An interesting piece of workout equipment to help us achieve better muscle tone and weight loss goals is called The Rack.  It is a portable and versatile style of workout apparatus that can be used in three different positions: flat, standing or for bench style exercises.

The Rack is made of heavy duty steel and can support up to 300 lbs.  The Rack, itself, weighs 30 lbs. and it is easy to assemble.  The Rack can be folded for the purposes of storage and transporting it.

With the purchase of The Rack, you receive a fitness guide and journal to plan out 12 weeks of exercise routine.  This journal helps to direct you on which combination of DVD’s to go through and in what order to reach your goals.

Also included with The Rack are many different workout DVD’s: Intro to The Rack, Fat Shredder, Big Arm Blast, Explosive Chest, Ripped Abs, Into The Zone and Bartendaz Workout.  The Intro DVD covers how you can do multiple levels of exercises to attain a sculpted physique.

The Fat Shredder DVD involves exercises done in all directions at a fast pace so you will work up a sweat and increase your heart rate and increase your metabolism.   The Big Arm Blast DVD goes at a fast pace also and is directed at pumping up your biceps.   The Explosive Chest DVD emphasizes exercises for building up your pectoral muscles so you can get a sculpted body.  The Ripped Abs DVD utilizes The Rack at all three levels and it is aimed at developing a tough, hard core for your body and it lasts for 10 minutes.

The Into The Zone DVD involves progression training and it’s focus is on the entire body.  The Bartendaz Workout DVD lasts for 15 minutes and it is a challenge and it does work to build muscle and strength.

The Rack is available online at a cost of $159.96 that can be done in one payment or you can do a $14.99 trial followed by 4 monthly payments of $39.99 each.  The Rack is also available at retail stores such as Target if you are not an online shopper.

The  workouts offered with The Rack are effective and the schedules and calendars make sense.  The Rack workout programs go over a period of 90 days and it specifies which workouts to do on which days.  The Rack is also very specific in it’s nutritional guide and it is strict.  It eliminates guesswork as to what you are expected to do if you want to meet your fitness goals.

It is the specific directions and instruction for the workouts and nutrition that make The Rack a stand out fitness package.  It is the supplemental directions that make The Rack worth the money invested.

Looking back on 2011, there were some interesting additions and revisions in the fitness workout world.  For building strength, a few standout workouts include Krav Maga and Rushfit.  Krav Maga classes are strength building self defense style workouts.

Krav Maga lasts about an hour and is a combination of punching and kicking that will definitely build stamina and strength.    Rushfit, byGeorges St-Pierre, is another strength building fitness workout that is a mixed martial arts style.  It is a well rounded workout that puts all of your muscle groups to the test for fitness.

To build endurance and speed, most of the standout workouts are the cross training approaches and the barefoot and minimalist running.  Cross training is beneficial for endurance athletes because they tend to do the exact same activity repeatedly.

Cross training introduces new activities to their routines by doing things such as adding weights and swimming.  While barefoot and minimalist running has been around for decades, it has gotten a lot more focus and attention over the past year.

A newly revisited approach to distance training is always good to assess how to become a safer and faster runner.  Some of the fitness workouts focus on balance and coordination.  Capoiera is a Brazilian martial art that is becoming very popular for a form of exercise and working out.  Agility, dexterity and coordination are a must for this form of fitness workout.

Your coordination will definitely improve with this activity.  Paddle surfing is another newer workout aimed at improving balance and coordination.  This involves standing on a surfboard and paddling to stabilize yourself against the waves of a lake or any natural body of water.

Some of the newer workouts developments have their focus on flexibility and therapy.  These would include aerial yoga and the Compex device.  Aerial yoga uses a suspended fabric sling to assist you to do yoga poses and stretches more readily.

The Compex device uses electrical charges to your muscles to shorten recovery time after a workout.  As a relaxation therapy for sore muscles after a workout, it is quite effective.  Any of these workouts would, when combined with a sensible, reduced calorie diet, be effective for weight loss also.

Have you seen these crazy looking athletic walking and running shoes that look like a foot skeleton yet? They’re actually very futuristic looking, but they look like on me, who needs a lot of arch and ball support in my shoes, they would cause a lot of pain in my foot and in my back!

I’ve never tried a pair on, but I’d venture to guess these are the types of shoes that only certain people can wear who don’t need a ton of support when they’re either running, walking or doing a lot of physical activity. Especially the kind that involves a lot of jumping around and joint impact.

But are appearances deceiving?  Let’s take a look what these barefoot athletic shoes are all about and talk about it.

