Bowflex Home Gym Fitness Blog

Over the course of the past two or three decades, the popularity of membership gyms has skyrocketed. However; through it all there still remains a certain segment of the population that prefers the privacy of their own home over the crowded gym setting . The reasons for this are many and all of them are perfectly valid, so if you find yourself grouped in with those who choose to shun gyms, there is always home fitness equipment.

So Much to Chose From

It's pick and choose from a vast trove of machines and devices now. Of course there is the classic free weights that through it all, haven't become even close to obsolete by any means. However; once you venture beyond free weights, the sky is pretty much the limit with regards that all that modern innovation and technology now have to offer. Home gyms, weight training machines, cardio equipment, running, walking and peddling machines and the list just seems to go on and on and on.

Exercise Hasn't Gotten Any Easier

There are however, a few things that you should be aware of before you sign on the dotted line for any piece of home fitness equipment though and the most important fact being that no piece of machinery as of yet makes exercising any easier. That's right! The old “no pain, no gain” rule still applies, so the first item to scratch off your list is any device that promise results with little or no effort and there are a few of them out there.

Beware of False Promises

If you haven't yet heard of these type of devices then consider yourself fortunate. They're an insult to ones intelligence and they generally consist of some type of electrical contraption that delivers a small shock to the body part it's attached to. The result is muscle twitches and this is supposed to cause in increased strength and body mass and even weight loss. Believe it. If there was so much as an ounce of truth to their claims, every weight loss and fitness center on the planet would be out of business tomorrow.

Assessing Your Options

So then, just what are your options and how can you get the absolute best results from what you do finally settle with in home fitness equipment? The fact is that if you didn't know it already, you do now and that is that while there are no guarantees there are however some valuable nuggets of wisdom that you can incorporate in your decision making process. Tips that those who have achieved success have passed along for people like yourself to use if you choose to.

Do What You Like to Do

“Do what you like to do”. Now that may sound very simplistic but it is really quite amazing how many people fail to take this simple bit of advise into account. The selection in home fitness equipment is so vast today that no mater what activity suits you best, you can easily find a machine or device that can replicate that activity in your home. Running, walking, riding a bike, rowing, stair climbing, weight lifting, boxing. It's all there and I'm sure there are a few more that I left out as well.

Don't Fall for Slick Advertising

The advertisers who promote home fitness equipment today are far more sophisticated than they ever were in the past. It's not just the pictures of the perfect specimens of humanity that they show on their equipment that you have to worry about either. Easy payment plans are rife on the Internet for instance but without exception that will have interest rates up around 25%. Pay no mind to customer reviews that attest to astounding results or incredible weight loss either. Most of them are simply written up by web site owners themselves.

Buy Home Fitness Equipment You Can Afford

So stay within your budget and always go with top quality gear. If you're not operating on a big budget then consider going with a nice set of weights for instance, rather than a lower quality piece of complex equipment that's only going to break down in the coming months or years. Also don't forget that there is a huge market in used and refurbished home fitness equipment now. Still yet, another thing that too many people have forgotten about is deals that can be found in their local newspapers classifieds.

See larger image Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells (Sports) List Price: $549.00 USD New From: $398.99 In Stock Used from: $395.00 In Stock Release date August 21, 2008.

Stamina InStride Electronic Stepper List Price: $90.00 Sale Price: $54.00 You save: $36.00 (40%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:

Description

Limited in space but still want a great cardiovascular workout? Look no further than the Stamina InStride electronic stepper, which offers a footprint of only 12 inches wide by 16 inches long. As a result, you can use your InStride stepper just about anywhere--in front of the TV, while on the phone, in your sunroom, outside on the patio, or even at work...

Features

• Electronic stair stepper that takes up a mere 192 square inches of space
• Small enough to fit in a corner, in front of the TV, or in a travel bag
• 2 hydraulic cylinders create stepping motion to boost cardio
• Battery-operated fitness monitor times each workout and counts steps
• Measures 12 inches wide by 16 inches long; weighs 20 pounds

It has really only been in the past decade or so that the technology in fitness machines of all types has gone through their most notable advancements. This doesn't mean that there weren't fitness machines prior to that because there were lots of them. It just means that in more recent times they have become more advanced in their functions and features and also frankly, more durable.

