Get The Best Shape This Summer

Have you been getting in your best shape for this summer? The hot and sunny days are creeping up to us once again and everyone is out there shopping for chic and sexy bathing suits. Have you done everything necessary to fit in your bathing suit and look amazing at the same time? Why not take a look at the Shake Weight Reviews page to help get rid of the wiggly jigglies under your arms!

Keeping those abs tight requires intense workouts so I hope you have been breaking a sweat!
I know, I know, those ab workouts can be such a pain and I’ll let you know I’m not keen on them either but it’s necessary nonetheless. I really don’t think I can overemphasize on their importance. Hey, admit it, don’t you like having great abs that anyone would admire? It’s no surprise why there are tons of different exercise equipment you can find in the fitness market. Whether you’re male or female, abs are not to be taken likely as they not only are appealing to the eyes; but they help to support your lower back as well.

When it comes to doing my abs exercises I don’t have a single piece of exercise equipment for it. To me it’s not necessary to do my exercises on a machine when I can do without them. Traditional exercises are just as effective as machines. From pull-ups to push ups to leg raises and dips, these were all it took for me to get rock hard abs.

However, everyone has their own preferences in how they decide to stay fit. Some would rather use treadmills, stair masters and the latest exercise equipment on the market. These can be really great for you if you can afford it. Some machines are sometimes more effective than traditional methods because of the features they possess. Just remember that the better the features, the more it is going to cost. If you can afford the extra cost, it would be worth it for you if you are serious about keeping fit.

Let me tell you about my wife for instance. She has one of those big rubber exercise balls that all those fit girls endorse on television ads. I’m pretty sure that there is a proper name for it but I don’t have clue. My wife uses it for a variety of stomach and back workouts. I was somewhat surprised when I first saw it in action. I realized that it really did have potential for a strenuous workout and give you the tone you want.

Do you prefer using abs exercise equipment or the traditional “free” methods? I know many people get their daily dose from the equipment at gyms and fitness clubs. It really just depends on personal preference and as long as you find an effective method you like, it is good that you are working towards that flat, tight and toned stomach that everyone admires.
If you still can’t decide what may be best for you, do a search on the internet as there are vast quantities of information that will help you find what you’re looking for. Not to mention the fact that it’s free and reliable!

The Total Gym Shaper Review

The Total Gym has a new sibling. It's called the Total Gym Shaper. This version is the least expensive yet at just under £100. It'll do all the things it's more expensive counter parts will do like give you a great combined strength and cardio workout only it's cheaper.

Apart from the weight (built like a tank it is) I can't think why you would want to pays hundreds of pounds more for the deluxe versions.

I've written a more detailed review on The Total Gym Shaper that you might be interested in. Check it out I believe this is a great piece of kit if you have the room for it.

All the best,

Carol J Bartram
(Personal Trainer)

The Firm Wave Workout

There is a great new piece of equipment for exercising at home that's recently come on the market. It is called The Firm Wave and it's taking the home exercise market by storm. It is not complicated and bulky like many pieces of home exercise equipment but carefully designed and easy to use with a curved side that is stable and the flat side that is unstable - it looks like a small humpback bridge!

The Firm Wave is uncomplicated and fun to use. Choose from curve-up which makes the Firm Wave stable and suitable for use for stepping exercises and as a platform for seated and floor exercises such as Pilates. And that's only half of what you can do with the Wave - turn it over (curve-side down) and the Wave provides a rocking platform on which you can rock from side to side Surfing the Wave; forward and back - Carving the Wave" or for pressup exercises at floor level which is called Trimming the Wave.

At less than $100 the Firm Wave is not expensive and works out at good value for money. You also get several extras with the Wave; a rubber mat to rest it on, an illustrated and useful chart of exercises, a booklet to help you make sensible food choices and several workouts on 4 DVDs, including a bonus abdominal workout.

The Firm Wave Workout is fun - why not rock yourself fit!

The T-Bow DVDs

I've just received the latest T-Bow DVD (the one shipped with the T-Bow) and I'm going to review each of the six different workouts on the DVD.

I have to say at first glance they do look very good. Excellent instruction, plenty of teaching points and fun workouts.

If you'd like to read my full review please follow this link The T-Bow DVD Review.

Enjoy your workouts.

Carol J Bartram

It's Not The Wave It's The T-Bow!

Although this isn't strictly Wave related I've come across the T-Bow which might interest you. So I wrote the following review on the T-Bow - See what you think.

There are lots of pieces of exercise equipment out there for home use, but how many will fit into a small apartment? Most are huge, unwieldy and - it has to be said - downright ugly! How many times have you been embarrassed when a relative has stayed over and had to share the spare room with a monstrosity of an exercise machine? And even then, having the beast squatting in the spare room like a huge toad (the exercise machine, not the relative!) doesn't mean you'll use it. I had a superb exercise bike and ended up draping the laundry over it instead of pedalling it.

Well now there's the T-Bow. An amazingly versatile piece of exercise kit that can be used in the smallest of spaces, and cleared away into a closet in a trice when your workout is over.

