TMUSCLE.com | Stuff We Like: Vol 2

Store | Videos | Training Programs | Articles | Forums

The Gear
T-Nation's No BS Consumer Reports
by Chris Shugart

Welcome to the second installment of T-Nation's new consumer reviews. In this column I'll be reviewing gym gadgets, DVDs, supplements, training books, and anything else I can get my callused paws on which might be of interest to iron addicts and fitness fanatics.

But here's the new twist: After you hear my opinion, you'll get to do your own reviews on a few of the products. For example, if a maker of body fat calipers sends T-Nation a few to review, we'll review one of them and then give the rest to you! For free! Read on. You'll see what I mean.

Let's break into the new gear!

Fractional plates are basically really tiny weight plates that allow you to make smaller load progressions instead of having to make large jumps. For example, if you can perform triceps extensions with 95 pounds but can't quite jump to 100 pounds, these donut-sized plates allow you to use 97 pounds or just about any load between 95 and 100.

Fractional plates can also be used for setting new PRs. Can't quite jump from a 295 pound bench press to 300? Then fractional plates allow you to make steady progress in smaller increments, such as a 297 or 298 pound press. Clarence Bass, Charles Poliquin, Stuart McRobert, and many others have recommended fractional plates for this purpose.

APT fractional plates come in a set of eight plates: one-fourth pound, one-half pound, three-fourths of a pound and one pound plates (two of each). They're chrome-plated and fit Olympic sized barbells and dumbbells. APT fractionals come with a large fabric bag with a drawstring, in addition to smaller bags for each size. It's very easy to carry these to your regular gym.

Should you buy them? Depends on how you train and your experience level. If you don't keep a workout log, then you probably don't know exactly how much weight you use anyway on certain lifts. If you don't manage your loading, then there's no need to micromanage it.

But if you like the idea of small improvements when larger jumps in load just aren't possible, then these can be handy tools, especially for the more advanced trainer who's reached a sticking point or plateau in his loading capacity. Five pound jumps are easy for the newbie benching 135, but a little tougher for the experienced guy shooting for 500.

I've seen some fractional sets run upwards of $175. AST's run about $50, so that's a good price for fractional plates. AST's plates aren't color coded like some others on the market, but it's pretty easy to tell the difference in sizes; you get used to it in one workout. Oh, and if you want to get your bling on, you can get them in gold instead of silver.

Overall, a quality product and good tool for more advanced trainees. Click HERE for more info or to purchase.

Rating: 9

This 139 page book was written by T-Nation contributor and powerlifting deity Dave Tate, but it's not about training, not exactly at least. Instead, it's about the lessons powerlifting has taught him. Think of it as a blend of self-improvement book, training book, business book, and autobiography.

It's a simple set-up: 12 chapters, 12 lessons. Each chapter begins with two pages of famous quotations about the subject at hand (teamwork, criticism, honesty, perseverance, etc.), then a story and lesson about the topic from the world of powerlifting or Dave's life. Reminded me a little of Richard Marcinko's Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior in that regard.

Tate is a storyteller and a great teacher, so this is a quick, fun read that takes about two sittings to get through. Some of it can (dare I say it?) even be touching, especially when Tate is talking about his kids.

Parts of it are a little clichéd ("treat others as you would want to be treated") but fans of Tate and powerlifting will like the stories that go along with the lessons. I would've liked to have seen a little more of that hardcore attitude, but Tate usually keeps the tone more easygoing in this book.

Along with the motivation, Tate offers some more tangible tips. I especially like his ideas about a "reading file" and his "rip and read" practices. Like all good teachers, Tate is a great student as well, and he knows how to get his reading done despite his hectic schedule.

Overall, this was a good little book. I can't say the motivation stuff "changed my life" because I'm in my 30's and have figured out most of these lessons already, but I could see this book as being a real eye-opener for a kid just getting out of high school or college. This would make a killer graduation gift.

You can pick up Under the Bar for about $14.95 HERE.

Rating: 8

Two things I've always liked: thick bar training and bodybuilders from the Golden Era. So, when Dave Draper, the Blond Bomber himself, contacted me about his new line of thick bars and asked me if I wanted one for The Gear, I was mighty happy.

