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ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT FITNESS?
If you are serious about making a change in your life, staying fit and healthy, living longer, losing weight or just feeling better about yourself, then you should be serious about the exercise equipment you purchase. Despite our desire to believe all the claims we see and hear, there is no simple, easy and quick method of getting in shape. The staff at specialty fitness stores have tried all the equipment, seen all the hype and know what works and what doesn’t.
IS ALL EXERCISE EQUIPMENT EQUAL?
It’s hard to believe but today some manufactures still believe the general public won’t use their product more than a few times. Since it won’t get used it doesn’t need to be made well. Some of the biggest exercise manufactures still build product like that. When equipment built cheaply fails under warranty, it often cost less for the manufacturer to simply replace the unit rather than repair it. If the new car you bought needed a repair under warranty, you wouldn’t expect to have the dealer simply give you a brand new car. With quality exercise equipment, the value of the product is much higher than the cost of any warranty repair.
BELLS & WHISTLES-DO I NEED THEM?
Are you dazzled by the size of the control console, all the buttons and lights, add-on fans and speakers or the built in TV? Remember you wouldn’t buy a car based solely on the dashboard. Companies that make quality exercise equipment know that the basic components need to be made to the highest standards because no matter how fancy the control console, if the machine fails the console hardly matters. On a treadmill the drive motor, lift motor, lower control board, deck, running belt and rollers are all crucial to performance. The main wear item, the running belt, can cost over $300 on a quality treadmill and less than $50 on a low quality treadmill.
PROGRAMS OR NO PROGRAMS?
Is exercising on equipment boring? Do you lose interest? Do you have trouble keeping up with a long term exercise program? Are you always looking for an excuse not to exercise? Every authority and every study has shown that most people need variety and motivation to stick with exercise program. The programs provide the variety and they are often created to be increasingly difficult. Walking 20 minutes a day at the same speed and elevation is neither motivational nor particularly effective. After a period of time your body will adjust to the amount of work you do and the workout will no longer provide results. Over time you must challenge your body and your mind with increasingly more difficult workouts. Realizing how much more work you can do in your 20 minute workout from your starting point can be as motivating as the changes you see and feel in your body.
WHAT ARE WEIGHT LIMITS FOR?
Exercise Equipment Manufacturers design their equipment for people of all sizes and physical conditions. The requirements for a 100 lb women, a 200 lb. man, a 300 lb. football player and a 400 lb. Sumo wrestlers are all much different. With equipment weight limits, the manufacturer has designed and tested the equipment to insure its safety and longevity as long as the user is under the stated weight limit. To knowingly use equipment underrated for your weight you risk injury, equipment failure and voiding the warranty.
HOME vs COMMERCIAL
The wear and tear on equipment used 4 to 24 hours per day is vastly different than found in a residential environment. Think of difference between your pickup pulling a boat trailer and semi-truck pulling a 65’ long trailer. Design concerns for commercial equipment means that durability is more important than quiet operation and simple programs are more important than custom programs. Design concerns for home equipment mean that quietness is extremely important and the individual user should be able to customize the machine to their liking.
Buying commercial equipment for your home is a compromise that you may not like. The noise of the machine by its self may be enough to discourage you. There have been commercial treadmills designed to work best when regularly used for multiple hours at a time and when not, wear out quickly. Today the quality and durability of the best home equipment is equal or better than some commercial equipment.
In some cases specific commercial equipment does not have a residential counterpart. If you can’t live without that particular piece, remember that making the machine perform as quietly as possible is not as important for commercial equipment. In the quiet, small space of a residential setting, the noise level will be quite noticeable.
ASSEMBLY
Are you going to it yourself? The assembly of exercise equipment varies from extremely simple to extremely frustrating. In some cases it takes more time to unwrap the product than assemble it. In other cases expect to spend 4 or more hours. Some manufacturers have excellent step by step assembly directions with clear photos and drawings. Other manufacturers provide only an exploded view of the machine and list of all the parts.
Since we assemble everything we sell, we can provide you with information about specific machines including time needed, tools needed and quality of the instructions. Assembling an expensive treadmill at your home only to have it not work is very frustrating. We can warn you about any tricky steps and areas to be especially careful.
