by Chris Shugart
Welcome to the latest installment of T-Nation's new consumer reviews. In this column I'll be reviewing gym gadgets, DVDs, training books, and anything else I can get my callused paws on that might be of interest to iron addicts and fitness fanatics
But here's the new twist: After you hear my opinion, you'll get to do your own reviews on a couple of the items. For example, if a maker of body fat calipers sends T-Nation a few to review, we'll review one of them and then give the rest to you! For free! Read on. You'll see what I mean.
Let's break into the new gear!
With the increased interest in odd object lifting and strongman training, sandbags as training tools have become more popular. Now, a few companies are putting out sandbags made especially for training.
This is a cool trend. I first experimented with sandbag training seven years ago. It was fun and effective, but a pain in the ass with the leaky and broken bags. Also, most of the old surplus bags I used would take all the skin off your hands and leave you a bloody mess after a training session. So I was glad to hear that performance coach Josh Henkin was creating a new type of specialty training bag: the Ultimate Sandbag.
The medium bag I received for testing holds up to 120 pounds of sand. It's made of a tough but "fine" canvas. That means it's strong but won't sandpaper your knuckles down to bloody stubs. It's also covered with various handles and holds, which really increases the versatility of the bag. Finally, the zippers are covered to protect them and keep sand from leaking out.
I think sandbag training is one of the best forms of home training or "extra" training you can perform outside of the gym. It's also one of the purest forms of true functional training. I was excited to torture test the Ultimate Sandbag. After picking up 100 pounds of sandbox sand (and quickly realizing that amount was a bit much for some drills!), I took my new toy outside for some training.
The verdict: Awesome. I've been using it now for a few weeks and playing around with cleans, snatches, good mornings, rows, complex training, tosses, overhead presses, bear hug walks, lunges, front squats, and a dozen other drills. (Click HERE for some cool sandbag drill videos from Coach Henkin.)
So far this thing has taken a beating with no signs of wear and tear. The "fine" canvas isn't exactly gentle on the knuckles, but finishing your session with your hands a little red is better than finishing it with bloody nubs! The covered zipper is a nice feature too. I've found that the snaps sometimes "bite" me, but it's no biggie. If you're the type to train with sandbags, then you're probably tough enough to handle a little thwap from a snap.
Coach Zach Even-Esh shouldering a sandbag
I especially like the various handles and grip options. This is the big selling point for me. Now, some might say that having holds and handles might lessen the grip training effect. Not really. Your hands and forearms will still get fried after a 15 minute session.
Having a durable, more comfortable tool like this on the market may finally bring sandbag training to the forefront of fitness. And you know what? It belongs there.
The medium bag runs about $70. The smaller bag, made for women, kids, and Crossfit enthusiasts, runs about $65. You supply the sand. For more info, click HERE.
Rating: 9
T-Nation contributors Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson teamed up to put together this DVD. The premise is simple: two guys alone in a cold Wyoming gym. They're not gay, but they fall in love anyway, proving that true love goes beyond mere issues of sexuality... No, I'm kidding!
This DVD sets the record straight about optimal athletic and pre-workout preparation. Light cardio and static stretching are out; dynamic mobility drills are in. You can use these as a warm-up or at other times of the day to work on joint mobility, recovery, and grooving motor patterns. There are over 30 drills covered.
The quality here it topnotch. I liked the multiple camera angles of each drill. Each drill is explained, demonstrated, then summed up with text notes. Cressey and Robertson are a little stiff in their presentation; it's scripted and not just "winged," but the info is there and no stone is left unturned. These guys have written some articles on this topic, but the video format blows away static pics for this type of info.
I tried most of the exercises and drills and it's amazing the difference they can make compared to the antiquated warm-up I used to use. If you're still riding a stationary bike and doing the "hurdler stretch" before training legs, then you need this video like Paris Hilton needs a protein shake. It runs $49.95 and can be found right HERE.
Rating: 9
Calipers are still the best method of measuring body composition. As long as the same person is doing the testing in the same way with the same tool, calipers remain the least expensive, most convenient, and reasonably accurate method you can use to test your body fat percentage.
FatTrack PRO from Accufitness is quite a few steps above my old $20 set of calipers. First of all, it's programmed with 3- and 7-site Jackson-Pollack formulas, so no math to do. It also beeps when the right amount of pressure is applied, which increases the accuracy of each testing. I found it to be just as accurate as my old fashioned calipers but much faster to use.
Also, you can use the FatTrack PRO in a non-programmed mode too if you prefer another formula. This is handy because I like to take a basic two-site measurement (suprailiac and abdomen) and not use a formula at all. It's just a quick and dirty way to track body fat changes you can do yourself.
