7 Reasons to Consider a Home Gym

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

For people who work out regularly, going to the gym can be tedious. The memberships cost money and (let’s face it) sometimes other gym goers can be downright obnoxious. To make you experience at the gym more enjoyable, you may want to consider a home gym.

Of course, it is daunting to make the space and spend the money on equipment, but it could be worth it for the complete control of your workouts. If going to a gym is getting old, you might want to consider the benefits of working out a little closer to home. Here are 7 reasons investing in a home gym will be worth it in the long run. 

1. Privacy 

If you are someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable working out in front of others, then a home gym is the perfect solution. Just imagine: you can wear whatever you want, grunt as loudly as you want, and use whatever equipment you want without waiting for it. Plus, you never have to worry about being judged by strangers so you may feel more free to try new workouts. You also won’t have to worry about getting unsolicited advice from gym staff, or people who think they’re gym staff. There will never be any worry about embarrassment in the private oasis that is your home gym. 

In your home gym, you will be able to watch your TV shows or listen to your music unencumbered by headphones. You won’t have to take anyone else into consideration when picking the volume of your tunes. So turn up the volume and let the music motivate you. You can even use all the chalk you want without being reprimanded. 

You may even find yourself working out a little harder since you have no one else looking at you and you don’t even need to think about how you look while working out. Additionally, not having to worry about someone taking your machine will help you feel more relaxed and not on edge about other people swooping in. 

Another bonus is that you will never have to think about crowds. Not everyone likes working out surrounded by people and it can be impossible to get the machines you are looking for at peak hours. You can take solace knowing that after work you can go home to a nice empty gym and relieve the stress of a long day, without interruption. 

2. Saving Time

Sometimes the prospect of driving to an over-crowded gym with lackluster equipment can be completely demotivating. However, it is much harder to convince yourself to skip your workout when your “commute” to the gym is about one minute. 

Depending on how far away your gym is, you probably add about 20-30 minutes to your workout just in travel time. That is time you could spend going a little harder on your workout, or even better, just being at home. 

Not only will working out take up less time in general, a home gym allows you to utilize your time more efficiently. In your home gym, it will be so much easier to use the time you have. Only have 20 minutes? You can squeeze in a 20-minute workout since you won’t have to worry about the hassle of traveling to the gym. 

Who wants to battle rush hour traffic just to get in a workout after work? It is so much easier to go straight home and know that you can take your time getting there. You will ultimately be able to spend more time with your family since you will be in your home for your workout. 

Plus, your workouts will be quicker since you will know that the exact equipment you want will be available when you want it. When you’re working out at a commercial gym, the time spent traveling to and from the gym, putting your stuff in lockers, waiting for equipment, and possibly showering can be equal to time actually spent on the gym floor. 

3. Customization

Of course you should always tour a gym before you sign up, but even if you think they have all the equipment you want now, that might not always be the case. As your fitness goals grow and evolve, so will your equipment needs. 

If you take training very seriously and tend to work with only extremely heavy weights, you will be hard pressed to find a gym that carries the weights you want. If you are relatively new to working out, the gym often has a lot of equipment you don’t need, but are paying for anyway. 

When you create a home gym you can customize it to include exactly the equipment that you want. Plus, you get to decide what the time limits are on the cardio equipment. When first starting your home gym you can buy only the equipment that you will use and then only add to it as needed. 

You can also focus exclusively on your interests when designing your home gym. For example, if you like to get your workouts in through dance, most gyms only have dance space available for scheduled classes. So with a home gym, you have the ability to leave some space for a dance floor.

Not only do you customize the equipment available, you also get to customize the space arrangement. You will no longer have to worry about cramped gym floors with no space to put your mats or do your stretches. 

Why would you want to fit your workouts to the gym when you can make the gym fit your workouts. You will no longer have to work with what happens to be available; you get to decide what is available to you. 

4. Maintenance

If you really think about it, sharing gym equipment has the potential to be pretty gross. Some large-scale gyms have upwards of 3,000 members. Just think about how many people are using the same machines as you in a day and then consider how many of those people aren’t wiping it down afterwards. 

A study done by the website Fitrated showed that gym equipment typically has more bacteria than a toilet seat. This study didn’t even take into account the public locker rooms and showers. When you think about how much you are sharing with other people it seems like home gym is better for your health in more ways than one. 

At your home gym you have total control over who is using the equipment and how clean it is. You can have some piece of mind knowing that you can work out during flu season without having to worry about catching something that will knock you out for two weeks.

