Monday 28 December 2009

Fitness Equipment

Buying An All In One System

These days, more and more people are turning away from gym memberships to fitness equipment and instead choosing to invest money in eqipment for fitness in the home such as a rowing machine or treadmill.

You can put a home gym in a spare corner of your home, or even in the basement if you wish.  Along with helping you save money by combining several different types of fitness equipment into one machine, these types of equipment can easily fit in small spaces and take up a lot less space than their individual counterparts.

When you are considering  buying an all in one piece of exercise equipment, you should first think about your goals.  You should consider what you hope to achieve from exercising and just how well this piece of equipment will benefit you.

There are several types of all in one equipment for exercise on the market and almost all of them are
advertised well on television, in magazines, and on the internet.  The most popular types on the market are those types that are geared towards individuals who are interested in lifting weights.

Right now, the two most popular types of all in one exercise systems are the Bowflex Home Gym and Total Gym brands.  The Bowflex Home Gym system uses resistant bows that bend instead of the traditional weights that simply lift.  Bowflex is designed to fit a wide variety of budgets and needs, it's widely adaptable and extremely popular as well.

With the Bowflex Xtreme for example you can perform over 60 different exercises. It has  210 pounds of resistance but you can upgrade this bowflex model to 410 pounds which is a good option because most people will find that 210 lbs is not enough, especially for leg exercises and its compact in size.

By using the Bowflex Xtreme system, you have the ability to adapt the machine to a wide variety of exercises that will work many different areas of your body.

To make things even better, you can store the basic Bowflex system in small and tight places,even under a bed if you choose.  The larger and more expensive Blowflex system competes with the types of professional equipment that you can find in gyms, which allow you a quality workout on quality equipment.

The Total Gym system is great as well and with 80 exercises it's said to be like having an entire gym full of fitness equipment.
It is advertised by martial arts legend Chuck Norris and supermodel Christie Brinkley.  It is less expensive than the Bowflex and uses gravity and resistance instead of traditional weights.

When you make that decision about buying an all in one exercise system, you must also decide on price, features, brand, and just who will use the machine.  If your family plans to use it as
well, then you'll need to get a system that everyone will agree on.  You obviously wouldn't want a machine that is too complicated for others in your home.

Even though Bowflex and Total Gym are the 2 most popular types of all in one equipment, there are
several others out there as will, from brands such as Weider and many others.  Before you make your choice, you should look at several to see which one offers you more for your money.

Tuesday 22 December 2009

The Motor Factor

Before we start, let's get down to the basic first. A typical treadmill is comprised of seven main components.

These are:
  •  The frame - which is that piece of metal that extends perpendicularly from the running deck and is where the handlebars are located
  •  The running deck - which is the surface that you run on
  •  The running belt -  the moving portion of the running deck
  •  The motor - the engine that makes the running belt
  •  The motor controller - the gadget that allows you to control the speed of the motor
  •  The incline motor - a tiny motor that controls the degree of inclination as you run
  •  The console and control computer - that part of the treadmill which makes you do all the other stuff
Out of all these seven components, the most important is obviously the motor.

Of course, because it's what makes your treadmill work in the first place. For this reason, you need to consider the motor first when you buy a treadmill.

As mentioned, most treadmills have two motors  one to drive the belt and the other to raise and lower the bed for inclines.
When you look over a few treadmills as you shop, choose one with a continuous duty belt motor with at least 1.5 horsepower. 1.5 horsepower is the average, but remember that more horsepower doesn't necessarily mean better.

This is particularly true if the motor is not continuous duty. So, when the salesperson tells you that maximum power' is what's it all about, don't be fooled. You know better. Get the treadmill with the continuous duty motor.

Here are some other terms you need to familiarize yourself with as you shop around for the best treadmill:
  •  Fixed Speed Alternating Current (AC) Motors - while motor runs at a constant speed, it uses a transmission to regulate the speed of the treadmill
  •  Direct Current (DC) Motors - directly regulates speed, using variable voltage and not a transmission; this means that the motor itself changes speeds as the user makes adjustments
  •  Variable Speed AC Motors - also regulates speed directly and connects directly to the drive belt
  •  Peak Horsepower - the maximum horsepower a motor is capable of reaching before stalling out
  •  Continuous horsepower - the actual horsepower being used when someone is using the treadmill

Monday 21 December 2009

Making the Decision

There are many types of treadmills for many types of individuals.

There are treadmills with personal trainers installed in them.

