Good American Workout Guide to Excellence and Prosperity

I thought I’d do you the kind favor, the patriotic duty of a blogger, of creating for you the Good American Workout Guide to Excellence and Prosperity.

In preparation for July 4th festivities, I have been on a torrid streak of working out for the past two weeks doing approximately 30 minutes of soul-crushing, teary-eyed workouts that leave me clinging to the ground afterward. I do these workouts on my backyard patio and usually end up with cement creases in my face from the inability to gather myself after my muscles retire. All of this so that when I put on my American flag bandana and Philadelphia Phillies tank-top, I look like the good ol’ American boy that everybody loves.

After all of the sweating, I thought I’d do you the kind favor, the patriotic duty of a blogger, of creating for you the Good American Workout Guide to Excellence and Prosperity. Now, settle down, we’re all excited to begin, but you must make sure to never compromise form because safety in athletics is paramount. The use of this program is not solely restricted to the 4th day of July this year 2013 or any other.

Equipment Needed:

One of the following

Stick

1.  The George Washington

George Washington HoreseThe first exercise of the program is dedicated to the first President of the United States of America. A tremendous commander, both physically imposing and intellectually astounding, the 6’2″ leader of colonial forces was called the “best horseman of his age” by none other than Thomas Jefferson. In honor of the great strength and ability of Washington, grab your wiffle ball bat or equivalent and with it between your legs, gallop 5 times around the lawn. Remember, form over speed!

Once you have completed the 5 galloped-laps, you will surely be tired and hungry. Take a ten minute break and have a peanut butter sandwich to re-energize your body. Drinking one cup of water is recommended along with the sandwich. No stretching is required at this point.

2.  The Tom Brady

Baby BradyOnce you’ve cooled down from the gallop and had your lunch, make sure your teeth are clear of leftover bits because it’s time to take pictures with family and friends. Hopefully you are already dressed patriotically, but if you aren’t, go put on some Old Glory Red and Blue. Do your best Tom Brady and look as beautiful as possible. This task should not be difficult because you will be absolutely glowing from The George Washington. If friends and family are not available, take a selfie.

3.  The Miles Davis

Now that you’ve got your muscles warmed up and ready to work, we move into the next stage of the workout. The Miles Davis once again makes use of the lightweight stick/bat/mallet you’re using. This exercise contains some tricky maneuvers, but just remember, form over speed.

Miles Davis

Depending on the object you’re using, bring one end of the Wiffle Ball Bat or equivalent close to your mouth, but make sure it does not touch your lips because often times Wiffle Ball Bats get dirty. With the barrel of the bat initially straight out and parallel to the ground, begin to slowly tilt the bat upward so that the end of the bat is high in the air and the handle is still close to your lips. Next, make a few funky jazz moves. This is much of an improvisation exercise and really works your core as you balance and use muscle confusion to maintain contraction throughout the abdominal area.

Some people have a tendency to over-perform during this task and I would like to remind you to stay safe and do not overexert.

4.  The Annie Oakley

Annie OakleyYou’re probably drenched in sweat already, but there are just a couple more exercises in the circuit and remember, You Can Do This! The Annie Oakley requires only a bit of space and is essentially an innovative way to achieve greater success than running in place. Begin by closing your eyes and imagining the world’s greatest markswoman standing in front of you. Now you better start running in place because she’s taking aim at your feet! Keep ‘em moving! This should bring your heart-rate up a good bit. Remember to use controlled motions and proper technique to avoid Annie’s bullets.

5. The Bald Eagle

bald eagleNow that we’ve made it to the final exercise, you would be remiss to not read on and complete the journey. The bald eagle is a magnificent creature and is symbol of many things that are great about the USA. That is why we conclude our workout with our imitation of this great animal. Either crouching or sitting in a chair, straighten your back as if you were a bald eagle perched on a branch. Slowly gaze out into the distance of where you are. Keep breathing, Eagle. Perch for three minutes silently.

How do you feel? Excellent and prosperous?

Happy Independence Day.

