MP3 Music

If you can’t seem to get to the gym, but you still want to work out, a solution might be as close as your MP3 player.

These days, you can go on the Internet, download a workout, and crunch away wherever you find space.

The number of fitness workouts available online ranges from running music to marathon training, from yoga to strength training and bodybuilding.

Some sites, such as Podfitness, MyFreeTrainer.com, SparkPeople.com and iTrain, offer a comprehensive crosstraining program – some even offer online logbooks to track your progress. Sites such as FitPod.com and Robert Ullrey’s podcast site have free workouts designed by exercisers.

If you have an iPod Nano, you even can buy the

Nike + iPod Sport Kit, which gives you a sensor to put in a specially designed

Nike + shoe and a sensor to plug into the iPod Nano, which turns it into a pedometer. A voice on the Nano also will let you know how much time has passed and count down the minutes at the end of your workout.

When you synch your iPod Nano with your computer, the information from your workout can be transmitted to the Nike + site, which will keep track of your workouts and send you inspirational messages from athletes, such as Lance Armstrong, when you reach certain milestones.

The Apple Music Store has workouts available for $9.99 to $14.99 each, as well as iMixes of workout music suggested by other exercisers. Check out “Master the Treadmill with OK GO” and “Drive: Nike + Original Run” by the Crystal Method, as well as “All Day: Nike + Original Run” by Aesop Rock. For information, visit the Apple Music Store on iTunes, www.apple.com/ipod/nike or www.nikeplus.com.

Passion for music

Musician and exercise instructor Marina Kamen attributes the popularity of MP3 players to how easy the devices are to use.

“They’re smaller than CD players … and you can put more and more stuff on them,” she said. “The beauty of fitness audios is you can take them with you. You can’t take videos out for a run.”

Kamen has been involved in dance music and choreography for 20 years. Yet after getting married and having children, the 5-foot-3 performer ballooned to 215 pounds. Embarrassed, she began walking 40 blocks at a time in Manhattan and used her recording studio to record inspiring music for her workouts.

“It was a merger of my own issues, plus the technology, having the production studio. … The music helped me – it was like having an invisible buddy,” she said.

She eventually lost 100 pounds, and her workouts since have inspired people from all over the world to write to her, she said.

Many of Kamen’s podcasts are available through the Apple Music Store on iTunes.

“I chose a 10-minute length because, at the beginning, files took a long time to download on the Internet,” she said, adding that 10-minute workouts are good for people just getting started with fitness.

“Make it short – just 10 minutes a day is wonderful to get started.

“I tell people to just take a walk or even walk in place. Just get up and move … plug your headphones into your computer, stand up and bop in place.”

Today, Kamen’s Web site, www.marina

online.com, offers walking, treadmill, elliptical and high-impact cardio workouts, as well as stretching, body sculpting, stretching and sitting to the beat instruction, for about 49 cents a song or 99 cents to $7.99 a workout.

“When I go into the studio, I write the music and motivation for a show all in one day. There are over 300 songs on the site,” she said.

Kamen recently signed a deal with MYE Entertainment to have her music offered in FitP3 kiosks in gyms. Exercisers will be able to download workouts to a FitP3 player, then plug the player into exercise equipment at their gym. For information, visit www.myeclubtv.com.

Kamen said the kiosks will be easy to use, much like an ATM, and technical support would be available at the gym to make the technology less daunting. “Most women over 40 are technically challenged,” she said. “We didn’t grow up with computers, so we don’t understand them. Yet we’re the ones who need workouts the most.”

Personal connection

Pilates and yoga instructor Grace Lazenby noticed the rise of the MP3 player when she went to the gym.

“Everyone in the gym had an iPod,” she said. “Music is such a motivator. I was teaching a treadmill class in which everyone could plug their headphones into the treadmills and I would speak over the headphones. I had people coming up after class and asking if they could get a copy of my voice for their workouts. It dawned on me to have MP3 workouts with amazing music and great instruction.”

Lazenby developed a Web site called iTrain.com, which offers 200 workout programs in 13 categories.

