Archive for the ‘Fitness Articles’ Category
What to Consider When Buying an Exercise Bike
If you're thinking of buying an exercise bike, here are a few things to look out for to ensure you get a machine best suited to your needs and budget.
You can spend anything from £75 right up to £6,000 when buying a bike so you can imagine there's quite a difference in specification and features. But even if spending under £100 it's still a waste if you buy the wrong machine. If you're not comfortable with it, if it fails to excite, or you get bored on a basic bike, you're not going to use it! Your bike then becomes a bulky clothes hanger gathering dust in the corner.
And if you want to sell it on eBay don't be surprised if you get only a fraction of what you paid for it because you'll be up against many others who bought the wrong bike and never used it.
You then need to decide your main objective for buying a bike and consider whether it's the right machine for the current shape you're in.
Types of Exercise Bike
You have a choice between three types of bike:-
1. Upright bike - standard bike with conventional cycling position, takes up little space and delivers a good cardiovascular workout.
2. Recumbent bike- sit in a horizontal position, more comfortable, better than upright for unfit, overweight or those recovering from illness or injury. Takes up more room than upright.
3. Spinning bike - for faster fat-burning, higher intensity workouts and interval training, also used by outdoor cyclists for out of season training.
The upright bike takes up the least amount of room and is generally less expensive as there's less complex machinery involved. Many consider the recumbent bike to be more comfortable as you can lean back in the seat and the horizontal position may be suitable for those recovering from injury or are over-weight. A recumbent bike is quite a easy way to do some light exercise at lower levels of resistance, it's also easy on your back.
The more recent spinning bikes (or racers) are designed for high intensity work-outs and tend to cost more, although there are now more affordable spinners coming onto the market. These machines can be great for increasing fitness whilst burning fat.
Types of Resistance (braking systems)
To provide a varied and challenging workout, a bike needs to have the ability to change the resistance on the pedals. This can simulate going up hills or coasting along in 5th gear. There are three main ways to do this.
1. Air - a fan builds up a flow of air and as you pedal faster it increases the resistance. The one disadvantage of this system is that you can only alter it by changing speed and therefore if you slow down so does the level of resistance.
2. Mechanical - friction is increased usually with a band around the flywheel which can offer high resistance and a tough workout. However, this needs to be altered by manually turning a dial and the system can suffer from wear and tear with regular use.
3. Magnetic - the most versatile braking system operated by pressing a button that alters the position of magnets to increase resistance. The main advantages are ease of use plus pre-set programmes can control the level and be used by heart rate control programmes to keep you in the fat-burning zone.
Pre-set Programmes
Most exercise bikes now come with pre-set programmes. These can take you through different types of sessions and will vary the resistance for set intervals to simulate hill climbing and interval training. More recently heart rate controlled programmes have become popular as they're an effective way to increase fitness and 'burn fat'. They work by varying the resistance level according to your heart rate (measured by polar chip or hand grips). If your rate drops below a certain level (based upon your age, weight and sex) the resistance increases, if it gets too high it lowers it.
Motivation is key to your success and the inclusion of a good selection of pre-sets on a bike help to vary your workouts and keep you coming back. So as a general rule the more programmes the better. Don't forget to check the bike's dimensions to see if it will fit through your doors and in the space you have set aside for it.
Conclusion:
If you do a bit of research and have a clear objective for using an exercise bike then you'll get the most suitable machine to achieve your goals.
Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2006 he published a book called 'Zone Mind, Zone Body' about how to achieve a peak performance more often. He's also a bit of an 'anorak' when it comes to exercise bikes and gadgets. To read his views on many more models please visit Exercise Bike Reviews. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/what-to-consider-when-buying-an-exercise-bike-1271196.html
The Benefits of Using an Exercise Bike
An exercise bike fitness regime couldn't be easier in our view. The bike has remained a very popular choice for home gym equipment even with the arrival of cheaper treadmills and the newer elliptical trainers.
The main benefits of using an exercise bike are:
- very easy to use
- good fat burning exercise
- low risk of injury
- low impact exercise
- tones legs and bums
- improves cardio-vascular fitness
- can use if very overweight
- easy to store away after use
- you can train regardless of the weather
- takes up little space
Why it's so popular is it's main strength. An exercise bike is light, takes up little space compared to other home gym machines, can be stored easily when not in use and plus you can do it whilst watching TV or listening to music.
