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Coming soon! Reviews of Patrick Goudeau's Hard Work Conditioning 1 & 2, Michelle Dozois' new Peak 10 workouts, and more…
Equipment needed: none
Level: Advanced
Bottom line: This workout from the Insanity Deluxe series deserves its own standalone review because it is ridiculously fun and challenging without being dreadworthy- I expect that it will be a regular fixture in my rotation.
Equipment needed: none
Level: Advanced, but easily modified to intermediate- modifiers are shown on screen
Bottom line: True Tabata-style interval training makes for a workout guaranteed to reduce any exerciser to a puddle of sweat by the end… of the first four minutes. Don't worry, you only have seven more drills after that.
I love this thing.
To say that I am an avid user of my original Gymboss Timer is a gross understatement, as you know if you follow my blog. My Gymboss is regularly subjected to being tossed into my backpack when I travel, drenched in sweat, jarred by various high impact exercises, dropped, hit by my sandbag or my pullup bar and just all around being abused. I use it at least 4 times a week for circuit training/HiiT workouts- making it my most-used piece of fitness equipment ever. One of the things that's always bothered me about it, though, is that it can only be programmed to time one or two intervals. Since one of my favorite formats is 60 seconds/10 seconds x 4 then 30 seconds rest, this meant that I have always needed to fumble with it and pause it to get the timing right. So when I heard that Gymboss had come out with a new timer, the Gymboss Max, that was capable of complex intervals, I had to have it.
Appearance and Feel
I got mine in yellow. The non-slip coating is similar to the second generation of the original (which I do not have). The Gymboss Max is around the same weight as the original Gymboss, but it is slightly shorter and thicker. The belt clip is the same size. The screen is smaller, but lo and behold, it is back lit when using the controls for those of us who like to exercise in the dark (the back light turns off after a few seconds to conserve battery and can be reactivated by pressing any button). It feels just as durable as the original. Both use one AAA battery, although my guess is that the Max will have a shorter battery life because of the back light. The Start button is in the same place, but the other controls are on the front of the timer rather than the top. I'm not crazy about this design change because the placement of the original buttons meant I never accidentally hit them while working out, but like the original's buttons, the Max's buttons do need to be depressed in order to be activated, so I don't think there's a big chance of accidentally changing the controls.
Functionality
Hallelujah! Not only can you manually program up to 25 intervals (and then have them repeat up to 99 times), you can also have portions of your intervals repeat.
For example, my favorite format:
60 seconds/10 seconds x 4
30 seconds x 1
Repeat this interval x 10
But you can also get more creative. For example, say you wanted to do one round of speed drills and then 3 additional rounds of strength training:
20 seconds/10 seconds x 3
10 seconds x 1
60 seconds/10 seconds x 3
30 seconds x 1
Repeat this interval x 8
Or say you wanted to do a more complex workouts, like some of the ones Zuzana posts on BodyRock:
40 seconds/20 seconds x 10
6 minutes x 1
Repeat Interval #1 x 2
60 seconds/10 seconds x 10
4 minutes
Repeat Interval #2 x 1
Repeat whole thing x 4
You get the picture- the possibilities are practically limitless. You can also select simple 1 or 2 interval timers from the menu if you don't want to mess with the complex intervals.
Finally, and possibly best of all, you get memories in which to save your favorite programs. Gymboss says that you get 15 memories but actually there are only 5 memories in mine. I will be writing to Gymboss to find out if this is just a quirk in mine or if the 15 was a misprint. Regardless, I doubt most of us would be changing workout formats so frequently that 5 programs would be a significant limitation.
Other Features
The Gymboss Max has a shorter learning curve than the original, which took me some time to figure out, because it has a nice menu feature. I didn't even need to read the Max's instructions prior to programming it. You can also scroll back and change options if you make a mistake, which you could not do in the original (you'd have to finish selecting all your options and then start over).
The only thing I don't like about the new menu is that you actually have to scroll through several screens to turn the timer off. I liked being able to press and hold a single button on my original Gymboss to turn it off. ETA: The Max does turn off on its own if left idle (not timing) for a few minutes.
The beep sounds on the Gymboss Max are significantly quieter than those in the original, so if that's a concern, consider getting another model. I like to work out with loud music so I've been using the vibrate function anyway. The vibration is just as strong as in the original.
Also, the Gymboss Max features a stopwatch, which my original Gymboss does not have (but the second generation original does).
So, do you need this?
Frills aside, the only reason that I'd recommend the Max over the original is for the complex interval function. This is going to provide me with much more freedom with my circuit workouts and will allow me to build drills and mini circuits into my circuit workouts. However, if you're looking for an interval timer for HiiT workouts in which you only need 2 intervals, or circuit workouts in which you only need 1 TYPE of interval, you really don't need to spend the extra $10. In fact, the simplicity of the original makes it preferable. I like the one button and GO functionality of the original, whereas you have to mess with a menu with the Max. Then again, when you turn off the Max, it does save the last interval that you were on regardless of whether you saved it to the programs, so if you're going to be using the same interval multiple times, it's not that much more hassle.
And, a note on customer service…
I have not had trouble with either of my timers so I have not needed customer service, but their shipping is LIGHTNING fast- I had a tracking number within 24 hours and the timer in two days.
To purchase one of your own, visit Gymboss.
Equipment needed: several sets of dumbbells (mine ranged from 5-12 pounds; you probably need at least one light and one heavy pair)
Level: Intermediate/advanced depending on the dumbbells used
Bottom line: This unusual functional training workout primarily uses dumbbells swung with momentum to simulate kettlebell training as well as several other types of full-body exercises, but while it recruits muscles in the entire body, I felt a little shortchanged on the upper body work.
Equipment needed: step for the first 30 minutes, then no equipment needed
Level: Intermediate/advanced
Bottom line: This cardio workout contains a very wide variety of exercises, helping it move along quickly. The moves are straightforward and no-nonsense, making it a solid workout that gets the job done for a range of levels.