Health Links by George Hernandez

Links that lead to off-site pages about health.

In addition to notes about the site, I will also make notes of my shopping experiences with them (syntax: "Shopping Experience:"), and I will include notes by trusted sources. For common items: Find the make and model you like, then Google/Amazon it to find the seller with the best price. For uncommon items: Good luck!

Gear

See Plate Weights for barbells and plates.

Chicago

Chicago Home Fitness [chicagohomefitness.com].
- 'Your complete source for treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, spinners, rowers, steppers, home gyms, weight machines, free weights, accessories, and other home exercise equipment.'
- 2000 N. Clybourn Ave. Chicago, IL 60614. 773-770-0162.
- 1555 N. Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60622. 312-943-2300.
ericsgym.com. Supposedly in Chicago, but they don't give an address.
Fitness Factory [fitnessfactory.com].
- Shopping Experience: It's nice to not have to pay shipping for heavy things. I've bought a few things from them in 2008 and 2009: Olympic barbell, a few metal plates, collars (Muscle Clamps brand), some kettlebells, and a few knick knacks. Too bad they don't sell bumper plates.
- 2228 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60614. (773) 395-4100.
Play It Again Sports [playitagainsportswrigleyville.com]. New and used sports equipment.
- Shopping Experience: 2009. I've bought several used things there: A 15 Kg women's Olympic barbell bar. A 3-tier dumbell rack. A few dumbells.
- 3939 North Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60613. (773)305-9900.

Bands

Aka resistance bands, exercise bands, fitness bands, strength bands. Good for assisted pull ups (41", hitch it on the bar and step on), assisted hand stands (see http://crossfitednavalley.com/?p=25#comments), and all sorts of other goodies. Bands are also available at the more general sites such as MuscleDriver USA.

Iron Woody Bands [http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/fitness-bands.php]. 12", 20", 41".
MuscleDriver USA [muscledriverusa.com]. 41" only.
- Shopping Experience: 2010-04: I ordered the MD Strength Bands 1 3/4 inch - Light - Green (41" x 3/8" x 1 3/4", 50-120#). Good for my wife and daughter to do assisted Pull Ups and Dips.
- Shopping Experience: 2010-07: I ordered the MD Strength Bands 1 1/8 inch - X-Light - Purple (41" x 3/8" x 1 1/8", 25-80#) and MD Strength Bands 2 1/2 inch - Medium - Blue (41" x 3/8" x 2 1/5", 60-150#). The wife and kids love the bands but apparently the Green band was too strong for Dips, but too light for Pull-ups.
Thera-Band [thera-band.com]. "Systems of Progressive Exercise". Best known for exercise bands, exercise tubes, stability trainers, and balance boards.

Bumpers and Barbells

These folks have stuff meeting International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) [iwf.net] competition standards as well as training stuff:
- DHS [dhs-sports.com]. Chinese.
- Eleiko [eleikosport.se]]. Swedish. As sold at Iron Mind.
- Uesaka [uesaka.co.jp]. Japanese. As sold at Fit Strength.
- Werksan [werksan.com.tr]. Turkish. As sold at Pendlay.
- China Hibei Zhan Kong (ZKC) [zhangkong.com]. Chinese.
Major brands with stuff for training.
- Bigger Faster Stronger. Their non-Hampton and non-Ivanko stuff bumpers seem like the same bumpers as sold at Iron Comapny?
- Hampton. As sold at Iron Company.
- Hitechplate. Makes a tough technique plate. As sold at Again Faster and Pendlay.
- Hi-Temp. Recycled rubber. Stainless steel inserts instead of brass. As sold at Garage Gym, Pendlay, and Rogue Fitness. Good idea but diameter is 440 mm instead of the IWF standard of 450 mm.
- Ivanko [ivankobarbell.com]. Including calibrated stuff. As sold at Iron Company and Sorinex.
- Kraiburg. As sold at Again Faster, Garage Gym, Pendlay, and The Rubber Man.
- Mavrik [mavrikbarbell.com]. Plates and bars in Kg.
- Pendlay Barbell [pendlaybarbell.com]. They make their own bars. As far as bumpers, they sell Hi-Temp, Kraiburg, WFW, and Hitechplate. They sell other weight lifting gear. A division of MuscleDriver USA. Glenn Pendlay. As sold at Rogue Fitness.
  - Shopping Experience: 2009-01-05: I ordered a pair of 45# bumper plates (Hi-Temp brand) and a pair of 5# technique bumper plates (Hitech brand). The arrived lightning fast via FedEx. I like how they include shipping with the price of the plates. After doing my comparison shopping for bumper plates (different sites, brands, prices, shipping prices), I think the best choice is to get Hi-Temp at Pendlay.
  - Shopping Experience: 2009-10-01: I thought the diameter looked smaller but I finally confirmed it. The H8i-Temp diameter is 440 mm instead of the IWF standard of 450 mm. So now I like Kraiburg with their stainless steel inserts.
  - Shopping Experience: 2010-08: I've been wanting to get 55# bumper plates for a while, so when I saw that they had a new version of their Pendlay Econ Bumper Plates and that they were reducing the price on their old version, I jumped on it. I got a pair of the old plates for $151.99. They arrived in a timely fashion. The plates chipped off at a few spots so I'll have to see how they hold up.
- Powermax. Recycled rubber. Stainless steel inserts instead of brass. As sold at Garage Gym.
- TDS. As sold at New York Barbell.
- WFW. Chinese. As sold at Pendlay.
- Wright. American. Jason Hughes. As sold at Again Faster and Garage Gym.
- York [yorkfitness.com]. British. As sold at Iron Mind and Rogue Fitness. Its US site is York Barbell [yorkbarbell.com].