Want us to assemble it for you? As part of our complete delivery and assemble service, we take the worry out of the process. Plus with items small enough for you to transport fully assembled, we can pre-assemble at the store for your pick up.
DELIVERY
Our team of professionals can deliver your product anywhere in NW Oregon and SW Washington. Deliveries are scheduled Monday thru Friday. We pride ourselves in being punctual to our deliveries so you will receive an appointment for an exact time, not just a day. Cost varies depending on the size of the item and the distance traveled.
Want your product right away? If you have the vehicle large enough to carry it you can pick it up at a store or at the warehouse. Remember exercise equipment can be very heavy, very large and very awkward to move. Typical treadmill boxes are 7’ long, 3-1/2’ wide and 2’ thick. They weigh 250 to 400 lbs. Items like this do not fit in cars, mini vans or SUV’s.
For the quickest and easiest pickup our warehouse is conveniently located just three quarters of a mile off Interstate 205. We have the man power and the tools to load even the largest items. Each store carries a back stock of some of the items and for your convenience we can transfer the items from our warehouse to a store.
ROOM DESIGN
Do you have big plans but don’t know if everything will fit? We can provide drawings to make sure you have the space. Give us a rough drawing of the area with dimensions, doors and window positions plus electrical outlets and you’ll receive a scale drawing with the equipment of your choice.
TRADE-INS
Have a piece of equipment that you don’t want? We can pick it up at the time of your delivery and recycle it for you.
Walk into a modern health club and its hard not to feel overwhelmed by the choices. The floor is full of cardiovascular modalities (exercise equipment) designed to burn calories, improve fitness, and tone muscles. While most cardiovascular equipment will accomplish one or all of these goals to varying degrees, trying to decide which machine is best for you can be a daunting experience even for the most knowledgeable fitness enthusiast. When choosing, remember that there is no one "best" machine for every person in every situation. Each one has its positive attributes and the best choice for you will depend on several factors such as:
Your age and fitness level
Whether or not you have or are predisposed to injuries
Your fitness goals
Your personal preferences
If you have any injuries
The type of exercise you enjoy
By far the most popular category of exercise equipment is cardio equipment. If you are considering a cardio piece for your self, where do you start? They all burn calories and help tone and improve your cardiovascular condition. No single machine is right for everyone, but they each have their advantages.
TREADMILLS
Treadmills are standard in nearly all fitness settings, and for good reason. The treadmill is an extremely versatile piece of exercise equipment because it requires limited physical ability, is effective for improving overall health, and offers the advantage of being a weight-bearing exercise.
When walking or running on a treadmill, you are primarily using your leg muscles. Because these muscles are relatively large, they require more energy. Therefore you can raise your heart rate and keep it in your target range, without significant local fatigue.
Treadmills also let you vary the intensity by increasing the speed or by increasing the incline. So, if you prefer walking at a set speed, you can still achieve an effective workout simply by increasing the incline.
The treadmill, however, is not without limitations. Because it is weight bearing, it may not be appropriate for individuals who are excessively overweight or who have or are predisposed to injury. For these individuals, a more joint-friendly or non-weight bearing exercise machine such as an elliptical trainer or stationary bicycle may be better.
If you use a treadmill to supplement your workouts or during inclement weather, it is important to realize that running on an indoor treadmill requires less energy than running at the same speed outdoors. To make up for the discrepancy, a good rule of thumb is to increase the incline on the treadmill anywhere between 1 to 4 percent, if you normally run on flat surfaces. If you normally run on hilly terrain, you may want to increase the grade even more, using your heart rate as a guide.
ELLIPTICALS
The Elliptical is the fastest growing fitness piece on the market. There are several reasons why the elliptical trainer is popular in both health clubs and home settings.
First, while the elliptical is weight-bearing, it is also low impact, making it an ideal choice for overweight individuals or anyone who simply wants a joint-friendly alternative to higher-impact exercise such as running. This is great for individuals that need a joint friendly exercise, but still want the intensity of a weight bearing exercise.
