Sports

3 Steps to Picking the Right Cruiser Skateboard

September 11, 2018 — by Richard Dawson

Riding a cruiser skateboard to work, school, the mall or the burger joint nearby can be a fun way to get around and get some exercise in the meantime. Why a cruiser skateboard in particular? Well, because you’ll be riding on flat ground for the most part, and cruising decks are the best type for that kind of skating. But which boards are cruiser boards? There are a couple of things you have to consider when buying one – the length of the deck, whether the deck you want should be stiff or flexible, and whether you want the deck to feature a kicktail or not.

First and foremost, when shopping for cruiser skateboards, you need to consider the deck length. Ideally, you want a deck that’s in the 28-46inch length range. You can go for a smaller one, but if you’re a beginner, that’s not advisable. Larger decks provide a more comfortable ride, especially if you’re tall. That being said, you could look at some sizing charts online, or talk to a skateboard store employee, and they’ll probably be able to tell you the ideal board length for your size.

Sports

Steps to Buying the Ideal Skate Shoes

May 28, 2018 — by Richard Dawson

Shoes are one of the staples of the skateboarding culture. In fact, skateboarding has made a particular type of shoes so popular that their popularity has skyrocketed into a couple of different cultures, such as the streetwear culture. But the main reason why skaters use special skating shoes, is simply because they put them through a lot of abuse. The life of the average skate shoe can be brutal, as there are countless stunts which delegate heavy impact on the shoe, and the grip tape constantly grinds away its exterior.

When it comes to buying sneakers skate shoes come in two basic styles (vulcanised and cupsoles) and one of them (cupsoles) leans towards heavier defense against impact when coming down from an aerial, while the other one (vulcanised) offers better board control, allowing you to perform more technical tricks.

Vulcanised skate shoes are similar to casual shoes, as they’re slim, lightweight, flexible and feature thinner soles. All of these properties are ideal for maneuverability and board control when performing technical flip tricks. However, what these boots offer in control, lack in cushioning, so skaters who suffer from constant heel bruising might not be comfortable wearing them.

Cupsoles, on the other hand, are ideal for skaters who prefer flying down stairs and bucking themselves off large drop-offs, and as a result need to protect themselves against severe impact. Bulky shoes with heavily padded tongues and thicker soles provide the much needed cushioning for extra support from the arduous riding style, but sacrifice the maneuverability and control of vulcanised shoes.

When buying sneakers skate shoes offer protection in the form of a heel collar, dual heel cushioning and midsoles. Midsoles are typically lightweight and flexible EVA foam, made of thousands gas bubbles which release on impact then refill when the foot leaves the ground. PU foam is also a popular alternative to EVA, which is heavier and denser, but doesn’t break down as fast as EVA.

A heel collar is the thick padding around the heel which traps the foot in an attempt to prevent losing the shoe when performing tricks. Dual heel cushioning is the extra heel cushion which offers extra heel protection. G2 cushioning is the most common type of dual cushioning on vulcanised shoes, as it offers more impact resistance in thin-soled shoes.

That being said, skate shoes should be durable enough to withstand the abuse you put them through when performing tricks and maneuvers, and they should offer optimum protection for your feet, especially your heels.

Sports

3 Easy Steps to Using Your Bike Power Metre Properly

May 22, 2018 — by Richard Dawson

There is a plethora of useful accessories that you could get and mount on your bike in order to give it a few features it didn’t have and one of the more useful features comes with installing a power meter. All a power meter is a device that is fitted onto the bike in order to be able to tell the power output the rider can generate. It is a strain gauge that calculates the power output by also taking into account the angular velocity. While that might not have cleared much up, you really don’t need the exact science, since all you need to know is how it can change your entire biking experience and how you work out.

Firstly, before you get started, you will need to decide on the exact type of meter you will be using. There are plenty of different road bike power meter types that you can choose from and all of them are essentially capable of the same thing with the major difference being the place on the bike that they are mounted on. For instance, the crank meter is positioned on the crank spider, the pedal one is located in the pedal axel or the pedal body itself, and the chain type is placed…well take a guess. All of these work in slightly or even vastly different ways, but they are all meant to gather data on the amount of torque the rider can put out. So don’t worry much over what type you get.

