Well it is that time again. The year is almost over and the holidays are just upon us. I wish I could say my holiday shopping was done, but unfortunately I have a long way to go. Thank goodness for online shopping though. Here is a quick post that I wanted to share that may help you with anyone that you just don't know exactly what to get them. Whether they are already fit, want to get in better shape, or don't currently work out much, you should be able to find something for everyone here:
1. The Fitbit:
There are a few different products out like the Fitbit, but Emily and I have first hand experience with this one. We both use it and love it. The Fitbit is an activity and sleep tracker. They have a few different models varying in price but they will measure you steps taken, calories burned, sleep patterns, and a few other things. It is amazing all of the different things this little item can do. All you do is wear it on your wrist or clip it to your waistband and it does the rest. You can also integrate a food log into the program to really track your progress. It is amazing how much more active you get when you are trying to hit your step goal each day.
2. Foam Roller:
If there is one piece of equipment everyone should have it is a foam roller. This simple piece of equipment almost works like magic. We all have muscle knots, scar tissue, or adhesions preventing us to move properly and causing nagging injuries. Just rolling for a few minutes on these areas will work wonders for your muscle and joints. I hope to run foam rolling workshops next year to teach how to use them properly. They got the nickname the "poor man's massage." It is basically like giving yourself a massage everyday. While nothing completely replaces the work of a soft tissue therapist, this is great to do in between massages.
I am also a big fan of this stick which is great for travel.
3. TRX Trainer:
The TRX is one of the best fitness products to come out in the 10 plus years. This single piece of equipment can work every muscle in your body better than any other home fitness product. I will never forget how sore my abs were the very first time I used one of these. Today I use it every single day with my clients. Just do a quick search on Youtube and you can find thousands of workouts using just the TRX.
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4. Apocalypse Bread
I know you might be thinking what the heck is Apocalypse Bread? I actually created the name for the bread after reading the description by the chef Pieter Jones. Pieter is actually one of the trainers at San Diego Premier Training. He has spent months working on this recipe, and he nailed it. I have never needed such a little serving size to by 100% satisfied from a piece a bread. And everything in this bread is amazing and healthy for you. I have never seen a bread that has over 7g of protein per mini slice. Here is the description from Pieter:
5. San Diego Premier Training Gift Card:
Ok ok, I had to put in a shameless self promotion. But what better gift could you give someone than a SDPT gift card. Especially now with the new services we are offering like Pilates and Massage. Until the end of the year if you are picking up a gift card for someone you can get a $100 gift card for only $50. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
6. Anything From LuluLemon (for women)
I just don't get it. There is something addictive they must put in LuluLemon clothing. Women love anything from this store. I'm sure men do too, but from my experience women will pay anything for workout clothes from here. You honestly cannot go wrong picking up a gift card for someone. Warning though, everything in this store is pretty much at least $100.
7. Gym Boss Interval Timer
Most of you probably already know how beneficial interval training is. If you are trying to improve performance or speed up fat burning, you need to be doing some form of high intensity interval training. The Gym Boss is a cool timer that you can just set up your intervals that you want to perform and hit go. You can have it beep or vibrate. It is small enough to clip on your waistband so you can workout with it on. This is a big favorite at the studio.
8. Heart Rate Monitor
A HR monitor really is another must have if you are at a plateau. You really need to be able to tell at what intensity you are training. A simple HR monitor will show you what intensity you are getting to and if you need to be pushing harder or maybe backing off. They will also give you an estimate of calories burned during the workout. If you know someone who is big into cardio they would love something like this.
9. Kettlebells
Quite simply, Kettlebells are just awesome. If I could only use two pieces of equipment for a workout I would pick a TRX, which we already talked about, and a Kettlebell. They can just do so much for you. Research has shown multiple times the versatility of KB training. With just a few simple exercises you can improve strength, power, speed, endurance, and increase fat burning. All great things. And best of all you can do them all at once with typical KB exercises. A good starting point is 8-12kg for women and 16-20kg for men.
10. Body Fat Analyzer
I know most people want to see the scale change when trying to loss fat. While it is important to know what your weight is, it really doesn't tell you a whole lot. You really should be tracking your body fat instead. They have scales that can do that as well, but we use the handheld tester on our clients and have had good success with it. It is incredibly simple to use and something you should be checking and relying on more than your weight.
1. The Fitbit:
There are a few different products out like the Fitbit, but Emily and I have first hand experience with this one. We both use it and love it. The Fitbit is an activity and sleep tracker. They have a few different models varying in price but they will measure you steps taken, calories burned, sleep patterns, and a few other things. It is amazing all of the different things this little item can do. All you do is wear it on your wrist or clip it to your waistband and it does the rest. You can also integrate a food log into the program to really track your progress. It is amazing how much more active you get when you are trying to hit your step goal each day.
