Sports Archives - The Free Financial Advisor

Todd is the co-founder and content manager at Fearless Men, a blog on Manliness that inspires men to grow strong, get fit, be wise, kick fear in the face and become a better man.

There’s no way to count how many pieces of athletic equipment are out there. They claim to burn fat, build muscle, and to make Chuck Norris appear in your bedroom. Or Sofia Vergara. Whoever you prefer.

Working out can be expensive. Whether you’re going to an expensive gym or buying paint buckets of protein powder, it’s a realm that you can easily blow cash on. Not that your health, wellness and nutrition don’t deserve the absolute best—that doesn’t mean that the best equals the most expensive.

For the anti-gym rat, the person who wants to build body strength and burn fat at home, here’s a comprehensive list on saving money on athletic equipment.

1. Free Weights, Bar Bells and Benches

If you’re allergic to the gym but want to gain muscle in a traditional manner (weightlifting) it’s hard not to lower the cost. Generally free weights equate to a cost of one dollar per pound. So if you want a pair of 25 pound dumbbells, you’ll need to spend $50. Two 50 pound dumbbells? Another $100. If you want to buy all the increments in between, you’re talking about spending mad cash.

Deals on this front can be found, but trust me, they will be quick and competitive.

Where you can save is the previously aspiring weekend warrior that bought a nice bench press set and weights to slap on it. Once they’ve used it three times it often then slowly gains a collection of dust for months or even years. That’s when you can find a good garage sale or Craigslist list deal if you can haul it away with a truck.

2. Treadmills, Ellipticals and Stationary Bikes

These megaton beasts will break a man or woman’s back, and their wallet.

If you prefer hitting the revolving pavement rather than braving the outdoor elements, purchasing a treadmill or elliptical machine may be ideal. And you don’t have to blow up Fort Knox to afford it either.

First you need to decide upon what piece of cardiovascular equipment you want. If you want something easier on the joints, go with an elliptical machine. If you want to practice your running skills, go with the treadmill.

There are other options as well, stationary bikes of course. If you don’t know what you enjoy and feel comfortable with, the best option for you is to get a free week-long membership at your local gym and try out the equipment several times. That’s a free way to self-review the product!

Next, look on eBay and Craigslist for what’s cooking locally and up for auction. Beware on eBay of shipping costs! It’s possible this could exceed what you’d actually pay for your exercise equipment.

Finally, look online and in the paper for deals at stores like Sears. They frequently want to get something off their floor. You can even give the store a call and see if a less-than-current display model is ready to be carted off. You could possibly enjoy a 30%-70% discount on a big ticket item.

3. Cable and Pulley Based Systems

Now this is a pretty broad category. Whether it’s Bow Flex, Total Gym, or some other pulley based system a washed up celebrity is selling, you can find a big win or a big loss when dealing for these.

It’s easy to look up the going rate for pulley based athletic equipment and compare that to deals on Amazon, eBay, and what people are listing in online classifieds.

Where you can go wrong is not knowing if the elaborate pulley system is fully functional. If one cord or pulley is misaligned, and you don’t know how to fix it, then you’ve bought a worthless piece.

These at home gyms can be dynamic and provide a lot of different toning exercises. Do understand that you run a higher risk if you buy it aftermarket of losing out because there is no valid warranty for you to call upon if it breaks.

4. P90X, RushFit, Insanity, and other video based exercise programs

Many of these programs require minimal or no actual athletic equipment. You may need to buy some resistance bands or a pull-up bar, but investment aside from the DVDs is commonly minimal.

Expect to spend $80-$150 for a DVD series like P90X or RushFit. This can save you a large amount of money on athletic equipment compared to a treadmill, tons of free weights, or a cable-based system.

Many of these videos will challenge your cardio, and help you tone your muscles. They can build overall athleticism. But don’t be fooled in their ad pitch that you’ll gain enormous muscle if that is what you are aiming for. The guys on the box art or the infomercial most certainly hit the weights aside from doing pushups in the videos.

Saving Money On Athletic Equipment

If your goal is to grow healthier and more active within the comfort and safety of your home, I salute you. I’ve done P90X before at home and it did help me on my journey back to fitness. If I lived in a cold state I have no doubt I’d be on the market for a treadmill. Whatever you do, invest your money into something you know is in good condition. And ensure you invest in something you are committed to using!

