7 Myths Uncovered About Sports Watches

Sports watches are a crucial accessory for anyone trying to get fit through exercise. However, there are thousands of them on the market, many promising benefits they can’t possibly deliver. With this in mind, let’s look at seven myths about sports watches.

1. Sports Watches Make You Fit

Sports and fitness watches are similar to any other type of exercise equipment or accessory. Will they help you get fit and remain in great shape? Yes, but only if you actually wear them and use them properly. If you buy a sports watch but then just stick it on a shelf or wear it as a normal, everyday watch, you are going to be disappointed with your results. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

2. All Watches Are All The Same

There seems to be a general impression that all sports watches are interchangeable. This is a myth of the highest order. Quality sports watches are designed for specific tasks. Most will do the job for casual walkers and runners, but far fewer are useful for competitive runners or for use in a triathlon when you need to track stats for running, biking and swimming. Always take the time to determine realistically what you need the watch to track, and then make sure to pick models which provide that functionality. If your sport is unusual, you might just need an unusual watch to match.

3. Sports Watches Are Waterproof

Many assume that “sports watch” means “waterproof,” but that’s simply not the case. It’s an easy assumption to make, since a waterproof watch would seem to be a requirement for use by runners. After all, most people don’t let a bit of rain or fog deter them from a run – and if they’re going to be exercising, they’re probably also going to be sweating. But it’s a myth that all sports watches are waterproof. As with most items, you get what you pay for; make sure the one you buy is waterproof, or you are just wasting money.

4. They Have A Long Battery Life

Another myth is that every sports watch comes with a long battery life. Battery life may not be a major concern if you run just a couple of miles a few times a week, but it’s crucial if you’re a serious runner and do ten miles a day (or more). A sports watch actually works harder and requires more power than a regular watch, since it’s not just telling the time, it’s also measuring data. And if you are in the middle of a 15 mile run and your watch goes dead, it’s useless. Always check the manufacturer’s specs on battery life before buying a sports watch; certain Garmin models, in particular, are known for short battery life.

5. All Sport Watches Can Upload Data

No, not every sports watch will upload workout data to a computer. This functionality is important to people who wish to track their performance over time to see if they are improving, and even more important if they have health issues which need to be monitored. However, most sports watches do not have the ability to upload data. If you need this functionality, you need to look for it specifically and should expect to pay a good bit more for it.

6. These watches Accurately Measure Distance

The common belief is that all sports watches are essentially accurate. This is simply not true. The problem usually isn’t the watch itself, but the software used in the device. A low-cost sports watch is going to have very basic software which only records movement and predicts pace in very general terms. This often leads to wild inaccuracies, leaving runners in half-marathons to wonder why the distance shown on their watch does not even come close to the length of the actual race. With high-end sports watches you get better software and better monitoring, giving you a true indication of the distance you’ve traveled and your pace. Offerings such as Footpod, Polar V800 and Garman 205 watches are considered very accurate. Of course, you’ll pay more for that accuracy.

7. Bigger is Better

It doesn’t matter whether you’re from Texas, Tennessee or Tahiti – most people believe that bigger is always better. That’s a complete myth when it comes to sports watches, though. Smaller sports watches can provide the exact same functionality as larger ones if you’re choosing quality products and brands. And do you really want to be wearing a monster-sized watch (with a monster-sized “sweat profile”) when you hit the last hard mile of your run? With sports watches, smaller is better as long as you have the functionality you need, and smaller watches are even coming back into vogue.

Just as with all workout gear, it’s easy to believe the myths everyone repeats over and over – but that will only lead to wasted money. Ignore the common misconceptions about sports watches. Instead, determine exactly what you need and then focus on the specifications of each watch you’re considering.  If you focus on doing this your new fitness watch really could change your life!

Are you interested in living as long and healthy a life as possible? Good habits are critical to meeting your goal, and working out to stay fit is one of the important habits you need to develop.

If you’re not bursting with excitement when your scheduled workout time arrives, fitness watches will change your life by providing the motivation you need to get off the couch and get moving.

