It’s not easy finding the right gift for your favourite fitness fanatic. With a well-deserved reputation for being picky, the fitness crowd is tough to please. But don’t despair, the following list is guaranteed to be a hit with anyone who sacrifices sleep for exercise, has their own closet dedicated to exercise gear and can explain what a fartlek is without laughing.

1. SmartWool socks

Runners, hikers, cyclists, walkers and gym rats all cherish the comfort and function of a quality pair of socks that wick away sweat. Made from all-natural Merino wool, these socks come without the itch and bulk of old-school wool yet still keep feet cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Best of all, they look and feel great even years after your first wear.

Provided you don’t lose one in the dryer (yes, this wool can go in the dryer), you’ll have them, and love them, for life.

Price: $11.99 and up depending on the model.

Available at: Most outdoors and sporting goods stores, including large chains like Sports Experts and Mountain Equipment Co-op.

2. Canada Goose down mitts

If cold hands ruin a perfectly good day spent on the rink or toboggan hill, consider investing in the Cadillac of hand warmers – Canada Goose down mitts. At a smidgen under $100, these mitts don’t come cheap, but it’s a small price to pay for enjoying the outdoors during a Canadian winter.

Price: $99.99.

Available at: Most outdoors and sporting goods stores, including large chains like Sports Experts and Mountain Equipment Co-op.

3. Headlamp

This handy gadget is perfect for runners, walkers and cyclists who train outside of daylight hours. Not only will it light the way in the dark, it’s a warning beacon for motorists who may not be looking for roadside exercisers early in the morning or after sundown.

Price: $29.99 and up.

Available at: Most outdoors and sporting goods stores, including large chains like Sports Experts and Mountain Equipment Co-op.

4. Runner’s World reflective run vest and reflective ankle band

If wearing a headlamp seems over the top, how about a reflective vest or ankle band, both of which light up your favourite outdoor exerciser or urban commuter like a Christmas tree when caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

Price: Reflective ankle band $9.99, Runner’s World reflective run vest starting at $6.99.

Available at: Canadian Tire and Winners.

5. Zenzation Five Pocket Mat Bag

Perfect for the yoga-fanatic, this bag makes travelling to and from the studio as easy as pie. Leave your purse and wallet at home and stash your essentials, including phone, bus pass, keys, water bottle, towel, mad money and membership card in any of the five pockets. The padded shoulder strap adds comfort to function, which makes it a surefire hit under the tree.

Price: $14.

Available at: Winners, Sears, Canadian Tire.

6. Iron Gym pull-up bar

For teenage boys everywhere, and anyone else who wants to build a buff body at home, this handy gadget fits in a door frame with no screws and very little effort. With three different hand positions, your home exerciser can pull up and chin up to their heart’s content and then remove it from the door when company comes calling.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/last+minute+gifts/5862679/story.html#ixzz1gcHf2f53

Compliment of © Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

www.fitnessdepotdirect.com

If you want an effective functional home gym, you need to invest in it to make sure it covers these factors:

• Function
• Space
• Durability
  
• Aesthetics
• Motivating
  
• Budget

Function: 1st determine what equipment you need and who is going to be working out on it. If you want to maintain general fitness, I recommend a 2-3 stack multi gym. This will allow you and your significant others to work out with you. If you are a little more hard core, goo with a Power Rack, adjustable bench and a functional trainer. Add dumbbells and a rack to step it up to the next level. A few kettlebells will get that core rocking as well. Dont forget cardio, you will need two different pieces because 1 gets boring quick. I recommend a treadmill and an elliptical or climber.

Space: Make sure you have space in a basement or another room that is allocated to your home gym. Try not to share the space with an ironing board or a work bench. It will ad clutter and not be motivating. Also make sure you have enough space. Don’t crowd the area, Openness is more motivating.

Dont buy junk. There is a lot of fitness junk on the market. Its flimsy and feels like the material it was made from…crap. Purchase heavy duty home,  light commercial or commercial pieces. They feel like what you have in your local gym. Yes they are more expensive but there comfortable feel and durability will cause you to keep using them, plus they will last for ever.

Aesthetics: You home gym has to look good. It a lot easier to work out in a good looking environment. Add mirrors to open up the room. Bright colors will keep you energy high. Make sure you have a TV and a good sound system.

Motivating: This ties in with all the above. With functional equipment that is durable, in a great space that is bright. You will be more motivated to workout consistently. Make sure you have a family member or a friend that can work out with you once in a while or jam out your favorite tunes on a clear and powerful stereo. Keep that flat screen on in that back ground on mute or with sub-titles so your not staring at the wall.

