Wednesday, June 28, 2017

WOD Wednesday #25

For time:
225 pound Deadlift, 21 reps
400 meter Run
225 pound Deadlift, 18 reps
400 meter Run
225 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
400 meter Run
225 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
400 meter Run

Deadlifts and runs.  Simple Right?

225lb (155lb or 185lb for females) Deadlift. Same deadlift guidance as the last couple times. Bar on the floor, straight or trap bar, doesn't matter. Traditional foot set-up (shoulder width apart) or sumo, still, doesn't matter.

21-18-15-12 in terms of reps. Two ways to scale this; well, three actually. If you feel good about your deadlift, have some DL experience, scale the weight so that you only break up the DL by 2 or 3 sets, if at all. Want to go heavy? Still, lots of reps there. How about 15-12-9-6, or 12-9-6-3. You could scale this to 3 rounds and use the classic CF rep scheme 21-15-9, weights chosen as above.

Run 400M. There are 4 of these, so 1 mile total. Not a lot of volume, but 400M is supposed to be a sprint, or nearly so. The only scale here is if you do fewer rounds overall.

Monday, June 26, 2017

PT Pathologies: Parkinson's Disease

Parkinsonism Syndrome occurs as a secondary effect or disorder from another disease and is used to describe a group of disorders within subcortical gray matter of the basal ganglia that produces a similar disturbance of balance and voluntary movements.  Parkinson's disease is a primary degenerative disorder characterized by a decrease in production of dopamine and accounts for the majority of patients with Parkinsonism.  Because the disease progresses slowly over 25 to 30 years, a definitive diagnosis is often difficult during the early stages of the disease.  There are no laboratory or imaging studies that can be done to initially diagnose this disease.  Instead, diagnosis is made from a thorough medical history and examination, along with imaging studies such as CT and MRI to rule out other neurodegenerative diseases.  Although the cause of primary Parkinson's disease is unknown, there are some contributing factors that can produces symptoms of the disease such as genetic defect, toxicity from carbon monoxide, excessive manganese or copper, carbon disulfide, and other diseases such as Huntington's or Alzheimer's disease.

The majority of patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are between the ages of 50 and 79.  They typically first develop a resting tremor in the hands or feet the increases with stress and disappears with movement or sleep.  In the early stages, the patients may also develop symptoms similar to those caused by old age, such as balance disturbances, difficulty rolling over and rising from bed, and impairment with fine manipulative movements seen in writing, bathing and dressing.  As the disease slowly progresses, so do the symptoms, which may include hypokinesia, sluggish movement, difficulty with initiating and stopping movement, shuffling gait, bradykinesia, poor posture, and dysphagia.  They may also exhibit little to no facial expressions and experience freezing during ambulation, speech blinking and movement of the arms.

As the disease progresses, the patient may develop a stooped posture an increased risk for falling, dysphagia, difficulty with speech, and pulmonary impairment.  Once nutrition and mobility are further compromised a greater need for skin care is required.  Inactivity and deconditioning often lead to complications of bronchopneumonia and eventually death.

The medical management of Parkinson's disease relies heavily on pharmaceutical intervention, with dopamine replacement therapy being the most effective treatment to reduce symptoms such as movement disorders, rigidity, and tremor.  Physical, occupational and speech therapies may also be used intermittently throughout the course of the disease.  Physical Therapy focuses on current symptoms and should be used to maximize endurance, strength, and functional mobility as well as quality of life.  It is not used to prevent further degeneration of cure the movement disorder.  In addition, verbal cueing, oral/visual feedback, family teaching, balance activities, gait training, relaxation techniques, respiratory therapy, and psychological and nutritional counseling are all important n the treatment of Parkinson's disease.  A home care regimen using a competent caretaker is also vital for treatment in order to continue with mobility and endurance activities and avoid the damaging effects of the disease process.

Friday, June 23, 2017

PTA 2 - Physical Agents (Heat, Cold, Pressure etc)

This is some Unit 1 topics in our first week back in the second semester (1st year) physical therapy program. For reference to last semester, we spent most of our time learning the history of PT, what kind of pathologies we will see, basics of documentation, and finally building comfort working with patients (our lab partners).  This semester will now focus on basic treatments, and applying them to our patients (partners).  Please follow along each week as I learn in preparation for tests, evaluations and my final 2 clinical rotations before graduation!

