"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"Theodor Geisel
|
| |
Ace Abs Without Crunches, Cradles, Or Sit-ups!
I know what many of you are thinking reading the title of this article. I also thought the same once. It cannot be done! Attaining a stronger, visible, set of abdominal muscles has always been a common goal in people’s fitness training programmes and yet, ...
Walking - The New Health Prevention Pill
If I could bottle up a special health prevention pill, it would be comprised of your shoes, and feet. Recent research has shown just how much more powerful walking is than previously thought. I don't need to be convinced, since people regularly see me ...
Why Your Cardiovascular Workouts Might Be A Big Waste Of Your Time
What if I were to tell you that most if not all of the cardiovascular exercise you do was worthless? Well, guess what… over 50% of the people who perform cardio in an attempt to burn fat are wasting their time… hours and hours of it! Are you one of ...
|
|
|
| |
Meet Sarah.
About a year ago, Sarah saw an infomercial about a "multi-unit" workout machine. The announcer called it a "revolutionary" piece of equipment, claiming that people would see results in "just 2-4 weeks". It exercised all major body parts and the female model shown using the machine said it "was safer and more effective than free weights."
Intimidated by gyms her whole life, Sarah knew having her own home gym would be the key to her finally getting into shape. She had heard that machines were safer than free weights. Besides, the machine came with "easy to follow video instructions". The price was steep, but as Sarah imagined changing her body, she got her credit called and grabbed the phone.
On the day of delivery, Sarah was surprised to see it took up twice the space she was told it would, limiting space in her already cramped den. Excited to get started, she popped in the video, and hopped on the machine. Sarah soon found that she, at 5’3", was too small to fit on the machine for some of the exercises. She continued on anyway, trying to ignore the fact that her lower back and knees were starting to hurt a little.
Sarah used her new revolutionary machine exactly three more times. For the last six months, it has been her unofficial clothes hanger.
What happened? Sarah thought she was buying a machine that would be very easy to operate and be a safe alternative to free-weights. Unfortunately, Sarah and many others are misguided by heavily marketed hype by machine developers. When it comes to effectiveness, particularly for the beginning exerciser, free-weights (i.e., dumbbells) rate much higher than expensive machines in terms of:
1. Cost. Three or four sets of dumbbells would have cost Sarah less than 10 times the amount she spent on her machine. As she gets stronger, she would have to buy more, though even a full set would not set her back nearly as much as the machine did.
2. Space. Dumbbells take up far less space than most of the exercise equipment sold on infomercials. You can easily place them in a closet, out of sight under the bed, or in a corner. There are even dumbbells you can adjust (i.e., PowerBlock) that allow you to adjust the poundage on one set, eliminating the need for single-poundage dumbbells.
3. Variety. Most machines are designed as one-dimensional. Even the most extensive multi-unit machines will allow exercisers to perform only a limited number of movements in a restricted range of motion. Free-weights can be used in ranges of motion based on the exerciser, not a machine. Use free weights along with benches or Swiss Balls and you have multitude of exercise options.
4. Suitability. Sarah couldn’t use her "multi-usage" machine for certain exercises because the machine was too big. This is
not an uncommon problem. Even though most machines have adjustable seats, arm pads, and lever arms, there are limitations to their range and some may not fit the very small or very large person. However, if you can grab a dumbbell, you can use it.
5. Functionality. Exercising with free-weights increases the likelihood that the effects of the exercise will cross over into real-world situations. Think about it. How often during the day do you lie in a diagonal supine position and push weight up like you would on a machine leg press? Probably never. But how often are you required to do activities that are biomechanically identical to the squat? Sitting, getting in and out of a car, crouching down to pick something up…all the time! Properly using free weights will increase the functionality of an exercise to real-world situations.
6. Safety. It seems counterintuitive to consider free-weights as safer than machines. Most of us have heard (somewhere..) that we could get hurt with dumbbells and that machines were "safer." Maybe just the idea of someone doing a huge bench press lends itself to imagining the likelihood that one might lose control of the same amount of weight if they ever attempted it.
Safety during exercise is more about proper form, technique, concentration and control rather than exercise apparatus. Someone can get hurt on a machine just as easily as with a dumbbell if incorrect form is used. As always, if you don’t know how to do something, find someone (i.e., a reputable trainer) to show you how.
Safety as a result of exercise is a long-term issue. It is not necessary for the body to stabilize itself or the weight during movements on most machines, because the weight apparatus is fixed. Key stabilizer muscles are then never given the chance to get stronger. Free-weights allow the exerciser to utilize core muscles and allow multi-plane movement that forces the exerciser to strengthen stabilizer musculature, which support joints. Over the long-term, free weights are superior to machines for building a stronger, more functional body.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on a piece of exercise equipment that you’ll never end up using and won’t suit your needs. A few sets of dumbbells are effective, intelligent alternatives to buying equipment, especially for those setting up their own in-home gym or workout area.
Jon Gestl, CSCS, is a personal fitness trainer and instructor in Chicago specializing in in-home and in-office fitness training. He is a United States National Aerobic Champion silver and bronze medalist and world-ranked sportaerobic competitor. He can be contacted through his website at http://www.jongestl.com.
jongestl@jongestl.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
 NeuroActive Bike: America’s First and Only Mind-Body Fitness Equipment Launched at Lady of America Fitness Centers (Centre Daily Times)
Fitness centers are entering the next lap of their evolution with the NeuroActive Bike, a new breed of exerciser that simultaneously trains the body and the brain, Stephane Bergeron , MD, president of Brain Center America (BCA), announced today. The patent-pending bike, engineered by Dr. Bergeron and BCA’s international team of brain specialists, makes its U.S. debut this month at Lady of ...
NeuroActive Bike: Americas First and Only Mind-Body Fitness Equipment Launched at Lady of America Fitness Centers (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
MIAMI----Fitness centers are entering the next lap of their evolution with the NeuroActive Bike, a new breed of exerciser that simultaneously trains the body and the brain, Stephane Bergeron, MD, president of Brain Center America , announced today.
Into Gear: Fitness in the cards (The State)
Personal trainers can put together full-body workout routines that use inexpensive fitness equipment. You can set up a mini-gym in your garage, basement or spare bedroom for less than a month’s membership at many local fitness centers. Personal trainer Laurie Miller has found that without motivation, a room full of expensive equipment is rarely used. Miller recommends shuffling the deck, ...
Frugal fitness finds (The Myrtle Beach Sun News)
A new year has begun, and even if economics dampen the desire to join a fitness club, many low-cost alternatives are available. Deane Vinson, group fitness coordinator at the Grand Strand Family YMCA in Myrtle Beach, said wintertime and area scenery make a good mix. "Take advantage of living in Myrtle Beach, and on a crisp, sunny day, head to the shore and take a brisk walk," Vinson said. ...
The Business of Fitness (Weekly Dig)
HELENA COLLINS | FOUNDER OF LIFE IN SYNERGY  Helena Collins, the energetic—we're talking cheer coach material here—trainer, founded Synergistics in 1997 and Life in Synergy this past October. Her personal philosophy on fitness has driven her entrepreneurial efforts in spreading the good word on approachable methods throughout Boston for the last 24 years.  What was the ...
|
