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Benefits of Home Exercise

April 25th, 2008
We all would like to lose weight and get in shape with a minimal effort. That’s how the fitness informercial makes billions per year, promising miraculous results without breaking a sweat.If you are not fooled by their claims then you know you have to work at getting in shape and losing unwanted pounds. So where do you go for a challenging workout? If you are into walking and running, during the temperate seasons you can get your cardio exercise in the great outdoors.

But to get a total workout that is not limited to moderate weather, you will need to either join a gym or equip your home with fitness equipment. The major advantage of a home gym is convenience. And it is convenience that can result in a more focused exercise regimen. Home gyms are growing in popularity. In 2000 over $6.7 billion was spent on home fitness equipment.

Granted health clubs have the advantage of working out with other like-minded individuals. And if you are the type of person that needs inspiration from others, the health club provides that environment. Of course, for singles it is a great place to meet the opposite sex.

The disadvantages are time wasted driving to the health club, waiting in line to use equipment and costly membership fees. I personally like to work out first thing in the morning. My time is limited due to my work schedule. The extra time required to drive to a health club would deter regular workouts. Exercise for me is not a social activity. I want to burn as many calories and strengthen as many muscles in as little time as possible. In my case exercising at home is more practical.

Designing a Home Gym

If you decide that working out at home makes the most sense, the first consideration will be the location. You may choose the basement. But if it is dark and damp, this is not an inspiring environment. Another consideration is an extra bedroom or part of a family room or den. You want an inviting location that is well ventilated and provides sufficient light. For those that like to keep up with the latest news or the soaps, a room with a television would be appropriate.

If lack of space is a consideration, there is fitness equipment like folding treadmill or compact home gyms that minimize required space.

Selecting the Proper Equipment

In determining what fitness equipment to purchase, you need to define your goals and consider the type of exercise machines that can help you reach those goals. Numerous homes are littered with unused exercise equipment that substitutes for clothes hangers. Too often people buy informercials equipment that is that latest fad. They discover that the exercise bores them, and that the equipment is poorly built and does not deliver on the promises.

Another common mistake is buying cheap equipment that provides an unsatisfactory workout and frequently requires repair. This is particularly true when purchasing a treadmill. A cheap treadmill is unstable, noisy and can be a shock to your joints.

There are tips on buying various types of fitness equipment:

Treadmills

For walkers and runners a treadmill is a logical choice. And the good news is the recent models are built for endurance and a pleasurable cardio experience. A Treadmill is the most efficient equipment to burn calories and lose weight, that is why they are the most popular.

You’ll want a treadmill with a motor that is continuous duty with a rating of at least 2.0 HP. Continuous duty motors give you constant maximum power. Non continuous motors are unable to run smoothly for an extended period of time.

Select a treadmill that accommodates your stride with an adequate length and width. The deck should be at least 18″ x 53″. If you are a runner and tall, you may want to consider a “stretch” model. The deck should have a reasonable amount of cushion for minimal impact on your feet, ankles and knees. Several manufacturers offer extra thick cushioned treadmills as an option.

For variety you’ll want a treadmill with incline control and computerized programming. Incline control simulates an uphill climb, while the electronics can be programmed to create a diversity of running or walking experiences.

Home Gyms

Multi-station home gyms provide health club quality strength training in the comfort of your home. Depending on the model you can get over 50 exercises. A home gym offers a complete strength building workout for the entire body. And as the name implies, multi-station home gyms allow for more then one person to workout at once.

Look for equipment that has a natural resistance feel. The quality of the cables and pulleys will make the difference and will guarantee longevity. That smooth feel is usually lacking on so-called home gyms that rely on bands or bows rather then actual weight racks. In addition, you want a gym that has ergonomic features. The shape and location of pad, pop pin and pivot point should feel natural.

