Fitness Equipment Basics
by: John Mac
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.
Exercise bikes are a popular item of fitness equipment especially for home use, with numerous types available. Apart from the standard upright exercise bike some models now offer upper body work outs as well. The latest designs have recumbent seats which support your lower back & leave your hands & arms free to use weights for upper body exercise. Cost $229 or less to $2599.
Rowing Machines are a very useful piece of fitness equipment particularly for those with knee problems who feel they are not up to running or cycling because of their problem. They come in many different designs from lightweight foldaway to heavier more rigid designs. New equipment should set you back $239 to $1900.
Fitness equipment for strength/muscular work comes as individual pieces, such as dumbbells, weight benches, leg or abdominal equipment or for a total body workout you could try a home gym which should set you back between $399 to just under $4000 depending upon the space you have available and your budget.
For the best results you should choose at least one piece of fitness equipment from both the cardio fitness equipment & the strength fitness equipment, with a home gym being the recommended piece of equipment for the strength work. Make sure you choose fitness equipment that you know you will enjoy using & not something that will end up stuck in the garage.
(c) John Mac 2006
About The Author
John Mac is Author & Owner of www.fitnessdiethealth.com your no. 1 stop to improve your fitness, diet & health.
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How Blast Past Your Fitness Barriers! - Part 2
How Blast Past Your Fitness Barriers! - Part 2
by: Frank Smoot
Yes, as much as we'd like the road to fitness to be straight, smooth, and uninterrupted, it's a fact of like that you're going to bump into a few obstacles along the way.
Last time we looked at Roadblocks 1-3 and how to blast them out of your way on the road to success. In today's article (Part 2) we'll look at the next three in some detail. I'll cover the rest as we move through his 6-part series.
Success Roadblock Number Four: Inadequate Motivation ? You Don't Have Clear & Compelling Reasons To Succeed
As a success coach, I can tell you that very few people understand the necessity for having compelling reasons to power them toward their goals. If you don't have sufficiently strong motivations to overcome the inertia of the status quo, then you're either going to stay right where you are or end up right back where you are. It's really just that simple.
So what...
How Blast Past Your Fitness Barriers! - Part 2
Fitness > How Blast Past Your Fitness Barriers! - Part 2
How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness
How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness
by: Gary Matthews
Ever wondered why most sports scientists agree that cardio-boxing is one of the best forms of exercise, well it is because it conditions the total body and provides a complete workout for your cardiovascular and endurance systems. Lets have a look at the benefits:
The major benefits of cardio-boxing include:
? Increased Stamina
? Increased Strength
? Increased Speed
? Increased Coordination
Cardio-boxing also promotes a person?s well being by strengthening their self-discipline and combined with strength training it?s well and truly the total package for self-defence and fitness and usually consists of:
? Adjusted heart rate work
? Actual boxing techniques
The usual workout consists of the age-adjusted heart rate work starting with 10 minutes for beginners and leading up to 20 minutes for the more advanced.
Fitness > How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness
How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
by: Sean Cochran
It happens to all of us. We loose our golf swing, make some type of unknown modification in how we swing the club, and everything falls apart. What can we do to prevent our golf swing from leaving us?
Remember this saying as you continue to read this article; ?Proper Preparation Precedes Success and Confidence?. Think about this phrase for a moment and then keep reading.
I write about this subject because of an e-mail I received from a fellow golfer. The e-mail read:
?Sean, while out practicing I appear to have injured a muscle(s) in my back just below my left shoulder, and also around the outside of my left side rib cage. I have tried to continue to play golf through this injury, hoping it would get better but I had to stop. Hitting down and through the ball proved to very difficult and I seemed to be pulling out of shots early and topping...
How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
Fitness > How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
Fitness Plan Secrets
Fitness Plan Secrets
by: Tony Farrell
In order to get the benefit of this Fitness Plan
Secrets training article, unless you have done so
already, it's important that you first read the
previous article where I explained about creating a
clear goal using these Fitness Goal Secrets here:
http://www.how-to-build-muscle-and-fitness.com/fitness-goal-secrets.html
Fitness Plan Secrets:
To follow on from this, you must reverse your
goals. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not
suggesting you do something drastic here.
What I am saying is that in order to achieve your
new clear goal(s), you must first look at the end
result and then backward plan it. We are going to
uncover these Fitness plan secrets.
Sound confusing?
Let me show you what I mean --
You have a Clear Goal. Not a vague one,...
Fitness Plan Secrets
Fitness > Fitness Plan Secrets
How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness
How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness
by: Gary Matthews
Ever wondered why most sports scientists agree that cardio-boxing is one of the best forms of exercise, well it is because it conditions the total body and provides a complete workout for your cardiovascular and endurance systems. Lets have a look at the benefits:
The major benefits of cardio-boxing include:
? Increased Stamina
? Increased Strength
? Increased Speed
? Increased Coordination
Cardio-boxing also promotes a person?s well being by strengthening their self-discipline and combined with strength training it?s well and truly the total package for self-defence and fitness and usually consists of:
? Adjusted heart rate work
? Actual boxing techniques
The usual workout consists of the age-adjusted heart rate work starting with 10 minutes for beginners and leading up to 20 minutes for the more advanced.
Fitness > How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness
How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
by: Sean Cochran
It happens to all of us. We loose our golf swing, make some type of unknown modification in how we swing the club, and everything falls apart. What can we do to prevent our golf swing from leaving us?
Remember this saying as you continue to read this article; ?Proper Preparation Precedes Success and Confidence?. Think about this phrase for a moment and then keep reading.
I write about this subject because of an e-mail I received from a fellow golfer. The e-mail read:
?Sean, while out practicing I appear to have injured a muscle(s) in my back just below my left shoulder, and also around the outside of my left side rib cage. I have tried to continue to play golf through this injury, hoping it would get better but I had to stop. Hitting down and through the ball proved to very difficult and I seemed to be pulling out of shots early and topping...
How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
Fitness > How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises
Weight Training Equipment Choices - How To Decide Between Free Weights And Weight Training Machines
Weight Training Equipment Choices - How To Decide Between Free Weights And Weight Training Machines
by: Julie-Ann Amos
Once you have made the decision to invest in weight training equipment for your home gym, the next step is to determine which kind of equipment to buy. Most fitness enthusiasts who want to include a weight training routine as part of their overall fitness efforts will opt for either free weights or a weight training machine.
Free Weights
Free weights include several separate components that you can combine in a number of ways to vary your weight training routine. A complete set of free weights will typically include:
? One barbell (sometimes two)
? Weight plates and safety collars
? Weight bench and rack
? Dumbbells
With these basic pieces of weight training equipment, you can easily adjust the type, intensity and frequency of exercises performed. Because the components are separate and not...
Weight Training Equipment Choices - How To Decide Between Free Weights And Weight Training Machines
Fitness > Weight Training Equipment Choices - How To Decide Between Free Weights And Weight Training Machines