Exercise Equipment: What Options Do You Have?
Whether you’re looking to get rid of your gym membership in favor of making your own in-home gym, or you’re simply looking to get in some extra cardio at home, it can be difficult knowing where to start when buying exercise equipment. Fitness Specialists was started with the goal of making exercise more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Although we’re going to cover a lot in this blog, if you have any questions about fitness equipment or living a healthy lifestyle in general, don’t hesitate to give us a call or visit us in store. We have two locations: one in Odessa and one in Lubbock.
Cardio Equipment
Any gym you go in, you’re likely going to see a large number of machines designed to replicate running, climbing, or rowing. These machines are known as cardio exercise equipment and are great for burning fat and getting your heart rate up. You’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of running or biking long distances without actually going that distance.
Price will depend on a variety of things such as whether the machine is motorized or programmable and if it has things such as a heart rate monitor or other add-ons. Let’s take a look at some of the cardio equipment available to you.
Rowing Machines
Rowing machines are favored by those looking to get a good cardio and strength training workout in at the same time. Rowing machines will work the back, arms, and legs while burning even more fat than running.
Treadmills
Treadmills can be used for both walking and running. There are several different features that come with treadmills including distance trackers, built-in fitness games, and hand railings for your safety. Newer treadmills are designed to limit stress on the feet and joints meaning you can run longer.
Elliptical Machines
Elliptical machines or elliptical trainers require you to move your legs in a circular up and down motion that’s like a cross between a stair stepper and skiing. Since there’s no impact like with a treadmill, ellipticals can be a lot easier on your joints meaning if you’ve just sustained an injury, this may be a great way to still get an exercise in.
Stair-Steppers
Although stair steppers require a little more impact resistance than an elliptical machine, they can provide a great workout. If you’re someone who likes to do stair runs but aren’t able to either due to the weather or some other reason, stair-steppers are a great option.
Strength Equipment
The other major type of in-home exercise machine is strength training equipment. Strength equipment makes use of your body weight, gravity, and different types of weight to work all types of muscle groups. Similar to cardio equipment, strength equipment can vary in cost depending on the design of the machine. Let’s take a look at what types are available.
Incline Press
The incline press is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a weight lifting machine where you sit on a slightly tilted seated and push outward, working the chest and triceps heavily.
Pulley Systems
Pulley systems are a type of weightlifting machine that use a system of cables and pulleys that can be adjusted. This allows you to do overhead exercises, bicep exercises, or flies (when both arms are extended outwards).
Lateral Pulldown
Lateral pulldown machines are great for working the sides and the back. Typically, you sit down with a cushion over your legs to prevent them from rising up. Then you grab the bar and pull down directly in front of you.
Assisted Deadlift
The deadlift is one of the hardest free weight exercises and has lead to countless injuries in people who are inexperienced with how it’s done. Although you can hire a personal trainer to ensure you’re doing it correctly, there are a number of assisted deadlight machines that can help train your muscles to do the lift the right way. This way, when you go back to free weights you won’t have any doubts about your technique.
Many Others
Unlike cardio machines, there are hundreds of different types of weight lifting machines. Many of them are slight variants of others but you may find preference in using one over another. Be sure to shop around and find what you like.
Contact Fitness Specialists
As your top-rated exercise equipment company in Midland, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about either cardio machines or weightlifting machines. Our goal is to make exercise much more accessible for people of all ages and provide an alternative to paying a hefty monthly payment for a gym membership. Give us a call today or browse our online exercise equipment store.