This is a collection of random things that I use to varying degrees & frequencies, for a variety of applications.
This is truly a jumbled assortment of miscellanea I've dug up in the world of the esoteric.
Things listed are simply items I've personally tried & found benefit from, or simply improved utility above the commonplace versions.
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Please let me know if you have any suggestions or better alternatives. I'll add them to the testing list, and update this list if they succeed.
This page contains some affiliate links where I may get 1-5% commission, at no extra cost to you.
Toe Separator
Our feet aren't designed to be squished into shoes all day. They should be wide, flexible & strong - like a 2nd set of hands - gripping the floor.
Many common injuries began with weak feet, (physios may be jobless if it weren't for shoes & chairs). These separators help spread your feet out, creating better grip, improved stability & strength.
A strong squat, fast sprint & high vert-jump ALL begin with strong feet.
~$6 from Amazon
Expand-A-Lung
The muscles controlling our breath are incredibly important; many books have been written on just this. Training your lungs to breathe easily, with more power & volume, can have pronounced effects on fitness (cardio & strength), cognition, sleep, speech volume, confidence, hormones and heart health, just to name a few areas.
This one does the same job as the $200+ versions.
~$40 from Amazon
Bodyspanner
Aside from looking like something from the bedside drawer, this thing is fantastic for releasing muscles (much like those things in the bedside).
They're an Aussie invention, designed to be versatile, so you can configure the best combo to trigger whichever muscle you need.
They're basically the swiss-knife of mobility tools.
Full set is about $300
Trigger Ball
Newer soft/harder tools for release work on muscles. These are the ones that I use. Though I'm sure a lacrosse ball and harder tennis ball would suffice. I use the grey (harder) one almost daily with myself or clients.
$20 - plenty of cheap DIY options
Fat Gripz
Essentially, these just increase the circumference of the bar you're holding, thusly forcing you to recruit more muscle just to save from dropping the weight. They're useful for increasing grip strength & promoting forearm growth. Often grip strength can be a limiting factor for upper body strength, so these can really help progress your training.
~$40-45 - various sizes available. Blue is the one I use.
MAG -
Cable attachments
Great for developing back growth & strength for rows or pulldowns. If you've used either of the ones I own, then you'll know how well they instantly improve your strength and promote more efficient/effective muscle recruitment.
~$120AUD each. Shipping & currency rates can sting.
Heavy bands
These are not for novice lifters. Even the lightest black band can be a real challenge sometimes. Very useful for growing strong glutes & putting on some serious ass-meat. Good luck using anything below the purple band.
$36.5 for a 4-pack -
can be bought individually
Light Bands
For about 5 years, I've been annually reordering this 5-pack. They're easy, cheap, durable, and get the job done.
$22
Finger bands
These are admittedly very niche in their use, but they certainly help to strengthen wrist/finger extensors, and can also help to alleviate certain types of elbow and wrist pain/issues.
$12
Tape measure
These are cheap, and do the job better than a standard tape-measure. I usually go through 2 per year with frequent use, but they save time normally wasted rolling up a 2m tape.
$10
Barbell hip-thrust pad
With hip-thrusts, this style of pad is superior to the thinner versions.
I've had clients load 200kg+ with minimal bruising or discomfort.
These are fairly cheap, and a great investment for anyone seeking to grow or strengthen their glutes & hips.
$17 on Amazon
Barbell squat pad
Useful for people with sensitive shoulders, injuries, or less trap development to cushion the weight of the bar. This thinner but denser pad will protect the shoulder without displacing it too far from it's usual height on the shoulder.
$34 on Amazon
Lifting straps
Harbinger seem to be the most durable brand I've tried, and these particular straps I've found to be the most comfortable of their range. There's a little bit of wet-suit material (neoprene) on the inner-cuff, which means no bruising or torn skin once you get up above the 100kg+ per hand milestone.
$30 from Amazon
Supplement funnel
Ever tried putting pre-workout into a water bottle? Then you've probably spilled powder all down the side of the bottle. These little funnels are a quick fix. Plus you can store 1 dose inside, instead of lugging the entire tub around. A small funnel from Woolies would do a similar job, minus the storage compartment.
