Home Gym Equipment

You can enjoy all the benefits of gym membership - a wide variety of equipment and facilities, good advice from staff and other members and the incentive to work out by making the gym a destination. But, you can also enjoy having the ease of access and the absence of a commute by purchasing home gym equipment.

But what to buy?

If you’re just getting into, or back into, a fitness routine, you should hold off purchasing anything. Using relatively new professional equipment, under the guidance of a knowledgeable instructor, will give you a good basis for comparison when shopping.

One of the first pieces of equipment anyone interested in weight training will want is, naturally, a set of weights.

Free weights can be purchased for very little money - a basic set is often under $50. You’ll want a mixture of small, 10 lb (4.5 kg) and 20 lb (9 kg) hand-held dumbbells and a bar with larger, exchangeable weights. Just about any bar is as good as another, but weights can be either metal or plastic. Some people like the old-fashioned clink of metal, but plastic weights (usually composite or sand-filled) are marginally safer.

At some point, you’ll want to ‘graduate’ to a weight machine. They offer the ability to focus on specific muscle groups - biceps, quadriceps, deltoids and others - in a much safer way than free weights can. Also, some muscle groups - calves or hamstrings, for example - are harder to work using free weights.

Once you’re ready for a weight machine, be prepared to spend some serious cash. Costs and configurations vary. Some are just simple resistance machines, essentially composite rubber stretching straps that allow for some adjustment to the tension. These run a few hundred dollars. Others are multi-station, adjustable weight stacks, often costing from $1,800 to $5,000 or more.

Stair steppers are becoming increasingly popular. A very simple model can run anywhere from $80-$150. It offers you the ability to get a good cardiovascular workout in a small space at home with low joint impact, while you build thighs and calves. Beware anything that looks like too good a deal, though. Reliability is key here, otherwise you’ve spent $100 for nothing when it breaks two months after purchase.

Some stair steppers run as high as $1,700 or more. At this level you should be getting a lot more than just the ability to simulate walking up stairs. Apart from reliability and handrails, which should be rock solid for 5 years or more, you should be able to adjust resistance level, speed, angle, and distance between the pedals. You should also get a heart rate monitor and other digital readouts (speed, distance climbed, calories burned, etc) as part of the package.

Treadmills, too, are becoming a more common part of the home gym. Since they run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $2,000 or more, you should expect to get a lot for your money.

Again, they should be completely smooth working, stable and reliable for several years. A good treadmill should have a great, non-slip surface and it should be able to go faster and offer more resistance than you could ever use as you build up.

Like stair steppers, it should come with an impressive panel of controls and digital gauges. Any treadmill that costs over $1,000 should have, at minimum, adjustments for and measurements of speed and distance ‘walked’. It should include calories burned, with tailoring based on age, weight, etc. A heart rate monitor is a great plus.

Of course, if you plan to spend several thousand dollars to acquire home gym equipment, you should be prepared to dedicate yourself to a consistent, regular workout. But that’s something no manufacturer can guarantee.

               

Tips For Buying Used Treadmills Smart

By David Faulkner

Treadmills are expensive, but you can save a few bucks by picking up a used one. There is a lot that can go wrong with a used treadmill, so make sure you know what you’re getting before you buy.

Where To Buy Used Treadmills

You can buy used treadmills from fitness clubs, online dealers like eBay, classifieds, and sports store chains like Play It Again Sports. When it comes to used treadmills, where you buy may be as important as what you buy.

If you buy from a sports store, make sure they have some kind of warrantee or return policy. Most sports store check the machine to make sure it’s up to speed before they sell it.

You can also find used treadmills at thrift stores like the Salvation Army, but it’s risky. There’s a good chance the electronics will not work, and thrift stores offer no guarantee. If you want something that runs, and don’t need the electronics and special features, this would be a good bargain.

Gyms sell used treadmills, but usually these treadmills have been used and abused. It may be on its dying breath. You’ll be lucky if it doesn’t collapse the minute you step onto it. Why do you think the gym is selling it?

