Exercise Equipment to Give Your Whole Body a Workout
If you've visited a gym with a professional, you will have seen exercise equipment that lets you work out your entire body. The equipment ranges from high-end professional systems to compact equipment that can be used at home.
Whatever equipment you are using, be sure to "bake-in" progression and regression to help your students or clients improve their fitness. Be aware that even the most powerful equipment will only produce results if it is used regularly.
All-in-One Exercise Systems
All-in-one fitness systems combine the functions of several pieces of equipment into a single unit. They typically include a bench, squat rack and attachments for a variety exercises that target muscles in the arms and shoulders, back, abdomen, and legs. Some may include a cable and pulley system to provide resistance to help with weight training. Certain all-in-one exercise equipment, such as the Life Fitness G7 home gym come with a selectorized method of resistance that allows users to adjust the weight they're using by pulling a pin. Some of these machines can fold up or stored away to make space.
Certain all-in-one exercise systems employ a polymer-based rod called Power Rods, which create tension to replace traditional iron weights. The Bowflex and Total Gym systems are examples of all-in-one exercise equipment which make use of this technology. These systems provide a way to work out your entire body without the need for weights, but they still require you to do some strength-training exercises with your own bodyweight.
Other all-in-one fitness systems include weights as well as a pulley and cable system, such as BodyCraft X3 System. It has a dual weight stack of 200 pounds that allow you to perform dozens different exercises for strengthening. It also comes with a broad selection of attachments, such as short and long bars as well as double and single D-handles, ankle straps, stirrup handles, rope handles and two arm cuffs.
Other all-in-one fitness equipment, like the Tonal and Tempo Studio, feature technology that assists in ensuring that you are in good shape during your workouts. Both of them make use of 3D sensors to monitor 25 joints, compare them with reference points such as mirrors and detect when your form has changed. The devices then give real-time feedback that can help you get back into proper posture. This feature can help reduce your chance of injury and ensure that you are targeting the right muscles in the most effective way possible. This is particularly crucial when training athletes for sports. If you're performing an upper-body workout that corresponds with block-running, for instance it is important to ensure you're targeting the muscles required by the sport.
Weights
Weight training helps build muscles, strengthens bones and improves balance, and burning calories. Athletes can train using weights that are free (dumbbells or barbells) and machines that offer guided movement patterns or cables with handles and bars for different pull exercises. Resistance bands add resistance to exercises using body weight, and are a great way to incorporate into the training of younger athletes or those who don't have access to weights.
Coaches should be cautious about putting young athletes into low rep ranges while using weights. This can lead to injury and pain in the muscles. High and middle school should be using weights that they can lift six times or more with proper technique.
Tubing or Resistance Bands
Resistance bands and tubing are a versatile alternative for weight training. home gym equipment across all sports utilize them to improve performance as well as increase strength and power and build muscle without having to use weights that are heavy.
The practice of elastic resistance training has been in use for more than a century. Athletes of all ages, fitness levels, and genders use elastic resistance training to improve muscle strength, speed and agility. Tubes and bands of resistance can be used to give you a an entire workout. They are lightweight and cost-effective.
Flat resistance bands are generally composed of strips of latex or stretchy fabric and have handles attached to both ends. When not in use they can be folded and stored in a backpack or suitcase. They are lighter than a tube resistance bands and can be used for a variety of exercises.
Tube resistance bands consist of hollow, cylindrical tubes coated with rubber or plastic. They are designed to be attached to a door or bar, pole or other stationary object. They can be used for pushing or pulling exercises, and provide varying levels of resistance depending on their thickness and tension. They are also more resilient than regular flat resistance bands and a lot of them come with a snap-guard inbuilt which prevents overstretching.
One of the primary advantages of using elastic resistance training is that it allows you to change the emphasis on certain muscles during an exercise by altering the direction of the pull. For instance, a study conducted at Brigham Young University showed that altering the direction of force on a squat or step exercise by directing the tubing or band towards the front of your leg changed the focus on muscles of the quad and hamstring.
Tubing or a band of resistance is also an ideal option for those who prefer to work on their own rather than with a trainer or group. They're also great for travel as you can pack them into a suitcase or backpack, and still have access to your favorite exercise routines.
Aerobic Machines
Cardio exercises boost cardiovascular strength and endurance they burn calories and stimulate the release of feel-good chemicals known as endorphins. The most popular kinds of cardiovascular exercises include walking or jogging, using an elliptical machine as well as riding a stationary bicycle and climbing on a stair-climber. Equipment for indoor gyms is preferred over outdoor workouts for many reasons. Cardio equipment has the principal benefit of offering an environment that is controlled and allows for a customized exercise. Many machines come with built-in monitors that can track heart rate, distance and time for a more accurate experience.
Treadmills are a low-impact cardiovascular workout that can be utilized for walking, running or stair climbing. Users can also control their speed, incline and resistance level. These features make treadmills a great option for those with knee problems or want to improve their fitness.
Stair climbers have become popular exercise equipment since they exercise both upper and lower bodies at the same time and burn a lot of calories. Stair climbers are built to resemble an endless flight of stairs. They are great for strengthening the legs and core as well as arms while focusing on muscles in the back, shoulders and shoulders.
The Jacob's Ladder is a truly unique piece of fitness equipment, offering an intense, total-body exercise. This rare equipment is shaped as a ladder, and comes with separate rungs which function as foot platforms. The rungs are connected to a chain, which is constantly moving as the user climbs. The ladder moves at a rate determined by the user's climbing speed.
Stationary bikes and ellipticals are another popular types of cardio machines because they provide a low-impact, full-body cardiovascular exercise. They allow users to alter their resistance levels to focus on specific muscles. Some ellipticals have the "Rolling Hills' program that adjusts the resistance of the machine to simulate riding or running up hills. Other stationary bikes or ellipticals come with interval training programs to improve endurance.