By Isaac ClarkIsaac is a Fitness/Sandwich Monster at SportsUnlimited.com

Under Armour HeatGear vs Nike Dri-FIT – The Sports Apparel War

Nike vs Under Armour. Technological sounding names dominate the athletic apparel war between Nike and Under Armour, but what do they mean? Comparing Nike’s Dri-Fit and Under Armour’s HeatGear, we are going to review what these technologies do and which one is better for you!

UAVNIKE

Under Armour HeatGear vs Nike Dri-Fit

Technological sounding names dominate the athletic apparel war between Nike and Under Armour, but what do they mean?  Comparing Nike’s Dri-Fit and Under Armour’s HeatGear, we are going to review what these technologies do and which one is better for you!  Finding the right performance shirt, compression pants, running shorts, and compression socks for the summer can be tough, but when you discover the right ones for you, you may never go back to wearing regular clothes while working out.

Under Armour built its company with a foundation in performance apparel and turned into something much more significant.  In 1996 the founder of Under Armour created the first t-shirt made of moisture-wicking synthetic fabric, effectively inventing the industry of ‘Performance Apparel’.   To this day, the company continues to produce and improve upon their signature HeatGear.

Let’s get into the nitty gritty about these sportswear rivals.

Under Armour HeatGear

Basics:

HeatGear uses super lightweight fabrics to keep you cool and dry in warm and hot conditions whether you’re out for a walk, training hard, or dominating the football field. Its exceptional moisture transport systems wick sweat away from your body, while maintaining ventilation. Sounds like any ‘performance apparel’ I’ve ever heard of, so let’s dive a little deeper to get a greater understanding.

What Does Under Armour HeatGear Provide?

UA-performancedna

Moisture Transport Systems: Hydrophobic fabrics wick the moisture from your body and pull it through the material so that it evaporates quickly, keeping your clothes light and your body cool and dry.

Odor Control – Anti-microbial technology resists the growth and spread of bacterial odors within the fabric. The evaporation of sweat quickly and efficiently combined with the anti-microbial technology reduces odors better than any other system.

UPF – Ultra-Violet Protection Factor – UPF protects you from the sun, plain and simple. Extra protection from UV rays is always a good thing for your skin, body, and overall health and Under Armour has added this screen to their impressive arsenal.

Some Under Armour gear is equipped with additional features.  Check the tags for the following!

Strategic Ventilation +  Armour Stretch

Modular Protection Zones + 360 Degree Reflectivity

Wind Resistance + Armour Grip

Those features are the foundation of HeatGear, but HeatGear is separated into different fabrics to help you differentiate what gear you need for what situation. Here is a run-down of Under Armour’s lineup.

FABRICS:
Under Armour Heat Gear Shirt TechUnder Armour Tech –

This is the classic, super-soft, natural feeling material that mimics cotton, but provides the performance benefits of synthetic material. Traditional UA look and feel and is generally the most affordable option.

Underarmour Heat Gear Shirt Charged CottonCharged Cotton –

It’s cotton, but better. With Charged Cotton, you get the feel, weight, and comfort of cotton with the impressive moisture transport system that wicks 5% faster. This cotton dries 5x faster than standard cotton. Perfect for athletic activities or just relaxing, it’s a soft garment with performance tech built in.

Underarmour Heatgear Shirt CatalystUnder Armour Catalyst –

Surprisingly made entirely of recycled plastic bottles, Catalyst is super soft and smooth. Incredibly light with body temperature regulating tech, the best feature of this fabric is how light and smooth it is.

HeatGear coldblackUnder Armour coldblack –

It shocks me how noticeably coldblack affects the temperature of the garment and in turn, your body. The technology makes dark fabrics act more like light fabrics in the sun, retaining less heat during performance. Oh, and it makes light colors act like nothing at all. Providing the best moisture-wicking tech and all other HeatGear benefits with the temperature regulation technology makes athletes flock to coldblack.

Under Armour Flyweight Women's ShirtHeatGear Flyweight –

Ultra-light and smooth fabric with strategically positioned mesh panels to help regulate heat and allow sweat to evaporate faster. Raglan sleeve design and smooth Flatlock Seams do not restrict range of motion. This is lightweight, lightweight, lightweight.

All of these different fabrics are available in multiple fits: Compression, Fitted, Semi-Fitted, and Loose.

