So why do people use heart rate monitors?  In summary people use a heart rate monitor to protect their most important organ, their heart. With these monitors you can not only improve heart health, but also prevent yourself from putting your heart in danger due to over exertion.

A few good options for heart rate monitors are the Reebok Heart Rate Monitor and the more commonly used type of monitor Reebok Heart Rate Monitor/Strap.  It is more common just because most people think that most heart rate monitors require a chest strap to get an accurate reading, but the Reebok Heart Rate Monitor does not, and you have the convenience of wearing it like a watch, around your wrist. Just press the touch sensors and this Reebok Heart Rate Monitor provides the most accurate heart rate readings.
It’s Features Are:

• Anytime heart rate
• High and low target limits with alarm
• Time of day and calendar
• Night vision
• Daily alarm
• Easy-to-read, large displays
• Simple to use
• Accurate ECG heart rate

So if  you think these are good reasons for people to use a heart monitor look into purchasing a good one that works well for you in your lifestyle.  With these good reasons and if it could make a difference in your workout and the results you get, along with possibly keeping your heart safe, why wouldn’t you?

Why do people use heart rate monitors?  The main reason that people use them is that when combined with an exercise regimen, they have a significant impact on improving your health and specifically in helping to ensure that your heart stay healthy.
The areas of benefit can be divided into 2 main areas.

• Improved exercise routine
• Ensuring safe exercise

But how does a heart rate monitor improve existing exercise?
As people exercise, their body gets used to the level of exercise that they are performing. For some this can happen relatively quickly. Using a heart rate monitor is one easy way to tell whether or not the exercise routine you are using is still challenging your aerobic levels. Whether you are training for a marathon or just looking to lose a few pounds this can be extremely useful in helping to determine the optimal exercise routine.

Some useful questions that can be answered by a heart rate monitor.

• Length of the exercise timing
• Maximum and minimum heart rates during exercising.
• Average heart rate during exercising
• calories burned during the exercise session.

Can a heart rate monitor really save my life?
I am sure we have all done it once it a while where we get caught up in the heat of the moment whether running or playing sports and push ourselves too far. Whether you are in perfect shape or recovering from a heart injury a heart rate monitor can help you stick within the desired range to ensure you do not put yourself in risk of heart attack.  Without using a heart rate monitor it is difficult to determine whether or not you may be overexerting yourself which is a very big risk to take.

A lot of people have questions concerning the accessories that go with Tony Horton’s P90X.  Especially when deciding between using the chin up bar or getting the resistance bands with the upgrade kit so you can do the modified versions of chin ups and pull ups.  How do you decide whats going to work best for you chin up bar or resistance bands with the upgrade kit?

Well, here are some things to think about when making your decisions.  First, you want to make sure that you have a door frame for either of these options somewhere close to where you are planning on doing your workouts.  Now the chin up bar fits  doorways 24″ – 32″ wide, and a doorway with trim is required.  Whereas with the resistance bands and upgrade kit you also need a doorway but you need the metal hinges that hook the door to the frame, not the trim.  By hooking the door attachment included with the upgrade kit, around the metal hinge, it allows you to do all the modifed versions of what you would do with the chin up bar with the resistance bands.

Now those are the technical differences to help you make your decision.  Along with that take into account whether you want to get out of your workouts physically.  They are both going to give you a challenge and work your muscle tissue, but you have more control over how much resistance you have if you use the resistance bands unlike the chin up bar where you are picking up your entire weight or modifying things by standing on a chair.  They are both great products it really just depends on what you are looking for.  If you have any questions regarding the P90X accessories check out  www.ExtremeBodyWorkout.com.

There are numerous contenders online for the absolute best in home workout equipment. Here at Extreme Body Workout we know you don’t have to have a giant tower and entire room dedicated to fitness in order to get the results you want. A few well chosen pieces of equipment and the right workout program are all that’s required. When it comes to pull-up bars, there are two main competitors, the Iron Gym Pull Up Bar and the P90X Chin Up Bar.

The Iron Gym Pull Up Bar is largely popular because of its “As Seen On TV” status. What a better way to get a product into the homes of thousands than to advertise it continuously on television? We aren’t knocking this method as it has proven to be a great marketing method for some of the programs we feature. We do, however, think that a slick commercial doesn’t always translate to a high quality product.