Elliptical Trainers

Elliptical trainers offer a no-impact workout that exercises numerous muscle groups. This is achieved through the dual cross-trainer arms combined with the foot pedals. Elliptical trainers provide the following advantages:

Time Efficiency - The dual action of arms and legs optimizes energy expenditure. Requires less time to achieve more results.

Weight Bearing Exercise - Builds bone density and burns calories more efficiently. Inhibits the onset of osteoporosis.

No Impact - Safe for joints. Ideal workout for people with back, knee, hips and joint problems.

Low Maintenance - Less impact means less wear and tear.

Small Footprint - Does not take up valuable floor space.

As with treadmills, elliptical trainers vary from K-mart specials to health club quality. It is important to find a motorized machine that has a natural stride and is built to last.

Stationary Bikes

There are two choices of bikes, upright and recumbent. Recumbent bikes have pedals set horizontally in front of the seat. Body alignment tends to be more comfortable and natural on a recumbent bike. Either will give a good cardiovascular workout.

As with treadmills, quality bikes will offer computerized programming. This can make your ride more challenging and enjoyable.

This is a just a short list of potential home fitness equipment. It can be supplemented with free weight, steppers, aerobic videos, rowing machine and countless other products.

Determine your goals (lose weight, build strength, etc.), then narrow your search to the appropriate equipment. The selection needs to be based on what will work for you, not what will be the best for hanging laundry.

About the Author

Jay Villaverde is an IFPA Certified Fitness Trainer and owner of http://www.HomeMadeMuscle.net A website dedicated to those that desire to get in shape from the comfort of their own home. He offers various types of discount home gym equipment along with supplements that will help you reach your fitness goals.

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Total Sports America Home Gyms Offer a Full Body Workout at a Good Price

October 1st, 2007

Even if you don’t recognize the name of the Total Sports America home gym company, you are familiar with their commercials. They are the ads that feature celebrities Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley touting the benefits of these home gym systems. These gyms have become quite popular in recent years, probably due to these celebrity endorsements. But do they really work as well as Chuck and Christie say they do? Fortunately, there are plenty of reviews available for the Total Sports America home gyms to allow you to make up your own mind.

The Line of Total Sports America Home Gyms

There are many different types of systems available in the Total Sports America home gyms. There are a number of different series of the Total Sports America home gym systems, beginning with the most basic 1000 series which costs anywhere from $150 to $300. The series move up through the 2000 and 3000, all the way up to the 24000 series which will run you in the $1500 range. The main differences in the home gyms are the number of resistance levels and incline settings on the bench. The more expensive models also come with a more durable construction and thicker padding on the benches. You will also get a wider variety of exercises, and some additional features, depending on the model that you choose. All of the series will come with an instruction video to help you learn to use your Total Sports America home gym to meet your fitness goals.

How Good is the Total Sports America Home Gym?

Most of the reviews agree that if you are looking for an effective, overall workout that will get you more fit and trim, the Total Sports America home gym systems can definitely be the way to go. You will get a complete workout for a reasonable price. However, many bodybuilders have found that the Total Sports America home gyms do not offer the type of workout that is conducive to building bulk like other home gym systems might. If you have a fitness goal of enlarging your muscle mass, a Total Sports America home gym is probably not the right choice for you. However, for the average person who simply wants to get fit, this series of home gyms may give you the full body workout that you are looking for at the price that you are hoping for. Check out the Total Sports America home gyms today to see which system will work the best for you. Your body will love the results!

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The Low Down on Local Gyms: Which is Right for You?

September 26th, 2007

For some of us, working out at home is the easiest and best solution for achieving a lean, trim body. Others prefer a local gym for their fitness needs for a variety of reasons. A gym or fitness center will probably offer all of the latest and greatest in exercise equipment, allowing you to get the best workout possible. Many people like the idea of going to a center to work out because it forces them to focus on the task at hand, making workout time more efficient and effective. A local gym can also become a local hangout, offering socialization as well as exercise time. But how do you find a local gym that will meet all of your needs?

