Xbox 360 Kinect vs. Playstation 3 Move vs. Wii

Be the controller.

You’re in the market for some gamer fitness. Which gaming platform is right for you?

All three of the major gaming platforms have taken interactive to a whole new level.

They’re all good. The prices vary from platform to platform, and you really can’t go wrong with any one of them. But, which is right for  you?

Is this your Wii-ner?

Nintendo is the one that started it all off with the Wii Fit, and actually just the Wii in general.

The beauty is that controllers operate via hand/body movement, and not so much on a joystick and buttons.

Later Nintendo added a platform that sensed weight movement.

The number of games available for the Wii has grown nicely.

This platform is awesome for young kids through adults.

Just Move with it

The Sony Playstation 3 has been a winner since it was released. The graphics are superb, and it is one powerful machine.

In order to compete with the Nintendo’s motion controller, Sony introduce the PS3 Move.

It’s essentially the same idea as the Wii. I haven’t seen a balance board, ala the Wii, but the hand wand works via a camera mounted on top of the television.

For those who like to play First Person Shooter games, they also have an attachment that looks oddly like an MP5. Mount the wand to the front of the Sharp Shooter, and you’re ready to do some serious fragging.

The number of games available for the PS3 is huge, including many of the popular fitness titles.

Get Kinect-ed

Around the same time that the Wii was released, Microsoft set the Xbox 360 upon the world.

It’s more of a direct competitor to the PS3 than the Wii, but that little company in Redmond, WA wasn’t content with that.

The whole idea of using a wand in your hand that senses your movement is pretty cool.

What could be cooler?

To not need that wand, of course. For the gaming system sense your body movement. You become the controller.

That’s what the boys and girls at Microsoft did with the Xbox 360 Kinect.

A sensor is mounted to the television, and when you move, the Kinect senses that.

Sony came out with an online gaming network called the Sony Playstation Network. To be honest, it pales in comparison to the original – Xbox Live. But, that’s just my opinion.

Affiliate links contained within.

Photos: Amazon.com, and Chris Chidsey

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Gaiam TV – Not just Yoga

The following review is not sponsored. PhitZone has not been compensated.

Gaiam isn't just about yoga.

With all of the legal mumbo-jumbo out of the way, let’s talk about Gaiam TV and their selection of streaming films & fitness videos.

We’ve reviewed a couple of Gaiam’s products in the past, and have been pretty happy.

I received an email from the Gaiam rep, who invited me to take their new service for a test drive. Why wouldn’t I?

I’ll just say it right up front – this thing is pretty cool.

Watch ‘em all

Have you ever purchased an exercise DVD, only to realize that it’s not what you were looking for? Or maybe it’s only good for the occasional workout? I know that we have.

Imagine, if you will, a dimension where you can watch any fitness video that you want. A place that allows streaming of your workouts online. Welcome to the GaiamTV zone.

The Good

Gaiam has produced a ton of videos over the years. They’re on this site. You can watch them. All of them.

The fact that I can run through a Tai Chi video one day, yoga the next, and Pilates the day after that is just awesome.

There are videos for a variety of wellness topics from pregnancy to menopause, and Diabetes to weight loss.

You also have the option to take GaiamTV on the go with apps for most mobile devices, such iPhone, Android, etc.

The Bad

Gaiam is kind of a hippie-dippey company. I’m not saying that’s bad, but there are some things that can come with that that I don’t appreciate.

One of the video categories is spirituality. There’s a lot of Eastern philosophical stuff in there, and that’s fine if that’s what you choose to follow. I was frankly insulted by some of the videos about Christianity.

The section on metaphysics was a bit out there, but there is some valid information contained in there, so I won’t give it a total thumbs down.

There are a number of websites, such as Amazon and Netflix. that are going to this on-going streaming service. For that access to their videos you’re charged a monthly fee.

The price of $9.95 per month. That’s $120 for the year. Granted you have access to a LOT of videos. Over the long haul it could get quite expensive.  You can buy a lot of DVD’s for that price. If you don’t like them, turn around and sell them on ebay or a garage sale.