The idea is that running and walking or moving around otherwise is most naturally done in bare feet. The barefoot running shoes, most notably made by Vibram FiveFinger now, are based on the idea that this is the best way to work out, but they also add extra protection and cushion that you wouldn’t have if you were just strictly going bare foot.

These shoes literally have five separate toe slots, just like the footie socks that were such a novelty back in the day. They even have socks that have the little toe pockets as well, to go with the shoes.  This is why you look like you’re in your bare feet when you wear them, because each of your toes is outlined.

The idea is also that when in your essential bare foot form, you are also helping to train your entire body instead of “casting” your foot in a regular shoe with all the padding, rubber, soles, and binding.  They supposedly help to make your body sync up, helping to train the nerves and muscles to become more efficient due to the minimal interference of all the unnatural padding of a regular fitness shoe.

There is also supposedly research out there that shows we can run faster and farther when in bare foot form (of course with protection, but with minimal interference from too much material and padding in the way).  There is also some evidence that we may be able to escape more injury by running in this more natural form.

The shoe maker Vibram recommends that when starting off using their shoe, you transition slowly as there may be an adjustment period.  They do say that they have a sole that protects from too much friction or injury.  Is the barefoot running shoe right for you?  I suppose you’d have to try them out!

Every family has one of them. Those people that really have consistently worked out their whole lives. They are usually very health conscious, body conscious, and they are those people that tend to maintain a healthy weight and physique even when everyone else is throwing caution to the wind.

Yes, at times we may find them a little annoying, and even envy them here and there.  But you have to give major props to those that treat their body like it is meant to be treated – as a temple to which all you do to it has a definitive outcome.  Everything you do for your body and to your body ultimately reflects in the way you look and feel.

So, for those of you that are looking for a great gift for the fitness buffs on your Christmas list, here are some things you can get them that may knock their socks off – and make them scratch their heads on how you came up with such a great idea on your own ?

1.)  A pair of “adjustable dumb bells”. These are great because they contain several small weights that are easily added and subtracted from the base  on which they reside.  You can easily adjust the weight you are lifting, which makes for excellent results because of increased muscle confusion and the inevitable differences in angles you use when switching between weights.

2.) Mini trampoline. There are some great mini trampolines that support adult weight and fold away easily for storage that doesn’t infringe on your space. Jumping on a mini trampoline provides excellent cardio exercise and it’s fun. You feel like you’re a kid when you get on one!

3.) A new BPA free water bottle. These now come in new plastics that are formulated without harmful BPA’s which leech into the water in your bottle. You drink these cancer-causing, hazardous toxic chemicals in the longer your water sits in a bottle that is made with these chemicals. These are available now in plastic as well as stainless steel.  My bet is stainless steel is best – this way you’re guaranteed there’s no plastic. But take note, even the stainless steel water bottles need to be checked for “BPA free” verbiage as they can sometimes contain a BPA coating in them.

4.) Wrist stop watch or pedometer. I have a cheapo stop watch that I wear around my wrist that I’ve found to be invaluable. I love to use it for interval training. I go on the backroads by our house and put the watch on so I can run in 30 second sprints followed by minute and a half jogs. This way, I can time my sprinting and my jogging to ensure I’m keeping my heart rate up and burning maximum calories. There are also pedometers that can be worn around the wrist that would be great for walkers.

If you are looking to get fit and are interested in fast results to getting the toned and sculpted muscular look, Rushfit is a possible way to achieve your goals.  Rushfit is a fitness program designed by George St. Pierre, who is a mixed martial artist champion, and his trainer, Erik Owings.

This is a good solid exercise regimen that is actually quite practical in terms of time and money invested.  The recommended amount of time to be spent each day working out is 45 minutes.  The cost for obtaining the material needed is 3 payments of $29.99 plus shipping and handling for the 8 week home training camp materials.

The only other thing you will need is a set of dumbbells ranging in weight from 2 lbs. to 25 lbs.  You will not need any weights greater than 25 lbs., since you gain most of your strength from reps, not from heavier weights.

The eight week home training camp consists of 7 workouts on 6 DVD’s, a workout guide book, a nutrition guide and training plans.  The fitness and conditioning program has workouts that include: strength and endurance, explosive power, fight conditioning, abdominal strength and core conditioning, full body strength and conditioning and bonus workouts.

The workout guide book contains instructions on how to reach your fitness goals within 8 weeks step by step.  The nutrition guide informs you of the best nutrients to focus on to go along with a tough workout routine.  The training plans enables you to choose a workout calendar to mesh with your schedule and still meet your training needs.

