It’s amazing what you find while browsing the Internet yet another abdominal exercising machine claiming to be able to give you a strong core and great looking abs. I must say I’m feeling left out because living in the UK I don’t get to see these infomercials when they first come out and I have to rely on searching the Web to find them.

This one is called the T-Core and it looks a bit like an over-sized pogo stick which you place on your lap whilst seated and you push down with your hands. It can be adjusted to have 40,80 or 120 lbs of resistance and will (apparently) target your Upper Abs, Lower Abs and Obliques.

It reminds me a little bit of a large Six Second Abs machine (if you remember that one) and works in a similar way.

I’m sure the burning question in your mind right now is will it work, will it help me get great looking Abs and help me achieve my fitness goals?

I don’t know is the answer to that as I don’t have a T-Core I can try but from experience I can tell you that any piece of exercise equipment that focuses on just one muscle group isn’t as effective for weight loss as something that will target multiple muscle groups and has a cardio component.

If you know different because you have one then feel free to leave a review or comment in the box below.

I love at home exercise equipment and can’t see something new without commenting on it and in many cases I rely on people like you to provide your real life reviews and views good or bad and I apologise in advance if you’ve found this page and no one has written a review yet.

You could of course be the first

Other posts that may be of interest:

The Best Exercise Equipment For 2011
The Step360

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

T-Core Reviews A Pogo Stick For Your Abs?

What’s all that about then?  Working out without working out.  It seems that people these days just don’t want to work out or even if they do they want all the work done for them.  I’ve talked about this before with the vibration trainers but now it appears people want the same with other pieces of exercise equipment.

They are looking for something that doesn’t exist.  To burn calories your muscles have to work and to be simplistic the harder your muscles work the more calories you burn.  When you add to that increased muscle growth and therefore mass because of this exercise we get the best of both worlds.  We burn calories and we built a bigger fat burning machine.

Anything that claims to do the work for you is obviously a contradiction when it comes to fat loss.  If your muscles aren’t working then you’re not burning very many calories.  This should be obvious to anyone who stops and thinks about it for even a short space of time.  But still people are taking in by the infomercials and slick marketing campaigns that tell them they don’t have to work very hard just hold the latest gizmo in your hand like the Shake Weight and in four weeks time you’ll have lost 30lbs. In your dreams maybe

Really, lets get a grip in this world you don’t get anything for nothing and anybody who thinks they can is deluding themselves. I think that’s what these clever salespeople are relying on.  I know I wish I could work out without breaking a sweat but I know if I’m not slightly sweaty (or very sweaty for that matter) the intensity that I was working out at was so low that although it will give me some benefit the benefit will be small.

Remember before you start any new exercise regime consult your health professional before you start.  Even if it’s one of these working out without working out gadgets!

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

Working Out Without Working Out!

You know what it’s like.  It’s 11:30 p.m. and you’re skipping through the channels on your television to try and find something to watch.  You’re not having much luck.  Suddenly you see something interesting and take your finger off the channel button.  You’re fascinated it’s some incredibly fit and good-looking woman with perfect teeth and washboard abs demonstrating a brand new piece of exercise equipment.

You keep watching like the rabbit caught in the glare of a car’s headlamp.  The lady makes claim after claim about this fantastic new piece of at home exercise equipment.  Apparently with almost no effort and by using it for only five minutes every other day you’ll be able to lose 10lbs of fat per week and you’ll lose 20 inches all around your body to boot.

Even though you know deep in your heart that you don’t get anything for nothing the lady is like a snake charmer.  She assures you she used same piece of equipment to get her sleek looking body shape (as if!).  She introduces  many people (social proof) who like you used to be fat who swear that if you just buy the gadget all the work will be done for you.  After all they’ve done scientific research to prove just how effective this new piece of equipment is.  Sure enough a man in a white coat shows a chart showing just how more effective this new machine is compared to all the other pieces of equipment on the market.

Your heart races faster and faster could this be what you’ve been looking for? Is this finally going to be the piece of equipment that is going to enable you to get into that little black number?  You get carried away with the slick sales presentation, the social proof, the authority and the price.  After all if you just cut back slightly on this months budget you’d easily be able to afford the $200 they’re asking fo wouldn’t you?

You’re probably already doomed!  Your blood is up you’re excited you know it’s going to work for you so you pick up the phone or fill out the form on the webpage and buy the product.

The next morning you may regret it but you say to yourself it’s too late now and after all it might work for me.

Sometimes what you buy actually does what it says and the equipment is well built and does the job.  Sadly that’s not usually the case the equipment looks nothing like what you saw on television it’s cheaply made and not very well built.  What’s worse you know in your heart no matter how long you use this rubbish piece of equipment there is no way you’re going to get the results you were promised.