There are treadmills that purely traditional in the sense that they don't have a single program running them. There are treadmills with maximum horsepower.

There are treadmills with low power. So before you buy, try to decide what you want. Use the questions below as a guide in arriving at a decision:
  •  Do you want running or walking programs included?
  •  Do you need a heartrate monitor?
  •  Do you want a function that lets you hook your treadmill up to a website such as ifit.com for new workouts?
  •  Do you need a treadmill that folds (usually more expensive) or do you have enough space to house a treadmill full time?
  •  How easy is the treadmill to maintain?
Once you have all that down, then you should be ready to the next step, which is trying it out

Perhaps the most important step to buying a treadmill, trying one out before actually buying is only logical. After all, those spec sheets they show you are only figures, numbers, technical descriptions. You won't know for sure until you try it or hold it in your two hands.

Make a list of all treadmill models you like and call sporting goods stores to see if they're available locally.

Spend at least 10 minutes on each treadmill, making sure that it runs quietly and doesn't shake even when you're running on it. And while you're there, see where the drink holder is, a place where you can place your walkman, a book rack, and some other small stuff that aren't terribly important but would be a nice addition anyway.

After checking all those out and coming up with your hands full, make the purchase and bring your new treadmill home.

The Price of Fitness

Treadmills can cost a good deal of money, so it is important that you consider your budget before you buy. It is also equally important that you buy the highest quality machine that you can find, which is of course only common sense.

The smart buyer will always want to get the most of his money. And so do you.

A decent treadmill probably wouldn't take too much from your wallet. Plan on spending at least $1,000. Believe me, that isn't a lot compared to other home exercise equipment that people keep in their houses. If you want better than decent, try adding some $300 or $500 in there. There are some pretty good models that fall under that price range, but remember that cheap treadmills are often worth exactly like what their price dictates.

There are four factors involved when you buy a treadmill. These are:
  •  How much money you have
  •  Any extras you want (programming, heart rate, monitor, etc.)
  • What kind of motor you want; and
  •  How much space you have in your house
By answering all these questions, you should have some basic idea on which among the treadmills available in your best buy.

Saturday 19 December 2009

What Not To Do When Buying A Treadmill

Though competitive runners are advised to run on the road, there are several reasons why you should buy treadmills anyway. You might have a family which means that your schedule does not have the flexibility it once had. A treadmill would solve that bit of a problem. Or you might be worried about suffering injuries.

Running on a treadmill is generally less likely to cause a running injury than running outside. We could go on and on about the merits of buying a treadmill, but when you do get to buying a treadmill, what are the important things that you should remember?

A treadmill is a big investment. It might not be a car. It certainly isn't a house. But you do spend around $1000 of your hard-earned money on a piece of metal that is supposed to help you burn down calories and generally stay healthy. Why would you waste your money on something that doesn't work, or has very low shelf life?

So before you put down your credit card, consider all the factors involved. The first thing you should concern yourself with is budget. But second to that are several more variables and the thing you should and shouldn't look for in a treadmill.

Listed here are some things to avoid  when  buying a treadmill


Don't Skimp on a Weak Engine
The treadmill is made of seven components and each one of these is important in their own sphere. However, what really makes a treadmill work as it does is the engine, or its motor, as what it's more commonly called. When you buy a treadmill, don't try to save money by buying a cheap treadmill with a weak engine. Not only do you have to avoid weak engines all together, but you have to make sure that the treadmill you choose has the "continuous duty" horsepower, abbreviated as CHP in the specs


A decent treadmill would have a horsepower of around 1.5. Commercial grade treadmills could as much as 5.0 horsepower (HP).
One way to find out how much HP you need is to ask yourself how often you'd be using your treadmill. If you are only planning to use it occasionally when running outside is out of the question because of bad weather, then you can probably get away with something less than 2 CHP. However, if you plan on putting lots of mileage on your treadmill, or perhaps you're a heavier runner, then look for something that has more than 2 CHP.


Don't Overlook Speed
An average treadmill would have a maximum speed of 10 MPH � that is 6 minutes per mile. If you're like most people (who run twice every week or some such), that should be enough. However, if you tend to run repeats or you run at a much faster pace than that, then don't overlook speed when you go treadmill shopping. Obviously, you want a machine that can keep up with your pace, and you can't have that from a machine that is only capable of 8 MPH or below in terms of speed.
If speed is what you want, choose a machine that will move at your pace. That should be the rule. Stay away from machines that can't even move at 10 MPH, because that's very telling on how the treadmill was constructed. Hey, we all want to move faster and if the treadmill can't even keep up with the average speed, then why would you want something like that?


