So, if you can’t sleep, what can you do to occupy yourself 
during the late night/early morning hours? Well duh, obviously you watch infomercials!
Seems like one of the hottest new crazes I’m seeing lately are Shake Weights.
What the heck is a Shake Weight?
Well, it kinda looks and feels like a small weighted dumbbell. It has a cushioned handle that you can grab with both hands, and has a rubber compression ring next to each bell.
The original 2.5-pound Shake Weight with the white handle was marketed for women. The newer 5-pound Shake Weight for Men has a gray handle and is marketed for men.
The Shake Weight uses two springs and a small weight to generate dynamic inertia. When moved, the weight bounces or vibrates between the two springs to increase muscle activity. Supposedly a piston-like motion sends a shock wave of energy that forces your muscles to contract as many as 240 times a minute.
Website Claims:
• Will increase muscle activity by more than 300% compared to traditional weights
• You get incredible results in just 6 minutes a day
• You can build definition, size and strength in less time than normal weights
• You will get strong sexy sculpted arms – Not really what I’m after 
• It’s 7 times more effective than a dumbbell
Wow, if it will do all of that, I want 2 or 3 of them! But does it really work?
The Good….
• The shake weight is affordable for someone on a limited budget.
• The product has a money back guarantee.
• It’s easy to use and can be used anywhere. One claim is that you can even use it when you’re on vacation. Yeah right, like that’s going to happen!
• It stimulates the muscles.
The Bad….
• One fitness expert that specializes in toning women’s arms says “If you think it’s going to magically melt off your arm fat with only 6 minutes a day, then you will be sorely disappointed.”
• Probably isn’t any more productive than regular weight training, but hey, the shake weight will be an interesting conversation piece to have in your home weight room.
• Very limited weight range compared to dumbbell sets.
• No lower body help at all!
The Ugly…. It probably won’t hurt you to use the Shake Weights, but really folks, how much can you expect to improve in 6 minutes a day?
I can’t believe it’s almost time for Thanksgiving Day again. 
Where did the year go?
I’ve always loved to deep fat fry turkeys. I like the way the outside is crispy while the meat inside is still juicy and oh so tasty.
On the other hand, I’ve always hated deep fat frying turkeys. The mess can be epic and what to do with all that leftover oil?
I was watching a political show on TV the other night and one of my favorite talking heads had a couple of guests that were promoting their new cooking website.
The website is dadgumthatsgood dot com, (Sorry but I prefer not to link off of my site) and the thing that caught my attention was the way that they were cooking a turkey.
They were using a Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer. The indoor part struck me as particularly odd because I’m used to big vats of oil, a 30# tank of propane and a very hot burner.
Anyway, it was all very interesting, so this year I’m going to give it a try. I bought my Butterball turkey cooker at Walmart, but you can get one darn near anywhere.
I paid $100.00 or so for mine and I can’t wait to see what I can do with it.
Here is the Item Description:
Fry turkey indoors the quick and easy with the Butterball Electric Turkey Fryer. Cook delicious, juicy turkeys up to 14 lbs in just a few minutes per pound. This electric turkey fryer features stainless steel construction, a porcelain-coated inner pot, a digital timer and drain valve for easy cleaning.
Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer
Cooks turkeys up to 14 lbs. in only 3-1/2 to 4 minutes per lb.
Adjustable thermostat temperature control
Digital timer
Stainless steel construction
Porcelain-coated inner pot
Cooking basket with drain clip
Drain valve for easy cleaning
Folding lid with window and filter
Electric turkey fryer uses 1/3 less oil than conventional turkey fryers
Countertop safe for indoor use
UL Approved
Model 20010109
I hope this thing works. If it does, there are numerous different recipes for fried foods that I want to try out. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Have you heard the old saying “I have a good memory, it’s just 
really short?”
That describes my memory exactly. If I don’t write myself a note, then there is no chance of my remembering to do something. I came across the following joke and thought it was pretty funny as well as making you think a bit.
Test for Dementia
Below are four (4 ) questions and a bonus question. You have to answer them instantly. You can’t take your time. Answer all of them immediately. OK?
Let’s find out just how clever you really are….
Ready? GO!!!
First Question:
You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?
Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!
Try not to screw up next time. Now answer the second question, but don’t take as much time as you took for the first question, OK?
Second Question: If you overtake the last person, then you are…?
Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST person?
You’re not very good at this, are you?
Third Question: Very tricky arithmetic! Note: This must be done in your head only . Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.
Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000. Now add 10. What is the total?
Scroll down for answer…..
Did you get 5000?
The correct answer is actually 4100.
If you don’t believe it, check it with a calculator! Today is definitely not your day, is it? Maybe you’ll get the last question right…. Maybe.
Fourth Question:
Mary’s father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?
Did you Answer Nunu? NO! Of course it isn’t. Her name is Mary. Read the question again!
