Sports Bras for Women in Sizes XL, XXL and XXXL

I received the following spam email recently, from a Chinese manufacturer trying to sell their sports bras:

Hi,
Nice day!

(Quality is our culture)
We export waist trainer,sportwear,yoga leggings,sport bra and so on.

We accept custom design,print logo,make label,fashion packing.

Following is popular sport bra sharing with you.

[FOUR PHOTOS OF WOMEN IN SPORTS BRAS REMOVED]

Attachment is our latest catalog for your reference,please check.

Best regards,

Zoey

--------------------------------------------------------

[COMPANY LOGO REMOVED]

Zoey Zhang

However rather than just delete the spammy email I decided to respond and tell Zoey off for her company doing something that annoys me and I know it has annoyed many other people, and for once I am not talking about the fact that she spammed me. I am talking about a different issue.

Here is how I responded:

Hello Zoey!

So I was talking to a client a few months ago, and we were discussing why companies like yours don't make sports bras that are for women in sizes XL, XXL, or XXXL.

The problem as we saw it was this:

Many Americans have a weight / obesity problem, and for female Americans this has a combined problem - the extra weight of their breasts makes going jogging or running painful, which means that they need to buy a heavy duty sports bra that comes in their size.

Except companies like yours do not even make sports bras in sizes XL, XXL or XXXL. A quick look through the catelog you sent me shows the largest size you have available for various sports bras was either L or XL, and Large was by far the norm. Only a few examples were available in XL.

So how are such women supposed to go jogging when sports bras in their sizes don't even exist?

As a personal trainer I firmly believe that my clients need to exercise in order to achieve their goals, but if exercising is painful to the client it means I have to come up with alternative exercises which are less painful or involve zero pain - which unfortunately means they are also exercises which are less effective at burning calories (and consequently less effective at losing weight).

Now you spammed me your photos and your catalog for the purpose of getting sales, right?

But here is the thing, if you were REALLY SERIOUS about selling your sports bras in the USA / Canada, then you should be making them available in larger sizes like XXL and XXXL.

Now there are a few companies out there that do make sports bras in such sizes, but they are really hard to even find. And companies like yours are not making things any better by pushing your tiny sports bras towards a North American consumer audience.

Please start making sports bras in sizes more people can actually wear.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

Additional Commentary

Now as a mentioned in my email response, there are a few companies out there who do make sports bras in larger sizes, and they are sadly few and hard to find.

One such company I managed to find was "justmysize.com". The image shown on the right here is plucked from their website, I am certain they won't mind the free advertising.

And there are doubtlessly other companies out there like JustMySize which also sell similar sports bras for women. So to any ladies out there who are looking to exercise more and want to avoid the pain sometimes involved in doing more strenuous exercises, please go do a Google search and find one of these manufacturers that have made the extra effort to make sports bras in sizes that actually fit you.

And the companies that do not actually cater to their audience's needs, well, they should just be ashamed of themselves.

Spand-Ice Vest for Back Pain - For Weightlifters and More

If you are into weightlifting and various other exercises / sports, you may sometimes experience back pain. While Back Pain is not strictly a sports injury, it might as well be - and if you are experiencing extreme back pain - that could be a sports injury, and you should consult a doctor.

My normal recommendation for people experiencing back pain is to use Tylenol 650 mg tablets - which are marketed in pharmacies both as a muscle relaxer and for people suffering from arthritis. Hot Tip - It is the exact same product in both bottles, but the arthritis pills are typically cheaper. I guess they are counting on weightlifters on being unable to do math.

Yoga is also good for people suffering from back pain, as it helps to improve your posture - and posture problems is a common cause of back pain.

However today is different.

Yesterday I received a package from a courier.

In it was the "Spand-Ice Safe Alternative to Opioids: The Revive Tank - Wearable Ice + Heat Therapy for Back Pain Relief, Recovery, and Support".

Or as I like to call it, an "Ice Vest for Back Pain" or just "Ice Vest". So much simpler.

Spand-Ice (American company) contacted me in late August, seeking to promote their product.

And at the time my response was "Hmm... I sometimes get back pain." More often these days since the birth of my son, and I will sometimes strain my back a bit while carrying him. (Proof that this product isn't just for weightlifters, although my son recently clocked in at 14.9 lbs when we visited the pediatrician - so he is growing fast!)