Finding a Local Gym

There are many resources available to find a gym or fitness center in your area. You can check the yellow pages, ask around town or click on the Internet. In fact, you may find a whole list of possibilities for your fitness time. However, there may be some criteria that you will want to consider before you find the best local gym to meet your needs. The truth is that not all exercise facilities are created equal, and not all of them may cater to the precise types of workouts that you would like to do. Some may not be open at the times that are convenient for your schedule and others may not be in a prime location for you to get to. Consider all of the logistics when you are hunting for a local gym, since a facility is only as good as the time that you are willing to spend there.

Once you have narrowed down your search to a handful of local gyms that seem to fit your criteria, it is a good idea to physically check them out before joining to ensure that the gym really will work for you. Look for signs of cleanliness, and check machines to make sure that all seem to be in good working order. This will tell you that the local gym puts forth the effort to keep the workout facility in good working order, and cares enough to take care of their equipment. Try to visit during a peak time to see how crowded the facility gets – the best local gym in the area will not be terribly effective if you can never grab a treadmill when you want one.

You should also look into the qualifications of the staff, to ensure that the people working in the local gym are trained to show you how to use the machines and help you to meet your goals. Personal trainers should be certified, and should be accessible on the floor in case you have a question. Now is also a good time to find out about classes that are available, so that you can decide if the programs this local gym offers will meet your needs. Once you find the perfect local gym for you, you can begin to get the fit and trim body that you’ve always wanted and enjoy a healthier, fit lifestyle.

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Special Circumstances Which Require Kids’ Gyms

September 23rd, 2007

An adequate school with a healthy mix of friends has all the exercise that average children need. Kids’ gyms should be superfluous if local administrators do acceptable jobs. Even inclement weather presents sporting opportunities, ranging from swimming to a range of winter sports. The priority should be to develop a shared love for nature and the outdoors in young minds, and to provide plentiful opportunities for healthy interaction. Do we need kids’ gyms?

Kids’ Gyms to Battle Obesity

Bad eating habits have tragic consequences for adults as well, but there is no time to lose when it comes to correcting obesity in children. Weaning palates away from fast food may prove almost intractable, and working out helps to manage voracious appetite in any case. Peer pressure in kids’ gyms may help obese children overcome any reticence they exhibit or feel towards becoming fit.

Kids’ Gyms for Insecure Urban Areas

This is an unpleasant fact of life in some quarters of most urban centers. Kids’ gyms can work wonders for deprived communities, offering growing minds viable alternatives for their spare time from unsocial and unhealthy habits. There could be security concerns as well, which require kids’ gyms in some foreign countries, or for families of people involved in sensitive jobs.

Kids’ Gyms to Deal with Special Children

Autism, special physical considerations, and trauma are conditions in which some children need to be segregated for limited periods. Structured physical activity can help in their complete rehabilitation, and enable them develop confidence levels to spend time with other people of their age groups. There are chances that children with deficiencies in one of the other conventional faculties, display exceptional prowess when exposed to exercise equipment. This also allows them to develop parts of their bodies which are not affected by any affliction they may have.

Kids’ Gyms to Free Parents

It may be for the limited period of a family vacation, or even for just a fine dining occasion, but a secure area where children can keep themselves pleasurably occupied would be a valued alternative for parents who are hard pressed to find baby sitters. Such a facility would also work well for families with older children.

Kids’ Gyms for Future Champions

Golf, ballet, mountaineering, and fencing, are examples of sports for which children may display aptitudes. They may need to develop individual muscle groups under expert supervision, for greater power, speed, strength, and flexibility. They may also take up sports such as archery and pistol shooting, which take time, but which involve only limited full body exercise. Kids’ gyms are enabling solutions for all children who show more than passing interests in one sport.

