This section of the site will be updated regularly as I find new ways to add to the HRH experience with outside vendors and content providers. Please come back often to see what’s up.
Getting a good heart rate monitor (HRM) is a critical part of your success with the HRH Program. I have affiliated with Bodytrends.com, which is a top online retailer for sports equipment in order to give you the widest variety of products at a competitive price. Please click this link in order to go to their line of HRMs for purchase: Heart Monitors
I have always used the Polar brand of HRM, and I’ve found them to be reliable, accurate, and rugged. Plus, Polar has aligned itself with many fitness equipment manufacturers, so you can often use the chest strap that comes with the monitor at a health club or when you’re on the road.
In addition to the models with all the bells and whistles, Polar also offers one that does nothing but transmit your heart rate. They call it the Polar “Beat”. I was able to get one for my father to use for under $40, including shipping. For the HRH Program, this is all you really need.
Bodytrends.com doesn’t offer this model, and since the price on some web sites can differ by $30 for this model, I’m hesitant to lock you into looking at another single retailer. My suggestion is to bargain shop by typing
"polar beat sale" into Google or another search engine site, then clicking through some of the links to see what price you might be able to get.
With the more advanced models, you can set alarms for when you go outside your zone, and you can even download information into your computer and use software that comes with it. To me, that’s a bonus, because I love looking through and analyzing data. You may not possess the same “nerd gene” that I have, though, in which case the lower-end models will suffice.
Ready to take the plunge on a treadmill? Fabulous! I highly recommend having one, and even my wife considers it the best purchase I’ve made in my life (excepting the jewelry I occasionally get for her).
Most treadmills and other exercise equipment never get used after a couple of initial tries. Of course, most people aren’t doing the HRH Program with them!
The benefits of having a treadmill are numerous, and I discuss them in the HRH Program e-book, so I’ll keep it brief here. I think the #1 reason to have one is that the Fat-Burning Bonus portion of your workout is really effective and easy to do with a treadmill. You simply find the right zone after just a few sessions and dream of loose-fitting jeans while your walking “uphill both ways” (inside-joke for readers of the e-book).
That said, let’s find out about the actual products. The first thing you should know is that you don’t need a treadmill that costs as much as a Hyundai. The second thing you should know is that you’re unlikely to get one that will last for under $1,000. (If you do want to get one under that price, only do so if you think you’ll only use it for walking or if you’re under 150 pounds.)
I think the best thing to happen to the treadmill world is the introduction of purchasing Smooth Fitness treadmills online directly from the manufacturer. These machines are really high quality in-home models that you can buy for about $800 less than similar quality models found in stores.
The disadvantage, of course, is that you can’t test-drive it. When you’re thinking about getting a car, test driving is important. Not so with treadmills, however. I use a PaceMaster treadmill at home (because I didn’t know about Smooth Fitness when I bought it), but I’m just as happy using any of the models I may find at a gym. In other words, for all but the most serious athletes, they’re mostly interchangeable as long as you get one from a manufacturer that’s reputable.
It appears to me that the Smooth 7.1 is probably sufficient for most people doing the HRH Program. You can find this model and others in their lineup with this link: Get in Shape with a Smooth Treadmill - Click Here!
If you want to look at other models, Bodytrends.com also carries an extensive line of high-quality machines. You can find their lineup here: Treadmills
As mentioned in the HRH Program, resistance bands are an excellent and inexpensive way to multiply the results of your training. With high-rep, low-weight exercises, you’ll continue to build fat-burning muscle in places not targeted by your regular aerobic HRH Workout.
Plus, with resistance bands, you can keep your heart rate in your zone by switching exercises easily. To “adjust” the bands for a new exercise, you just step on it in a different place. With weights, you’re often stuck manipulating pins and iron into the right place before you can start.
If you wan to build some powerful muscle (fast-twitch anaerobic instead of slow-twitch aerobic), just get a higher rated band. You’ll be surprised how much resistance you can get with them.
Again, Bodytrends.com is an excellent place to shop for these bands, and you can click the link below to get one or two to meet your needs. Please note, though, I don’t recommend getting the “TheraBand” brand, as I’ve found they tear easily and need more maintenance—as opposed to none.
Click this link to view a comparison chart of resistance bands and make a purchase: BodyTrends.com
If you’re one who has trouble getting lost in your own head while working out, then listening to music or books is an excellent solution. Personally, when I’m feeling a little scattered and unable to get into the right meditative state for my run, I prefer to listen to books. As I get engrossed in the book, the time really flies by, and I learn something while getting in shape.
Instead of listening to books on tape from the library (the cheapest option), I got an mp3 player and a subscription to Audible.com. The main advantage of this method is that you’re not turning over the tapes every 30 minutes to listen to the next side, which I find really annoying.
If you don’t have an mp3 player, Audible has special relationships with a number of manufacturers, including Apple for the near-universally hot iPod, and they’ll give you a substantial discount off the player when you subscribe to one of their subscription programs for as little as $14.95 a month. Depending on how you subscribe, you can get one or two books a month, which translates into getting new books for about half the price you would pay for a new book, hardback or on tape. I love this service!
You can find out more about how to use this service and get a player with this link: Listen to more than 25,000 audio books programs. Choose from popular and informative categories. Join now and receive free MP3 player.