Gymnastic Rings

The standard distance between rings is 50 cm = 19.69", the cables are standardized at 300 cm = 9.84'.

Elite II rings at RingTraining.com. Run by Tyler Hass who participates in the CrossFit community.
- Shopping Experience: 2009-01-05: I ordered a pair of gymnastic still rings (Elite Rings model). It arrived a timely manner. Works great! The strapping goes through a slot in the rings.
Garage Gym's G2S rings [http://www.theg2scart.com/category_s/4.htm]. In addition to their own G2S rings, they also sell the Elite II rings, PowerMax rings.
PowerMax rings by Gill Athletics at Again Faster [http://www.againfaster.com/rings/].
Rogue Rings at Rogue Fitness [http://www.roguefitness.com/store/rogue_rings.php]. Steel tube rings. Can also be bundled with their portable Pull Up bar system.
- Shopping Experience: 2009-02-11: I ordered a pair of Rogue rings. They arrived in a timely fashion. Works great! The strapping goes around the rings. Only Rogue has steel rings. The Rogue rings are certainly heavier than the plastic rings, but otherwise both seem to function just as well. Different users will have different preferences about the surface texture. The straps and buckles of the Rogue rings can be bought separately and have several nice features: Angled ends on the strapping for easier insertion; Velcro straps to manage the extra length of strapping; One-way buckles that I found easier to use than the Elite buckles.
- Rogue Rings Assembly [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gxpn7pWQb4]
Xtreme rings at Gymnastic Bodies [http://gymnasticbodies.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=48&osCsid=d91ntk8m2bnuvkklns5umlj232]. By Sommer.

Medicine Balls

D-Ball [d-ball.com]. Maker of the yellow (non-bouncing) and orange (semi-bouncing) medicine balls.
Dynamax [medicineballs.com]. Maker of the 14" medicine balls popular with CrossFit.
- Shopping Experience: 2009-01-05: I ordered a 20# Dynamax medicine ball. It arrived in a timely manner. With the free shipping offer, it was cheaper than getting the ball direct from Dynamax.
The Garage Gym Medicine Ball [http://www.theg2scart.com/20lb_GGS_Wall_Ball_p/g2s-20wb.htm]. A 14" medicine ball.