Reality Strikes

It would be fair to say that marketing for most fitness products is primarily based on illusion.

That photo of a woman jogging in full makeup, with 0.00001 percent body fat and not a drop of sweat showing, is obviously a misrepresentation of real life.

For many of us, getting fit is something we need to do but not something we want to do – at least, not every day.

That’s because it’s difficult to get motivated. It is nearly impossible to continually find reasons to “want” to exercise.

Sure, you can force yourself to do it today or even for a few weeks, but setting and sticking to a consistent workout schedule over time can be very tough, even for professional athletes.

Consider pro hockey player Mike Richards of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. He risked being cut by his team because he was in poor physical shape after an offseason spent fishing and drinking adult beverages, instead of running and working out.

Richards is paid in excess of $5 million a year. If a professional athlete making that kind of money has motivation issues, then it should be no surprise that the rest of us do as well.

Spicing Things Up

If you find motivation an issue, there are accessories which can spice things up and get you excited about getting off the couch.

And some of the best accessories are fitness watches.

Fitness watches are of particular use to runners, because they can provide an amazing amount of information which can be used to track performance and provide inspiration.

When you use one, you can not only monitor day-to-day improvements in your times, but can also see how much your health is improving.

For most people, the ability to track their performance is really the key.

You’re finally home after a long day at work, and you are supposed to knock out a five-mile run? Ugh. The temptation to plop down in a comfortable chair and watch your favorite show can be overwhelming.

But – what if you’ve been trying for months to lower your time for that five-mile run and are closing in on your goal?

It may sound like a small thing, but this little bit of extra motivation can make all the difference when you’re deciding between working out and vegging out.

But there’s more to it than that.

Ultimately, fitness watches are a must-have for anyone making a commitment to getting fit.

They will provide you with real-time measurements ranging from the distance you cover on a run, to your pace, to the number of calories you’ve burned.

All of these factors can turn a boring exercise session into a competition; since humans are naturally competitive, you are far more likely to stick to your exercise regimen if you’re regularly checking your fitness watch.

For a healthy, productive life you need to exercise regularly.

It will keep your heart in optimal condition while keeping your weight down as well. Fitness watches are a great way to make sure you stick to your workout plan and personal development schedule, and as silly as it might sound at first, they really can change your life.

Ahh, the treadmill. Some people love it, some people hate it. Some people have a love/hate relationship with it.

However you feel about the treadmill, irrespective of whether its the best treadmill money can buy, it just doesn’t matter; cardio is an important part of any fitness enthusiast’s routine. This makes the treadmill an integral part of anybody’s workout. However, there are a few mistakes you can make while using a treadmill. These mistakes could leave you with a workout that just hasn’t challenged you, or worse, one that’s injured you! Using the treadmill properly is key if you want to see some amazing results. To help you out, here are the top mistakes people make while using a treadmill…

p.s at this point the assumption is you already have a treadmill but just in case you could always read our treadmill buying guide.

1. Making Strides Too Long

If you make strides that are too long, you could end up hitting the front frame of the treadmill, causing you to fall or stumble. You’ll burn up more energy too, which will stop you from getting the best from your workout. You could even stand more of a chance of becoming injured. You shouldn’t be lifting your foot off the ground too much as you stride. If you are, you’re expending too much energy. You might look as if you’re jumping, rather than running! Making sure your strides are just right and that you have proper form is key to seeing awesome results.

2. Holding on to the Sides

Holding on to the sides of the treadmill or the bars helps you to support your body weight, but it also means the workout isn’t as good. You won’t burn as many calories or work as hard. If you’re walking on an incline and feel the need to grab onto the treadmill, just slow the treadmill down until you can walk without holding on. You’ll still get a better workout, even though you’re not going as fast. You don’t want to hold on to the sides leaning forwards or backwards, as you’re throwing yourself off balance. There’s almost no point in doing a workout if you’re going to hold on!