Additionally, you don’t have to worry about strangers misusing your equipment. At the gym you often have to deal with equipment being out of order, missing weights, or just in bad shape because not everyone knows how to take care of the equipment. When it is just you, the equipment will last longer because it isn’t seeing as much use, and you know it is being used and stored properly. It might seem like a hassle to have to serve as the maintenance staff at your home gym, but it’s better than getting sick and dealing with broken equipment. 

5. Money 

Every commercial gym markets its memberships as affordable, but you still end up spending a significant amount of money on the monthly price of a membership alone. But, if all you are paying is a monthly fee you are lucky. Many gyms are notorious for hidden startup fees, annual fees, random price raising, and cancellation fees. 

Considering that the average gym membership costs between $50-$60 per month, you could be spending upwards of $700 a year on monthly membership fees alone. Even if you go to the gym every single day, this is a big expense on your plate. 

Building up a home gym requires an initial investment but it will pay itself off in the long run. When you’re building a home gym you’re ideally using a space that you already have, such as a basement or a garage. The biggest expense will be the equipment. 

Yes, equipment can get expensive, but you don’t have to go right for the top of the line stuff. You can take your time and search for the best deals you can get so that your home gym fits your budget. You may even start with just a few basic pieces of equipment and then gradually add to your collection as needed. 

If you use a personal trainer at your gym, you can even save some of that money by having someone come to your house instead of using the overpriced trainer at the gym. Having someone who comes to you will allow you to find the trainer who is the perfect fit for your budget and your personality. 

The initial start-up costs may seem daunting but just think about how nice it will be to not have to hand over your money every month to a gym you don’t want to go to. 

6. Convenience 

Clearly a home gym is convenient in terms of saving time on the commute and having more efficient workouts, but there are other surprising conveniences that you might not even think about. A great added bonus of having a home gym is that if you have kids, you can get in a workout while they are in the other room. There is no stress about finding a sitter or getting the kids in the car to take them to the kid’s club. 

This is absolutely essential for busy moms and dads who have trouble finding time for themselves. It can be hard for parents to stay on top of their health; having a home gym makes it a little bit easier. Plus, it will save money on the cost of the kid’s club or babysitters. 

If you happen to have older kids, you can let them use the equipment as well without any extra fees. Therefore, having a home gym turns into a good way to help keep the whole family healthy. If you don’t have kids, you can share your equipment with your significant other or roommates so that no one has to worry about gym memberships. 

Additionally, there is the convenience of not having to worry about weather. If you’re someone who likes to workout outside, a rainstorm can ruin your workout plans. If you have a home gym, you can just hop on your treadmill and get your workout in, no matter what the weather is. 

You also have the convenience of having your whole house at your disposal. So no need to worry about forgetting your shower shoes or weight lifting gloves. You can just run to the other room and grab them. 

7. Enjoyment

If you combine all the aforementioned reasons to consider a home gym, you get an overall more enjoyable and less stressful gym experience. You can train so much better when you don’t have to think about all the things you hate about your big commercial gym that is only interested in your money. It will be much easier to work out if you actually like the environment you are working out in. 

Once you are using your home gym all your excuses will be gone and you’ll have nothing left to focus on but your exercise. Before you know it you will start to see results, and your body and mind will thank you. 

Conclusion

It is easy to make excuses to skip your work out when you don’t like your work out environment. When you build a home gym you are creating a workout environment that is customized to your exact needs so you will really want to work out. There is nothing better than being in complete control of your fitness. 

A home gym eliminates all those extraneous factors that get in the way of your exercise routine. Of course sometimes there are limitations, but you don’t have to think of your home gym as a massive undertaking. It is perfectly okay to start small and then work your way up to the enormous home gym of your dreams. 

Overall, cancelling your gym membership and taking your workouts to your home will give you unprecedented freedom to make your fitness experience completely your own. Why try to fit your workouts to someone else’s mold, when you can control for every aspect of your experience to get exactly the right workout for you?

RECOMMENDED STORY: Tech Gadgets That Will Take Your Workout to the Next Level

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How to Change Your IPhone Wallpaper

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

IPhone is a palmtop smartphone which has combined the camera phone, personal digital assistant, and media player and wireless communication equipment. It was published by Steve Jobs in Mac world on January 9th in 2007 and listed on the stock market on June 29th in 2007.