Specialty Dumbbells

Miscellany

AbMat [abmat.net]. Maker of the AbMat.
Again Faster Equipment [againfaster.com]. Exercise gear, especially gear for CrossFit.
All Pro Exercise Products [allproweights.com]. Mostly wearable weights.
- Shopping Experience: 2009-03: I bought their Weight Adjustable Exercise Vest, the 40# model with 80 individual 0.5# weights. A fair enough vest. I like the adjustable weights and the placement. I'm fine with the somewhat dated look. My one actual complaint is that it needs a 2nd strap higher up because the vest is loose on me and thus I have to run while holding it down with 2 hands, otherwise it bangs against me.
Bigger Faster Stronger [biggerfasterstronger.com]. Exercise gear.
- Shopping Experience: 2008-12-05: I ordered a pair of 25# bumper plates (no identifiable brand) and a 15# technique Olympic bar (Aluma Lite). The bumper plates arrived in a timely manner but the bar did not. After a few days (on 2008-12-22), I called and they didn't know that it had been shipped back to them. They said they'd resend it. After the holidays, I called back and they thought they had sent it but actually they had not, so they said they said they would send it for sure this time. I finally got the bar on 2009-01-12, more than a month later. I saw on the receipt that it was originally sent back because of damage.
buyjumpropes.net. Jump ropes for double dutch, fitness, speed, double unders, school, etc.
Concept2 CTS [concept2cts.com]. Maker of the Concept2 row machines.
Dick's Sporting Goods [dickssportinggoods.com]. Exercise and sports gear. Mainstream.
FitStrength [fitstrength.com]. Exercise gear.
IronCompany.com. Exercise gear. Shipping included on stuff like barbells and bumper plates!
Iron Mind [ironmind.com]. Exercise gear and information. Including the Vulcan Racks.
Ironw Woody Fitness Equipment [ironwoodyfitness.com]. Exercise gear, CrossFit orientation.
MuscleDriver USA [muscledriverusa.com]. Exercise gear, CrossFit orientation. Shipping included on bumper plates!
- Shopping Experience: 2010-05. I ordered and promptly received 4 mats: 3/4" x 4' x 6'. It turns out that inspite of the shipping costs, it's still cheaper to order these large sheets at $40 a shot than to get individual tiles 16" x 16" or 24" x 24" mats at the hardware store. The 4' x 6' mats don't move as much and are less likely to have gaps between tiles.
- Nautilus [nautilus.com]. Exercise gear like the Stairmaster.
- New York Barbells [newyorkbarbells.com]. Exercise gear. Not to be confused with York [yorkfitness.com] the British maker and its US site at York Barbell [yorkbarbell.com].
  - Shopping Experience: 2009-06-11: I ordered a power rack (the C92563W with 2" square tubes) plus these attachments: dual-purpose handles (for doing non-ring dips) and plate holders. Everything processed quickly and were quickly delivered via Fed Ex. Assembly was easy and everything is rock solid and strong.
- Nortbert's Atheletic Products [nortberts.com]. Gymnastics gear.
- Power Systems [power-systems.com]. Exercise gear. Widest selection of collars: http://www.power-systems.com/s-53-bar-collars-accessories.aspx.
- Rogue Fitness [roguefitness.com]. Exercise gear, especially gear for CrossFit.
  - Shopping Experience: 2009-01-05: I ordered a 20# medicine ball (Dynamax brand). It arrived in a timely manner. With the free shipping offer, it was cheaper than getting the ball direct from Dynamax [medicineballs.com].
  - Shopping Experience: 2009-02-11: I ordered a pair of Rogue rings and a pair of Ultra Speed Cable Jump Ropes. See my review of the rings in my section on rings. The cable jump rope is fast and light, however since the cable comes out at 90 degrees to the handle, you may have a harder time time doing some maneuvers like cross overs.
- Sorinex Exercise Equipment [http://store.sorinex.com/]. Exercise gear.
- ShapeUpShop.com. Exercise and sports gear.
- The Garage Gym Store [theg2scart.com]. Exercise gear, especially gear for CrossFit.
- The Rubber Man [http://www.therubberman.com/fitness.asp]. Exercise gear. Especially flooring.
Health

Anatomy
- Anatomical.com. 'Anatomical Chart Company'
- Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1858) [bartleby.com/107/]. The classic.
- McMurtrie's Human Anatomy [mcmurtriesanatomy.com]. While this site is just undergoing development, I'm sure that the site will be great since his book, McMurtrie's Human Anatomy Coloring Book (2006) [amazon.com/...], which I have, is excellent.
Body Fat Percentage Calculators

