Christmas/Black Friday Gift Ideas plus two new At-Home Kettlebell Workouts

I know, Christmas time isn’t the best time of year to be thinking about fitness (that comes the following week). But since Black Friday is today and everyone and their mother has a Black Friday special offer, I thought I would throw in my 2 cents on some of the fitness products out there. There’s an inclination to impulse buy on a day like today and have buyers remorse after.

So in this blog, we will be going through what I have found useful over the past year and what’s just a gimmick that you will never use.

Most of these products are either from my own experience over the past year or friends recommendations. So you won’t be getting a great sports bra recommendation from me. Do they make Air Jordan… never mind

Note: Full disclaimer except for a small sum through Amazon Affiliates (and at zero cost to you) on the AMAZON PRODUCTS ONLY. I get no money or was pushed to promote any of these products. Each product/company mentioned was chosen because I had used it before and enjoyed the product/service. Those that I haven’t enjoyed simply don’t get mentioned because bashing people/services is not what this post is about. I’m no “influencer” but maybe some of the products I have used over the past year might help someone reading this.

Fitness Trackers

I have talked a lot about Fitness trackers being very inaccurate when it comes to counting calories. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think they are useful. When I got the Fitbit Charge 3, I found the tracking my activity very useful. It made me more mindful in the number of hours of sleep I got and that I needed to change my sleeping habits if I was to get 7 hours of sleep most nights. It is frustrating, however, if you keep monitoring the heart rate while doing resistance training. There were times I was sprinting through the prowler, nearly out of breath, and the heart rate barely had me over 133bpm and in the cardio zone. If you are a swimmer, you won’t be able to monitor a heart rate at all. If you want a little more accountability in your training and sleep, it can be a useful tool. Just don’t rely on it for catching up on your calories if you are syncing it with MyFitnessPal.

Fitbit Charge 3 - Amazon: Price £79.99 (€93.74)

If you are interested in a fitness tracker, I have heard nothing but bad things from those that have gotten cheaper trackers. However, If you are doing triathlons or Ironmans, you may find a Garmin more useful. They can offer full training plans and track when your body needs to recover. They also help you with doing training blocks and staying in different heart rate training zones. This helps you keep to a certain pace for easy/hard training days where as a Fitbit will just tell you your heart rate number. I’m not sure of the association between Garmin and IronMans but I have noticed the correlation between those that have a Garmin and competed in one. They swear by them. I have personally never used one. And you are paying more for an entry level Garmin such as the one below. I would definitely defer to someone who has done an Ironman before making a decision on which one to invest in.

Garmin Forerunner 735XT GPS Multisport and Running Watch, Black/Grey - Amazon Price £149.99 (€175.85)

Kettlebells

If you are training at home, I think you can get more out of kettlebells, rather than dumbbells. Mainly due to the kettlebell swings and making the exercises more explosive as well as having an element of HIIT training to them. You can do this with dumbbells but getting the right sizes for dumbbells is a lot more tricker than Kettlebells. You definitely need more than one set of Dumbbells. Where as you could get away with a single Kettlebell.

The question becomes what size Kettlebell to get. That completely depends on your fitness levels and budget for fitness equipment. I will say that if you are looking for a kettlebell over 10kg, definitely invest in a cast-iron one. They are smaller and more comfortable to hold. The vinyl, plastic ones are HUGE! It’s easier to on your groin riding a horse than it is to swing (surprisingly, I would know!

I would get a Kettlebell anywhere between 6kg and 20 kg.

Ok, that’s a vast range, so I’ll help narrow it down. If you enjoy doing kettlebells and short intensive bursts, I would say the minimum weight you should aim for is 12kg. With that, you should be able to do challenging swings and goblet squats. Over time, you will need to add more reps. 

The problem with a heavier kettlebell is that you will find it much harder to do single-arm exercises, particularly overhead pressing and rows. The below table is an estimate and based on the exercises in the following two kettlebell workouts:

I have two types of Kettlebell workouts below for the 12kg plus workout and 12kg and under:

Kettlebell HIIT Workout (Examples of Exercises using a Heavier Kettlebell):

Kettlebell Strength Workout (Examples of Exercises using a Lighter Kettlebell):

Whichever workout looks more enjoyable(?) to you, probably get a kettlebell in that range. 