Physical agents are anything that can be applied to the body that creates a physiological change.  A related term is a modality.  Examples of physical agents include, heat, cold, water, pressure, sound, and electromagnetic stimulation.  Physical Agents are often considered a passive treatment and have direct effects primarily at the level of impairment, such as reducing pain that impairs limb function.

Thermal agents transfer energy to a patient to produce and increase or decrease in tissue temperature. Examples include hot packs, cold packs, whirlpools, and Ultra sounds.

Thermatherapy Physiological Changes:
  • Increase circulation
  • increase metabolic rate
  • increase inflammation
  • decrease pain
  • decrease muscle spasm
  • decrease tissue stiffness
Cryotherapy Physiological Changes:
  • Decrease circulation
  • decrease metabolic rate
  • decrease inflammation
  • decrease pain
  • decrease muscle spasm
  • increase tissue stiffness
Mechanical Agents is the application of force to increase or decrease pressure. Examples include hydrotherapy, traction, and compression.

General Contraindications and Precautions for Physical Agent Use:
Pregnancy due to negative influence on fetal development.
Malignancy due to alteration of circulation and can accelerate growth or metastasis
Pacemaker due to electric currents altering function
Impaired sensation due to patient unable to report how the treatment feels which may cause harm such as burns.

In terms of physical therapy practice physical agents should always be combined with other skilled interventions such as manual therapy, and therapeutic exercise for reimbursement purposes, since patients can typically use physical agents (hot and cold) with little education on their own.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

WOD Wednesday #24

Ten rounds for time of:
3 Weighted Pull-ups, 45 pounds
5 Strict Pull-ups
7 Kipping Pull-up

As Rx'd = 3 PU with a 45# weight between your legs -> drop the weight and go directly to 5 strict dead hang PU (no swinging, no kip; straight up and down, traditional Marine style) -> stay on the bar and do 7 kipping PU (this is a training WOD more than a speed/race WOD, therefore I think the appropriate PU is the gymnastics kip, NOT the butterfly kip for this one). Drop down, replace the weight, rinse and repeat. Count Sets and total time.

Why a kipping PU? We are all about POWER generation, how much work can you do how fast. How much stuff can you move how far how fast. A kipping PU allows you to move your body UP faster

Monday, June 19, 2017

5 Stages of Change

  1. Pre-Contemplation- Person has not even started to consider pros and cons of changing the behavior
  2. Contemplation- Preson begins to think about whether it would be worth making a change
  3. Preparation- Person has decided to make the change and is trying to take steps towards taking action
  4. Action- Person is actively trying to change the behavior
  5. Maintenance- Person has maintained the new behavior for some time and is active against relapse
Knowledge and self efficacy are the drivers to progress through each stage.

Why Does This Matter?
As health professionals (PTs, Chiros, Trainers, educators, etc) we are in constant contact with our patients/clients.  Often several times a week for several weeks, thus it is important to use this time efficiently as teachable moments.  Engage the individual in discussions about general health, find out if they smoke, are they a diabetic, and what their activity level is, especially modes of physical activity they prefer (this can provide a lot of information on possible strengths and weaknesses!).  Ask if they are interested in learning about issues to improve their health status and begin educating them based on the stage they are in (it is important to meet someone where they are with little changes, instead of redoing their entire lifestyle).  Make sure to never be confrontational or use fear as a motivator, instead focus on the Pros to changing the behavior and make them believe they are capable of making the change.

Research supports the only way to change is to keep trying.  We must make the person understand that failing and attempt is not failing but an education in how to make the change the next attempt (learning what does NOT work is equally as important as learning what DOES work).  Failing to make a change is not a sign of weakness.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Product Review: Titan Fitness Pro Sled System

Product Details:
The Titan Pro Sled System is an all-in-one sled training system. Our modular design allows the Pro Sled System to serve as a traditional push-pull sled or drag sled, with many add-ons available for other configurations. Fits 2" Olympic Plates. Get the most out of your training with the Titan Pro Sled

- Multi-function system translates to multiple workouts/exercises with one sled.
- Works as a push, pull, or drag sled with the ability to offer much more!
- Additional accessories transform the sled into a high/low push sled, wheel barrow, or lawn boy push sled (accessories sold separately).
- UHMW plastic ski liners protect your sled
- Can be used on grass, turf, concrete, or asphalt.
- Fits 2" Olympic plates (bumper or steel plates)
     with plenty of clearance.

