Best Exercise Equipment For Home Gyms

Staying fit and healthy is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Not only does it make you feel and look better, it can lead to a longer life! Some people like to work out at the gym, others only exercise through recreational activities, while some prefer to sweat in the comforts of their own abode.

Not only do you not have to drive anywhere, there is a convenient non-public shower available for you when finished!

There is no denying that exercise can be expensive, especially when equipment is involved, but there are amazing ways to get the heart rate going while saving some pocket change, if you are so inclined.

Best Exercise Equipment For The Home 

Jump Ropes

One of the cheapest things to buy is a jump rope (less than $10). It gets the heart rate going quickly and can be found in almost any store that sells exercise products. It’s a great work out for the legs and can be quite challenging, depending upon how far you want to push yourself. Plus, it brings about childhood nostalgia, and it's a lot of fun!

Resistance Bands

Along the lines of jump ropes are resistance bands. They are extremely versatile and can be used to work out many different areas of the body. They provide a low-impact workout, and are very small and light, therefore making them easy to store. Though resistance bands have been seen stereotypically as a work out for middle-aged ladies, they have become an integral part of professional body building due to their ability to target many different muscle areas. These bands can range anywhere from $10 to $50.


Exercise Balls

A piece that is not quite as easy to store is the fitness/exercise ball. Inflated and made of sturdy, puncture-proof elastic, these balls are used for weight training or physical therapy. Just sitting on them have been known to be a great work out for the abs (more fun than an office chair!). Some people enjoy using them so they simply do not have to sit on the hard ground while performing an exercise; others use them to add some muscle strengthening, or balance conditioning. Fitness balls come in many different diameters and run the gamut from $12 to $60 depending upon how much pressure or pounds they can support.

Free Weights

Another great item to have on hand is a set of free weights. Many different exercises can be performed using them, including curls, squats, dead lifts, and lunges, all which trigger different muscle groups. If you are willing to be very patient and super thrifty, these can usually be found in garage sales or second hand stores for very inexpensive prices. Otherwise, you can find dumbells at discount stores for $20 and up.

Kettlebells

Kettlebells are great for building strength and endurance. Originally of Russian invention and usually made of cast iron, kettlebells have the look of a cannon ball with a handle on top. They come in many different weights and are normally used to build the legs, arms, shoulders and lower back. Prices of these can be anywhere from $30 to $70 depending upon the style and weight desired.

Treadmills

For those looking to invest in a larger piece of equipment, there are many different large pieces that are extremely useful as well as popular. The most popular and obvious choice would be a home treadmill.

A staple in gyms across the nation, you can run, walk, trot, strut, and stroll at your own desired pace without having to bother about the weather. It works up a great sweat and many of the machines will keep track of your distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate, etc.

The cost of a treadmill can run anywhere between $250 and $3,000 but they should last for many years, and can provide a great workout in a home gym, and you can use them while watching TV or even catching up  on your reading.

Final Thoughts

There are many more options available for working out at home, including elliptical triners, exercise bikes, ab trainers, steppers and much more. Consider the space you have at home, your goals and fitness and your budget when shopping.

Does Running Burn Fat?

Today we have a special guest article from running coach and fitness expert, Yuri Elkaim:

Have you ever wondered whether running is useful for burning fat?  How about whether low intensity, long duration (ie. exercising in your fat burning zone) running (or cardio) is better than higher intensity interval running (ie. your cardio zone)?

Well, we’re about to answer those questions.

Running To Burn Fat

Depending on the duration and intensity of your run, your body will rely on carbohydrates (stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver) and fat for its fuel.

Your body chooses different fuels during different situations. Because fats yield more calories and are slower burning as they are metabolized, they tend to be used over longer durations when compared to carbohydrates.

However, your body’s first priority is to conserve its blood glucose and glycogen stores. As you become fitter your body will become more efficient at using fats for fuel while sparing your vital carbohydrate reserves.


Someone who is totally unfit will obviously fatigue sooner, one of the reasons being that their carbohydrate stores are more quickly dissolved and utilized. Fitter individuals can run for much longer because they have developed the ability to use the slow burning fats as fuel, and therefore conserve their energy better.

As the intensity of exercise increases, there is more reliance on carbohydrates for fuel. Typically, intensities greater than 70% of VO2 max (or maximum heart rate for our purposes) will use carbohydrates as the dominant fuel source.

However, this doesn’t mean that working at high intensities doesn’t burn fat.