Let’s quickly address the design differences between these two products. Both bars can be easily installed in the doorways of your home. Each has some slight requirements on door measurement to make them work. The P90X bar requires a doorway to be 24- 32 inches wide. The Iron Gym Pull Up Bar requires the same size doorway (24-32”) but also requires the doorway be 5.5 to 6 inches thick. While the P90X bar mounts using a small amount of hardware to make it more secure and safe, the Iron Gym Pull Up Bar hangs using leverage.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly on the design front, the P90X Chin Up Bar features 6 different grip positions. Iron Gym? Only 3.

One of the main marketing points for the Iron Gym Pull Up Bar is that it can be taken down and used for dips and crunches. This is a novel idea. It seems, however, through research online of consumer reviews, the dips that this bar advertises are much better done using chairs. The bar simply doesn’t give you the elevation needed for a highly productive dip motion.

According to consumers, one of the major selling point of the Iron Gym Pull Up Bars is the price. Right now, it seems, you can find the Iron Gym Bar for about $30. We see this argument but stand behind the P90X Chin Up Bar quality and the corresponding price. With the extra grip positions, professional grade foam grips, and heavy gauge steel construction, we know that this is definitely a case of “getting what you pay for”. Also, the P90X Chin UP Bar is part of the P90X program, known for being one of the most popular top quality home workout systems in the world.

Ultimately, which piece of home gym equipment you go with is your decision. Make sure to do your research, checking out consumer reviews and the options available with each bar. After you’ve done your checking and are ready to move forward with the P90X Chin Up Bar, come back to Extreme Body Workout where we also offer the bar in a P90X Special Package, giving you the P90X program along with everything you need to get started.

While weight loss or muscle tone may be your #1 priority when working out, you cannot neglect the importance of safety. One false move during a workout can cost your months worth of work. Finding ways to maximize the results of your workouts is good but finding ways to keep it safe is even better. Safety doesn’t have to mean reducing the quality of your workout. On the contrary, by keeping your workouts safe you can ensure that your workout routines won’t be interrupted with injury. One good tool in keeping fitness safe is a Manduka Mat.

It may seem like a small addition, and it is. But the Manduka Mat works to cushion your joints and protect you from slipping during some of the most intense P90X workouts.

High impact workouts can be tough on your joints. Things like Plyometrics can really jostle your knees and ankles. While how you land is important, what you are landing on can also make a difference. Proper shoes are a good start in ensuring some of the shock is absorbed, but a Manduka Mat offers extra protection.

The Manduka Plyo Mat we sell here is made with high quality materials. It has a non skid surface to ensure when you land, your feet stay underneath you. In addition, it is ¼ inch thick! This added support helps to absorb some of the shock and momentum of the high powered moves in programs like P90X Plyometrics. It also has a larger surface than most mats, making it easier to land on while executing your jump moves.

Finally, the Manduka mat is a great accessory to have in Yoga. While its uses in Yoga are more about comfort than safety, the mat will ensure that you have proper grounding with each pose, allowing you to go deeper and to push those muscles to their limit.

Safety is too often overlooked when we are striving towards big fitness goals. One injury can put you out of the game for months. The best way to ensure you reach your fitness goals injury-free is to add safety measures like the Manduka to your workout routine.

Your home workouts don’t have to be a step below a gym workout. As a matter of fact, you can get just as good of a workout in your home without all the hassle. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on high end equipment and don’t have to shell out a monthly membership to make your home your workout spot of choice. There’s no drive-time and no appearance worries when you workout at home either. A few choice tools, like a moveable chin up bar and resistance bands, and you are good to go.

Chin ups are one of the best basic workout moves there are. Right up there with push-ups, chin-ups should be a staple in your workouts. While you can get the same benefits from a resistance band fastened to a door hinge, having a moveable chin up bar in your home is perhaps the best way to get the benefits out of this move.

There are several options on the market right now for those interested in a moveable chin up bar. Tension mounted pull up bars are one of the more popular choices. The problem I have found with these, however, is they don’t always hold their weight, literally. Safety is of primary concern, especially when you are working out at home and you are alone. A tension mounted pull up bar might be moveable but why sacrifice your safety for portability?

The P90X chin up bar is an excellent choice when it comes to finding a moveable chin up bar. This bar is made of high quality construction and designed to withstand the most serious of pull up workouts; it’s designed for P90X for goodness sake! The bar is installed in a doorway in your home and can be removed between workouts. It has 6 different grip positions and is far sturdier than the competition.

Your home gym doesn’t have to rival the quantity or the cost of a gym to be effective. Simple, high quality tools like the P90X Chin Up Bar are essential, however, in ensuring your workout is as effective and safe as possible.

