Early during the week, I received a neat pair of CrossFit Leather Gloves in the mail to test out and review.

What exactly are CrossFit gloves?

CrossFit gloves cover the palm-side of your hands, protecting them from being scuffed up or injured when you're doing a Cross-Fit-style workout.

The CrossFit Leather Gloves that were sent to me are made by Dacian. The pair of gloves retails for $42.97, but are currently priced at $15.97 at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073D3MK48/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B073D3MK48&linkCode=as2&tag=dacian-20&linkId=96b3a7956c8d0e445fd4893d4fa86487


The gloves are made from thin top genunine leather and high-quality, anti-sweat neoprene. It's wear resistant and has an anti-skid function. It also features Velcro wrist wraps, which will keep the gloves secure during your workouts.

While the gloves are made for CrossFit workouts, they can also be used for gymnastics, weightlifting, and other exercises.

I'm hoping everyone has recovered from the all the Thanksgiving meals last weekend. Sadly, there is only a few more weeks to drop those unwanted pounds you might have received from eating too many slices of pumpkin pie before Christmas Day arrives, where we all will probably indulge in way too many sweets. So there's no better time than the present to get a jump on losing those turkey day pounds by starting a new workout program.

Just moments ago, I finished the CORE DE FORCE Live Stream Workout on Facebook!

What is CORE DE FORCE?

Well, it's the newest workout program from Beachbody. It features MMA-inspired workouts that is supposed to get you into shape in 30 days. No equipment is needed. The program is created by trainers Joel Freeman & Jericho McMatthews.

The Live workout was supposed to start 12 PM Central Time according to the Facebook page, but it ending up starting 30 minutes later. I had never done the program before, so I was looking forward to the Live workout, so I patiently waited for it begin.

The workout was around 27-28 minutes counting a short warm up and cool down. The camera was awkwardly pointed to the side view of trainers Joel & Jericho, though I could clearly see there were many participants in the room with them.

I had owned a pair hand grippers when I was teenager and I didn't get much use out of them. The pair had a 5-pound resistance each,and I thought of them as more of a novelty at time.

Last week, I was sent a Hand Gripper set, which contains a pair of wrist wraps and one adjustable hand grip.

The wrist wraps have a loop that your thumb will slip into; then you wrap the rest of the material around wrist and fasten down with the attached Velcro. The wraps are used to protect your wrists while you're lifting weights. You can also wear the wraps for cross fit, kickboxing, cardio and other workouts.

The Hand Gripper can be adjusted from 10 kg to 40 kg (2 lbs to 88 pounds). It is used to help gain (or regain) strength in your hands.

DanceCrazy, the creators of all those how to dance DVDs, now has out a Muscle Massage Roller Ball workout DVD, which uses their Deep Tissue Trigger Point Muscle & Massage Premium Roller Ball; though any type of massage ball would work just fine.

Muscle Massage Roller Ball starts out with a short introduction and quickly followed by a dynamic warm up, which the latter is basically just stretching like you do before any other workout.

The rest of the workout DVD is divided into sections/chapters, though you can play it straight through if you wanted to. In these sections, you'll learn how to massage your lower legs, quadriceps, upper traps, calves, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors and psoas muscles with the massage roller ball.

If you're planning on doing your fitness training at home with a workout DVD/Blu-ray program, then you need to double check that you have the correct exercise equipment for it.

Many of the 90-minute programs recommend some sort of push up bar. You might be wondering why you can't just use your hands for the Push Ups? Well, there are so many reps in these programs that your best off using a Push Up bar so you won't injure your wrist.

Yes, these are the same Push Ups that we always dreaded during JH gym class, but there's no reason why we should hate this simple exercise as adults. Push Ups can easily help you tone muscles in your arms, back and chest, as well as strengthen your core.

A few days ago, I received the Go Sport-it Fitness Push Up Bars to test out and review. It retails for $24.99, but can currently be purchased on Amazon for $19.99.

I'll be starting Beachbody's Master's Hammer and Chisel on January 4th, so I was already looking into getting a new pair of Push Up bars right before I was sent the Go Sport-it Fitness Push Up Bars, which I received at a discounted price in exchange for unbiased thoughts.

Though I'm not the most flexible person in the world, I've been adding a bit of yoga mixed in with my regular workout routine a few days a week.

Yoga is great for body and mind. Actually, it's great for your back and legs. I have strains in both my back and legs, so it was no-brainier why I wanted to start doing yoga. Like I said, I'm not the most flexible person in the world, so some of the moves are a challenge for me.

