If weight loss is on your mind, rest assured that stationary bikes are the ideal choice. Stationary bikes have innumerable advantages and few of them are as follows:
• Ideal for excessively overweight people
• Convenient home gym equipment
• Different level settings enable vigorous training to develop fitness.
• Stationary exercise bike is foldable; thereby enabling easy handling.
What's more, in addition to assisting in weight loss and body toning; the exercise bike is meant to provide support to the back. Regular use of the exercise bike strengthens the leg, thigh muscles and the hamstrings in the back of the thigh. The health benefits of using an exercise bike to keep fit are therefore very significant.
You may ideally buy an exercise cycle best suited for you or hit the nearest gym. Various online marts cater to different fitness equipments and this is by far, the easiest means to shop. If going for a morning jog or walk appears to be a herculean task; then opt for the simple yet resourceful choice- the exercise bike. Get hold of one and kick start your exercise regime.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Fitness Equipment for a Total Body Workout
Nowadays a lot of fitness equipments, used fitness equipments, home fitness equipments etc are available on the market at affordable prices. The most popular fitness equipments are multigyms, dumbbells, bar bells, skipping ropes, rowing machines, tread mills, exercise bikes, balance boards, Swiss balls, resistance bands, punching bags, heart rate monitors, electronic counters etc.:
* A multi-gym is an exercise equipment where incremented plates are used for variable loads. They are used to strengthen the chest, shoulders, arms, thighs, calves, pectorals etc.
* Weight lifters generally prefer to use the dumbbells and barbells. These instruments are weights attached to a small and long bar respectively. They are used to exercise biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, thighs, calf muscles etc.
* The treadmill is an exercise equipment used for walking or running.
* The rowing machine is used to exercise pecs and the lower back. The motion when using the rowing machine resembles that of rowing a boat.
* A multi-gym is an exercise equipment where incremented plates are used for variable loads. They are used to strengthen the chest, shoulders, arms, thighs, calves, pectorals etc.
* Weight lifters generally prefer to use the dumbbells and barbells. These instruments are weights attached to a small and long bar respectively. They are used to exercise biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, thighs, calf muscles etc.
* The treadmill is an exercise equipment used for walking or running.
* The rowing machine is used to exercise pecs and the lower back. The motion when using the rowing machine resembles that of rowing a boat.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
If You Don't Want to Go to the Gym
Working out at the gym is great, well it is great if you can get there and if you like working out in front of other people. Are you self-conscious about working out in front of a room full of people or simply unable to get to the the gym due to time restraints? Do you have children that prevent you from being able to workout at the gym? If any of these are descriptions of you and you have a desire to get fit then you are going to need some exercise equipment for your home.
If you are a woman you probably want to slim down or tone up. You'll need something to get your heart rate up so you can burn those excess calories. By getting your heart rate up you will be able to burn the fat that has been bothering you and slim down. For this you will want a tread mill or elliptical machine to start off your exercise equipment. Maybe a stationary bike? Any exercise equipment that gets your heart rate up is fine. You will want a home gym so that you can lift light weights to tone your muscles. A home gym is a wonderful way to stay in shape and always a wonderful addition to any home exercise equipment room.
If you are a woman you probably want to slim down or tone up. You'll need something to get your heart rate up so you can burn those excess calories. By getting your heart rate up you will be able to burn the fat that has been bothering you and slim down. For this you will want a tread mill or elliptical machine to start off your exercise equipment. Maybe a stationary bike? Any exercise equipment that gets your heart rate up is fine. You will want a home gym so that you can lift light weights to tone your muscles. A home gym is a wonderful way to stay in shape and always a wonderful addition to any home exercise equipment room.
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Basics on Fitness Equipment
Fitness equipment can be split into 2 basic areas, first there is aerobic or cardio fitness equipment which is designed to give you a fitness workout to burn off calories & loose weight. Secondly there is strength/muscular fitness equipment which is designed to tone, or increase in size, your bodies muscles.
Most fitness equipment that you would expect to find in your local gym or fitness centre can now be purchased for home use depending upon the space you have available & the type of fitness equipment you require.
For aerobic fitness equipment you should consider a treadmill, an exercise bike or a rowing machine. Treadmills are popular because you can walk, jog or run on them making them an ideal piece of fitness equipment for the beginner right through to professional athletes, being suitable for all levels of fitness. Make sure you choose one with a wide belt that is long enough for your stride. If you jog or run a lot then you should consider a model with cushioning between the belt and treadmill bed to lesson the impact on your joints.
