Rankings

Three weeks in, still the number one. Now I am doing more varied exercise, the monitor is more important, showing me what exercises are most impactful. It is also helping me to challenge myself more to keep my heart rate up for longer.

This is number one for me for a big reason - it shows me what I am doing and how it is working. Seeing the calories burned and heart rate is a massive incentive to keep going and is the basis for tracking all of my consumption! Buying this was a game changer for me and it now motivate me to do more

Week three and my music still drives me. This week I had a near miss on Camelback mountain, when, in all the glory of super slomo, one of my headphones fell out, and went under the security fence. Fortunately I remembered the Find my Buds function which enabled me to work out what rocks I could move to retrieved them!

Music can definitely change your outlook and pep you up when needed. For me, working out without music is a real drag. I always carry two sets of headphones in my workout gear so that I am never without (and always try to remember to charge them nightly as well!!). The wireless Bose are definitely my favorites, but noise cancelling has its perks. Not cheap, but they have lasted a very long time.

The Mirror got some use this week - and I really enjoyed the workouts. I did a strength and boxing workout, using the Mirror bands for the first time. The technology is incredible and ensures if you are a visual person like me, you can benefit greatly from seeing the correct form. 

Full review to follow but I am going to wait until I have done at least 10 different workouts on it first.

Big thank you to Molly for this gem! This has been a revelation post workout to get those tired muscles relaxed. This has been really useful given all of the hiking I have been doing, and it has meant that my prior delayed aches are a thing of the past. 

As more and more places are mandating masks, you need one that works well, is comfortable and does not hinder your breathing. I have found all of those things with the Under Armor mask - the breathability being the key - most masks will move as you inhale, making you breath more labored - this does not. I have used the mask hiking and boxing so it has been used indoor and out. I am not a big runner but may try that soon.

With a week of mainly home workouts, these came in really useful in challenging me. I used on several of the workouts as well as during a boxing Mirror workout.

Always there to make anything harder, these are a versatile tool for all of your exercise needs - they also come in handy as distractor when you are on a lengthy conference call. This set has been great with 5lb, 8lb and 10lb options.

Rhone is a relatively new name for my but these shirts are amazing. They are incredibly breathable, comfortable, sweat absorbing and they make you look good! Available in a multitude of colors, I really can not get enough of these shirts. My preference are the Reign Short Sleeve - available in colors I thought reserved for Home Depot paint - I have Barbados Cherry, Fuschia and Hawaiian Ocean!

Two weeks of great hiking have really made me value these shoes! They are ideal and incredibly comfortable

​

The increase in the position of footwear is again related to hiking exploits. The Adidas Terrex Speed LD (why do shoes always sound like they should live in Downton Abbey?) are simply awesome. They are incredibly light and have Goodyear grips on the soles. These things made me feel comfortable running on a trail - defintely feel light on my feet wearing them

This has been my little buddy since day one on the journey from Fat to Fit! It has become a ritual to ensure that all my food is weighed and recorded. The digital scale makes it easy, and wireless makes it far more convenient. Even though my official "diet:" stage is long over, I am still using this to track my proteins. Paired with an App like LoseIt, this is perfect to ensure you stay on the right side of the numbers

This is a new favorite! This week, I decided to get more creative in my workouts and the medicine ball added some new dimensions. My favorite exercises with the ball are the "Mo Salahs" where you tap the ball rapidly on the top with your toes, like the Egyptian King when he bamboozles defenders, and the Three Point Star. Interested to see what else I can bring in to the rotation with this.

Anyone feeling the hiking theme this week? I have started going out earlier and earlier in order to make the top of my hike before the sun is up. As I am not sure how long this will last, I decided to get a cheap hiking lamp from energizer. It is great. I had started with a police style torch, then a pocket torch but the lamp frees my hands and also has greater power (warning - do not stare directly into the lamp!!)

These are so great for a comprehensive workout! The challenge is likely to be where you can put them in your home. The bands provide ideal resistance and can be used to work a lot of different muscles. 

This week has seen several milestones with my hiking and the hydration backpack has been an essential part. The backpack has made it easier to move quickly and to grab a drink whenever I need one without having to stop. This particular one was a great price and has two easily accessible pockets for keys, headphone case, wallet, snacks etc. My only recommendation is to do a better job than I did of washing it out!! Hike one was with a soapy taste in my mouth

On those dark and early mornings, when I cup of coffee is not going to cut it, this will give you the boost you need.  The downside is it does not taste good - my trainer Kevin sometimes takes it straight with no water - he is a better man than me!!

I absolutely love my boxing work outs and these are clearly a must have! Good gloves helps to ensure that you are not injured (also suggest you buy (and google how to use) wraps for your knuckles/wrists. Minimal use outside of the boxing world but the value I get from them is what keeps them in the top 10.

I was so excited about this product. A wifi scale that can record and automatically track weight, BMI, water and muscle percentage. It has not been what I hoped - maybe it is the setup, the placement or the inconsistency of times of day of use but it just seems to be wrong a lot. I am going to try again this week, and to be more conscious of when I use it and how.

Ah breakfast...I was always a naysayer on protein powders until I started to workout with gusto. They are a perfect filler on a busy day, and when mixed with the right things (frozen ripe bananas being one of my favorite) they are a great initial meal on any day.

Snuck into the Top 10, this is a new look for 2020. Working out in a mask is hard but the filtration of this mask makes it ideal for most exercises. If it was not over 90 degrees, I think I would barely notice wearing one. It is only really a very hard cardio workout where I feel that the mask is an impediment - the rest of the time, it is just a sweaty lip

​

UPDATE - These masks are not good quality - they fell apart after a few uses. They are also not allowed on commercial aircraft - link has been removed