For large purchases never buy on the day you see the advert.  The likelihood is once the excitement has died down you’ll feel different in the morning.  If you don’t and you still think it’s a great idea then by all means buy the product at least it’ll be your head making the decision and not your heart

Other Posts:

Bare Lifts

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

Fitness Equipment – Never Let Your Heart Rule Your Head

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems that affect people of all ages.  When we are young it isn’t so much of a problem.  But as we get older particularly into middle age it is estimated that eight out of 10 people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives.

There are many reasons why people will suffer back pain for some it’s an injury  and their back is physically damaged.  For others it’s a lifetime of poor posture and weak core and postural muscles.

In the context of working out at home we need to be aware that any type of exercise has an element of risk attached to it.  The risk increases depending on your fitness levels.  For a fit and conditioned person who is used to exercising and knows how to safely use at home workout equipment the risk is low.  On the other hand an unconditioned and overweight person doing the same exercises is much more likely to injure themselves if they are not careful.

People want to lose weight quickly they are impatient and therefore instead of slowly over time building up to a challenging workout they go hell for leather when their bodies are ill-prepared for the stresses and strains placed upon it.

Unfortunately without professional advice from a personal trainer it’s very easy to inadvertently do exercises that aren’t suited to you and at worst case actually dangerous.  One of the first things that usually decides it had too much is the back.

The take-away from this article is that we can’t improve our fitness if were injured and therefore can’t exercise.  Although it will cost you professional advice should always be sought before starting to exercise.

The free exercises you can find on the Internet are worth the same as free advice.  Nothing!

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

The Best Way To Avoid Back Pain

I was reading an article recently whose title was what to do if your pecks won’t get any bigger.  I think the real question is why on earth would you want your pecks to get bigger?

This is a question asked mostly by men.  They seem obsessed by muscle growth particularly chest and shoulders.  I would have to ask the question is this functional?  Or in other words what value is having huge chest muscles give you?

A lot of men that I see in class have grossly over developed chest, traps and delts but an underdeveloped lower body.  They invariably have skinny legs and don’t look very well balanced.

If that wasn’t enough of a problem having hugely developed chest muscles and weak shoulder retractors means that their shoulders are going to round forward.  This will, over time causes the head to come forward over the centre line and give them a stooped appearance.

What we need to do is have a balanced workout.  One that works all the muscles of the body evenly not focusing on any one muscle growth.  If we don’t not only will we look like a Neanderthal but inevitably over time pain will develop due to muscle imbalances and the inevitable bad posture.

That’s why I believe including Pilates as part of your fitness regime is such a good idea.  It will educate you in the element of good posture, give you a firm foundation and teach you the importance of balance in all things not just exercise.

So come on guys less bench pressing and more Mat work trust me you will end up stronger that way.

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

What To Do If Your Pecs Won’t Get Any Bigger

When women think about strength training they see huge muscular women with bulging muscles and decide that is definitely not for them.  The truth is women just don’t have the testosterone required to easily build large amounts of muscle.

Yes, it’s possible but usually there’s an element of drug use such as steroids required to give women the huge bulky muscles you see in the magazines.  Either that or you’d need to train seven days a week with some very heavy weights.

Therefore if you add strength training to your workouts it’s only going to build a small amount of extra lean muscle tissue and lets face it as we all know the more muscle you have the more fat you burn.

The other problem is that strength training can be uncomfortable, it can make you hot and sweaty and let’s face it it’s hard work. That partly explains why most women prefer to do bucketloads of cardio in fact in a lot of cases that’s all they do.

Now having cardio in your weekly workout is essential but it’s also very important to introduce some strength training.  The equipment required is minimal in fact you could get away with no equipment at all.  Press ups, squats and lunges will exercise just about every single muscle in your body.

The bottom line is to look good requires a balanced workout which includes cardio, strength training, stretching and other functional exercises.

So get off the treadmill and add an element of strength training to your workout.  Trust me you won’t regret it and your results will be better and come much faster.

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

Women And Strength Training

The Total Gym has been around for many years and always was a first class piece of home exercise equipment. Most people will have seen it advertised on the infomercial channels being used by Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley.

This latest model The Total Gym Shaper is the most inexpensive model they've produced coming in at just under £100 ($140) and offers great value for money.

It works by using your own body weight as resistance and depending on the incline you set can give you a weight range of 6-60% of your body weight. So for muscle building you use a high incline with fewer repetitions and for aerobic muscle sculpting a lower incline and more repetitions are used.

Total Gym claim you can do over 60 exercises on it targeting every muscle group in your body and it has the following features:

I know this type of equipment works because we have one of the older models which, by the way, cost us a lot more than this one.