This program is designed to help you build muscle and lose weight and it promises faster results for body toning and conditioning.  George St. Pierre is known for the intensity of his workouts.  He uses a mixed martial arts training style and his workouts are broken down into 5 separate 5 minute rounds.

This fitness program focuses on areas of strength, endurance, core stability, power, flexibility, balance and agility.  Each of his workout videos can be purchased separately online for a range of $14.99 to $19.99, if purchasing the entire 8 week home training camp is too expensive. The website for Rushfit is gsprushfit.com and it is comprehensive on what is offered.

The workout videos emphasize quality and intensity of each move.  They address all of the areas that are needed to build strength, both upper and lower body.  In addition to the five round divisions, there is a warm up and cool down to each exercise.

It is not an easy workout, but with eight weeks of really staying with this and following the nutrition guide, you would almost have to lose weight and gain strength.

There have been several flash in the pan fitness trends over the past few years that seem to have come and gone, but maintained popularity in a new fusion or incarnation afterwards. Take Tae Bo, for example. The brain child of Billy Blanks, Tae Bo combined kickboxing and a sort of martial art into a hard, kick butt workout that left even the fittest of us in buckets of sweat.

It was really popular for about 5 years before being taken over by other fitness trends like Zumba and dance. Yoga even creeped in there as sort of the antithesis to this maddeningly fast paced workout. Bikram yoga and the faster moving hatha yoga were hailed as great cardio workouts that also helped to ease stress and helped promote an inner zen.

Roller blading is a trend that took off in the nineties and even the late eighties, but waned in popularity as people seemed to put it by the wayside in favor of more trendy workouts. How often do you see anyone roller blading any more?

Spinning was a fitness craze that occurred for a while too. That was really popular in the nineties as well after some Ally McBeal actress hailed it as her reason for staying so fit and thin. Spinning really is tough, and it can really kick your butt into shape, but it’s not for everyone.

For one thing, you have to sit the whole time, and for another, it is incredibly demanding on your heart and lungs because it is very intense.

The fitness trend of the moment still seems to be interval workouts, where you are doing heavy blasts of activity for shorter amounts of time. This is popular now because people are just busy, busy, busy. They are looking for ways to stay really strong and fit without devoting a ton of time, and this seems to fit that bill. This is actually still my favorite way to work out.

It saves me time and it puts me in some of the best shape of my life when I’m doing it consistently.

It occurred to me that I should really start using TV watching, game playing, and computer time to interject a few fitness moves. My husband and I have actually started doing this, and it really helps you to stay motivated. It also helps you to not feel like such a couch potato!

For example, we were watching an hour long show that we watch every week. During a more boring part of the show, he and I hit the floor and did 100 crunches.  It broke up the monotony of sitting still for an hour, and I felt like I was actually accomplishing something instead of sitting idle for an hour.

You don’t just have to do it while watching TV though. You can make use of your “down time” and interject some fitness moves whether you are watching television, internet surfing, working on a project where you have to sit, or playing online games like poker or Texas Holdem!

Good moves to slip in are things like crunches, push ups, lunges, leg lifts, jumping jacks and any other simple and easily modified move where you don’t need a whole lot of space to move around.

Try doing something like 5 sets of ten starting off, then work your way up.  We started off a bit ambitious with 100 crunches, but you could always start with 40-50 and work your way up!

Going green is all the rage now.  It’s not even just a fad, thankfully. It’s a realization that we are all growing in population, taking over much more of this green earth and polluting it, and we really need to start thinking of how we are taking care of the earth.

We also need to be more mindful of our energy and water consumption, as these are not completely infinte resources.  Another consideration is gas or fuel for our cars. Many people consider gasoline an infinite resource, but really it is what is called a fossil fuel, and there is only so much of it under the ground.

Sure, more gets made as time goes by, but it can take several years to get to the point to where it is usable.  Mining techniques for the various forms of energy are not earth friendly, so humans really need to start considering their energy consumption.

This can often go hand in hand with staying healthy and active and maintaining a healthy weight.  Taking the steps more and skipping the elevator is an example of being greener and more mindful. Elevators run on electricity and can take a considerable amount of energy to haul your butt up several floors.

Cars are another example, and not taking your car as often is a huge step in the right direction, for both your health and your green endeavors.  It can be hard if you live in the middle of nowhere and don’t have anywhere that is within a realistic walking distances, but if you live near a city or in a suburb, you can definitely skip the car and walk as many places as you can.

If you’re in a shopping plaza, for example, and one of the stores is way down at the other end – don’t get back in the car and drive to it – walk.  These little sacrifices not only are better for your health, but are better for your local environment and air quality since you are not polluting the environment with the emissions from your car.

