Add Equal Parts Land and Sea

Marvelous engineering masks its grueling take on your body.

We’re fascinated with the unique. When a new idea comes along that ingeniously combines multiple product attributes we can’t help but get excited. The Row Bike from Total Body Fitness was dreamed up by the same brain trust that gave us Rollerblades. Approved.

Constructed with a 7001 heat treated aluminum frame the Row Bike provides the same great total body workout of a rowing machine with the freedom of a road bike. A 7-speed Microshift Derailleur offers riders the ability to vary the intensity and the speed of their workouts and provide more comfortable long distance touring and hill climbing abilities.

Personally I skip exercise bikes. You simply don’t burn enough calories only using half your body. A Row Bike workout can burn close to 50% more calories than a stationary bike by engaging the entire body, abdominals included. The Row Bike is a great option for those looking to loose weight, cross train or just want to have some outdoor fun. If you’re having a hard time picturing how this all works check out the video at RowBike.com.

Cost: $1190

Also See: The Expresso Bike | Moots Psychlo-X Road and Cross Bicycle

A Man-tastic Resource for the Holidays

Have you ever wanted to be the guy who gives a kick ass toast at a holiday party? Or perhaps you no longer want to be the dude who can only be trusted to bring chips and dip. Either way, the holiday season is chock full of opportunities to either adroitly impress your peers or commit a faux-pas that will leave them gossiping (a la the Bowers reindeer sweeter scandal of ‘07). Fear not, Newcastle Brown Ale is providing a life-line dubbed The Man-ual.

Besides providing lifesaving tips for navigating the entertaining season, the Man-ual also offers delicious, easy-to-make holiday recipes courtesy of cookbook author and TV cooking personality Sam the Cooking Guy. They even come on perforated recipe cards. We particularly liked the Au Revoir Fondue made with Cabot Cheddar Cheese. The GP test kitchen is still recovering.

Go from “that guy” to “go to guy” this holiday season.

Cost: Complimentary | This November In Your Local Supermarket

Also See: Kansas City Strip Steak|Crate & Barrel Bar Tool Set

21st Century Breadcrumbs

The BackTrack is required directional gear for outdoorsmen and parking-lot goers alike.

Let’s face it. Some people are directionally challenged. Hell, one of the guys here can’t even make it to the golf course, even with a navigation system (Eric: I resent that.). So you can imagine the relief when Bushnell agreed that they’d equip the GP team here with BackTracks and give us the chance to get ourselves lost, and more importantly, un-lost.

Equipped with a high sensitivity SiRF Star III GPS receiver, the BackTrack can store and locate up to three locations. Simply push a button and the BackTrack will remember your current location. Whether it’s finding your car after a football game (post-beer) or hiking back to base camp on your latest excursion, the Backtrack will guide the way. The digital interface even provides distance and directional cues. Throw in a built-in self calibrating digital compass and the BackTrack is now standard issue at GP.

The BackTrack comes in camo, orange, white and even pink… Just in case you’d like to not-so-subtly give your significant other a hint about her aptitude for losing the car at Whole Foods.

Cost: $74

Also See: Colibri Xtreme II High Altitude Lighter | Pelican 2480 ELS Emergency Lighting Station | Osprey Stratos 18 Daypack

Trim The Cost of Shaving

Normally Brian would be the one reviewing grooming products. However, he shaved last week and isn’t due for another this quarter. So I was more than happy to add Men-Ü’s Ultra Concentrate Shave Creme and Facial Moisturizer Lift to my daily regimen.

In each small travel-sized bottle you’ll be equipped with enough product to cover your shaving needs for the next six months (or the rest of Brian’s life). That’s 22¢ a shave. More importantly, we like saving money as much as you, but we only endorse doing so when there’s no sacrifice of performance. Make that twice as important for anything that comes into contact with your face.

The Ultra Concentrate Shave Creme produces a rich lather in just two pumps proving that more is not necessarily better. Shaving products work by lubricating your face directly. It’s what stays in close contact with your skin and beard that matters. Everything else is a waste.

Editor’s Tip: The best shave starts with a light exfoliation and a pre-shave oil.

The Ultra Concentrate Facial Moisturizer Lift contains glycerin and silicones to transfer and bind moisture to your skin. Refreshing mint and menthol provide a great pick-me up in the morning or a wake-up call for your nocturnal endeavors.

Cost: Ultra Concentrate Shave Creme ($17) | Ultra Concentrate Facial Moisturizer Lift ($19)

Around and Around We Go

The Lean Green Arm Flexing Machine

Once upon a time strengthening your forearms meant mindlessly squeezing hand grips. Since you’re not training for Over the Top (you know you’ve seen it) it’s time for a better solution. The Dyna-flex Pro Plus Gyro incorporates gyroscope technology to provide resistance. The harder you work the more resistance the Pro Plus Gyro supplies. In fact, with speeds up to 11,000 rpm the Pro Plus Gyro can supply 30 pounds of torque. Plenty to give your arms a great workout.

Outdated hand grips only work one muscle group. The Pro Plus Gyro can target most muscle groups from your fingers to your shoulders, see video. If you engaged in repetitive motions, like typing, then using the Gyro a few times a day can help combat carpel tunnel. Either way it’s time to evolve your training.

Cost: $33

Finally, a Stationary Bike that Goes Somewhere

I’ll be the first to admit it, grinding away on some piece of exercise equipment can get a little stale. When that happens it’s hard to fully engage in your workouts, and guess what? Your results suffer.

If only you had something to focus on. How about a virtual course complete with competition to pit yourself against?

The Expresso Bike blends the fitness essentials of spinning with an interactive training environment. Over 30 courses, ranging in difficulty from the California Coast to the Peruvian Mountains, provide plenty of scenery. Riders can also simulate the experience of biking outdoors by shifting gears and moving the handlebars to steer. Pedal resistance also adjusts automatically with terrain changes. On top of that you can compete against a pacer, a ghost rider (your previous time) or the guy sitting on the bike next to you. And since it’s all online, race results are uploaded to a central leader board so you can compare your times with the rest of the country.

I’m not a big fan of spinning or stationary cycles; however, I was 45 minutes into my ride before I even realized it. Even more important: I had fun doing it. Remember when getting exercise was fun (playing ball or swimming in the lake)? Expresso Fitness does. If your gym doesn’t have some of these bad boys, get some of your fellow gym members to request them. I used the ones at Crunch on West 83rd St. here in Manhattan (thanks guys). Otherwise take matters into your own hands and set one up at home. I realize it’s a sizeable investment, but that’s a small price to pay for equipment you’ll actually enjoy using.

Cost: $5,145 @ Expresso Fitness