Today, a lot of people are choosing to exercise at home intead of traditional gyms. They are investing their money in home fitness equipment rather than pay for a monthly gym memberships. A small home gym can fit in your basement or even in a small corner of your house. Choosing to purchase a multi-purpose fitness machine for your home gym can help you save money by merging many types of exercise equipment into one fitness machine. These all in one machine also take up less space then their seperate counterparts.

If you are thinking of getting an all in one home gym then there are a few things that you should consider. One of the is your exercise goals. Ask yourself, what are you hoping to achive from your workouts? When you answer this question you can narrow your decision to equipment that will have the most benifit to you.

There are a lot of these home all in one machines available to today. You may have seen them advertised on television, in magazines or over the internet. The most popular of these machines seem to be aimed at people that are interested in weight lifting exercise.

Two of these popular home gyms at the moment are the Total Gym and Bowflex machines. The Bowflex sysem uses tensioned arms that bend instead of standard weights that lift. It is specifically designed to meet a wide span of budgets and is also very adaptable to different exercise needs.

Another big plus is that the Bowflex is a small system that can fit in very little space or even under your bed. Larger more complicated and expensive Bowflex machines can offer enough workout needs as to rival the professional equipment found in membership gyms.

The Total Gym is another option for a home fitness system. You may have seen it advertised on TV by model Christi Brinkley and martial artist Chuch Norris. It is less complicated and not as costly as the Bowflex machine. For resistance, the Total Gym uses gravity instead of tradiitional weights. The machine is adaptable to a large variety of exersises that focus on working out specific areas of your body.

When making a decision about an multiple exercise system you should take into account the features and price of the system. Also important is considereing who in your family is going to use the gym. If others in your family plan to use the gym then you should get a machine that you all can agree upon and is not to complicated for other people in your home.

Though the Total Gym and Bowflex brands are two of most popular home fitness gyms, there are many others on the market that may meet your needs as well. Other brands like Weilder are well established and known for their quality. Before making a decision, look at several machines that will meet your needs to see which one will give you the most valure for your money.



By: Chris Boaz

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fitness gyms

Fitness equipment can be split into 2 basic areas, first there is aerobic or cardio fitness equipment which is designed to give you a fitness workout to burn off calories & loose weight. Secondly there is strength/muscular fitness equipment which is designed to tone, or increase in size, your bodies muscles.

Most fitness equipment that you would expect to find in your local gym or fitness centre can now be purchased for home use depending upon the space you have available & the type of fitness equipment you require.

For aerobic fitness equipment you should consider a treadmill, an exercise bike or a rowing machine.

Treadmills are popular because you can walk, jog or run on them making them an ideal piece of fitness equipment for the beginner right through to professional athletes, being suitable for all levels of fitness. Make sure you choose one with a wide belt that is long enough for your stride. If you jog or run a lot then you should consider a model with cushioning between the belt and treadmill bed to lesson the impact on your joints.

Basic models are powered by the user but you should choose one with a motor to vary the speed, the faster you like to run the higher the motor speed you should choose. New treadmills will set you back approximately $299 for a self powered one up to over $5000 for a motorised commercial style one.

Exercise bikes are a popular item of fitness equipment especially for home use, with numerous types available. Apart from the standard upright exercise bike some models now offer upper body work outs as well. The latest designs have recumbent seats which support your lower back & leave your hands & arms free to use weights for upper body exercise. Cost $229 or less to $2599.

Rowing Machines are a very useful piece of fitness equipment particularly for those with knee problems who feel they are not up to running or cycling because of their problem. They come in many different designs from lightweight foldaway to heavier more rigid designs. New equipment should set you back $239 to $1900.

Fitness equipment for strength/muscular work comes as individual pieces, such as dumbbells, weight benches, leg or abdominal equipment or for a total body workout you could try a home gym which should set you back between $399 to just under $4000 depending upon the space you have available and your budget.

For the best results you should choose at least one piece of fitness equipment from both the cardio fitness equipment & the strength fitness equipment, with a home gym being the recommended piece of equipment for the strength work. Make sure you choose fitness equipment that you know you will enjoy using & not something that will end up stuck in the garage.



