Best Fitness Equipment Reviewed

Looking for home fitness or home gym equipment? Confused by the endless reviews for Bowflex, Nautilus, Nortic Track, Golds Gym, Weider, Schwin [and about 100 other] types exercise equipment?

Well, it’s your lucky day. After thousands of hours spent reading exercise equipment reviews, opinions, and ratings, I can tell you with 100% certainty what the best home or gym exercise equipment is:

It’s the equipment you’ll really use.

It really doesn't matter what brand you buy. Just shop around and don't buy off brand junk. Fitness equipment is like a car. You can spend a little, or you can spend a lot. Regardless of the price, a cheap car will get you where you want to go just like an expensive car. Likewise, fitness equipment will exercise your body whether it costs $50 or $5000.

A majority of fitness equipment comes from China. For example, Icon Health and Fitness makes all these brands: Nordictrack, HealthRider, Proform, Reebok, Weslo, Image, Weider, and JumpKing. Since one company makes them all, do you think the difference is all that great?

So when people ask me to offer a impartial rating of exercise equipment, my answer is the same: What do you want to use it for? Meaning, the type of equipment you need is more important than the brand. So decide what your objective is first, then get online and browse some honest consumer reviews of exercise equipment.

For example, I don’t like running. So the worlds most expensive treadmill wouldn’t do me much good. However, I don’t mind the low impact cardio you get with a stair stepper or elliptical machine. In all reality, I could put some rocks in a backpack and go up and down some stairs for about twenty minutes- and get just of good of a workout- or even a better one- than I would get from even the best exercise equipment.

That being said, I highly recommend whatever exercise equipment you’re reviewing- you try it before you buy it. When I went to buy a new elliptical, I tried about 10 different ones. The one I bought didn’t come after reading a bunch of consumer reviews of exercise equipment, it came from deciding which one felt the most comfortable. A few machines had awkward feeling motions, a few others, the stride was too long. So the best fitness equipment for me wasn’t a matter of name brand or price, it was which machine did I think I would actually use.

So sure, look up exercise equipment reviews on line [just be careful the review is written by someone that’s not selling the machine]. Just like most everything, you get what you pay for. The most critical part is this: Don’t count on any machine to change your habits for you. That’s why the classifieds are so full of hardly used home fitness equipment. If you want to save A LOT of money, change your exercise habits first. That takes about 3 or 4 for most people.

If you can’t exercise consistently everyday for a month by just going for a walk or any other activity that gets you moving, the best exercise or fitness equipment in the world isn’t going to change that for you.

As much as hate to always bring this up, you need to remember the reality of the situation: Nearly 2 out 3 Americans are overweight or obese, while spending over forty billion dollars annually on diet, weight loss, gym memberships, and fitness equipment.

If you can change your habits on your own, great. If you can’t, I highly recommend you read New Body New Life first. It will help you see your unhealthy habits, but most important, it will show you how to change them over to healthy ones. At $39.95, it’s just the fraction of the cost of most of the fitness equipment you can buy. Check it out, you have 60 days to look it over. It could save you ten times that much.

Some Treadmill Facts.

A treadmill is a piece of exercise apparatus that is typically used inside. The equipment lets the user walk or run while being in the same place. The word treadmill traditionally refers to a type of mill which was operated by a person or animal treading steps of a wheel to grind grain.

The machines belt moves from the front of the system to the back at varying speeds for a person to walk or run against. The exercise speed (running or walking) is easily set (the speed at which the belt rotates is the speed at which the individual moves).The delux, heavy duty models are motor driven, unfortunatly they are a good bit more expensive. For a less expensive treadmill that is simple and light, go with a passive version. This design is not motor powered, it is powered by the individual running and just offers resistance to motion.

Treadmills History:      

Treadmills were invented in 1875. The first machine was a "lever power" treadmill and was used for agriculture. To accommodate various sized animals they were manufactured in various sizes. The little treadmills were operated by dogs and sheep to deliver power to the fanny mills or butter churns they were connected to. The larger ones were driven by horses to run threshing machines.