Under Armour Running ShortsHeatGear Sonic –

The newest innovation from Under Armour, Sonic is a compression material that increases muscle power through ultra-tight fit. They call it a “second skin” because it provides the benefits of compression technology without sacrificing comfort so that you can wear it all day.  Shirts, tanks, pants, shorts, they have it all.

Shop Men’s and Women’s HeatGear

This isn’t all about Under Armour. It’s Under Armour vs Nike, so let’s get to Nike!

Nike Dri-FitNike Dri-FIT graphic

Basics:

Dri-Fit uses microfiber, polyester fabric to wick moisture from your body to the outer surface of the fabric so that it can evaporate quickly to keep you cool for a… dry fit. This sounds mighty similar to Under Armour’s signature moisture transport system.

What Does Nike Dri-Fit Provide?

Moisture Wicking – It does that whole ‘wick moisture from your body’ thing. This allows sweat to evaporate to keep you light and dry.

Dri-Fit UV – Provides minimum of 30 SPF to protect you from ultraviolet rays. This is only in certain Dri-Fit products so make sure you look for it on the label or tags!

LINES:
Drifit Shirt For WomenNike Pro Dri-Fit –

Mesh panels and flat seams are featured in the Nike Pro Combat line to fit smoothly to the body for a close and comfortable fit. Different Pro products can be made of different materials so be sure to take closer looks at these.

Nike Drifit Legend ShirtNike Legend Dri-Fit –

Crew neck and inside taping bring comfort through mesh design. Made of 100% recycled polyester and is constructed with flat-seam to reduce chafing.

Nike Drifit Miler ShirtNike Miler Dri-Fit –

Basically the same as the Legend, but with added panels in the side improve mobility. 100% recycled polyester.

Nike Drifit Tailwind SleevelessNike Tailwind Dri-Fit –

This line features a mesh fabric panel and three eyelets in the underarm to provide air flow and reduce chafing. Nike designs this with flat seams to improve range of motion as well. Body is made of Dri-FIT 85% polyester/15% cotton. Side panel constructed of Dri-FIT 86% polyester/14% cotton. Also this line has a cool zip pocket at the waist/back for easily securing valuables when running.

Nike Drifit Knit WomensNike Knit Dri-Fit –

56% polyester and 44% nylon, the knit line is a soft touch Dri-FIT moisture-wicking fabric.   Knit fabric is designed with mesh panels for lightweight ventilation.

The Conclusion:

We can breathe easy, the information dump is over.

The major benefit that these workout clothes provide is their moisture wicking/transportation systems. If you have never tried these products before, it is amazing how different a run, a game, or a workout can feel when wearing clothes that are specifically designed to improve your performance rather than simply not get in the way.

Both brands of performance apparel are great choices for your athletic activities, but there are so many fabrics and so many lines just within the HeatGear and Dri-FIT names. In my years of using these fabrics and diving deeper into their technology and construction, it seems as though any of the Nike products would work for me and feel great, but I can find the proper sportswear specific to my needs through the fabrics and fits that Under Armour provides.

Nike has proven that people love their comfortable, performance fabric, but it seems as though Under Armour, the originator of performance apparel, may have a multitude of additional benefits and defined options.

Making informed decisions is the best way to choose between Nike and Under Armour, but sometimes it takes trying both to truly understand!

What do you think?


Think Pink: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

TNF Breast Cancer Awareness Denali
The North Face Women's Breast Cancer Awareness Denali Fleece Jacket

Sports Unlimited has always been devoted to bringing you the highest quality, most advanced, stylish, and high-performing sporting goods and active wear on the market today. And as many of you know, we’ve also been passionate about improving the lives of those fighting cancer, by donating to Livestrong, giving to local charities, and helping friends and family out around the Philadelphia area (our home town). This October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sports Unlimited is able to combine our two passions in our brand new “Think Pink” section, chock full of amazing outerwear and gear from brands like The North Face, Cutters, Reebok, and Oakley, touched with the classic pink ribbon and color that shows your support for breast cancer awareness. In fact, for every purchase you make from this section, these manufacturers donate a portion of the sale price to help spread the word, raise awareness, and fund research for breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cures.