This is where most people get confused. Many people believe that, for instance, since running at a lower intensity implies more reliance on fat as fuel, they feel the need to run at this low-intensity to burn fat. Nothing could be further from the truth!

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that, compared with a control group 8 months of either low amount/moderate intensity, low amount/high intensity or high amount/high intensity exercise all led to positive changes in overall lipoprotein (one type of blood fat) profile in overweight subjects. The latter group (high amount/high intensity) also gained the best training, fat loss, and blood lipid effect!

The other part of the fat burning question is that the longer you run (or exercise), the greater the reliance on fat as a fuel. Once again, this feeds the myth that running (or doing cardio) for long periods of time is necessary to burn fat. I call this the “marathoner mentality”.

The first thing that is critical to understand is this:

A calorie is a calorie and 1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories.

Since burning fat ultimately boils down to creating a negative energy balance (ie. more calories expended than consumed) the goal is choose a method of running training that will elicit the maximum number of calories expended – not just during the activity but afterwards as well!

Working at higher intensities promotes a greater total calorie loss (even after you’re finished exercising) and that’s what really matters if you’re looking to lose weight and burn fat.

As we’ve already described, fat is the major contributor to muscle energy during low-intensity exercise. Therefore, most people intuitively believe that low intensity training must therefore induce an increased muscle fat burning effect (known as lipolytic activity).

The enzyme, HSL (hormone sensitive lipase), is required to catalyze the hydrolysis (breakdown) of stored triglycerides (fats) in skeletal muscle as it does in adipose (fat) tissue. Furthermore, several studies have indicated that HSL is probably the main lipase responsible for triglyceride hydrolysis during exercise.


However, a remarkable study investigating the effects of exercise of extreme duration at low-intensity on body fat profile had subjects complete a 32-day crossing of the Greenland ice cap on cross-country skis. After this incredible crossing, the researchers discovered that HSL activity was NOT influenced by the prolonged low-intensity physical activity in either arm or leg muscle. This is consistent with results from similar investigations.

So, if you have time to run for 2 to 3 hours at a low intensity then be my guest. You will achieve some degree of fat loss but studies have shown that you will need to perform a tremendous amount of exercise to gain the benefits you desire.

Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated that your aerobic endurance will either decline or remain unchanged by exercising at low intensities for long periods of time!

So why not save time, dramatically improve your aerobic fitness, and burn more fat by upping the intensity of your running workouts?  The choice is yours!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading fitness and sports conditioning experts. You can take his Treadmill Trainer interval training running programs for a free test spin by visiting http://www.cartville.com/app/?Clk=5125331 and learn more about the best running workouts to get you fitter and running faster than ever before!

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Video: Interval Running Treadmill Workout Program for Fat Loss

This quick video gives you the basics of an interval running workout - you can do this outdoors as well, but it is demonstrated here on a treadmill. Just follow the 5 steps, and you can burn a lot of fat in just a few minutes on the treadmill.

Add this one to your cardio rotation every couple of days, and watch the pounds melt away!

Treadmill Interval Training: 5 Step Fat Loss Workout (Intense)
Want to get thin faster? Perfect your treadmill interval training technique with these 5 steps.



For More Fun Interval Running Workouts, Check Out the Workouts From Treadmill Trainer:
 

Review: LifeSpan 2013 Model TR800-DT3 Standing Desk Treadmill

As we discussed last week, if you spend 8 hours a day sitting at your desk, staying fit and in shape can be difficult. The human body was not meant to sit stationary that long, and indeed our sedentary lifestyle shows in our declining health as a nation. Some have even dubbed our modern health crisis as "Sitting Disease." But as discussed in Dr. James Levine's book, Move A Little, Lose A Lot, it doesn't have to be this way. Even if you work a desk job, there are things you can do to get more exercise throughout your day. One great way is to get a treadmill desk.

This is a treadmill designed especially for those who are desk-bound for most of their waking day and so find it hard to get adequate daily exercise. It’s also meant for those simply too busy to work out at the end of the day. By allowing you to get exercise at the same time as you work, it becomes possible to save time and stay healthy without leaving the desk.

The TR800-DT3 is one of several LifeSpan treadmill machines designed for this kind of purpose. This one is a little different in that it’s free of any frame, offering the treadmill itself only. But is it any good in practice or does it fail to make an impression? Read on to find out.