$5 or free
Glass drink bottle
Plastics have damaging effects on your hormones, DNA, mitochondria, brain, vascular system, digestive system and tons more. Few countries have banned BP-A plastic, but there's more letters to the alphabet, BP-C or -S is just as popular & just as bad.
Using a glass bottle is an easy way to avoid drinking plastic. Here's the one I throw about without too much worry.
$40 on Amazon
Glass food containers
It's easy to think how much plastic is leaching into your food as it sits in a container - triple that if it's been put through the microwave. A quick google will tell you the damaging effects that plastic has on your hormones, dna, mitochondria, brain, vascular & digestive system and tons more.
These containers gave me a bit of peace of mind when storing food.
$75 for 10 pack
CGM - Librelink
If you're tracking blood glucose levels, this is undoubtedly the easiest way to gather continuous data without pricking your finger every 5mins. Freestyle CGM shows data on their app in real time, meaning you can eat a meal and watch your blood-glucose rise & fall in response, all on an easy to read line chart. Useful for anyone with diabetes, pre-diabetes, obesity, or if trying to stay in ketosis. If these things where cheap I'd use them for the rest of my life.
$93 - (50% off for first time buyers)
Ketodiastix -
Ketone urinalysis
When first starting a ketogenic diet & trying to achieve ketosis, these come in handy to ensure you have high blood-ketone levels. However it's worth noting, the more your body adapts to ketosis, the less ketones it will waste into urine.
$7.50 from Chemist Warehouse
Weekly pill organiser
Solves the issue of opening up every single container every morning & night; saving time & cognitive resources.
Of all the varieties I've tried, this one holds the most pills per section, whilst still having the snap lock; which stops a weeks worth of pills spilling out on the floor.
$14 off eBay
Sticky-note flags
I use these almost daily to highlight key-pages in books I'm reading, as they're small enough to look neat, and the entire pad is compact enough to serve as a bookmark.
I use my own 'SINCH' colour coding method for flagging key-pages to re-read later.
$1-5 from Officeworks
Red glasses
Blue-light filters
Easiest way to apply a Blue-light filter to your TV, laptop, phone and houselights? Wear eye-glasses that block blue light directly at the eye.
These are very useful if you don't have LED lights fitted as your house lights or if you can't help watching TV late at night.
The more fashionable options are a pricey $120-300, so I've also listed the $4 pair I personally used (also FAR less fashionable).
Ecosa - mattress & pillow
I made the switch to memory-foam and wished I'd done it years prior. It ameliorated my back, hip & neck stiffness. I also noticed they keep my body at a stable temp far better than other mattress' (I overheat easily).
I mainly picked this brand because they're Aussie made & owned, unlike deceptive brands out there (koala, sleeping duck, etc).
Plus they have a free 100 night trial.
Q size: $850 - Pillow: $120
They frequently have 20% off
LIFX - smart-lights
I've not touched a light-switch since 2017. It's akin to flipping the dial on the TV or listening to the dial-up modem whir & buzz. Once you've got these in, you just set the routines and never think about lights ever again. Much like you probably no longer stress if someone wants to use the phone while you're on the computer. They have some cool ambient lighting strips too.
LIFX is Aussie made, but the Kogan (chinese) version is much cheaper.
Accupressure mat
I was quite sceptical about this one, but after doing the research it made sense enough that I bought a cheap mat and gave it a try. Admittedly it felt like laying on a bed of scattered Lego the first time, however it was oddly soothing after a few attempts. Here's the cheap equivalent that I use.
$27
Jouyou Kanji (常用漢å—) chart poster
Really helpful for learning the Jouyou Kanji - the ~2200 most common letters of the kanji alphabet - especially if you chunk them into a few characters per day and try to create visual mnemonics to aid the memory encoding/retrieval process.
$40 - There's probably a free (massive) pdf online
Wyze - Home security
Cheapest wifi sec-cams around, plus their app's easy to use. I've used them since late 2017 with zero issues to date. It's worth the peace of mind knowing that your phone will alert you if the cameras detect anything suspicious at home.
