If you are looking for an affordable power stand to help you build super hard shoulders, you have got to try these 5 cool dip stands:

Weider 290 Power Tower: a great gadget to get upper and lower body strength training without using weights. It’s 4 gadgets in one. It is a vertical knee raise station, pull-up station, push-up station, and dip station. The gadget is solid and can give you a heck of a workout.

Phoenix 99403 Power Stand II: another great power stand to do pull-ups/chin-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, dips, and more. It lets you get a good workout in using your own weight instead of actually having to buy more weight with other home gym solutions.

Body Vision PT600 Power Tower: lets you get a balanced workout routine in. If you want to have a balanced upper and lower body, Body Vision gives you the option to work on both parts of your body. A bit easier to assemble than Phoenix Power Stand but is still very solid.

Ironman Heavy Duty Power Tower: Ironman has been in the business of fitness gadgets for years. They do make solid fitness gadgets, and this one is no different. I was very happy with this gadget’s stability and found it to be solid overall. If you want to do pull-ups, leg raises, and chin ups, this is a solid gadget to consider (assembling could be a bit tricky).

Stamina 1690 Power Tower: supports push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and tricep dips. It’s what you expect from a power stand, but it’s a more affordable solution. For under $100, it gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

There you have it. These Power Towers are more than just dipping stations. They let you get a balanced workout in and build a rock hard body. And you don’t have to buy weights either. Great complement to your home gym.

I can’t tell you how powerful of a tool an exercise vest is if you add it to your training program without cutting the intensity of your workouts by much. You don’t want to go overboard and add lots of pounds to your daily training sessions. At the same time, if you approach the process gradually, you are going to start to burn more calories and keep your body on its toes without doing too many drastic exercises. Many of us do want to get more out of our vests, which is why Pure Champ Weighted Exercise Vests are interesting products to pick up. They not only allow you to add more intensity and weight training to your workout, you can also use the included resistance band to do a whole array of upperbody workouts with your vest without needing an extra piece of equipment.

What I like about this vest is the fact that it goes in and out very easily. You don’t have to wrestle with it to put it on. It also has a pocket for a MP3 player, so you can take your iPod with you on the go and listen to it while exercising and dropping those calories. The vest comes with front and back reflective safety strips, so you can go for a run without having to worry about your safety on the road.

Resistance training is another way to add more intensity to your workout and keep your body on its toes. So whenever you heat a plateau, you can always put this vest on and get your body moving by doing various resistance training workouts. The vest is a bit pricey, but that’s to be expected with hybrid exercise products.

I have been asked many times about training programs that I have used in the past and those that I would recommend to others. There are some training programs that get you in shape but don’t do anything beyond that. But there are some fun fitness programs available on the market that bring new things to your life and truly kick your behind. Sword training programs are among those programs. So what can you accomplish with sword training? After all, how heavy can it be? If you are trained the right way, sword training can be pretty heavy. And you won’t need a huge space to get trained in this art.

If you are ready to bring some variety to your workout program and pick up a new martial art, here are 3 kit butt samurai training DVDs you should watch:

Forza The Samurai Sword Workout: this is a killer workout program that covers intense cardio workout that can burn up to 600 calories per session. It also covers mental training to help you get over challenges and push yourself to the next level.

Sport Sword Student DVD: a very exciting training program for those of you who don’t have too much experience working out with a sword. This DVD walks you through the basics and shows you footwork, guards, bladework, and tactics. Pretty good way to start.

SWORD Fundamental Training: less of a workout and more of an information product about the art of fighting with a sword. It does show you the techniques you can use to fight like a pro with a sword. Of course, you can practice these techniques at home to become a master and more fit in the process.

There you have it. Three powerful sword workout and training programs that give you more knowledge about this art and help you burn calories and get more fit. You are going to need a practice sword to get the most out of these programs, but that won’t cost you too much.

I have always been skeptical of door gyms. It’s so easy to fall in love with get fit quick schemes, only to take eyes of the ball. In order to lose weight, you are going to have to suffer. I mean it in a good way. You can’t see fast results if you take it easy just as you won’t lose fat if you keep taking those fatty foods. The good news here is that you know you are burning calories when you sweat and are out of breath. And you don’t need a huge home gym to get your heart pumping and start burning calories.

Door gyms are cool resistance solutions that attach to your door and make it easy to get a quick workout in from the comfort of your home. With that in mind, here are the best door gyms you can use to start getting fit right from your room:

Weider X-Factor Door Gym: it’s really a toss up between this model and Jake Tower. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. In this case, Weider X-Factor has more reach and gives you more room to maneuver. I did find Jake Tower more intense though.

Body by Jake Tower 200: if you have watched TV lately, there is a good chance you have seen all the ads about this product. It comes with everything you need to get a tough workout in from the comfort of your home. Attaches to any door and doesn’t damage it. The only downside would be that some customers have had some issues with the bands.

Lifeline USA Jungle Gym: if you are not looking for one of those fancy door gyms, you can always take your chance with this unit. It’s pretty easy to install and very portable too.