Key Features Of The TR800-DT3 Standing Desk Treadmill


MSRP: $1,999 ($799 on Amazon.com)
Year of Release: 2013
Dimensions: 66 x 29 inches
Maximum User Weight: 350 lbs
Number of Workout Programs: 4
Warranty: Parts: 1 year ; Labor:  1 year

TR800-DT3 Standing Desk Treadmill: The Pros

Be Fit And Stay Productive: The reason that machines like this are designed is to allow people to get a work out while they work. So if you’re someone who struggles to break free of the desk on a daily basis and is in need of some baseline exercise to keep healthy, or if you just don’t have time to exercise, you’ll find that this product is beneficial to you.

The treadmill is able to fit under most types of standing desk. This means that you can do your regular office duties as you walk on the treadmill. Using the treadmill gives your cardiovascular system a work out, improving your general health and also working on the strength and endurance of your legs. Allowing you to work out as you work saves time and makes this an efficient solution to the difficulties experienced by those with desk-oriented jobs.

Large Treadmill Surface: The treadmill itself has a large surface area. This makes it comfortable to walk on, giving you a greater range of stride motion and plenty of wobble room if you put your foot out slightly too wide. In turn you’re able to get a better and more enjoyable workout, and also pay more attention to your work rather than worrying about whether you’re walking right.

Combines With Standing Desks: This treadmill has been designed especially to combine with standing desks. That’s rather obvious from the outset as this treadmill lacks any kind of hand rails or elevated control panel. Instead it’s meant to slide under a standing desk – a desk that’s meant to be used in a standing position. This treadmill can be used in conjunction with a great number of standing desks. Any desk with feet wider than the width of the treadmill will be compatible.

Statistics: This machine records statistics to help you monitor your progress. It includes distance, time and step count readings. It also has a calorie count, though these are notoriously inaccurate. Having a statistics readout helps with motivation.

Bluetooth: Taking the statistics one step further, it’s possible to upload this data to a computer using Bluetooth. This means you can analyze your statistics, looking for trends and making it easier to monitor your improvement. Again, this helps greatly with motivation.

Weight Limit: The 300 pound weight limit of this machine is respectable. Many machines only go up to 250 pounds, and the extra 50 pounds means a great many more people will be able to hop on and get some exercise. This is particularly valuable for a machine that’s primarily aimed at users who are likely leading very sedentary lifestyles and so are likely to weigh more than most.

No Concerns Over Stability: Because this machine isn’t connected to your work surface in any way, using it won’t cause your desk to wobble in the slightest. Other machines do suffer from this problem which can reduce typing accuracy and impair hand writing amongst other things.

TR800-DT3 Standing Desk Treadmill: The Cons

Price: One of the biggest issues with this machine is the price. It’s such a stripped down device that the price tag of around $800 seems pretty steep. It does carry out its function well, but it’s a little hard to see where all that money is going. Then again, if you already have a standing desk, and just need the treadmill part, you won't have to buy a whole treadmill desk set, which can cost upwards of $1,200.

Maximum Speed: For a machine of this price, it seems pretty lacking to have a maximum speed of 4mph. It’d be much better to offer the full range of speeds that conventional treadmills offer so that when the machine isn’t being used for work you can get a more intense workout from it.

Is The TR800-DT3 Standing Desk Treadmill Worth Buying?

If you’ve already got a standing desk then this is a great compliment if you’re looking for a way to get more exercise. However, if you don't have a standing desk, you would need to buy one separately, and you can probably find something better for the price. Still, this machine works great for those who already have a standing desk, and want to add some exercise to their work day.


Other Treadmill Desk Options:

   

How To Get More Exercise When You Work In An Office

When asked why they don’t have time to exercise, many people say that their job keeps them seated most of the day, and when they get home, they have so many other things to do that exercise is often the last thing on their mind. If this is your excuse as well, let’s first get it straight that it is a weak one.

Yes, there are so many things that require your time, but if you don’t take an effort to lead a more active lifestyle, you are going to regret it down the line when your habits take a toll on your health. Fortunately, there are several ways you can get more exercise even while you're at work, including:

1. Taking periodic breaks throughout the day to stretch, or even take a very short walk. These small amounts of exercise will add up over the day.

2. Investing in a standing desk so that you will be on your feet instead of sitting down the whole working day. A standing desk is a desk that at the right height only when you stand up.