They have 3 versions, regular set-position, a 'cam-pan' that moves like a spotlight & an outdoor version.
Single cam $100
Rotating cam $85
Xiaomi Mi - Air Purifier 4 Pro
Air-pollution is linked to cognitive illnesses like Alzheimer's. If you're optimising the human body, it's wise to optimise the gas surrounding it; esp whilst asleep. Furniture and paints release toxins into the air, paired with fungi & mould already present. Clean air's essential.
Mine auto-runs from 7pm-4am daily.
$320 (smaller models are cheaper)
Smart-Humidifier
Humans sleep best in places that are: cold, dark, silent, humid, and are perceived as safe. This device provides the humidity, to improve sleep quality .This one can be set to routines or automations, based on other factors (eg. turn humidifier on when I tell google "goodnight" and the outdoor temperature is >20°C, and time = 7pm-12pm).
Note: I had to dismantle this to pop out 2x LEDs that don't switch off.
$39 from Kogan
Google Home Mini
I have these littered through the home. They're useful for basic commands (turn on the TV/Lights/A-C), queries (what time does Woolies close?), and listening to synced music throughout the house, among others. I've used these 2x daily, at minimum, for the last 5 years. Unfortunately, after acquiring 'Nest', they now shamefully use a proprietary power plug, and nixed the micro-USB (as if Apple taught them nothing).
Google Home
Similar to the Mini, but the larger speaker gives it a fuller sound, and much deeper bass. Plus the extra microphone's means it detects voices farther away. I only have one of these, as the cost didn't seem justified after buying the mini.
Unfortunately, after the Nest acquisition they replaced it for an ugly pillow speaker with better speakers.
QSM - 49" Ultra-Wide Curved Monitor
This thing is 1.24 metres of screen.
It's very wide, and very useful for creating or researching. Also fairly well priced, in comparison to other brands.
$1150
Redragon - M913 Wireless Mouse
This one seriously upped my desktop efficiency. The 12 thumb-buttons allow custom mapping, enabling you to assign common shortcuts to a click of the thumb. I use crtl-v/c/z/y, alt page, alt browser tab, back page, page forward, play/pause, bolden and delete.
Plus the LEDs are customisable and softly pulse while you work.
I would've paid >$250.
$52
Pegasi II - Light therapy glasses
Based on the discovery of specific neurons in the eye, sensitive only to blue & yellow bands of light, and only when light is from above. These neurons likely detect sunrise & sun light, only. Thus, the glasses can reset & shift your body-clock on demand, by providing those wavelengths from above the eye.
I'm in testing phase of these, and will update with a verdict soon-ish.
$300 on Amazon
Oura smart-ring
This small ring can track a few biometrics while you sleep or work.
Tracks: HR, HRV, breathing rate, body temp, movement, sleep stages, and sleep patterns.
Pairing it with Snorelab allows me to see a lot of useful data. The ring's pretty much unnoticeable after a week, and lasts for 9 days per charge.
$400-550 depending on colour
LED Ring camera tripod
I use a 10" ring with a 2m stand, and another with a 20cm stand.
It has alternating hues of white, and a dimmer switch. USB powered.
Cost ~$35 on Ebay at the time, so don't be fooled by higher prices. It's cheap and does the job.
$60 on Amazon
Kogan Smart-vacuum
Of all the smart-home stuff I use, this one still makes me feel like I'm in The Jetson's. Kogan offer 20+ versions of varying price, but this seemed higher value to cost ratio.
It runs for 2-3hrs daily, while I'm at work, then returns to it's charging base. It does a decent job too. Worth it if you loathe vacuuming.
$230 from Kogan
ThankYou products
Similar to Sukin, with slightly less chemicals omitted. I like that they donate 100% of profits to helping end poverty. Plus, they're vocal about being Aussie.
Sold at Woolies, Coles & Chemists
Bloodworks
Private blood testing. Higher resolution metrics like bloodwork allow you to optimise your biology via a clearer snapshot of what's really happening throughout the body. I've been using Don since, 2018, he's great at explaining results.