IPhone is a 4 frequency channels GSM mobile phone. It supports EDGE and 802.11 b/g wireless Internet access, and also supports email, mobile phone, SMS, Internet and other wireless communication services. At 6 p.m. of June 29, 2007, the first generation of iPhone was published in USA. On July 11, 2008, iPhone 3G was published by Apple Inc. At 1 a.m. of June 8, 2010, Jobs introduced iPhone 4. Then on October 5, 2011, iPhone 4S was released. And In the morning of September 12th, 2012, iPhone 5 was published.

ITunes is an application program of digital media player. It's a free application program available for Mac and PC users. On it, you can manage and play your digital music and videos. It was launched by Apple Inc. on January 10th, 2001 at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. It can automatically download your purchased software applications on all your devices and computers. It is also your virtual store which can meet all your entertainment needs at anytime and anywhere.

ITunes can manage the content of digital media player on the popular Apple computer, iPod, iPhone and so on through an interface. Additionally, iTunes can be connected to the iTunes Store to download the purchased digital music, music videos, TV shows, iPod games, all kinds of Podcasts and films.

You can do many things with iPhone and iTunes. Now some fresh iPhone users still don’t know how to change iPhone wallpapers with iTunes. So today I will explain how to do it with iTunes. The steps are very easy.

1. Download a wallpaper. Then put it in a new folder on the desktop.

2. Connect your iPhone to computer. Then run the iTunes. Select your device on the left menu bar. Then click on the Photo option which is on the top of the right interface.

3. Check the Sync Photo and Selected folder options. Then click Select folder on the drop-down menu and select the new folder in which you put the wallpaper in the pops up dialog window.

4. Click Apply to start Sync.

5. When the above steps finished, this wallpaper is on your iPhone. Then please go to the home screen and click on Setting, choose Brightness & Wallpaper.

6. In the Brightness & Wallpaper, tap on Wallpaper.

7. Then you will see all the photos in your iPhone. Select the photo you download just now and click Set.

8. Then you will be remained to Set Lock Screen, Set Home Screen or Set Both. You can choose anyone of them.

9. Now your iPhone wallpaper is changed.

Please be careful when you synchronize photos with iTunes as photos always get lost easily under such operations.

READ ALSO: 8 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 5c

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Do Windows 8.1 Screenshots Prove Return of the Famous Start Button?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Most people thought they would never see the Windows “Start” button again. However, recent Windows 8.1 update confirmed that Microsoft placed it back where it belongs. 

Users are thrilled to have the start button back, but we are still waiting for further feedback on how the start button affects the Windows 8 performance.

So What Will It Be?

According to Paul Thurrot's SuperSite For Windows, The Windows 8 start button really will be what people expect it to be. When people update, they won't be able to miss it. The color appears to have changed, but it's still the familiar Start button. 

Oh, but there's more about the color: Apparently when a user hovers over the Start button it changes colors. Thurrott, the man who had access to the Milestone Preview of 8.1, says it changes to a black background and accent color used on the flag logo. This Start button closely resembles the Start Charm. 

Other (Hopefully) Welcome Changes

Most Windows 8.1 users indicate that additional features such as the ability to boot up the computer straight to the desktop and bypass the “Metro-Style Windows 8 home screen” are also a long-awaited welcomed feature. Furthermore, little things like being able to replace the desktop wallpaper make them feel at home again.

Overall, Windows 8.1 was designed with customization in mind. Reports state that Microsoft intends to make it so anyone who uses this OS is able is to conform it to their wishes. This operating system is supposed to work for everyone. 

The “Blue” Preview

The Microsoft Build Conference took place from June 26th to June 28th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Microsoft offered current Windows 8 users a free 8.1 upgrade on the first day of this weekend conference. 

With an already cramped event, they later announced that they were able to offer even more tickets for sale. This event was in high demand for future developers who plan to shape the future of Windows and help create new programs. Microsoft scheduled several sessions run by some of the top people in the industry to offer their training. 

However, one of the main reasons people wanted to attend is for the sneak peak at Windows 8.1. Every single day that passed causes people to anxiously await the “real deal.” Just about any developer that was able to attend wanted to be here for this debut, and learning experience.

YOU MIGHT LIKE: The Battle between Windows, Chromebook and Mac

As far as the Start button is concerned, the Build Conference was the true revelation for current and future Windows users. Attendees walked away feeling like they understood an exclusive part of the Windows OS that no one had ever caught a glimpse of before. 