The First Medical Machine:

The first medical machine was invented by UW cardiologist Robert Bruce in 1952 and he was called the father of exercise cardiology, along with UW staffer Wayne Quinton. To help diagnose lung and heart problems the Standard Stress Test was invented, this shows the severity of those diseases. Quinton later sold his interest to Stairmaster, who was subsequently bought by Nautilus.

Tunturi Treadmill:

Tunturi was founded in 1922, and started as a bicycle repair shop. The Tunturi company is is given the credit by many individuals as the first manufacturer of physical fitness equipment, because of their well known W1 exercise bike. The company is based in Finland, and today they have the enviable reputation as probably being the leading and best-known manufactures of high class fitness equipment, which includes exercise bikes, rowers, and steppers.

Aerobics, Incorporated:

In the late 1960's Bill Staub noticed that treadmills were very expensive and were used mainly as medical testing machines. An affordable home treadmill was built by Staub who was trained medical engineer. He sent Dr. Cooper a prototype, and he was so impressed, he sold the first few hundred to people that were his referrals. Fourty some years ago Dr. Cooper's business, Aerobics, Inc, started full scale manufacturing of PaceMaster treadmills. Since that time, they have evolved from manufacturing basic treadmills to manufacturing apparatus with computerized and automatic functions.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration:     

The U.S. space program used treadmills onboard Skylab to keep the astronauts in good shape, while they were in a gravity free environment. The first treadmill that was used in the space by the astronauts was just a Teflon coated plate that allowed the feet to slide while the astronaut ran in place with bungee cord tethers.

For more information about treadmills please go to our website for videos and reviews of the Tunturi treadmill exercise machine and more .

 

A Good Heart Rate Monitor Is Invaluable For Fitness

Not sure what heart rate monitors are or how to use them? Then there are these monitors which typically come with two unique parts. The first is a chest belt detects your heart rate and then transmits it to the second part, which is a receiver on your wrist. It is a very useful addition to the kit of any runner as it gives an accurate reflection of just how hard you are exercising. Our own guesses are generally very unreliable and mean that we often end up running faster or slower than is good for us. A Garmin Heart Rate Monitor is a very good choice.

Have you been considering a heart rate monitor only to come away confused with all the information and the many different types of monitors that are out there. Some are simple, easy to use and considered to be a discount heart rate monitor. Their displays are large and very easy to read. In many cases these heart rate monitors also include a stopwatch along with the time of day. If you want a basic starter monitor, these heart rate monitors will work for any activity such as swimming, walking, aerobics, or cycling.

The next thing to examine is whether it is a multi purpose heart rate monitor. These will generally have the standard features like Target Zone, Time, and Heart Rate. These monitors will often combine a sports wristwatch with a heart rate monitor. You can also pre install your exercise Target Zone, display the time of day and also use it as a stop watch. Many of these models will figure out exercise recovery time. You can wear these heart rate monitors as sports wrist watches when you aren't exercising. These monitors are very popular due to the features and functions.

The more advanced monitors will include features such as a great memory capability. These features may include to the ability to review workouts and calories burned. The calorie calculation is usually based on your body weight, gender and exercise heart rate. Many models will display the calories burned during an exercise session or total calories burned for the entire exercise session. All of these monitors have time of day and most include calendars. These monitors are ideal for someone on a weight loss work out program.

Then there are also those monitors which give advanced exercise feedback. This information is saved in the memory of the monitor and can be reviewed right after your work out. This type of monitor will give you lots of information about your workout that are stored in memory of the monitor. This may include data such as average heart rate lap times, the amount of time spent in or out of your target zone, along with calories burned. Most of these memory heart rate monitors also have interval timers so you can really fine tune your workouts. This type of heart rate monitor is excellent for looking back at your completed workouts and keeping track of your progress.

Do Elliptical Machines Handle The Job?

exercise equipment

What can give you a low impact yet full-body workout? One of the most popular exercise machines on the market today is the elliptical machine. Elliptical machines offer a health fitness workout that can be varied from low to high intensity, depending on your preferences. They boost your cardiovascular exercise while targeting your upper and lower body. The cost for a good quality machine can be quite expensive. Are they worth the price or just a lot of hype?