Dosho Design JGM009 Jam Gym: another pretty easy to install solution that can make any door into a mini-gym. Includes an instructional video and training manual to help you get the best out of your door gym. Perfect companion to Dosho gym.

What’s your favorite door gym? Body by Jake or Weider X-Factor?

Whether you are interested in building a steely body or just want to drop weight and keep the weight off, you are going to have to do some work done with dumbbells. It’s not just about burning calories but also getting more muscle mass as well. Just a few years ago, all you had was those good old dumbbells that were not exactly space friendly. And who wants to store a whole lot of weight at home anyway. These days you’ve got so many options to get your hands on dumbbells that can easily be stored and adjusted weight-wise. If you don’t have too much space for those old dumbbells, here are 11 cool adjustable dumbbells you should try:

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells: perhaps the best adjustable set of dumbbells on the market. Not only these are space friendly but very effective too. Easily allow you to do all kinds of exercises without too much fuss.

Ironmaster 75 lb Quick Lock Adjustable Dumbbell System: a complete dumbbell system for those who don’t have a lot of space at home. It can be adjusted from 5-75 lbs in 2 1/2 lb increments and takes only about 2 square feet of space.

Dosho Design DBL009 Dosho Dumbbells: Dosho may not be as well known as Bowflex but it does make some decent training products. Dosho dumbbells are pretty solid and safe, so you won’t have to worry about dropping them on yourself.

Xvest TurboBells Adjustable Dumbbells: adjusts from 5 – 60 pounds in 2.5 Ib increments. Pretty useful for those into having a more intense workout.

PowerBlock Classic Adjustable Dumbbell Set: heavy duty dumbbell sell that you can adjusts from 5 to 45 pounds in 5-pound increments.

PowerBlock SportBlock Dumbbell Set: very compact set of dumbbells to let you get more effective exercise in. Adjusts from 3 to 24 pounds in 3-pound increments.

Bayou Adjustable Dumbbell: heavy duty dumbbell that is designed for those dumbbell junkies. Your best friend if you want to build muscle mass.

Reebok Speed Pac 25 Adjustable Dumbbell Pair: another great solution for those who don’t have a whole lot of space to store weights. It’s solid and easy to adjust.

Lifecore Corebell 5-to-55 Pound Adjustable Dumbbells: a bit more compact than most of the above dumbbells. Uses the Slide and Lock System.

Stamina 50-Pound Versa-Bell II Adjustable Dumbbell Pair: uses dial mechanism increases or decreases weight. It’s like having nine different dumbbells.

EF (One) 50 lb. Adjustable Weight Dumbbells: is made out of heavy duty chrome plated steel and be adjusted through the adjustment knob.

So what makes these adjustable dumbbells great? The fact that you don’t need a whole lot of space to store these sets is a big plus. Besides, you are going to have all the weight you need to get your body built without having to keeping going back to buy more weight. Can’t get any more convenient than this.

So you want to get started with tennis? Maybe you happen to have enough area in your backyard to play real tennis. Tennis is one of the best sports to play if you want to lose weight and get your heart pumping. In most cases, you’ll need someone to play tennis with. You can always use tennis trainers to improve your tennis game all by yourself, but it won’t be as fun as getting some real play.

In order to get started with playing tennis, you are going to need a net. There are plenty of professional tennis nets available on the market. But if you are looking for one to use at home or for practice, here are 4 tennis nets you should look at:

Wilson EZ Tennis Net Set: if your kid is interested in getting started with tennis or get some practice at home, here is a 18′ net that could help.

On Court Off Court Quick Start Maxi Net System: a cool tennis net system that lets you get some practice at home without having to spend hours installing your net.

Wilson EZ Tennis Net Set: a handy tennis net that can be raised as high as badminton net. It’s useful for doing drills, whether you are a beginner to tennis or experienced.

Courtmaster Deluxe Tennis Rebound Net and Frame: designed specifically for those who want to get tennis drills in on a daily basis. The system is adjustable and gives player like responses. Pretty useful for beginners.

There you have it. 4 net systems for tennis players of all levels.

If you have watched TV lately, you have probably seen all the commercials on Body by Jake starring the former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Randy “the natural” Couture. Randy is one of the good guys in MMA, and he does tend to promote products that are decent. Body By Jake Tower 200 promises to help you build a super fit body and kick your behind to get you in shape. With over 200 exercises possible using this system, it’s certainly a tempting exercise system.

When I first saw this system, I was a bit skeptic. I have had similar systems in the past, and they have all managed to damage my door. The design of this product is slightly different and keeps your door protected at all times. Best of all, it works on any door. That’s more than I can say with some of the pull up bars I have purchased in the past.

As you have seen in the video, there are no dumbbells involved in this system. But who needs dumbbells when you can get yourself fit with resistance training. The system is flexible enough to enable you to pull off all kinds of killer moves right at home. Of course, some of these moves are not for everyone, so you want to make sure that you prepared for them.

I admit that Body By Jake is not the be all, end all of exercise systems on the market. It’s certainly a powerful system that doesn’t take any space and works in any home. As long as you have a door, you are set. The price was a bit disappointing for me as paying almost $200 for such a system seemed too high. But considering that this unit doesn’t damage my door, it was well worth a try.