The truth is, they may be selling it to make room for new ones. Actually, gyms use the best quality treadmills available, so it’s definitely going to be a good model. Still, it’s risky to buy from gyms. Their used treadmills have been run hard.

A much better place to get a used treadmill is from someone who just doesn’t use it. There are lots of people like this out there. It’s easy to get on an exercise kick and splurge on this giant piece of fitness equipment, then get bogged down with work or lose the drive. The treadmill turns into a piece of furniture. Used treadmills purchased from people who never use them are usually in pretty good shape.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind

In general, you should watch out for used treadmills that are more than a year old. Most treadmills have a year warrantee, and after that things can start breaking. Modern treadmills are sturdily built, but contain electronic components and motors that can start to run down after a couple of years.

If you’re getting a used treadmill, it’s always best to buy one that is a major, trusted brand. This insures that it is high quality and built to last. A treadmill that was expensive in the first place might be a great deal used. Look for major brands like Nordic Track, Proform, Bowflex and Horizon.

Ask the previous owner lots of questions. Find out if they were the only owner. If somebody had the treadmill before them, it’s probably not worth your money no matter how low the cost.

Finally, remember that you can get a simple new treadmill for as low as $750 if you shop around. It might be a good idea to pay the extra cash and have the piece of mind of knowing that your machine is brand new. The warrantee also helps!

Buying used treadmills is a great way to save money, just make sure you buy smart. Follow these tips and shop around, and you’ll find a great deal.

You can also find more info on Treadmill Reviews and Weslo Treadmills. Besttreadmillratings.com is a comprehensive resource to find the best treadmill.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Faulkner

               

Home Gym and Fitness Equipment Facts

By Kent Glines

At some point in your life you’ve thought about purchasing a home gym. Why didn’t you? Perhaps it was monetary or you just didn’t understand the benefits. In reality a home gym is a great addition to any house. Most people consider the home gym to be one piece of exercise equipment so the user can do multiple and different exercises on one machine. In most cases this is true, however a home gym can be so much more. It’s not necessarily just one piece of equipment anymore. It can also consist of a set of dumbbells, barbells and free weights.

Some of the benefits to having your own home gym are:

1. It’s open any time you want to use it.
2. There are never any waiting lines to use the equipment.
3. There are not any ongoing membership fees.
4. You’re in control of your own environment like TV or stereo.
5. You won’t catch any germs from other people so you won’t get sick.

Types of Equipment

If you do decide that owning your own equipment is the best thing for you, the next item on the agenda will be to decide exactly what type of equipment you need. To help you decide which way to go with your own equipment, you should consider what your goals are. One important point to remember is that you can always add more equipment at a later time. Advances in home gym equipment have evolved from the chrome monsters of 10 years ago to the sleek machines of today. Let’s take a look at some of the options that are available at this time.

Cardiovascular Machines:

1. Elliptical machines are for cardiovascular workouts and are excellent since they work both the upper and lower body.

2. Treadmills are one of the most popular types of exercise machines however they only work the lower body.

3. Rowing machines are also excellent pieces of workout equipment if you want to get a full body workout.

4. Recumbent bikes are also a good way to get a lower body workout.

5. Stair Steppers, AKA Stair Climbers will get your heart racing with its lower body workout.

6. Ski machines give both the upper and lower body workout.

There are more and more cardiovascular machines coming onto the market almost daily. Just watch the late night infomercials to see some of the newest.

Weight Machines to build and tone muscles:

1. Bowflex is a full workout machine, which uses flexible rods for resistance instead of weights. Very popular!

2. Body Solid makes several different types of weight machines including their “Leverage System”.

3. Pro Gym, Weider, and a host of others manufacture multi-station home gyms designed for just about any budget.

Consider this: When you purchase a complete home gym package like a Bowflex system for example, you may want to hire a personal trainer that is familiar with your particular equipment for a couple of sessions, just to help you to get started off on the right foot.

A home gym is one of the best ways to start out on the fitness path. There is one and only one drawback when you decide to purchase your new home gym equipment. The drawback is that there is an endless number of different brands and models to choose from. One of the biggest advantages to owning your own equipment is that you can decide when YOU want to exercise since you’ll be open 24/7.