An elliptical cross trainer is similar to a treadmill in its work on the leg muscles and the heart. An elliptical produces an intermediate range of leg motion between that of stationary bikes and treadmills. By varying the stride length on the elliptical trainer, you can target a larger variety of muscle groups. As your stride is lengthened, more calories are burned without any higher rate of noticeable exertion by the user. What that means for you is quick calorie burn and less time on the machine.

Despite providing a good weight-bearing workout, elliptical machines are very low impact. This means less stress on your joints during health fitness exercises because your feet never leave the pedals and therefore do not experience high impacts. You imitate the natural elliptical motion of walking and running with minimal impact on your body. The movement is fluid, and when you add your arms, gives you added stability as well as a great upper body workout.

Elliptical machines provide an excellent cardiovascular workout, a key part of overall health and fitness. Whether you want to lose weight, firm up your body, or a combination of both, incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your workout routine is crucial to your long-term success. Simply adjusting incline, speed and other factors, you can maximize cardio impact.

If you have a pattern of starting and stopping your exercise and fitness routine because you get bored or just too busy, you should understand that the key to keeping your routine fresh is by doing something you enjoy and that gives you noticeable results in the shortest amount of time. Elliptical machines do this giving you a variety of options for your daily workout.

If you're looking at buying an elliptical, or any other large ticket exercise equipment, make sure to do your research on varying models in various price ranges and test the machines for proper fit for you. Elliptical machines provide a safe, low-impact aerobic workout and are a great choice when starting or adding to your home gym. Be sure to look for a model that provides a solid frame, foot platforms that fit your feet, adjustable inclines and directions and upper body handles.

If you like to walk as exercise then you know how important a role weather plays in your walking schedule. Most people will not bother to go walking if it is too hot outside, too cold or if it is raining. Treadmills are the best solution to this problem. You never have to worry about bad weather and you can exercise in the comfort of your own home. If you have never tried out a treadmill then the time has come to give this exercise machine a try! Click here to get more information: Health And Fitness also Fitness  Equipment and at Womens  Fitness  Magazines

Elliptical Machines And Treadmills Work Together To Get You The Results

Of the variety of available exercise equipment on the market today, the two most favored have to be elliptical machines and treadmills. They are popular for a variety of reasons. Compared to walking or running on hard surfaces, they create less impact on the body with their shock-absorbing walking platforms. They are easy to use and have a higher calorie burn per hour used compared to other equipment. Another great feature is convenience. When your equipment is only steps away, you are more likely to get your work out. To lose weight or get fit, an elliptical or a treadmill is a great choice to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

A treadmill or an elliptical is pretty simple to use since they give you the ability to move as naturally as you would if you were running or walking outside. Functionally speaking they are simple to use, although they are equipped with features such as adjustable speed as well as incline to provide you with a challenging workout. Because both walking as well as running are natural to the vast majority or people, selecting a fitness machine that incorporates movements does not take much learning.

The majority of studies have done a comparison on the quantity of calories that are burned through the use of a treadmill, as well as an elliptical machine, a stair-stepper and a stationary bike, the results showed that the treadmill and the elliptical treadmill burned more calories than any of the other exercise equipment. For people who wish to get the best results possible into their exercise routine as possible a treadmill or a elliptical machine cannot be beat.

Elliptical machines and treadmills give you so much convenience. Not only do you avoid the fluctuations in weather conditions, you can get your workout in day or night with no safety worries like uneven sidewalks and traffic conditions. You can wear whatever you want when you use your equipment at home. People just starting a fitness program may be self conscious about their size or abilities, and too intimidated to go to the gym with confusing equipment and lines for the equipment. By using an elliptical or a treadmill at home, they avoid the gym spotlight.

Running on concrete, asphalt or dirt puts a tremendous strain on your joints and increases your risk of injuries. But a treadmill provides surfaces that cushion the impact and transfer absorption throughout the length of the deck. This has the effect of lowering the stress on ankles, joints, as well as the knees and lowers the tendency of injuries. You end up with a workout that is low impact with a higher calorie burn when you utilize a treadmill.

