Crane Punch and Kick Trainer Review

Punch and Kick Trainer by Crane is something you may have run across as a special buy at your local Aldi store and asked yourself if it was a good deal. This review will help answer that question.

overview

The Crane Punch and Kick Trainer is a free standing martial arts training bag for ages 6 and up. it features 6 light up targets and multiple different training modes. it stands 5'4" and has a fun robot design that kids will love.

What's not so great: You have to fill the base with water which is much more of a pain than you think, and once the base is full it becomes very heavy and awkward to move to wherever you plan to set up the punch and kick trainer. next you have to inflate the bag which can be time consuming and tiring if you are not using an automatic pump. If you do go automatic, watch out for over inflation.

What is great: The price and quality. Simply put, I would not have expected everything that this trainer does and how well it functions for under $30. The bag is well made, the target sensors work impressively well and the electronic coach is fantastic. overall, if you are thinking about the Crane Punch and Kick Trainer for a kid, it is a good value

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Five Road Trip Destinations You have to See

Five Road Trip Destinations You have to See

Hit the road and find new favorite memories.

Whether you're young and setting out on the open road seeking freedom and self actualization or the head of your household looking to take the family on a summer vacation, there's nothing like a good road trip.

The world is full of amazing sights to see and and experiences to cherish. If you are looking for the perfect road trip, the following destinations should definitely be on your list.

Mark Twain State Park Missouri

Mark Twain State park marks the birthplace of one of America's greatest writers. History buffs and Twain fans Will enjoy the opportunity to check out the Mark Twain Museum and see the author's birthplace home. But there is truly something in the park for everyone. The state park campground features sites for tent and RV camping nestled into a densely wooded slice of Missouri Nature. Hiking trails wind through the park and alongside Mark Twain Lake which is not only picturesque but great for fishing.

Black Hills South Dakota

The Black Hills have a rich history and great significance to Native Americans in the region. For nature enthusiasts there is plenty to see. A road trip through the winding roads and evergreen painted mountains will inspire with their beauty. Oreville Campground in Custer South Dakota features some of the best scenery alongside modern camping facilities. Only a short drive from Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse national monument, you will easily find sights to see. While road tripping through South Dakota, don't miss Hill City where you can get old time photos and even watch a western style shootout on the street performed by local actors all while enjoying the old West appeal of this little town barely touched by time.

Hot Springs Arkansas

If you are looking for a lot of activities and variety in your trip, hop on the road to Hot Springs Arkansas. Sitting on top of a natural hot spring the town features access to natural spring water heated by nature. Make a cup of coffee from the spigot located in the center of town and then spend the day seeing the sights. The downtown strip has stores and restaurants, theaters and a wax museum. Around town you will find rock shops selling Arkansas mined crystal and other semi-precious stones. If shopping doesn't interest you, head to Coleman's mine where you can dog for your own crystals, or go to neighboring Murfreesboro to the crater of diamonds state park and mine for your own diamonds in America's only diamond mine open to the public. When it comes to destinations for a great road trip, Hot Springs definitely shines through.

Devil's Tower Wyoming

Devil's Tower is America's oldest National monument. As featured in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Devil's Tower monument is a massive structure against the wide open Wyoming sky. Hike around the tower in the afternoon or climb up if you are feeling brave, then take in a screening of Close Encounters at the KOA campground. Whether you are on a motorcycle or loading the family up in an RV, Devil's Tower monument is a welcome addition to any adventure seeking road trip.

Flagstaff Arizona

Arizona is a popular road trip destination due to the fascinating scenery and iconic locations like the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater. Flagstaff is a pretty normal town lacking the desert beauty of nearby Antelope Canyon or other tourist attractions. However, what Flagstaff does have is a close proximity to all of the desert attractions and the northern mountainous region of the state. Flagstaff’s location makes it a perfect place to stay while seeing what Arizona has to offer. The cooler temperatures in the region will make for a comfortable stay while you stargaze in certified dark sky country. Head right down the road to Sunset Crater for a volcanic monument like no other. Flagstaff has so much to offer that it should definitely be on your list of road trip destinations.

These are only a few of the great road trip opportunities out there, but they should not be missed.

Best Android Sleep Apps for Insomnia

Best Android Sleep Apps for Insomnia

Insomnia can really make life rough. A good night of sleep is vital to a healthy life overall. If you miss sleep, your physical, emotional and mental health all suffer, your energy level goes down the drain and your productivity through the day falls flat.

Sleep apps, supplements and assorted products can all be used to get those extra needed Z’s. With the great tech advances today, there are many great applications accessible on your smartphone or tablet That can help you get that much needed sleep. Today we are going to look at the best Sleep apps for Android devices.

Best Android Sleep Apps

BrainWaves

This app from MynioTech uses binaural beats to create feelings of relaxation, and to encourage sleep. Binaural beats have long been used therapeutically to alter mood and mental state. Binaural beats require headphones or earbuds to work properly. The process uses two different frequencies with one in each ear. The two frequencies create a wave that matches with brainwave activity corresponding to certain moods or situations. For example, Delta waves correspond to brain activity while in a deep sleep and Alpha waves are associated with relaxation corresponding to a mind that is conscious and relaxed. The Brain Waves app uses very subtle tones that range from deep sleep tones to creativity and focus boosting tones. The ease of use and subtle relaxing tones make this app stand out.

Waveen

This Android app is another great app for binaural beats brainwave therapy. The Waveen app features over 100 different tones in 11 different categories. Categories include sleep, energizing tones, spiritual meditation, weight loss, mental performance, health tones and more. Of course This review is discussing the best Sleep apps for insomnia, so we are mostly interested in the one category.