“The most popular workouts are the cardio workouts,” she said. “About 50 percent of our business is for iTread, as well as iClimb and iCycle. Then iSculpt Ballet and iSculpt traditional. That follows the most popular equipment in the gym – the treadmills, ellipticals and cycles.”

The site also features workouts geared specifically for teens, including iTEENTRAIN hip-hop and boxing programs, as well as a couple of workouts in Spanish. Exercisers can download PDF files to see how a particular exercise is done, and the company is working out how to provide video workouts, as well.

The site has existed for about 15 months, but has already received testimonials from around the world, some from people who have lost 40 or 50 pounds by doing the workouts, she said.

The company’s philosophy with the site is to offer anyone the chance to work out with a Hollywood trainer for a reasonable price. Most workouts are priced from $3.99 to $7.99, she said. Although workouts can be bought a la carte, a Monthly Motivator package is available for $9.99, and a Resolutions package is $79.99 for 12 months.

The instructors were chosen for the programs based on their experience and what Lazenby called “voice activation.” She said one of the main goals in attending a workout class or having a personal trainer is “the personal aspect. You want to make a connection to the trainer. You can hire any Hollywood trainer who may have worked with a lot of stars, but when you get them in front of the microphone, you won’t get the same workout they do,” she said. “We’re like the team from ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.’ We’re going to come in and change your life.”

That personal connection extends back to the trainers as well. “People enjoy getting to know you. Someone will say to me, ‘I just spent two hours with you in a workout.’ They feel like they know you, although you’ve never met before.”

The iTrain Web site offerings are updated every month, and the company composes its own music. “Fresh music every month or a new routine keeps you coming back for more,” Lazenby said.

For a new exerciser, Lazenby recommended any 20-30 minute iTread walking program, which includes instruction for walkers, joggers and runners, or any of the iClimb programs for stairsteppers or elliptical machines. She also recommended using iStretch core conditioning for 20 to 30 minutes and iStretch athletic. Collectively, she said, this would offer about a 45-minute exercise program that would not be too confusing.

She said she never would tell someone to start with the iSculpt programs or yoga, because those programs are more advanced.

Some online fitness sites

www.itrain.com: iTrain.com offers workouts ranging in price from 99 cents to $8.99. Buy programs a la carte, or choose three programs in one month in the Monthly Motivator for $9.99. A Resolutions package also is available for $79.99 for one year.

www.fitpod.com: Find free workout music and connect with other exercisers through this clearinghouse of fitness information. Registration is free. Music includes mixes of electronica in set beats per minutes.

www.pumpone.com – Get visual workouts, complete with your own music, sent to your video iPod, iPod Nano or mobile phone. Programs include cross training, conditioning, stretching, Pilates, cardio intervals, weight training and yoga. Register for free, then purchase individual programs. A sample program, “Totally Pumped,” includes 12 workouts for four to six weeks for $19 to $49.

www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/index.html (Couch to 5K running podcasts) – Robert Ullrey decided to start running. He mixed workouts to motivate himself and others in this free, nine-part program, which is also available as an Apple Music Store podcast.

www.myfreetrainer.com – These video demonstrations show a new weight training exercise each day, and others provide diet and exercise tips. Also available as an Apple Music Store podcast.

The Apple Music Store podcasts: Available through iTunes, this site offers a lot of fitness podcasts that are free to subscribe to, including “Motivation to Move,” “Couch to 5K,” “MARINA’s podcasts,” “Podrunner,” “fitPod,” and many more. The Apple site and Nike have information on how the iPod Nano works with Nike + shoes at www.apple.com/ipod/nike and www.nikeplus.com.

www.podfitness.com: PodFitness offers its subscribers up to three workouts a day with a wide selection of well-known trainers. After completing a fitness profile, you can choose the trainer and type of workout, then mix the instruction with music from your own MP3 music library. The monthly subscription fee is $19.95 a month. A 10-day free trial is available on the site.

www.iamplify.com: This site includes audio and video programs on a variety of topics and features celebrity trainers, including Kathy Smith and Tamilee Webb (“Body of Steel”). Workouts include cardiovascular training, indoor cycling, Pilates, power walking, running, strength training and yoga. Programs are priced individually. For example, Tamilee Webb offers a $9.95-a-month package which includes a new video each month, access to one-hour live training sessions on the phone, a stretching and yoga class download, a 12-month fitness calendar and live teleclasses quarterly.

