weighttraining
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Can the Peloton formula work for weight training?
I've been going to the gym regularly for a few years now, but mostly to spend some time on the elliptical and stationary bike. There are free weights but I've always felt a bit uncomfortable going anywhere near them; they tend to be used by guys who grunt a lot and drop the weights on the floor. I just feel so judged (even if they don't actually care). And I'm not the only person who wants to do some weight lifting but can't for reasons like inconvenience or embarrassment. Tonal, a home weight training system that uses electromagnets, is aimed at people like us.
Exercise stick trains your muscles with light-based feedback
Of all the products ripe for technological gimmicks, training gizmos take the (low-fat, sugar-free) cake. That said, a new gadget called Axon does look pretty cool, if you're willing to risk Kickstarter. It's a stick that resembles a stout pool cue, with sensors and lights that measure the force you apply when pushing it against a wall, floor, ceiling, rock or tree. You can then train your body to match the lights, helping you improve muscle and back strength.
Buff(ing) for BlizzCon: Programming for dummies
Buff(ing) for BlizzCon is a bi-weekly fitness series written by ShrinkGeek authors Rafe Brox and Michael McGreevy. Join the WoW.com team in getting in shape for the ultimate WoW geek event: BlizzCon. From the comments and discussion after the last installment of Buff(ing) for BlizzCon, we learned that reader Saitenyo has combined a laptop with an exercise bike so she can get her exercise and WoW fix at the same time. Sweet! Settle down, everybody, I'm not going to bust out something like COBOL, or even worse, FORTRAN (which during my one programming class in college, I got a D in). Rather, this goes out to the folks who are ready to take things to the next level and are thinking about coming up with their own workout plan and strategy. Much like developing a character spec or laying out the route for a road trip, it's often best to approach things from the far end and work your way back to where you are now, so you know both where you want to end up and how to get there. As the man behind the Jabberwock (no, not American McGee) said, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."
First Look: iFlex trainer for Bowflex
As the owner of a new Bowflex system, I was excited to be able to try the $1.99 iFlex app from Redkab Creative [iTunes link]. For the new system owner, this app is really helpful. It provides a video reference library that shows you how to use the equipment to perform a wide range of exercises for every part of the body. Each movement is categorized into an area of your anatomy, including shoulders, chest, arms, legs, and so forth. Within each category are a dozen or more individual exercises. Each unit contains both a video overview and a starting and ending position -- very helpful when trying to understand exactly how to perform the exercise. In addition to the reference material, iFlex offers a virtual trainer. This section of the app includes suggested workout routines for gaining muscle, losing weight, and toning. You can track your sets, report the number of pounds lifted and your reps. Days 6 and 7 instruct you to "take the day off." I did not find any graphing tools or any way to track progress otherwise, nor can you create your own workouts. To wrap up the program, a simple fitness calculator figures out your BMI (Body-Mass Index, the same index used by Wii Fit), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). It's a nice enough feature, but something of an afterthought. iFlex was nicely designed and for just two bucks, it's a great accessory to a Bowflex-style system. My personal unit is different from the one used in the videos, but it wasn't hard to adapt the instructions to the realities of the equipment in use. I'm looking forward to using iFlex over the next few weeks to add to my workout vocabulary.TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.
