I found a couple of posts around the internet that spoke of a study at McMaster University that showed that hard exercise for a shorter period of time is better than a long workout at a lower level of intensity. I found the article at the Journal of Physiology but you really need to be a scientist to decipher what they have to say.

When it comes to cardio exercise, less appears to be more.

That’s the conclusion of researchers who discovered that extremely short bouts of high-intensity exercise produce the same improvements in muscle health as longer, more moderately paced workout sessions.

In the two-week study, published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Physiology, 16 college-age men, all recreational exercisers, were asked to exercise on stationary bicycles three times a week. One group cycled for 30 seconds all-out, followed by four minutes of recovery, or pedaling at a slower speed while keeping the heart rate somewhat elevated. They repeated that several times for a total of about 20 minutes a day. The other group cycled at a moderate pace for 90 to 120 minutes a day.

At the end of the study, the men’s muscles were tested for an enzyme that’s “an indicator of the muscle’s ability to use oxygen,” says lead author Martin Gibala, associate professor of kinesiology at Canada’s McMaster University. In both groups, the enzyme level increased by about 25% to 30%. He adds, “You can think about that as being able to produce energy more efficiently, being able to go at a faster pace and exercise longer.”
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I have written quite a bit over the last week about what you need as far as home fitness equipment goes but thought I would just round out this week with an overview of what you should have for equipment. So here is what I think that you should try to accumulate over the next while.

Mats – The most basic piece of fitness equipment is an exercise mat. You need an exercise mat for doing stretching as well as for doing abs and an exercise mat is always good for lying on when you are tired from a tough set or some cardio

Dumbells – Dumbells are those short bars with the weights on them. Who cares about them all matching but you want to probably have pairs of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 pounds and sometimes even a pair of 3 pound weights are good to carry while you are running or doing other cardio. These all come in handy for lots of your weight exercises

Barbell – This is just a big long bar. The barbell bar weighs I believe 20 pounds although ones at the gym will weight 45 pounds. Then of course you need weights to put on this bar. Remember that anytime that you are using a barbell you are lifting more weight and in the case of bench presses or even military presses you can get yourself into real trouble if you do not have a spotter. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: cardio equipment, elliptical trainer, Fitness Equipment, home fitness equipment, paul plakas, rowing, weight exercises, X

I am trying to get a jump start on the winter for everyone by finding some great articles on how best to look for and buy exercise equipment for your home. Most people will just join a gym to use expensive exercise equipment but really there are many reasons to instead buy fitness equipment. I have a few pros and cons on this.

Buying Exercise Equipment

Buying exercise equipment is not for everyone and can be expensive. First things first, I do own some exercise equipment. I have written about this before but I have a exercise bike and a elliptical trainer and these are trade in used exercise equipment that we got from trading in our older, other equipment that we bought years ago. It seems to be a great way to me to buy high quality equipment and then trade it in for other equipment when you are bored of it.

OK, so how much will it cost? I think that a good piece of exercise equipment costs between 500 and 1,000 dollars so this really is a big expense for most people. I remember getting crappy stair climbers in the 80s and they just ended up being good clothes hangers just as my elliptical trainer is but at least the elliptical trainer gets used for working out as well.

Priority of buying cardio equipment

The key to buying and using cardio exercise equipment is the schedule and commitment to use the equipment. I hate to say it but if you pay a bundle of money for exercise equipment it will be a motivator to use the equipment, not only that but the equipment will be smooth and comfortable to use. Find a daily time that you will use the treadmill or bike. I think that if you do not use the equipment in the morning then try to use it in the evening while you are watching TV. It is good exercise and the scheduling will force you to commit.

One last thing. Using cardio equipment over time can become really boring for most people. The best way to use cardio equipment is to get a distance goal to hit. Pull out a map and look at some distances that would be fun to drive to that you can simulate with your new or old exercise equipment. Maybe a roadtrip of 100 miles this month or a great roadtrip trip over the course of a year.

So for the rest of the week I am going to scour the internet for some great buying guide type articles, stuff that I will learn from as well as you so that the next time that we go out looking for exercise equipment we will be able to make better decisions.

Tags: buy exercise equipment, buying exercise equipment, cardio equipment, cardio exercise equipment, elliptical trainer, exercise equipment, Fitness Equipment, stair climbers, USD

Fitness Equipment is an important part of a weight loss schedule for many people. During the summer we always get a chance to get out and exercise but in the winter we really have to rely on our home or gym fitness equipment. I have dealt with joining fitness clubs extensively in the past so now I will just assume that you are interested in doing weights and cardio at home with your own fitness equipment.

