A few weeks ago, I received one of my favorite fitness tools to date. I'm a massive proponent of training with our own body weight. For most of us, it's the heaviest weight we will ever lift. From my eyes as a fitness trainer, we are all just a bunch of massive dumbbells. Isn't that nice of me to say? So my little dumbbells ... I have a cool new tool for you! The Lebert Equalizer will add some fun and give you a bunch of neat things to do with that delightfully heavy body of yours.

The Lebert Equalizer is perfect for pull-ups, push-ups, dips, decline rows, scull crushers, planks and tons of other fantastic strength and cardiovascular training exercises as well. It's light-weight, portable, versatile and not too pricey. For $99.99 you'll get a set of Equalizers along with a free training DVD and a poster to guide you while you train.

Much to their delight (or disgust), many of my personal training clients ages 16 to 62 have been subjected (tortured) with the Equalizers. I kid! The typical exercises one would do with these tools are hard though -- in a good way. My intermediate/advanced fitness level clients have loved the challenges put forth to them each session. I would not allow someone with very little strength to use them though, because without great balance, the Equalizers wobble a bit. Having said that, people wobble on the BOSU, stability ball, and lots of other fitness tools. Balance is an integral part of functional fitness training. I don't reference the wobble to deter you. I just want you to be extra aware not to allow Great Aunt Sue to use them.

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This weekend my son and I are going on a vacation. While we're staying in a cabin, we'll be spending most of our time outdoors -- at the beach, sand dunes, nature trails, and hiking paths. Both my son and I love to explore and check out what nature has to offer. A new web portal, Andy Camper, is all about outdoor adventures for kids.

The site offers dozens of how-to videos for kids; from geocaching to watching the stars. The site aims to get kids excited about the outdoors and to reconnect them with nature through fun, engaging ideas and activities.

My son is really into bugs right now (except spiders... they freak him out). Tonight, we're going to make this cool water viewer to help us look for bugs and other critters in the lake this weekend. Check it out! You're sure to find fun activities for you and your kids whether you're heading out on a special outdoor adventure, or just want to do some exploring in your own backyard.

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This excellent article on the top ten foods to help you fight cholesterol starts out with an amazing fact: there are about 12 million Americans who are on some kind of drug to lower their bad cholesterol! We've covered the food topic before, but with all those drugs being pumped into the body, I bet many people are wondering if there are other natural ways to help.

A startling wake-up call is that not having enough good cholesterol can be almost as damaging as having too much bad cholesterol. That's why this information on the top 12 non-drug strategies to raise HDL levels is so interesting. Like the author suggests, a little bit of the good variety can go a long way, so check out these tactics you can do to help your body naturally.

Trans fats should be a red flag automatically, but understanding why is also crucial. The fats clog arteries and not only raise your bad cholesterol but lower your good kind too. However, consuming more monounsaturated fats can be very beneficial without hurting your overall levels. Are you an onion fan? Apparently having half of a raw onion daily can raise HDL levels by thirty percent. Other strategies include common health practices like exercise and not smoking. Read the rest of the article for more on how to raise good cholesterol.

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