An exercise bike is easy to use as it doesn't require much skill as with running on a treadmill - an action many find challenging.
There is also little chance of injury if you train sensibly. However, because you're only using the legs you'll have to train for reasonably long periods of at least 30 minutes or more to get the full benefits.
One problem with using any piece of home gym equipment is maintaining your motivation. Using the same machine day-in, day-out can get a little boring. If you an see the results this can help but with a bike this may take a little longer. However, because you can place it in front of the TV boredom may not be such an issue.
Also most exercise bikes come with pre-set programmes that take control of your bike to change resistance levels to simulate hill climbing. This saves you having to keep pressing buttons and also adds variation to your training.
Many of the higher priced models will keep a record of your progress so you'll be able to see how far you have come. This can help with maintaining your interest and gives you a goal to aim for. Most machines that do this can maintain training records for more than one person.
However, if looking to improve your overall health and well-being an exercise bike should be seen as just part of your regime. Improving your diet, getting plenty of fresh air and outdoor exercise whilst trying to avoid stress are just as vital for your health.
Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2006 he published a book called 'Zone Mind, Zone Body' about how to achieve a peak performance more often. He's also a bit of an 'anorak' when it comes to exercise bikes and gadgets. To read his views on many more models please visit Exercise Bike Reviews. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/the-benefits-of-using-an-exercise-bike-1271203.html
Flex Mini Skirt – Exercises To Lift Butt
Most women consider their butts to be one of their greatest assets. The butt is among the features that men notice first in women. For this very reason, women want to learn some exercises to lift butt. They want to look great, be noticed, and feel good about themselves.
Click Here For Flex Mini Skirt Best Deal Now!
If you want to get your buns toned, you can follow some of these simple butt-firming exercises.
First is the dead lift, where you grasp a barbell in front while bending your knees. In doing this exercise, it is important to wear a weight belt while you try to lift your legs and stand up with your back straight. Second is the squat, where you grasp an overhand bar, stand up and step back with care, then squat down the thighs to be in parallel with the floor, and stand again. Third is the leg press, where you use a machine that is repetitively pressed out on the leg and back again.
Fourth is the lunge, where you pull your shoulders back and lift your chest, while keeping your head up and looking straight ahead. In doing this exercise, you may place your hands on your hips. Position one leg forward as if talking a long stride, and keep your foot far enough in front of you so that your thigh and lower leg are forming a right angle when you bend your knee. You will then have to slowly bend both knees, lower your hips, stay in that position for a brief moment, and then slowly return to a standing position. Fifth is the butt lift or bridge, where you lie down on your back on a mat, place your hands on either side of the body, bend your knees, and then lift your hips from the floor.
The butt may be the best asset in which we gain confidence. Therefore, the challenge is to keep it firm and toned by doing some exercises to lift butt.
Click Here For Flex Mini Skirt Best Deal Now!
This author writes about Flex Mini Skirt at bun and thigh exercise Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/flex-mini-skirt-exercises-to-lift-butt-1264992.html
The Ab Circle Pro Review That Takes a Deeper Look Into This Exercise Equipment
The Ab Circle Pro has become the latest machine to hit the market that targets the midsection. It claims to also help tighten you thighs and reduce love handles. One thing that should be pointed out is that you can not target train you stomach in order to lose fat. This is not how the body works and products like this are already aware of this fact.
The machine it's self is lite weight and easy to store. It is small enough to hide and portable to take anywhere. The construction of the machine is fair. It is made of a metal alloy but complaints are rising of the uncomfortable bar between the leg area. The positioning of the user requires you to put your knees on two pads and hold on to the handle bars. From there you rock yourself back and forth which is suppose to work your abs.
Some problems with this product is that the knees pads cause the user pain. You have to consider that you are putting a great deal of pressure on your knees. This is also a bad product for those with bad backs. The awkward positioning will give you soreness in the back. The infomercials claim that you get a cardio workout but when asking a personal trainer if 3 minutes is considered a cardio workout the answer was no.
There are some testimonials from people who used the Ab Circle Pro who claim to have lost 7 pounds in a week. When researching more into these claims I found that a cut in calories was also a factor. For some it a decrease of half or more. People are giving credit to a machine when dieting is the real answer to the weight loss.
If you find a person who is using this machine and claims it works wonders you should see if there are any banners or links going to the Ab Circle Pro website. If so then you know that these types of claims are only there so you will click on the banner and buy this product. These websites get a commission from the sale of each machine.