The sleep category features 8 tones including a tone to quickly induce sleep within minutes, a deep sleep tone for REM sleep, tones designed to stimulate natural melatonin release and even tones to aid in lucid dreaming.

Quickly it should be mentioned as well that the energizing tones are a great addition to this app because after sleeping through the night with Waveen’s great sleep tones, all you have to do is switch over to one of several energy tones to wake you up and motivate you to start the day. This app is an all around great tool for balancing your sleep and energy cycle.

Mind Therapy

This is another app that uses binaural beats to affect brain waves. The Mind Therapy app includes five categories that cover sleep, out of body experience, meditation, and learning & focus. Each category includes multiple tones. In the sleep category, we find tones for deep sleep, quick sleep induction (knock out) and even a tone to induce a waking dream. All of these are included among several other sleep and dream tones. The tracks here will surely help you get that restful night of sleep and keep insomnia at bay.

Atmosphere

This app from Peak Pocket Studios is great for sleep, relaxation, meditation recreation and more. The Atmosphere app is designed to create the illusion of a completely new setting, mentally transporting you to another place. Whether it’s an evening by the campfire, a lazy afternoon by a gentle stream or the buzz of the city, the Atmosphere app can take you away to the setting you are most comfortable in.

Imagine If you grew up in the country 20 miles from the nearest neighbor and you are now living in a city with sirens and traffic and all the other sounds of the city. All you have to do is put on your headphones and load the sounds of crickets, frogs, wind and gentle country rain and you are at home and ready to sleep like a baby.

Conversely, what if you grew up with the buzz of the big city surrounding you and now you find yourself unable to sleep in the deafening silence of a small town. With the Atmosphere App you can add the sounds of Pigeons, people, police cars, trains, traffic and even construction noise. If you need to hear the life of the big city to get through the night, Atmosphere is a great app to treat your insomnia.

The Atmosphere app features multiple sound profiles each with a range of different sound effects. Sound profiles include beach, forest, urban, underwater, home, park, countryside, oriental Binaural & isochronic and a custom section where you can import your own sound files.

It's also worth noting that each sound has its own volume control allowing the user to truly design the landscape. If you want to be next to a campfire while a distant storm rolls in you can with the Atmosphere app.

Pzizz

This sleep app is truly unique. Pzizz uses multiple different theories on sleep and incorporates them beautifully. Binaural beats are used to stimulate theta brain waves, relaxing music composed for Pzizz by Paul Staveley O’duffy creates a calm serenity All while the voice of Neuro Linguistic programming coach Michael Breen speaks hypnotically.

The blend of relaxation music, binaural beats and sleep hypnosis work perfectly to promote a good night of sleep. To make the program even better, the track is unique each time you listen to it with different sounds to keep things fresh.

The other thing that's really great about the Pzizz app is that it has two options “Sleep” and “Power Nap.” If you just need a 15 minute afternoon nap to feel refreshed and energized tap on power nap and select the duration anywhere from a few minutes to an hour and a half. You also have the choice to set an alarm at the end of your nap which can be a standard alarm or sounds added from your own library. Of course if you want to sleep as long as you can, just turn off the alarm altogether. Overall the wide range of options and functionality make Pzizz one of the best Android sleep apps for for insomnia.

hopefully this list of the best Android apps for sleep helps you get a restful night of shut eye. Check back in the morning for more insightful reviews of the world around us. Thanks for reading.

RAD Arm Blaster Review

Today we review the RAD Arm Blaster. This product is an isolation device. Of you are not familiar with these, basically this puts your body in a position which doesn't allow you to use momentum and other muscle groups when doing curls. This forces you to use your biceps primarily thus working them harder and creating more growth. Essentially these devices are for people trying to develope big glamor muscles. If you are not a body builder then you really don't need this, but for serious weight lifters, isolation training is extremely valuable. But is the RAD Arm Blaster worth the price tag?

First off, this is not the only product like this. There are many bicep isolation devices out there with different prices. I'm going to recommend that if you are a beginning or intermediate weight lifter, don't bother with this. To isolate your biceps, stand with your back, shoulders and elbows against a wall and curl with light to medium weights. So I will assume that if you are still reading you know generally how these things work and want to know the quality of this bicep blaster.

Here's the info you want. The RAD Bicep Blaster is very well made. It is a solid piece of equipment. It does not feel cheap or flimsy. The $40 price tag is less than some of the more overpriced isolators, but more than the low-end basic ones. Besides the strong metal frame, the other high point is the included neck strap. This strap helps reduce fatigue, encourage proper form and reduce the risk of injury. The strap comes with a thick foam layer to provide the best comfort possible during use.

Overall the RAD Arm Blaster is a very good product. If you think you Will use a product like this a lot then go for this one, for more casual use, there are cheaper options. Whichever category you fall into, I hope this review was helpful.

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Vista Grande

Lake of the Ozarks Missouri is a great vacation spot for families, partygoers looking for excitement, or retirees looking for peace and relaxation. The area has something to offer for everyone. This is also true for the variety of local restaurants. If it's Mexican food you are looking for, Vista Grande is an excellent option. This reviewer is a bit particular about Mexican food and have found great difficulty in locating a quality restaurant. You see Missouri is plagued with oddly popular chains with unseasoned bland offerings. This was not the case with Vista Grande. The flavor is very present and satisfying from the chips and salsa to the dessert. Portions are also a standout part of their offerings. Combo platters are plate filling and if you go for the Diablo burrito (highly recommended) be prepared for a massive burrito filled with marinated pork tenderloin and absolutely covered in cheese and sauce. Margaritas are also worth noting in this section as they come in a good size at a good price and they don't skimp on the tequila. Overall it's hard to come up with anything bad to say about this place. So if you find yourself in Osage Beach Missouri in need of some high quality Mexican food, definitely check out Vista Grande.