3. Wearing Improper Shoes

Wearing improper shoes on the treadmill is a fatal mistake that could leave you injured if you’re not careful. You should definitely go for function over style when selecting your trainers. Choosing a pair with a high sole can be more comfortable, especially if you do hill walking or hill sprints. Just make sure you only wear your shoes for using the treadmill, not for other cardio classes. High soled shoes could cause injury during fast paced classes, like dance classes. It’s a good idea to have a couple of different pairs for the different types of exercise you like to take part in. There are even shoe shops that will assess your individual foot type to find the right training shoe for you.

4. Looking Down

Looking down at your feet can throw your posture all out of whack. You can hunch over, misaligning your body. This can cause longterm damage if you do it too often. Instead, make sure you keep your head up and look straight ahead of you. Aside from affecting your posture in a negative way, you might even throw your balance off and end up falling and hurting yourself. You want to make sure your body is in a fairly straight line from your head to your toes.

5. Overdoing it

It is possible to overdo your workouts on the treadmill. If you’re doing more than 3 high intensity workouts per week, you could end up injuring yourself as you’re not giving the body time to recover. When it comes to moderate intensity workouts, you can do up to 5 per week. However, it’s important you listen to your body. If you have aches, pains, soreness and feel worn out, then you’re likely overdoing it. Give yourself sufficient rest or you’ll run the risk of burning out.

6. Not Warming Up or Cooling Down

You can’t just hop on the treadmill and start running full speed ahead, nor should you get off the treadmill as soon as you’re finished. You need an adequate warm up and cool down to reduce the risk of injury and get a better work out in. Make sure you start off your workouts fairly slow. Then, begin increasing the speed until you’re at a speed you feel comfortable enough with to complete your workout. It can be tempting to get off the treadmill as soon as you’ve finished, but having a few minutes to allow your heart rate to slow is the best thing to do. Otherwise, you might end up feeling dizzy and lightheaded!

7. Focusing on the Numbers on the Screen

Treadmills come with features that can tell you how many calories you’ve burned, and even how much fat you’ve burned. However, if you focus too much on the numbers on the screen, you could be jeopardizing your workout. These numbers are only an estimate anyway, so you shouldn’t focus on them. If it helps, you could cover the screen up with a towel and instead focus on challenging yourself. You’ll always get better results this way, than relying on the numbers on your treadmill screen!

8. Failing to Save Your Workout History

If your treadmill can save your workout history, then you should do it! No matter how unfit you think you are at the start, saving your workout history will allow you to look back and see how far you’ve come. This can help to keep you motivated, even if you feel like your progress might be slowing down.

9. Doing the Same Routine Day in, Day Out

Doing the same routine on the treadmill day in, day out will eventually lead to your body hitting a plateau. You won’t make the results you made in the beginning. You won’t even burn the same amount of calories that you burned at the start, as your body becomes more efficient at this particular workout. Every 4 weeks you should consider changing your workout, or even using a different piece of elliptical equipment.

10. Your Arms are Everywhere

Your arms should be fairly loose, rather than tight or tense. However, you shouldn’t swing them about all over the place as you’ll burn up too much energy. Keep your arms down by your sides while you walk, up until you get to a jog. Once you’re at a jog, you can bend your arms to a 90 degree angle to help rotation of the torso.

11. Going Over Your Optimal Heart Rate

You can work out your optimal heart rate by taking your age away from 220. When working out on a treadmill, experts recommend that you only work up to 85% of your optimal heart rate.  If maths is not your thing, you could buy top fitness trackers that provide heart rate readings. Anymore than that and you’ll exhaust yourself, putting your heart under strain. You won’t burn more calories, so you should keep your heart rate at a reasonable level. You might even get sore feet and other injuries if you push yourself more than you should.

12. Not Taking the Right Equipment With You

There’s nothing worse than getting on the treadmill for a good workout, only to realise you don’t have a bottle of water or a towel to wipe your face. It’s important to stay hydrated, especially if you’re sweating on the treadmill. Getting off to get a drink won’t do you any good! Sweating all over the treadmill isn’t nice either, so making sure you have your own towel is a good idea. Make sure you give the treadmill a wipedown once you’re finished too – it’s common courtesy!

Avoid making these mistakes on the treadmill, and you will always get the best from your workouts!

