Best Hex Bar 2018 Review Pros and Cons

Hex bar or trap bar, originated from Al Gerard, is a really important invovation in weight-training. It helps gymers reduce the stress on their spine and improve the efficiency of the exercise. Moreover, hex bar seems to be a safer piece of equipment for beginners due to lessening the risk of lower back injures while doing deadlifts or heavy weights exercises. Let me show you guys some basic information about hex bar and recommend some good ones.

Valor Fitness Super Hex Trap Bar

This hex bar is shaped like an octagon and gives you a lot of room so you don’t feel cramped and can enjoy your lifting more.. Heavy gauge metal is nice as well. The weight is kept centered which helps protect you from back and leg injuries.

2.       Power Systems Hex Bar

This hex bar has great balance, nice grip area on top and bottom handles and a large area to stand in. You will not hit your knees on the front bar when squatting down low. If you don’t have access to a squat rack, this is the bar for you.

3.       CFF Monster Hex Squat & Deadlift Training Bar

CFF Monster Hex Squat is steel construction and black powder coat finish makes it long lasting and durable, able to stand up to a lot of wear and tear. It has three different sets of handles, offering superior utility over the typical hex bar.

4.       CAP Custom Olympic 2-Inch Combo Hex Bar

This is one of the best-selling hex bars in Amazon. They’re designed to accommodate 2-inch plates and can hold up to 750 pounds. CAP Custom Olympic 2-Inch Combo Hex Bar is really reasonable price compared to what you would find elsewhere. It is great for shrugs and deadlifts which might allow you to do deadlifts without putting too much strain on your lower back.

5.       TDS Olympic Shrug-Hip Bar

The TDS Olympic Shrug-Hip Bar is a  great piece of equipment that is able to take standard 1-inch plates. This is a well made, durable hex bar that gives you plenty of standing room because of its wide, open diamond shape. Having stands attached to bar lifts it off the ground enough so that a lot of stress is taken off the lower back and also makes it very easy to load/unload plates from it.

Source: http://heartratemonitorguides.com/best-hex-bar-review-for-deadlifts-pros-and-cons-2018/

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music Review Pros and Cons

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music Review Pros and Cons: GPS Running Watch with Contactless Payments and Music Playback

Huge annoucement from Garmin at CES 2018 is the launch of Forerunner 645 Music. Music functionality used to be a shortcoming of Garmin’s watches, but now it is no longer a weakness due to the new Forerunner 645 Music. So now I’m going to break down some remarkable features of Garmin Forerunner 645 and show you guys pros and cons of this watch.

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music: Release Date

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music was official introduced on January 8st 2018 on Garmin’s website and at CES 2018. After about 5-8 weeks, it will come out and be available to order.

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music: Price

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music will be expected to cost $449.99. It will be available in estimated 5-8 weeks and you can preorder it now in Amazon.

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music: Features

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music: Pros

Music Store

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music brought a great new feature which is music capability. This is the first time in a Garmin product that it can be added music in the device ifself. It provides enough storage for about 500 songs which can be transfered from your computer or downloaded from iHeartRadio and Deezer. You can create a number of playlists and folders and switch between them on the watch. So, now you can listen to music on your earphone or flip the songs from the devices without the need of smartphones.

Garmin Contactless Payment

Do you want to make convenient payments with your watch even when you are running or training? You should try the Garmin contactless payment solution. This is the feature which is only offered in the Garmin Vivoactive 3 at first, and now you can experience it in the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music. It may enable you to pay for your purchases anywhere so that you can leave your cashs and cards at home.

Advanced running features

Forerunner 645 Music can measure crucial running metrics such as cadence, vertical oscillation and vertical ratio so that you can analyze your performance. It can track your distance and pace when you go cycling or even swimming. Your training and recovery will be monitored so that you can prepare better for a running or cycling set. It uses wrist-based heart rate to automatically evaluates your recent exercise history and performance indicators and show you how effective your training is and how your training is improving your ability to push the limits.

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music: Cons

No Spotify and Pandora Music Integration

Spotify is something many people want but there are just a few wearables offering it, and Garmin Forerunner 645 is not the exception.