Kent Glines has been a personal trainer who has achieved more than typical results with his clients by sticking to most of the common supplement and exercise basics.

More information about Fitness Equipment and Home Gym Equipment can be found at www.bodybuildingdiscount.net

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Glines

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Exercise Ball

By Al Villa

One of the exercises that has become quite popular is the exercise ball. If you are looking for results you can easily do the routines at home and get surprising results. The concept is based on the fact that you get a better work out because your body is very unstable on the exercise ball. This requires you to use muscles you normally do not use in other type of aerobic activities.

Basically what you do is pretty much routines you would do otherwise. For example when you do crunches on the exercise ball you are twisting and bending in order to stabilize yourself. In addition to getting a good tummy work out you are also getting a workout in other muscles with the compressing, twisting and bending.

There are many different routines you can do with the exercise ball. When you first start out you want to take it easy. Start with the exercises that are easy such as ball balance, hip extensions, butt extension and back extension. Get used to the ball, you can even just sit on it and watch TV to become acquainted. It seems a little awkward at first, just like anything new. Once you make the ball your friend it will be fun. And always be sure to follow the traditional good rule of warming up with light cardio routines.

One of the other things you can do is search on the internet for examples of free exercise ball routines. There are many sites that offer free advice. But before that you need an exercise ball. You can find them in most sporting goods stores but better yet you can get them on the internet. Some sites that offer advice also offer a free exercise ball if you sign up for one of their programs.

This is a great way to get your abs in shape and also other parts of your body. But remember that diet is also important and be sure to follow a healthy diet plan for best results. Always keep in mind the formula for weight loss, if that is your goal –you must burn off more calories than you take in. So a combination of taking in less calories and burning more calories with the exercise ball gives you a one two punch. In no time you will be feeling and looking great. You can get all this accomplished in the comfort of you home.

Al Villa is a retired Judge and internet entrepreneur. He loves to write articles and you can use them as free content provded you include the whole article and this resource box with this hot link: Al Work At Home
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Al_Villa

               

Oh! Look What I Found In My Basement!

In Mid-February, I decided that I wanted to get a really good Treadmill and had it all picked out .. on sale at $1,499 CDN$ .. It had all the extras and goodies and was regularly on sale for $1,999 CDN$. After much research both online and at local fitness equipment stores .. my wife and I both agreed that this was the best thing to do .. to get a quality machine that would last a long time and fit in just the right spot in our Master Bedroom and then we can do a makeover! We fear if it was one of those cheaper models (which would have been just as good i.m.o.) - we wouldn’t have been committed as much and the equipment would just end up in our basement!

Which reminded me - OH YAH! I’ve Got Exercise Equipment In My Basement!

Well .. here are the “Before” pictures - before cleaning them up, and finding the right spot for them in my home. I loaded the pictures up in Adobe Photoshop and cut out the background, in an ERASERHEAD fashion as to not show you how messy my basement is, where I took the pictures, which was on last Monday evening. Since then, they have both been cleaned but left in my basement. I had been using the pedalling bike but, the tension is broken and not really working well, and in fact I have been using only the first machine .. and my knees are killing me! On the weekend, I am going to try to get both machines up into the spare room up here on the 2nd floor of our condo (next to my Office space here in my home) and somehow find time to use both of them each day.

Actually, I don’t even know what to call these machines!

* When I bought my 46″ Projection TV back in 1997 .. at VISIONS .. they threw in this exercise equipment when I purchased the 5-year warranty. It’s like a rowing machine, but when I row I end up standing up and down etc etc .. Sitting at a desk all day and then getting on this machine made my knees weak - literally .. MAN Am I out of shape~

* When my folks downsized to a smaller home back in 2001 they were giving all their excess furniture away and both myself and my brothers were taking the leftovers. All I wanted, besides a wall shelf for the basement .. (which I didn’t get) was their oversized treadmill. Well, they gave their treadmill away to their best friends instead .. and all I got was this exercise bike, that the tension didn’t work! It’s not a bad bike, as it’s like a rowing machine as well, except standing up/down like the above machine .. you are pedalling.