Training with a thick barbell or dumbbell has several advantages: it can provide a novel growth-inducing stimulus, hammer the forearms, and improve grip strength. And because of the larger surface area, thick bars can be very comfortable, even for those with joint problems.

I've used thick barbells and dumbbells before, but had never tried any fat grip cable attachments. Lucky for me, Draper quickly sent me out his Bi-Tri Bomber Handle.

This is a 27-inch long bar with a one and a half inch thick handle. It has two cable loops, one at the top and one at the bottom. It's made of cold-rolled steel and weighs 4.5 pounds.

I took the Bi-Tri Bomber to the gym as soon as I opened the package. First, I used it for what it was made for--cable pressdowns and cable curls. The angles felt perfect, very natural, and the fat surface was extremely comfortable. I normally use a straight bar and a triceps rope when I do pressdowns or cable curls, but this bar felt even better. The triple-bend was perfect. After arms I experimented with some other exercises like close-grip pulldowns and cable rows. Both felt great.

The workmanship is solid, but the welding was a little sloppy on the one I received. Overall, this is a cool tool that should last a lifetime or two. The Bi-Tri Bomber runs $69 to $79 depending on whether you want powder-coated or raw knurled. Check it out HERE.

Rating: 8

Made by the same folks who invented The Stick, the Trigger Wheel is designed for myofascial massage therapy. It can help elongate muscle fibers, improve circulation, relax trigger points, and speed up recovery.

The Wheel is made from steel and nylon; it's actually much heavier than you'd expect it to be. I'm a fan of The Stick and I use a foam roller for similar purposes, but the Trigger Wheel really allows me to pinpoint hard-to-target areas. It's great for the upper back, traps, and forearms. Since I'm a weight trainer, heavy computer user, and masturbation enthusiast, I'm a prime target for carpal tunnel syndrome. The Trigger Wheel can prevent or treat that nasty condition with regular use.

Only minor problem I had with it is the metal cap at the top popped off once and I lost it between the couch cushions. The Trigger Wheel worked fine without it anyway, and when I found the cap (along with three remote controls and a small child I'd forgotten about), it just popped right back on.

I think every weight trainer should add some type of self-massage tool to his arsenal for recovery purposes. The Trigger Wheel fits the bill, but you may want to start with a Stick or foam roller first, then use the Wheel for pinpoint work and fine tuning. It's a great little gadget. You can pick one up for about $20 HERE.

Rating: 9

Escalating Density Training was first introduced to the world on T-Nation back in 2002. Since then, EDT has grown into a hugely popular training program. Charles Staley even talked about EDT on a Today show feature. (Rumor has it Katie Couric developed a crush on Charles and wouldn't stop calling him late at night asking about his "density." Then again, I could be totally making that up.)

A Complete Video Guide to Escalating Density Training is the first DVD on the topic of EDT. This almost four-hour video has five main sections:

Chapter 1: Introduction to EDT

Chapter 2: Welcome to the PR Zone, Part I

Chapter 3: Welcome to the PR Zone, Part II

Chapter 4: Questions and Problem Solving

Chapter 5: Bonus — Lifting Biomechanics

The DVD begins with a discussion between Charles and Tim Larkin, FDA certified big, mean lookin' sumbitch and creator of Target Focus Training. This is interesting stuff, but if the viewer had no clue what EDT was, he may have a tough time figuring it out based on this intro. The training system just isn't summed up clearly for the EDT newbie. No big deal really; just read any of the free EDT articles on this site and you'll be up to speed.

The PR Zone sections are the gems of this DVD. Here you get to see trainees actually go through two 15 minute PR Zone workouts. If any aspect of EDT was confusing to you, watching these actual workouts will really make the program click in your mind. It's also fun watching Tim Larkin sweat through his shirt after only six minutes of EDT!

The problem solving section is a handy Q & A where Charles addresses the most common questions he's received in the last few years about EDT. Finally, as a bonus, Charles and Tim go through a hands-on lesson about lifting biomechanics (basically, good form).

Is the video worth getting? If you're confused about how to set up an EDT program, then yes, pick this DVD up. If you want to learn more about EDT beyond what's in the articles and book, yes, buy the video. If you have the EDT book, have read all the articles about it on T-Nation, and know the system like the back of your hand, then you probably don't have to have the video, though you'll still pick up a few tips. I certainly did.

The DVD runs $80. You can snag a copy HERE.