Tests vary from $10-155 each
Alfree toothpaste
Similar to Sukin & ThankYou, Alfree make toothpaste free from many toxic chemicals that harm DNA, mitochondria, or act like estrogens.
I like that this one has no taste.
$6.50 at Chemist warehouse
Sukin products
Sukin make personal hygiene products that are free from xenoestrogens and DNA damaging chemicals like: phlalates (like BP-A), perfumes, SLS, EDT, parabens, sulphates, MEA, DEA, TEA, petrolatum, silicones, triclosan, or mineral oils. Aussie made too.
Sold at Woolies, Coles & Chemists
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Earthing bedsheets
Connecting to ground alters the bodies electrical biology by changing the charge running through cells. Ground is negative, but a build up of positive charge can cause dysfunction throughout the body. Sleeping connected to the earths negative charge has been shown as beneficial for myriad benefits [r][r][r].
$250-316 depending on size.
Deodorant
Finding deodorant without toxic metals was a challenge. Metals in deodorants function by closing sweat pores and toxic metals also kill bacteria. But daily use of aluminium deodorant causes heavy metal bioaccumulation in the brain [r], and body [r] causing health problems. This is why minerals like zinc & magnesium are better alternatives.
$10 at chemist warehouse
Body & face moisturiser
For night use, before bed.
The chemicals in most moisturisers are toxic, kill your skins microflora, and damage DNA over time.
Using a natural, organic, single ingredient product like tallow will result in far better skin. It includes retinol (vitamin A), other vitamins, and helps feed your microflora, not kill it. Many people have mentioned resolving their eczema using this.
$5-80 depending on size
Facial moisturiser
For daily use. You only need a little. It should last 4-6 months.
The chemicals in most moisturisers are toxic, kill skin microflora, and damage DNA over time.
Using this natural, organic, single ingredient product will result in far better skin. It includes retinol (vitamin A) and other vitamins that your skin needs and loves [r]. Plus, it helps feed your microflora, not kill it.
$40 direct from the maker
Shower filter
Tap water is full of flouride, chloride, chemicals, plastics, and birth control. These sit and dry on your skin causing poor skin health and look. Further, they absorb into your body through the day.
This filter improves skin, hair, and hormonal health. Also results in less shower glass chalk build-up (the same stuff landing on your skin). Lasts 3-4 months. A very easy buy.
$25-30 on Ebay
Leatherman - Free P2
One of those items you end up using for 20+ years on all sorts of small things along your journey.
This was a gift from a close friend who is known for choosing perfect gifts.
A tool a man can trust is an essential item for every man.
$300 from Leatherman
Smart-Fan - Kogan
Bedroom airflow can aid in sleep quality by ensuring adequate oxygen supply and clearance of carbon dioxide from breathing space.
This model is WiFi connected, can be controled with your phone, and can be automated to turn on/off with your normal waking times.
$115 from Kogan
GoPro Hero 11
The industry standard for recording vlog or social media content.
I pair this with the media mod attachment and Rode wireless microphones. These are also great for any type of sport activity when travelling.
$685 from Amazon
Infrared-light therapy
Evidence is growing around the benefits of infrared light on the human body. Literature shows a host of skin improvements like acne and anti-wrinkle, as well as improved fertility, conception, fat loss, energy levels, hormones, DNA repair, and more. Useful articles here, and here. Dosing guide here.
$1100 from Red Man Light
Nanoleaf Hex
These are similar to the LIFX brand, but with a more intuitive app, and better software development.
Useful for aiding with circadian rhythm adjustments by using the RGBs for blue, amber, or red functions through the day and night.
5, 9, 15 pack from Amazon $180-430
Light blocking shades
Blacking out your bedroom is surprisingly effective. You'll be surprised what a little light can do to harm sleep quality.
Originally, I used 'Gro blinds', but the fabric and suction cup design made them less optimal than simply cutting to size and sticking directly.
If you can find a non-polyester version, let me know.
~$28 from Amazon