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Reebok Soft Grip Dumbells 2 x 1kg
by user789
In the past few months I have taken up home fitness exercises a bit more seriously as I have build up enough courage to continue with my fitness regime. One way if have done this is by buying slightly expensive equipment in order to feel guilty when not using them.
I bought these dumbells from my local sports shop for £15 ... which sounds like a lot considering you only get one set of dumbells. However, the pure quality of these dumbells out weighs the price they cost by a mile.
The soft foam grip is extremely comfortable to use when comparing to metal of plastic dumbells as you get more feel and grip while being able to challenge your muscles without feeling discomfort in any way. The adjustable strap is extremely handy during running (I mainly use these as extra resistance when jogging) as they are firmly wrapped around your hands depending on how tight you adjust them.
1KG is not a large weight so they are not really suitable for a heavy duty work out that is going to make you look like a body builder, these dumbells are more geared to light workout to get you warmed up or like me to for running.
The colour of these dumbells is probably the most low profile colour when comparing to more extravagant looking chrome dumbells however the grey foam, the black straps and the red writing all suit each other to make a classy looking dumbell.
Overall if you are looking for a simple and safe dumbell to help you with light work outs then these dumbells are just right. Just do not expect them to weigh a "TONNE" :-)
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Reebok Core Board
by askmeanything
The Reebok Core Board is an interesting device for enhancement of exercise and for those who love a challenge.
What is meant by core?
Imagine yourself as a tree. Your trunk is elongated and strong. The muscles around of your back and abdomen constitute your core area. Exercising your core will strengthen your ... back and do wonders for your posture. It's fantastic for balance so people with dyspraxia may well benefit from concentrating on the core muscles and boy you have to concentrate! The board is meant to enhance exercise normally done on the floor so you have to work much harder by being on an unstable surface.
Why I want to focus on my core muscles:
There is one main place on my body where I seem to store the fat and that is in my abdomen - well hips too but always it shows on my belly. I want my body to look toned and I would much rather have a sculptured appearance than concern myself with weight loss. I bought this Reebok Core Board to be able to feel justified in having body confidence.
Out of the box:
Okay, I didn't pay the whacking great big full price of around two hundred pounds. Luckily, I had someone willing to sell it to me for £50 so it seemed like good value for money when it had only been previously owned for three and a half months. There was no assembly required and my understanding is that it comes in one piece and ready to use when it is purchased brand new.
The board has a black stand and a rubber surface with a good grip. I've never slipped off it. The board feels solid enough to hold the weight of most adults. It weighs 12kg. The dimensions are as follows:
Length 74 cm, breadth 56 cm and the height is 15 cm.
You'll find the board wobbling like jelly and you'll have to concentrate hard to stay balanced!
What the core board is like to use:
Well, it's tricky. The core board is a very strange contraption to get used to. I ended up in a fit of giggles as the person who sold it tried to encourage me. I wasn't getting what I had to do. I couldn't keep up with the very athletic trainer.
I did something like pilates or yoga. We practiced on the carpet and then took the exercise onto the board. The board makes my muscles work even harder. It is really, really hard and the board hurts. I like to feel that I've worked out but I don't need to bruise my body to improve my core. I came out with a bruise - purple green and highly unattractive. So I realised that this board needs to be for people more advanced than me and I don't consider myself to be an outright beginner for yoga so maybe this is a board for the teachers not the pupils. This was all demonstrated for me and we then went on to something more difficult. I think this was a bad idea! I feel professional dancers might keep up with this but I was all over the place with this interval and step training and most of the time I stooped to lie back onto on the floor. I gave up after a while so she tried to make it more fun with another routine she does. This was slightly less hellish than the other two. I lasted twenty-five minutes of the intended fifty minutes! We did boxing moves as if really playing the sport only hitting air rather than each other (though I was tempted given the intensity of the exercise she was putting me under!) I thought this sport routine more fun but, my, it's tricky whilst standing on this wibbly wobbly core board.
I seem to remember lying on the floor and declaring my defeat. Good job the friend who sold it to me has the patience of a saint. She devised a workout session which more suits the beginner. We decided on just ten minutes a day to get used to things. I've had the board for a few months and increased now to fifteen minutes. That is enough for me. I do plenty of other exercise to not worry about being a super athlete on the core board.
What I think:
I would never ever pay full price for this product no matter how good it may be. It is meant to be scientifically and medically devised by Reebok and an American university. I also cannot tell you for sure that it has toned my stomach because I work out in other ways too. My stomach is definitely firmer these days. I have noticed weak knees and ankles from excessive mountain walking but since using a core board I have only feel the odd twinge but this also coincides with the use of a leg press machine so this might be the reason. Previously, I would lie in bed at night feeling the joint aches. The board is meant to help improve joint strength, posture and tone and these have been better.
Though I have managed to retain my balance this board could be dangerous. Please consider a soft area to land on in case you fall off the board. I feel this should be a purchase for advanced people who have experience of using a core board or you need someone to teach you how to use this. If I rate for the price I paid I'd give it four stars but for full price it would have to lose a star. Furthermore, there are other, cheaper methods, of gaining strength and tone - yoga for instance. I don't feel I need to push my body more. Therefore, I cannot give this more stars. Indeed, having given this some thought I am now selling the Reebok Core Board as I don't believe I really need something that takes up space and I've got a bit bored with it!
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Reebok Step
by MEL0611
With the new year now here and with so many of my friends deciding they are going to get fit again, the running that I like to do in the warmer months isn't really an option for me, I am happy to admit that I am a little bit if a wimp when it comes to things like that. I am though on a keep fit campaign, or as me and my friends prefer to ... call it, a tone the wobbly bits! I decided to do some of my old step exercises, gentle exercise with the aid of a step. The step that I have is the Reebok step and it has been a good buy and here are my reasons as to why.
I first started doing Step class as an after school activity in high school, I really enjoyed it and I was having a laugh with friends to music whilst also improving my fitness, I moved out of home and then now I am in my second home I have the room to use my Reebok step and work out again in my lounge. I brought this a couple of years ago and have used it on and off ever since. The step cost me around the £50.00 mark but it is now retailing at around the £65.00 mark. The step can be purchased from the Amazon website as well as Argos stores and I am guessing the larger sports stores will sell them as well.
The step is actually a simple looking device, it is pink and grey in colour and it is made from a plastic with a rubber non slip surface which is great as I am the first one to admit that I am accident prone! The reason I had not brought a step sooner was that I didn't have anywhere to keep it out of the way when not in use as it is quite large, the actual dimensions for the step are a length of 90 cm and a width of 35cm. The only markings on the step are the Reebok logo on the front.
The step will allow you to adjust the height off the ground, this tends to be the more you get used to it and are prepared for a more rigorous workout. The first few times that I used the step I was only able to have it on the lowest setting, and then I was able to move it up to the next level. The best thing I found was to follow a step aerobics DVD as this gives you great guidance on what to do and when to increase the step level.
I use this with either my bare feet or with my trainers on, it doesn't leave any marks on my lounge carpet and I have always felt very secure when using it, the design is great as it fits my feet on comfortably and when getting into my workout I found that it had enough surface area that I could move about on it with ease as well.
For those that are interested, if you do want to move the three height levels are 15, 20 and 25 cm. 25 cm doesn't sound that much but my legs certainly noticed it. The great thing for me is that the step is easy to move around and store and whether I use for 5 minutes or 20 minutes, this is great for doing a quick work put or a more expensive one and over the couple of years I have definitely had my monies worth.
5 out of 5 from me on this one and highly recommended.
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