There are many ways to calculate body fat percentage [W].
- http://www.linear-software.com/online.html Including five methods that involve calipers.
- http://www.fitwise.com/calculator.asp. Two body fat calculators plus a few other calculators, including the YMCA method with the "waist" the circumference at the navel.
- http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html
- http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm
- http://www.zonediet.com/BodyFatZoneBlockRequirementCalculator/tabid/159/Default.aspx
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Related: Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) [W]
- Learn CPR: You can do it! [Depts.Washington.edu/LearnCPR]
Official
- CDC.gov. Centere for Disease Control and Prevention.
- DHHS.gov. US Dept. of Health & Human Services.
  - NIH.gov. National Institute of Health.
    - NLM.NIH.gov. US National Library of Medicine.
      - MedlinePlus. 'Trusted Health Information for You'
- Red Cross
  - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent [IFRC.org]
    - American Red Cross [RedCross.org]
      - American Red Cross of Greater Chicago [ChicagoRedCross.org]. 2200 West Harrison, Chicago, IL 60612. chiweb@usa.redcross.org. Phone: 312-729-6100. Fax: 312-729-6304.
      - Prepare.org. 'a website brought to you by the American Red Cross and other community-based organizations to help you and your family prepare for natural and human-caused disasters.'
- World Health Organization (WHO) [WHO.int]. 'the United Nations specialized agency for health, was established on 7 April 1948. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.'
Wikipedia
- Human anatomy
  - Systems
    - Circulatory system: blood circulations with heart and blood vessels
    - Digestive system: processing food with mouth, stomach and intestines
    - Endocrine system: communicating within the body using hormones
    - Immune system: defending against disease-causing agents
    - Integumentary system: skin, hair and nails
    - Lymphatic system: structures involved in the transfer of lymph between tissues and the blood stream
    - Muscular system: moving the body
    - Nervous system: collecting, transferring and processing information with brain and nerves
    - Reproductive system: the sex organs
    - Respiratory system: the organs used for breathing, the lungs
    - Skeletal system: structural support and protection through bones
      - Human skeleton. [I've contributed to this one!]
      - List of bones of the human skeleton
    - Urinary system: the kidneys and associated structures involved in the production and excretion of urine
  - Anatomical terms of location
  - Anatomical terms of motion
  - Human anatomical terms
  - Gray's Anatomy
- Nutrition
Miscellany
- Cure Zone [CureZone.com]. 'Educating instead of medicating'
- DEBRA (Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America) [DebRAa.org].
  - I saw the Channel 4 documentary The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off, which chronicled the life and death of English EB sufferer Jonny Kennedy. It was very moving.
  - 'This Web site is your entry point to the only national non-profit organization dedicated to both promoting research to find new treatments and a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa and providing information and support for people with EB and their families.'
- GodServer.com. 'Web's Largest Alternative Health and Spiritual Directory'
- Good sleep, good learning, good life [SuperMemo.com/articles/sleep.htm]
- HealthNewsDigest.com. 'Current and breaking news on health, science & technology, medicine and the environment'
- Kilgore International [kilgoreinternational.com]. Medical and dental models and such.
- KidsHealth.org. 'the largest and most-visited site on the Web providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence.'
- Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health [mum.org]. A wee bit more fun then looking up the Menstrual cycle on Wikipedia.
- Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma (NISMAT) [nismat.org]
  - 'the first hospital-based facility dedicated to the study of sports medicine in the country—was established at Lenox Hill Hospital in 1973. Since its founding as a research, teaching and clinical center, NlSMAT's approach to the treatment of athletic injuries has brought a new perspective to the relationship between exercise and fitness in all age groups. Its ongoing work provides information relevant to everyone who participates in exercise or sports, whether it is a child at play or an elderly person exercising to keep fit, a weekend athlete or a marathon runner.'
  - Lots of nifty stuff such as these:
    - NISMAT Athletic Trainer's Corner: RICE [nismat.org/traincor/rice.html]. The famous Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
    - Physical Therapy Corner: Tennis Elbow - Lateral and Medial Epicondylitis [nismat.org/ptcor/tennis_elbow/]
    - Physical Examination of the Shoulder [nismat.org/orthocor/exam/shoulder.html]
- PDRHealth.com. 'part of Thomson Healthcare [thompsonhealthcare.com], which offers a wide range of e-solutions, publications, drug databases, and communications vehicles to pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers, and managed-care organizations.'
- Tennessee Craniofacial Center [craniofacialcenter.com]
  - 'The Tennessee Craniofacial Center, part of the Erlanger Health System, is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Center, led Larry A. Sargent, M.D., specializes in the evaluation and treatment of patients of all ages with craniofacial deformities.'
  - Amazing before and after photos.
- "The Anatomy of a Head Injury" [http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/~cahr/headfall.html]
- trusera.com. A social site for health issues. "Trusera is an online health network where you can find and share real-world experiences. Come experience the Power of Been There.™"
- WebMD.com. 'the leader in providing services that help physicians, consumers, providers and health plans navigate the complexity of the healthcare system. Our products and services streamline administrative and clinical processes, promote efficiency and reduce costs by facilitating information exchange, communication and electronic transactions between healthcare participants.'
  - Medscape.com. 'Medscape offers specialists, primary care physicians, and other health professionals the Web's most robust and integrated medical information and education tools.'
Health Clubs in Chicago