So I agreed to test out their product and post a product review.

So yes, yesterday the package arrived containing a Men's Size Large version of their product and I briefly reviewed some of the written documents they sent with the product. (And my wife says I never read instruction manuals...)

And then I tossed the new ice packs in the freezer, next to the ice cubes and ice cream.

Now I should note this is not my first time using ice packs for pain therapy - I also have a collection of ice packs for treating wrist and elbow pain.

I should also note that ice packs only serve to provide pain relief. It is not a permanent cure to any kind of chronic pain. For that I recommend consulting a doctor.

My Thoughts So Far on the Spand-Ice Vest

1. Wear the vest over clothing, don't try to put it directly on. The extra clothing gives you a buffer zone between you and the ice packs.
2. Why did they call it a Tank? It is clearly a Vest. A tank top wouldn't have a zipper or buttons going down the front. But a vest would have a zipper or buttons going down the front. Someone in their product naming department needs some Fashion Police to tell them what is what.
3. It feels really good on a hot day. I could see wearing this just to cool down on a hot day.
4. Bonus, the packs can also be heated in the microwave - which means you could wear them on a cold day to warm up. For Canadians, this would go well with shoveling snow out of the driveway or sidewalks of your home. Heat up the packs in the microwave first, put on the vest, add a few extra layers for added warmth, go outside and shovel the snow while wearing them - stay warm while doing it!
5. It does feel nice numbing any back pain. So it works. Huzzah.
6. Because the vest is pretty snug and fits me well, I could see wearing this outside under a sweater or hoodie, with a shirt underneath the vest.
7. I don't think it is very fashionable however. Not something to wear in public.
8. The vest seems to be well constructed and made of durable materials. Only time will tell however, but at present it looks pretty good in terms of durability.
9. I tried it on briefly yesterday and then ended up feeding and burping my son. He spat up a little bit on the shoulder during the burping process, but it wiped off easily. Woot?!
10.  I am wearing the vest right now while typing this. It feels pretty good. So it works and does what it is supposed to do. I like it when a product does that.
11. I like how the pouches for ice packs have two levels, one for the lower back and one for the middle of the back. I just use both, to get the "full effect", but I can see some people preferring to only use one ice pack at a time.
12. The ice packs might be compatible with other ice packs I use for elbow and wrist pain. Maybe. Not sure. I haven't actually tested this yet, but they LOOK to be roughly the same size.
13. The vest includes a belt that goes around your mid-section and then Velcros in place. I am guessing this is to prevent the vest from sliding around too much. Once it is on it is pretty snug and doesn't really move.
14. I do feel a bit fat wearing it - but I guess that is normal for vests as they add bulk to the chest and gut area. But whatever, you are not wearing the vest for its fashionableness.
15. If I was to wear a vest out in public, I have other vests that are fancier. Maybe wear one of those over top of the Spand-Ice Vest? Example below.

The author wearing a more fashionable vest and a Stetson while directing traffic at his sister's wedding.

Additional Commentary

I get that Spand-Ice is marketing their vest ("tank") for people who are into sports, and thus it looks like sportswear. But honestly, if they just added some buttons and pinstripes, it would look so much better. And then could offer it in colours other than black. True, black worked well for the Model T Ford, but when it comes to fashion more options is certainly better.

Also there is a long list of back pain sufferers I think who would like this product.

• Pregnant mothers.
• Elderly people.
• People with back arthritis.
• Parents who have to bend over constantly and pick up their children (cough cough, like me).
• Construction workers.
• Anybody with bad posture induced back pain.
• People suffering from a back injury due to an accident.
• People recovering from back surgery.
• People who need to wear too much clothing at work and just want to cool down underneath all those layers. Ha!
• Hunters - because carrying a deer or similar large prey out of the woods so you can eat it is back breaking work. Bonus, just make it camouflage instead of black. Hunters will buy anything that has camo on it.

The price is a bit much in my opinion: $125 USD. I was not expecting it to be that much.

It is made in the USA. So that might be a factor as to the cost.

But that is probably normal for a new product that recently went through its Kickstarter phase and only recently became available to the general public. I imagine the price will gradually go down as its popularity grows.

Product Links

For Men
http://spand-ice.com/product/the-revive-tank-men/

For Women
http://spand-ice.com/product/the-revive-tank-women/

Is my 15-year-old son still eligible to learn archery?