If you think about it, while there are a lot choices to watch here, we usually find our favorite few, and just watch those.

The Choices

GaiamTV.com is put together very well. It has a nice layout, and so many choices to watch. Overall I really like this service.

Would I recommend it? If you have the means to pay the monthly subscription, yes I would.

Photo: Michael Lorenzo

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Get your read on

Read books on fitness

Growing up I was never much of a reader.

Then one day I started reading something or other (It was the Lord of the Rings series). I haven’t stopped since.

Whether about religion, self-help, or just a good ol’ story, I’ve found that reading is a great way to improve myself.

The idea of combining two of my favorite things just seems right. That’s where books about exercise and nutrition come in.

These are five books that I found to be very helpful.

Body for Life – If you’re looking for an outta-the-box system that includes exercise and diet to follow, you really can’t go wrong with Body for Life.

When Becca and I started on our fitness journey, it was BFL that was to blame fed us the information needed.

The 4-Hour Body – This book has been all the rage since it came out. If you’re a fan of The 4-Hour Work Week, you’ll probably enjoy this one, as it was penned by the same author, Tim Ferris.

There is some good info in The 4-Hour body. There’s also some questionable content as well. I wouldn’t recommend following everything in here, but it’s still worth the read.

Total Training for Young Champions -  I am in love with this book. Being the father of two teenagers, and Becca having trained a number of middle school kids, fitness for young adults is one of our passions.

If you have a young person in your life, this book lays out a safe, and smart way of increasing overall fitness. The book can be used by an adult to layout a program, or the person wanting to achieve athletic fitness.

It’s really for student athletes, but I think it can be applied to any young man or woman that wants to achieve fitness.

You Are Your Own Gym – You can not go wrong with bodyweight exercise. You can do it anywhere, with no equipment.

Mark Lauren is no joke! He’s an certified Military Physical Training Specialist, SpecOps Combat Controller, triathlete, and competitive Thai boxer.

Bottom line, this guy is extreme, and knows his stuff. This is an awesome book on the topic, and I highly recommend it.

The Primal Blueprint -If you haven’t heard of the Paleo Diet, you may have just awoke from a 10-year coma, or perhaps have been stranded on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific.

The idea is simple; eat like the caveman ate. You don’t have to live in a cave, just use the principals that fed paleolithic man. That means no refined grains, and sticking to meats, fruits and veggies when you’re hungry.

Mark Sisson is one of the go-to guys on the topic. Honestly, at the time that I write this, I don’t know all of the ins and outs of the Paleo diet. But, in the very near future, as I learn more about the topic, Mark is the guy that I’ll be bugging.

Ready. Set. Read!

There you have it, five great books that cover a large section of the fitness world. You really can’t go wrong with any one of these.

Photo: Peter Mazurek

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It's all just very zen.

This month we’re going to take a look at one of my favorite fitness blogs, Zen to Fitness. This site was recently named “One of the 10 About Pages to Watch”.

Starting in 2008, Chris has put together what is arguably the cleanest appearing site that I have yet to see. It’s extremely… zen.

He says, “the concept is simple, easy to follow advice that you can use in your day to day life.” That’s exactly what you find; a simple, clean blog that contains great content.

Pros

• As mentioned, this blog is very easy on the eyes. Very little clutter, and not an advertisement in site, short of a single offer at the bottom for Chris’ ebook.
• In the blogesphere, the buzz phrase that pays is “quality content”. Zen to Fitness is chocked full of quality information.
• Building on the last bullet point, there are a lot of guest posts that cover a wide array of fitness topics.
• There is no comment section to clutter things up.

Cons

• I don’t really have any cons, but since I put “pros”, I felt obligated to list “cons. I suppose that if there were any cons, it would be that there is no comment area. I know, that was also in the Pros, but the comment area is where a community is built. So while there is a clean, feng shui feel there, you will not get a sense of a place to hang out and converse.

So there you have it – if Zen to Fitness is not saved in your favorites, it needs to be. Just don’t expect to find any online buddies there.

This review completely, 100% UNsponsored. There are NO affiliate links. PhitZone is not receiving any compensation for doing this review. The whole thing is just to alert you to one awesome fitness blog. Enjoy!

