Last Updated on November 21, 2017 by MarcyPro
With winter just around the corner, it’s time to get serious and recommit yourself to the health and fitness lifestyle. The holiday season is upon us as well, and marks a period of rejoicing and celebrations—sometimes a little too much so. In this regard, the holidays usually causes people to pack on some extra pounds. Even folks who are in relatively good shape are susceptible to a couple of inches being added to their waistlines during the holidays.
The colder months can also make traveling to and from fitness centers a much more daunting task. Even those who have that burning desire to either get into shape, or maintain their current level of fitness, can be put off by inclement weather during these time periods.
But there is another way for you to reach your fitness goals. With the right amount of willpower and determination, you can achieve anything you want to in life, including staying fit and healthy. Not everyone requires a personal trainer in order to stay in shape. As long as you remain committed to the process, you can continue to chart your progress and upward fitness trajectory.
Whether you want to boost your cardiovascular levels, or emerge from the winter months with a new set of washboard abs, we have assembled select pieces of fitness equipment that can help you on your journey.
The Recumbent Exercise Bike
The Recumbent Exercise Bike is distinct from other training bikes because it allows the rider to sit into the recumbent bike’s frame. This not only gives its rider a very low center of gravity, thus making the bike and its rider extremely stable, but its seat location is much more in line with its pedals.
Sitting back in a reclining position allows you to let your arms hang down to your sides naturally, as opposed to making your arms, wrists, and hands sore by leaning across the bike or grabbing its handle bars.
A recumbent bike’s low center of gravity and angle of resistance also allow for a much better gluteal workout allowing for a fitter and trimmer gluteus maximus. In addition to that, since the rider’s body weight is more evenly distributed over a recumbent bike, they are less likely to experience any aches and pains throughout their neck, back, and glutes, making for a more comfortable and pain-free cardio workout. Therefore, it’s not surprising that people also cite the recumbent bike as being far more effective at alleviating neck pain issues, since there is no need to bend or crane their necks due to the bike’s more intuitive sitting position.
Overall, a recumbent bike’s sitting position is much more in line with a person’s natural body alignment, which not only reduces fatigue but makes each workout that much more enjoyable.
The Elliptical Machine
Although there are many folks that swear by their treadmill machines, elliptical machines can offer many benefits that treadmills simply can’t. To start with, elliptical machines offer a low impact workout—eschewing the feet pounding motion of the treadmill with a much softer, gliding mode of locomotion.
This motion rolls with a person’s ankles more gently, and therefore, is easier on its rider’s joints. It also allows for a better workout posture, while eliminating the chances of throwing a person’s body out of place, which in turn can cause injuries to the neck and back.
Some people also love the fact that working out on an elliptical machine is much more conducive to multitasking. Whether you need to take an important call, watch your favorite TV series, or simply read a magazine, an elliptical machine can free up your hands in order for you to engage in other tasks or hobbies. Of course, we recommend keeping your hands on the exercise equipment to prevent potential accident.
The Adjustable Weight Bench
These are the types of benches that you’ve probably already seen in commercial gyms. An adjustable weight bench’s adjustability allows for much more varied types of strength building exercises.
This essential piece of strength building equipment’s multi-purposed nature allows it to be utilized for exercises requiring a flat bench, as well as those which necessitate a more inclined positioning.
Want it flat in order to lean over it for some triceps raises? Done. Need to lift it up in order to get some seated dumbbell curls in? Ditto done.
The sheer amount of exercises and weight resistance workouts that can be accomplished on an adjustable weight bench AKA utility bench, are second to none, making it a must have addition to anyone serious about achieving their fitness goals.
The Workout Rack AKA Utility Rack
Another essential addition to your strength training regimen has to be the workout rack. Like the adjustable weight bench, a workout rack allows for an exceptional amount of flexibility with regards to how many exercises you can perform on it.
For example, without a workout rack, a person would have to perform power cleans in order to get the benefits of an overhead press workout. Squats, likewise, would not only be extremely awkward, but potentially dangerous.
Due to a workout rack’s lock-in-place bar system, your strength workouts are not only more fluid and hassle-free, but also much safer to boot. Just remember not to attempt to best your personal lifting limit while working out alone.
These four fitness equipment options can give you an incredibly diverse amount of exercises to draw from. Whether burning off those unwanted calories through cardio workouts, or building up lean body mass in order to make sure those extra pounds don’t come back, through strength training—with the aid of these machines you can truly optimize your workouts and get those results you’ve been looking for.
Remember, having willpower and self-discipline is one thing, and is indeed half of the battle. Having the right pieces of fitness equipment can help you realize your fitness potential, and forge your body with that will. They can also alleviate the need to travel to crowded gyms, and is a much more viable option for many fitness enthusiasts, especially during those colder months.