[Image credit Luc Latulippe / http://dribbble.com/luc]

Joe Saul-Sehy

Joe is a former financial advisor and media representative for American Express and Ameriprise. He was the “Money Man” at Detroit television WXYZ-TV, appearing twice weekly. He’s also appeared in Bride, Best Life, and Child magazines, the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Detroit News and Baltimore Sun newspapers and numerous other media outlets. Joe holds B.A Degrees from The Citadel and Michigan State University.

joesaulsehy.com/

My friend Stacey ran the Boston Marathon a few weeks ago. It was inspirational at best, and depressing at worst. When a good friend accomplishes a big goal while I’m grabbing the next doughnut it can make me feel a little self pity.

For the uninitiated, the Boston Marathon is unlike most others: you have to qualify for the race to even be allowed to enter a lottery to run in the race.

So, to review:

a) be one of the fastest runners in the world; and

b) be lucky enough to get into the race.

I’m a runner. I’ve run five marathons and three half marathons in 400 days (two of the half marathons were the day before a marathon). Sometimes, like today, I’m staring out the window, thinking I should be slugging through another run, but I’m sitting at the keyboard instead. My friend Stacey ran Boston because she wouldn’t have made the same choice. She ran it because there was no doubt in her mind that it was the right thing to do.

Business is the same way. We’re a product of our choices. In my time working with executives it’s been interesting to see what’s successful and what fails. Often, the person wasn’t able to see the failure until it was pointed out to them. It took a coach or good friend, or sometimes a poor review to set them on the right path.

Here are similarities in my mind between running and your career:

1) Better preparation creates better race results.

I don’t like speed workouts. They don’t feel good. Because of that, I’m often left as the slow guy when the run heats up. It’s the same with business. Early in my career, I’d “wing it” because I was good on my feet. Only

2) Don’t get overly emotional.

Business is a marathon. When I run a 5k, I play pump up music on my iPod to bring me through the three miles. In business, that’s like getting all fired up about a single staff meeting. Sure, it’ll help in that meeting, but business is a marathon.

For longer races, I’ll intersperse mellow tunes to actually keep my adrenaline down. In business it’s easy to get on an emotional roller coaster. “Is the customer going to buy? Will they call me back? Is that supplier going to come through?” By keeping your emotions in check you’ll make better decisions instead of the in-the-moment expediting one.

3) Focus on your attack, not on the pain.

When a run gets down to the final miles, it’s painful. I’ve coached enough runners that succumbed to the pain to know: working through pain ain’t easy. Everyone wants to find a way to win, and to do so, you have to be able to control your mental state. Job one: constantly worry about your priorities and overall strategy. This keeps out the pain of the moment.

4) Remember Jens Voigt

I often think about cyclists when I’m in the middle of a long, boring workout. My favorite rider in the Tour de France is a guy that many casual fans haven’t heard of named Jens Voigt. The biggest group of riders (called the peleton) ride behind someone who works as a windbreaker. This person sets the tone and pace. The mental and physical exertion of a rider in the front far exceeds that of riders who follow.

Jans Voigt is 40 years old and is often found at the front. He doesn’t win races, he helps others win. Everyone wants Jens on his team because he can ride for long distances pulling the load.

Often in mind-numbing business situations I remember Jens Voigt. I have to pull through the boring parts successfully to get to the satisfying finish. It isn’t the final few steps that matter…it’s those little steps in between that create a championship race. I call those Jens Voigt moments.

I’m not the only one who likes Voigt. Here’s a Wall Street Journal article about why Jens Voigt is a role model for so many: Nobody Suffers Like Jens Voigt.

5) Nutrition is Your Key to Success

In Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz’s book The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, they compare athletes to business people. In a race, you should stretch beforehand, manage your pace so you can finish, and continually feed your body water and nutrients to make it to the end of the marathon.

Why is it that we don’t do the same for business? Why do we think that we can eat a cheeseburger and mess of fries for lunch and perform in the afternoon? Why don’t we stretch out and get the blood pumping before big meetings? We take all of this research that athletes have learned over the years and dump it. Instead, bosses tell workers to sit longer and “get more done.” I’d suggest that those two ideas don’t work well together.

Photos: Women Running: Infomatique;