Health Clubs, Fitness Centers, and Gyms. Workout in a gym whether big or small. Workout at home or anywhere as well. Don't forget your local parks too. I'm mostly listing clubs that have locations local to Chicago and I'm familiar with.

Lists
- Healt Clubs & Gyms in Chicago [http://chicago.citysearch.com/search?gcats=200&cats=374]
- Health Clubs, Fitness Centers & Gyms | Chicago, Illinois IL [http://www.healthclubdirectory.com/health_clubs/clubResults/IL/Illinois/Chicago/]
National Chains of Clubs

Oddly no official Gold's Gyms or Powerhouse Gyms in Chicago.
- Bally Total Fitness [http://east.ballyfitness.com/]. Around 20 just in Chicago.
- Crunch. Around 5 just in Chicago.
- World Gym.
  - worldgymchicago.com or chicagoworldgym.com. Around 3 just in Chicago.
- XSport Fitness [xsportfitness.com]. Open 24/7. Around 20 just in Chicago.
- YMCA [ymca.net]. Established in 1844. They almost always have swimming pools and they're almost always inexpensive.
  - YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago [ymcachgo.org]. Aroud 20 just in Chicago.
    - Lake View YMCA [lakeviewymca.org]. 3333 N Marshfield, Chicago, IL 60657, (773)248-3333.
    - McCormick Tribune YMCA [mctriby.org]. 1834 N Lanwndale Ave, Chicago, IL 60647. (773)235-2525. 5 block east of Pulaski Road. No swimming pool.
Chicago Clubs
- CrossFit Affiliates. Too many home gyms like mine to list.
  - Atlas CrossFit [atlascrossfit.com]. 644 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654. 312-848-4410.
  - Chi-Town CrossFit [chi-towncrossfit.com]. 1064 N Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60642. 773-387-1961.
  - CrossFit Chicago [crossfitchicago.com]
    - Lincoln Park: 1444 W Willow, Rear Unit, Chicago, IL 60642. 773-281-0411.
    - West Loop: 325 N Hoyne, Chicago, IL 60612. Phone?
  - Windy City CrossFit [windycitycrossfit.com]. 4115 N Ravenswood Chicago, IL 60613. 773-895-1378
- Miscellany
  - Cheetah Gym [cheetahgym.com]. Around 3 locations
  - Chicago Fitness Center (CFC) [chicagofitnesscenter.com]. # 3131 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60657. 773-549-8181.
  - East Bank Club (EBC) [eastbankclub.com]. Hi end. Swimming. 500 North Kingsbury Street, Chicago, Illinois 60610, (312) 527-5800.
  - Lakeshore Athletic Club (LAC) [lsac.com]. Around 4 locations.
  - Lincoln Park Atheletic Club (LPAC) [lpaconline.com]. 1019 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IL 60614, 773.529.2022
  - Union League Club of Chicago (ULCC) [ulcc.org]. Hi end. Established 1879. Swimming. 65 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604. 312-427-7800.

Health Links

Gear

Chicago

Bands

Bumpers and Barbells

Gymnastic Rings

Medicine Balls

Specialty Dumbbells

Miscellany

Health

Anatomy

Body Fat Percentage Calculators

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Official

Wikipedia

Miscellany

Health Clubs in Chicago

Lists

National Chains of Clubs

Chicago Clubs

Healthcare Industry

Healthcare IT