Basic models are powered by the user but you should choose one with a motor to vary the speed, the faster you like to run the higher the motor speed you should choose. New treadmills will set you back approximately $299 for a self powered one up to over $5000 for a motorised commercial style one.
Most fitness equipment that you would expect to find in your local gym or fitness centre can now be purchased for home use depending upon the space you have available & the type of fitness equipment you require.
For aerobic fitness equipment you should consider a treadmill, an exercise bike or a rowing machine. Treadmills are popular because you can walk, jog or run on them making them an ideal piece of fitness equipment for the beginner right through to professional athletes, being suitable for all levels of fitness. Make sure you choose one with a wide belt that is long enough for your stride. If you jog or run a lot then you should consider a model with cushioning between the belt and treadmill bed to lesson the impact on your joints.
Basic models are powered by the user but you should choose one with a motor to vary the speed, the faster you like to run the higher the motor speed you should choose. New treadmills will set you back approximately $299 for a self powered one up to over $5000 for a motorised commercial style one.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Are Fitness Machines Damanging Our Bodies?
More specifically to wonder 'are machines hurting us?' Consider the following.
1. Fitness Machines force you to follow a fixed path. When you are on a pin or plate loaded machine there is no option other than to move through the predetermined path of the machine's design. If we move our bodies through the exact same paths, repeatedly, under load then it is not unreasonable to expect wear and tear on our tissues to result. Imagine never changing or rotating your tires and you can imagine unbalanced wear pattern evident on the tread. The same happens with our joints if we never vary the path of resistance and balance out our training.
2. Fitness Machines don't encourage eccentric control. Eccentric means the phase of the exercise where the muscle lengthens and is commonly witnessed when we lower a weight. Most injuries happen during the eccentric phase and we tend to put excessive emphasis on the concentric phase. We are conditioned to count (concentric) reps and disregard the effort during the negative portion of the lift. The leg press is a common culprit of this crime especially when there are rubber stoppers at the bottom of the lifts which unfortunately encourages individuals to lower more weight, more quickly then they can comfortably handle all for the sake of successful concentric effort.
3. Many fitness machines stabilize the spine for you. Many injuries and joint issues can be traced back to a lack of stability. Through the lumbar spine we want to maintain good control between the hips and rib cage. When we sit on machines the back rest provides the support and stability for the spine at the expense of developing our own natural stability. This lack of stability catches up with us when we introduce a new activity into the routine or add more strength that we can control
1. Fitness Machines force you to follow a fixed path. When you are on a pin or plate loaded machine there is no option other than to move through the predetermined path of the machine's design. If we move our bodies through the exact same paths, repeatedly, under load then it is not unreasonable to expect wear and tear on our tissues to result. Imagine never changing or rotating your tires and you can imagine unbalanced wear pattern evident on the tread. The same happens with our joints if we never vary the path of resistance and balance out our training.
2. Fitness Machines don't encourage eccentric control. Eccentric means the phase of the exercise where the muscle lengthens and is commonly witnessed when we lower a weight. Most injuries happen during the eccentric phase and we tend to put excessive emphasis on the concentric phase. We are conditioned to count (concentric) reps and disregard the effort during the negative portion of the lift. The leg press is a common culprit of this crime especially when there are rubber stoppers at the bottom of the lifts which unfortunately encourages individuals to lower more weight, more quickly then they can comfortably handle all for the sake of successful concentric effort.
3. Many fitness machines stabilize the spine for you. Many injuries and joint issues can be traced back to a lack of stability. Through the lumbar spine we want to maintain good control between the hips and rib cage. When we sit on machines the back rest provides the support and stability for the spine at the expense of developing our own natural stability. This lack of stability catches up with us when we introduce a new activity into the routine or add more strength that we can control
Fixing Potential Injuries
But once we're injured we need a plan. Here's what I've found works well. Again, to reiterate, this is not to replace any type of medical attention or treatment.
1. The puddle often is not the source of the leak. Many times we suffer an injury at a particular joint and we look to address the problem by zeroing in on this area. But sometimes a knee injury might be due to an issue with the glutes. Or a low back issue might be related to improper posture and function of the scapula (shoulder blades). The point here is to avoid having tunnel vision and look to see how the body works as a whole to determine why there is a problem.
2. Continuing with the previous point don't be overly aggressive at the source of the injury. What I mean is that if I have a low back injury I don't necessarily want to work on this area too much. Instead look above and below the source, in this case the low back, and look to increase stability or mobility at the neighbouring joints. For example in this case, we would look to increase the mobility at the hips and thoracic spine to help relieve some of the strain on the low back.