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How to Set up a Home Gym that You will Use

September 20th, 2007

You know that you need to drop a few pounds and tighten a few muscles. You want to fit back into your jeans and rediscover your trim body from your twenties. But how are you going to meet those fitness goals? For many the obvious solution is to set up a home gym. It is easy, convenient and always there for you when you need it. What could be better? But before you rush out to purchase equipment to stock your home gym it is wise to take a bit of time to determine your needs. Considerations for your home gym should include your budget, your fitness goals and the best equipment to meet both of these criteria.

Your Budget

The nasty truth is that fitness equipment for your home gym can get expensive quickly, especially if you sink money into a bunch of pieces that you do not need or will not use. Before you head out to your fitness store, determine how much equipment you will be able to afford. Then buy the best pieces that your money can buy. Sounds easy? If you are having trouble coming up with the cash to outfit your home gym, try calculating how much money you are spending at Starbucks and McDonalds. You may be able to find those extra pennies easier than you think, and time spent in your home gym will be much healthier time than that spent at either of those other two places! Keep in mind that a home gym can begin with as little as a few hundred dollars, or as much as a few thousand. It all depends on what you buy.

Your Goals

If you are looking to lose more than a few pounds, a good piece of cardio equipment may be the first obvious choice for your home gym. On the other hand, if you regularly walk your neighborhood, but need a method for building strength, perhaps a weight training set will be more in line. Some can afford to buy a little of each, which will give you a complete workout from the get go. But if you aren’t in a position to buy it all at once, determine your initial goals and purchase appropriately. You can always throw a few extra pieces into your home gym as your budget allows and your fitness needs change.

Shopping for Equipment

Once you have a pretty good idea of what you want and how much you can spend, the best rule of thumb is to buy the highest quality of fitness equipment that you can afford for your home gym. This is especially true when it comes to cardio equipment like treadmills and ellipticals, and full home gyms for all of your weight training needs. The models on the lower end of the price scale are simply not designed to withstand the wear and tear of daily use for as long as their more expensive counterparts. Buy the best pieces that you can afford and you will be enjoying your home gym for many years to come.

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Cable TV and Home Exercise Gyms

September 18th, 2007

You need to give the folks over at ESPN a great deal of credit. Over 20 years ago, the cable channel would run a number of classic home exercise programs designed to help people get in shape and lose weight. In a way, they encouraged the development of home exercise gyms as an alternative to traveling to a local gym to workout. (Keep in mind, depending upon where people live, access to a gym may be prohibitive due to distance, weather, etc) These cable programs understood that their viewers were primarily work at home moms and dads who were unable to get away from the house for 90 minutes but still had the desire to workout. Additionally, these moms and dads had the desire to embark on a COMMITTED workout. They were, after all, tuning in every day! As such, they were ready, willing and able to convert their living room or basement (or both) into home exercise gyms.

Cable TV and the Simplicity of Home Exercise Gyms

To the cable programs’ credit, the producers understood that the average person watching such a program was not interested in packing on 30lbs of raw muscle and develop a contest winning physique. The viewers of the program simply wanted to get into better shape and make their home life a little bit more active. As such, the programs did not stress overly strenuous workouts designed to push the viewer to the limit. Instead, they prescribed a number of low to mid-level impact cross training programs that anyone could benefit from with the difficulty level raised or lowered depending on personal athletic ability.

Also, in order to work out properly, the viewer would need to invest in putting together one or more of the home exercise gyms the program would prescribe. Expensive and elaborate equipment would be totally prohibitive to most viewers. While some could afford the expensive $3,000 home gyms sold on infomercials, for the great majority of the viewers such a price was so far in the stratosphere it could seriously be considered. Instead, most home exercise gyms consisted of a weight bench, dumbbells and, in some cases, bungee cord resisters. While not the expansive equipment found in a commercial gym, these items were perfectly fine for most makeshift home exercise gyms.

When it comes to exercise, something is better than nothing and the low impact workouts that these programs advised were far better than doing nothing. In fact, there were great for getting people into better shape and starting them on the path to a much healthier lifestyle.

