Exercise – Time To Consider An Exercise Bike

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Now that Fall is here, the weather is getting nicer, the holidays are approaching fast – and, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep that weight off! Yet, now is the perfect time to start on improving your exercise program! One great way of doing that is to improve your cardio workouts with an exercise bike.

Exercise bikes have changed quite a bit in the last few years. Where before, they seemed to be nothing more than just a bicycle frame, a wheel, and a resistance belt connecting the two, now you have a wide variety of options in both style as well as resistance.

Exercise bicycles now come in two major styles – recumbent and upright. Upright exercise bikes are great for those who prefer a classic seated position – and they are perfect for those that want to try spinning workouts at home like they may have experienced in the gym. Recumbent bikes put you in a seated position more like you would find while sitting in a chair – these are great for people that have avoided exercise bikes in the past due to back issues.

When it comes to resistance levels, you now have a wide variety of choices. The resistance belts are still there on some bikes, but now you can also choose from motorized resistance and magnetic resistance bikes. The advantages of these types of bikes are that where before, you’re workout was based only on how hard you pedal against a resistance belt, now you can “dial in” preset or customized workout programs, which not only provide variety to your workouts, they can also help you stay in a “fat burning” or “cardiovascular workout” zone – or anything in between!

Of course, these bikes now require a power source – even with some of the bikes with resistance belts. Why? Well, those bikes from years ago may have only had an odometer and if you were lucky, a speedometer. Now, many bikes feature LCD or TV displays, cooling fans, and audio systems! Depending on the bike you choose, control panels now can give you instant feedback on your workouts, monitor your heart rate so that you can maximize your workout, calories burned, not to mention speed / distance / time.

Yet, all of these choices can make finding the right exercise bike for your needs seem like a difficult task, made more difficult if you stop in one of the “big box” stores. For the best way to not only understand more about the types of bikes (and types of options available), but to also find the best bike for your fitness needs, visit one of Fitness 4 Home Superstores 3 locations today!

Equipment – The Benefits of a Home Treadmill!

It’s not easy finding the time to work out, or go to the gym. Yet, getting back in shape, loosing weight, and feeling fit requires that you spend some time working out. Running has proven itself to be a very effective way of accomplishing those goals, without requiring a gym membership. Yet – running in Arizona’s heat isn’t just difficult – it can be downright dangerous!

But, there’s an easy solution. You can still run, whenever you want, in the convenience of your own home on your own home treadmill! But there are many other benefits to having your own home treadmill.

1. Treadmills are a proven way to burn calories. In fact, they are the most consistant calorie burning machine on the market – better than ab machines, rowing machines, and even stationary bikes!

2. You can track your results much easier on home treadmill. Thanks to advances in technology in the last few years, you usually have access to digital readouts that may include calories burned, time spent on your workout, and how far you walk / jogged / ran.

3. Yes, this may seem obvious, but with your own home treadmill, you can use it at any time. You don’t have to wait for a machine to be open at the gym – and if you feel like running at 4am, you can (try doing that at some gyms!)

4. Treadmills, unlike the road – are adjustable. You can work at whatever pace you want, set the incline to whatever you need, and know you can concentrate on your workout, not on avoiding that pothole!

5. With new, shock-absorbent moving treads, treadmills tend to be less stressful on your joints and tendons than running on the road. As much as it would be nice to be able to run on soft surfaces such as grass, the reality is that you normally get stuck running on the road. Running on a home treadmill gives you a stable surface that can help you avoid injury!

6. You can avoid boredom with a home treadmill. You can watch TV, read a magazine, or listen to music, without having to have your workout interrupted with outside distractions. Your workouts go by faster, which helps make you want to come back for more!

7. Home treadmills are cost effective! Think about what you spend on your gym membership for you and your family. A good treadmill like you’d find at Fitness 4 Home Superstore can last you over 5 years. When you look at the cost of gym memberships for that length of time, you’ll see that a home treadmill is really a cost-effective investment in your health!

So, the next time you’re either trying to find time to get to the gym, or you’re stuck outside trying to get a run in before it gets too hot out, think about taking a trip over to one of our three Phoenix-area stores, and check out our selection of home treadmills. You’ll be glad you did!

Exercise – How Much Cardio Do I Need?

So, you’ve got your treadmill, your exercise bike, or elliptical trainer, and you’re wondering how often you should work out? Well, recent studies have shown that it only takes two workout sessions per week to improve your heart health, as long as you train hard during those workouts. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should only do two workouts per week. But, we all have those weeks where it’s hard to get our workouts in, so as long as you get your “two a week” in, you’ll be doing what you need for “good heart health”!

One way to make sure you maximize your cardio training is to stick with interval workouts. What this means is – treat you cardio workouts like you would your weight lifting workouts. Do your cardio workouts in sets – for example, do 30-45 seconds of near all-out work, then go as a slow pace for 60-90 seconds – and repeat this for a “set”. Do multiple sets, just like you would a weightlifting set. When you’re first starting out, your second interval may shorten by as much as 25 percent – and you can build it up from there. And, the benefit of doing intervals extends to weight loss burns three times as much fat as doing cardio at a slow, consistent speed.