About a month ago, I was sent the DanceCrazy Ultra Stretch Strap to test out and review. You might recall me reviewing a few of the company's dancing videos earlier this year.

Now I already own a yoga strap, but plastic buckle doesn't hold the strap very well, causing it to pop out while I try to use it. That being said, I was looking forward to trying out the Ultra Stretch Strap.

Some of my blog readers might recall me reviewing a massage roller a few weeks ago, so you might wondering why I'm reviewing a similar product.

Well, since I've started exercising regularly this month, I've learned how important it is to add stretching and yoga workouts that help relax my muscles. Exercising can put a strain on your body, so it's a good idea to add spend fifteen to thirty minutes (or longer) to workout any kinks your body might have.

A few weeks ago, I was sent the RockNRoller massage roller to test out and review. Now, most foam rollers are just made out of foam, but this roller is made out a heavy plastic pipe that has foam wrapped around it. The foam part features small circular textures that will help increase the pressure of your massage. What really makes this roller stand out from the rest is that the sides/ends can be twisted off, so you can store your gym towel, water bottle, protein bars, etc.

I've never been very interested in Yoga in the past as I'm not very flexible and it just didn't look like fun to me. However, I started having lower-back problems a few years ago, so that's when I first gave Yoga a try. After a few weeks, my back felt almost 100% better. I now try to include at least one Yoga workout a week.

Last month, I was sent the Yoga Sweat: Powerful And Fun Yoga Weight Loss DVD to test out and review. The workout DVD is created by Yoga trainer Julia Schoen, author and founder of  Yoginiology.com. The DVD features two 30-minute workouts, along with a bonus warm-up and cool-down videos.

The two 30-minute workouts are called "Session 1" and "Session 2." "Session 1" focuses on helping you burn calories by building heat throughout your body through effective poses that will tone and strengthen your legs and glutes. "Session 2" challenges you with vigorous sequences of poses that will strengthen your arms, back and core. It also features balance moves and tummy toners.

That being said, I was eager to try out the YogaHands - Hand Strengthener & Exerciser that I received in the mail to review this month.

The creators of YogaToes®, YogaHands is made from a polycarbonate housing and articulating low-density foam wedges.

What are YogaHands for?

Well, YogaHands are meant to stretch out your fingers. It's very simple to use. All you have to do is to slip your fingers in between the foam wedges and leave them there for fifteen-minutes. It can help with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and chronic hand cramping.

I'm sure almost everyone has heard of a foam roller, which is used by physical therapists and athletes to massage overused muscles. The rollers can be purchased anywhere that carries fitness products.

Recently, I received the Muscle Mauler Max, a deep tissue foam roller, which is made by Master Of Muscle.

While most foam rollers are made from
100% foam, the Muscle Mauler Max has EVA foam built around a 24" x 5" long heavy plastic pipe. What makes this standout from other rollers is it's unique bumpy matrix design, which will reach greater dual pressure zones, giving your muscles the ultimate massage.

It can be used on your neck, knees, quads, lower and upper back, shoulders and hamstrings to help to get rid of any kinks you might have from exercising. It can also be used as way to stretch your body out before running, yoga, Pilates, cross fitness, P90X and any other workout program.

I started out the beginning of the year with several "A New Me In 2015" posts, whichfeatured several health and fitness releated products reviews. I guess I must be procrastinating as I received the Fit Evolution program at the end of December and I'm just now getting around to writing a review for it.

It seems that everybody is on the go these days, so many people just don't have time to get a full hour workout at the gym. Fit Evolution is a six-week program with each workout lasting around 10 -12 minutes. There is no equipment or weights needed for any of the routines.

The workouts include:

Since I began my fitness craze earlier this year, I've the opportunity to review several different fitness related products. Last month, I received the Strength Stack 52 Complete Pack!

What exactly is a Strength Stack 52 Complete Pack?

Stack 52 is a fitness game that was created by scientist and military fitness expert Sergeant Michael Volkin, whom was awarded a medal for the diet and exercise programs he designed for the troops. The exercise games have been sold in over 24 countries.

When I started 2015, my main priority was to get into shape, but I've had several setbacks, include a few muscle strains and a few colds. Now, there isn't much I can do from preventing myself from catching the cold or flu, but I can help get rid or even prevent muscle strains without having to go to an expensive chiropractor or a massage therapist.


Earlier this month, I was sent the Styles II Fitness Massage Body Stick Roller to try out. The roller is basically an 18 inch metal bar with seven white rollers and black rubber handles on each end.