Exercising is essential for our health and well-being, but how many of us, with our busy lives, can make time to visit the gym? Not me, for starters, and I teach this stuff! I always end up paying exorbitant monthly fees and never getting there - which adds guilt at wasting money to the problem. Last time I made it, I had only 22 minutes (exactly) to do a workout in!

So I'm always excited to come across home exercise equipment that doesn't take up much space or cost the earth, and that gives a full-body workout.

The T-Bow fits the bill perfectly.

It's made of a high-quality polymer, and shaped in a curve, with a mat surface on top, and gaps at the sides to fit exercise bands through. Totally simple, and totally brilliant; using the T-Bow you can do cardio exercise for fat-burning, attach resistance bands for muscle-sculpting, and also do core exercises for toned, beautiful abs. Not only that, the T-Bow is perfect for Pilates, creating long, lean muscles and re-aligning your posture for that perfect silhouette!

I've been recommending the T-Bow to all my Personal Training clients, and they've been amazed at how much fun it is. Yes, Fun! Workouts with the T-Bow can be as varied as you want to make them - no more long, boring sessions on a treadmill.

Here's how it works:

• Curve side up, the T-Bow is stable and can be used as a Step. 20 minutes of brisk Stepping burns 200+ calories and tones leg and butt muscles. Add light handweights and tone upper body as well.
• Turn the T-Bow curve side down and stand on the edges. Now rock from side to side - feel that in those thigh muscles! And because you need to balance, your core muscles all switch on, working those abs and burning even more calories. It feels like a cross between skating and surfing and reminds me of being a kid again!
• Turn curve side up again and slide in the easy-to-use elastic bands for the same toning benefits as a weights session
• Get down on the floor! Lean or lie on the T-Bow's curve side for a great Pilates workout to sculpt those hard-to-reach muscles of the abs and back for great posture and wonderful toned leanness!

My name is Carol J Bartram and I am a qualified Personal Trainer and Pilates Instructor. I've tried many pieces of home exercise equipment during my professional career in an effort to help my clients reach their health and fitness goals.

The T-Bow Exercise System is in my opinion one of the best pieces of equipment I've ever seen. I use it with all my Personal Training clients and they get great results. It is simple to use and gets the job done. I own 18 of them and also use them in my private Pilates classes.

If you could only afford one piece of home exercise equipment make it The T-Bow; it comes with exercise bands and an inspiring DVD, making it really great value for money. To discover how the T-Bow could help you with your weight loss goals and to see some videos of it in action please click the above link.

Can The Wave Help Me Get A Smaller Tummy?

Yes it can! But not by itself. The Firm Wave will help you burn fat like the afterburners on a jet engine but you do need to give it a little help. What you eat is so important when it comes to fat loss.

Eat sensibly for 80% of the time, don't deny yourself treats and watch the sugar consumption - Not to many cookies!

To read more about How The Firm Wave Can Help You Get a Trim Tummy please follow the link.

All the best,

Carol J Bartram

The Firm Wave - Fat Burning and You

I've looked for more The Firm Wave Reviews and found this article I wrote. I hope you like it.

Whether you are 20 years old or 50 years young, the way your body burns fat is the same. At 20, it is just much easier! But however old you are, The Firm Wave will help you burn fat.

Fat-burning within the human body happens in more ways than one. Your body uses calories and burns fat every time you move, or do a crossword - even when you are asleep in bed. When you are young, your metabolism (the engine of your body) runs quickly; you have loads of energy, can work all day and party all night (and still get up for work the next morning!). Even without doing very much exercise, you burn off fat.

As you get older, your metabolism slows down; it's a fact of life. You have to work harder and exercise more to burn the same amount of fat as you used to, because the body simply uses fewer calories on a daily basis. How many people have you heard say that they eat less than they used to, but have put on weight? Me for one! I used to eat like a starving grizzly bear, and never weighed more than 120 lbs until I got over 35. Then, slowly but surely, I began to gain weight.

With women especially, you begin to lose muscle from about the age of 30 - unless you specifically exercise to keep it. Lean muscle is essential for burning fat. Radical dieting is NOT the answer to losing fat and keeping it off - sensible eating and the right type of exercise is.

And this is where The Firm Wave will help you. It is incredibly versatile and can be used for muscle-toning, cardio fat-burning, core strengthening to firm up that wobbly mid-section, and stretching. This last is often missed out from exercise programs, but is absolutely essential for keeping muscles firm and flexible and far less prone to painful injuries.

The Firm Wave burns fat in several ways; "surfing" on the Wave is cardio exercise, which works lungs and heart and burns calories. Using the other side of the Wave for Step tones the leg muscles as well as counting as cardio, and burns calories. Attaching resistance bands to the Wave and squatting, lunging and doing exercises like Arm Curls works specific muscles, which tones and shapes them and burns calories; and lying or leaning on the Wave for Pilates exercises works the core, sculpting waist and tummy muscles, and burns calories!

I count that as 4 ways to burn full-body calories, with just 1 great piece of equipment! And the Firm Wave comes with several inspirational DVDs to supercharge your workout, plus its own mat, wallchart and healthy eating guide.

Good luck.

Carol J Bartram
(Personal Trainer)