Equipment – “Why Should I Consider an Elliptical Trainer?”

Everybody knows what at a treadmill is, as well as an exercise bike. But those elliptical trainers – you know, those things that look like your either walking or cross country skiing. What do they do, and why should I consider adding one of those to my home gym?

Simply put, an elliptical trainer is a piece of equipment that combines an exercise bike, a stair climber, and a treadmill – all into one machine. And, yes – it is very much like stationary cross country skiing! Your feet move in an oval pattern (hence the term “elliptical), and this motion is very fluid and smooth.

Additionally, there are two handles that connect to the foot pads that move back and forth as well, and as you hold onto them with your hands, your upper body gets a workout as well as your legs.

If you’ve ever been jogging, you’ve just experienced a “high-impact” form of exercise. Although running is one of the most effective forms of cardiovascular exercise, if you find your knees, ankles, shins and back start to hurt, you’ve just experienced the downside of “high-impact” exercise. Weight bearing exercises such as running can put a great deal of stress on your joints. But, with an elliptical trainer, you can get all the benefits of weight bearing exercises such as running, but without the stress!

When you look for an elliptical trainer, make sure you take your time and look for quality equipment. Yes, decent elliptical trainers can be expensive, but don’t skimp on your purchase, as it’s worth it to spend a little more money to get the best equipment for your needs. What you’re looking for is a combination of comfort, range, and durability, as well as a good variety of settings and intensity levels. The greater the range of settings available, as well as the greater the range of motion, means your workouts can be that much more effective. Inexpensive models not only may keep your workouts from being as effective as they could be, but the models that cost under $500 aren’t as smooth as the more expensive models, which might cause you problems with reliability.

And, when you do decide to look for an elliptical trainer, the best place to get help in determining which would best serve your needs is your local specialty dealer like Fitness 4 Home Superstore. We have a vested and personal interest in providing our customers with the finest equipment and customer service available to assure your goal’s are achieved and your satisfaction is complete.

Equipment - How To Buy Home Cardio Equipment

Since I’ve touched on the basics of purchasing Home Exercise Equipment (see my previous article called “10 Tips For Purchasing Home Exercise Equipment”, now I thought I’d go into a little bit more detail of the types of home exercise equipment you should consider for your home gym.

Treadmills – Everybody pretty much knows what a treadmill is – you’ve seen them at the gym, with people running on a machine featuring a moving belt. And, the benefits of treadmills are that they provide an easy, low to high impact cardio workout that allows you to vary the pace and incline to increase the benefit of your workout. But, not all machines are built the same. First, the length and width of the belt that you run on is very important to consider. Many cheaper treadmills have a very narrow belt, and although you might find yourself comfortable on them, belts that are too narrow can get annoying. For example, kicking your foot off the belt can cause you to fall, or on the better machines, you’ll quickly come to a halt. Also, spending a bit more money for a machine that has a wider footprint gives you a machine that is more stable, and less likely to break down due to higher quality construction. Additionally, spending a bit more for a machine can get you a higher quality belt that provides more cushioning to your stride. What to know what fits you best? Visit a specialty dealer like Fitness 4 Home Superstore, and test the treadmill at the store (and really test it out – run at a pace that you would normally run). And, make sure it is something you’d be comfortable logging several miles a day on.

Elliptical Machines – Also known as cross-trainers, they are very stable, effective pieces of workout equipment that can also work your upper body as well as your lower body. Plus, they provide a great cardio workout without the impact you would get on a treadmill. Elliptical machines are good for people that have issues with their knees or ankles. Lower quality machines may actually force you to assemble them, which can be quite difficult. Your better choice is to look at a specialty dealer like Fitness 4 Home Superstore, and take advantage of delivery and installation services they provide.

Exercise Bicycles – There are two types of exercise bicycles you can consider. One is your standard “freestanding” bike, which puts your body into a position similar to a regular bicycle. For some people, this position can become very strenuous if they have back problems. Fortunately, there are also recumbent stationary bicycles available as well. Not only are they quite comfortable, they also allow you to read while you exercise, as a seat with a back to it is much for comfortable for this. Exercise bicycles also help you build lower body strength & balance, as well as also being much lower impact than other types of equipment.

Rowing Machines - These are great for building upper body strength, cardio fitness, all without the impact you may get on other machines. Again, you get what you pay for. Higher quality machines like you’ll find at Fitness 4 Home Superstore, provide a smooth stroke. You want to avoid machines that have a jerky motion that is all too common in low-priced, budget machines you’ll find at the “big-box” stores. Also, make sure that when you’re shopping for a rowing machine, that the length of the stroke provides full motion to stretch your legs completely. Without a full motion stroke, your workouts won’t be as effective (as you’ll over compensate with your quads, rather than getting a full body workout).

Finally, when you look at the cost of ownership, for what you’d pay annually on a nice club membership, you could invest that money in a new piece of equipment each year, building your own circuit training room. Remember, to stay healthy, you need to work out on a consistent bases, and that doesn’t’ happen if you don’t enjoy using your machine. So, pick machines that you’ll enjoy using, and pick a number of machines so that if you find yourself getting bored with one, you can switch to another.