At Home Workouts

The Kettle Worx Reviews

Carol J Bartram — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:48:23 +0000

I have to admit that my own preference is to exercise without using complicated machines, and I try to teach my clients to do the same. Some of my clients have their own gyms in which they have a variety of different equipment, but when they are mad keen to buy complicated and expensive things like huge multi-gyms I try and dissuade them and steer them towards items like resistance bands, fit balls and dumbbells. What I have recently come across, even better than dumbbells and promising fabulous all-over body results is KettleworX.

So what is KettleworX?

KettleworX is a new kind of workout carried out using kettlebells (well surprise, surprise). Now, before you go and put the kettle on, let me tell you that unfortunately it's not that kind of kettle, although with a little bit of imagination, the shape of these things is a little bit like a kettle. It's obviously time I had a cup of tea; Im imagining kettles!

A kettlebell is simply a weight that you hold with two hands -- it's a bit like a cannonball with a handle, basically. The idea is that your workout is built around this kettlebell - you lift and swing it; in some exercises you lean on it. Traditionally kettlebells were used by huge, muscular men in the Eastern bloc for building even huger muscles than they had already. The kettlebells they used at that time were absolutely massive and a health hazard if they were let go, or happened to drop on your foot! Women would've never dreamt of working out with them, even if they could lift them.

My other half, Bob, decided once that he wanted one and insisted on purchasing this absolute monster. The first time he lifted and tried to swing it, the dogs and I all dived for cover! Thankfully, I persuaded him he needed some specialist training before restarting on hoisting this beast around. By slow degrees I managed to drag it out into the garage, where it lurks to this day.

KettleworX is all about using light kettlebells to sculpt and tone all your muscles and burn fat. The KettleworX program promises dramatic results in both weight loss and fitness gains exercising for just 20 minutes three times a week. Now that's the kind of exercise program I like!

KettleworX costs under $90 (+s&h) and combines cardio, strength and core training that they claim will transform your body in 6 weeks. You get a 5lb kettlebell and 10 DVDs, ranging from an introduction on how to use your kettlebell safely, through fat-blasting cardio workouts and specific workouts for all those problem areas like thighs, butt and hips. The workouts last between 10 and 20 minutes perfect for doing alone or combining and will get your heart pumping, your muscles shaping up and your fat melting away!

Id say thats results worth putting the kettle on for?

For The Kettleworx 6 Week Transformation click here.

All the best,

Carol J Bartram

(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

The Firm TransFIRMation Cardioweight Workout Frequently Asked Questions

Carol J Bartram — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:00:31 +0000

When it comes to purchasing workout equipment most people want to be sure they are not going to be ripped off. How many times have you bought a piece of exercise equipment only to find it's completely useless? It looked great on the infomercial with slim models demonstrating how easy the "Super Fast Fat Blaster" would help you lose 30lbs in 30 days but when you tried it the machine either broke after a couple of weeks or you found it impossible to use and no way were you going to lose 1% of the fat loss they claimed.

The Firms TransFIRMation is not one of those products. It's simple, robust has no moving parts (except you!) and if used regularly will help you with your weight loss goals.

To help you decide if the TransFIRMation Cardioweight System is for you I have answered some of the questions I most often get asked.

Question:

Does The Firm TransFIRMation Cardioweight System Actually Work?
For maximum fat loss the TransFIRMation system is great. Read this article and discover how it could help you with your Fat loss goals.

All the best,

Carol J Bartram
(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

The Ab Circle Pro Review

Carol J Bartram — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:50:21 +0000

I have heard the Ab Circle Pro described as a treadmill for your abs and although that sounds quite weird it does make some sense when you see the actual machine. The Ab Circle Pro sets you up in an all-fours position, off the floor, with comfortable kneepads and padded handles to hold on to.

In this position all the stomach and waist muscles are kept in a good position to exercise while you swing your knees from side to side on a smooth friction-free track. It is quite hard to describe this movement unless you've actually seen it; the best I can say is that it reminds me of my young Rottweiler swinging her whole rear end from side to side when she greets me. She sort of wiggles in the middle. It must work because she has firm abs and a beautiful waist!

The Ab Circle machine combines the calorie burn of Cardio exercise with the toning advantages of core work, so that you will burning calories at the same time as sculpting lean and lovely abs.

When people ask me how to get an abdominal six-pack I always point out that they have got one already; they just can't see it, that's all. So working your abs by doing crunches will strengthen the abdominal muscles, sure, but if you do not do calorie-burning cardio exercise as well, you will not lose the fat that sits on top of your abdominals and they will remain invisible! Add to that the fact that it is far easier to do crunches wrong than it is to do the right and the advantages of the Ab Circle Pro become even clearer. Not only does the Ab Circle Pro get you up off the floor to work your abs, it works them in a perfect position to keep them flat.

When I go to the gym and see people struggling on the floor to do hundreds of abdominal crunches, I feel like beating my head against the wall! Trust me when I say this it is very, very hard to do a crunch correctly unless you know what you are doing; we spend hours teaching our Pilates pupils how to do an effective crunch, and the look of wonder that comes into their eyes when they actually get it right and feel the difference is a sight to be seen.

Using the Ab Circle Pro means that you will never have to crunch again. Your abdominals are kept flat and are working in a perfect position, which will make them strong and trim them very quickly. The gliding side-to-side movement of the patented friction-free track is also works the muscles at the side of the waist (the obliques). Trimming these is essential if you want to get rid of those love handles! Working out in this all-fours position has the added advantage of strengthening and toning the shoulder, arm and chest muscles and will also get rid of that stubborn, unsightly fat just below the bra strap at the back.