A large number of people want rock-solid abs. Several workouts, such as crunches, bicycle crunches, leg raises, cable rotations, etc., can help you achieve great abs. How many people really know how to do these exercises properly?

For a huge number of people, working out every day for several hours does not yield any results. Unlike the muscles of the other parts of your body, the muscle of your abs is visible only after reducing the extra fat around your stomach; many people do not know this. In this article are eight top myths in the realm of abdominal workout.

Myth 1: You have to do hundreds of crunches

Many people believe that the abs is a collection of muscles with a corrugated pattern. This is not true.

“Rectus abdominis,” the abs muscle, is a two-part muscle with a vertical, central line known as the “linea alba.” The muscle starts at the pubic area and runs up to the base of the ribcage. It is closely associated with a pair of muscles known as “obliques.” Single muscles always develop with more resistance than the number of reps. Hence, hundreds of crunches a day will not give you any more benefit than doing twenty to thirty reps with an appropriate amount of resistance.

You also do not need to exercise your abs every day.

The abs muscle is not quite different from any other muscle, such as biceps or pecs. Overworking is not good for it. However, you should increase the resistance on a regular basis by adding weights during crunches. This will tone the muscle and make it stronger. For any abdominal exercise, it is recommended that you do about twenty reps.

Myth 2: Exercising abs will reduce body fat

You may come across many overweight people exercising their abs for hours every day without seeing any change in their physique.

Why are those people unable to reduce fat and build six-packs? People tend to accumulate a large amount of fat around their stomachs. Due to this reason, many people believe that exercising the stomach will help reduce the fat around it. This is not true.

When you work out, the amount of fat burned is even all over your body. There are specific fat-burning exercises that target all parts of the body that store fat. In order to show your abs muscle, you must first reduce the fat layer on top of it.

Reducing fat is not possible without following a proper diet and aerobic workout routines. Jogging, cycling, rowing, etc., are some of the aerobic activities that you can do. A good mix of aerobic and more intense anaerobic activities will help in reducing fat.

The importance of dieting should not be discounted either. In order to find the perfect diet plan for your fitness, you should consult with a dietitian. After you reduce the overall weight and the fat level of your body, your abs muscle along with all other muscles on your body will become noticeable.

Myth 3: You have to exercise very slowly to build strong abs

You may come across people who take several seconds to complete one crunch.

They seem to feel the contractions of their abs muscle. Slow workout is not going to help you build any muscle, let alone the abs muscle. When you do household chores, like moving things or fixing machine parts, you do not work slowly. In the same way, when you do anaerobic workouts like sprinting, you have to be as fast as you can.

In the same way, be fast while working out abs too.

As mentioned, slow workout is not advantageous for other muscles too. The University of Alabama conducted a recent study in this regard. In this study, which was conducted for bicep curls, two groups were there; the first group took almost fifteen seconds to finish a rep while the second group finished a rep in two seconds. It was found that the second group of individuals lifted about 250 percent more weight and burnt about 71 percent more calories than the first group.

This clearly shows how ineffective slow workout is.

Myth 4: Crunches are the most effective exercise for abs

Regular crunches are highly effective for building your abs muscle.

They are not, however, the most effective abs exercise. Your abs muscle gets the maximum workout only if you contract and stretch it as much as possible. A combination of different kinds of exercises is good for your abs. An example is the bicycle crunch, in which you incorporate other muscles such as hamstrings and quads. You can also use a specialized crunch machine for the workout, as such a machine provides you proper back support and allows you to do a full stretch of your abs muscle.

While the normal crunch only allows the contraction of your abs muscle, these crunch machines can be used to exercise your oblique muscle too.

Myth 5: Simply raising your legs is good for your lower abs

As mentioned earlier, your abs consists of a single muscle that has two longitudinal, parallel parts.

Exercises target the entire muscle rather than the upper or the lower part of it. Leg raises if done properly can be a good exercise for your abs. In the regular leg raise, you lie on your back on an exercise mat with your arms resting on both sides and raise both legs to an angle from the ground.