- Weight: 111 lb
- Footprint: 24" x 40"
- Skid width: 3"
- Steel: 2"x3" 11 gauge and 1/4" plate steel

My Review:
I got this a month ago and enjoy using it every week. It is heavy duty and can take a beating. I like to think I'm in shape, but the first time I used the sled I wanted to puke. The Titan Pro Sled value is amazing considering all the exercises you can do with one piece of equipment. Forward push, backwards pull, forward drag, truck pull (rope wrapped around stable object, use straps to drag with legs and rope to pull with upper body, mimics strongman truck pull) and rope pull. Not to mention the additional exercises you could perform with the attachments. Worth the investment!

Upright push poles and high-bar attachment provides multiple positions from which to push. Solid construction and easy to assemble. Provides an excellent compliment to more traditional CrossFit movements. Durability is top notch. Ease of use is amazing. Simply moving the handles to the other side for the return trip is one of those Titan moments of genius.

The plastic skids are great and the ground impact with them on is very minimal. The skis make this sled friendly to both the user and the surface your using it on.  I've been using it out of my garage on sidewalks and blacktop. But this can easily be used on carpet, turf, tracks as well as well manicured grass fields with no problem.  However, I would avoid using it in your yard.

Price - Literally cannot be beat.  Retails for $175 with FREE SHIPPING on the Titan Fitness Website.  This is $100 LESS than other comparable sleds from Rogue ($265 + shipping) and FringeSport ($270 with free shipping).  I have not seen a sled of this quality come anywhere close to this price.  The only drawback I see for this sled is that the attachments cost extra.  This is not really a problem since they are not needed to get the full workout the standard sled can offer and once again the attachments are much cheaper than the Rogue version.

Bottom line for the quality, price, value, and ease of assembly/use, this product from TITAN FITNESS is a MUST OWN for any garage gym assuming you have a strip of area to use it!

My Rating: 10/10
I have a love/hate relationship with this sled. I love that it was easy to put together, customer service was great, and it takes a beating. I hate how it makes me feel after loading it up and getting a few good pushes in, ultimately causing me to leave my lunch in the corner of the area when I push it. Absolutely phenomenal conditioning tool.  The quality is amazing and feels like it can survive a nuke.

Great quality, great conditioning tool, great price. 

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

WOD Wednesday #23


Either clean the weight you will use or take it from a rack--there is no standard. Got a rack? Probably get a bigger max if you use it. The weight starts in the RACK POSITION, bar across the upper chest and anterior delts, elbows thrust upward. Do a front squat, crease of the hips going below the knee. You can't go too low  but if you don't get that crease below the knee it's not low enough.

As you come up out of the front squat DRIVE the weight overhead. This is an example of a hip drive, opening the angle of the hip as you push the barbell into the overhead position. Full elbow lock-out with the weight OVERHEAD, not in front of the head, some part of the ear visible in front of your elbow. 1.

Do I only do 7 sets of 1? Yup. This is a max effort WOD. This is how we get strong. Warm up completely before you start your heavy reps. You are seeking a true one rep max. Rest 3-5 minutes between sets, long enough to recharge but not long enough to get cool. You should be mentally fried after this.

Monday, June 12, 2017


What's the difference between good fats and bad fats? If there even is a difference? Are there some fats that the body breaks down easier? Are there any fats that are more beneficial for helping one gain lean muscle mass?

Fats do not have a soul or a conscience and are neither good bad, healthy or unhealthy. All fats are 9 calories per gram and end up as triglycerides. If we eat more calories then we need then extra fat can be stored as fat, otherwise it is oxidized and used to lubricate joints, protect our organs, etc... Fats come in several different forms. Saturated fats have no double bond between molecules, which means there are no gaps and the fat is saturated with hydrogen molecules. On the other hand, unsaturated fats have double bonds, which break up the chain of hydrogen molecules and create gaps. Monounsaturated fats have 1 double bond and polyunsaturated fats have more than 1 double bond.

Certain Poly and monounsaturated fats contain omega 3 fatty acids which Americans tend to be grossly deficient in. Our diets tend to be very rich in Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6's have their benefit however if you have an large imbalance between omega 3's and 6's then that can increase our oxidative stress, and inflammation which leads to very bad things. (this is why Protandim is so important) this is partly why people label certain fats that contain omega 6 fatty acids as bad. There is nothing bad about the omega 6 fatty acid. It only leads to issues if there is an imbalance. Generally you want to have your omega 6's and 3's as close to a 1 to 1 one ration as possible which is why we suggest a strong fish oil like Carson.