Alternatively, if you did get a lighter kettlebell, you could get two for front squats and still have overhead pressing and rows? I think I just complicated things.

Amazon Kettlebells Range - Amazon Price Range Varies on Sizes

The prices on Amazon are similar to that on Argos so, unless you have a Prime account, you’re probably best to go with Amazon. For 10kg and under, you will get away with using the vinyl Kettlebells.

Full selection of Argos Kettlebells HERE

From time to time, Lidl also does Kettlebells from 6kg to 14kg. I think the 14kg is a little too bulky personally, but you find it’s ok!

Ninja blender

This one entirely depends on your nutrition habits. Lately, I have been using the Ninja Blender a lot more (to be honest, was left behind from a friend when I was house sharing) and I use it to stop me from snacking on crap. Along with some frozen fruit (fresh may be better but not when it’s gone off from lack of times I use it) and a banana I usually add a bit of protein powder as well. I would use discountsupplements.ie for my protein - and pick up the big 2.2 litre bottle if you are getting supplements through them. That will guarantee that you get your water consumption in. . 

Ninja Blender - Amazon Price £69.00 (€80.90)

In regards to using supplements, I’m personally a fan of Optimum Nutrition’s Whey Protein. Chocolate Mint is a safe flavour, but I also love the French Vanilla Creme as it tastes really nice on its own and with smoothies (plus it has a certain je ne sais qua).

Headphones

You won’t like my playlists so I won’t push them onto you. I find music for working out is very subjective, especially running music. I could zone out while listening to 80s rock tracks on a run and forget what’s being played. That being said, I would definitely notice it if I hadn’t any music at all!. As much as I would love to be sporting a pair of Rock headphones (or their Under Armour equivalent), I can’t justify paying the cost. I find Sennheiser have great quality headphones and sound for less than half the price. The ones I personally use are the Sennheiser 4.40HD. I never have an issue using them in the gym. Even though they are over-ear headphones, they’re very comfortable to wear, even when running. The battery life is excellent. 25 hours. I charge them once every few weeks and I would use them quite a bit. The sound quality is great, and when you have them on, those near you can’t hear the music. And they have a mic which has lead to me answering the phone a few times (friends are getting to use to bypassing my iPhone ‘Do Not Disturb’ setting) and shouting through the Phoenix Park!

Sennheiser 4.40HD - Amazon Price £75.02 (€87.95)

They’re not noise-cancelling headphones, but that doesn’t bother me at all. You can pay extra for the noise-cancelling upgrade:

Sennheiser 4.50HD - Amazon Price £115.55 (€135.47)

Personally, I don’t think that the price jump is worth it for true noise cancelling. The 4.40HD are perfect for me (I’m even using them now as I type this blog!)

If you’re looking for headphones just for running, there are cheaper options again on Amazon that I have also used including the Mpow wireless headphones

Mpow Wireless Headphones Bluetooth - Amazon Price £13.93 (€16.33)

The sound seems pretty decent to me for running. Although I’m no expert with the sound, I had no problems with them. Pretty easy to sync up to the phone and go. And they have a mic for phone calls too which I have had no issue with either. I think they’re a bargain at that price personally if you don’t want to spend big on headphones and have a pain with the wired option.

Action Day Planner

Ok, this seems pretty excessive for a notepad. But it is something I use to schedule my day and goals every week. And it is great for scheduling our workout in. When I don’t schedule the workout in, it is very easy just to skip over it or put it off till later. Usually, when I put it off, it doesn’t get done! This is the exact planner I use but if you’re looking to focus on your fitness now, or in 2020, physically writing down your goals and exactly when you train will help keep you on track. 

Action Day Planner - £23.99 (€28.13)

Ok, I know I use the planner every week and have gotten value for money on it… but I still can’t believe I paid nearly €30 for a notepad. I hope my Dad isn’t reading this!