Cardio Equipment
I thought I would start with Cardio equipment as that is the most common equipment that someone thinks twice about before trying. The first piece of fitness equipment that I bought years ago was a stair machine, actually it was a stepper. When the fad in the late 80’s for stair machine started that is exactly what I got and to be perfectly frank the think sucked. A good quality stair machine should be smooth to use and this stepper was not very good, it was clunky and uncomfortable. After a few weeks out stepper turned into a clothes hangar and just collected dust.

About five years ago my wife and I bought a good quality stair machine and treadmill as our first pieces of fitness equipment! We found a great place that sold new and used fitness equipment and we bought the first two pieces of one year old cardio equipment for about 1600 dollars! (I know this is a bit much for most people) and then each year for the next two years we traded one in and bought a different piece of fitness equipment we would lose about 100 dollars a year on the equipment this way. We now have a good 3 year old stationary bike and a good three year old elliptical trainer. To us this has been the best way to buy fitness equipment that we would actually use. No matter what your budget it is a real treat to have tow pieces of fitness equipment in the house that changes every year.

Weight equipment
Weights and weight equipment is a pretty easy purchase. You need the following:

Weight Bench
Weights
Barbell
Dumbbells

My weight bench inclines so that I can have it flat to do my flat bench exercises and then I can angle the back up to do incline bench presses and incline flyes. My bench is pretty stable which is important because the weight exercises are hard enough that you do not want to worry about your fitness equipment falling over while you are using it.

The way that I have done this is that I have two short bars with screw ends to put the weights on and a old barbell that has slip collars that screw in (the generic ones you see everywhere). I bought weights that I could add at any time to either the dumbbells or barbells and in addition to this I have a few rubber dumbbells of 15, 20, 25 and 30 pounds. With these rubber dumbbells I have most of the common weights that I need so that I am not constantly having to set up the bars.

OK, the buying part of the weights is where you can really save money on fitness equipment. Look in your local buy and sell or bargain finder or newspaper and also try garage sales. Remember the last thing that people want to move when the move are weights that they never use. New weights cost almost a dollar a pound so never buy weight new but instead buy them used.

Tags: cardio equipment, Fitness Equipment, gym fitness equipment, rubber dumbbells, USD, weight equipment

Health Club tours are always well scripted events that are conducted by a salesman for only one or two people. When you are gong to go to tour the health club that you are interested in remember that touring one is not enough. Decide which one you really like best just by location and reputation and then tour a couple of others.

Why would you tour other gyms?

Well every gym you tour will have a salesperson pushing the points that are strongest at that particular gym; the size, the amount of equipment, the trainers. After you have gone on a few tours than you will be saving what you think is the best for last. At this point you are going to know a lot more about what would be important to you and you will be in a better place to not be sold by the pitch and instead be a bit more detached to what is important for your own needs in a health club.

So now on with the tours!

The look of the Health Club

Firstly do your fitness club tours at a time that you would normally work out, this will give you an idea of what the conditions are going to be when you workout yourself. When you start your health club tour the salesperson will start by telling you how great the gym is and how helpful and friendly the staff and other members are. Look around the gym and see what the equipment usage is like, is there any obvious waiting for equipment? Are you going to be intimidated by huge bodybuilders making too much noise? On the other hand does it deem to country club like for your tastes without a motivational feel?

Even though you may have worn workout clothes for your health club tour try to make sure that you do not use the equipment, the act of working out may distract you from your objectivity. While you are seeing the equipment take a look at the lighting, is the workout area bright enough. How much space is there between pieces of equipment? Are you going to be crowded in or is there to much room that makes the place look too empty?

Check out the layout of the entire fitness center, are there enough water fountains? Are you going to run into people while you are getting weights for the bench press? When you get to the changing room check out the showers, stalls and lockers and make sure everything is clean. You may be uncomfortable with the idea of showering with other people but over time you will likely find it useful to be able to have a workout, shower, and then continue on with your day.

Workout Equipment

When you tour the health clubs there are three kinds of equipment to look at.

Cardio Equipment – steppers, stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines. How are the usage of these machines, these are always very popular and if your are at the gym at busy time your will not want to wait between uses of the machines

Weight Machines – contraptions that you put weights on including nautilus and others. How well are these maintained? The worst thing for using these is if they are jerky when you are moving through your range of motion and you will not want to be using them which means they would be wasted equipment to you.

Weights, benches, racks – There are various ways to do your exercises but you have to sit or lean on something. Are there lineups for this equipment? How close and how many weight plates are around? Again you would not want to wait to use this equipment as the time between sets is an important factor as to whether you have a good workout or not.