The other avenue that nutrition gurus and zealots take in classifying fats as bad is proclaiming that saturated fats are bad. This is normally a bi-product of the cholesterol that they contain and the government low fat craze set back in the 80's. Since then research has empirically shown there not to be a link between saturated fat/cholesterol intake and heart disease, weight gain, or other health risks WHEN OVERALL CALORIES are in balance. For people looking to gain muscle saturated fat & cholesterol can be KEY in that it is linked to testosterone production. You probably do not need a boatload of saturated fat or cholesterol to maintain healthy hormone levels as this may imbalance your omega 6's and 3's however if you are in a strict caloric deficit I'd be conscience that you are getting enough saturated fat/ch9olesterol.

***Blog post courtesy of Jesse Dale,  just wanted to spread the information!

Friday, June 9, 2017

The BoxLife SouthEast Throwdown - Event Info

The inaugural BoxLife SouthEast Throwdown is here! For five years now, BoxLife Magazine has supported you throughout your journey and now we want to see what you’ve got.

The BoxLife SouthEast Throwdown is a one-day competition that will challenge your overall fitness. It’s time to put the hard work at the box to the test. You’re going to love what we have in store.


The BoxLife SouthEast Throwdown will test your fitness with no-nonsense workouts that will challenge every area of your fitness including strength, endurance, skills and definitely grit! And of course, they’ll be a ton of fun.

The BoxLife SouthEast Throwdown will go down at the Arnold Hall and Reilly Coliseum at The Fair Expo Center.

The 77,000+ sq ft facility is at the heart of Southwest Miami-Dade County at Coral Way and 112th Avenue, adjacent to Florida International University and Tamiami Park.  If you are in the Florida/Miami Area be sure to check it out tomorrow Saturday JUNE 10th!

Official Equipment Provider

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

WOD Wednesday #22 Powered by Valor Fitness

Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
30 Box jump, 24 inch box
30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball

5 rounds for time. This is a task-specific WOD. Do a set amount of work and record the time it took you to do it.

Run 400M. is just under 1/4 mile. On a track, in your neighborhood, on a treadmill, nobody cares, just get it done. 400M is ~0.24 on the treadmill; use 1-2% elevation to approximate real running. Can't run for whatever reason? The sub is 500M row.

30 Box Jumps, 24" box.  Jump up onto a box, table, car bumper. As Rx'd is 24", women 20", but feel free to use a lower target. A completed box jump is when you fully open your hips (your body is straight vertical) while your feet are either on or higher than the box. If this is a new movement to you reduce not only the height of the box but also the number of jumps.

30 Wall Balls, 20 pound ball. The target is 10' on a wall. The rep starts with a squat while holding the ball under your chin. Stand up, throw the ball 10' above the ground and catch it on the way down. One. Repeat 29 times. Woman's weight is 14#; feel free to scale both the weight down and reduce the reps. The sub for Wall Ball is Dumbell thrusters with one in each hand. Ex. 20#DB in each hand.

Monday, June 5, 2017

Product Review: Wacces Fitness Products (Kettlebell and Resistance Bands)

About Wacces Fitness
Wacces is the leading manufacturer and distributor of sport products for the health and fitness industry. Our designs are always made with great care about you, our customer, and the ideal workout you deserve. We believe that comfortable versatile and affordable fitness products can make the difference in the world. Wacces sporting goods are simple tools, created to keep your body fit, to unwind your mind, and add a pleasant breeze of achievement to your soul. With every push-up, every stretching exercise you make, you become closer to success. So do we, the Wacces team, because your success is our goal, and our inspiration to work even harder.

While sport enthusiasts come up with new inventions and technics every day, we do our best to always stay in trend and offer you the best and most effective tools available on the market.