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5 Cool Things You Can Do With The Leading Video Editing Software Programs

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

What's up? There are some five cool things that you can do with the leading video editing software programs. These are things that can, in the final analysis, make your video productions look more professional. 

We will be examining the said ‘five cool things’ with the objective of understanding their import. We will also be looking at ways in which you can do these ‘five cool things’ using the best tools that are available in the market. Without further ado, the five things that you can do include:

1. Adding video titles and credits: this is very important, because generally speaking, a video without any titles or credits doesn’t look professional at all. So adding the said video titles and credits is one of the things you need to do, in order to make your video productions look professional. Now the way most video editor software programs operate is such that they tend to have tools for adding text to the video graphics. Those are the tools you use to add the said titles and credits where appropriate. Use of the said text tools is typically one of the first things that you get to learn when taking a formal course or informally reading through a tutorial on how to edit videos.

2. Managing sounds: there are many things you can do in this regard. You can, for instance, get rid of background noises that were present at the location where the video was shot. You can also get to add voice-overs and even music (like sound tracks) to your video productions, thus making them fully professional. Most of the video editor software programs have facilities you can make use of with relative ease to add sounds, or get rid of unwanted sounds (the latter being a process referred to as de-noising). 

3. Managing colors: often, in the course of video production, you come to realize that there is a need to change the hues or color saturation of specific scenes. You may also come to learn that you have to do something about the contrast or the brightness of certain scenes. All these are things that would be virtually impossible to do, without the help of video editor software programs. But they are things you can do, in just a few clicks, if you enlist the help of the best video editors (which tend to have main menus dedicated to the aspect of color management).

4. Adding transitions: the transitions we are making reference to here are those that are observed as the change/movement is made from one scene to the next one in a video recording. Most of the modern video editors have main menus bringing together all the tools you need for this aspect of production. And when learning how to edit videos, the issue of adding transitions is typically one of the first things you learn. 

5. Getting rid of unwanted bits: in the course of shooting videos, you almost always end up with unwanted bits (which are captured in the initial recording, but which are not supposed to appear in the final production). Video editor programs make it possible for you to get rid of such bits - typically through the use of trimming and cropping functions.

SEE ALSO: The Future Landscape of Software Development

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Office 15-Minute Webinar - How to Set Margins in Word

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Setting margins in Word is key to creating clean, readable content, actually it's easy when you know where to look. You can change the margins any time during the writing process and for a variety of reasons. 

In this webinar, we'll show you how to set and change margins in Word, as well as how to set different margins on different pages of your document. Plus, you'll learn some power user tips for working with margins.

Whether you're perfecting your margins for a school paper or honing your resume, you can easily complete the task by following the steps mentioned on the video.

Get the references and links for this Office Webinar and discover more on our E-Book. Need more tutorials? We'd love to help. Get on the list for free email updates or get the RSS feed now!

*by andreascy*

5 Top Tech Toys For Your Car

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Dogs and technical car gadgets are a man's best friend. There's something about a man and his ride. But, after he obtains this favorite wheels, he must have his technical toys to use along with it.

Actually the truth is that a lot of car tech toys are pretty practical and savvy for today's rising technology. Who says they are only for men? Women love these gadgets too. Let's examine the 5 top tech toys for your car. 

Stereo equipment 

Today just the men are switching to digital audio especially during the car ride. Because of the Bluetooth, more audio manufacturers are changing from the standard input receivers for USB inputs and iPod connections. Moreover, the needs for custom stereo equipment setups are sought after. 

In North America, auto manufacturers are forced to offer a higher quality stereo system with their car sells. They can range in price from $20K to over $200K allowing men or any consumer to make a satisfactory purchase under any budget level. From this wide range of price tags, auto stereo equipment brands can include names such as Pioneer, Alpine, Bose Media or 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound System, Harmon Kardan, THX or Rockford Fosgate Audio System. Any of these and others offer some of the top quality sounds for your car. 

Rims 

There is no doubt about it that a nice rim will always make your car look good. Rims for your car are like a woman putting on a sexy new dress. It just makes all the difference because it's the first thing your eyes notice. If you ask any average male about the selection of rims for his ride, you will get many different answers from many different styles and vehicles. There are literally hundreds of custom rims to choose from at every price range. 