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How to Find the Safest and Healthiest Health Clubs & Gyms

September 17th, 2007

We all think of joining a health club & gym as a choice for healthier living, right? However, if your health club& gym is not abiding by certain practices in safety and sanitation, you may not be getting as healthy of a workout as you think. If the equipment is not properly maintained or the personnel are not adequately trained, you may run the risk of injury. And if the center is not cleaned and sanitized regularly, you may be bringing home more than a buff body in terms of germs and other substances. This is why it is always a good idea to thoroughly check out health clubs & gyms before joining to ensure that you will be getting the safest workouts possible.

Look for Proper Instruction

When you begin to scrutinize health clubs & gyms for proper instruction and training on the equipment, there are two different criteria to look for. First, members should be well educated on the rules of the health club & gym, and properly trained on the equipment before they are allowed to use it. This means an introductory class for all who join the fitness center, and should also include a medical history that you provide to personnel before working out so that they know that you are physically able to do so. The other half of the training issue will be evaluated based on the knowledge and training of the staff. You should ask which organizations the personal trainers and instructors are certified through and whether they are all CPR trained.

Look for Clean and Safe Equipment

Since your workout will only be as good as the equipment you use, it pays to check out the equipment at health clubs & gyms before selecting one to join. Some positive signs to look for include staff that are visibly cleaning or maintaining machines, signs posted that remind members to clean machines after use, and paper and cleaning solution easily accessible. You can ask about regular maintenance procedures, and make sure that there is not a bunch of equipment that looks overly worn or broken. Broken machines are more than an inconvenience; they can be a safety hazard for the person using them. This is why clean and properly functioning equipment is so important in health clubs & gyms.

Joining health clubs & gyms is a great way to get in shape and adopt a healthier lifestyle. However, if those health clubs & gyms are not properly maintained for cleanliness and safety, you may not be able to get the quality workouts that you are hoping for. Shop around for the best center for you and you will be rewarded with plenty of quality time to get in shape.

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How to Choose between Gyms in London

September 15th, 2007

Visitors to the metropolis would not believe that London residents could possibly lack anything they can afford, least of all places for work outs. Gyms in London are nearly as liberally sprinkled all over this vast and historic city, as any other kind of professional service the average person could want. Nevertheless, a surfeit of choice can be confusing, so a guide on how to select from the array of gyms in London, may be appreciated by new residents and old timers alike.

The Underground System Makes Short Work of Reaching Distant Gyms in London

The common sense thing to do in most places is to choose a gym as close to home or to work as possible. However, London has a public transport system which shrinks distances like a sharp knife through warm butter. The greater London area is built in a kind of giant circle, and you can generally get from any point to another with relative ease. You can use this special feature of London to choose a gym which may appear far off in terms of miles, but which is just minutes away through the Underground service.

Value for Time Offered by Gyms in London

Though you need waste little time in commuting in London, life tends to be packed tight during most weeks. It is stylish to be busy and punctual all the time in this part of the world, so you have to make every minute in a gym count. You are well advised to opt for a service which has state-of-the art equipment, exercising every sinew in double quick time, and never mind if it is raining outside as usual! Beware of putting good money down for what is really little more than a roomy version of your own home or office, with very little by way of sophisticated equipment to keep you in top shape.

Advice and Information Discriminators of Gyms in London

Experienced trainers, nutrition experts, self-defense types, and those with exactly the kinds of profiles which you would like to develop, are rare, so sign up at the first place where you spot them! You can always find an adequate substitute for specialized equipment to buy and to use on your own, but even a few personal sessions with a knowledgeable and experienced authority on fitness, can pay back the most extravagant subscription in town.

Pricing Flexibility of Gyms in London

Beware of discounts and offers which tie you down until old age, for you may be asked by your employer to take up a long assignment far away, or move from London long term. You will not, in any case, be the first person to feel bored or the burden of diminishing returns after an initial stint. Favor short-term arrangements, though loyalty schemes should be viewed through favorable shades.