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Faith & Fitness Magazine

Get to know Faith & Fitness

I have three passions in my life. My God. My family. My health.

When I get a chance to combine these, man, I am all over it!

Awhile back, IFBB Pro Mark Dugdale, mentioned that he had been interviewed for Faith & Fitness magazine, and that I should check it out.

I clicked right on over, and found a very cool website that combines two of those favorite things–faith and fitness. In fact, I liked it so much, I added them to the blog roll, right over there in the sidebar. –>

Published bimonthly (every other month), the creators of Faith & Fitness, Lifestyle Media Group, do an outstanding job of blending two very distinct topics.

Brad Bloom, the publisher of F&F, got the idea when reading on a message forum. Somebody asked about a fitness magazine that they wouldn’t be embarrassed to have on their coffee table. I have my own set of issues about magazines, but the poster was concerned with the porn-like images throughout the current fitness magazines.

According to Wikipedia (take it for what it’s worth), 78% of Americans identify themselves as “Christian”. That’s a rather large niche. Seeing this, Brad jumped on board, and F&F was born. It has been published as an online magazine since 2008.

The range of topics covering family, culture, men, women, seniors, etc.

One of my recent faves is about how to have discipline. Brad looks at what it takes to have discipline in your life, from losing weight and being active, to acting in wisdom and showing compassion and grace.

What you’re going to find on Faith & Fitness are articles that talk about health & fitness, and how these tie into having a strong faith life.

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Review of pilates in-a-box by Mari Winsor

Mari Winsor Slimming Pilates Kit

Caution – Affiliate links ahead. This is not a sponsored review, and the only compensation received was the kit that Gaiam sent us to review. I have included some affiliate links to Amazon in order to help support this site.
Have you ever found something that was buried in a closet, and when you find it, it feels like Christmas?

Gaiam, the company that produces various workout DVD’s, sent us this Pilates kit by Mari Winsor to review for you.

At the time I was powerlifting and Pilates didn’t fit in that routine very well. Becca was recovering from shoulder surgery, and was on strict orders not to exercise. The box got put away, and forgotten about.

What a mistake.

Pilates – What are they?

Pilates were the brainchild of Josheph Pilates in Germany in the early 1900′s. His system started out as bodyweight exercises performed on mats. It reminds me of something that you’d see gymnasts and dancers using.

The basic idea of Pilates is movements that require you to engage your mind in order to control.

As time progressed, Pilates developed a contraption referred to as the “apparatus”. There have been, and continue to be, many pieces of equipment used in Pilates.

Back to the story

After discovering the box, I opened it to discover a cache of stuff. There were two DVD boxes, some kind of contraption that involved a padded bar and rubber tube, measuring tape and some pamphlets.

I was impressed at how solidly the bar and tube was. The handles unscrew making the whole thing very adjustable to the task at hand. Overall, it’s a well made piece of equipment that should last many years.

While there were only two DVD’s, there are five workouts available. That many workouts gives you a lot of flexibility, and will keep you from getting bored. That’s always a win in our book. On top of that, the production quality is outstanding. Then again, I’d expect nothing less from Gaiam.

I’m not going to lie, just like yoga, this is tough stuff. My muscles were burning before we were done with the warm-up. I’m sure that after you do it for a bit, you will get used to that though.

Pilates for weight-loss

Included in the pamphlets, I found diet information, as well as a plan for weightloss. The included tape measure is to aid in tracking your body’s transformation over time. I’m a huge supporter of tracking progress, so this is another win.

Conclusion

So, what are my thoughts on Mari Winsor’s Slimming Pilates Kit? That completely depends on what your goals are. Yes, you will strengthen your muscles. With proper diet, pilates will definitely help.

I wouldn’t ‘just’ do Pilates though. It may do very well with the strength training portion of your workout, but there is no cardiovascular benefits that I could find. If you paired Pilates with a cardio aspect in your training, this could work quite well.

As I mentioned, there are affiliate links throughout this post. They all take you to an Amazon page. If you are interested in purchasing the Slimming Pilates Kit, please consider using one of these links to help support PhitZone. We love what we do, but we would also love to get paid for it if we can.