Rating: 8

A few months ago I took an extreme, liquid low-carb diet and updated it. I called it The Velocity Diet because it basically tripled the normal rate of fat loss. The problem with most low-carb diets is that "low carb" often means low fiber. That's a shame really, because milled flax seeds, berries, and most vegetables offer plenty of fiber for very few carbs.

But the problem goes deeper than the drawbacks of low-carb diets. Almost no one gets enough fiber, regardless of diet! Let's say for your daily carb intake you get four pieces of whole wheat bread along with a glass of OJ, a baked potato, some green beans and an apple. That's about 21g of fiber. The usual recommendation by the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association is 25-30 grams per day! Bodybuilders and athletes may need up to 35-40 gram per day and may get less if they rely on protein powders for several meals.

So, when designing the Velocity Diet, I went looking for supplemental sources, both soluble and insoluble. Milled flax seeds were great for insoluble and I came across a product called FiberChoice for soluble. I picked up the sugar-free orange flavored variety.

I'm telling you, these things were a lifesaver:

• They were tasty. A few chewable tablets were really like a filling snack.

• They were handy. You don't need water like you do with pills and powders. I'd put a few in a baggy and carry them with me. If I got tempted by bad foods, I'd snack on a couple.

• The fiber source is inulin, which is a natural vegetable fiber.

Although my low-carb diet is over, I'm still using a few tablets of FiberChoice per day. Since fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels, give you a feeling of fullness, and curb cravings, I'm using them to maintain my fat loss.

Each tablet contains two grams of fiber and the serving size is two tablets. Each serving is 16 calories in the sugar-free variety and contains 0 net carbs. Good product!

After the diet article was published, I was contacted by the FiberChoice folks and asked to try two new products. The first is simply chewable tablets in new fruit flavors. I'm not sure exactly what flavors these are supposed to be (though grape, strawberry and maybe apple are close) but I can say this: they're all good! Really, you could package these as candy and kids probably wouldn't know the difference. These fruity flavors are even better than the original orange and still contain no sugar.

The second new product is FiberChoice Fiber Drops. These look just like individually wrapped hard candies. In fact, the texture is exactly like hard candy. I have no idea how they get fiber in there but each drop contains 2 grams. Again, two candies makes one serving and each serving is 16 calories.

Because the manufacturing process converts some of the inulin to sugar, each two-drop dose has approximately 0.8g of sugar. Still, not bad at all when weighed against the convenience and quality.

The taste of the drops? Very good. Sort of a semi-sweet orange flavor. I can easily foresee keeping a few of these in the truck and grabbing a couple when the smell of fast food wafts in and says, "Come on, who needs abs? Come to the drive-through, come to the drive-through... "

Great diet insurance, good source of soluble fiber, good taste. A 90 count bottle of the tablets runs about $12. I'm not sure about the drops because as I write this they're not on the market yet. For more info, visit FiberChoice.com.

Rating: 10

"It's not about flexibility. It's about strength!" Pavel says at the beginning of this DVD. With loaded passive stretching, Pavel promises you'll be able to instantly pull harder, squat more, jump higher, punch harder, press bigger and (apparently) market more mercilessly than ever before.

In this short DVD, Pavel shows you a variety of "strength stretches" like the kneeling bridge, a bunch of hip stretches, the chair twist stretch, and the classic gymnast's stretch called "skin the cat."

While watching the video, I jumped onto the floor several times to try out the stretches and later tested several of them in the gym (you'll need a power rack or something similar to perform several of the stretches). Some of them I'd used before but some were brand new to me. All were very effective.

Is the DVD worth buying? This is always a tricky question. If you learn a lot, then hell yeah, it's worth buying! Is it worth $25 for a 20 minute video? Man, that's over a buck a minute! Dragon Door has never been known for cheap products, but let me say this at least: not a second is wasted in this video. There's no fluff, no chit-chat, zero. This DVD is info dense.

Solid stretching info, high production quality, no fluff (except for Pavel's prodigious chest hair), but pricey. More info HERE.

Rating: 8

Oh sure, send the FFB a book to review that was written for skinny guys who can't gain weight. "Boo hoo! I'm skinny! Boo hoo! I can eat everything I want and not gain an ounce! Boo hoo! I want my mommy!"

I'd like to smack these guys around and give them girl nicknames.