Budget: We all have budgets but to do it right bellow are my recommendations:

Gym 1 General Fitness:

• Commercial Treadmill (Refurbished) $1500-$2000
• Stairmaster 4400CL (Refurbished) $1450
• 3 Stack  Light Commercial Gym System $2700
• Dumbbells and Rack $$600
• Commercial Adjustable Bench $500

Gym2 Bodybuilding/Power/Strength

• Commercial Power Rack (Refurbished) $700-$1000
• 300lbs Plates $400-$700
• 7′ Olympic Bar 1500lb test $200
• Commercial Adjustable bench $500-$700
• 3 Tier Dumbbell Rack 5-100lb dumbbells $2000-3000
• Functional Trainer $3000
• Commercial Treadmill $1500-$2000
• Commercial Elliptical or Climber $1000-$3000

Budget Gym 3

• Light Commercial Power Rack $600
• Light Commercial Bench $379
• 300lb Plates $400
• 7′ Olympic Bar $200
• Used Commercial Climber $700
• Used Commercial Treadmill $1000
• Optional Light Commercial Functional Trainer $2000

There are many other arrangements that may work for you. I hope this helps get you started in putting together an optimum home fitness gym.

www.fitnessdepotdirect.com is always available to help you choose the right pieces at the best value. Feel free to call us anytime 877-837-4640

Here is what I look for:

1. Durability/Construction (Make sure the unit is built strong and has good parts holding it together.)
2. Serviceability/Accessible Parts (Make sure if it breaks it is easy to fix and that parts are readily available)
3. Function (Make sure it works well and has what you need to get a good work out)

Based of the above factors here are our pics:

Precor 956i Experience Series Treadmill. This unit is built well and if refurbished correctly can be a like new machine. Parts are easy to get and not impossible to reinstall. The machine has great programs and a comfortable feel. Prices range from $2800-$3300.

Life Fitness 95ti Treadmill. This unit is also built very well and if refurbished correctly can last you a long time. Parts are easy to get and not terrible to install. The shrouds on Life Fitness units can be a little frustrating some times but over all pretty easy. This tread has all the programs you would expect from a commercial model. Prices range $2500-$3000.

Cybex Pro Plus Treadmill. This is our value unit of the bunch. There are some things about this that I would not recommend for a Gym or for facilities that run it more than 5 hours per day. However It is a strong unit and very easy to fix if it had problems. If you don’t have a budget for the units above I recommend this over other brands and models that are out there.  Prices Range from $1899-$2250.

I hope this helps you get the most value for what ever facility or home these may go in. Bottom line is if you don’t have the money or don’t want to spend the money for a new commercial model, don’t buy a residential grade..Buy Refurbished, but buy from some one you trust!

www.fitnessdepotdirect.com “Quality Because We Care”

Below is an article from Fitness on MSNBC.com on the what machine is the best fit for you, the treadmill or the elliptical. The treadmill still is the leader but the elliptical is very popular. On any given day most of the ellipticals at my gym are taken even over the treadmills at times.

Here is my take: The elliptical is great for non-impact workouts that get you to start moving and become consistent in a work out routine. We all no something is better than nothing. If you have knee or hip problems running is out of the question as well as the climber, the wave, and the stationary bike.

The ellipticals with ramp control Like Precor tend to be a little more challenging to those without plus you can adjust your stride to fit your body.

Total body machines like the Precor 556 series and the 576 series have upper body handles which will keep the whole going at once getting that heart rate up. Life Fitness also make some great total body ellipticals.

The Elliptical Substitute that works: Cybex Ark Trainer!! Yes, I said it! Dont be a hater!

The Arc Trainer has a greater range of motion that any elliptical and has many more levels. The machine is still very low impact but can produce some intense workouts. If you have knee or hip issues drop your stride depth until you feel comfortable. These units come in both Total body and Lower Body. I like total body personally.

At the end of the day you need to use the piece of equipment that you feel the most comfortable with ( Not easiest..Comfortable!) No mater what you are doing as long as you are doing it consistently and eating a healthy diet you will see results. Check out all the major brands Precor, Life Fitness, and my favorite the Cybex Ark Trainer.

The treadmill will always be effective. I walk at 3.5mph at a 15% incline for 15 min holding on for a minute and letting go for a minute 3 times a week along with the 610a Arc trainer level 6 using the interval program for 15 minutes 3 times per week.

Good Luck!

To Read the MSNBC artical Click on this Link Below

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39721749/ns/health-fitness/

Staimaster or Stepmill 12-15 min Level 8-12 (Fat Burn Program)

Followed by

Walking on a treadmill 12-15 min at 3.5 mph and a 15% incline, Hold on for a minute hands off for a minute.

This 25-30 min fat burn is all based on intervals. Getting the heart rate up and then bringing it down many times. I do this work out 2-3 days a week and lift weights 3-4 days per week.

