I found the bands to be of pretty decent quality, and liked the fact that the handles were removable. One major problem however is that the bands are not labeled and the documentation does not indicate which is which. You’ll have to figure this out on your own and there is simply not a lot of help to be found on this question. This seems to be a problem that plagues this entire set.

Popping in the DVD did not offer much help either. The quality was surprisingly poor and the instructor was not very helpful. Since you will need to attach these bands to a doorknob, it’s pretty important to make sure that you are doing it correctly, otherwise, there is the potential that someone could injure themselves. Add this to the fact that the bands aren’t labeled and you have a recipe for a mini-disaster.

The included instructional booklet is even worse than the DVD. If you can see the images, good luck. It may have just been the copy I received, but everything was quite blurry and the instructions were just not complete. All of this aside however, I will give the company points for at least making some nice bands and the handles are actually pretty useful.

The DVD should not be used as a workout tool, since it is basically a quick run through about how to set up the bands (even if it did fail miserably.) If you are expecting a workout to go along with the bands, once again you will be pretty disappointed. It is a shame really, since there was a lot of potential here to put together a really good product that would be incredibly useful for many people. The company fell short of that by a mile, and although the bands are decent, it’s tough to really get behind this one due to its many shortcomings.

If you are completely new to working with bands, this product may disappoint you. The overall lack of guidance and information is frustrating for those that are just getting started. However, if you do train with bands already and are a looking for a great way to continue that training at home, the package is certainly worth it. The bands are priced well and you can simply chuck the DVD out the window. Definitely not for beginners, but a nice product for those that already know what they are doing.

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Omron HJ-112 Pedometer

If you are in the market for a pedometer, the prices may be quite shocking. However, there are a few very good budget models out there that won’t break the bank and still offer advanced features. The Omron HJ-112 Pedometer is one of the best in this area, and you can find it for around $20 at most stores. Let’s see just how good it really is and whether or not you can get by with this budget model.

One of the things that drew me to this pedometer was its ability to be used either in your pocket, or even in a bag. Many of today’s pedometers must be strapped to your waist or arm, and they are so big that they do get in the way. This is particularly true for the short waisted when dealing with belt-like pedometers. Thanks to its internal sensors, you can stow this pretty much anywhere and you don’t feel like you’re lugging around a huge unit.

Size wise, this pedometer is incredibly small and when they say pocket sized, they really do mean it. I was actually a bit surprised by its size and immediately thought that it couldn’t be that advanced as a result. The reverse is true – for the money, this is seemed like one of the best pedometers you can buy. While it may not be a model that you can hook up to your laptop for advanced features, it does all the basics and does them very well.

The LCD screen was very easy to read and the pedometer will track how many steps you take, as well as how many calories you burn. While most would probably prefer to keep it in a pocket or a bag, there is an included belt strap and since it so small, it won’t be terribly uncomfortable to wear it. The most interesting feature was its ability to tell the difference between regular steps and aerobic steps. It was quite fun testing it out to see just how accurate it was and each time it got everything right.

In addition to showing you how many calories you’ve burned, the pedometer will also display just how far you have traveled. Thanks to its small size, you can easily keep it with you all day long, and the battery lasts more than long enough to get your whole day recorded. Since the average person takes less than 10,000 steps a day, it is interesting to see where you fall in that average and it gives you the motivation to try to walk more and get more exercise.

While it is certainly not the most advanced pedometer ever made, it gets the job done and it does it well. Considering its low cost, it is hard to ask for much more. This is the perfect entry-level pedometer for those just getting started, or even for the curious who would like to see just how many steps and how far they travel on an average day.

Earlier today, I mentioned a recent trip to Los Angeles. There I reviewed Gordon Ramsay at the London and Noe Restaurant. I thought I’d follow that up with a couple of Atkins friendly dining experiences that we had from the same trip.

Mastro’s Steakhouse Reviewed

Like any good steakhouse, they make sure the steak is great. My wife had the Filet Mignon and said it was one of the best steaks she’s ever had. I had the prime rib (I know it’s horrible for you with tons of saturated fat). It was up there, but I can’t say it was the best I’ve had. If you aren’t on an Atkin’s diet, I highly recommend the macaroni and cheese. It was the best I’ve had in some time. The food was plentiful – we had enough for two meals. The service was incredible, just very nice, friendly people. We walked out of the restaurant thinking that it was one of the best meals we had it long time. From a price perspective, we paid around $160 and thought it was a very good value compared to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant.

Fogo de Chao Reviewed

Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian churrascaria. I’ve been to several Brazilian churrascarias and they always seem to have a couple of things in common. It’s all-you-can-eat (dangerous for any diet), and the waitstaff brings big cuts of meat to the table. You get several types of steak, chicken, lamb, pork, almost anything that was living and part of a standard American diet. In the past I’ve been Texas de Brazil (Aruba), Churrascaria Plataforma (New York City) and a couple of smaller ones in Massachusetts.