The jury is still out when it comes to this product. There does not seem to be enough evidence supporting the claims made on TV. Although infomercials are flashy and have beautiful people using the related products it does not mean that these products work.
Comparing products is always a wise idea before purchasing. Visit Ab Circle Pro Review to compare this product to another ab program. Doing a side by side comparison can help you determine if your needs are met with this product.
Don’t Buy Any Fitness equipment to the read this article!
If you're looking to choose cheap gym equipment there many to choose from on the home fitness market in the all are similar but different in price. Now you're wondering are the most expensive always the best? Maybe, though wouldn't it be awesome to get the same product but at a cheaper price? Now you know that your health and fitness is extremely important in today's fast paced world.
Though is very important to make sure you get quality gym equipment that is reasonable in price. Since there are some gyms equipment that is very expensive of the quality is not too good. High quality gym and fitness equipment is also available all over the Internet by just doing a quick search on Google.com. Choosing some of the leading brands such as Reebok, York, Tincture and BH Fitness you can never go totally wrong. You can be sure that these types of brands are all built in high standard have a variety of functions compared to cheap gym equipment.
When buying these types of brands even though their brand names sometimes you also can find cheap fitness equipment that function just as well as branded items. You just simply need to do some research and make a list of the requirements in feature that you are looking for. Once you have found what you're looking for then you can compare expensive home fitness equipment or cheap home fitness equipment to see which one is better. However, after you have found what you're looking for is the stringy convenient having your own gym equipment in your home where you don't have to pay any additional costs at a gym or is fitness club.
get the best fitness equipment online todayFREE no strings attached! Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/dont-buy-any-fitness-equipment-to-the-read-this-article-1250302.html
cheap fitness equipment
Don’t Buy Any Fitness equipment to the read this article!
If you're looking to choose cheap gym equipment there many to choose from on the home fitness market in the all are similar but different in price. Now you're wondering are the most expensive always the best? Maybe, though wouldn't it be awesome to get the same product but at a cheaper price? Now you know that your health and fitness is extremely important in today's fast paced world.
Though is very important to make sure you get quality gym equipment that is reasonable in price. Since there are some gyms equipment that is very expensive of the quality is not too good. High quality gym and fitness equipment is also available all over the Internet by just doing a quick search on Google.com. Choosing some of the leading brands such as Reebok, York, Tincture and BH Fitness you can never go totally wrong. You can be sure that these types of brands are all built in high standard have a variety of functions compared to cheap gym equipment.
When buying these types of brands even though their brand names sometimes you also can find cheap fitness equipment that function just as well as branded items. You just simply need to do some research and make a list of the requirements in feature that you are looking for. Once you have found what you're looking for then you can compare expensive home fitness equipment or cheap home fitness equipment to see which one is better. However, after you have found what you're looking for is the stringy convenient having your own gym equipment in your home where you don't have to pay any additional costs at a gym or is fitness club.
You can try it FREE today check it out! Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/dont-buy-any-fitness-equipment-to-the-read-this-article-1250307.html
cheap fitness equipment
Buying Home Gym Equipment – Is It A Good Idea?
There are many ways to keep fit including going to a gym or having your own gym equipment at home. Many people opt for the latter as it can save hundreds of dollars over the year. Some people often argue that home equipment does not get used that often and simply takes up space in the home but this is totally untrue. There are so many benefits to owning your home fitness equipment.
When buying home fitness equipment there are many options to consider such as how do you want to do your training - what do you want to achieve. Do you want to bulk up on muscle or simply tone up and lose weight? Deciding what you want from your gym equipment will help you purchase the correct gym equipment for you.
Decide on how much time you want to spend on your gym equipment. This again has a bearing on what type of equipment to buy. Look at where you want your gym equipment to be situated in your home. Do you have enough space to comfortably work out? This again has a bearing on what to buy - obviously don't buy anything that you don't have the room for. You may want to fold up the equipment and store it out of the way, again check on room for storage.
If you have the equipment in your home you are more likely to use it. You can train anytime of the day or night so you can train whenever you please. So it is extremely convenient to have you own equipment. No need to worry what the weather is doing, like those that do outside exercising such as jogging.
Of course with the home gym equipment at your disposal, the whole family can use it - not just one person like with a gym membership. Your husband or wife could no doubt benefit from a little exercise using the equipment.