My Reviews: 40lb Kettlebell 
  • Solid cast iron construction
  • Vinyl-dipped for a thick, durable rubberized coating.
  • Extra-wide, textured, sanded and glossed handle for a secure, comfortable grip.
  • Used for full body sculpting, toning and fat-burning workouts
  • Extra-wide handle allows to perform swings easily
  • Soft shell exterior protects floors and prevents any surface marks when not in useAvailable in different colors and weights.
  • Ideal for toning or defining muscles and adding exercise resistance
  • Develops muscular strength, power and endurance while burning calories.
  • Combines function and fun for exciting and efficient workouts.
  • Flat bottom prevents rolling and make weights easily storable.
  • Made from high-grade cast-iron material

The Wacces Kettlebell is perfect tool for building strength and toning your entire body. This solid cast iron kettlebell is constructed as one piece for the ultimate safety and durability.  The vinyl-dipped bottom protects your floors from scratches when not in use. Its wide handles are easy to grip as you perform exercises and allow comfortably perform better swings. I love the coating on the weight. It keep the enamel from chipping, and I keep it in the garage so the coating protects the weight from moisture as well. The different color helps me distinguish the weight from the other kettlebells immediately.   I like the 40lb bell as it's a good utility level weight to have around as it's not too light so you feel like you're throwing it around and it's not too heavy where you're having to warm up just to pick the thing up properly.   I believe everyone should order a kettlebell from Wacces as it is the ultimate piece of home workout gear.  Quick workouts with swings, presses, snatches, high pulls, get ups, running, and body weight movements will make it so you will never have an excuse to not get in your workout.  Add on the ability to easily travel with it makes this item a no brainer!

Resistance Bands: 11 Piece Set
  • 1 yellow band (very light = 5-6lbs)
  • 1 green band (light = 7.5-8.5lbs)
  • 1 red band (medium = 10.5-12lbs)
  • 1 blue band (heavy = 15-18lbs)
  • 1 black band (extra heavy = 22lbs)
  • 2 extra padded handles
  • 2 ankle straps
  • 1 door anchor & 1 nylon carrying pouch
These bands offer resistance and a workout that bulky heavy weights cannot. The two way resistance allows you to benefit twice from a single motion compared to the single upward motion you do with the traditional weights. Resistance bands allows you to get fit, lose weight, gain muscle, get stronger and achieve your fitness goals.

The quality of the product is great and you don't have a horrible smell like so many other bands. The bag to keep them in is the perfectly sized, which really matters more than you'd think--I've bought resistance bands before and the bag was always too small and aggravating. I had to leave them laying around instead of putting them up and keeping things neat.

The bands have different weight resistance, which I really enjoy. I started off with the least resistance and will work my way up. They are easy to use and you'll be able to tell a difference. I've only used them three times and can really tell a difference. They make my muscles sore (a good sore) when lifting weights didn't.

I'm really loving the door-safe anchor. I can do lots of exercises by using this. The ankle straps are a huge plus, too. With the door-safe anchor, ankle straps, and two handles I can get a full body workout. My only problem with the bands is that it can be difficult to connect the door-safe anchor to the band if you use the latch on the end of the band, and that they do not quite have the same durability as Crossover Symmetry bands.

Body Building Resistance Band: Five (5) Piece Set
  • This Set includes the 1/2", 3/4", 1 1/8", 1 3/4" Bands with resistance levels ranging from 10 to 150 lbs.
  • Great As Assisted Pull Up Bands, Weight Lifting Bands, Pilates Bands and Flex Bands.
  • Overload your squats or use these for assisted chin-ups.
  • Great for all pulling and pushing movements when you lift.
  • Substitute or Supplement Your Entire Gym Workout. Over 150 possible exercises.
  • Regardless of your fitness level, these bands are guaranteed to help you reach your exercise and fitness goals.
  • Great Set for Strength Training, Resistance Training, Isometric Training, P90X, and Pull Up Assistance.
  • Each Band has a 41" Lay Flat Length and has 82" Circular Circumference.
  • Wacces Body Building Basic Training Set consist of Layered Loop Bands which are Ideal for Individual Users from Beginners to Athletes.
  • These Bands are Made by Layering a Continuous Sheet of Rubber for extra Strength and Durability. Most durable bands ever made

This Wacces Bodybuilding advanced resistance bands set is an ideal portable gym, that you can you at home, in a work place, or outside while you enjoy sunshine and pleasant wind. Each Wacces band made from strong durable rubber. You can use them for many years and they will not lose their elasticity and strength. They beat molded bands in performance, strength and durability. Body Building Bands for CrossFit resistance bands are versatile exercise bands. Since bands are available in different resistance levels, they can be used by any sport enthusiast or athlete of any fitness level. There is also a mechanical advantage in resistance bands that resistance is maintained through every part of the motion while many similar free weight exercises are actually non performing work during parts of the lift when movement isn't against gravity at a large enough angle.With your resistance band training, every part of both the concentric and eccentric part of the exercise has resistance, resulting in better range of motion strength and more complete stimulation.