Battery Life

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music might last up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and 12 hours in GPS mode. There is no upgrade in the battery life compared to Vivoactive 3, even in GPS mode the Vivoactive 3 has longer battery life with 14 hours.

Source: http://heartratemonitorguides.com/garmin-forerunner-645-music-review-pros-cons/

Fitbit Blaze vs Fitbit Surge - Which one is the better smartwatch of Fitbit?

Fitbit Blaze and Fitbit Surge are the two smartwatch produced by Fitbit, the well-known brand for fitness devices. 

Fitbit Blaze is the later version compared with Fitbit Surge. It was released in January, 2016 while Fitbit Surge was released earlier in 2015. Thus Fitbit Blaze is integrated with more advanced functions. However, there are stilll some aspects that Fitbit Surge out-muscles Fitbit Blaze. Let's see what fits you better. Check out Fitbit Blaze Pros and Cons if you want more details of this smartwatch.

Fitbit Blaze vs Fitbit Surge - Design: Blaze wins

The Blaze looks more like a smartwatch, and the idea is that it's supposed to be a more stylish version of the Surge. Large screen, easy to read display. Nice gorilla glass screen that doesn't get scratched. Hexagonal design may not be aesthetically pleasing but you have to admit it's conspicuous, right?

One more thing, with the Blaze you can customize the look by changing the strap since it's interchangeable. (However, some might find charging with a cradle is inconvenient).

Fitbit Blaze vs Fitbit Surge - Activity tracking: Surge wins

Big Advantage of Blaze is the Fitstar: It's very cool for short workouts and warming up. You just need to hit Start and follow the on-screen guide. 

Big Advantage of Surge is built-in GPS: You don't need to carry along your phone to map runs and bike rides

I have to say that in terms of activity tracking, Blaze is ideal for beginners while Surge is the best choice for runners. 

Fitbit Blaze vs Fitbit Surge - Notification: Blaze wins

Although the Blaze syncs with your phone to provide call, text and calendar notifications, it won't pair with third party apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook, which is hugely disappointing. 

However, the Blaze does include a music control feature that allows you to play, pause and skip tracks from your phone, as well as control the volume.

The Surge also misses out on third party app notifications in favour of the basics, but it's missing calendar alerts. It offers music control, but annoyingly this is only available during workouts.

Fitbit Blaze vs Fitbit Surge - Battery life: No winner

The Fitbit Surge's battery life is stated to be over a week, and in original tests we barely managed three days when heavily using the on-board GPS for outdoor workouts, which is a serious battery drain. With more liberal use of the GPS, you can get around 5 days, which is about the same we managed with the Blaze.

 Fitbit Blaze vs Fitbit Surge - Final Score?

Blaze seems to beat Surge in many aspects and my vote also goes for Blaze. However, if you're serious about running, Surge should be  your choice as it has built-in GPS.

You might want to check this blog which compares Fitbit Blaze with Apple watch.

For Current price of these 2 products, please check out here: Price of Fitbit Blaze and Price of Fitbit Surge   

 

Fitbit Charge 2 vs Apple watch series 2 comparison

Fitbit Charge 2 is the best fitness tracker released in 2016. To know more about its pros and cons, check out this article: Fitbit Charge 2 Pros and Cons

While Apple watch is a smart watch that offers activity measurement, Fitbit Charge 2 is truly a fitness tracker band. What is a better wearable that you should choose? It all comes down to what you're using it for.

Appearance and build quality: Apple wins

* Fitbit Charge 2 band is made of a comfortable silicone and the display appears to be a "cheap" appearing plastic. While the device won't impress on looks, it is somewhat low profile and and comfortable on the wrist. The screen itself isn't the most responsive, but it works well enough. The display is bright and easily visible and have no trouble seeing the screen outdoors.

* The apple watch was everything you'd expect from an Apple product. Sleek, responsive, and user friendly. I'd stop short of calling it "stylish", but it feels noticeably more polished than the Fitbit

Fitness: Fitbit wins

* Fitbit is an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch as it was born to be a truly fitness tracker. Everything is streamlined for fitness with the Fitbit, while the apple watch is cluttered and optimized as a "smart watch". With a quick glance on the Fitbit I can see the time, my steps taken, and heart rate. It takes just seconds to set up a workout and scroll the the menus. The beauty of Fitbit lies in it's simplicity. The Fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max).