Don't Settle for Short and Narrow
One question: Can you keep an even line when you run? I don't think anyone can. Besides, if that were the case, we'd all be running in treadmills six inches wide. Wouldn't that be a picture? Just imagine running while focusing on burning calories, while keeping an eye on the timer, while concentrating on staying on the thing�. It's just not viable. So when you buy a treadmill, make sure that you don't settle for one with a short and narrow deck.

Your treadmill doesn't even have to be too wide. Remember, you're placing that thing in your house so unless you bought a treadmill that can be folded (much more expensive!), then you'd better pick one that is wide enough for you run effectively, but narrow enough to save space in your home. Of course, the rule always would be "the wider the better," but pay attention to space anyway.
When it comes to length, your choice depends on how steady your pace is, as well as how long your stride is. If you find yourself always slowing down and drifting off the back when you're almost done with the run, a longer deck would be a wise choice. That way, you'll have time to catch up before you fall off!
The length of the deck also depends on your height. Taller runners tend to have longer strides and, hence, need longer decks. But then again, if your goal is to improve your form, shorter decks are excellent, because they will force you to keep the strike turnover quick and snappy. A treadmill with a deck that is somewhere between 52 inches and 60 inches is the average. Anything shorter than 52 inches would be too short and you'll find yourself feeling a bit like a hamster on a wheel. A treadmill over 60 inches long would just be impractical.

Don't Fall for Products without Money-back Guarantees
Two things you must consider when you buy a treadmill: cushioning and foldability. The first has to do more with avoiding injury. The second really isn't a word (but you get the point).
One of the main reasons why people buy treadmills today is to avoid injury. Many running injuries happen because the ground really is not suitable for running (but you run anyway, because, well, calories are aplenty and you need to get a-burning). Treadmills are one way of avoiding getting leg injuries and the reason for this is the cushioning provided.

However, the bad thing about it is that there's really no way for you to determine this accurately. The store may let you run on a treadmill but probably only for 30 minutes or less, and that's just too short to make an accurate assessment. Worse if you're buying the treadmill on the Internet. Then there's really no way for you to know how cushioned the treadmill is. That is why it is important that you don't buy products that do not have money-back guarantees. The product description can only tell you so much, but once you get the package at home and test it out, you find out that the cushioning isn't enough and there isn't a lot to support each foot-strike.

The other fact about treadmills that is difficult to ascertain (if you're buying online, that is) is its foldability. Having a treadmill that folds up and out of the way is great. It's space-saving, perfect if there's already too little space in your house. And don't even think "backyard" because that's never going to work (Hello? Treadmill?). So unless you have ample space in your basement or your garage, you need a treadmill that can be folded and takes as little space as possible.
Don't Sniff at the Other Specs
Sure, a treadmill is mainly for running. Why spend an extra Benjamin or so for something so wacky as a drink holder on a treadmill? You have an end table. Use it. But the thing is that while you can make do without all those unnecessary frills in a treadmill (e.g. walkman holder, drink holder, arm rest, etc.), don't outright place all other equally "unnecessary" specs out of the picture. Because it might turn out that they aren't as unnecessary as you think.


Take the heart rate monitoring feature, for instance. You don't need it that much. However, if you really want to fine tune your performance, then you will want to run with a program that measures your heart rate. The same HRM may be used indoors or outdoors. Some treadmills may even display your heart rate on the main display so you can keep a constant eye on it as you run. It's a minor convenience to be sure, but you will soon find that it isn't as over-the-top as you believe.
So how does it work? It varies from one treadmill model to another. But basically, the treadmill will pickup the signal from your Polar monitor or from a chest strap provided. Other treadmills monitor the heart rate of the runner through their hand grips (not very practical though. Who wants to run while gripping fixed handrails?). Still other treadmills have added a slick new feature in their heart rate monitor by making it so that the belt's speed adjusts to a predefined heart rate range.
Another nifty feature of a treadmill that you should probably consider is programmable workouts. It's not an absolute must, but if you have a set of favorite hill, interval, or repetition workouts, you can do them now on your treadmill through the programmable workout feature and save them for use on a regular basis.