Thanks

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First, let’s get the legal stuff outta the way. This post is not sponsored. We are not being compensated for the following review. We are not affiliated with Schick. There are links included in this review. Those are affiliate links that help to support this site.

Ok, now that we have all that dealt with, let’s get to the good stuff.

In our last few orders from bodybuilding.com we’ve received a free Schick Hydro 5 razor.

I hate the idea of razors with a dozen blades. I tried one with four blades a while back, and I hated it. The head of the razor was so big that I couldn’t shave my lip.

That experience made me leery of a 5-bladed razor–you know, since five is more than four and all.

I soaped up my face (I don’t use shaving cream–just soap lather), and went to work with the Schick Hydro 5. Oh my!

That was amazing. Honestly, I can’t remember ever having a shave that close, and with relatively little effort. The blades actually have little guards on the ends. I don’t think they keep you from cutting yourself, but they’re supposed to help manipulate the hair and cut it closer to the skin. Brilliant.

One of the cool features is the strip of gel that activates when it gets wet. Seriously, this thing is awesome. I don’t really know what else to say about it. Guys, this thing will make your face baby-butt smooth. Ladies, all your lady parts will be slick, and silky to the touch.

Want one? You have a couple choices.

1. Go to your local store, and pick up one of your very own.
2. Go to bodybuilding.com, place an order, and maybe you’ll get one.
3. Leave a comment below. I’ll pick two, and send each a Schick Hydro 5 of your very own.

Leave a comment now…

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A review of “Alpine Weight Loss Secrets”

At the end of this post is a chance for you to win a copy of “Alpine Weight Loss Secrets“.

Discover the secrets of the Alpine for weight loss

Stefan Aschan of Strength123.com has a new book, “Alpine Weight Loss Secrets“, and I was given the opportunity to read it.

Let’s start by talking about Stefan. He was born in Vienna, Austria, and later moved to a small village in the Austrian Alps.

In the tiny mountain village, Stefan ate locally grown and raised foods. He was an active boy, playing outside, and participating in sports.

He eventually migrated to the New York, where he currently holds nine fitness certifications, and is working on his Masters Degree in holistic nutrition.

The book

The overall premise of the book is nothing new–eat clean, close to the source foods while avoiding processed foods. Organic, even wildly grown, plants versus commercially available produce recommended.

As I said, this idea is not new. The way that he lays it out is perfect for the newbie to the fitness world.

I’m sure that it wasn’t his intention, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit put off by the numerous times that Stefan compared his upbringing in the Alps versus how we eat in the U.S.

For one thing, he made a few observations based on how he began eating when he first moved to New York. Well, the way that they eat in NYC isn’t necessarily how we eat in Texas, or somebody that eats in other pats of the country.

Granted, the overwhelming majority of Americans buy their food from a grocery store, but that’s not the case everywhere in the country. That’s not to say that he wasn’t off base, but it was a wide generalization.

The exercises that Stefan layouts out were described in a way that was easily understood, and includes pictures to help out.

To go along with these, he shows you how to put these together for a great workout.

Here’s the twist, he wants you to get up, and go out and play outside. That’s your cardio. It doesn’t have to be Kick the Can, but just get out and get active.

I couldn’t agree more with this philosophy. Treadmills have their place. The real reason that we want to be fit is to be able to go out and have fun, whether it’s playing sports, or just going for a hike.

Get out, breathe some fresh air, and move your body.

To help you along the way, one of the coolest features that Stefan has included are worksheets throughout the book. These will help you to put all of this information into action.

This isn’t just about weight loss. Stefan does a great job of outlining how his Alpine system will give you longevity, and what he calls “youngevity“.

Who doesn’t want that?

Here’s your chance

Would you like a copy of Stefan’s book, “Alpine Weight Loss Secrets“? Leave a comment below telling us why you would like it. We will select one comment that stands out. If we pick yours, Stephan has agreed to send you a copy of his book.