Running Socks

Ok, I know I said at the start of this blog that I couldn’t recommend clothing. As much as I love my Jordans, not much benefit for running. But, if running is a goal of yours in 2020, I ran this year’s Dublin marathon using Steigen socks and had zero issues with my feet. I would usually suffer pretty badly with them but not this year. I picked up a pair at the Expo, but you can get a pair on The RunHub, or a greater selection on Steigen’s website: https://www.steigen.com.au/shop/page/2/ .

I couldn’t resist the Rocky IV style American ones for my run. But there’s also Ireland ones and different Marvel characters as well. Might be a nice, ahem, stocking filler for someone!

Running Shoes

Speaking of The RunHub, I bought my running runners through them as well. But we all run differently so you are best off going into the shop and seeing what suits your feet the best for running. I wear the Hoka One One because when I did the gait analysis, my calves were pretty tight and they have a higher heel lift. Might not be suitable for everyone’s running style. Unless you definitely know the type of runner that suits the person best, I wouldn’t purchase running shoes for anyone.

There are some other great offers on resistance bands, fit balls and ab wheels. But I can’t recommend them as I haven’t used them. I find resistance bands can be great but are you really going to use them daily at home? And the other fitness equipment is just going to be left around the house. At least with the kettlebell, you can get a full workout in 20 minutes, and it’s not going to take up much space at all. The other possible exception to the kettlebell would be a foam roller. They are much dearer, but I am a fan of the back baller. By far the easiest type f foam roller I have used. Great for loosening out, especially a few minutes before a run and for 10 minutes after your workout too. But if you’re looking to use it relieve long term muscle pain, there’s no research to suggest that a foam roller is effective. You are better off going to a physio.

It’s a short list but hopefully, there is food for thought here. Once again, except for the Amazon Affiliates link, I get absolutely nothing from the products and businesses I have plugged here. If nothing else, maybe this list gave you a little bit of inspiration for getting your fitness back on track for 2020. However, 2020 is still a good few weeks away. What’s stopping you from starting your fitness journey today?

How may you ask? 

I’ve been posting a lot lately about moving more now for your physical and mental health along with increased energy and mood. And what better way to do that than signing up for a FREE Advent Challenge! 

Coach Sean Advent Christmas Challenge 2019 is designed for all fitness levels to get people moving in December. Dedicate a small part fo your day, every weekday in December leading up to Christmas with a new follow-along workout.

The aim of the Advent Challenge is to move more and be more active. The workouts will be short. For some, they’ll be great for getting a head start with their fitness. You could do them for 2-3 rounds and get decent at home workout for the day. For others, they could be an intense warm up before a run or gym session. They’re there for motivation to move!

All workouts will be available on my Facebook and YouTube pages.

But for those that want a little more of a Challenge in December, and build an even bigger foundation for 2020, there are also two 3-week mini programmes to help with your motivation throughout the month of December as well!

The first one is my Santa Shredded 3 Week Mini Programme. With HIIT and gym workouts, you’ll work up a sweat and get that “toned” effect with the exercises.

The second option is the Merry FitMASS 3 Week Mini Programme. Get a 3 week Muscle building programme and use those extra calories over December to your advantage!

The idea behind the challenges is not for a full transformation. That’s not realistically going to happen over 3 weeks. But you will get results and develop consistency. You’ll feel more energised and start to develop a strong foundation to aim even higher for your goals in 2020.

So if either of the two mini challenges interests you, sign up to the always free newsletter HERE.

Along with the 3 Week Mini Programmes, you also get free weekly advice and tips on the latest in Health & Fitness every Sunday afternoon. End every weekend right and set yourself up for success mentally, with the Coach Seán Weekly Newsletter

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER AND THE CHALLENGES TODAY

Let’s get ready to finish 2019 STRONG! Sign up to the Weekly Newsletter to get the programmes and help with your motivation and keep an eye on my Facebook & YouTube pages for the Advent Challenge starting this Monday, December 2nd!

#LetsGoGetEmAgain