Christmas Fitness Gifts

So I bought a lot of weird stuff online this year, including a portable CD player (yes, they still sell those, 40 bucks at Best Buy) and a portable DVD player.

I should be ready for an Ipod by 2017.

Of course, I also bought a bunch of fitness products, and here are a few that I recommend…you might want to add these to your Christmas list – or maybe even give them as a gift.

Present #1 – The Acuball (www.acuball.com)

I was introduced to the acuball by my friend, a strength coach for professional and Olympic athletes.

This little ball allows you to self-massage muscles like your glutes, that don’t respond to the foam roller.

Thanks to the acuball, I was able to dramatically reduce some of my glute and low back pain I suffered from earlier this year. Cheap too.

Present #2 – Vibrams Five Fingers (VibramFiveFingers.com)

Maybe you’ve seen these silly little “glove shoes”. They look like a combo of socks, shoes, and gloves, obviously being worn on your feet.

They are popular among the “barefoot running” crowd, and they are popping up over and over again.

I’m not as fanatical about them as some other trainers I know, but they are great for airports because I often get to wear them right through security without having to remove them.

Plus, I wear them for a lot of my workouts. A little more expensive, but if you are into the latest fitness gear, you’ll like these.

Some versions are also great for wearing to the beach and around rocky shores.

And one of my friends even wore them on that 15-mile hike we did in the mountains in Poland this summer. That’s hard-core.

Present #3 – Body Bugg (www.bodybugg.com)

NOTE: I have not purchased this, however…

According to Holly Rigsby, America’s Fat Loss Expert for Moms,

“The bodybugg tracks activity levels. Great for accountability but also shows you how many more calories you burn when you do resistance training.”

This is also how Arnel and Joel measured the 1000 Calorie Workouts.

Present #4 – The Power Wheel (www.MonkeyBarGym.com)

One of the many great tools available from Jon Hinds at The Monkey Bar Gym. I used the power wheel a lot in the summer, but you can use it indoor over the winter holidays as well.

And then when spring comes, try your hand at the Power Wheel Challenge, to see if you can walk on your hands for the entire length of a football field!

Present #5 – Vince Del Monte’s Workout DVDS

In addition to 18 hours of workouts, you’ll get ALL of the products created by Vince Del Monte in 2010. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

If you’re like me, and I know you are, and you are dedicated to building your fitness library, you’ll want to add Vince’s to your archives. I’ve had these DVDs for 2 years, and it’s almost as good as training with him (he’s a little funnier in person and does some good movie imitations!).

=> Grab Vinny’s B-Day sale on his DVDs here for your Xmas present

Hope you have a full stocking this Christmas!

Your friend,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, Turbulence Training