Amazon.com: LifeSpan TR1200-DT5 Treadmill Desk (2013 Model). (Photo credit: Wickerfurniture)

3. Getting a treadmill desk for a more vigorous workout at your desk. A treadmill desk is similar to a standing desk, but additionally you will be standing on top of a treadmill, of which you can adjust the speed. (For more on how much this simple addition can really change your health and your life, see Dr. James Levine's excellent book, Move a Little, Lose a Lot.)

4. If you often park near the office entrance, try to park a little bit further so that you will have to walk a little before you reach your office. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs instead when you need to get from one floor to another. If you are taking a call, stand up and walk around while you attend to the call.

Additionally, try your best to schedule exercise at least three times a week outside office hours. If you can’t afford a gym, invest in some exercise DVDs or just go for a jog around your neighborhood. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-paced activity every time you exercise outside working hours. Check our website, and keep an eye on this blog, for some other fun ways to exercise as well.

With these simple steps, you can easily sneak some extra exercise into your day, throughout the day. The benefits of exercise are well worth the effort; you’ll have a slimmer, fitter, and healthier body if you manage to keep up a more active lifestyle. Couple your newfound exercise habits with a healthy, nutritious diet, and you will feel better than you ever have felt in years. Just give it a try, you certainly have nothing to lose (other than some excess weight), but lots of benefits to gain!

How to Run On the Treadmill + 3 Treadmill Interval Workouts

Running on the treadmill has some obvious advantages over running outdoors, especially in bone-chilling winter weather.

It's no surprise that many people like running because of its calorie-burning effects. After all, since running is weight bearing and recruits a large amount of muscle, it is the best form of cardiovascular fitness training to burn calories and fat. Besides, when was the last time you saw an overweight runner?

Use Intervals

Treadmill (Photo credits: Best Buy)

Whether you are a hardcore runner is of no importance. You can still benefit tremendously from the treadmill workouts you're soon about to discover. As you'll see, these treadmill workouts are based on interval training.

Interval training is a powerful method of maximizing your peak cardiovascular fitness and burning fat because it enables you to run at a higher intensity for a longer period of time since bouts of high intensity are interspersed with bouts of lower intensity. As a result, you get a cardio fitness training effect and boost your metabolism for several hours after your interval workout.

This post-exercise metabolism boost is known as EPOC or "excess post-exercise oxygen consumption" and can be responsible for several hundred calories expended while you are rest for up to several hours after your interval training workout.

What's even cooler about intervals is that they allow you to spend less time exercising while providing more substantial fitness and fat burning improvements compared to long, boring cardio sessions. In just 15-20 minutes of interval training you can accomplish what most exercisers never come close to achieving in an hour of cardio!

So now that we've established the benefits of interval training, let's have a look at some interval treadmill workouts that will save you time and give you huge fat burning and cardiovascular benefits! I know you'll enjoy them and find them both challenging and invigorating compared to traditional long, boring cardio workouts.

Each of these running workouts should begin with a light 5 minute warm-up (ie. jogging). Note as well that these interval training workouts are fairly challenging so give them a shot and see how you do. Try the first one a few times before you move on to the second, and the same with that before moving to the third. A few weeks from now, you'll be fitter, leaner, and have more endurance!

Interval Workout #1:

Work = 2 minutes @ 85%
Recovery = 1 minutes @ 65%

Repeat 4 times for a total of 12 minutes.

Interval Workout #2:

Work = 1 minute @ 95%
Recovery = 1 minute @ 65%

Repeat 10 times for a total of 20 minutes

Interval Workout #3:

Work = 30 seconds @ 100%
Recovery = 90 minute @ 65%

Repeat 10 times for a total of 20 minutes.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading fitness and sports conditioning experts. You can take his Treadmill Trainer interval trainin running programs for a free test spin by visiting http://www.cartville.com/app/?Clk=5153122 and learn more about the best running workouts to get you fitter and running faster than ever before!
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Indoors or Outdoors? Which Is The Better Way To Run?

Let’s start off by saying that there is no bad way to run. Running is an excellent exercise. It burns fat, improves sleep, and reduces stress. The list could go on and on. Inside or outside, it’s all good. However, there are definite pros and cons to running indoors or outdoors. One location may better suit your needs and preferences.

The Benefits of Running Outdoors

#1 Variety – Even if you run the same route every single time, you’ll encounter different experiences outdoors. Animals, people, vehicles and route conditions all change day after day.

#2 Sunshine – Our bodies need sunshine. It helps you produce vitamin D which elevates your mood and makes you less susceptible to disease.