The exercise has other variations in which you sit down, hang from a bar, or use a machine.

The purpose of your abdominal muscle is to strengthen your core.

It works closely with your spinal cord. Many people do leg raises by simply raising their legs to a vertical position without actually contracting the abs muscle. This is more common in the case of hanging leg raises.

When people do this, they are not actually working out the abs muscle but a pair of skeletal muscles on the hip known as hip flexors. In order to do the ab workout properly, one has to arch the spine and make the ab muscle, not hip flexors, raise the legs.

Myth 6: There is no need to use weights when training abs

You use weights to train all kinds of muscles–biceps, triceps, pecs, quads, etc.

When it comes to the ab muscle, many people believe that crunches, leg raises, etc., should be done without weights; some people use stability balls though. This is not true.

Ab muscle, just as any other muscle, can be made stronger by increasing the resistance with weights. Before training your abs to make them stronger, you should reduce the fat around your stomach. When the fat goes away, the abs will stand out.

Hence, an overweight person should first concentrate on reducing the fat in his body before beginning abs training. If they train the abs using weights before reducing fat, the development of the abs muscle underneath the layer of fat may make the person look fatter. In order to get flat, strong abs, you should train two to three times a week with proper rest in between the days you work out.

Myth 7: Compound exercises are better for overall fat reduction and abs toning

Compound exercises target not just one muscle but a group of them.

Examples are squats, sit-ups, dumbbell lunges, pull-ups, push-ups, bench press, etc. These exercises can be helpful in building several muscle groups including the abs muscle. The fact though is these exercises do not cause any miracles for your abs.

They are less effective than following a diet and then doing specific exercises for the abs, such as crunches.

In any case, proper fitness is achieved only with a proper diet plan and regular exercise. In order to build a muscle such as the rectus abdominis, specific exercises are better than a compound workout. This does not mean that the compound workouts have no benefits. They are great for building the overall strength and fitness of your body.

Myth 8: Anybody can have six-pack abs

Many people know the truth behind general workout. Y

ou have to reduce your body fat before core muscles start showing up. Majority of people still believe that anybody can get six-pack abs.

However, several factors affect your ability to achieve the desirable flat stomach: gender, age, lifestyle, genetics, eating habits, sleeping pattern, exercise habits, etc. Hence, it is a fact that a majority of people cannot achieve six-pack abs.

For many people, the body fat is a major reason why they are unable to achieve the flat stomach they want.

For women, the fat tends to accumulate around their lower belly, thighs, and buttocks. In addition, women store almost five to ten percent more fat than men. According to a study by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the hormone estrogen is responsible for storing more fat in a woman’s body for aid in childbearing.

Not everyone can work out to reduce the fat level in the right way. Some people reduce too much fat to be healthy; others have a hard time reducing enough fat to show off the muscles. Proper dieting; regular, properly supervised exercises; and good amount of sleep are essential for a flat stomach.

Conclusion

Finding the right kind of exercise for your body type is important. If you are a fat person, your primary goal should be in reducing the fat in order to make your abs visible. If you are a lean person, your focus should be in building more muscle. Training your abs excessively without focusing on your overall health will not yield any positive results.  If you are still committed to working those abs you might want to check out The Top 5 Best Home Ab Machines review.

8 Essentials to Equip Your Ultimate Home or Garage Gym for Under $1500

You can get a monthly membership at a local globo gym for around $20-30, which makes it a bargain even if you only go twice or three times a month. Spread out over a year, it still only amounts to a little over $200, which is fine.

If you’re not finding the time to get to the gym, however, or if your $20 a month membership isn’t getting you anything other than entry — i.e. the equipment isn’t great and there’s not a lot in the way of coaching — then you could be wasting a lot of precious time.

You Dream Home Gym or Garage Gym Setup for Under $1500?

Then there’s CrossFit, where a two-month membership can cost as much as your annual membership might cost at the globo gym. You’ll get more personalized coaching and the chance to socialize, but if you’re someone who prefers to workout alone, don’t want to go out into the cold, or you’re looking for a way to supplement your gym membership with home workouts, then investing in a home gym setup can be done for under $1,500. You don’t need to renovate your home to do so (as wonderful an idea as that might be), and this can be a test for greater things.