This is a great investment for a start up gym! Instead of cables you can use these in many ways that a cable system can be used as well! Great for pull ups and of course to work on your explosiveness on squats, bench and dead lifts. I've seen these used for dumbbell presses as well! 


The thinnest, lower-resistance bands are best for pull-up assistance, general conditioning, rehabilitation, jumping, speed training, and beginner / light weight training. The smaller bands can safely raise the intensity of a weightlifting movement without adding additional weights to a bar. For the stronger lifter, they will also add considerable resistance to bicep and tricep exercises.  The mid-level bands can be used by stronger benchers, as well as for banded squats and other exercises involving the lower body, calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes.   Bands are lightweight, no-nonsense additions to your prehab/rehab/recovery regimen. They fit easily in a gym bag pocket, make good complements to other essential mobility tools.

My Rating: 8.8/10
This rating is a combo rating for all Wacces Fitness Gear Items.  They offer a lot of various fitness gear, so check out their website   -    Aside from the few critiques above, I feel this gear is great for beginners and the general fitness population but some athletes may not find what suits their needs, such as heavier weights on the kettlebells and dumbbells. However, other than that, the quality is great and the price value is as well!

Friday, June 2, 2017

Product Review: SB-50 50lb Slam Ball - Valor Fitness

Product Details
Features/Benefits :  
     • Textured surface for better grip.
     • Dense wall to prevent blow outs while slamming ball to the ground.
     • Large easy to recognize weight value. 

Assembled Dimensions:
     • Construction: Black Rubber Outer / Sand Fill
Ship Dimensions:
     • L:10" x W:10" H:10" / 50lbs. 

The Valor Fitness Slam Ball has a textured surface to provide a better grip during your workouts. The weight values (LBS) are white on a black gloss surface for easy viewing when looking for the size that you need.

My Review:
Slam balls are used to enhance your workout routine by simply holding it while performing exercises. Examples of these include sit-ups, squats, lunges and overhead presses; when working with a partner you can do chest passes, overhead passes, and abdominal work through rotation variations. Slam balls can also be used for athletic training by enhancing cardiovascular endurance, increasing muscle mass and improving hand-eye coordination. Perfect for getting rid of excess energy and pent-up frustration.

Overhead medicine ball slams are great for working the entire body and for releasing some aggression, but they tend to take a toll on the medicine ball itself. Enter the Valor Fitness Slam Ball—specifically designed and tested by myself to withstand an onslaught of abuse!

Available in weight increments from 10 lbs up to 50 lbs, these rubberized, dead-bounce Slam Balls can benefit athletes of any size and skill level or for traditional medicine ball exercises, as well.  I have been working with a 50lb slam ball and as a 185lb 5'11 male it presents a challenge!  I would definitely not use this for wall balls but what I like about this ball is it gives a whole new meaning to Ball Slams (having a much more challenging load picking up with every rep) and long distance carries.

This slam ball is well constructed and just slippery enough (I would prefer a slightly grippier ball) that it forces you to apply additional grip to maintain adequate control. It is an excellent tool for a near complete functional movement total body workout out.  It has very little bounce which forces one back into the squat position to retrieve it for your next rep.

I have been using it now for over a month and its perfect. Plus I feel like this thing will be around for a long time, it feels heavy duty and well built. It's obviously a smaller diameter than the Med-balls when doing Wall Ball workouts which is the only complaint (dead bounce slam balls do not work as well as wall balls for that particular movement) plus you can't beat the price.

My Rating: 9.5/10
Quality: The quality of this product is great. I have used the ball with several clients over the last month and it has been slammed from overhead over 1,000 times easily. The ball shows no sign of wear or leakage whatsoever. The ball is just as good as when it came new.

Price: The price of this ball is excellent. priced around $73 which is about a 25% discount compared to other similar slam balls from brands such as Rogue or Fringe.

Overall any of Valor Fitness' slam balls will compete with any slam ball on the market and I would feel 100% confident using them in a commercial gym, private studio or home gym. I plan on buying more and would recommend them to anyone.  Like mentioned above, my only critique remains that its use as a wall ball is possible, however not ideal.