The roller is an effective therapy tool for muscle strains, pains and trigger points. It helps break down soft tissue, increases blood flow and increases circulation.

If you're a regular follower on my blog, then you know I've been trying to lose weight this year, which hasn't been easy thing for me as I have strained my lower-back and my knees. Plus, I had to slow down from exercising for last month because I had a nasty cold/flu virus.

After making a full recovery from my ailments, I decided to jump back into exercising. For the past two weeks, I have been trying out the new workout program called Air Bar Exercises (ABX), which created by Erin Buchanan. The program requires a 40" dowel rod, which can be purchased at almost any hardware store.

ABX was created for both men and women at any fitness level. The program focus on core strengthening, a healthy postural alignment, muscular endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular training. The DVD runs for about 60 minutes, but you can get a great workout by doing only 30 minutes. The creator Erin Buchanan challenges everyone to do the workout for at least 30 minutes for 30 days.

I haven't used a jump rope since my early elementary days, but I wasn't very good at it as I had two left feet. Despite the fact that I still have two left feet, I thought I would still try out the Ultra-speed Cable Jump Rope from Naturalico.

Jumping rope is a great cardio exercise that can workout your entire body (arms, core, legs). It can also increase your muscle strength and correct your balance.

This jump rope is a lot different than the ones I remember from my childhood. While the handles are still made out of plastic, the rope is made out of wire. It is an adjustable rope, so you'll need a pair of wire cutters to cut the wire the correct length based on your height. I'm 5'9" so I had to cut the wire quite a bit to get the correct length for my size.

With the start of a new year, I'm sure many of you have started a new workout routine in the attempt to try and drop those extra holiday pounds. While losing weight is easy for people, others have a difficult time dropping one single pound.

For the past few weeks, I have been trying out the workout program called Jumpstart 180! The  program was created by Dr. Siobhan France, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Wellness coach, who wrote "How To Live A Life Of Fitness: The Ultimate Start-Up guide For Older Adults." The program is designed as a low impact workout system for men and woman age 50 and up.

Now you might be wondering why a 33-year-old would be wanting to test out a workout program that is aimed for a much older person. Well, for starters I have a problem with my right knee, so any insane high impact workouts that involving a lot of jumping is out of the question for me. Plus, I was looking for a workout to help jump start me into a daily exercise routine for 2015.

It's a brand new year, which means there is plenty of time to try new things including taking a self-defense course. Of course not everyone has time to take a weekly self-defense class. Luckily, for those who have a busy schedule, we can now learn to defend ourselves at home with the Krav Maga In No Time: The Best Home Study Self Defense Course!

The course is created by Guy Dar, the Israeli Krav Maga master! He is also the founder of the full contact Krav Maga, which is used by the CIA, FBI and the Israeli army as it gives you the ability to end a fight in seconds.

The Krav Maga In No Time course is available to purchase on DVD or you can watch it online. The course also comes with the eBooks "Keeping Watch: Strategies for Non Violence Self-Defense" and "Self-Defense for Women: Threats and Strategies."

The defense included in the course are:

Part 1: Basic Stand plus Using Hand Strikes to Defend and Attack

• Basic Stand & Making a Fist - (4 mins 43 secs)
• Palm Strike - (2 mins 30 secs)
• Straight Punch - (3 mins 38 secs)
• Hook Punch - (1 min 21 secs)
• Upper Cut - (1 min 26 secs)
• Hammer Punch - (2 mins 13 secs)
• Horizontal Elbow - (1 min 17 secs)
• Elbow and Forearm - (1 min 14 secs)
• Rear Short Elbow - (1 min 24 secs)
• Rear Spinning Elbow - (2 mins 5 secs)

Pilates for Dancers
Studio: SalsaCrazy.com
Release Date: March 31, 2006
Retail: $29.95
ASIN: B000ELJ3JE
Running Time: 104 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Let's just say that I have never been coordinated enough to  attempt to dance in public. I know that I'm not alone in this as many people out there can't dance. I have always heard that a key to any dancer is a strong core and one way to a strong core is through pilates.

Pilates was started by German-born Joseph Pilates during the early 20th Century. There are now millions of people, including dancers, who practice pilates, which involves muscle control, breathing and concentration.

Pilates for Dancers was released by SalsaCrazy.com and was created for anyone, dancer or non-dancer, to learn the basics of pilates. You'll learn 24 step-by-step exercises that will help you lose weight, strengthen your core and get into shape.

The 24 exercises are: