Review On Steel/Sandbell

I'm a simple guy when it comes to equipment. I don't fettle with Barbells & Dumbbells unless i'm in the gym on a rare occasion. I'm also big on the quality of the equipment I get and use them to have fun and be enjoyable; whether it's hammers or cables or my pull-up bar there's always something useful. One piece of equipment I use however is very unique and takes it out of me practically every single time in less than a few minutes. The Sandbell is in a class by itself with the endless variety out of one small thing.

Its versatility is incredible and its powerful adaptation to any workout is beyond comprehension. My all-time favorite exercise is purely picking it up and slamming it as fast and hard as possible for a short amount of time. It even is better than sprints some of the time. Anyone can use this for any style of training because it not only packs a wild punch but has not one or two but THREE types of equipment in its arsenal: Kettlebell, Dumbbell & Medicine Ball. I've been in fitness close to 2 decades and never have seen or felt such a powerful force like the Sandbell.

What a lot of people don't realize is that the Sandbell is not just meant to be used in a variety of ways but it puts on realistic results to generate natural Growth Hormone. Because of the epidemic of obesity and lack of nutrition these days, exercise has become a last resort and far too much info on what to do and how to do it. With the Sandbell, it doesn't have to be complicated whatsoever. You can do practically any exercise in the gym using only this bad boy and you can get in a workout that's no more than 15 minutes.

I realize a lot of people get told about weight progressions and all that which I highly bring on for others to understand but when it comes to the Sandbell, you don't need all that much weight to get your ass kicked and here's why; because of the changing of the grip, you're working not just the muscles but the tendons in many ways from pinching to thick and anywhere in between. The most weight I advise people on is no more than 20-30 lbs. I get it there are challenges and are told you need to use this weight for that challenge or whatever, who doesn't love a good challenge but in the end, its not about the weight its about what you're willing to create that can make 20 lbs. feel like 100 when you do it right. Just some of the exercises alone can be brutal for most people. One exercise I do is called the 360 Exercise and I do it for 100 reps (50 per side) and hits me enough. Sure it be cool to do it with 40 or 50 lbs but that's not the point. Use it for long term use and not how much weight you can move.

Another amazing thing about this tool is that it can be used or kids to play with and toss it around with friends. Even toddlers can use this thing when its under 5lbs. I had my 7 and 4 year old cousins play with my 20 lber and couldn't get enough of it. I had the 7 year old do rows and slams and the 4 year old (who has down syndrome BTW) just see if he can flip it on the floor and he got it once or twice and was smiling. My girlfriend uses it for slams and for resistance when she does SIT-UPS; this chick rocks it doing sit-ups in sets of 10-15. It is one of the most playful and fun tools on the planet period.

There are so many benefits with this thing its difficult to list them all. I will give you a couple that are not only kick ass but awesome as well when you realize how many ways you can really use it. When you slam it, it doesn't wreck the floor so no worries about breaking furnished floors or carpets, it can be put in a backpack to travel with (that I would recommend under 20 lbs.), there is no such thing as boredom because no exercise is ever the same with the changing of the grip, can be added to any regimen, gets you fit in a short amount of time, develops finger & hand strength, develops a very strong core and powers up Testosterone (come on guys how could you not want this).

One guy I had connected with has had some severe joint problems and asked me about the Steel/Sandbell and wanted to know if it worked for him. He had read what I had done with it and seemed intrigued. I told him to give it a shot and told him to go with a ten pounder so its light enough to where it wouldn't hurt him and get something out of it. His name is Lou Delpha from Lakeland Florida and this is what he had to say after only using it a few times......

I'm 67 years old, have had 69 Surgeries, including 2 cervical fusions, both shoulders, both knees, left hip, both feet, 4 hernias operated on, several major abdominal Surgeries, Lower Back surgery and a pacemaker. I also have degenerative joint disease from head to toe. With all these Medical problems the Steelbell Workout felt great. My arms felt like rock when I was done. If I can do it, so can YOU!!!

That to me is one of the most bad ass testimonials I've ever read. It's inspiring and it makes guys like me feel blessed to be doing this and not even have all those issues. That makes him stronger than most people on this earth. It truly is a gift of fitness and everyone should have one and get one under 5 lbs for their kids. One of the best investments that is worth every damn penny.

Finishers For Extra Boosting

Lately I've been getting into Finishers for my workouts or use the day after to help accelerate fat loss. Finishers are micro workouts you can do after your main one to boost extra fat loss or amp up your conditioning. During my sprint and Darebee days I would pick a little something that sounds exciting to me and do up to 10 min. or so to really hit the Spot. Granted some are crazy but if you want to get a little more juice this would be it.