Planting trees has been a huge lesson in going green for us. We have also gotten great exercise lugging around water buckets, walking our acre of property and checking them for health.  Planting trees takes a considerable amount of work the first year of their lives, and this means you burn calories taking care of them.

It also means your contribute to the natural cleansing of the air by adding more oxygen producing plants.  It’s better for you too. The mere sight of green trees and plants has been shown to calm the mind and rejuvenate the spirit.

Well, getting away on a relaxing vacation can certainly put a kink in your “on a roll” status with working out. I think that virtually everyone who works out on any type of regular basis has experienced slumps in their routines due to life demands, commitments, getting sick, feeling lazy and a gazillion other excuses.

However, vacations are one of the wores for working out to take a dive for the worse. When people go on vacation, they typically look at it as a vacation away from most of the doldrums of their normal lives. They look at it as a vacation from their commitments. And guess what one of people’s least favorite commitments tends to be?

WORKING OUT.  It is a sort of license to not work out when you go on a vacation – especially if it’s a celebratory one like a honeymoon or a family vacation or some sort, or a wedding getaway. However, as long as the vacation isn’t over a week, it shouldn’t damage your fitness level too much.

Even if you can sneak in long walks on the beach or walks around town and get some sort of cardio in to your days – or even swimming in the ocean or in a pool – which is great cardio and muscle conditioning – you are ok.

Some vacations are really active, while others are slugfests where you laze around in hotel rooms, by the pool, or at the beach drinking mojitoes and not burning a single calorie.  I prefer a mix of both. Since not being active during the day really makes me feel lazy and useless, I don’t like to lay around for too long.

I like to mix it up a bit. Maybe take a hike during the day, then relax at night, or go sightseeing with some comfy running shoes on so that you can really walk without getting a sort back or feet. That way you still get some sort of physical activity in while also enjoying your vacation.

You can also keep your energy levels up since you’re getting exercise, so you can enjoy every moment of your vacation instead of feeling like you want to sleep through it – which is exactly what happens when you eat rich foods and tend to sit around.  Cruises are probably the most notorious for this!

Top 10 Gym Mistakes

They always say that the hardest step toward a new healthy life and exercise program is the first step to begin it in the first place, but sadly this is not the only step. Workouts and gym regimes are challenging to say the least and mistakes in various areas of the gym are hugely common. It is important to ensure that not only are the best efforts being involved, but also an awareness of some of the most common mistakes that could be standing in the way of excellent results:

1 – All or Nothing

Too many people use the excuse of not having a full hour or time to do their routine as reason enough to do nothing. In reality, even a ten minute session can make a huge difference so never adopt the all or nothing stance.

2 – Lack of Balance

Many will always be keen to work on specific muscle groups and areas of the body, perhaps to gain a certain appearance or build strength. This can of course work in the long run, but in order to really build any area, the whole body must first be trained equally.

3 – Poor Form

Gym equipment may look easy to use, but an incorrect stance or seating position has the potential to invalidate the whole exercise. If in doubt, or even if modestly confident, ask for a few tips from the trainer just to make double sure.

4 – Too Much

Working out too hard, too fast or too often can be hugely detrimental and limit results in a big way. Resting in a nice comfy arm chair is an integral element of importance and should never be overlooked.

5 – Variety

It is all too tempting to find a routine that suits and then stick to it without exception. Eventually, all such workouts can lead to boredom, injury or perhaps burnout – so always ensure a sensible amount of variety is thrown in.

6 – Machine Adjustments

Too many people jump on the next piece of equipment in the gym and just go for it straight away because the adjustment appear to be ok for the job. When working out, ok is not enough and it is essential to make all the necessary adjustments with pinpoint accuracy to achieve positive results.

7 – Distractions

It is of course important to enjoy working out and keep entertained, but reading books and watching TV during exercising can lead to distraction from the task at hand and a lesser amount of effort put into the exercise itself – so be careful to strike a balance.

8 – Not Cooling down

The cool down after the workout is incredibly important and must always be addressed before running off into the showers. Just a few minutes to stretch the muscles and lower the heart rate can make all the difference.

9 – Unrealistic Goals

Everybody would like to be able to resemble a Greek God overnight but his will sadly never be possible, therefore set realistic goals from day one and ensure no motivation is lost along the way by expecting too much.

10 – Watching Others

Just because someone has the body that most would die for does not mean that their workout will work for everybody, so never stray from a personal program for thinking another individual’s may be better.