* The Apple watch can also show steps taken, and heart rate, but does not give you continuous monitoring of heart rate like the Fitbit.

Phone Notification: Tie

* Clearly the Fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Yes, you can't see the whole text, but you're not using this feature to replace your phone, right? Use it to screen for important texts or calls that would need to stop your workout for. 

* The apple watch on the other hand can text, call, and use many of the same apps as your iPhone. If you have apple music you can also listen to music on Bluetooth headphones. The built in GPS and waterproofing are great features as well.

Accuracy: Tie

* The Fitbit is impressively accurate with resting and active heart rate. I've compared manual hearts and treadmill measurements with a variation of +/- 5 while active and +/- 2 at rest. I don't care if my real heart is 155 or 158 while I workout, I just want to know what zone I'm in. My run this morning was within .03 miles of my phone GPS, and the pace was spot on. Good enough for me, but I'm not a competitive runner. 

* The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. Steps taken? I give the edge to Fitbit. Apple watch skipped a lot of my steps and took a while to update. Yes, the Fitbit adds 20-30 steps while I sleep, and another 20-30 while I drive. But I do these things every day, so who cares? I care about the trends. I'm not a competitive walker. Sleep seems accurate as well and is excellent for trending. I can tell when I have a restless night and the fitbit is great for quantifying that. You cannot track sleep with the Apple watch. No idea if the calories burned are accurate for either product, but again, trends.

The App: Fitbit wins

I think this where the Fitbit completely shines as a fitness product. The app is so user friendly, so streamlined, and generally fun to play around with. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the Fitbit.

Battery Life: Fitbit wins

The Apple Watch needs to be charged every night after being used throughout the day. The Apple Watch takes 2.5 hours to charge back to 100% from zero. With Fitbit, you can keep it on all day and all night. Its imparitive that you track your sleep for health reasons and you also want your daily calorie burn to be accurate. With the Fitbit Charge 2, you just need to charge it for just 30 mins every 5 days. It's amazing!

Interchangeable Bands: Fitbit wins

Fitbit Charge 2 allows you to switch out the band with its exchangeable different colored and styled bands. That means you can change the band if it stinks (just kidding) or to fit with your outfit. 5 color options for you to choose: black, blue, plum, teal and lavender. For a separate rubber band, it costs you $30. And you know what, the standard band is rubber but if you don’t like to wear rubber band, you can choose a leather band of brown, pink, or indigo at $60.

Conclusion

If you want to use a wearable for your fitness, then Fitbit Charge 2 would be a better choice. Apple watch would help you more in your line of work.

Overall, the Fitbit makes fitness fun. It's packed with so many cool features, and really is a motivator for daily movement. It is perfect for someone who wants to streamline their fitness goals and keep track of their life. It is a wear all day and all night product.

The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate to workout anymore than an iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. This is a take off during the day and never wear at night product.

For Current price of these 2 products, please check out here: Price of Fitbit Charge 2 and Price of Apple watch 2  

Review best fitness trackers 2016

If you're looking for a fitness tracker, your goal must be to improve your physical health.
Is every fitness tracker the same? Absolutely not. Some fitness trackers have heart rate monitors, some do not have.
Heart rate monitor tracking allows you to exercise targeting your heart rate zone which is proved to train your heart efficiently. After 1-2 months workouts like this, your resting heart rate maybe reduced and your health issues might be gone. That's why if you're serious about exercising, choose a fitness tracker that has built-in heart rate monitor. Below is my review of best fitness trackers in the market at the moment.

This is the review top fitness trackers 2016

I take into consideration the price, design and function of each one.

1. Review fitness tracker: Fitbit Charge HR

• Design and comfort: Rubber strap. 5 color options: black, plum, blue, teal and tangerine. Comfortable to sleep with
• Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Workouts, distance, floors climbed, steps, active minutes and calories burned. Automatically monitor your sleep and wake with a silent alarm. You can see time of day, call notifications, daily stats on the OLED display
• Water Resistance / Waterproof: Water resistant. Not suitable for swimming Compatibility: Bluetooth devices
• Battery life: 5 days

* Conclusion: Fitbit is favored by even President Barrack Obama. Design as well as functions are really nice. Its biggest cons are small display screen and not suitable for swimming.