Seems like a hefty pay-out, and it’s not cheap, we’ll grant you, but since you’re the only one who will be using your kit, then it’s going to last a long time, and when it comes to serious fitness equipment, quality really does matter.

Groom+Style have put together the key components of an awesome garage gym, covering everything you’ll need so that you’re always just minutes away from whatever workout you’re looking for — full body, or isolated.

The Basics of the Ultimate Garage Gym

A well thought-out garage gym should be more than a dusty set of dumbbells and a chest expander. You want to make sure that you have certain key areas covered, so that you’re not only motivated to get started, but so that you have everything you need to stay safe and train effectively.

1. Start with a Yoga Mat

It’s easy to skip the warm-up when you’re training at home. Why, we don’t know, but you shouldn’t, and these simple pieces of kit will help to make sure you’re training safely and effectively.

Taking the time to prepare your body for exercise should be a priority. If it’s not, then you’re not training effectively. Yoga is exercise in its own right, but you don’t need to spend too long using it to get ready. All we’re talking about is 10-15 minutes of dynamic stretching to both lengthen your muscles, prepare your joints and bring some awareness into your body and mind.

2. Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are great for firing up muscles before lifting and exercising. They come in varying strengths, and are especially useful for activating muscles in the back, shoulders and glutes. Work these into the beginning of your routine, before you start the heavy stuff.

3. Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar

Two of the basics covered right here in squats and pull-ups. Investing in a solid squat rack with a built-on pull-up bar is essential for getting the most out of the space you have at home. We’ve linked to a very reasonably priced setup, but if you’re planning on using a lot more weight, or you’re going to be doing kipping pull-ups and other CrossFit related movements, then you might want to consider something with a little more weight.

4. Olympic Style Barbell

If you’re serious about weight training, then investing in an Olympic style barbell is going to give you the best opportunity to train efficiently and in a way that’s challenging. If you’re going to be doing squats, deadlift, cleans, bench press and so on, it’s with an Olympic barbell that you’ll get the best center of gravity and weight distribution. The handling is better than on standard, cheaper barbells, too, and because they’re heavy (45 lbs men’s bar / 33 lbs women’s bar), using one is a workout in itself.

5. Bumper Weight Plates

Your biggest investment by far in your home or garage gym is going to be the weight plates. For now, even though you’re still spending a lot of money on these, bear in mind that you’re not going to get a huge amount of weight for the money we’re talking. Best to start off with our suggestion below, then add to your weights as you go.

This selection of plates has a combined weight of 260 lbs, which is fine for most workouts, and for working small sets on your squats. Set contains 10, 15, 25, 35 and 45 lb plates.

6. A Pair of Dumbbells

Once again, realistically, you’re only going to be able to afford one set of decent dumbbells at first, if your budget is around the $1,500 mark. Start out with a medium weight that’s going to serve you well for most workouts, and build on that as your gym grows.

7. Speed Jump Rope

Weightlifting equipment is going to take up most of your budget, since the push-ups, running, burpees and what have you are totally free. A good jump rope, however, opens up a lot of other possibilities, and can improve not only your cardiovascular fitness, but also muscular endurance and coordination.

8. Chalk for Your Hands

That’s about all you need to get started with an awesome home or garage gym of your own, but if you have any money left over, then we highly recommend buying some chalk. It’ll make lifting during hot weather (and when you’re sweaty) easier and safer. The chalk balls and blocks are better and cleaner than the loose chalk, and if you need to keep things clean, then liquid chalk is another great option.

Things You Might Want to Consider Later On:

If you are well on your way to building or setting up your ultimate home gym then you can also consider adding a few other items to your arsenal.

How about:

A top of the line rowing machine

An ab machine to further shred that six pack

A simple balance ball to vary your work?

A high quality mini trampoline is also a great way to vary your workouts.

A weighted vest which can very easily be used to add intensity to your favourite cardio or strength training workout!

Until then, happy sweating.