Gold's Gym - Up and Down Ducking Combo
I worked out for 0:16:31
157 calories burned
112 avg BPM
140 max BPM
Jul 08
Digifit
Sent from my iPad
Digifit Workout | Gold's Gym - Up and Down Ducking Combo
Gold's Gym - Up and Down Ducking Combo
I worked out for 0:16:31
157 calories burned
112 avg BPM
140 max BPM
Jul 08
Digifit
Sent from my iPad
Reel Mowing, Does it burn more calories?
Ever since I acquired a Fiskars Momentum mower last year, I've wondered if mowing with it actually burns more calories than my gas mower. This last weekend I finally put the gas mower and reel mower to the test. I used the Wahoo Fitness heart rate monitor with the digifit app on my iPhone to measure my heart rate. I conducted 3 separate tests:
- Manually push the Fiskar's Momentum mower
- Gas propel the Gas powered mower
- Manually push the Gas powered mower
As I suspected, I was burning more calories with the reel mower, but only slightly more. Manually pushing your gas mower is probably the most cost effective way to burn some extra calories. Why get a riding mower and spend additonal time doing cardio or aerobic exercise when you can simply do both at the time by just pushing your mower? The reel mower is still a great option for those that like a great looking lawn and don't want to breathe in fumes from a gas mower. I switch between the two options depending on the situation.
During this test I burned:
During this test I burned:
- 16.4 calories per minute using the Fiskars Momentum
- 14.5 calories per minute pushing the gas mower
- 13.8 calories per minute using the gas mower self propel
16.4 calories per minute ranks among the highest calorie burns I have achieved since I started testing.
Mowing the yard may not be an exer-game (unless you have a Striiv Pedometer), but it's a great way to burn some extra calories while doing something that you already have to do each week if you have a yard to maintain!
Mowing the yard may not be an exer-game (unless you have a Striiv Pedometer), but it's a great way to burn some extra calories while doing something that you already have to do each week if you have a yard to maintain!
Digifit Workout | Yard Gas Push Mowing
I burned some calories will pushing the gas mower today! I love that digifit makes it easy to share this information.
I worked out for 0:39:36
484 calories burned
130 avg BPM
155 max BPM
Jul 05
Ducking Combo, Gold's Gym Cardio Workout
This workout uses jabs, but also mixes in ducking. If you haven't been doing squats, get ready for some sore muscles. I achieved a 13.6 calories/min average and spent quite a bit of time in heart rate zone 4.
Taking the stairs
You can't test games without something to measure against. Witness the stairs test. This involved climbing stairs in 5 sets of 5 for a total of 25 trips up the stairs with some obstacles (kids) getting in the way. In one hand, you see the iPhone running a the Digifit app. In the other hand, you see the Striiv pedometer as I keep challenging Walkatron to 80 stairs. The head mounted camera was a GoPro Hero 960.
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout - Uppercut Combo
The third workout continues to step things up, both in intensity and fun. I achieved 8.4 average calories per minute.
Digifit Workout | 6x5 stairs
Just the facts on my normal morning routine.
6x5 stairs
6 sets of 5
I worked out for 0:12:48
150 calories burned
127 avg BPM
148 max BPM
Jul 02
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout Wii - Beginner Combo - Digitfit overlay
A few days ago the first fitness test was completed. This is the very first "warmup" workout that you will encounter in Gold's Gym Cardio Workout after the tutorials. The workout ended with a modest 7.6 calories per minute rating. This is also the first workout which uses the digifit overlay.
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout Wii - Cross Punch Combo Workout - Digitfit Ove...
This is the 2nd "Warm Up" workout in Gold's Gym Cardio Workout. I was able to obtain 8.8 calories per minute during this workout! There is something about boxing that is really motivating!
Progress Update!
Since I am already losing weight, I'm going to go ahead and post my first updated graph. I'm now using a iPhone app called GymGoal to track my measurements. I have found no other program that has the measurement detail of this one. I' already down 7 lbs from when I started!
‘Exergames’ don’t boost fitness levels in children, study finds
"The participants in this study were children 9 to 12 years old who had a body mass index above the median and whose households did not already have a video game console. Each was given a Wii. Half were randomly assigned to a group that could choose two among the five most physically demanding games that could be found: Active Life: Extreme Challenge; EA Sports Active; Dance Dance Revolution; Wii Fit Plus; and Wii Sports. The other half could choose among the most popular games that are played passively, like Disney Sing It: Pop Hits and Madden NFL 10."Based on my personal experience, the only game in that list that had a shot at burning serious calories is EA Sports Active and that is assuming a dedicated routine of playing that was designed for that purpose. Somehow I doubt these kids were playing to burn calories. You can't lose weight by just "playing" these games. You have to pick the activities that work best an use a disciplined approach to your exercise gaming.