People just getting started on the P90X program often want to know what the required equipment is. They want to be prepared and have all of the necessary tools to get the best results. While there are many choices of optional equipment for the program, nothing is truly required aside from your body, the P90X DVDs and the dedication it takes to achieve any big goal. Now, having said that, among the P90X equipment that we offer here at ExtremeBody Workout, there are some tools that we think are good to have. Required? No. Helpful? Most definitely.

Probably the top recommended tool in P90X equipment is a complete set of resistance bands. Unless you have a set of dumbbells at home, a high quality resistance bands is a great way to get all of the strength training moves of P90X in without the storage issues of free weights and without the cost as well.

Another top priority when preparing for the P90X program is the Peak Recovery Formula. Designed to give your body the fuel necessary to power through these workouts, the P90X Recovery Formula contains optimal nutrition for refueling as well. Drink one recovery drink after your workouts and you will be replenishing the glycogen stores you just depleted as well as giving your body the protein it needs to repair and build muscle mass.

The third priority here is the P90X Chin Up Bar. Sure, you can get a chin up workout with the resistance bands but because a pull up is such a staple in any high quality workout plan, the P90X Chin Up Bar is simply irreplaceable. This Chin Up Bar mounts in nearly all of the door frames within your home. It is easily removed after your workout and can be stowed away in the closet until next time.

While this isn‘t all of the P90X equipment, it is some of the most highly recommended. Check out our supply of all of the P90X accessories here at ExtremeBody Workout. Also, if you want to get these top three accessories with your P90X program, take a look at the P90X Special Package we put together.

There are many styles of pull up bars on the market these days. They’re popular because people know pull-ups are a great way to get fit with minimal equipment. Pull up bars offer an excellent workout for your arms, back, and shoulders. Their effectiveness is widely known. I mean, children begin doing pull ups as early as elementary school. Having a door jam pull up bar in your home is a great way to diversify your home gym equipment and give you convenient access to an all around great workout move.

With the choices of chin up bars currently available, finding the right one can be tricky. It doesn’t have to be, however. The P90X chin up bar is a heavy duty door jam pull up bar that can be easily installed in any 24 to 32 inch doorway in your home. What makes this product better than the others is its quality construction and high grade materials. In addition, with his door jam pull up bar, you don’t have to worry about it slipping as you work.

Some door jam pull up bars work with springs or other tension mechanisms. One only needs to surf the Net for reviews on these products to see they aren’t completely safe or reliable. With any such tension mounted pull up bar you run the risk of damaging your door jam or falling mid-workout.

The P90X Chin Up Bar is a great tool for getting a killer pull up workout. If you have the P90X workout system, it will certainly add to your progress. The bar allows for 6 different grip positions, making it easy to vary your workout and hit different muscles. Once installed the bar can be easily removed between workouts and stowed away out of sight.

A door jam pull up bar is an excellent addition to your home gym that has the potential to maximize results while incurring relatively little cost.

There are many options when looking for a heart rate monitor. If you are getting your fitness lifestyle in line, a heart rate monitor is a great tool to help you get there. While some come with a strap that crosses the chest, others have a simpler and less obtrusive design. A strapless heart rate monitor allows for greater range of motion and higher comfort levels while working out.

Monitoring your heart rate during a workout can ensure you are exercising at the right intensity for your desired results. You want to find a balance where you are working hard enough to burn calories and fat while not overdoing it. A high quality strapless heart rate monitor can help you strike this balance with ease.

Most home workout programs will encourage the use of a heart rate monitor. This is because when following someone else’s workout your heart won’t react the same way. Tony Horton may have to work much harder than you to lift his heart rate to the optimal level. If you were to work that hard you may go well above your maximum heart rate. A strapless heart rate monitor allows you to customize the workout.

A heart rate monitor is not a requirement for a good workout. You can monitor your heart rate using your hands. Stop at any point and touch two fingers to your Carotid Artery on the side of your neck. Count beats for six seconds and multiply that by 10 for your heart rate. While this is effective, it simply isn’t as convenient as the monitor.

Checking your heart rate throughout your workout can help promote greater results. Here at ExtremeBody Workout, we carry both a chest strap monitor and a strapless heart rate monitor, both from Reebok. Check them out and let us know if we can answer any questions about them!