Don't Go For Shakes and Shudders
The answer is pretty much obvious. Hey, if you wanted to run on a surface that shakes and shudders, you could always do that on a skateboard on top of a high-rise building, you screaming like crazy. Jokes aside, you don't want to run on a treadmill that shakes and shudders with every step. Make sure that the frame of the treadmill is steady and is even supported.
It is a widely accepted fact that the heavier a treadmill is, the steadier it will be, and the less likely it will shake and shudder. However, this isn't always true, so be sure to double check. Look at the footprint and at descriptions as to how the deck is built. If you want a clue to finding out the stability of a treadmill, check out the maximum user weight. That should give some idea on how stable and solid a treadmill is.

Don't Do Too Much Incline
Generally, treadmills have a maximum incline of between 10 and 15 %. Anything more than that could involve safety issues which you have to check with the manufacturer first. So just to be safe, don't overdo inclines.
Consider what you are running for. If you are running to train, then also consider the course you are training for. If it's for hilly courses, then you will really need to train on a hilly course. A treadmill with a 10% incline should be able to do the work. It will give you the illusion of pushing your body uphill an experience that will be somewhat different from an actual run up a hilly path.
However, if you're running a course that has a lot of down hills (like the Boston Marathon, for instance), then a treadmill is not going to be of much help. You can probably try propping the back up with a couple of 2 x 4's but that would involve another set of safety issues, so again, check with your manufacturer before doing so.

Don't Forget the Red Button
Safety is the most important thing to consider, on par with motor, when buying treadmills. This is especially true in households with children. There are two main safety features found in treadmills and so when you buy one, don't forget to check for these: the safety key and the emergency off button.
Some treadmills offer only the safety key. Others offer both the emergency button and the safety key. It is best that you get a treadmill that offers both of these. If not, then weigh down the merits of each feature carefully before buying.

A safety key treadmill requires that the key be in place to turn the treadmill on. It usually has a way to attack the key to the runner so that if the runner falls or gets too far away, the key will pull out and stop the treadmill.
The emergency off button on the other hand is just a red button that you can push to turn off the treadmill immediately.

Where does fitness begin?

The gym is one of the most common places for exercise and fitness. After all, this is where all the exercise equipment treadmills, weights, lifting equipment can be found. But it takes too much time going to the gym every day or every other day. It's inconvenient. Plus, you have to make these hassling monthly membership payments just so you could keep coming.


But, what if you could dispense with all that? What if you bought your own fitness equipment and exercised at home?

The treadmill is the best exercise equipment you can buy for home use. It's fairly easy to use and fairly easy to buy. Not only that, but for most people, running is the best type of exercise. It develops the muscles of your legs, improves cardiac-respiratory endurance, keeps your blood running, and burns down calories.

The treadmill is an excellent choice of equipment in lieu of actually running outside. You can run even in bad weather whether it's snowing, raining when the ground is too muddy for much running, or even whether it's too hot.

The treadmill can also be recommended to all types of exercise enthusiasts, regardless of sex and age.
So now that you know what makes the treadmill excellent for home exercise, let's go down to the facts. The number question we all probably have once confronted with buying a treadmill is, "How much is it worth?"

Saturday 12 December 2009

A Good Fitness Superstore

A good fitness superstore can usually offer a wide range of eqipment for fitness.
Treadmills are one of the most popular items of home and commercial gym equipment using motorised treadmills to move a belt which controls the rate at which you walk, jog or run. Many have adjustments to control the incline to make your exercise more challenging.

Cross trainers which are also known as elliptical trainers can offer similar cardio benefits as treadmills but are low impact machines so your feet remain stationary which reduces the stress placed on your joints. These cross trainers are quieter in operation and have resistance adjustments and digital displays for the equipment settings.

While standard elliptical trainers are fine for those with the space available,compact elliptical trainers are available for those short of space or on a budget,
Commercial elliptical trainers may be more suited for those who want a high quality elliptical cross trainer similar to the ones you use at a gym.

Sunday 6 December 2009

Recumbent Exercise Bikes

The recumbent exercise bike from Tunturi offers quality and solid build with great programs to suit your own fitness routine.

Recumbent bikes are often more expensive than upright ones but the Tunturi E30R is every inch the type of fitness equipment you’d see in the gym.

It comes with a good range of preset programs the duration or intensity of which you can change while in use.The display is very clear with plenty of functions and options to keep you entertained while exercising.

It’s very comfortable and you can adjust the seat and handlebars to suit your size.
This eqipment will make your fitness workouts feel so much easier.