Security 

Security is another essential cost to protect the thousands of dollars you've put into your car especially once you've gotten it all together with the custom rims. Sure there is insurance to cover your lost, but once your car is gone it's gone along with all the money you've put into it. Not to mention all the frustration, waste of time and energy to replace it. 

Therefore, why not invest in a good security system for car. Since, car thefts are increasing depending on the city, vehicle or area of the country your car is parked in, will remain an issue of concern. Some top of the line auto security systems include OnStar, LoJack and even DNA recognition security systems are upcoming for the future. 

Plantronics K100 

The Plantronics K100 is a great tool because it works along with your iPod, Blackberry or cell phone. This cool device operates by broadcasting your calls, has GPS navigation for directing you to the boss's house from anywhere. It also plays your favorite playlists from your cell phone all while you're driving down the highway. The best part is that once you arrive at your destination, you can pocket this toy, take it with you and continue listening to your favorites songs without missing a tune. 

The Powercup 

The Powercup is too cool and very practical. Actually it looks like a white coffee cup with the Starbucks logo on it, but it is an inverter power outlet source. It provides you with two additional 120 volt outlets that are powered by your car's lighter outlet. Since we can never go wrong with another outlet to plug in our tech car toys like the Plantronics K100, cell phone charger, iPod and other upcoming gadgets, it just makes good sense. The Powercup is good for up to 400 watts of continuous power for continuous tech toy enjoyment. So you will have the look of two coffee cups in your cup holder while you drive into work without even giving anyone a second glance.

DON'T MISS: Cars Of Tomorrow - 3 Technological Advances That Will Change Driving

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Meet LiveBird: A Beautiful New Look & Concept for Twitter

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Hello fellow Twitter user! Twitter's current design isn't bad and the essential structure hasn’t really radically altered over the years. Sure, it can be slow and can sometimes not work at all, but when it does work it works very well. It was meant to be kept minimal and clean so that users can easily browse the site. 

Everyone has an idea of what it should look like. Some people take it even further and actually mock up some concepts. Our friend Wilfried Andral came up with LiveBird (Twitter Modern UI), a redesigned concept for the social media giant which blows it out of the water. His own vision of what Twitter should look like. 

In order to provide a more engaging experience, he redesigned a lot of the main pages you would see when you browse the site, including the login screen, profile page and others. He also featured our profile and we want to thank him for this! So what are we waiting for? Let's check it out.

1. Welcome to Twitter

2. Loading Account

3. Profile - Main Menu

4. Profile - Tweets & Account Menu

5. Follower's Profile & Tweets

6. Connect - Interactions

7. Discover Tweets

8. Search Results

9. Settings - Profile

10. Home

11. Settings - Theme

12. Profile Tweets

13. Profile Following

14. Profile Followers

15. Favorites

16. Lists

17. Recent Pictures

18. Status View

19. Profile - Pictures View

The concept looks nice and organized. Kind of Windows 8 with very clean and focused content, It makes actually the current design look outdated.  

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*by andreascy*

Get Windows 8 RTM Startscreen SDK for XP, Vista and 7

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

We have seen many transformations to the Windows Operating System, and each one has its own beauty and impresses with its own applications. 

Microsoft as we all know, has released Windows 8 RTM (Build 9200), with lots of new features, GUI changes and interesting enhancements including Boot & Login screen, Start menu, Ribbon in Explorer, Metro Theme & Apps etc. You can take a look at all these new features in this detailed review.

If you are still using Windows XP, Vista, 7 or even older Windows 8 versions, and you don't want to install this latest OS, but still want to enjoy some of the new features, here are the interesting news for you: 

Our friend PeterRollar, who is well known for his amazing and famous Windows transformations, released "Windows 8 RTM Startscreen SDK" that you will definitely enjoy.

It's about time to bring this new Windows feeling to your old and perhaps boring OS and desktop. All this with the help of AveDesk 1.3, an application which makes desktop prettier and more usable. As you can see in the above screenshots, the change looks very close to Windows 8 RTM, so Peter has made a great work with his skills, that might worth your attention.

"This is probably the most complete and most similar transformation from older Windows to Windows 8 you can find in the web."

Why SDK (Self-Development Kit)?

"Because you can use it as it is, or modify it to your likings. Build your own personal startscreen if you want."

Windows 8 Versions already included in the pack:

- Developer preview

- Consumer preview

- Release preview

- RTM

*Basic knowledge of manual customization needed. 

So what are you waiting for? Check it out and let us know what you think. Share this post with your friends and help them and others, to have some fun too. 
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