2. Foam Roller:
If there is one piece of equipment everyone should have it is a foam roller. This simple piece of equipment almost works like magic. We all have muscle knots, scar tissue, or adhesions preventing us to move properly and causing nagging injuries. Just rolling for a few minutes on these areas will work wonders for your muscle and joints. I hope to run foam rolling workshops next year to teach how to use them properly. They got the nickname the "poor man's massage." It is basically like giving yourself a massage everyday. While nothing completely replaces the work of a soft tissue therapist, this is great to do in between massages.
I am also a big fan of this stick which is great for travel.
 |
| TRX Trainer |
The TRX is one of the best fitness products to come out in the 10 plus years. This single piece of equipment can work every muscle in your body better than any other home fitness product. I will never forget how sore my abs were the very first time I used one of these. Today I use it every single day with my clients. Just do a quick search on Youtube and you can find thousands of workouts using just the TRX.
4. Apocalypse Bread
I know you might be thinking what the heck is Apocalypse Bread? I actually created the name for the bread after reading the description by the chef Pieter Jones. Pieter is actually one of the trainers at San Diego Premier Training. He has spent months working on this recipe, and he nailed it. I have never needed such a little serving size to by 100% satisfied from a piece a bread. And everything in this bread is amazing and healthy for you. I have never seen a bread that has over 7g of protein per mini slice. Here is the description from Pieter:
We are currently the only place you can get this bread. If you would like to try it just come by the studio and pick up a mini loaf for only $5.I proudly present High Protein, Whole Grain, Superfood Bread!
Oodles mini loaf nutrition as follows:
1334 calories
26g fat
209g carb
75g protein
30g fiber
If sliced into 10 slices:
133 calories per slice
2.6g fat
30g carb
7.5g protein
3g fiber
INGREDIENTS: whole grain organic (spelt, white spelt, hard red wheat, soft white wheat) flour, water, whole grains of organic (spelt, kamut, amaranth, red quinoa, white quinoa, rolled oats), wheat germ, brown rice, sacha inchi, hulled hemp seeds, vital wheat gluten, turbinado, egg, salt, water, extra virgin coconut oil and yeast.
The hemp and sacha inchi are both considered superfoods and are responsible for a lot of the fat content in the bread. Both rich in omega 3, 6, 9 EFA including Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA); in addition, they are both high in complete protein, while quinoa is another complete protein.
It has a very nutty full flavor with a delicate balance of fluff and hearty, whole grain density.
The macronutrient profile of the bread has been streamlined to produce a nutrient rich, elegant natural flavor and true whole food experience.
This might be pushing it a little but in the event of an apocalypse, all you need to survive would be a adequate supply of this bread and quite simply, that would make you the King or Queen of the Hill.
5. San Diego Premier Training Gift Card:
Ok ok, I had to put in a shameless self promotion. But what better gift could you give someone than a SDPT gift card. Especially now with the new services we are offering like Pilates and Massage. Until the end of the year if you are picking up a gift card for someone you can get a $100 gift card for only $50. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
6. Anything From LuluLemon (for women)
I just don't get it. There is something addictive they must put in LuluLemon clothing. Women love anything from this store. I'm sure men do too, but from my experience women will pay anything for workout clothes from here. You honestly cannot go wrong picking up a gift card for someone. Warning though, everything in this store is pretty much at least $100.
7. Gym Boss Interval Timer
Most of you probably already know how beneficial interval training is. If you are trying to improve performance or speed up fat burning, you need to be doing some form of high intensity interval training. The Gym Boss is a cool timer that you can just set up your intervals that you want to perform and hit go. You can have it beep or vibrate. It is small enough to clip on your waistband so you can workout with it on. This is a big favorite at the studio.
8. Heart Rate Monitor
A HR monitor really is another must have if you are at a plateau. You really need to be able to tell at what intensity you are training. A simple HR monitor will show you what intensity you are getting to and if you need to be pushing harder or maybe backing off. They will also give you an estimate of calories burned during the workout. If you know someone who is big into cardio they would love something like this.
9. Kettlebells
Quite simply, Kettlebells are just awesome. If I could only use two pieces of equipment for a workout I would pick a TRX, which we already talked about, and a Kettlebell. They can just do so much for you. Research has shown multiple times the versatility of KB training. With just a few simple exercises you can improve strength, power, speed, endurance, and increase fat burning. All great things. And best of all you can do them all at once with typical KB exercises. A good starting point is 8-12kg for women and 16-20kg for men.
10. Body Fat Analyzer
I know most people want to see the scale change when trying to loss fat. While it is important to know what your weight is, it really doesn't tell you a whole lot. You really should be tracking your body fat instead. They have scales that can do that as well, but we use the handheld tester on our clients and have had good success with it. It is incredibly simple to use and something you should be checking and relying on more than your weight.