The FatTrack PRO comes with a sweet little case and a mini-disc containing a nifty software program.
A lot of the features are designed for personal trainers who track the body composition of dozens of clients. Most of us don't need that, but the multiple user features are there if you want them.
No real criticisms here, but I thought parts of the digital display were a little spiky and small, but it's still fairly easy to read. Takes about ten minutes to get used to the controls, then it's quick and simple to use.
You can pick up the FatTrack PRO for about $120 right HERE.
Rating: 9
These two DVDs come from Dave Tate's EliteFTS and feature powerlifter Jim Wendler. These aren't complete programs, but rather indexes of the powerlifts and dozens of related assistance exercises. If you've ever read a powerlifting article here at T-Nation and thought, "What is a JM press? How do you set bands up? And how the heck do you 'sit back' in a box squat?" then these DVDs are pure gold.
The first DVD deals with the bench press. It's 90 minutes long and covers everything from how to take the bar off the rack to how to use board presses effectively. Wendler doesn't use a script and instead just talks to you like you're standing right there. I like this myself. While it's not very polished, it's more personable; you feel like you're being coached, not read to or lectured.
The second DVD covers the squat and the deadlift. It starts out with a montage of powerlifting videos accompanied by head-busting heavy metal music. This short mini-movie is worth the price of the DVD itself! The rest of the 114 minute DVD covers every aspect of the deadlift and squat including training variations (Zercher squat, safety squat, cambered bar squat, sumo deadlift, etc.) and all the assistance exercises such as glute-ham raises and pull-throughs. Good stuff.
The quality of these DVDs is okay, not perfect, but not bad. There's some occasional background noise and jerky camera angles, but overall it's fine.
These vids run about $50 to $55 each at EliteFTS.com. If you're into tattooed biceps, scabby shins, and massive amounts of iron, these DVDs are worth the dough!
Rating: 9
I love a good piece of beef jerky. Most jerky is high protein, low fat, and low carb, making it a great bodybuilding snack food. Iron Bull beef jerky is marketed toward the fitness crowd and comes in original, peppered, and teriyaki. You get 52 grams of protein per bag.
How's the taste? Well, that's subjective, but we passed several bags around T-Nation headquarters and everyone gave it the thumbs up and fought for the last bag. My favorite was the peppered. The quality was excellent, not too dry, not too moist, the way jerky should be.
The Iron Bull ads say that it "has more grams of protein per serving than most beef jerky on the market." I had two other brands in my cabinet: one had more protein per four ounce serving and one had less. One also had more sugar than Iron Bull and one had half as much. So, fair enough statement, I guess. I can't think of a way to get more protein into a hunk of beef anyway.
A three-pack will run you $17.98 and a twelve-pack will set you back about $65. For more info, visit the official site.
Rating: 9
Muscle Logic is a very complete book on the topic of Escalating Density Training (EDT). T-Nation has published a few articles on EDT, but here's a quick refresher:
The average EDT workout is broken into two 15 minutes PR zones or sessions. In each session you choose two exercises – pulldowns and dips for example – and alternate between them. You load the bar up with a weight you can lift ten times, but you only perform five reps each time.
There's no designated number of sets though; you just keep alternating between the exercises and counting your reps until the 15 minute session is up! In the next workout, you try to beat that number. Two such sessions gives you about a 30 minute workout. Advanced versions of EDT covered in the book take only about 45 minutes of actual training time, hence the book's cover blurb: "Cut your workout time in half with better results."
I'd consider this book pretty moderate to advanced, but newbies will appreciate all the exercise pics and basic instructions too. The book outlines EDT workouts for all levels of fitness and even offers a chapter on what to do when you cycle off EDT after eight weeks: the "3-5 Contrast Cycle."
Some basic info for newbies, some advanced concepts for vets, and months of training programs: this book has everything covered. My single criticism: There are some Q & A's sprinkled in the beginning of the book about EDT. Problem is, EDT isn't fully explained until a few chapters later. No problem for the veteran who knows the basics behind the system, but it might be a little confusing for the newb.
This 236 page softcover book will run you about $17 HERE.
Rating: 9
I've reviewed one other such device before, so let's look back at the basic advantages and disadvantages of adjustable kettlebells:
Advantages:
• Adjustable. (Duh!) Depending on which configuration you get, you can go from 15 pounds or less up to about 90 pounds.
• Much less expensive than a cast-iron kettlebell, and you only need to buy two adjustable kettlebells at the most. Also less expensive to ship. Ever look at the shipping cost of a solid kettlebell? Ouch. You could ship Russian brides for cheaper than that.
• Takes up less room than a full set of kettlebells. Good for garage trainers.