NFL Players Think Pink
NFL Players Think Pink

If you’ve been watching the NFL recently (and we hope you have), you’ve seen almost every player sporting something pink on the gridiron. Whether it’s with a pair of Cutters Pink Breast Cancer Football Gloves or a Pink Breast Cancer Wrist Coach, these gargantuan warriors are showing their support for their friends, loved ones, and total strangers all over the world battling cancer every day. How about joining in their fight and taking your next snap with a new pair of pink football gloves or a pink chin strap? The only question is, are you tough enough to rock pink?

But Think Pink doesn’t just stop at the end zone. All month, across the country, the Susan G. Komen Foundation is holding Races for the Cure to raise money for breast cancer research. Find the Race for the Cure near you, sign up, and then check out our selection of Pink Ribbon water bottles, runner’s reflective vests, and socks, to stay comfortable and pink during the race!Race For the Cure

However you support, however you participate, and however you spread the word, when you Think Pink this month, and throughout the year, you add your voice to the swell of love that helps people fight and drives others towards a cure. You become a spokesperson for loved ones, and a source of information for others. You become part of a community of women and men that grows by the day, and will see the end of breast cancer in our future.

Thanks for your continued support, and a happy fall to everyone!

New Spring Apparel and Footwear: New Running Shoes and New Running Apparel

We have plenty of brand New Spring Apparel and Footwear that has just come in!  From brands including The North Face, Under Armour, Nike, STX, and Burton, we have all the fresh gear you want for the season ahead.  We’ve got especially good news for the runners out there: There’s a whole lot of new running gear for you to stock up on this Spring.  Some highlights include:

Nike Zoom Structure Triax+14 Mens Running Shoes

Selected as an Editor’s Choice from Runner’s World, the innovative Nike Zoom Structure Triax=14 Mens Running Shoes offer advanced technology in the running shoe world.  Advanced features include Nike Zoom Construction, which provides ideal feel and aggressive maneuverability by bringing the foot closer to the ground with lightweight, thin, super-responsive cushioning.  Nike Flywire Technology helps provide ultra-lightweight support and comfort for your foot.  Strategically placed thin Nylon fibers placed on the upper of the shoe hold the foot in place, helping reduce slippage during your run.  Because material is used only where it’s needed for proper structure, less material is used, resulting in less weight and a lighter feel.  On top of all of that, these running shoes feature Nike+ Ready technology so you can measure and monitor your workouts.

The North Face Better Than Naked Womens Crew Shirt

Pop Quiz:  Are you female?  Do you run?  If you answered yes to both of these questions, congratulations; you passed.  The North Face, known for their outdoor superiority, has done it again with The North Face Better than Naked Womens Crew Shirt.  This female running shirt is designed for running, even in slightly lousy weather.  Along with being extremely lightweight, the Better Than Naked Shirt has a streamlined design with flatlocked seams which prevent abrasion and chaffing while running.  Super comfortable, water resistant, and breathable thanks to a strategically bonded ventilation system, it will instantly become your favorite running shirt!

New for Spring 2011 – The North Face Amp Hybrid Jackets

Spring time is near.  Though it’s still mid-February, the Winter season is approaching its end.  Throughout much of the United States, for instance, today’s weather is a preview of glorious days ahead, as many regions are experiencing spring-like weather upwards of 50-plus degrees.  The cold and dark winter is quickly becoming a memory (fingers crossed, at least), so it’s time to trade in those heavy winter jackets for lighter spring windbreakers.

The North Face has just what you need this spring with its newly designed Amp Hybrid Jackets.  These technical jackets are part windproof and part stretch-fit construction, hence the “Hybrid” in the name.  Ideal for aerobic use such as running, biking, and climbing in cooler temperatures, The North Face Amp Hybrid Jacket is mostly covered in a windproof shell, protecting you from the cutting wind, while the rest of the jacket is made of four-way stretch TNF Apex Aerobic materials, offering more mobility in places you need it, such as under the arms and the sides, for unrestricted movement.

These jackets also feature a DWR (durable water repellent) finish and have a performance fit, perfect for your exercising needs.

<– The North Face Womens Amp Hybrid Jacket

The North Face Mens Amp Hybrid Jacket –>