Push Up Pro Review

Push Up Pro Review: The Ultimate Upper Body Workout?

You may have seen this commercial on TV.  The Push Up Pro, which has been around for a few years now, claims to be the ultimate upper body workout, at the affordable price of $19.99.  This revolutionary piece of equipment was designed by Jack Zatorski, who in 2003 set the world record for push ups.  Let's take a look at his commercial, which is right below this sentence.

Here are some of the things that were said in this video:

"Strengthen and tone, sculpt and define.  Now, there's a new way to get fit quick."

"It's the new way to sculpt and tone the chest, shoulders, arms, and even abs."

"It's the ultimate upper body workout."

"Guaranteed results within 10 days or your money back."

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They all seem like promising statements.  But, you can say that for any of these commercials on TV.

I decided to buy a set of Push Up Pro grips myself and see what all the hype was about.  Was I really going to get guaranteed results within 10 days, or was nothing going to change?  Let's find out.

The Grips: The box contained 2 Push Up Pro grips, one for each hand.  They are light, and simplistic.  Upon placing them on the ground, the handles are very easy to rotate.  The handles have some "rubber-like" material on them so your hands won't slide off.  Since the grips are small, they can be stored in a gym bag or backpack.

The Initial Workout: I wanted to do a practice set and see how many push ups I could do with the Push Up Pro while rotating the handles.  Normally, I can do around 30 regular push ups.  With the Push Up Pro, I could only do 15.  I definitely felt it in my arms and chest.

Surprisingly, rotating the handles added a lot of difficulty to a normal push up.  This is because when you rotate the handles, it forces your body to use more muscles in order to support the weight of your body.  This adds difficulty and variety to a normal push up workout.

10 Days Later: Throughout the 10 days, I tried different things with the Push Up Pro.  I did normal push ups, rotating grip push ups, push ups with my feet on a chair, close grip push ups, and more.  In the beginning, I couldn't do many repetitions, and had to take a few minutes break after every set.

However, toward the end, I was gaining more endurance and was able to do more repetitions.  My max amount of push ups in one set at the end of the 10 days was 20, which was a 25% increase!

Verdict:  I do think Push Up Pro is worth the $20 investment, but only if you plan on using it and not having it sit there collecting dust.  I think the Push Up Pro is most beneficial for people who are just starting to get into an exercise routine.  Here's my reasoning: In my opinion, the best upper body workout are pull ups.  They work all the muscles in the upper body, with the most strain on the triceps, shoulders, and back.

However, not everyone can do pull ups.  For these people, I recommend the Push Up Pro.  Even if you can't do normal push ups, you can start by doing wall push ups, like stated in the video.  As you progress and get stronger, you can move to doing push ups with your knees on the floor, and eventually, regular push ups.

Final thoughts: I feel like if you buy the Push Up Pro, make an exercise goal, and stick to that goal, you will see results.  It may take more than 10 days, but eventually you will see results.  My friend suggested that I write a review on this because he was pondering whether or not to "invest on this", so I obliged.  This was my first official review on my blog, and hopefully it provided you with some new information and insight.  Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this review, and as always, if you have any questions or feedback, comment below.

-Eric Char-

The Best Food To Treat Insomnia

Have you been having trouble sleeping lately?  Try eating some tart cherries or drinking some tart cherry juice.

Tart Cherries are among the richest food sources of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps promote sleep.  The body's production of melatonin declines with age, which is part of the reason why older adults often have trouble sleeping.

A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that small doses of melatonin (0.3 mg) helped insomniacs sleep better.  One cup of tart-cherry juice of 1/8 cup dried tart cherries contains roughly 0.3 mg of melatonin.  

The recommendation is to eat tart cherries or drink one cup of juice about an hour before bedtime.  This is so that the melatonin from the tart cherries can be absorbed by the body.

Note: Sweet cherries also contain melatonin, but not as much as tart cherries.

Source: Bottom Line Magazine, Volume 34 Number 11

Which is Healthier, Fresh Salsa or Jarred Salsa? (Plus other comparisons!)

Cinco De Mayo may have just passed, but people eat things like salsa, tortillas, and tortilla chips every day.  Here is a quick crash course in some Cinco de Mayo nutrition and which is healthier for you.  Some of the answers may surprise you.

Fresh Salsa vs Jarred Salsa

Fresher isn't always better: Tomatoes are one of the best sources of the antioxidant lycopene, but your body absorbs more of it when the tomatoes have been heated.  Jarred salsa is typically cooked before it's packaged, so it offers more of the nutrient than the fresh version.

Winner: Jarred Salsa

Corn Tortillas vs Flour Tortillas

Flour tortillas have 3X the calories and 5X the fat of corn tortillas.  Switching to whole-wheat flour tortillas boosts your fiber intake, but the calories and fat are still there.