P90X is an extreme workout system. While we understand people’s desire to keep their fitness investment at a minimum, we also know there are many great P90X accessories out there that can be added to the program to enrich the experience and sometimes even multiply the results. The P90X equipment isn’t mandatory, for the most part. However, many of the accessories are highly recommended.

The first thing people typically worry about when we talk about P90X equipment is cost. They don’t want to invest an arm and a leg. All of the P90X equipment we offer is sold at a reasonable price. When you consider how much you have spent on fitness equipment in the past, the P90X equipment is just a drop in the bucket. And best of all, it is high quality stuff!

In order for something to carry the P90X name and for us to offer it, it’s got to be of the best quality. All of the p90x accessories we offer are made of superior materials and constructed to withstand your toughest P90X workouts. This is high grade gym quality fitness equipment, not some cheap workout alternative.

If you want to have the P90X equipment basics, we suggest checking out the P90X Special Package that we put together. This package contains everything you need to get started. We’ve included the P90X chin up bar, the resistance bands, the super popular Recovery Drink and the P90X system itself. Even better, we’ve discounted the package so that you save $30 over what you would spend if you purchased the components separately.

We also offer an array of P90X equipment and supplements on the P90X Accessories page. If you have any questions about the products we offer, feel free to shoot us an email or let us know. We want to see you succeed in your fitness goals and are dedicated to providing the tools!

A yoga mat is a fitness accessory of choice for many people. Even if you don’t do yoga everyday, the right yoga mat is a great investment, one that requires small payment for ultimate results. The differences from mat to mat are typically pretty minor. However, aside from choosing by which color would go best with your yoga pants, pay attention to the thickness and the texture, two very important features. Thick yoga mats have several benefits that thin ones just can’t measure up to.

Thick yoga mats provide much better cushion for your joints. Whether you have hard wood floors or take a yoga class at a gym, the basic yoga mats just don’t have the padding that thick yoga mats do. If you have ever tried a yoga workout on a hard floor with a basic mat, you know what I mean. There are several poses in most forms of yoga that require you to be on your knees. A thin mat can cause discomfort, making these poses much more difficult to maintain.

Thick yoga mats can also be used for other workouts. The P90X Plyometrics workout is a great example of this. High jumping and volatile movements can cause stress to the joints when not cushioned properly. Thick yoga mats like the Manduka Mat provide that extra cushioning for yoga and beyond.

The Manduka Mat we sell here at Extreme Body Workout is one of the highest quality of thick yoga mats currently on the market. This mat is ¼ inch thick, far thicker than standard mats. In addition, it has a non-sticky surface but is completely slip resistant, beneficial when sweating through a tough workout!

Having the right equipment can make a major difference in the quality of your workouts. A thick yoga mat is just one smart purchase to add to your home gym inventory.

When purchasing home gym equipment you want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. Subpar construction and poor quality materials can have you spending far more than necessary on equipment that simply won’t last. Finding the best of the best is the key to having a high value and highly functioning home gym. The best pull up bar is an excellent place to start.

I am an advocate of sparsely equipped home gyms. You simply don’t need to have a lot of equipment to make your home gym worthwhile. Sure it might be fun to have a huge weight system for a while, but it’s not necessary. It is most often an unjustified use of your hard earned money, and not to mention space.

Instead you should be looking for the few best pieces of equipment to ensure you are prepared to get the highest quality workout with minimum tools. The best pull up bar is one piece of equipment that everyone should have. Just like a push up, a pull up is a fitness basic, a staple in exercise that has been around for a long time simply because of its effectiveness.

The best pull up bar is one that allows for maximum grip positions. The P90X chin up bar does this. It allows for 6 different grip positions and features comfortable hand grips to ensure you don’t slip. These alternative hand positions mean you have the ability to hit different muscles with the same effective pull up.

The best pull up bar is also easy to mount and safe for use. The P90X chin up bar is mounted with brackets in nearly any doorway. This differs from tension bars that are currently on the market, as it offers a much safer approach. Once the brackets are mounted, the P90X chin up bar can easily be taken down between workouts.

Lastly, the best pull up bar offers superior manufacturing and construction at a reasonable value. Made with heavy gauge steel designed to withstand up to 300 pounds of weight, the P90X bar is one that is sure to last throughout your active fit life.

So you know you want to start P90X but want to make certain you are ready. You’re concerned about extra tools and supplements and aren’t quite sure what’s necessary to get started and what can wait. When you decide to commit to a program like this you want to ensure you have all of the tools to maximize your success. This is where the P90X Special package comes in.