Andy has been writing articles for several years. Check out his latest website on cheap gym equipment which gives people help and advice to find the best deals for great gym equipment such as universal fitness equipment. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/buying-home-gym-equipment-is-it-a-good-idea-1235555.html
How To Buy The Right Exercise Equipment For Your Home Exercise
Before purchasing exercise equipment for your home gym, you should consider few things such as how big the space in your home to accommodate the equipment. Next question is what kind of exercise do you like to do and last but not least, should you purchase the new set or used set?
The most important question you have to ask yourself is - Are you really going to use the equipment? It is always happen that people bought something that they had no intention at the first place to use it and this same goes to in selecting exercise equipment. For example, if you are not a runner, then it is most probable you would not like a treadmill, although it being the most popular exercise machine you can buy. Instead, you would be more comfortable with an elliptical trainer machine. Therefore, make sure you will fully utilize before you spend the money that you actually expect to use the equipment.
Next, you must ensure that you have the space to accommodate the equipment. It is also common that the equipment can look relatively small either in the superstore or in the gyms, but when you bring it home it can dominate the bedroom. Alternatively, you can purchase equipment that can fold up into smaller shape and perfectly fit for closet storage in unused corner of your house.
Finally, you have to decide should you need to buy a new or used set. With so many used set of quality exercise equipment, it is difficult to propose to buy them new. Buying the new set can be decided should the only reason is you unable to find the used set. It is a good idea to go through the classifieds in the local newspaper and look for anyone who willing to sell the good one.
Matt Kassan is a writer and webmaster who like to share information with other peoples. His latest website is about Elliptical Cross Trainer at http://ellipticalcrosstrainermachines.com Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/how-to-buy-the-right-exercise-equipment-for-your-home-exercise-1242200.html
Home Gym Buying Guide
Home Gym Buying Guide
Selecting the correct gym equipment is important as it is a big investment. If you make the right selection you will get years of satisfying training with great results, all in the convenience and comfort of your own home. Make the wrong selection and you will end up with an expensive clothes hanger.
The following items need to be considered when procuring a gym:
1) Functionality - does it offer good quality exercises that deliver results?
2) Quality - is it manufactured with the necessary quality and durability to withstand hard and consistent training?
3) Space - work out your footprint for your gym
4) Budget
Functionality for Home Gym Equipment.
In my opinion the key aspect of procuring a gym is that if you hit the weights hard, eat right and take care of yourself, you will get results. If your gym does not allow you to do the major compound exercises like squats, bench press, lat pulldowns, rows etc then you are not only wasting your money you are also wasting the time you have spent training. Isolation exercises are great for shaping existing muscle. But if you don't have enough existing muscle you need to focus on doing compound exercises to build your base strength and muscle mass.
You now have to work out whether you want to go the free weight or machine home gym route. When I refer to free weights I mean training the old fashioned way with a power rack, barbells and dumbbells. In regards to home gyms, you will have to decide between a traditional cable style gym or a leverage multi gym.

Before you decide on whether to go free weight or a machine, you will need to think about what you are trying to get out of your weight training. If you just want to be fit and healthy and are not too fussed with greatly improving your size and strength a home gym will be the best option. Alternatively if you want to build strength or bulk up then a power rack will be the best bet. If you want to build strength and add muscle mass but can't stand free weight exercises then a leverage home gym is the go.

In recent years there has been an avalanche of cheap cable home gyms hitting the market out of China. While some exercises like lat pulldowns or seated rows are great in cable format the majority of the exercises, and in some cases all the exercises on these cheaper gym are just rubbish. Many times these gyms are just replicated from photographs by factories where the people building them don't have any interest in weight training. So it looks like a home gym, but the exercises feel weird and can sometimes been downright dangerous. Give cheap gyms the swerve!
There are very good quality cable home gyms on the market but they are nearly always restricted to the weight stack that is on the gym. Some gyms only have 200lb or 90kg stacks. Many gyms have a mechanical advantage - the arrangement of the pulleys mean that you can lift 90kgs of weight with only 60kg of force. That might amaze your friends when you show them how strong you are but sooner or later you will get on some proper gym equipment and look like a turkey!
Another factor with good quality cable gyms is that they often don't have quality compound exercises. In particular a flat bench press or squat. Seated presses, pec decs, leg extensions and leg curls are good but are no substitute for bench press and squats. They are great for convenience, just put the pin in the weight stack and away you go. You need to work out whether you want to do weight training or not.