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How to Choose the Best Gym for You

September 11th, 2007

It doesn’t matter how you got to that point. Perhaps you got a good look at yourself in the mirror and decided that it was time to wage an all out attack on those love handles. Maybe your favorite pair of jeans won’t zip up any more. Or possibly your doctor informed you that you needed to start exercising or face the consequences. No matter why you decided to get in shape, you now need to determine which method to fitness is the best one for you. Most fitness buffs will tell you that a well-rounded exercise program will consist of a combination of strength training, cardiovascular activity, flexibility and balance work. To get the benefits of all of these aspects of fitness, it is best to work out in a gym. But do you want to set one up at home, or join a fitness center? There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

The Home Gym Experience

Many people like the flexibility that a home gym offers. You can come home from a stressful day at work and do a few set of weights or hang out on the treadmill until your tension is released. There are no membership fees, sweaty machines from too much use, and buff bodies all around sizing you and your weight lifting skills up. The truth is that a home gym can be a great choice for many folks that like the convenience and flexibility that working out at home offers. However, there are some drawbacks to the home gym as well. The first consideration has to be space. If you are living in a one bedroom apartment, fitting in a weight bench and treadmill may not be an option. Also, it can be harder to motivate when those buff bodies are not watching. Sometimes working out in a group can keep you pushing yourself harder.

The Fitness Center Option

Some people swear by their neighborhood gym because it is equipped to meet their every fitness need. Personal trainers are often on hand to offer tips and tricks and show you the proper way to use all of those intimidating looking machines. There is variety available to keep your workouts interesting enough to stick with them. Since gyms will bring in a large number of fitness buffs, you can enjoy a bit of socializing while you are building your body. While many workout gurus love to head to the gym regularly, others find a fitness center inconvenient and intimidating. Peak hours may be too crowded to allow you a complete workout in a reasonable period of time. The drive to the gym may cut into your already tight schedule. And the idea of sharing sweat with a wide assortment of strangers is simply not appealing to everyone.

So what is the best solution? The key is to find the best gym for you, so that you will be more likely to stick with your program until you are one of those buff bodies sizing up the newbies. Fitness happens.

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Tone Your Muscle and not Your Wallet with Gym Power Golds Home Gyms

September 10th, 2007

A quick and fun workout with gym power Golds home gyms can help you get a stunning body. With very affordable equipment, Golds home gyms can help everyone with any budget get quality exercise equipment and into shape. A common misconception about home gyms are the ones that get television coverage, where everything is, for example, five easy payments of $400 each. With gym power Golds home gyms, you can get a quality home gym for as little as $200!

The Gold Standard

Golds Gyms are world renowned for providing the best equipment for members to use. What about bringing some of that high quality equipment home? Gym power Golds home gyms allow you to do just that. These complete home gyms allow users to work out everything from stomaches to shoulders and more. With a technology called ARC (automatic resistance control), exercise has become customized again. Easily transfer over 300 pounds to any exercise, so a user could do 240 pound knee raises while lowering the weight to 100 pound pull ups. The possibilities for exercising are endless with gym power Golds home gyms.

The Cost Benefit

Did you know that you can get a home gym from gym power Golds home gyms for as little as $200? That’s equal to eight months from a local home gym membership, not including the price of gas, which would actually make it equal to about a one month home gym membership. With home gyms, you save money, but what else makes a home gym better than a membership? Time is certainly a large worry for many people who believe that they don’t have time to exercise. Between kids, work, and meals, a person still wants enough time to relax for a few hours before heading off to sleep. With a local gym, members would have to drive out of their way, which could add almost an hour just by itself, and if the gym is busy, some of the equipment might be in use already. With a Golds home gym, users can save many hours every week just by not having to drive anywhere else, and their equipment is always ready for their personal use.

If you want a toned body and are tight in the wallet, a home gym from gym power Golds home gyms is perfect for you. Even if you are rich, why spend more money on the same quality of equipment elsewhere? The time to make your body lean and beautiful is now.

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