2. Review fitness tracker: Fitbit Charge 2

• Design and comfort: Band is interchangeable. Sreen are 4 times bigger than Fitbit Charge HR. 5 color options: black, blue, plum, teal and lavender.
• Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Workouts, distance, floors climbed, steps, active minutes and calories burned. Automatically monitor your sleep and wake with a silent alarm. You can see time of day, call notifications, daily stats on the OLED display. Enhanced with Cardio Fitness Level which indicates how fit you are.
• Water Resistance / Waterproof: Water resistant. Not suitable for swimming
• Compatibility: Bluetooth devices
• Battery life: 5 days

* Conclusion: Fitbit Charge 2 is quite a good choice if you prefer wearing a fitness band to a fitness watch. However this model is still not suitable for swimming. Read my full review of pros and cons of Fitbit Charge 2

3. Review fitness tracker: Garmin Vivosmart HR

• Design and comfort: Sleek design. 3 color options: black, imperial purple, midnight blue
• Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Steps, distance, calories, heart rate, floors climbed and activity intensity. Receive text, call, email, social media and calendar alerts. Control your music and your VIRB action camera
• Water Resistance / Waterproof: Water resistant to 50m. Safe for swimming
• Compatibility: Bluetooth & ANT+ devices. Garmin Connect app 
• Battery life: 5 days

* Conclusion: This one is a very good choice among fitness trackers of same price range. 

4. Review fitness tracker: Polar A360

• Design and comfort: Colorful touchscreen
• Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Workouts, steps, distance, calories burned, sleep quality, and activity 24/7
• Water Resistance / Waterproof: Water resistant to 30m. Safe for swimming
• Compatibility: Bluetooth. iPhone & Android devices
• Battery life: 2 weeks

* Conclusion: This one is more expensive than others but it has colorful touch screen and battery life is up to 2 weeks. Worth a try! 

5. Review fitness tracker:  Pebble 2+HR

• Design and comfort: 5 color options - Black, white, aqua, flame and lime. E-paper. 1.26-inch display with a 144 x 168 resolution
• Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Sleep and activity tracking. Built-in microphone, record voice notes. Music control.
• Water resistant: 30 m. Safe for swimming
• Compatibility: Bluetooth. No wifi and GPS; can work with both iOS and Android devices
• Battery life: 7 days

* Conclusion: I'm not a fan of Pebble's design. However, good price for offered functions. You can find my detailed review of this smartwatch here. 

6. Review fitness tracker: Mio Alpha

• Design and comfort: Black color Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Total exercise time. Timer/Clock
• Water Resistance / Waterproof: Water resistant to 30 m. Safe for swimming
• Compatibility: Bluetooth devices
• Battery life: 20+ hours

* Conclusion: Cheaper but less functions than the mentioned wristwatch. Suitable for high intense workouts such as: running, cycling. 

7. Review fitness tracker: Samsung Gear Fit

• Design and comfort: Light and durable with a curved Super AMOLED display. Interchangeable bands and screens
• Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Quick reply to messages. Reject calls with messages. Control alarms
• Water Resistance / Waterproof: Water resistant
• Compatibility: Android devices
• Battery life: 3-4 days

* Conclusion: Short battery life and just can work with Android devices. Samsung Gear Fit 2 still have these cons.

8. Review fitness tracker: TomTom Spark Cardio

• Design and comfort: 7 color options
• Tracking beyond heart rate monitoring: Bluetooth music player. Measures time, distance, speed, pace, calories burned, and sleep
• Water Resistance / Waterproof: Water resistant to 40m. Safe for swimming
• Compatibility: Bluetooth devices
• Battery life: 3 weeks (without using GPS + music)

* Conclusion: If you're a sports + music fan, you should consider this one. Plus it has many color options for you to choose.

Source: Heart rate monitor review

For current price of these products, please check out: Amazon.com