Next comes the trickier bit that’s little harder than just picking out the right item to buy. If you plan to get some accurate data out of the road bike power meter, then you will have to make a schedule and stick to it as consistently as possible. This means that you will not only have to try and get a consistent time while putting out what you judge to be your best or a base average strength while riding, but also taking a few other factors into consideration. What I mean by different factors is things like how you perform if you haven’t had a full night’s sleep or if you’ve just had an energy drink or a coffee, both of which might affect your output.

Finally, you will want to take your findings and look up the difference between days that you felt good or like you were in top condition and days that you didn’t feel like you were capable of much. These results and their variations can easily let you see what you are capable of, what regiment works for you best and what you would like to achieve next time so that you can set that as your goal.

That’s pretty much it. Strive to continue to improve yourself by trying not to skip too many days of cycling, and just remember not to overexert yourself since that may actually make your results come out worse in the long run.

Furniture Sports

Steps to Buying the Right Exercise Mat for Your New Hobby

February 15, 2018 — by Valeriya Vimon

If you’ve ever sat for a few minutes on a hardwood floor, you know how uncomfortable it can be. So why would you exercise that way, putting pressure on your knees and joints and risking getting a bad injury? Without a doubt, if you’re planning to even stretch out on the floor, you should get a proper exercise mat that will cushion your movements and provide a clean surface for you to lie on. However, not all exercise mats are the same; depending on what you choose you may either help or hurt your workout – and your body. Here are a few steps to ensure you’re buying a good mat that will give you proper support.

Health & Beauty Sports

Simple Steps for Making the Most of a Foam Roller

October 10, 2017 — by Valeriya Vimon

Muscle recovery is an important part of every exercising routine. After each workout you need to make sure your muscles recover properly before you hit the gym again. Beginners are more likely to experience muscle sourness after the first few workouts simply because their bodies are yet to adjust to the workout sessions. However, this can also happen to bodybuilders and professional athletes. They might experience pain in the muscles and limbs when increasing the intensity of their workout or when they expand their routine with more demanding exercises. Muscle pain is the direct result of inflammation within the muscles. When performing any kind of workout, be that weight lifting or running, your muscle fibres break down due to the enhanced pressure they have to endure while doing such an activity. After each workout, the fibres expand and become stronger, so next time they can withstand the exercising pressure better.

Sports

What Makes Pull Buoy a Stepping Stone for Swimmers and Triathletes

August 24, 2017 — by Richard Dawson

A lot of people prefer to stay away from pools this time of the year, but not triathletes. Experienced and aspiring triathletes and swimmers use the off season to get ahead of the curve. For most triathletes, swimming is the biggest nemesis in races. Trying to compete in three disciplines is challenging, so it’s of utmost importance to make sure when an athlete goes in the water, they make the most out of the session.

Sports

3 Steps To a Safe Skateboarding Experience

May 19, 2017 — by Valeriya Vimon

Skateboarders – you can’t just not love them. Everything about skateboarding is so cool, restless and simply awesome. We love their style, their moves, their skateboard decks, their shoes, their adrenaline-filled yet often-times funny youtube videos…that’s why many of us want to become “one of them” so badly.

Although most people that don’t practice skateboarding think of it as a simple hobby, if you ask any skateboarder out there they will tell you that it’s a lot more than that: for them it’s a way of life. And we understand them because, c’mon, have you seen what skateboarding looks like? It breaks boundaries and social rules just to make us rethink our everyday reality and problems.

Skateboarding actually is a creative force that drives fearless people into unknown parts of their souls and that’s why it’s so addictive and powerful. However, with skateboarding it’s not all fun and games. If not done right it can be a really dangerous sport. This is why no matter what you do and no matter how long you’ve been boarding the streets, you have to make sure you always follow some general rules.

Get Skateboard Decks That Suit You

In skateboarding the deck is your life and soul – if you choose the wrong one you’ll be doomed to have a very bad skating experience. This is why when you buy skateboard decks make sure they are made of high-quality materials. Since normally most decks are made of wood, you have to make sure when you buy skateboard decks they are made of durable and quality wood material. Some of the high-quality wood materials include: Canadian maple, plywood, bamboo and birch. Besides the material of the deck, make sure you examine closely the wheels and the bearings.