Second, ellipticals offer variety; including adjustable stride length, adjustable incline, variable resistance, arm motion and reverse motion. Combined, these features allow you to customize your workout, from the intensity to the specific muscles used, while at the same time minimizing risk of impact injuries that are more common with running and climbing.
So how do elliptical trainers stack up to other fitness equipment? Research has showed it is one of the most effective methods for improving cardiovascular fitness. Not only has the elliptical been used during rehabilitation to increase aerobic power and anaerobic threshold when high impact training may not be appropriate, but because it closely simulates running motion, it is also an excellent way to cross-train and improve running mechanics. In fact, the elliptical is effective for improving cardiovascular fitness even in elite level runners.
Exercise Bikes
Exercise bikes have been around since the beginning of health clubs. Compared to riding on the streets, riding a stationary bicycle provides many benefits: a smoother ride, more aerobic efficiency, more options for varying the workout intensity, and no traffic to dodge. They work your legs muscles while being a non-weight bearing exercise. For many people it can be difficult on a bike to raise your heart rate into a training zone and maintain it. Yet if you’re just getting back into working out this may be a good place to start. For the traditional exercise bike the biggest drawback may be the seat and how uncomfortable people can become on it.
The creation of recumbent bikes (bikes with a chair instead of just a seat) have made this form of exercise an even greater beginning point for those de-conditioned individuals who are just starting out. The seat back provides added comfort and back support. The seat bottom is larger and more comfortable than traditional bike seats. Mounting and dismounting is generally easier and safer than a traditional bike.
The recumbent bike can be even more difficult than an upright cycle to reach your target heart rate due to the supine position but the added comfort allows for longer workouts that can produce better results. In addition the seated position promotes better blood flow at a lower pressure than an upright cycle.
For the more advanced exerciser, and indoor cycles closely mimic riding outdoors. Group cycling classes using indoor cycles have become very popular and are great at motivating you to work hard enough to stay in your target heart rate zone.
STAIR CLIMBERS
The stair climber, or stair stepper, is also a weight-bearing exercise that targets the calves, thighs, and gluteal muscles. Stair climbers have an intuitive motion and are functional and easy to learn for individuals of all ages and abilities,
Compared to running, the stair climber is lower impact and therefore, may be less strenuous on most joints. However, stopping and changing direction at the top and bottom of each step rather than the continuous motion of running or cycling puts a different type of stress on your knees. The creation of elliptical machines with elevation control have dramatically reduced the popularity of stair climbers
ROWING MACHINES
In contrast to the rows of treadmills, stair climbers, and elliptical trainers that are often present in health clubs, rowing machines typically take up only a couple spots, if any at all. The reason has nothing to do with effectiveness, but rather their unfamiliarity to the majority of users. Rowing machines require more skill to use and as a result, are often perceived as difficult to learn. They have also had a reputation as being bad for your back. You can avoid this by correctly initiating the movement from your legs and buttocks.
There are bikes, treadmills, ellipticals and climbers that attempt to be total body workouts but rowing machines are by far the most effective total body workout. Rowing machines engage the large muscles of the upper and lower body, making it effective for raising and sustaining your target heart rate. Rowing is also a non-weight bearing and non-impact exercise making it an excellent alternative for individuals both with and without limitations. While a rowing machine may not be the first choice for most individuals, it is an excellent way to achieve an intermediate to advanced total-body aerobic workout.
CONCLUSIONS
Although it is unlikely that you will make a bad choice, there may be an exercise piece that is better suited to helping you achieve your personal fitness goals. Keep in mind that if you are trying to improve cardiovascular fitness, the intensity you choose will be more important than the specific exercise equipment. However, if you are training for a specific event, the equipment will also play an important role. For overall health maintenance or weight loss, choosing a piece that you can eventually sustain for forty-five minutes to an hour is your best option. For individuals, particularly women, interested in maintaining or improving bone density, weight-bearing, but not necessarily high impact, exercise is critical. This may include elliptical training, walking or running on a treadmill, or stair climbing, but not rowing or stationary cycling. The bottom line is that regardless of what you choose, it should be pain-free and the motions should feel smooth and comfortable.