Q

"Hi, my son is very interested in learning archery. However he is just under 15 years of age. I know you have an age minimum, please advise if he is still eligible?

Do you have any spots open for Saturdays in the morning? Full package.

my thanks,
Nancy H."

A

Hey Nancy!

I took a break from teaching archery about a week ago to spend more time with my son while my wife works on her career. My weekends are pretty busy indefinitely so my availability even on weekends is best described as "fully booked". So I am not available any more to teach, regardless of your son's age.

Sorry if there is some mixed messages with respect to my Signature Message. I should update that.

However I do have a suggestion. Sign your son up for Boy Scouts (when he turns 15 he can switch to Venturer Scouts, which is for ages 15 to 17).

• Beaver Scouts (Ages 5-7)
• Cub Scouts (Ages 8-10)
• Scouts (Ages 11-14)
• Venturer Scouts (Ages 15-17)
• Rover Scouts (Ages 18-26)

I can also recommend an excellent book:

Precision Archery

By Steve Ruis and Claudia Stevenson
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/precision-archery/9780736046343-item.html

If you have any questions (such as questions about buying archery equipment) let me know and I will help the best I can. Have a good day!

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

Signature Message - I took a break from being a personal trainer / sports coach as of August 28th to pursue being a full time stay-at-home-dad while my wife pursues her career. I will be using the time to finish writing an archery book and I may sometimes teach Archery Lessons (weekends only), depending on my availability. In the meantime please browse free archery tips on CardioTrek.ca, testimonials, and check out what else Cardio Trek has to offer.

The Advantages and Benefits of Rowing Machines

Guest Post by Karen Neilsen.

Rowing is a form of workout that develops healthy muscle tissue on your arms and some other parts of the body. In the nonexistence of a substantial river, one can perform his rowing workouts in the home with the best rowing machine, also known as a rower by many. This movement with a machine to imitate the activity of a sloop rower is known as an indoor rower.

In actual fact, this activity became a popular and competitive game connecting men and women contestants not considering of age. Home rowing contests use this machine and evaluate the power used by the participants regardless of the level of resistance used on it. The final results are published through websites and even on Television.

For more information on Rowing Machines, please read this great post, https://garagegymplanner.com/rowing-machine-reviews/ 

There are several advantages that a best rowing machine may bring to your whole body.

It can provide as gym equipment for working out your entire body. These advantages include:

1. The best rowing machine provides whole body workouts. It is not only for a specific type of muscle, but it works for all muscle groups.
2. If your target is to burn fat and calories, then it is the best exercise equipment. This fitness equipment can burn your calories faster than any other exercises. Can you imagine, burning 900 calories within maximum one hour?
3. It is totally risk-free and does not harm your body at all. It never creates any pain and strains on joints or any part of the muscle of the body. Additionally, it provides very comfortable feelings and genuinely very quick benefits on the whole body.
4. If you are looking for any effective exercise for rehabilitation after a wound or injury, then perform rowing regularly for joints or muscle rehabilitation.
5. The best rowing machine allows you to adjust it according to your need. It is flexible and you can make it suitable for your stamina level. Check what suits your stamina level and then adjust.
6. No matter, what is your age! Anyone can use this without any harmful issues.
7. It provides proper workouts for the heart and you can perform rowing to keep your heart good.
8. It provides noticeable benefits to losing weight and for cardiovascular.

With a large number of advantages, one might assume this as the perfect fitness equipment for his or her indoor use. Though, without the right coaching and workout position, it can give significant amounts of stress on the back. It is recommended to acquire first the right coaching before taking any workout program.

Alternatively, the best rowing machine can be the ideal workout program for those who desire to lose weight and tone the entire shape. At the very first glance, one can determine that this workout only focuses on the upper body area.

Although if you will inspect the motions needed to complete the workout, one can observe how other parts of the body pass synchronously with the upper parts.

In a rowing contest, participants compete to reach a line marking the end of the race.

The first team who is capable of crossing the finish point is the contest champion. In the home rowing using the machine, the statistic is based on the energy or power applied by the team.

The team who has exerted the more power and the more energy is the champion. Indoor rowing contest can be possible only if the participants have hooked their machines online.

The best rowing machine is frequently qualified as genuine and definitely not cushioned to ensure that the data given are precise and to guard the reliability of the sport. For such, the sport has a powerful entice those who desire to play team sports and get the full advantages of doing rowing workouts.