Winner: Corn Tortillas

Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips vs Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Blue corn chips are often labeled as all natural, so people assume they're the better choice.  But the FDA doesn't regulate the use of that term.  In fact, the two varieties have the same number of calories and grams of fat.  And because most of the sodium is added, the health factor depends more on the brand than on the color.

Winner: It's a Draw

Red Sangria vs White Sangria

Red wine is loaded with resveratrol, a compound in the skin of grapes that is thought to be good for t heart.  White wine has none of this, plus many white sangria recipes call for fruit juice and sweet liquors, so they typically end up with higher sugar counts.

Winner: Red sangria

Source: Food Network Magazine May 2013 

Three Healthy Chocolate Cereals

Who doesn't love chocolate?  If I could, I would eat it every day.  For those of us that eat breakfast, cereal is a popular option.  One of the more popular cereals, especially among kids, is chocolate cereals.  Chocolate cereals have been synonymous with being sugary and unhealthy.  But, that is not always the case.  Here are 3 healthy chocolate cereals that you can eat or feed to your children without feeling guilty:

1. Kellogg's Special K Chocolaty Strawberry Cereal ($4.99/box): This Kellogg's cereal delivers crispy flakes, dried strawberries, and rich cocoa pieces, packing in more iron and vitamin C per serving than most kids' cereals. 

2. Fiber One 80 Calories Chocolate Cereal ($4.29/box): This cereal contains fewer calories per serving than many popular cereals and packs 3X more fiber and 8X more calcium.  The crunchy chocolate nuggets make a sweet snack on their own, too. 

3. Cascadian Farm Organic Chocolate O's ($4.99/box): This organic cereal contains 8 grams of whole grain per serving, 7 vitamins and minerals, and 3 grams of fiber per serving (3/4 cup).  Did I mention, each serving is a modest 100 calories?  I have personally tried these Chocolate O's and have found them to be a great and tasty cereal snack.

Caffeine: Facts and Myths

Caffeine exists everywhere, whether it be soda, coffee, or that new 5-Hour Energy drink that people are talking about.  In fact, more than 80% of Americans consume caffeine regularly.  Caffeinated energy drinks have become so mainstream that companies such as V8 and Ocean Spray are making their own versions in order to stay competitive.  

Here's a rundown on what scientists know about the world's most popular drug.

Fact: Caffeine may help sleep deprivation

In a national survey, about 30% of participants reported averaging 6 hours of sleep or less a night.  In a Roehrs' study of 259 working adults, 15% of them fell asleep within 6 minutes of entering a sleep lab.  Why does caffeine help people who are sleep deprived?  The answer to this has to deal with adenosine.

Adenosine is a natural sedative produced by the brain.  Adenosine levels build up while we are awake, and drop as we sleep.  The direct binding of adenosine to the adenosine receptors is what makes us sleepy.  Caffeine works by temporarily binding to adenosine receptors in the brain.  This prevents adenosine from binding itself to the adenosine receptors (because caffeine is already bound to it, it cannot bind to anything else).

Myth: Caffeine is bad for the heart

This fall, the parents of a 14 year old Maryland girl sued the company who makes Monster Energy drinks because their daughter suffered cardiac arrest after drinking 2 24 oz cans of Monster.  The autopsy of the girl stated "cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity", which means the caffeine made worse a heart condition that the girl had.

However, in a study that followed more than 130,000 people for 30 years,they found that drinking coffee didn't increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmia, even among those with existing heart conditions.

Fact: Caffeine can improve physical performance

"Caffeine can improve physical performance in endurance exercise like running, but the effect is less for short bursts of movement such as lifting weights or springing," says Matthew Ganio, who is a professor of kinesiology at the University of Arkansas.

Caffeine helps people last longer during exercise because it prompts the body to burn more of its fat stores instead of the carbohydrates in our muscles.  When the muscles run out of carbohydrate, we get tired.

Matthew Ganio also says "Caffeine also reduces the perception of muscle pain and the perception of how hard we are working, which makes us feel better when exercising and may help us exercise longer."

Myth: Caffeine helps people lose weight

Many companies add caffeine to their weight-loss supplements because it speeds up the metabolic rate, as least for a short period of time.  However, there is little evidence that consuming caffeine leads to significant weight loss or helps people keep weight off.

Fact: Pregnant woman should limit their caffeine intake

The March of Dimes recommends that women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day because the harmful effects of more than that on the fertility, miscarriage, and fetal growth "cannot be ruled out".

The FDA advises women to avoid caffeine-containing foods and drugs if possible, or consume them only sparingly.

Myth: Caffeine increases your blood pressure

While caffeine users may experience a a slight increase in blood pressure, Rob van Dam of the National University of Singapore says "researchers have detected no substantial ink with the development of hypertension in long-term studies of caffeinated coffee intake"


Source: Nutrition Action Magazine December 2012