I first heard about Fogo de Chao from Jim’s review. Since I’m a huge fan of Texas de Brazil, I knew that I’d have to give it a try if I had the chance. I have to say that it was good, but probably a little shade behind Texas de Brazil. I think the cuts of meat were just better there. However Fogo de Chao did have some outstanding bread with cheese baked in. (Perhaps they could have provided some gravy to complete the clogging of my arteries.) We ended up spending close to $150 again for dinner, blowing our dining out budget for some time.

Here are some links from the Fitness Health Network that I liked this week:

• J.D. went to physical therapy this week. When he talked about being out of balance, I instantly thought of my Wii Fit. It talks about how important balance really is. Perhaps J.D. can add a little more Wii Fit into his stretching routine.
• Perhaps J.D. can also use some tips on preventing runner’s knee from WeightLadder. I don’t think that’s really his problem, but it can’t help to be proactive.
• No Calories Needed is looking for the best way to cook chicken. If health is your only concern, I’d say boiling it. However, the result is often dry, flavorless chicken. Instead I just go with the George Foreman grill. I will marinate it in lemon juice and use some garlic powder when cooking it. Yum!
• Journal of Healthy Living talks about avocados as a superfood. It wasn’t until I moved to California that I found that avocado is fantastic food.
• Fat Man Unleashed writes about the ultimate bicep. If it’s anything like the photo, I’ll stick with my own biceps, thanks.

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If you’ve got limited space for your gym equipment, or you are just trying to save money by thinking small, the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells may be the perfect answer to your problems. These innovative new weights are comparable to a full 16 piece set and at just a little over $350, they are very economical. Are the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells all that they are cracked up to be? Let’s take a look!

First off, you’ll be getting two weights that look pretty simple. However, thanks to their unique design, you can adjust each one from five pounds all the way up to fifty. Each weight comes with plates that are adjusted with the dial system that is built in. You can start off with five pounds and then add weight in 2.5 pound increments until you reach 25 pounds. Each dumbbell is very compact. There is a five year warranty on the plates with a one year warranty on labor. (I’m not sure I’ve seen a labor warranty on a set of weights until now.)

When I tested Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells out, I found that the weights were very well made. I was concerned about the dial, but it seemed to hold up well to stress making me feel that it is as well made as the rest of the weight. This was an area that could have been a problem for the weights, but it seems as though they considered this ahead of time to cut down on complaints.

The one major problem that we found with the weights was that they were a little bit too big for dumbbells. While the overall concept is great, they are a bit bulky for many exercises and you may find that they get in the way. This is particularly true if you have shorter arms. Those that are quite big and tall may not experience this issue. I would have liked to have seen them come in a bit narrower design to take care of this issue.

The dial mechanism may be a bit confusing for some. Each weight comes with two and they rotate in opposite directions. This can be little annoying when you’re trying to increase the intensity of your workout and you have to drop everything to get them calibrated. In addition, the plates seem to shift quite a bit and if you’re not using the right form, it can be easy to get thrown off balance.

Overall, I’d give the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells a solid B+ for the idea, but a B for overall implementation. There are a few issues that could easily be corrected. I’ve seen cheaper versions on the market, so if price is a concern, that might be an option. The concept is terrific and in theory they sound great. In practice however, they just fall a bit short of where they could be. However, if you don’t have a lot of space, they may be just what you are looking for, particularly if you were blessed with longer arms and some patience to get them dialed in perfectly.

Ever since man figured out that aging wasn’t all that hot, we’ve been trying to figure out how to stay young. From Ponce de Leon to the snake oil salesman of yore, people have hungrily searched for the fountain of life. You’ll find a million theories out there, but so far, no one has really discovered how to stop the aging process entirely. The Official Anti-Aging Revolution by Drs. Klatz and Goldman is the latest in a long line of books that promise to help you at least slow the aging process, but is it any good? Let’s find out!

The first section starts off well, with theories on aging and a discussion on the parts of our bodies that stop functioning properly as we age. This was a very interesting section and had a lot to share. While it’s hard to enjoy reading about how your body is slowly going into decline, the authors did a good job of laying out their information here.

The next section was a little disappointing, and covered the newer hormones that are in use to help delay aging. This is an area where there is still not enough research to prove anything. As major league sports move to ban human growth hormone, more attention is being given to these supposed wonder drugs. We would have liked to have seen more of a discussion on their side effects and less touting of these hormones as the answer to all of our problems. Until long term studies are done, they are just not reliable.

The third section redeemed the book a little and went into a discussion on the various supplements that can assist your body in keeping healthy and fit. We appreciated the mention of amino acids and overall, this was very interesting reading. They covered a lot of vitamins and minerals that are very important in keeping our bodily functions operating as they should and a lot of people should be able to benefit from this.

Longevity through Lifestyle was also very useful and covered different changes you can make in the way that you live your life to ensure that you’re around to enjoy it longer. Again, there was verifiable information in there that everyone can put to good use. The book closes with a section on putting everything together as well as the author’s personal thoughts on the aging process. The included longevity test was fun to take and very interesting.

Overall, if you skip the third section, this is a great book. You’ll be able to take away a lot of good information, but it is important to note that aging is something we all have to go through. Whether we do it gracefully is up to us and the way we keep up our bodies. There is no miracle cure for aging, but you can get through it a lot easier when you’ve got the right diet, supplements and outlook.