Source: ‘Exergames’ don’t boost fitness levels in children, study finds | | The Bulletin
Burn'o'meter scores... Mowing the grass?
Yes that's right. For part of tests of "other physical activity" I took the burn'o'meter outside to do a combination of walking, biking, and mowing. I made more tests as time passes. These are intended to set a benchmark for future exer-gaming tests. I proudly present the burn'o'meter mowing video! For this test, a Fiskars Momentum Reel Mower was used.
Burn'o'meter test of Gold's Gym Cardio Workout
I recorded stats for the first workout in Gold's gym. I only did this twice back to back and I'm still sore today.
Collection of Striiv Reviews
While I'm still working on my review of the Striiv pedometer, I've collected a bundle of reviews for your reading.
Most Detailed
"I’ve been using the Striiv for several weeks and have found it to be a lot of fun. I just slip it in my pocket on the way out the door in the morning and pull it out every so often to see if there is an easy way for me to earn some extra energy points. It lasts for a couple days per charge, has an easy to use interface that requires no learning curve to understand." - The Gadgeteer
Pro and Cons vs Fitbit Ultra
"It's been a hectic week. I had to travel, and work has been pressing. Consequently I'm missing workouts. But at least I'm staying active. Seriously: It's due in large part to the fitness tracker in my pocket." - Gizmodo
Best Feature Summary
"The average Striiv user walks up to 3 miles or 60 minutes per day — that's almost double the national average! The secret to Striiv's ability to motivate is clear: use highly addictive applications built around your movement and you will move more." - HSN
Good User Experience
"The device does what it’s supposed to do; it measures your steps like a pedometer but also — quite accurately — measures steps you take on stairs and running steps. Based on that data, which it’s always collecting, it measures out how many steps you take per day compared to the national average (5,300 steps) and gives you constant virtual rewards for, say, burning enough calories to offset a cupcake." - Austin360.com
First Impressions
"I’ve tried a lot of fitness devices, and I was sometimes wearing three at once during CES, but this was by far my favorite. It’s hard to make technology well, but it’s even harder to make technology fun." - Wired
Day 24 Experience
"With all of these steps you can earn trophies. I didn’t think much of these at first, especially when I earned 16 of them on the first day. Too many, I thought. Plus they were things like ‘Burn a Cupcake’ and seeing that just made me think, “Hey! I burned off a cupcake. Now it’s time to eat a cupcake!” But the trophies have gotten more interesting as my steps accumulate. I’m on day 24 and I earned the Ultramarathon trophy, which means I’ve walked 100 miles! That feels amazing!" - Wired
Well Rounded Review
"It has multiple ways to motivate you and to challenge you to move. You have the Challenges, the Races, the Trophies, MyLand, Walkathon, Friends, and posting to Facebook and Twitter. Striiv really hits every way I can think of to inspire you to move. Maybe the only thing left for them to add are alerts if you haven't been moving for awhile." - About.com
Solid Summary
"Pedometers abound in plenty. Sure, they are fun for about a week, but it wears off. This is not the case with Striiv. At the heart of this gadget is positive reinforcement and many rewards, something we all could probably use more of when it comes to fitness." - ChipChick
Posted with BlogsyNew Toys
Despite the work schedule and the kids, I have found a new set of toys that have inspired me to exercise again. I was browsing at Best Buy on my birthday and ran into the Striiv pedometer and it's much more than just a pedometer. I've been highly motivated built ever since I bought it. I'm going to write about my own personal experience with it, but for now, some YouTube videos.
Lies and Statistics, Death by Graphs: Part 2 - Body Mass Index - REVISED
There are pros and cons to tracking fitness progress with just about any statistic that you can throw out on a piece of paper to track. As I mentioned in Part 1, weight alone can be very dangerous. You can lose weight in very unhealthy ways, yet people tend to fixate on it.
Therefore I have provided another statistic for monitoring progress called the "Body Mass Index".
Therefore I have provided another statistic for monitoring progress called the "Body Mass Index".
Lies and Statistics, Death by Graphs: Part 1 - REVISED
This is the first in a series of explanations of each of the graphs on this site, so that you know exactly what you are looking at. Some are basic, some are bit more complicated, and all of them can be deceiving.
EA Sports Active 2, Workout 5&6, 9 Week Program
There a two additional videos for today! Workout 5:
The 6th workout on EA Sports Active 2 did not have a pip window, but we will try to include that as much as possible. The workouts continue to get better as time passes. I now use 8 lb dumbbells for some of the strength exercises and 5 lbs for others.
The 6th workout on EA Sports Active 2 did not have a pip window, but we will try to include that as much as possible. The workouts continue to get better as time passes. I now use 8 lb dumbbells for some of the strength exercises and 5 lbs for others.
Twitter Updates