In short, using the Ab Circle Pro regularly will tone your abs and trim you fast, with results being visible in as little as two weeks! So if you want trim, sexy abs without getting down on the floor then try the Ab Circle Pro today!

All the best,

Carol J Bartram

(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

Does The Firm TransFIRMation Cardioweight System Actually Work?

Carol J Bartram — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:48:45 +0000

The Firms TransFIRMation System will work as well, if not better, than any other Home Exercise kit that I have reviewed. Four heart-pumping, fat-blasting, muscle sculpting DVDs (the last one is a bonus, and comes free!), a set of adjustable handweights in a dinky little case, a Healthy Eating guide and a success guide to chart your progress, makes the system excellent value at under $60. And you also get a months FREE membership to the Firm Believers Club where you can get expert tips and be part of a dedicated weight-loss community.

Most exercise DVDs just focus on cardio work aerobics like you would get in a gym class. Cardio work exercises the heart and lungs and definitely burns calories, but is not enough on its own to tone your body and give you that great shape we all desire. In fact, doing too much cardio can have a reverse effect after a while you burn fewer calories as your body stops burning fat and starts burning muscle instead. This is absolutely not what we want to happen!

Your body needs muscle. Having muscle makes you stronger (obviously), less prone to injury, and increases your daily calorie burn. Even when youre asleep or watching TV, youll burn up calories when you have muscle! And I dont mean big, bulgy muscles (you need specialist training to get these!).
I mean lean, long, shapely muscles; sleek shoulders, trim legs and a pert butt.

The Firm Transfirmation System will make this happen, as their cardio exercises are combined with muscle-sculpting weights exercises the perfect combination for day-long Fat-Burning.

Try The Firm TransFIRMation System, and youll see great results faster than you ever thought possible!

All the best,

Carol J Bartram

(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

The Firm TransFIRMation System Review

Carol J Bartram — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:47:26 +0000

The Firm is a well-respected company that has produced many high quality health and fitness related products and DVDs over the years including The Firm Wave.

One of their latest products is TranFIRMation.

The Firm claim that the amazing "Synergy Training System" will burn three times more fat than traditional Cardio-only training. Quite a bold statement but is there any truth in it?

The Transfirmation System comes in a neat carry case and includes:

The Firm CardioWeights (1-16lbs)
Cardio Overdrive DVD (45 Min's - To kick start your weight loss)
Hard Core Fusion DVD (55 Min's - Cardio and Strength Training combined)
Hi Definition Sculpt DVD (45 Min's - Body Shaping at a slower pace - ideal for beginners)
Cardio Party DVD (40 mins - For variety and that Extra Boost)
A guide to healthy eating.
A Weight Loss success guide
Free 30 day access to the "Firm Believers Club"

Quite a package for less than $60 but is it any good?

The Firm's claim to 3x greater fat loss using this system than with cardio exercise alone, is based on the fact that this exercise program includes muscle toning and strengthening elements into its workouts by using the supplied CardioWeights.

There is a lot of evidence to support this claim. It is well known that muscle is your body's Fat Burning Machine, and the more muscle you have the more calories you burn even when you're not doing anything! Over time your metabolism speeds up and again you burn more fat. Added to that it has also been shown that too much Cardio exercise on its own can have the opposite effect, causing muscle loss and therefore reducing the amount of fat you can burn!

It makes sense that combining the two (Cardio & Strength Training) in the right proportions is going to accelerate your fat loss. As a Personal Trainer I have been saying this for years! And no, Ladies you won't develop muscles like PopEye as your bodies do not produce enough of the hormone testosterone. Men do - that's why they get big, bulging muscles while we become sleek, toned and sexy!

So back to the original question; will you burn 3 times as much fat? Yes, it's possible. And even if you don't, you will burn more fat, build a firmer body and feel better than if you spent the same amount of time doing just Cardio exercise.

As you progress and get stronger, you may find that the Cardioweights supplied get a little too easy - just get yourself some slightly heavier ones. Your workout should always be mildly challenging, or you will adapt and not get any further gains. Not something I would worry about at this stage!

If you use the TransFIRMation system for just 30 minutes a day 3 times, you should begin to see results within a month. This is a fantastic, value-for-money system, and I highly recommend it.

If you have any further questions take a look at my TransFIRMation Frequently Asked Questions page.

Fat Burning Workouts

Carol J Bartram — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:41:41 +0000

Your goal is to lose weight, preferably fat. You realise that to reach your desired weight you have to do certain things: -

Eat sensibly (not diet)
Exercise more (Cardio and Strength)

Healthy eating isn't a nightmare tale of hunger and deprivation; it's about making informed choices. Put simply, if you eat what you should for 80% of the time, you can eat what you please (in moderation) for the rest. When it comes to exercise though, the story is different.

You need an effective and safe exercise system that is going to give you the best possible results in the shortest possible time. You don't want to waste your time or money on exercise equipment that is, quite frankly, rubbish. Exercise gimmicks and gadgets that claim you can lose 20lb a week by exercising for 5 mins every 3rd day! Gadgets that will be used for a couple of weeks and then put away, never again to see the light of day.

That's what this section of my Website is going to be about. I'm going to review some of the better pieces of exercise equipment / DVDs and give my recommendations based on how effective they are. I'll show you some of the best fat-blasting cardio and strength training programs on the market today, - including one of my favorites - The Firm Wave.

Losing fat can be challenging. I know because I used to have a weight problem myself, so I understand the difficulties in figuring out what you can and can't eat, without having to deal with exercise programs that are a complete waste of time and which only discourage you.

I wish you all the best in your weight loss goal.

Carol J Bartram

(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)