I love to go for a run around the hills, parks and streets of my local hood. I also love to have a comfortable running shoe. The ASICS Gel Cumulus is possibly the best running shoe of all time.

What is so good about the ASICS Gel?

If you ask almost any runner what the best shoe is they will, 90% of the time, tell you it is the ASICS Gel. ASICS Gels are a super series which are focussed on developing solid quality running and cross training shoes. They have been at the top of this market for years now and as far as I am concerned are in no danger of losing that spot.

• The shoes are solid but have mesh lining in places to allow your feet to breathe. This is important if your feet smell as bad as mine.
• The shoes are stable and very well balanced. It is hard to roll your ankle in these bad boys.
• The shoes are cheaper than most but still of a much higher quality than the expensive counterparts.
• They have great heel shock absorbption which means you will get less shin splints and more miles.
• Finally, they last. I hate spending big money on a new pair of shoes that die after a few weeks wear and tear. I still have a pair of ASICS Gels that I was using almost 10 years ago.

Of course saying they are the “best running shoe ever” could be going a little too far. Probably what I should have said is that they are the best running shoe “in my opinion”. Some people like to run in Nikes (I do too..), other like Reebok, others like Adidas. It really comes down to what you have tried and which marketing ploy worked best on you.

You can get a price on the ASICS Gel Cumulus here.

If you work at at home you need a bench press. However, buying a bench press can often be a difficult task as there are many different things you need to take into account. In this post I will show you the main things you need to look for when buying a bench press.

What to look for when buying a bench press

Here are a list of things you should take into account when you are looking to purchase a brand new bench press. Some of these things could save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

1. What EXACTLY do you want the bench press for?
This might sound like a silly question but it might be important. For example, if you want to do dumbbell presses on the bench press you need to find out whether the upright barbell supports are going to be in the way. I didn’t think of this and as such I have a lot of problems doing dumbbell presses.

Or, you might want to do some leg extensions on the bench press in which case you need one of the fittings that go on the end. Make sure you really think about this first.

2. How much weight can it handle?
Some bench presses look sturdy but when you read the warning label it says “Not intended for more than 120 kilograms”. Now, if you weight about 84-95 kilograms that means you can only bench press about 25-35 kilograms safely! Not good enough. Make sure the bench press is intended for big weight.

3. Where is the barbell holder situated?
This is a really important one because the barbell holders are often in really stupid places. For example, my first bench had the holder right above my face and I could not lift a heavy weight off for the life of me. You want to make sure the weight is held more over your chest and less over your face.

4. Is it stable?
You do not want a poorly constructed bench press that is going to wobble everytime you press the weight. Not only is this unsafe it is really annoying when you are pumping some serious weights. You want your mind 100% on the job and not on the status of your wobbly bench press. Continue Reading