www.fitwisetraining.com – This site offers video workouts in MP4 and WMV formats, including workout packages for $9.99 each.

www.motivationtomove.com – Get free motivational podcasts on diet and exercise topics from motivational speaker Scott Smith here or the Apple Music Store. The Web site also offers a premium membership for $19.95 a month for access to archives, motivating e-mails, a newsletter and more.

www.sparkpeople.com – This site includes a fitness and nutrition tracker, message boards, health and fitness articles, video workouts and more, and it’s all free.

More online training sites

www.marinaonline.com

www.apple.com/ipod/nike

www.nikeplus.com

By CHRISTINE EDISON

We here at That’s Really Week try to stay on the lighter side of the news, like whatever Pete Doherty’s been up to, or Paris Hilton’s plans for her much-un-awaited sophmore album. You know, fairly silly stuff. But sadly, this week’s lead story is nothing to laugh about: Luciano Pavarotti has passed away at age 71 from pancreatic cancer. Nope, ain’t no way we can make that story funny. It’s just plain sad. Pav, as we like to affectionately call him, was one of the greatest tenors in operatic history, he sold 100 million albums during his decade-straddling career (take that, Garth Brooks!), and he was beloved by millions more. Pav, you shall be missed…OK, moving on to happier stories, such as…dancing days are here again, because the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin are finally getting back together! Yep, hard rock fans still dazed and confused by recent news of the long-delayed Van Halen reunion have even more reason to celebrate, now that this even longer-delayed reunion is reportedly in the works. Incredibly, according to NME.com, frontman Robert Plant is in talks this week with fellow Led Zep legends Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones about a Zeppelin tour that’ll hopefully kick off in London this November. Presumably late drummer John Bonham’s son, Jason Bonham (last seen banging skins for celebreality band Damnocracy on VH1’s Supergroup), will fill in behind the drumkit for the Zep trek; since Damnocracy mouthpiece Sebastian Bach is busy trying to launch a hip-hop career on MTV’s Celebrity Rap Superstars (more on that HERE), we’re guessing Damnocracy are on indefinite hiatus and Jason will therefore thankfully be free…

Unfortch, not everyone is in a reunited-and-it-feels-so-good kinda mood this week. No, there’s little chance of reconciliation between Kevin Federline and Britney Spears, as K-Fed seems to be taking his ex-wife’s new song, “Gimme More,” to heart: Now that his $20,000 monthly alimony payments are about to run out, he’s unsurprisingly hitting up his former missus for more moola ($50,000, to be exact), to cover his legal expenses stemming from their divorce battle. K-Fed’s lawyer argues that Brit’s average monthly income is a strangely specific $737,868, while his considerably less successful client has “no net income” whatsoever. Well, you can’t argue with that math, can ya? Meanwhile, there’s no greatest-love-of-all lost between that other famous divorced duo, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, as they continue a bitter custody fight over their 14-year-old daughter and long-suffering Being Bobby Brown co-star, Bobbi Kristina. Guess the both really do believe the children are their future, given the intensity of their dispute…

All right, that paragraph was a bit of a bummer, so it’s time for more joyful news, like…whoopee, a Morrissey musical is on the way! Makes sense, since old Moz has always been a bit of a drama queen. Heh heh. And you know, there really is no more chorus-line-kicking, jazz-hands-waving music around than uplfiting Smiths/Morrissey numbers like “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me,” “You Have Killed Me,” “Life Is A Pigsty,” and “Sorrow Will Come In The End.” Gee, sounds like the feelgood Broadway revue of the year! We just hope that the casting of this Moz musical (or should we say “Mozical”?) is conducted via a TV talent show a la Grease: You’re The One That I Want, because the idea of a bunch of emo-goth theater boys warbling “Hairdresser On Fire” and “You’re The One For Me, Fatty” on live television sounds even more exciting to us than watching Sebastian Bach perform LL Cool J tunes on Celebrity Rap Superstars…