Okay, now the bonus round:
A mute person goes into a shop and wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing his teeth he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is done. Next, a blind man comes into the shop who wants to buy a pair of sunglasses; how does HE indicate what he wants?
Answer: He just has to open his mouth and ask… It’s really very simple.
Well darn. I had to use a calculator for the third question. That’s a tricky one, but then I’ve never been the sharpest knife in the drawer!
I’m not advocating the use of adjustable Kettlebells instead of individual bells for any 
reason other than the fact that they are more cost effective and take up much less space than a full set.
If you have the space and the money then a full set of Kettlebells can be a very satisfying sight in your home weight room.
Why would you want to use Kettlebells instead of or in addition to dumbbells?
Kettlebells are incredible versatile because of their size and maneuverability. Being small and very dense, almost any natural movement can be enhanced and turned into a serious exercise.
Everything from swinging your arms, twisting your body and raising your arms over your head becomes a workout when you use a Kettlebell.
One thing that makes Kettlebells so effective is the fact that they are awkward. I mean that in a good way. A typical dumbbell is balanced and regular in shape so a movement with it is much easier to control. Kettlebells are unpredictable. They swing and have momentum! This means that your entire body including both primary and stabilizer muscles benefit from the workout.
There are many different exercises that you can do, but having limited space and time, we’ll just go through a couple of the basic moves to get started.
The Swing – This can be performed with a single hand or both at one time. This exercise will primarily involve your shoulders, thighs and core. This is a compound movement so you need to be conscience of using good form to minimize injury.
To start, squat as low as you can. Maintain proper squat position. Your feet will be shoulder width apart, toes slightly out, a slight curve in your lower back with weight on your heels, chest out, shoulders back, eyes straight ahead.
The kettlebell will be resting between your legs. Grab the bell and, as if in a deadlift, rise up while pushing your hips out. Swing the bell in front of you to about knee high. Return to the starting position without setting the bell on the floor. Swing upwards again to waist high. Return to the position where the Kettlebell is between your legs. Repeat the whole exercise gradually working your way up until the bell is above your head. This should take three or four total swings. Use a smooth coordinated movement.
I consider this to be one repetition. Do as many as you are comfortable with, increasing the reps and using a heavier bell as you progress and become stronger.
Clean and Press – This is very similar to the motion you use with dumbbells. It will seem awkward at first because of the difference in the way the dumbbells and Kettlebells are shaped.
For the clean, start in the swing position. Still pushing with your hips and legs, swing the bell up while keeping your elbow in. As the bell reaches your shoulder, dip your knees and get your elbow underneath the kettlebell. Hold it at your shoulder. From the clean, you can move into the press. Simply push the kettlebell up over your head with your shoulder and slowly lower it. Return to the squat/swing position and repeat.
Kettlebell training is great way to achieve the following results;
• Fat loss and muscle definition
• Improved cardiovascular fitness
• Increased strength
• Flexibility
• Increased explosive power and agility
• Increased tendon and ligament strength
• Injury prevention and rehabilitation
The bottom line is that pound for pound, Kettlebells are an effective and fun alternative to barbells and dumbbells. I suggest you give them a try.
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about how to strengthen 
your hand grip. When I was reading up on the subject, one type of exercise equipment was mentioned over and over again. Kettlebells!
For those of you that don’t know what Kettlebells are, here is a short history lesson.
• Some forms of handled weights for strength training can be traced back thousands of years to the Shaolin Monks of China
• Ancient Greeks are also known to have used some style of Kettlebells in their Olympic training
• In Scotland, farmers began using stones with handles to train for the Highland Games
• In Russia the Kettlebell is called Girya
• Russian history about Kettlebells goes back to about 1704
• A traditional Russian Kettlebell weighed 1 Pood or approximately 35 pounds
• The first kettlebell competition was held in 1948 in Russia.
That’s a pretty diverse history isn’t it? First we start tying handles on rocks and now you can buy really cool adjustable Kettlebells. 
Kettlebells are available in sets or individually and range from 5 pounds up to 105 pounds. Personally the only use I would have for the 105 pound weight would be as an alternative to a bag of sand in the back of my pickup on slick winter roads!
You can also get adjustable Kettlebells and buying these weights are a good cost effective alternative to owning a whole set of individual Kettlebells.
Who can benefit from the use of Kettlebells?
• Both women and men can use Kettlebells effectively
• Older folks – I’m not naming any names here who may have ankle or foot problems and are limited in the amount of cardio they can do will benefit
• Stressed out individuals who would rather not use drugs or alcohol to drown their sorrows will benefit
• Using light Kettlebells are great way to show younger folks how to exercise with weights. The shape makes it much easier for beginners to ‘handle.’
In a few days I’ll write another post on some of the different ways to do Kettlebell exercises.