Don’t Forget About Safety

As I mentioned before, skateboarding can be dangerous. And I know making tricks and boarding down the streets or the boardwalk is super cool and it makes you feel like the ultimate rebel around, but don’t forget that a simple mistake could be fatal for your skateboarding career. So whenever you get on that skateboard make sure you wear a proper helmet and some pads that will keep you safe from injuring your legs and arms.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Skateboarding is all about practice. Don’t forget that even masters were all once beginners. Don’t go too hard on yourself and always remember that by going slowly and patiently the results will be better and quicker.

Sports

3 Steps to Enhancing Your Immune System

April 26, 2017 — by Valeriya Vimon

Even though we in Australia don’t feel the colder months in the year the same way other countries do, thanks to our naturally warm climate, we’re still prone to flues and colds. Trying to maintain a healthy immune system requires a lot of care. One of the best ways to ensure you skip this flu season is by having proper nutrition. This will help you fight infectious illnesses which could be reason enough for you to miss gym sessions and therefore, will keep you from reaching your fitness goals.

In the past few weeks I’ve been hearing and seeing a lot of infections and viruses spreading around the gym. Sniffling, coughing and sneezing are just some of the symptoms that announce flu season, and honestly, if you see someone having them, you should keep your distance. But that’s not always possible in the gym as there are ill people who don’t necessarily show symptoms.

To best prepare for the flu season and successfully avoid getting infected in the gym, take these 3 simple steps: drink a lot of water, take immune support supplements, and don’t overwork your body. Let’s discuss all of these more in-depth.

Immune Support Supplements

There are a couple of immune support supplements you can take to maintain a healthy immune system, with the main ones being antioxidants and supplements made from herbs. Antioxidants preserve and protect the compounds of the body from free radicals (oxygen atoms with 1 electron), which can damage tissues and create health problems. These molecules are linked to diabetes, cataracts, aging and cancer. Out of all the nutrients we can consume, 6 of them offer support for the immune system: vitamins A, C and E, the minerals Zinc, Selenium and Sulphur. Taking enough of all these nutrients on daily basis will definitely help you remain healthy and avoid illness during this infectious season.

Sports

Steps to Becoming a Scuba Diver

April 24, 2017 — by Richard Dawson

Isak Dinesen was right, salt water is the cure for anything. This goes to show why a trip to the ocean can be so therapeutic. Humans and the ocean – an unbreakable bond that has been existing for millennia considering there are many scientific theories showing every living being on this planet originated in the very depths of the ocean. It’s an innate connection if you will, considering water is our source of life, relaxation and enjoyment. Any adventure seeker would tell you water sports have plenty of fun potential when you want to break away from the monotonous daily routine. There are of course those ocean activities that outweigh others in the joy they offer; such is the case with scuba diving.

Sports

3 Steps to Organizing Your Tackle Bag Perfectly

April 20, 2017 — by Valeriya Vimon

Since this year Easter comes a bit later, it gives us yet another reason to impatiently wait for it and enjoy the days off with our family and friends. It’s been a long time since Christmas holidays and we all need a few days to feel jolly yet again.

In my family we have a fun Easter tradition: we all go fishing. The only things that change each year are the river and my cousin Sal’s girlfriends, everything else is practically the same like it was 20 years ago. My mother prepares all things sugary and sweet, my uncle is our barbecue boss (we bake what we catch), my aunts are responsible for the cocktails and my job is to teach all my little cousins how to fish.

So yes, my family is addicted to fishing. However, I’m the only one who cares about the equipment, so I make sure everything stays clean and in order because I’m also the only one who likes to keep the tackle bag perfectly organized. I’ve tried to share some tips with my family on how they can organize their tackle boxes, but they never bother to listen to my suggestions. This is why I decided to share my all-mighty organizing skills with a bunch of strangers on the internet who hopefully will appreciate the effort.

However, before going any further, I need to tell you that every fishing bag should offer enough storage where you can conveniently organize all the stuff. When I bought my most recent soft tackle bag it came with another, smaller bag and they both featured supple plastic webbing for storage for the most frequently used items. The large bag includes 2 X 370 tackle boxes while the smaller one comes with 2 X 360 tackle boxes.