Miscellaneous equipment- abs equipment, lower back. This equipment is usually shoved off to one side in the health club. You will want to be able to get to it as almost every workout you will want to either work on getting a six pack set of abs or strengthening your lower back. Is this equipment well covered or is it torn? Is there enough at a busy time or do you have to wait for this? It may not be too bad to wait for these pieces of equipment occasionally so it may not be a deal breaker for you.

One thing to really take a look at in your tour of the health club is the equipment and the apparent servicing of this equipment. Gym equipment is very tough looking and it may look to you like the equipment is very sturdy and does not need any work to keep it going. This is very wrong! Any reputable gym will have someone working for them part time to maintain the equipment, keeping everything greased, recovering the benches and seats and generally making sure that all of the health club equipment is in tip top shape.

Cardio equipment must be maintained as well. The cardio equipment in a gym has to take much more abuse than nay weight equipment ever has to. Parts are worn and have to be replaced so that everything feels smooth when using stationary bikes, treadmills, stair machines and rowing machines.

Amenities

Lastly you will want to check out all of those really cool amenities�.or maybe not.

Suntan Beds – Are you going to get a great deal on the suntanning? Do you even care if you ever use a suntan bed? If not why even factor that into whether you want to join?

Squash or racquetball – if there is some kind of courts look at whether you have anyone to play with, if your are outgoing you may find plenty of people to play with but if not it may be just a waste of space to you�and your membership fees pay for that upkeep.

Proshop and snack bar – these are among the most expensive places for clothes, drinks and equipment on the planet. Always an excuse for a break from the workout but they will always lighten your wallet.

Personal trainer on staff – This could be a great one, if there is a personal trainer then you may want to pay the 40 or so dollars an hour to improve your workouts but it can add up over time. See if there is some kind of plan for 10 sessions or something. And if you set up training then remember to take lots of notes in the car in the parking lot afterwards.

Pricing the Health Club

After you have been through more than a couple gyms and fitness centers you are going to know the tour pretty well and the hard close at the end that tries to have you sign up before you leave the door. Do not sign up right away as you can always leverage how the other gyms are when you are ready to sign up in the end. Every area of the country is a bit different as far as memberships go for health clubs but almost always there is a monthly payment, some kind of signup fee and a two or three year contract. When you are ready to decide look at all of the factors that are important and discount any amenities that you will be paying for but not using. The decision is usually a tough one between a couple of places but in the end I am sure you will be happy with your decision and on your way to an exciting new lifestyle.

Tags: bodybuilders, cardio equipment, fitness center, fitness club, gym equipment, gym salesperson, health club, health club equipment, Miscellaneous equipment, nay weight equipment, personal trainer, rowing, salesman, squash, Tour Health Club, workout area, workout clothes

If you have not joined a gym yet then this article may give you some ideas on what to look for in a gym. My personal favorite things to look for are price, comfort, clientele and helpfulness of staff to the people there while you are checking it out. Everyone is attentive to your needs before you have paid, see how they are to people that have been there for a while

It’s the beginning of a new year and resolutions are being carried out with gusto. Getting fit and staying healthy are no doubt at the top of dozens of resolution lists. Joining a gym is a great first step to achieving one’s fitness goals, but with workout facilities popping up like wildfires, choosing the right gym can be a daunting task. However, just asking a few simple questions can make finding the perfect place to work out less of a challenge. When choosing a gym, one should first ask, ” What equipment and amenities will I actually use?” Sure, there are mega-gyms that offer saunas, massage therapy, a lap pool, and rock climbing, but are all of these things what a person really needs in order to pursue a healthy lifestyle?

In reality, free weights, machines, and cardio equipment are more than adequate to support an effective workout routine. Gyms that are well-equipped, minus the “fluff,” are almost always the more cost effective choice, not to mention less overwhelming.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when first stepping foot in a gym, with all the strange-looking machines and fancy equipment. When choosing a gym, be sure to ask if an orientation (a guided tour on how to properly use the equipment) is available and if it costs extra. Is the orientation in a group setting or is it one-on-one? Finding a gym that provides one-on-one attention along with ongoing monitoring is definitely a big advantage to someone just starting out. Only a few gyms offer such a program at no additional cost, so this is a good way to narrow down your search. To narrow the choices even more, look for facilities where crowding is not a problem and waiting for machines is a non-issue. In addition, any gym worth joining should deliver locker rooms complete with showers; clean, well-organized equipment; and friendly staff. Some facilities even offer “comfort” benefits like complimentary coffee and towel service. Details such as these can make a significant difference in your overall workout experience.
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Tags: Austin, cardio equipment, certified personal trainer, fancy equipment, Mandi Whittlesey, massage therapy, new years day, online meal planner, Online nutrition, online program, ProActive Fitness Studio