I eat pretty good but definitely indulge way too much and have a weakness for Micro -Brews. This program has kept the weight off even through my binges.

I would love to here what you think and the results that you have achieved. Good Luck!

Treadmill Preventative Maintenance Tools:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Screwdriver- Philip’s and flat Head
• Sockets and/or Allen wrenches
• Rags
• Grease

Treadmill Preventative Maintenance Steps

• Unplug your treadmill
• Remove the hood or motor cover
• Vacuum the dust from around the motor and drive mechanisms.
• After you have cleaned around the motor
• Look for any grease fittings, Apply new grease
• Check all drive belts for wear & tear replace as needed.
• Check Running Belt, Tighten if necessary.
• Flip your Deck if you see extreme Wear.

**Tightening your belts is very easy, look it up in your models manual. Flipping the deck has little more to it but with a little patience, you will save yourself $100 or more doing it yourself**

To save money and keep you treadmills running longer perform preventative maintenance one per every three months.

For more information on this or any other fitness equipment subject Click Here or call us at

877-837-4640 www.fitnessdepotdirect

10 days later she has lost almost 10lbs and is moving around no problem. As a matter of fact she was walking around the hospital 10 hours after surgery.

During her pregnancy she was very consistent with her workout routine. In the beginning she did weight bearing workouts with some moderately intense cardio. As the pregnancy progressed she slowed down on the weights but kept doing body weight squats and arm exercises. She also walk on the treadmill 3-4 days per week all the way up until the day she gave birth.

Pregnancy can be tough on many woman but one thing that can make the process easier and the recovery easier is consistently moving.

From our experience, we recommend the following machines to help keep you fit through pregnancy. Life Fitness Treadmills, their flex deck takes away the impact and is very comfortable. Precor ellipticals, keeps the body moving  naturally with no impact. Laslty, body weight sqauts. These helped keep my wife strong all the way through her pregnancy.

There are so many fancy Pre-natal workouts and I am sure they are all beneficial, however we learned that simple movements consistently worked perfectly.

Its winter and you want to start running indoors again but your 10 year old treadmill has a busted lift motor ($1000.00 fix) so what do you do? Replace it or buy a new treadmill? In either case you want to make sure that company you purchased it from can guide you in the direction you choose and can supply you with the service needed or a new treadmill.

The point I am getting at is when you purchase a piece of fitness equipment  new or Re manufactured make sure the company you buy from advises you on the right unit for your needs, gives you a real warranty, and can service your unit no matter where you are?

Serviceability is a key word when buying a Re manufactured piece of fitness equipment. The more serviceable it is the cheaper it will be to fix when your warranty runs out. Here is my list of the most serviceable pieces of Fitness Equipment:

• Life Fitness 9500 Next Gen Treadmill (No Wax Bags)
• Life Fitness 95ti Treadmill
• Precor Treadmills All Models
• Precor Ellipticals (Version 2 and up)
• Life Fitness Bikes
• Precor Bikes

There are many more that can be included but this list is solid in terms of serviceable products.

NOTE: Group Cycle Bikes and Spinn Bikes. These bikes have delicate parts that are always coming loose. The good news is they are easy to fix. When buying these Re manufactured, negotiate a parts only warranty, you will save money out of the gate. Also, avoid calling a service company to fix them. You can fix these in house with a little bit of effort. It will save you up to $150 per hour.

When you are skiing your legs are constantly working. The only machine that I feel can build up that quad and hamstring endurance effectively is the StairMaster or and independent motion climbers.

Back in the day gyms had 8-10 of these on the fitness floor. Now all you see is one or two and they are always free. Hmmmm I wonder why??? Because they are HARD to do and they kick your A**.

Stability Ball Squats, box jumps, and the old “Bear in the Woods” are all great to condition those legs for the slopes, but don’t be a wimp and skip out on the Stairmaster/Climbers! They are still around and they work great.

Good Luck and Happy Skiing

You have concerns?? True Re-manufactured is stripped down to the frame and rebuilt from the ground up giving you a ” Like New Product” It doesn’t matter how old the piece is because each product goes through the same process in meeting exceptional standards.

What about warranty?? Yes you only get 3 months of warranty but you are saving thousands of dollars. Figure this. A new Life Fitness treadmill List is around $7795, after manufacture Rep discount average$4999. Same Unit Re manufactured $2999. Saving $2000. Let say you have some issues after the first 6 months or a year. Average service call is $90-$150. Three calls over 2- 3 years will cost you a max (If you live in NYC) of $300. You still save$1700. If you have three treadmills, that is a total savings of $5100. Add some elliptical and bikes and you can be saving as much as 10K.

Lastly after three years when you want to upgrade you will get $300-$500 Per unit going towards your purchase. Buy smart…!