Rowing Machine Benefits

Using one of these devices gives you all of the perks of a high impact workout, but without having to torture yourself. After all, high impact means bringing your metabolism to a nuclear level of burning fat and calories. To achieve this, you would normally participate in jarring, quick movements that would exhaust even an Olympic athlete. This device does virtually the same firing of your metabolism, but without collapsing on the floor.

A full movement on this device starts with the pelvic and legs as you go forward. In the backward movement, the arms, back, shoulders, abs and buttocks take on the work.

Finally, the sliding motion that places you back into the starting position incorporates your back muscles along with hips, midsection and once again the legs. As if this were not enough, you will also notice other seemingly forgotten areas start to show response to the work. The most common targets for this additional definition are the backs of the arms and the lower and upper back.

Another great side effect of this workout is the nature of the movements. We tend to tire easily of the jarring, slamming and rapid movements normally associated with high impact workouts. Those are not a problem here. As you execute your movements during this devices workout, you will be using a smooth, gliding movement throughout.

This reduces the possibility of injuries. So, as you can see, when you add up all of the rowing machine benefits there really are quite a few.

Although rowing Machines are not one of the top choices when it comes to personal fitness equipment is actually a very good one. Rowing is something that has to be done for between 20 and 40 minutes which makes it a very good cardio exercise, but at the same time it involves a lot of resistance training which also strengthens the muscles. It is thus useful both as an aerobic exercise machine and as a strength one.

How to use a Rowing Machine Safely and Efficiently

Guest Post by Scott Murphy.

After years of being unnoticed, it’s now time for that weird exercise machine collecting dust in your gym corner to take the stage. The rowing machine, or ergometer, has become increasingly popular recently, and for good reason, too. It has been proven that an hour on the machine can burn up to 800 calories. Also, since it puts almost all the muscles in your body to work, using the rowing machine is of the most effective workouts.However, it takes a bit more knowledge and skill to use this piece of equipment.

When used properly, rowing machines can prove to be powerful workout tools, strengthening your core, legs, arm, shoulder, and back muscles. But, effective workouts can only happen when you know how to use your resources properly. So here are a few tips to help you use the rowing machine safely and efficiently:

1) Start with your legs.

The common misconception with most people is that rowing is all about using your arm muscles, but it’s actually about 60 percent legs, 20 percent core, and 20 percent follow through with the arms and shoulders. As you push off the footplate, concentrate and start with your leg muscles, really using your hamstrings.

2) Go skin-tight.

If you’re someone who’s acquainted with the sport of rowing, then you must know about the spandex unisuits rowers always wear. These skin-tight outfits aren’t worn merely to give you a chance to put your toned body on full display. The form-fitting clothes are meant to keep you safe while performing the exercise. Loose shorts are something to watch out while you’re on the move since they have a tendency to get caught in the slide.

3) Get your feet locked in.

Before you begin rowing, make it a habit to lock your feet by strapping them into the pads on the machine. Pull the straps across the top of your foot, tight enough so your feet will not slide around on the footplate.

4) Don’t row only with your arms.

Pulling the handle with only the strength of your arms will cause serious injury to your body.

Rowing requires 60 percent of your power to come from pushing with the legs, 20 percent from using the core, and another 20 percent from pulling with the arms. Keep in mind how important it is in each stroke to use the power of your legs as you push against the panel or foot stretcher where your feet are strapped in.

5) Keep your shoulders working.

In the finish, keep your shoulder blades together and focus on how your core muscles are helping you maintain your body in that slight angle. A word of caution is to stop rowing if your shoulders begin to hurt. Listen to your body and don’t overexert yourself.

6) Beware of blisters.

If you don’t want any blisters and callouses on your hands, keep a relaxed grip on the handle.

Many beginners tense up during the exercise and grip the handle too tightly, leading to discomfort and an inefficient use of energy. Taping can also help prevent and treat these injuries.

7) Don’t push the resistance.

Indoor rowing machines are what rowers use to help them prepare for the real boat race in the water. While your erg’s fan can be set at a higher resistance, most professional rowers stick to the lower settings. Keeping the fan setting between 2 and 3 replicates actual water resistance.

Very few rowers train at a fan setting higher than 4 because it runs the risk of injury. So, don’t get cocky and adjust the settings at a level your body can’t handle.