No, I'm just kidding (mostly.) Berardi and Mejia have attacked the skinny-guy epidemic like a Doberman on raw hamburger. The book has two major parts: "Train to Gain" and "Need to Feed." No stone is left unturned. The authors were really going for a one-stop-shop for hardgainer info, and they more than achieved their goal. This book is almost too detailed and meticulous in places.

If you've read all of Berardi's articles on this site, you'll know the gist of his nutritional approach; only in this book he sets his sights squarely on the hypertrophy-challenged lifter. He tells skinny guys not only what to eat, but how to eat it, when to eat it, and why they're eating it. "Getting bigger is a battle," he writes, "Your weapon is a fork."

The training info is good too, and there's lots of emphasis on shorter, less frequent workouts with compound exercises. There are plenty of photos of the exercises, which is helpful. Surprisingly, there are quite a few pages devoted to correcting imbalances. Some of this seems overly pedantic for the target audience, but it's good info. And although I'm not an ectomorph and know very well (maybe too well!) how to eat a boatload of food, even I picked up some great new exercises and stretches I'd never seen before.

The book contains 244 pages and a lot of black and white pics. At around $13 at Amazon.com, it's a bargain. Scrawny to Brawny is the new bible for skinny bastards. For more info, visit Scrawnytobrawny.com.

Rating: 9

The MyoTape D is a body tape measure without the tape. Instead, you just roll the unit across your skin and it optically measures your results. You read the measurement data via the digital display and then you can store the numbers---up to three measurements for each body part. Seven sites are already preset into the unit, which makes tracking progress very easy.

The unit beeps as you roll it along. If you lose contact with the skin it stops beeping, letting you know you messed up. This is handy, but it still takes a steady hand. You have to be careful that you end at the same place you started. Also, some of the digital display is very small, but it's readable. If you wear glasses, you'll need them for reading the preset sites.

It's an interesting tool, one that might be cool for a personal trainer who wants his clients to feel that he's really advanced and cutting edge. Me, I'll use it, but I kinda like the standard MyoTape better (with the tension controlled tape.) Whether your goal is to lose fat or gain muscle, body part measurements are incredibly helpful for judging your progress, so pick something and use it!

The MyoTape D runs about $20. For more info, click HERE.

Rating: 7

You may remember my interview with Dr. Jack Singer from a few months ago. Dr. Jack, as he's known, is a noted sports psychologist. One of the techniques he uses is clinical hypnotism.

We're not talking about those stage "hypnotists" that make people cluck like chickens for entertainment purposes. Real hypnotism is simply making positive suggestions to a person who's in a very relaxed, receptive state.

In the Accelerated Sports Healing CD, Dr. Jack guides the listener into a relaxed state, then goes through several suggestions that supposedly help him heal more quickly, reduce the need for medication, numb pain, and even help stay positive when injured.

There's plenty of evidence that clinical hypnosis works, but can it really accelerate healing? At least one study says it can. Twelve people with broken ankles were recruited for the Harvard study. Half were hypnotized once a week, while the other half received only normal treatment. The radiologist who evaluated the X-rays didn't know which patients underwent hypnosis.

At the end of the study, it was clear that those who were hypnotized healed faster than those who weren't. At just six weeks after the fracture, those in the hypnosis group showed the equivalent of eight and a half weeks of healing. Other studies have reported similar results.

Well, I didn't have a broken ankle or major sports injury when reviewing this CD, but I did find it informative and relaxing. I think any time the mind is "put to work" it can help the body--whether we're talking about hypnosis, prayer, or the placebo effect.

The only catch is that you have to work at this. You can't just listen to the CD and expect instant gratification. It may also take a few sessions before you get the hang of being in the right state. You're not trying to go to sleep, but rather get into a relaxed state of "absorbed awareness."

Overall, this certainly isn't going to hurt an athlete who wants to heal faster and break the pattern of repetitive injury. Getting the mind involved in the body's processes is never a bad thing. Accelerated Sports Healing runs $39. You can read more about it or pick up a copy HERE.

Rating: 8

Want to try some of these items out yourself? Want to write your own review of them and add it to this thread? Want to keep the item for free when you're finished? I thought so. Check out the replies below for details!

PUBLISHED
Discuss | Rate | Add Favorite | Print Version