Beebleblog

As a Personal Trainer myself I know for a fact that our services can be somewhat outside some people’s budget. More often than not it seems that it is not the cost but the unwillingness to part with hard earned money for something that seems too expensive or, dare I say, something that we know we may give up in a few months.

So what are the alternatives?

There are a few: firstly fitness magazines. If you can bypass all the adverts and “6 minute ab” style promises (or lies, as we like to call them – Beeble) they actually contain some useful guidance and motivational workouts. Then there are the fitness staff at your local gym who are often only too happy to help out and give advice (often depends on how well the company treats them – Beeble). Various internet sites also contain very useful information for you to use like our very own beebleblog.com and the few links and blogs we have mentioned on our menu. Finally, the one we are going to concentrate on today, is a new way of getting varied and interesting workouts via your mobile device. It is a company called “PumpOne”.

What is it?

Basically it is a website that offers downloadable exercise programs to play on your ipod and now on your mobile phone (check that you have a compatible product before you buy – Beeble). You are given a selection of personal trainers to choose from, all of whom are all highly qualified. Each trainer has designed programs to target specific goals. All you have to do is pick your trainer, pick your workout and download it. Then transfer it onto your mobile device and it will take you through the workout with good clear pictures, clear concise instructions and you get to listen to your own choice of music (great, Michael Bolton all day – Beeble).

The Website

It is quite possibly the nicest looking website I have seen in a long time. Very clear and very easy to use with simple instructions (that even Hugo can follow – Beeble). It covers everything you need to know about the company “PumpOne”, how it all works and with very good demonstrations.

The Programs

They cover the majority of conceivable goals. They also bring in some exercises for specialist equipment and techniques like the Swiss Ball aka Fitness Ball and Pilates. They tell you exactly what sets and repetitions you should be doing and how to do each exercise. Once you have completed one exercise a simple press of the button and you are taken to the next exercise with clear instructions and beautiful pictures and all the while listening to your favourite tracks. The programs are very well designed and well structured for the goals they are aimed at.

The Cost

After the cost of the picture ipod or the compatible mobile phone (which thanks to Apple’s marketing and design most of us have – Beeble) all you have to pay for is the program itself. There is no set up cost, no monthly fee and no need to pay for software to run it on. Each workout ranges in cost from around US$19 to US$70 depending on the size of workout and how many workouts you receive in the pack. For example there is the 7 Travelling Workouts which offers 7 different workouts for those of you who are on the road lots, at a total cost of US$70. This is a very good price for the programs and represents good value for money.

The Negatives

To be honest there are not many negative points with this one. However after studying some of the programs I would say that in my judgement some of the pictures are not showing the correct technique. Now this sometimes comes down to personal opinions on how an exercise should be performed and they could well argue that the technique they have used is correct. But as an example, in my opinion when performing an ab exercise e.g. A crunch, do not link your hands behind your head, for the simple fact is that when your ab muscles become tired, which they should do, the body naturally cheats and in this case it will pull on your head to complete the movement. Pulling on your head will cause a lot of pressure in your neck and could cause an injury. It is best practice not to hold your head but to hold your hands close to your temples but never touching your head. There are a few more that I would like to see changed for correct technique reasons, however, that said 98% of the exercises are shown with perfect technique and that is very good when you compare it to the majority of exercises that appear in magazines and with other products. Only one other small negative is that even though the instructions are very clear and concise there is no way to tell you if you are doing it right or wrong. But that is a problem faced by everyone who doesn’t have a Personal Trainer standing over them to correct any mistakes. “PumpOne” realize this and do recommend that you check your technique with your gym instructor.

Overall Verdict

Personally I feel that this is a brilliant purchase, great value and a really clever way to spice up your training. It should really inspire you, especially if your training is getting a bit boring. All too often I see people sticking to the same routines for months on end and you won’t see the changes you deserve for all your hard work. My advice is get one of these programs and try it out. It may not work for everyone but I think for the large majority of users having the program there in the gym or at home is going to be very beneficial to your progress. To visit "PumpOne" go to our menu on the left and click on their link. (feed readers visit our website first at beebleblog.com - Beeble). If you have tried “PumpOne’s” products or something similar then please let us know what you think of it and how it has or hasn’t helped you. All the best with your training and thank you for reading our post.

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