You don't have to do these at the end of your workouts, they can be used for next day extras or when you only have a few minutes of your day. They can cook you and depending on what you do, can be a little out there. Now some of these are not for beginners because they're very intense. I'm not big on trends like you have read on but I do like training systems with certain themes attached to them; mainly superheroes. It just gives that added motivation and triggering of the brain that just boosts confidence and fun times. These bad boys are no more than a few minutes and you can either do it in a circuit or in a tabata style workout where you do something for 20 sec. and 10 sec. o rest time. Go for time or just see how many rounds you can do.

One of my favorites is one called Legs Like Ms. Marvel where you guessed it its all leg work (and don't be laughing just because its a chick workout, my legs were dying at the end of it). Here's how it goes.....

Its a 20/10 Protocol and you go for 8 minutes.

Lateral Side Jumps, Ice Skaters, Squat Hold & Split Squat (20 sec. each leg) its only 4 exercises but you're resting 10 seconds at a time and trust me it ain't easy.

There's a whole course devoured in Finishers that goes well for beginners and hardcore maniacs. It's by a guy named Mike Whitfield called Workout Finishers. Imagine getting that little jolt of testosterone after a great workout at the gym or getting in some good no BS training if you're strapped for time. Do workouts in as little as 3 minutes. My biggest one was no more than 10 1/2 minutes. Get a good session in and then hit those last 3 minutes like a beast. Ladies this sheds fat like a cheese-grader and if you want to tone up and need that boost after putting in some work at the gym or at a park wherever you may be at. What can 3 minutes really harm huh? This would be great to do if you're on vacation and want to get in a quick workout before taking in the sites or jumping into the lake or the pool. Make it fun and remember, its fast and intense but so worth it. Don't do these everyday, do them at the end of some workouts or the next day to make up for something. When I was doing my sprints I would do a finisher at the end and that was only 3x a week.

Hit it hard and make that fat scream bloody murder.  

Funtastic Conditioning

When you have an imagination, you want to make it useful and open things up to bring in opportunities to showcase your mind on a physical level. I feel bad for those poor souls who do very and utterly tedious & worst of all boring exercise programs. Some of the exercises are great but a lot want to treat it as the hardcore no pain no gain crap. To me; exercise is about emotion, bringing in your entire being into a series of movements or holds that turn you into a machine full of passion and the willingness to go for more. 

I've seen many dread going to the gym or seeing the latest trend and think its going to make them happy. They're only motivation is what everyone else is doing. Not me brother, trends are temporarily objectives that don't belong in many areas. I believe going outside the trends, creating ideals that are inspired by programs that I personally enjoy. My workouts are emotional, content and lust for awesomness. My training these days is doing High Intensity or a great level of intense cardio with a finisher that blasts my body big time. Although they're a bit nuts I find them fun and exciting. That's what training is suppose to really be. The pink dumbbells and isolated machinery most of the time when it comes to conditioning is completely useless. 

What you can get truly out of training with excitement and adventure is endless without boundaries or rules & certainly can do stuff only you decide to do. Granted I believe in coaching but it's the right kind of coaching; I teach others how to have fun in their workouts and share with them the value of kicking ass while having a good time. If you train for complete seriousness and no emotions you're either a freaking robot or your soul is corrupt. With the many ways you can adapt your training its crazy to think you'd get bored but yet people do and its a damn shame. I'm not saying be all ditzy and act like you don't care, train like your life depended on it but use your imagination. Build scenarios, create an environment and see in your mind what you're training and put it into action. When I do my hammer workouts, I pretend i'm taking out the toughest form of rubber and steel with this massive hammer and hitting the tire as if I was in the land of the frost giants with Thor going into battle. When I do certain bodyweight exercises like Burpees or step-ups, I pretend i'm in Indiana Jones, running up steps with whip and ducking and dodging boulders or those boobie traps in Last Crusade. 

When I play with the Sandbell, I imagine making the earth quake every time I slam it, create an imaginary circular shield around my body when I do the 360 exercise or whatever else. The greater you can put your imagination into your training the greater your results will be. My girl's favorite bodyweight workout is called The Harley Quinn. I can just imagine her kicking ass in that awesome outfit taking out baddies with the Suicide Squad or finally sticking against her former "puddin" (If you know who this is kudos to you). Our greatest ally is our imagination but not many people use it. A lot of trainers want to suppress this beautiful entity because they want you doing things their way and anything you do just beneath them. You are an amazing bad ass underneath; unleash that little by little. When I started out, I was more of a superhero's assistant's assistant, learning the ropes and not knowing a damn thing; climbing that ladder step by step. If you're willing to put in the effort you can go far, how far is up to you. 

Train hard, condition up and have a lot of fun guys.