By: John Mac

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aerobics fitness

Gym climbing ropes have been around for many years.  I bet you remember the days in gym class when you got to climb the rope.  You either loved it or hated it but when you were done I bet you felt a little empowered.  Gym climbing ropes not only build upper body strength but they also build courage and character in the climber. 

There have been many ways invented to get fit and to build upper body strength over the years but none can match the simplicity of climbing a rope.  When you climb a gym climbing rope you have a predetermined goal- to get to the top as fast as you can!  When your goal is so easily laid out, there is only one thing to think about, how to get to the top.  The best way to test your endurance and strength is to be totally focused and when you are climbing a rope your focus is on just that- climbing! 

The benefits of climbing ropes are immeasurable that’s why schools and fitness gyms are getting back into climbing more than ever.  With the new high quality ropes you don’t have to worry about getting splinters in your hands or having them break. 

The three different types of material available for gym climbing ropes are, manila, unmanila (polypro), and polyplus.  The manila is the same type of natural material always used for climbing ropes but with one difference, there is a new pure grade A manila that is strong and very durable.  Make sure if you are buying a manila climbing rope that you get this new grade A manila or you will regret it.  The unmanila or polypro is a man made type of rope that is very similar to the manila.  It offers a stronger rope at 2/3 the weight.  Polyplus rope is a super strong and durable rope and is soft to the touch.  It is recommended to get knots on the polyplus ropes because the soft polyester jacket can be a bit slippery.  The polyplus ropes are great for younger climbers and people with delicate hands.  Ropes can be bought in custom lengths to accommodate any gym height.  Each rope comes with a choice of bottom, a leather seat or turks knot end, a poly boot end or a whipped end.  These bottoms keep the end of the rope together and help with spotting.

You can get knots installed on your ropes to make it easier to climb, you can choose from woven, big knots, or rubber ball stops.  Woven knots are spliced right into the rope for climbing assistance.  The big knots are tied out of the rope itself, they are bigger and provide platform like assistance when climbing.  The rubber ball stops are easy to grab onto and are recommended for the younger climber.  Knots should be 18 inches apart.  To find out how many knots you need just multiply the length of your rope by 12 and divide by 18 then subtract 2.  This sounds confusing but is quite simple.  I will break it down for you.  First you need to multiply the length of your rope by 12, this breaks the size down into inches.  Example a 18 foot rope x 12 = 216.  Then you need to divide by the 18 inches that knots need to be apart 216/18= 12.  This gives you the number of knots, but you do not need a knot at the top or at the bottom of the rope so you subtract 2, 12-2=10.  You would need 10 knots for an 18 foot climbing rope.

Installation has never been easier!  If you have an I beam, Pipe, or wood beam to hang from, there is a rope hanger designed for you.  You can get an I beam hanger, a wood beam hanger, a pipe clamp hanger or a chain with a quick link to hang your rope.

For safety there is the safety cable attachment which is a back up device attached to the top of the gym climbing rope just in case any of the ceiling hardware fails.  Also it is recommended to have a spotter at the bottom of the rope to help keep the rope steady.  Safety landing mats are a must for on the floor below the ropes.  You can get different thicknesses but 6″ - 12″ thickness is the best for safety.  If you are using the rope for kids or in a public gym then it is best to get a tambourine for the rope.  A tambourine is a 20″ diameter 1/2″ thick piece of plywood that gets clamped to the rope.  It can be used to limit climbing height for children but is most popular for limiting access to the mounting hardware and beams where the rope is attached. 

For storage you can get a rope hoist so that when the rope is not in use you can hoist it up to the ceiling so it is out of the way.  This also stores it so people do not have access to it when they are not supposed to.  You can choose from a regular rope hoist or one with a metal lock box so unauthorized people will not be able to get into it.

Gym climbing ropes help build strength, courage, and character.  With so many options you can easily get a climbing rope set up in your school or gym in no time.  You can customize your climbing rope and set up anyway that you need to.  There is just one thing to think about- How are you going to get to the top?

For all your climbing rope needs and to purchase grade A climbing ropes go to www.morleyathletic.com



By: KR

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