Disadvantages:
• Because the plates can roll, you can't do push-up exercises or "renegade rows" on them like you can with most standard kettlebells, although hexagonal plates might help. Also, tossing and juggling adjustable kettlebells usually isn't recommended.
• You have to provide your own plates.
• Although I found that I could switch loads on the Kettlestack pretty fast (all you need is the provided allen key), it's of course slower than just picking up another kettlebell of a different weight.
• Some exercises can be more uncomfortable with adjustable kettlebells because the plates create edges, unlike the bowling ball style solid 'bells. Choosing rounded plates and setting them up right (big plates in the middle, smaller plates on the outside) can help though.
• The main disadvantage: they're still kettlebells. So you may be tempted to join one of those Kettlebell Kults full of really cocky balding guys who don't look like they weight train. (Ooooooh!)
I don't think there's a clear winner in the "advantages vs. disadvantages" argument. Adjustable kettlebells are simply going to fit some peoples' needs better than others and vice versa.
As for the product itself, I found that the Kettlestack worked well and I liked the fat handle made of ABS plastic. Overall, it seems to be better made than some other adjustable kettlebells I've looked into. Kettlestack really takes care of the details, which is good from a quality perspective, but annoying when it comes to the instructions and the Kettlestack site – which is enormously overcomplicated and scatterbrained.
Still, if you want an adjustable kettlebell, then the Kettlestack is a top choice. It'll run you anywhere from $55 to $67 depending on the options you choose. But remember, you provide your own plates. For more info, click HERE.
Rating: 8
Okay, honestly, how am I supposed to review this book? I know the authors personally. I like Lou. I like Alwyn. I've had dinners and lunches with these guys. And on top of that, my boss, TC, gives the book two thumbs up on the back cover!
Luckily, there's no need for me to ego-stroke my colleagues and play nicey-nicey. Why? Because this really is a damn good book! Whew.
You know you're in for something a little different just by reading the first sentence in the book. Schuler writes, "Let me tell you about something I invented. I call it 'weight lifting.'" And the book keeps up the conversational and funny tone, which is honestly a breath of fresh air in the fitness book world. I had fun reading this book. Really. Actual for-real fun.
After an entertaining and honest look at some basics (warming-up, flexibility, the aerobics myth, etc.), the book outlines six basic movements which form the core of three goal-specific training programs. The "Big Six" are the squat, deadlift, lunge, push, pull, and twist.
There are several "new" exercises and variations too, such as the split good morning and the walking lunge with side bend. Each program – fat loss, hypertrophy, and pure strength – has three phases, and you're allowed to mix and match using a modular system. Pretty cool.
There are a couple of chapters on diet as well. Lou hits on the topic of energy flux (he's actually been writing about it much longer than Dr. Berardi), and goes over some basic "muscle chow" food lists.
Summary: Best fitness book I've read in a long time! The New Rules of Lifting is hardback and contains 125 photos and 304 pages. You can pick it up for just about $17, which makes it a frickin' bargain! I'd get it through Amazon.com by clicking through either Lou or Alwyn's site:
www.alwyncosgrove.com
www.louschuler.com
Rating: 10
This 35 minute DVD comes from T-Nation contributor John Paul Catanzaro. JP wrote an article series for us on this very topic called "The Warm-Up Manifesto Part I and Part II." Basically, this DVD provides demos of all those exercises plus dozens more drills and stretches.
"The goal of a warm-up is performance, not fatigue," Catanzaro says, and that's the theme of this DVD. He says most people use a style of warm-up that's either unproductive, leads to strength losses, or actually increases the likelihood of injuries. He then demonstrates general warm-ups and specific warm-ups for the big three lifts: squat, bench, and deadlift. You'll also get demos of explosive drills and Olympic hybrid circuits.
Nothing really negative here, but it would've been nice if JP could have spoken off the cuff instead of droning on in a voiceover monotone like Ben Stein playing Ferris Bueller's teacher. JP actually does have a personality; he should show it.
Also, a few of the drills will require some additional equipment: a Swiss ball, medicine balls, wobble/rocker boards, etc., but most can be performed at home or in the average gym. Finally, there are no details here, just demos and basic instructions and tips. You'll need to read the T-Nation articles to get the science.
Overall, this is a good DVD chockfull of well-done demos. I think the advantage of DVDs over books and magazine articles is that you get to see the exercise or drill being performed in full motion; there's no guesswork involved. This DVD is especially good for trainers who need ideas for intelligently warming up their clients.
The DVD runs $39.95. For more info, checkout StrengthWarmup.com.
Rating: 7
Want to try a couple of these items out yourself? Want to write your own review of them and add it to this thread? Want to keep the item for free when you're finished? I thought so. Check out the replies below for details!
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