We noticed a lot of people were asking “What do I need to start P90X?” Rather than list those things we decided to make it easy. Here at ExtremeBody Workout we have put together a bundle of the P90X necessities and are offering it at a discounted price. When you buy the P90X Special Package you save $30 over if you were to buy the pieces separately.

So, what comes with the P90X Special Package?

Of course you get the P90X program. With this comes all 12 P90X workouts, created and combined to give you the body of your dreams. You also get the all important Nutrition Guide, including recipes and meal plans. The Fitness Guide is included to walk you through the program, giving you the tools to succeed.

In addition to the P90X program, with the Special Package you get the most important P90X fitness accessories.

The P90X Chin Up Bar is made of top quality construction to conveniently fit in a doorway and give you an intense upper body workout. This is one of our best selling items and a great tool in your P90X journey. You will see just how often it comes in handy as you begin working your way through the 90 day system.

The P90X resistance bands are thrown into the Special Package to ensure you have the right gear for resistance training. Workout after workout you will need these resistance bands to get the most out of your training. They provide an effective and convenient way to build muscle and transform your body.

Lastly, you get the P90X Recovery Formula. Our most popular supplement, the P90X Recovery Formula is designed to replenish the nutrients in your body after the strenuous P90X workouts. This blend of proteins and carbohydrates ensure you body has the fuel to repair muscle tissue and revive energy levels.

The P90X Special Package is the perfect way to ensure you are completely ready for the program. We have taken our best selling P90X gear and packaged it with savings for you. Have someone in your life that’s been eyeing P90X? The Special Package also makes a great gift!

Exercise is good for you. We all realize the benefits of regular fitness are numerous. From decreasing stress to losing weight and keeping your heart strong there are many reasons to workout on a regular basis. For those people with real weight loss or fitness goals, measuring success can be a great source of motivation. Knowing how to workout at the right intensity can also increase the results of your workouts. One way to do this is by using a wrist heart rate monitor.

Knowing how to use your heart rate to get the most out of your exercise is a great way to track your workouts for effectiveness. By knowing what is called your “target heart rate” you can ensure you are working out at a level that is conducive to the best fitness results. A wrist heart rate monitor makes this much easier.

This older post talks about your target heart rate and how to calculate it. Once you know your target heart rate it is simply a matter of working out while maintaining your heart rate within near proximity to this target. Of course you can monitor your heart rate by checking your pulse every so often but this is somewhat counterproductive when you have to stop working out to find the pulse and count. Instead, a wrist heart rate monitor is an excellent option that can give you that same information while you are on the move.

Many athletes use wrist heart rate monitors to track their heart health and the intensity of their workouts. These gadgets are a great tool and a fun way to see just how much effort you are putting forth on your regular workouts. You may be surprised when tracking your heart rate and find out you aren’t working as hard as you thought. On the other hand, you could find out you are working too hard, which can negatively impact the quality of your workouts.

Wrist heart rate monitors are an excellent tool for anyone serious about their fitness goals. As you will see with many of the high quality workout programs we sell here, tracking you heart rate is a crucial component to ensuring you are working at the right intensity.

Push up bars are becoming more and more popular. You can now see some of them featured in infomercials and even popular superstores carry some brands of push up bars. But, like all other fitness equipment, not all push up bars are created equally. So, are these fitness gadgets really useful or just another waste of your hard earned cash?

Let’s first discuss the push up. This is a classic exercise that has been around for decades if not centuries. It has stood the test of time because, like the pull up, it is seriously effective. The pushup requires you to lift your own body weight. When done properly it engages all of your muscles, from your neck to your feet. It is a personal favorite of mine and should be one of yours as well.

There are many variations on the classic pushup. How it works your body varies depending on how you place your hands and feet, among other things. For those of us who have done the P90X workouts, we have a good idea of just how punishing a total pushup workout can be.

But, do you have to use a push up bar to get the best results?

One of the best parts about a pushup is it requires no equipment. Having said that, using a tool like a push up bar can only intensify the workout and bring about more dramatic results. High quality push up bars are designed to help ensure you have proper form during the push up. They reduce wrist strain and give you a few additional inches to dip in to.

The best push up bars and stands, like the PowerStands are ergonomically designed and made of high quality materials to ensure the safest and most productive pushup workout.

Push up bars are not necessary. However, if you are serious about getting fit and you understand just how effective a correct push up can be, they are a extremely useful tool to have around. Along with a chin up bar, the right push up bars are an inexpensive and worthwhile addition to any home gym.