An Amazingly Broad Range of Prices

The stair stepper is a fine example of this. For example to begin with the range in all the various makes and models is absolutely incredible now. It's not just the number of types, but the price range as well. For instance, you can now find a simple working mini stair stepper being sold at WallMart with a price tag in the area of $50.

The Inexpensive Mini Stair Stepper

The $5,000 StairMaster By StepMill

Then the very top model currently on the market is the StepMill, made by StairMaster and it features a a price tag of a little over $5,000. Of course there are many more types and models in between these two extremes in prices but it just goes to show the incredibly broad range in diversity that's out there on what is in effect the same machine.

So Just what Defines a Stair Stepper?

Well almost the same machine. This is because in truth, what actually defines a stair stepper isn't in the machines themselves but rather the stair stepping motions that you're legs are doing when using them. In the end, this is why there is such diversity in price, form and feature functions in this one particular category of fitness machine.

The StepMill By StairMaster

Do You Really Need a Stair Stepper Downstairs?

This is also a great time to point out one other very important fact that you may want to consider. This is that given that the stair stepper is so singular in its functions. That is that it will really only allow you to do stair stepping exercises. If you have a set of stairs available in or near your home, you may want to consider that you're money may be better invested elsewhere.

Perhaps Other Types of Fitness Gear?

After all, do bear in mind that the machine is going to take up space and if you have nice set of stairs already, why not consider making better use of that space and money on perhaps something like a compact weight resistance machine or a treadmill for instance?

Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer List Price: $799.00 Sale Price: $599.00 You save: $200.00 (25%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:

Description

Ideal for the home gym for fitness enthusiasts of any skill level, the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer provides an effective cardiovascular workout by combining upper and lower body flexibility and coordination into one impact-free motion...

Features

• BioGlide motion technology allows for a comfortable and natural 18-inch elliptical stride
• BioFit footpads and handlebars offer a comfortable feeling while working out
• Features eight computer controlled resistance levels
• Grip heart rate monitoring on handlebars helps you track your workout
• Measures 59 inches long by 26 inches wide by 68 inches tall; includes a water bottle holder and transport wheels

So just what is an elliptical machine or an elliptical trainer and why on earth does the word or phrase itself seem so new and foreign to you? In simple terms, an elliptical machine or what is also more commonly refered to as an elliptical trainer is a stationary mechanical device that was designed to simulate walking or running.

The Benefits Without the Impact

So why simulate walking or running when either of them are so easily done inside or outside? The answer to that, is that the idea or concept behind the elliptical machine is that it allows the person using it to gain all the benefits of walking or running, without the risk of impact injuries. You see, the feet never actually leave the surface peddals on an elliptical trainer.

Now the reason that these machines seem so new to you, is because they are. In fact, believe it or not the very first elliptical machine was created only back in 2004, which isn't very long ago. The concept came to man named Larry Miller, who was studying films of runners in the hopes of coming up with ideas for reducing the impact damage on the lower body.

Understand that elliptical machines now come in many forms and being that they are so new, it's only reasonable to expect that even more developments in variation will eventually come available. Even so, the two basic styles as it stands today, are the elliptical machine that has the hand held upper body components and those that don't.

Super Affordable But No Feature Options

Then there are also electric powered machines that can come with any number of features on a console to basic user powered machines that are operated in much the same way as bicycle is. That is that they are simply peddled by the user. Other basic features that you can find on todays machine are adjustable resistance, which decreases or increases the amount of energy required to use the machine and include feature that changes the pedal motion paths.

Even so, it's is very important to understand that two elliptical machines manufactured by two separate companies that both look exactly alike can “feel different” when in operation. For instance, one common complaint about lesser quality machines, is that in spite of the upper body hand held arm bar being in place, all of the energy that's required to power the machine must be expended at that pedals.

Full Featured Elliptical Machine

This is to say that the arm bars may be going back and forth but when the hands are placed on them the sensation and effect is that the arms and upper body are simply “going along for a ride.” The legs tire faster and in spite of appearances, there is no real upper body workout. However; on the better built machines this is not the case.

The higher quality elliptical machines are designed and engineered such that they require energy input from both the arm bars and the pedals. At the same time, the user has the option of self regulating how much work or energy he or she wishes to contribute from the upper and lower body.

What this means is that during workouts, if your legs become tired you don't need to necessarily stop. You can simply ease off on the paddling and allow your arms and upper body to pull the machine along while your legs rest. Of course the end result is longer, thorough, more comfortable and far more satisfying sessions.