Home Gym Quality
Gym equipment needs to be robust. If you are a committed weight trainer you will be training up to 5 times a week and lifting serious weight. Your gym equipment needs to reflect your commitment. A cheaper home gym simply does not have the feel and quality required for serious weight training.
I have seen it so many times; people try and cut corners when buying gym equipment and the following happens:
1) You lose the passion for training as you don’t warm to the cheap feel of an inferior gym.
2) Their training is not adequate. They won't train key bodyparts like legs because they don't have the tools to do it.
3) The gym dies and collects dust in the garage
4) End up selling the cheap gym and buying a quality gym – losing coin in the process.
Although quality gym equipment seems expensive it is actually a smart investment. Buy the right gym and it will give you a lifetime of training plus great results. Plus you will save a fortune on gym fees.
A good quality Leverage gym like the Powertec Leverage Gym or Powertec Multi System allows you to perform many exercises with safety like cable home gyms.

Space
This is an issue for most people. There are two factors that you need to consider when selecting your gym equipment.
Firstly you have to work out how much space you are willing to set aside for your home gym. Once again you will have to determine how dedicated you are to your training. Remember that you will be training regularly so it might worth sacrificing your collection of crap in your garage/spare room that has not been used in years.
Parking the car in the driveway may also be considered.
But in reality for most the amount of space will be determined by the missus.
With your home gym area worked out, now comes the fun part. Selecting the gym equipment to fill the space. Don't make the common mistake of getting carried away and trying to cram in as much as possible. Training in an overcrowded gym is no fun.
I always advise that you go with a little less than try and fit too much in your home gym. Take into consideration that you need to focus on your compound movements to get results and Sam's Fitness has several different packages that can achieve this result without taking up much space at all. The Ironmaster range is perfect for when space is at a premium.
Budget
I mentioned previously the investment aspect of buying a home gym. I hate using terms like that because everyone seems to use it these days. But as I have said many times before if you train with weights consistently you will get benefits. Training at home is much more convenient for most people so it will help with your consistency.
You need to take into consideration how much you will be spending on gym memberships over the coming years.
As above you will most probably need approval from the wife or girlfriend - good luck.
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has given you some ideas on your home gym. Feel free to contact us directly if you need a hand with planning. We get a lot our business through referrals from previous customers so we know we are doing something right.
A lot of time you will talk to sales people who have never actually trained extensively on the equipment they are selling. We pride ourselves on the fact we have trained for years on Powertec and Ironmaster fitness equipment.
By Sam from Sam's Fitness
Hello Weight Trainers, Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/home-gym-buying-guide-1243648.html
I have been the Australian distributor for Powertec and Ironmaster weight training equipment for 5 years now. I have built a successful business off the back of these two brands. The reason being is they are quality products and great value for money.
Having a quality product is only part of what we offer. If you check our website or youtube channel you will see how you can get the most out of your Powertec and Ironmaster Gym Equipment.
Our business has grown from people not only getting a gym that will last them a lifetime, but more importantly get the tips and advice that will get results.
Gym Equipment Help – Treadmills
Keeping fit is an essential part of daily life and everyone should embark on some sort of exercise routine to stay fit and healthy and help prevent possible problems and complications later on in life.
A treadmill is a great choice of home exercise equipment and will help those wanting to lose weight and look good as well as those that choose to improve their overall fitness. An essential key component to look for with a treadmill is a good strong motor that will provide many years of reliable life. Take note of the belt width as this should be suitably wide enough to you have the space when exercising. Look for the various features that are found on the treadmill such as a variable incline facility as these are proven to offer great results when exercising. Before you purchase always check the product has a warranty you are happy with in case of failure of the equipment.
It is always vital to do some sort of research before you buy any health and fitness gym product and looks for reviews and best buys. Compare different models and look at what is available for the various prices on the market. Always go for the best gym equipment that you can afford.
Look at the size of the gym equipment you intend to buy and make the judgment whether it will fit into your home or flat without taking up too much of your space. Some equipment can be conveniently folded down and stored away out of sight when you are not using it.
Andy has been writing articles for several years. Check out his latest website on cheap gym equipment which gives people help and advice to find the best deals for the well known brands such as Second Wind Exercise Equipment. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/equipment-articles/gym-equipment-help-treadmills-1235562.html





























