In the box you get the six hula hoop pieces (which can be broken down into two individual segments for 12 pieces total), center connector and vibration motor, weighted light up gravity ball, DC to USB charging cable, and instructions. Unfortunately, you only get the one DC to USB charging cable.

Since for whatever reason the included charging cable is not what most people have around like microUSB or USB-C, you’ll likely need to wait to charge the weighted light-up gravity ball until after the center connector and vibration motor. It’s frankly a rather frustrating oversight.

Once everything is charged, assembly is straightforward. Push the buttons on each side of the hula hoop piece and snap it into another piece, then release the button to lock it into place. Do this until it fits your waist size, making sure you insert the weighted gravity ball into the track on the center connector before snapping in the final piece.

Although it says it fits up to a 40 inch waist, for my 36 inch waist (and t-shirt) I still had to use all but one of the pieces, so keep that in mind.

Once the belt is secured you can choose one of three levels of vibration – or none at all – and then get hula hooping. I needed to get the weight in motion by swinging it with my hand before swinging my hips, but I had no issues maintaining a reasonable number of spins once I got it in motion. As expected, I got better with practice.

While this still requires a little bit of skill to keep spinning, the advantage is you don’t have to constantly pick up a fallen hoop. The vibration and weight do add additional interest and fitness factors over regular plastic hoops. It’s by no means perfect, but I do think it’s a lot of fun as an alternative form of cardio.

The post Review: Dreacompy Vibration Pulse Hula Hoop appeared first on fullSTEAMahead365.

While my focus has always been and continues to be on bodybuilding, i.e., lifting weights in a healthy and intelligent manner to build the best body my genetics and age allow, I still make time for a wide variety of other related fitness activities, including Cardio, Yoga, CrossFit, and Plyometrics. To me, that’s the first key: Make sure you’re at a gym that allows for a wide range of different fitness activities. Don’t just stick with cardio. Don’t just stick with weights. Mix it up. You’ll not only be healthier and more capable, but you’ll also maintain your motivation.

The second key is: Don’t pay too much. This is the golden age of gyms and gym memberships. In many areas, the choices of gyms are overwhelming. I presently go to a place called The Edge, and it’s only slightly more expensive than a place like Planet Fitness, yet offers many times the equipment and options, including child care (with a nice bonus of actually letting the kids do supervised workouts!). This ties in nicely to the third key: Don’t compromise. Shop around and make sure the gym can grow with your needs. If not, make sure you’re not locked into a long-term contract in case you find you need more.

There is one bonus key that I’ll also provide… With all other things being equal, the only difference between those who are fit and those who aren’t fit is consistency. The fit ones keep a regular workout schedule. So, ultimately, whether you workout at home or go to a fancy commercial gym, what really matters is making sure your workouts are reasonably intense and reasonably consistent to go along with a reasonable diet. Most exercise and diet programs are effective, but they need to be utilized to work.

The post What to Look for in a Gym in 2019 – Three Keys appeared first on fullSTEAMahead365.