If you have been following this blog for some time, you have probably seen all the exercise equipments that we have listed here. Exercising at home works for people who don’t have time to spend outdoors. But you do want to spend some time outdoors once in a while, as it’s not only good for your health but it’s more fun too. I don’t know about you, but I have never had as much fun as riding a bike through a park when exercising at home.

One of the best ways to make things more fun outdoors is by recording your activities and reviewing your videos to get a better sense of what you have gone through outdoors. That’s where action/sports cameras come in. They are super portable cameras that attach to your helmet or your clothes and let you record everything you see during your time outdoors. These cameras certainly add another fun element to your outdoors activities.

If you are looking for a sports camera to record your activities outdoors, here are 3 action cams that come handy:

ContourHD 1080p Full HD Helmet Camera: it’s a full HD action camera that records video on the go. Has an internal microphone and a 5 MP sensor. Its body is water resistant, so you won’t have to worry too much about the weather.

Gopro Motorsports HERO 5 Megapixel Quick-Release Video Camera: can last you for up to 3 hours on the go. Can be easily mounted on your helmet. Has a 5 MP sensor.

Oregon Scientific ATC5K Helmet Cam: a bit more affordable than the above options. The quality of video is not as high either. You can capture video onto SD cards. You won’t have to worry about bad weather either as this is a waterproof unit (up to 10 feet).

What’s your favorite action cam for outdoors?

I used to wonder what gadgets top athletes use to keep themselves in shape. There is no question that these guys do a lot of weight training and other things to manage their fitness, but not everything they own is affordable enough to have at home. But one gadget that is affordable for most folks is an air exercise bike. Exercise bikes that come with air resistance are easier to maintain, and they do give you a good cardio workout as long as you are motivated enough to sit behind them. There aren’t too many of them around (as far as high quality ones are concerned), but there are enough to give you some options.

If you are looking for fan exercise bikes with air resistance, you should look no further than below:

Schwinn Airdyne Evo Comp Exercise Bike: it’s a dual action exercise bike with wind resistance that works both legs and upper body. A great way to get fit right at home. It won’t come cheap though.

Schwinn Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike: it’s the classic Schwinn air bike that has been around for years. Comes with a 30 year warranty that may outlast you! The harder you pedal, the more difficult it gets. It’s a wonderful dual action bike that doesn’t need too much maintenance.

Stamina 4525 Air Fusion Recumbent Bike: I am not a fan of recumbent bikes, but this is a cool one that combines air resistance with tension control. It is good enough to give you a killer workout as long as you don’t mind these types of bikes.

Weslo® Pursuit E25 Exercise Cycle: a lovely exercise bike that works the best in front of a TV. It doesn’t make too much noise, and it does cool you down a bit as you pedal on it. It’s very affordable as well.

Lamar Fitness Air Force Dual Action Bike: not a bad bike by any means. I like the the top two bikes better, but this one does give you upper and lower body workout. It’s still very solid and well built. It helps you track calories burned and more.

Air resistant bikes are my favorite. The harder you pedal, the tougher it gets. I’d like to call it cardio on demand. So the more you want it, and the harder you push it, the more calories you burn. Can’t get better than that.

Bonus:

Stamina Air Resistance Cross Trainer: not an exercise bike per se, but it’s an affordable cross-trainer that is pretty compact and helps you  get a complete workout at home.

Are you a fan of golf? You want to take your golf to the next level? There is so much you can do by practicing the same old techniques. Sometimes, you are going to need additional help to take your golf game to the next level. That’s where golf training aids come in. They let you improve your shots and get a better sense for your swings. Once you start using these devices, you are going to learn and master your swings and your game will move to the next level without you doing anything too drastic.

There are plenty of golf trainers on the market. Some help you improve your technique while others let you get more practice in. Whatever the case, here are 6 golf training equipment designed specifically for golf lovers:

Golf Launchpad for Pc: an affordable golf simulator that lets you get more into your golf games and get a better feeling for your swings. If you don’t have time to practice the real thing more often, this kit helps you do it at your own comfort.

SwingPRO Weighted Golf Swing Training Aid: SwingPRO is a cool golf trainer that can help you attain the perfect golf swing. It increases your balance, strength, and flexibility in the process.

Jack Nicklaus Inside Approach Swing Slice Correction Trainer: comes with everything you need to improve your swing and correct your technique. This portable slice correction trainer can get you over your slicing woes fast. The extra DVDs included are very helpful too.

Swingyde Golf Swing Training Aid: a cool tool for improving distance and accuracy. Attaches to your golf club and lets you get a feeling for that perfect swing. Once you use it long enough, you’ll master the art of swinging like a pro.

SKLZ Rick Smith Practice POD: a tool that teaches you the correct alignment, ball position, and foot distance. It’s adjustable too, so it works for all types of golfers.

Izzo Smooth Swing: a simple tool that keeps your body and arm together so you can make better swings and increase your accuracy in the process. It works for both right and left handed people as well.

What’s your favorite golf training kit?