And finally, sorry to conclude this blog focusing on the same downer subject with which it began (namely, DEATH), but we simply must reveal the results of a truly astounding new scientific study: According to researchers at Liverpool John Moores University, whose report was just published in the Journal Of Epidemiology & Community Health, rock stars die younger than “normal” people. And apparently rampant alcohol and drug use has something to do with this phenomenon! Um, duh. Did Liverpool’s taxpayers actually have to fund this groundbreaking research? Sheesh. We just hope the aforementioned Pete Doherty (who’s in rehab right now, by the way) reads these revolutionary findings and takes heed…

All right, much like Britney & K-Fed, Whitney & Bobby, or Liverpudlians and their tax dollars, we must split. But do come back next Friday for more amusing, confusing, and downright excitement-oozing news, Until then, goodnight, and good music.

by Lyndsey Parker in That’s Really Week

In the last few years, mp3 players have become some of the hottest selling electronics on the market. With the addition of several new product lines by major technology companies, consumers have even more choices than ever. You may be a bit overwhelmed at how to make a buying decision, and when you’re spending hundreds of dollars on a product that could weigh only a few ounces, it’s important to do as much research as possible in order to purchase the best mp3 player for your needs.

Here’s a few things to look at when purchasing a new mp3 player: Battery life. It’s important to look at your desired usage to determine how important battery life is to you. If you will be using your player for short periods of time, such as exercising, then good battery life isn’t important as if you will be using it in your car on long trips. Battery life comparisons can usually be found by looking at a product’s specifications from the manufacturer: they will commonly provide an estimate of how long the battery will last under normal usage. If you frequently skip songs, causing the screen’s backlight to light up, or if you’re looking at album covers, the battery life will be reduced, so factor this in.

Screen. Some smaller mp3 players don’t even have a screen, while others have a large LCD screen optimized for great video quality. Smaller players will have smaller and less attractive screens, but they will weigh much less. Think about how whether you’re listening to music in one place or if you’re always on the go, and plan accordingly. Tiny players without a screen can weigh just a few ounces, but instead of selecting a track to listen to directly, you must wait for it to come up in the random shuffle sequence.

Functionality. Many larger mp3 players now are optimized not only to listen to music, but for a great video experience. The major downside of these players is battery life. Watching a video on your mp3 player can be fun, but battery life is drastically reduced when compared to simply listening to music. Other functionality that you might want to look for is an FM tuner for listening to the radio, ability to display album art, and additional software such as a calendar or games.

Accessories. The final factor in your buying decision should be to look at what types of accessories are available for your mp3 player. These can either be made by the original manufacturer, or by a third-party company specializing in accessories. Common accessories are cases to protect your player from scratches and dings, and an FM transmitter to allow you to listen to your player through your car radio.

There are many review websites specializing in mp3 player reviews, with ratings given by actual buyers with experience using the particular product. Do as much research as possible, and you’ll be enjoying your new mp3 player for years to come.

SmarterReviews.com is an exciting new website dedicated to consumer product reviews. Our revolutionary technology allows us to suggest the best products based on your desired usage and features, so visit us today at SmarterReviews.com.

All guitar lessons are not the same, just as all teachers are not the same. Guitar lessons or downloads what’s the best way to learn? Today there is a variety of ways to learn guitar the challenge is finding the most effective way for you.

Firstly what are your goals, what you do want to achieve, in what time frame? Do you want to be a non-professional, semi- professional or professional guitarist? These are the type of questions you need to ask. Which style of learning will serve you best guitar lessons or downloads.

Guitar lessons can be a marvelous opportunity for adults to take time out of their day-to-day routines and find new outlets for their creative expression and they are certainly cheaper than therapy sessions.

So let’s take a look are your goals, realistically what do you want to achieve in the next twelve months?

- do you want to jam with other musicians?

- do you want to play for family and friends?

- do you want to learn that cool song you’ve always wanted to play?

Do you see how I’m thinking?

Lessons are a discipline like anything else you need to make a decision & stick do it. Guitar lessons with a private tutor or downloads from the internet, here’s a snapshot of both styles of tuition.