Make Some Room For All the Lures

The first thing I do is separate my lures into two main categories – hard and soft. The soft ones are divided into those fished above bottom (floating warms, frogs, flukes) and those fished on bottom (tubes, warms, lizards).

I classify the hard ones according to depth and profile. For example, a Rapala DT-6 fits the small profile while a DT-16 fits the bigger profile. Depending on the types of lures you’re using, you can separate them by size, action or color.

Get Hooked Up on Hooks

Don’t forget to bring as many hooks with you as you can. Even if you are an experienced fisherman, you still need small hooks. That’s why you can see me carrying a wire hook, a kahle hook or even a thick gauge hook because who knows when big fish all fishermen dream of might appear.

I organize my hooks in small utility boxes dividing them according to their size. Since I love colorful things, I place the small ones (from 5 to 1/0) in a green box and the large ones (from 2/0 to 5/0) in a blue one.

Label It Before It’s Too Late

Although I have perfected organizing my tackle bag, I always want to be 100% sure that in case of emergency, I will be able to grab the right lure or hook. Also, since I take a lot of items with me, it’s easy to forget where exactly I put the floating warms especially if I’m in a hurry. So labeling my tackle and utility boxes is the last thing I do when I prepare my fishing equipment.

Lastly, it’s important to know where you’ll be fishing and what kinds of fish dwell there. That’s why I arrange my tackle bag prior to every fishing trip – my organization method depends on the equipment I take with me.

Sports

Powdered Whey Protein: a Stepping Stone to a Hercules-Like You

March 3, 2017 — by Richard Dawson

I like to think that we live in the golden age of gym supplements, which motivates a lot of young people to start working out and achieve their results faster than they could a couple of years ago. At the forefront of all supplements lies protein, as the single most important and most consumed supplement. But with so many protein powders on the market, it’s a tough decision to pick the right one.

Protein can be viewed as the bricks of the body, and I’m glad more people are finally starting to embrace its power. It helps grow and repair muscles after working out and it undeniably helps the body’s performance, strength and composition. So if you’re looking to get into fitness and work on your body and overall health, the first thing you should do after getting a gym membership is buy powdered whey protein. Why whey protein precisely?

Sports

Steps to Finding the Perfect Exhaust Resonator

February 20, 2017 — by Richard Dawson

Internal combustion engines are known for making a lot of noise while running, which can be very annoying and exhausting to your ears, especially while on long rides. Thus, mufflers were invented to reduce this noise generated by the exhaust system. However, an even newer solution to the unwanted noise is the exhaust resonator, which further reduces the noise by making sound waves that cancel other noises out.

Sports

Steps to Choosing the Adequate Baits for Successful Fishing

February 13, 2017 — by Richard Dawson

Fishing is rightfully considered one of the best hobbies a person can have if it’s relaxation and the chance to catch a hearty meal is what you’re after. Since it’s a kind of philosophy of its own, it takes making it part of your life to be able to truly understand it. The fact it’s beaten the test of time and is still very much popular just proves its effects on people.

Sports

3 Steps to Choosing the Right Skateboard Trucks

January 3, 2017 — by Richard Dawson

There comes a point in every skateboarder’s life when he breaks his beloved skateboard or at least breaks some of its parts. If you haven’t broken the board itself, then you probably won’t have to worry about changing much. The wheels are the part that is most often changed, which makes many skateboarders disregard the fact that they should take care of the skateboard trucks as well. For the newbie skaters who have no idea what these pieces are – the skateboard trucks are the parts which hold the wheels. There are usually two trucks per set up, each one holding two wheels.

Sports

3 Steps to Choosing the Right Fishing Plier

December 7, 2016 — by Richard Dawson

One thing that’s definitely a big deal for devoted fishermen is taking their pliers without asking and on top of it all – using them improperly. I learned that the hard way, after making my dad so mad that he stopped talking to me for a whole week! I couldn’t believe a pair of pliers could be so important to a man. That is, until I started fishing myself and started using different types of pliers to do it as professionally as possible.

