Corsets, girdles, waist trainers –  the Western world had been utilizing these devices since the 16th century. 

The kettlebell is an underutilized tool at the gym, often skipped in favor of cable-pull machines or dumbbells. Made out of cast iron or steel, the kettlebell is a ball with a handle attached.  The shape is derived from an ancient weight system to measure crops in either Russia or Germany. The word girya, a Russian word for iron weight, was first documented in a  1704 dictionary – from the Slavic gur, meaning bubble or the Persian gerani, meaning difficult.  Farmers would often use these weights in strength competitions, becoming a village past time. It’s been described as the “working man’s sport” because of how inexpensive the equipment was.   In 1948 it became the official sport of the Soviet Union,...

"The simple act of noticing things," - Ellen Langer A practice for millennia, mediation can be found across spiritual disciplines and religion. Its central principle is to encourage peace of mind and connectedness between your own body and breath to the outside world. While the number varies depending on the cultural source, from five to over 20 versions. Most agree on the following 9 as leading versions of meditation. Once you discover whatever version best suits your needs – a Zen proverb suggests practicing meditation for 20 minutes each day for 100 days. Before practicing, ensure a comfortable seat in a chair or yoga mat so you can stay focused and blissed out. Nine Types of Meditiaton Mindfulness Derived from Buddhist teachings,...

Exercise Yoga Mat with Carrying Strap An overlooked tool in any fitness junkie’s kit is the yoga mat . Made out of eco-friendly TPE (Thermoplastic elastomers) this material is made to outlive most other mats on the market. It can withstand a certain amount of wear and tear while maintaining its original shape.  Just under 2.5 lbs with a complimentary carrying strap, it’s lighter than most mats . The closed-cell surface is non-slip and odorless, keeping out dust and moisture along the way. It’s¼” thick and double-layer mat provides more cushion than others on the scene with a wavy underside to keep it in place – so you won’t lose your grip midway through Hot Yoga and it makes for...

Do you suffer from delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) on a consistent basis? This can occur after an intense workout and cause a painful muscle tension. There are multiple solutions for alleviating this type of muscle soreness including message rollers. Our Trig Stick fitness roller was designed particularly for those extra painful moments. To those who are not familiar with muscle rollers, this device may appear very odd. It’s an upgraded roller with harder plastic gears to dig into the muscle and loosen them up for faster recovery. Unlike a traditional foam roller, the Trig Stick is equipped with a handle on either side. These are helpful when you want to apply extra pressure on problem areas. At 18 inches long,...

In our last article, we began to discuss some of the workouts you can do if you are unable to go to a gym. We talked about cardio and stretching and in this article, we are going to dig deeper into the best exercises for your chest and your triceps.

Yoga is a practice that encourages mindfulness of both your mental and physical state. Being in tune with the dual sides of the waking body will help you maintain a sense of internal balance. This integration is beneficial beyond exercise, it can be applied to your approach to friends and relationships or at work.   Here are a handful of positions you can practice to help with your mindfulness: Mountain Pose - Tadasana The Mountain Pose is one of the simpler poses to do in yoga. Performing this pose helps bring awareness to all parts of the body. To start, stand tall with your arms by your side. Make sure your feet are planted firmly on the ground, bringing awareness to all four corners of the foot. Elongate...

Yoga is a 5,000 year old practice developed by Vedic priests in northern India to develop breath, strength and flexibility. Technically a school of Hinduism and a major facet of Buddhism within its meditation practices, yoga has been refined and adapted across cultures to become the globally well-known discipline of today. It arrived in the West in the late 1890s. Often credited to Swami Vivekananda, he came to the U.S. in 1993 and organized a conference on the “science of the mind.” Vivekananda also put on a yoga demonstration at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Yoga could be found everywhere in the county by the 70s. “Health is wealth. Peace of mind is happiness. Yoga shows the way.” –...

Whether you are tired of workout machines with a limited range of motion, or want to switch up muscle strengthening exercises, resistance bands are an alternative for achieving the same results with more options for your body’s needs. Not all resistance bands are not made equally. Keep in mind the type of workout you are doing and how much of a challenge your body can handle. Our Resistance Bands range from light 10lb of resistance) to extra heavy (50lb).  Bicep Curls First, stand in the middle of the band and grab hold with both hands. You will want to start out with your arms fully extended towards the ground. Pull the band towards your chest while keeping your elbows tucked...

  Calluses are an inevitable part of working out, especially if your workout is centered around weightlifting. Even with lotioning afterwards, there are measures to take to prevent callus buildup during exercise.  One way to help prevent rough hands is practicing a proper bar hold. It’s instinctual to want to hold the barbell in the palm of the hand. It’s recommended to hold it in the proximal crease – the area closest to the base of the fingers. This hold eliminates much of your skin that folds over when you close the grip on the barbell. This should eliminate excessive callus build-up. Use chalk Chalk is an incredibly useful tool to prevent the bar from slipping in your hands and...