#3 Realistic Conditions – When you run outside your body has to deal with changing terrain. Not only do you have to watch out for obstacles in your path, you also experience hills. Indoors that isn’t always possible. If you’re training for a race it’s likely going to be outside. And real running terrain also helps you build core strength and stability.

The Downside to Running Outside

Snowy weather. (Photo credit: UIC Digital Collections)

#1 Bad weather – While some people do enjoy running in the rain, wind and snow, many do not. You can’t always count on perfect weather.

#2 People, animals, and vehicles – When you run outside you definitely have to keep an eye out for the things around you. It’s not unheard of to be chased by animals, bothered by people or to have to dodge a car or a bike when you run outside.

#3 Lighting – Many runners have to run before or after work and that means running in the dark. Running in the dark brings its own risks to the program.

The Benefits of Running Inside

#1 The biggest benefit to running inside is convenience. This is particularly the case if you run on a treadmill in your home. You can watch television, make phone calls and check your email while you run.

#2 Safety. In general, running indoors is safer. You don’t have to deal with animals, other people, or vehicles.

#3 Privacy. If you run on a treadmill in your home you can run in whatever suits you, including nothing at all. It’s private. If you run in a gym, that’s not the case of course. However, you don’t have to dress for the weather when you run in a gym which may save on fitness attire.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Downside to Running Inside

#1 Boring. Running inside can get downright boring. You’re either running in circles on a track or you’re running in place on a treadmill.

#2 Lacks social element. There’s just no way to go on a group run on a treadmill. It’s you and you alone on your runs. You can’t even take your dog with you.

#3 No race training. Some runners do supplement their outdoor running program with a treadmill run when the weather gets bad. However, it is difficult to train for a race when you run on a treadmill. An indoor track might be okay however when most people run on a treadmill their running form changes. It’s difficult to replicate an outdoor run.

You don’t have to choose one or the other. Many runners run outside when they can and they run inside when they have to. The important thing to remember is to make time for running, wherever you can.

Three Interval Training Workouts for Beginners

Today we have a guest post by one of our favorite fitness experts and coaches - Yuri Elkaim! In this post, he gives you three simple workouts that will help you burn fat quickly and get in shape - and they only take between 20 and 30 minutes to do.

Three Interval Training Workouts for Beginners:

Today, I’d like to give you 3 interval training workouts for beginners.  You can choose to do these on the treadmill or outdoors – it really doesn’t matter.  These running workouts will help you run longer, get in better shape, and burn more calories - even after you're finished with your workout.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These cardio workouts involve interval training which means that you have a bout of higher intensity (i.e. running) followed by a bout of lower intensity (i.e. walking). Depending on the duration of the workout, this sequence will be repeated a number of times, which allows you to spend more time at faster speeds because we space them out with "recovery" intervals.

So let's get to it.

Beginner Interval Running Workout #1:

1 minute jogging @ 75% max speed : 4 minutes walking x 5 = 25 minutes

In this workout, you will jog at 75% of your maximum running speed for 1 minute and then reduce the speed to a decent pace walk for 4 minutes. This is then 5 times for a total of 25 minutes. This interval program means that you'll be spending a total of 5 minutes running and 20 minutes walking.

Beginner Interval Running Workout #2:

2 minutes jogging @ 75% max speed : 4 minutes walking x 5 = 30 minutes

Notice how this workout is almost identical to the first one, except for one little difference? In this treadmill workout, you'll be jogging twice as long while recovering for the same amount of time (4 minutes) you did in the first workout. The fact that your work to rest ratio is now 1:2 instead of 1:4 makes this workout more challenging because you are spending more of this workout at a higher speed. This workout allows you to run for 10 minutes and walk for 20 minutes.

Beginner Interval Running Workout #3:

2 minutes jogging @ 75% max speed : 2 minutes walking x 5 = 20 minutes

This treadmill running workout is more challenging because you now have the same amount of work as you do recovery (i.e. a 1:1 ratio). You won't have as much time to recover between work bouts and therefore we have reduced the overall time of this workout to 20 minutes, during which you'll have 10 minutes of running and 10 minutes of walking.

These are just a few running workouts for beginners out of thousands of possible interval running plans. Start with these and you’ll notice a significant improvement in your ability to run - and in the progress you make towards your fitness and weight loss goals.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading fitness and sports conditioning experts. You can take his Treadmill Trainer interval training running programs for a free test spin by visiting his website. Just click here to learn more about the best running workouts to get you fitter and running faster than ever before!
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