Internet lessons

Before choosing the lessons of a certain online tutorial- providing website over the lessons of another, it is recommendable to ask for the advice of your friends or other persons in whom you trust in order to find out whether those particular guitar lessons are efficient or not.

How much do you value your time?

It’s very easy to blow 5-10 hours a week mindlessly surfing the net looking for tips, if you’re focused you could spend that time learning the things you really wanted to play.

Yes, internet lessons do appear to be cheaper than private lessons … internet lessons are convenient - learn when you want to in the comfort of your own home, no traveling etc, and there’s the various free guitar lessons to get your feet wet in the learning process of guitar music playing.

Private lessons

If you have money, time, and are prepared to put the work in, this is one of the most effective routes to take, because they’ll correct any bad habits, and your guitar lessons are one-to-one.

Guitar lessons are offered under the instruction of qualified, experienced and professional teachers. Private guitar lessons are once a week, half an hour, and one on one.

Now, just because the teacher has a qualification does not mean that can help you. What type of teacher is best for you will depend on:

- the type of music you want to play, just because a guitar teacher has a qualification does not mean they can (a) play the music you are interested (b) have any understanding of the theory behind that style of music.

The world is full of classically trained (and qualified) guitar teachers who don’t have a clue about modern music.

There’s just as many un-qualified teachers who don’t have the faintest idea about (a) reading music (b) anything outside the current pop song on the radio or the latest tab they downloaded

By the way, if you’re going to pay for private lessons, make certain you do some research on the teacher :

- has the teacher had a successful performing/teaching career?

- has any of his/her students been successful in the music industry?

The bottom line

Guitar lessons or downloads they both work, if you’re clear about your goals, if you’re focused, internally motivated and disciplined, guitar lessons or downloads will both deliver… the question is always what is the source of the information?

Good players don’t necessarily make good teachers and visa versa whilst online you can easily find a website that offers 2,599 videos for an unbelievable price, but, fair warning: it’s not the quantity of the information, it’s the quality of the knowledge and how to put it all together that’s the key!

Guitar lessons or downloads they’re great options why not try a combination of both? Do your research first and avoid the frustration and confusion!

Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing visit his membership site at http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.

MP3 Music can be downloaded just about anywhere now on the internet. There are a few places that you can do this legally as there are many that offer this illegally. If you have an iPod or some portable device typically after you find the music you want your devices will have programs like iTunes that will convert your MP3 into the format needed to use on the player you have. The hardest part of all this is knowing where to get MP3 Music at a reasonable rate.

Recently I came across a site http://gomusic.ru and it is based in Rusia but allows legal downloads of music for .20 cents per song or if you purchase an entire album you will pay a bit less. You will find the latest top 20 downloaded albums like:

1. Beautiful Girls - Sean Kingston
2. Umbrella (Feat. Jay-Z) - Rihanna
3. Stronger (Feat. Daft Punk | Dirty) - Kanye West
4. Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake) - Timbaland
5. Party Like A Rockstar - Shop Boyz
6. Smack That (Feat. Eminem) - Akon
7. Foundations - Kate Nash
8. Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
9. Hips Don’t Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean) - Shakira
10. Makes Me Wonder (Album) - Maroon 5
11. The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani
12. Sexyback (Main Version) - Justin Timberlake
13. Grace Kelly - Mika
14. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
15. Promiscuous (feat. Timbaland) - Nelly Furtado
16. Buy You A Drank (Feat. Yung Joc) - T-Pain
17. What I’ve Done - Linkin Park
18. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
19. Umbrella (Clean) - Rihanna
20. This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race - Fall Out Boy

There are other sites that you can purchase but be careful of sites that offer unlimited downloads for a set price, these are scams that basically show you how to use sites that allow illegal downloads. They make it sound like you can pay them 1 fee and then search their database. They don’t have a database, they are offering a torrent download and then you can find mp3 music through those which are free and not very safe as you never know what you are actually downloading. Many mp3 files are corrupted files that may harm your pc and the bit rates are not consistent so some files sound louder then others.

Find MP3 Music that will work all the time when you download and though you may be paying for these files it will save you a ton of time and possibly save your PC.