The growth in the popularity of elliptical machines and treadmills has become enormous due to their ease of use. Not only are they easy to use, they give you the highest calorie burning workout of any other exercise equipment on the market. Built on the premise that the more effort you put in, the more you get out, they get results.

Let's face the facts...most people do not get the recommended daily exercise they need to stay healthy. Even those that are in their target weight area may not be exercising as they should. It may be that they are embarrassed to exercise in front of others. It might also be that they do not have the time. Even the weather can play havoc on an exercise regime such as walking. But there is a way to get the exercise that is needed. Treadmills are great ways to get in shape and stay healthy. Click here to find out more: Physical Fitness Articles also Fitness and at Fitness  Training  Program

One Of The More Popular Types Of Fitness Equipment Are Treadmills

Treadmills are considered the most popular exercise equipment out today. The reasons for this include ease of use, higher calorie burn per hour used compared to other equipment, convenient location indoors in your home without going to your local fitness center, and they create less impact on your body compared with walking or running on hard surfaces. Whether you want to drop some weight or just stay fit, a treadmill can be a great choice.

Because you move just as naturally as you might when you are running or walking outside, a treadmill is simple to use. They are simple to use, yet come with features like adjustable incline and speed to give you a challenging workout. Because both walking as well as running are a natural activity for the majority of people, selecting a machine for this type of fitness requires very little knowledge.

Many studies have compared the amount of calories burned through the use of a treadmill, an elliptical machine, a stair-stepper and a stationary bike, and the conclusion is a treadmill burns more calories than any other exercise equipment. For those who want to pack as much punch into their exercise regimen as they can, a treadmill cannot be beat.

Treadmills give you so much convenience. Not only do you avoid the fluctuations in weather conditions, you can get your workout in day or night with no safety worries like uneven sidewalks and traffic conditions. You can wear whatever you want when you use your equipment at home. People just starting a health fitness program may be self conscious about their size or abilities, and too intimidated to go to the gym with confusing equipment and lines for the equipment. By using a treadmill at home, they avoid the fitness center spotlight.

Running on concrete, asphalt or dirt puts a tremendous strain on your joints and increases your risk of injuries. But a treadmill provides surfaces that cushion the impact and transfer absorption throughout the length of the deck. This reduces stress on joints, ankles, and knees and minimizes injuries. When a person uses a treadmill they get a low impact exercise routine with a high calorie burn.

The growth in the popularity of treadmills has become enormous due to their ease of use. Not only are they easy to use, they give you the highest calorie burning workout of any other exercise equipment on the market. Built on the premise that the more effort you put in, the more you get out, treadmills get results.

Eating healthy and keeping the body fit are two ways to live a longer, more productive life. Yet, millions of Americans and people around the world ignore that their bodies need exercise. Diet alone does not keep the weight off and it certainly does nothing to help your cardiovascular system. If you find yourself too busy to go to the gym there is still a solution to staying fit. Treadmills are great ways to get that recommended daily exercise and it will have you feeling better in no time at all. Most models are very affordable and within your budget. Click here to see more: Fitness Equipment also Fitness  Magazine and at Fitness  Magazine

Buying Kettlebells - Is it Better to Buy Online or in Person?

Can’t decide on where to buy your kettlebell? You can either buy kettlebells online or personally from a specialty store. But before you do, remember that both options have their own perks and downsides.

So whether you go kettlebell shopping or decide to take quick trip to your nearby Local Academy, Sports Authority, or to your favorite sporting goods store...here are a few things to consider:

The main advantage of buying it personally is you can pick out your own kettlebell. You can have real-time trial and feel actual weight of the kettle bell.

You can also personally choose the kettlebell weight that suits you best.

Plus, you can  meticulously inspect your kettle bell - look over it carefully for damages or imperfections.

Moreover, buying it personally on a local store saves you the wait and added costs from shipping . This is a plus since kettlebells are considerably heavy, and for sure you're all excited to start your new work out routine immediately.

