Weight Training Equipment

what is better? an exercise bike, treadmill or an ellpitical trainer? (i think is what its called?) anyway – i dont have a lot of space. and im just looking for something i can put infront of the tv.
i need to burn fat and tone up my muscles. whats the best?

I had the same question a few years ago prior to beginning my weight loss program. After much research I purchased a treadmill. It turned out to be the best decision of my life.

I run about 1,000 miles per year on it and have lost 35 pounds.
Good luck.

lol go get Dance Dance revolution! its fun and addictive! i played it at my friends house for like 2 hours then im like "oh sh*t where’d the time go?" lol! its fun!

What kinds of foods should i eat……..And also i cant go to the gym until next year so what weightlifting equipment should i get? Should i get any machines or anything? I have dumb ells and a bar already..

dumbells are all you need really

eat chicken, salad, healthy foods. Protein is good and very important so if you can protein shakes. Make sure you have weights for when your not a memver.

What is the best excercise equipment to use in the gym to lose weight? Is ellipsial trainer good and what does the rotary twist equipment do for your body? Thanks

Yes, the eliptical is a good machine to use, if you use it properly. If you increase the incline and increase the resistance, you’ll find yourself with an awesome work out. But as a word of caution I would alternate days.

MWF Use the eliptical and on TU/TU do some strength training. If you want to bulk up I suggest higher weights with lower repetitions. If you want lean strong muscles I suggest high repetitions with lower amounts of weights.

The rotary twist equipment will work your side oblique muscles. Those are the muscles that run down towards the outside of your belly. If you use the rotary twisting equipment, you’ll feel which ones those are. When using machines like these, ensure that you do them properly so as not to cause a strain. Make sure you do each repetition in a slow and controlled motion.

Always stretch well after doing any sort of work out. Drink lots of water and eat a balanced diet.

I just wanted to know how to do strength training without the use of equipment (dumbbells, cable row, etc.). Only my body and gravity.

Gaining muscle and gaining strength are two different things. You will notice that martial artists such as MMA and kickboxers are muscular but lean, unlike bodybuilders who are bulky and stocky. To look like a bodybuilder, you need to increase resistance(with weight). But you can tone up and gain strength with body exercises such as sit-ups, crunches, chin-ups, dips, push-ups, squats. To gain maximum strength and grow muscle using only bodyweight, you can increase resistance by doing one-handed push-ups, one handed chin-ups, tying weight around your waist and doing weighted dips, one-legged squats. These are all difficult, so dont worry if you cant do many to start with, but they will bring plenty of strength and power.

I am looking for a good workout routine that combines cardio/strength training and a healthy diet that I can stick to for a healthy lifestyle but I don’t know where to start. can anyone help me create a fitness plan, nutrition plan or any good websites for free that can help me do this for me. I would like this fitness plan to be something I can do at home without going to the gym or buying expensive equipment. Any good information anyone has will be greatly appreciated thanks.

I’m glad you said "Healthy lifestyle" rather than "Diet." That is the major point so many people miss.

There are many body-weight resistance exercises you can do from home. To get a cardio/strength combo, I would recommend creating three circuits of three exercises each. Do each exercise with 10-15 reps. Try to finish the workout under 1 hour. Increase your work load as necessary. (It should take you appx. 45min to 1hr, if you are fininshing faster, increase your work load.)

Do the entire circuit a minimum of 3 times a week and be sure to vary the exercises as you body will adapt to the training routine.

Example:
Do each set of (3) exercises three times through before moving on to the next set.

push ups
bench dips
shoulder press with dumb bells (db)

crunches
reverse crunches
russian twists (oblique rotations with feet off ground)

step-ups
body weight squats
donkey kick backs (for glutes and hamstrings)

Do some walking, jogging or cycling on the off days.

Additionally, you’ll want to reduce the amount of refined and processed carbohydrates in your diet. You can get all the carbs you need from starchy vegetables. You should be eating 60 gms of protein / day minimally and more if you are consistently working out.

Supplement suggestions:

~whey protein (to achieve daily protein intake),
~omega-3s (help boost HDL),
~vitamin C ( skin, immune system, binds free radicals and more),
~chromium/lecithin (fat metabolism),
~zinc (good for skin and more),
~and a good B complex (you all of the B vitamins- they function together, taking one or two will be hindered by a limiting B vitamin )

If you are going to be working out at home, I would recommend at least investing in some 10lb. db to start, an 8 lb medicine ball, and some resistance bands. These are very inexpensive and you can do a lot with this. If you are stronger, buy heavier db.

Start reading various sources of literature and you can absolutely do this on your own:

www.nutri-facts.com
www.bodybuilding.com

I am the owner of GO RED, Inc.
A cardiovascular disease prevention and awareness company.
www.gorednow.com

A friend told me that the "Calories Burned" indicators show inflated numbers, with no basis in reality, because the manufacturer wants the consumer to think that particular machine is helping them burn lots of calories. Is this true, or a conspiracy theory?

When I took physics in college one of the problems was to calculate how many calories Bob burned while on a stationary bike utilizing a magnetic flywheel for resistance. This is a very straightforward calculation if you know the strength of the magnet and the speed (RPM’s) at which the disk is turning. The values I calculated were ballpark accurate with what the readouts tell me when I use a machine. Treadmills and elliptical machines are also simple. Basically you can calculate how much work is being done to move a given weight a certain distance. These numbers are very simple to calculate using basic laws of physics. I think, if anything, they’d usually be a little LOWER than the true value, as friction and equipment wear and tear will result in more energy being required to overcome uncalculated resistance. The calories burned indicator might cut some corners on how it calculates the number, but for the most part they’re pretty accurate.

I’m looking for a good piece of exercise equipment to tone the mid-lower body. The areas I want to work on are the stomach, butt, hips, and thighs.

Just curious as to what would be good for this and what your favorite type of equipment is and why.

Thanks

Eliptical all the way. I would have a different opinion for a man. A man really should go for a bowflex…which is also great for women(dont get the knock off) It must be a bowflex.Oh and if you get an eliptical get the one w/ handles that take your bpm and an adjustable incline. I love mine, I am now able to burn about 280 cals in a half-hour-and still getting better.

I can’t afford a gym membership and I have no absolutely no equipment of my own. I’ve heard of working out and building muscle by doing certain exercises, I don’t know if it’s possible. Website links appreciated if it’s proven that it works.

if you want an intense full body workout with nothing but yourself, i suggest doing burpees. Try do a descending 20 workout – 20 burpess, rest, 19 burpees, rest … until 1. This is commonly known as the prison workout.

There are a few good sites with workouts you can do with no equipment, try searching "bodyweight workouts" on google or youtube.

I have only room for one piece of cardio equipment in my apartment. Which is better all around: treadmill, bike, rower, elliptical?

An elliptical b/c:
-low/no impact
-standing up as aposed to sitting (probably burns more callories)
-using your arms and legs
-and is still a great cardio workout