Fitness Equipment Advice
Of course it’s great to the gym with its a wide variety of equipment and facilities, good advice from staff and other members plus the incentive to work out by making the gym a destination. But, on a miserable winter morning or when time is short you can also enjoy having the ease of access and the absence of a commute by purchasing home gym equipment.
But what should you buy? This is a multi million dollar industry and the choice is overwhelming.
If you’re just getting into, or back into, a fitness routine, you should probably wait before 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, not surprisingly a set of weights.
Free weights can be bought at bargain prices - a basic set is often under $50. You’ll need 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.
As time goes on you may want to move to a weight machine. They offer the ability to focus on specific muscle groups such as biceps, quadriceps, deltoids and others in a much safer way than free weights can. Also, some muscle groups like hamstrings and calves are harder to work when you are using free weights.
The bad new is that a weight machine can cost some serious cash. Costs and configurations vary and the basic choices are more affordable. Some are little more than just simple resistance machines, basically composite rubber stretching straps that allow for adjustment to the tension. These can generally be bought for a few hundred dollars. The more expensive models are deluxe multi-station, adjustable weight stacks, often costing from $1,800 to $5,000 or more.
Stair steppers are also growing massively in popularity. A very simple model can be bought for $80-$150. They offers you the ability to get a pretty decent cardiovascular workout with low joint impact, while you build thighs and calves. Another bonus is that they don’t take up too much room around the house. Watch out for anything that appears to be too much of a bargain. You do get what you pay for and some of the real cheap options may not be built to last. It’s almost like the manufacturers are banking on the fact that you will tire of the machine before it gives up the ghost.
The real deluxe stair steppers can cost $1,600 or more. With these you really should be getting much more than a stair walking simulator. Apart from reliability and handrails, which should be as srrudy as new for 5 years or more, you want to be able to adjust resistance level, angle, speed and also the distance between the pedals. You should also get a digital heart rate monitor which can also tell you speed, distance climbed, calories burned and so on.
What about treadmills? More and more people are using these in the home environment. They can cost p to $2,000 and as with everything else the more you pay the string more long-lasting and feature packed unit you should come home with.
The best ones should be completely smooth working, stable and work well for a number of years. A good treadmill must have a non-slip surface. This is vital for safe use. Also it should be able to go faster and offer more resistance than you could ever use as you build up strength and endurance.
A top treadmill like the best stair steppers will have the digital monitors so that you can accurately gauge exactly how much exercise you have done. Again, a heart rate monitor lets you see how hard you are working as you exercise. This can help ensure that you are in the proper work out zone for burning off most calories.
Finally, if you are going to spend a small fortune on gym equipment please make sure you use it and continue to use it. Regular use is the only way to benefit, however, good the equipment you have bought.
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