Besides sporting goods store, some good places to scout for kettlebells are:

Gyms and Martial Arts clubs

A source which is often overlooked is your local gym or Martial Arts group. You can inquire if they are using kettlebells or if they have kettle bells for sale (occasionally they get a good deal on a bulk lot, and have a couple of 'spares'). You can also ask where they buy their kettle bells.

Fitness expositions and seminars

Typically, good deals are found here since there is a wide range of participants who most probably can assist you on your hunt for your kettle bell. Even if you can't make it to the actual expo or seminar, check in with the exhibitors to see if they have any kettle bells for sale. Good deals are often found this way.

A friend of a friend

Lastly we come to the 'friend of a friend' approach. If you know of someone who has an unused or spare kettlebell lying around, make them an offer. This way or purchasing is quick and convenient.

But what about buying online?

Buying kettlebells online also have its own plus factors. Although you will be paying additional shipping fees, more often than not, you will get a wealth of bonuses. 

These add-ons are usually in the form of books, DVDs or some small athletic equipment. If you're getting your first kettle bell, a bit of 'how to use it' information is often very well received.

Also keep in mind that bulk buying is often cheaper—postage is less and most probably and at the same time you will get more freebies.

Convenience of package delivery is also a plus—no need to lug around heavy equipment. Just don’t forget to ensure that your online source is credible and has a known track record for online kettlebell selling.

Whether you buy online or in local sporting stores, just make sure that the kettle bells you are getting is the one suited to your exercise regimen.

Get a Pilates Body Today - The Basics to Pro

A Pilates body training program is a health course therapy conditioning both the physical and mental mechanism of an individual. Strengthening the muscles and increasing the agility of the ligaments and tendons are some of the benefits that a Pilates enthusiast can get out of this program. Due to its flexibility and suppleness outcome and making the body achieve agility, the Pilates program has been a preferred and most loved body workout among dancers and gymnasts.

One would fully appreciate Pilates and its healthy benefits if given a glimpse of where it started and the basics of getting into your Pilates workout.

History of Pilates

Joseph H. Pilates, a German born, is the founder of the Pilates body training program. When he was a child, Joseph was afflicted with asthma, a condition that caused severe and lasting distress leaving him in a physically weakened state. Joseph, in his perseverance of getting rid of his physical state began to engage himself in sports which eventually became a sports enthusiast participating in different kinds of athletics. Pilates later on went to medical school where he chose a career in nursing in England during the World War I.

Pilates served the men who fought in the war and his developed exercise and equipments greatly helped those soldiers who were immobilize because of the injuries contained in the battle. The said exercise was a collaboration of yoga and martial arts that develops the powerful link and relationship of the mind and body.

The Basics of Pilates

In starting Pilates body training, two school of thoughts should be considered. First, the use of an exercise mat to be used in the course of the exercise and second proper training of Pilates body principles together with the use of work out accessories and equipments. Case resistance is also given. The first school of thought would be beneficial in utilizing the weight of the body to be exercised supplying the resistance needed. And such resistance is made available by the accessories.

The Pilates body training program offers good variety of benefits regardless of age and physical state. People from different walks of life can be a part of this exercise. It is important therefore, that all routines and workouts are properly executed especially in using Pilates machines to avoid accidents and injuries. Thus, a professional instructor is needed to supervise the smooth flow of the exercise. Training instructions could be done in various settings like a personal workout, group setting or video presentations.

Having known all of this, going back to the basic is very salient. Pilates is originally a body movement designed to work closely together with the rhythm and stroke of breathing. Focusing on the muscles in performing the exercise is also one pointer to consider. An individual working on a Pilates body training program should know the very essence and core of Pilates which is the union of mind and body with the particular goal or purpose of moderating anxieties and hassles in facing daily life's challenges.

Pilates exercise would be well done with the use of loose fitting clothes without wearing shoes. Most importantly, when performing Pilates every movement should be in a calm and smooth motion yet with a combination of flexibility and agility.