(There are no affiliate links to this book. The only compensation that we received for this review was a PDF copy of the book. When it’s available on Amazon, I may add an affiliate link for you to purchase the book, but as of this writing, there is none).

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Get a Road ID!

Photo: Ariel da Silva Parreira

While going through Twitter the other day, @FigurePrincess said, “I just ordered a new @RoadID Elite J.”

RoadID, what’s that? I was intrigued, so off I went to do some investigating to review Road ID. What I found was a cool company that made cool products. What do you expect from a cool company called Road ID though.

Check this out–While training for a marathon back in 1999, Ed Wimmer was nearly creamed by a truck.

Ironically, Ed’s Father, Mike Wimmer, had asked his son to take his I.D. with him while running. This way, if something happened, such as meeting the business end of a pickup, emergency responders could contact his family. And Road ID was born.

Let’s face it though, when on jogging or biking on the road, who has a place to carry identification? I suppose a fanny pack could be worn, but have you ever jogged with a fanny pack? This is the niche that Road ID fills.

The Wimmers came up with a better idea, the RoadID. It’s an I.D. that is worn on the wrist, and contains your name, and emergency contact info. engraved on a metal plate. There’s also a version that can be worn on the ankle.

And check this out–There’s now an “interactive” version. For a small annual fee, (the first year is free) you can build a personalized Emergency Response Profile, or ERP at Road ID’s website. Not only does it hold contact info, but medical information that emergency personnel would find helpful, such as allergies and meds, etc.

I don’t care who you are, that’s friggin’ cool.

My personal fave, and the one that I’ll be ordering, is the Road ID shoe pouch. It attaches to the laces of your shoes. It’s big enough to carry an I.D., debit card/cash, and a key. It can be worn running, or biking. I love it, and it seems perfect.

If you are an active person outdoors, go see what RoadID has for you based on this review. It could be the best peace of training equipment that you ever buy.

–

This was not a sponsored review. No affiliate links were harmed in the making of this post. We were not compensated in anyway. I just thought that it’s a cool idea that could help save a life, and wanted to pass it along to you.

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I’ve written a few reviews in the past regarding various protein powders. We recently tried a new one. Since it’s been a LONG time since we did our last review, I thought that it was high time that I did one on our new powdered love.

First and foremost, the links in this article are affiliate links to BodyBuilding.com. We have not been compensated in any other way, shape, or form for what you are about to read.

Now that all of the legal mumbo-jumbo is out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.

What we have here is Optimum Nutrition’s Optimum 100% Whey Protein. We purchased vanilla and chocolate.

Taste

I’ve tasted some rank protein powders over the years. This is NOT one of those. The flavor is very tasty, and to be honest, I’ve been tempted to go back for more.

The French Vanilla Cream has a smooth flavor that reminds me of a vanilla ice cream. One of the great things about vanilla versus other flavors is that you can easily modify the flavor by adding fruit, peanut butter, coffee syrups, etc.

The Double Rich chocolate lives up to it’s name. If you’re a chocolate fan, you’ll love this one. I’ve always been a vanilla fan, but this could easily change my ways.

Mix it up

One of the things that drives me nuts are clumps in my protein shake. This is due to powders that don’t mix in milk or water well. I haven’t run into this issue with Optimum 100% Whey Protein.

Initially I used a shaker cup with a built in agitator. After a few shakes, I didn’t find any clumps. I was a little shocked not to find some at the bottom of the cup when I washed it out. That means that I consumed all of the protein that I paid for.

Next came the stir test. In a cup with milk, I stirred the powder in with a spoon. Once again, I was not disappointed. There were a few small clumps, which may have gone away with a little more stirring. Overall, I was satisfied.

The bottom line

There’s a reason that Optimum 100% Whey Protein has been named Protein Powder of the Year, and Overall Supplement of the Year in 2009 & 2010. This stuff is the real deal.

What has two thumbs, and loves Optimum 100% Whey Protein? This guy!

**UPDATE** We’ve tried a few other flavors, such as Rocky Road,  Caramel Toffee Fudge, and Cookies and Cream. I’m not a caramel fan, but the Rocky Road & Cookies and Cream were the bomb!

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