come with their own set of guides and tutorials which gets fresh content every month, with the customers having a lifetime access to them.

Is Teds Woodworking Legit or Scam? Is it For Everyone?

Teds Woodworking might be the ideal product for me or a lot of other wood crafting enthusiasts, but some aspects of it may not appeal to a lot of others. Here are some which can be quite disadvantageous to some:

Lack of a search Index.

As I had stated before, Teds Woodworking comes with a lot of plans and projects that one can try and complete. But their line-up doesn’t come with a search index, and not being able to find something that you’re looking for quickly, can be very inconvenient for many.

You cannot edit the plans to your liking.

As all of Teds Woodworking plans come in a PDF format, it’s just impossible to edit them and make your own inclusions to customize the project the way you want. The bonus drawing software doesn’t help in this regard as well. So, a lot of prospective customers can view this as quite a deal breaker.

Not getting what was advertised.

Though Teds Woodworking advertises that it has around 16,000 plans, but the real product falls significantly short of that margin. This can indeed put off a lot of woodworking enthusiasts.