3. Keep moving. When there is strain sometimes our instinct is to lessen our movement. And while we do want to be smart about our movement we can recover more quickly when we initiate activity. And what do I recommend for most as the best way to initiate some activity? Swimming. Especially if the joint in question is load-bearing joint. Placing the body in a horizontal position takes some of the strain of a normally vertical body position. Plus the water itself helps to support the body and allows the limbs to generate a force against the water and thus help stabilize the trunk.
4. As we resume our training it must be with modifications. This may involve reducing the load, the volume or both. If the injury is with the upper body look to add in more lower body exercises. And finally for wherever the injury occurred look to incorporate more lifts to the opposite side of the body. A quick example is for someone who has anterior (front side) shoulder pain whenever they bench should look to incorporate more pulling exercises such as a seated row.
1. The puddle often is not the source of the leak. Many times we suffer an injury at a particular joint and we look to address the problem by zeroing in on this area. But sometimes a knee injury might be due to an issue with the glutes. Or a low back issue might be related to improper posture and function of the scapula (shoulder blades). The point here is to avoid having tunnel vision and look to see how the body works as a whole to determine why there is a problem.
2. Continuing with the previous point don't be overly aggressive at the source of the injury. What I mean is that if I have a low back injury I don't necessarily want to work on this area too much. Instead look above and below the source, in this case the low back, and look to increase stability or mobility at the neighbouring joints. For example in this case, we would look to increase the mobility at the hips and thoracic spine to help relieve some of the strain on the low back.
3. Keep moving. When there is strain sometimes our instinct is to lessen our movement. And while we do want to be smart about our movement we can recover more quickly when we initiate activity. And what do I recommend for most as the best way to initiate some activity? Swimming. Especially if the joint in question is load-bearing joint. Placing the body in a horizontal position takes some of the strain of a normally vertical body position. Plus the water itself helps to support the body and allows the limbs to generate a force against the water and thus help stabilize the trunk.
4. As we resume our training it must be with modifications. This may involve reducing the load, the volume or both. If the injury is with the upper body look to add in more lower body exercises. And finally for wherever the injury occurred look to incorporate more lifts to the opposite side of the body. A quick example is for someone who has anterior (front side) shoulder pain whenever they bench should look to incorporate more pulling exercises such as a seated row.
Should You Train if You Are Injured?
So the question becomes what should we do when we feel strain? The first thing I have to mention is that this is not medical advice. This is not meant to serve as a diagnosis of any type of musculoskeletal injury. If you have suffered a serious injury then you should seek medical attention.
Whenever we feel a strain or something more we should be asking ourselves why this happened? Our bodies gives us purposeful feedback and warnings to prevent further damage. Some questions to ask to determine the cause of the discomfort include:
* Have I started a new activity or program lately? Even when we are in shape the first time we try a new activity or sport we will feel it the days that follow.
* In my previous workouts did I warm-up adequately? Did I cool down and stretch out enough? Was my technique optimal throughout all lifts?
* What was I doing prior to my workouts? Have I been sitting at the computer for hours on end before attempting a max deadlift? Was I driving cross-country on a business trip? Have I been doing heavy manual labour? Basically have I been overly static or active in the lead up to training?
* Have I recently upped the frequency, intensity or duration of my workouts?
* Lastly, have I noticed bilateral differences in my body? In other words are there diffences between the left and right sides of my body? When warming up did I feel tighter on one side? When lifting was the bar travelling in an even path or was it off-balance or rotating? When stretching out could I get a release more easily on one side than the other?
Whenever we feel a strain or something more we should be asking ourselves why this happened? Our bodies gives us purposeful feedback and warnings to prevent further damage. Some questions to ask to determine the cause of the discomfort include:
* Have I started a new activity or program lately? Even when we are in shape the first time we try a new activity or sport we will feel it the days that follow.
* In my previous workouts did I warm-up adequately? Did I cool down and stretch out enough? Was my technique optimal throughout all lifts?
* What was I doing prior to my workouts? Have I been sitting at the computer for hours on end before attempting a max deadlift? Was I driving cross-country on a business trip? Have I been doing heavy manual labour? Basically have I been overly static or active in the lead up to training?
* Have I recently upped the frequency, intensity or duration of my workouts?
* Lastly, have I noticed bilateral differences in my body? In other words are there diffences between the left and right sides of my body? When warming up did I feel tighter on one side? When lifting was the bar travelling in an even path or was it off-balance or rotating? When stretching out could I get a release more easily on one side than the other?
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