Pliers are important for fishermen. We use them for tuning the pull direction, for cutting and crimping and other areas of fishing where a good fishing plier can find its most effective use. So if you’re on the beginning of your fishing adventure, or you haven’t been using pliers and your fishing tactics was everything but easy and enjoyable, go through these three steps on how to choose suitable pliers for your needs.

Highly Important: Structural Integrity in Saltwater

Saltwater can do a lot of damage to metal. If not cleaned from the salt, some types of metal that have been drowned in salt water would be useless after some time, because of the layer of corrosion. Metals corrode rather easy when in salt water, and any blade that has been in it is useless afterwards. You can try to clean it but it simply won’t be the same afterwards. What you can do to prevent this in the first place, is to choose an aluminum fishing plier which as the name says, is made of aluminium. This metal is corrosion-resistant and it’s very easy to machine it since its properties for anodizing it are widely well-known.

Next Thing: Cutters and Jaws

Aluminium is a great metal – very rigid and lightweight. But it’s also soft in composition, which is kind of a disadvantage when it comes to the degree of effectiveness of the jaws. For good, strong and durable jaws, manufacturers of pliers turn to another material: stainless steel. Stainless steel can be heat-treated with as much as 60R (R stands for the Rockwell scale for hardness). That way they can be designed as very effective knife blades and when they’re coated with a Teflon impregnation, the combination results in a very effective blade that doesn’t corrode much.

Finally, Some Comfort

It’s not just to say that you own the pliers and have them in your fishing tool box – you actually need to use them as much as possible, since you bought them to serve you on your fishing adventure. And if you don’t use them, that would normally suggest they aren’t really comfortable to use. Pliers that are comfortable for use have good, strong handles which have two lanyard holes for added security. Also, there would be a spring made of durable material such as stainless steel, and a locking mechanism to provide more safety and protect the pliers from damage. Make sure to choose the right size as this is a crucial factor for comfortably handling the pliers.

Food & Drink Sports

The Road To a Skinny Body is Paved With Right Pills and Food

December 2, 2016 — by Valeriya Vimon

It’s not a secret that everyone who’s ever tried to lose some extra kilos has turned to some type of slimming pills. People want quick and effective results and the products for weight loss say they offer exactly that, but sticking to slimming pills only won’t give you any serious results. I know there are many people that are fed up with dieting and counting the calories of the foods they buy although they get little to no results. If you are one of these people here are a few reasons why you don’t seem to lose weight although you think you do everything right:

First and foremost, you probably like to eat snacks and chocolates secretly and behind everybody’s backs. If you actually stick to a healthy diet you are definitely getting a result in just a few weeks;
You don’t exercise. Burning calories is the key to losing weight and you can’t burn calories sitting on a computer or watching TV all day long. Make a schedule that will help you to find the right time for working out and stick to it. You can’t expect to see the results in a few days of course, but with continuous exercise you won’t just lose weight, you’ll feel energized and happier;
You’re too impatient. You can’t expect a big result on your body only a few days after you’ve started with the new diet and go back to eating junk food just because nothing has improved overnight. Impatience is probably the strongest excuse why people can’t seem to bare a diet and I know it can be really annoying, but keeping up with the schedule you’ve started is a key for losing weight.

But with all the great inventions humankind has come up with all of that can be achieved with the right products for weight loss that won’t cause any bad side effects but will make you feel confident and pleased. If you combine eating exclusively healthy, working out a few times a week and consuming some of the many products for weight loss, you’ll be amazed from the changes. These products normally focus on controlling the appetite and suppressing unnecessary cravings. They will keep your metabolism and energy levels strong during the day and will help you burn the fat easier and faster. The greatest thing about these products is that you can choose from weight loss supplements, fat metabolisers to appetite suppressants and Thermogenics. There’s no right one, they are all good and effective, it just all depends on what you’re looking for in the supplements. Some of the products for weight loss are designed to transport the fat into a cell that will be burned as fuel during exercise others increase the body’s temperature and that way are enabling you to burn calories as heat instead of storing them as fat.

Using the products for weight loss while sticking to a healthy diet and working out will give you perfect results in no time. The most important thing is to listen to your body’s needs, not your crazy taste buds. If you give your body the vitamins and fibers it needs, you’ll forget about junk food and you’ll start enjoying a more comfortable and happy life.

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