The only thing I don't agree with Total Gym in their informercial is the easy-to-put-away part. You see a small women folding it up and then effortlessly putting it away. Trust me, it's not that easy. It's a well-built machine and heavier than it looks!

Bottom line is that I like The Total Gym and although I don't use mine as much as I used to (I prefer to use equipment like The T-Bow and body weight exercises), for your average at home exerciser this piece of equipment is inexpensive, well built and will give you a great workout.

Amazon usually have the best price for the

The video below shows how Chuck and Gena use the Total Gym in their own workouts. The Total Gym shown is one of the more expensive models but the Total Gym Shaper will do exactly the same job.

All the best,

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

The Total Gym Shaper Reviews

I’m getting a lot of mail asking me if the Kettleworx workout works. I’m assuming they mean will it help me lose weight (fat). Although I’m in danger of repeating myself (it’s my blog so I can if I want) the answer would have to be yes, the Kettleworx system does work.

But – you knew there had to be a but you so could also get results running on the spot while carrying a tin of baked beans in each hand!

The advantage of systems like Kettleworx or The Firm Wave is that they gives your workouts structure. They show you exactly what you need to do at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. You are also shown how to do the exercises safely and in good form which is important if you want to avoid injury.

As a fitness professional I really don’t care what exercise you do (although you can get faster results by picking the right workout) I just want you to do something. Pick a product that you like and use it regularly and I promise you will get results.

Just don’t give up and remember weight loss, getting fit and feeling good requires a lot of small changes over a long period of time. Don’t aim for 4lbs a week instead be happy with 1/2 – 1lb at that rate you’ll be able to live a little and lose a little the best of both worlds.

Get Total Body Fitness In Just 20 Minutes, 3 Times A Week!

Good luck and remember if you don’t enjoy your workouts you won’t do them!

All the best,

Robert E Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

Does Kettleworx Work Seems To Be The Question Of The Day

Being a Personal Trainer can be a lot of fun when it comes to reviewing exercise equipment and DVDs. It’s like a disease at the moment the amount of new “stuff” coming onto the market is staggering. So what’s a person to do? How do you pick am exercise program that works?

Take Core Rhythms for example. How do you know it’s any good? Will you be able to use it to get fat loss results? If you spend your life searching for that perfect product trust me you’ll look forever and be no wiser.

Core Rhythms looks like a decent product (Disclaimer I don’t have it) it will get you moving and if followed regularly will help you lose weight. The issue is do you like it? Does it light your fire? Will it motivate you to workout?

For me it wouldn’t I don’t like to dance (call me strange if you like) so this type of workout just wouldn’t motivate me to get off my butt! But maybe it would for you, maybe you like to dance and maybe you like this type of music if so then this workout would be perfect for you.

I’ll say it again it doesn’t matter what exercise you do just do something if you find you’re getting bored have a go at something else mix it up a bit as I’ve said there’s no shortage of material.

I like to do aerobics, strength training and stretching and I get bored easily which is why I use equipment like The Firm Wave to help me get variety in my workout.

Take look at this video and see if this workout would motivate you if it does you know what to do

All the best,

Carol J Bartram
(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

The Core Rythms Review

Q: I have been using the T-Bow Exercise System for a few weeks and have only lost 3lbs and haven’t noticed any change in my shape. I am about to give up! What am I doing wrong?

A: Don’t give up! You are doing everything right; as a Personal Trainer, I would be delighted with those results. What is happening is that you are building muscle at the same time as you are losing fat. Muscle weighs in much heavier than fat, but takes up much less space, and gives the sleek, toned curves that look so great.

Even better, muscle burns calories all the time – fat just sits there looking lumpy! So the scales may not say much weight difference, but your body composition is changing; you’ve probably lost around 6lbs of fat and gained 3lbs of muscle! Think of the World’s Strongest Man – he weighs in around 300lbs, which makes him obese according to the weighing scales – but you only have to look at him to see there’s not an ounce of fat on him.

Keep up with your regular use of The TBow Exercise system at an intensity that you can sustain. You should not be gasping for breath and moaning from muscle pain at the end of a workout – you’ll never be able to keep that up. Moderate intensity, 2 – 4 times a week will make you feel energized and full of life, and those excess inches will steadily melt away – and you’ll see and feel the difference. Even better, that excess fat will stay away. Keep rocking on the TBow.

Just to prove that real people use the T-Bow I’m creating some videos showing you what it can do.

If you like the T-Bow you may want to take a look at The Firm Wave Review I’ve written. The Firm Wave is similar to the T-Bow but is less expensive. Unfortunately it’s only available in the USA and Canada

All the best,

Carol J Bartram
(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

Posted by: At Home Workout Reviews

I have been using the T-Bow Exercise System