Home Exercise Equipment...Recommendations?

[chatton18]

First, do a little research. The average lifespan (use) of a piece of home exercise equipment is about 3 months. Then they collect dust.

Second, look around used sporting good stores or thrift stores or even pawn shops, Craigslist, etc. You should be able to find a variety of machines (see first point above).

Third, you think you're more motivated than the average person and will stick to a routine (but of course you need the presence of a machine to motivate you), than stop looking and fork out the dough for a Concept II Rowing machine (I'm guessing $600-700). Total body workout - legs, arms, back, abs, cardio. I don't care what kind of shape you think think you're in, try rowing 2000 meters on one of these and see what hurts the next day.

Oh, the best collegiate-level rowers can pull 2000m in about 7:00 minutes. That's the women; the men are a little faster. Try it. Tell us if you puke.

Its more like 5:45 for top men

[neufox47]

Okay, the lifecycle finally bit the dust and I hate the elliptical, it kills my knees. So what's a good exercise bike to get (and why did I get a recumbent last time and should I get another?)? I was thinking a spinning-type bike but I don't know any good ones.

I'm gonna sell the elliptical and replace it with a treadmill. What do we think of NordicTrack treadmills? They're not all that expensive and pretty compact is what I like about them (and it's also all I know about them).

Oh yeah - I bought the boat in the picture up there ^^^ (well not that exact one but the same kind), getting psyched for warmer weather to use it.

Airdyne bike - this if you want to spend the $ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GRDS74/...hvptwo=&hvqmt=

Can find on CL for $200 - $400.

Best piece of cardio equipment ever. Movement is almost perfectly balancing (you get a push and pull), so no need to worry about creating problems by using it. No impact, works practically every muscle in the body.

Does intervals better than any piece of equipment. No need to adjust resistance or anything else. The harder you push, the more resistance you get.

[couloirman]

Airdyne bike - this if you want to spend the $ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GRDS74/...hvptwo=&hvqmt=

Can find on CL for $200 - $400.

Best piece of cardio equipment ever. Movement is almost perfectly balancing (you get a push and pull), so no need to worry about creating problems by using it. No impact, works practically every muscle in the body.

Does intervals better than any piece of equipment. No need to adjust resistance or anything else. The harder you push, the more resistance you get.

None of the airdyne bikes I have tried have had the proper length pedal arms so the pedal stroke was always much shorter than I was used to on my real bike and it made it kind of awkward but I agree, a good exercise bike is a great thing for a home. I'd honestly go for a cycleops spinning bike instead and then just do push and pull ups for upper body. The airdynes are loud so I really have to crank the TV, but a spin bike is almost dead silent. I can work out at any time of night, and have the TV at a volume that wont wake my neighbors/girlfriend.

[booner]

[shroom]

I HATE ellipticals. They aren't ergonomic at all and definitely hurt my knees. I am absolutely in love with the Cybex Arc Trainer. It feels so good on the knees and really mimics hiking uphill better than anything I've ever been on which is perfect for the backcountry skiers here. I highly recommend trying one out if you get the chance. The great thing about the arc trainer is that it keeps your knee perfectly lined up above your ankle the whole time so your tib/fib are perfectly vertical the entire movement which is great for those of us with bad knees. The only downside is the machines are expensive but hey, how much is the health of your knees worth?

if im not on a treadmill i hop on one of these. waaaay better than what most people think of as an elliptical. you can get a good cardio workout if you're not afraid do put the resistance above 30. it still doesnt do what running does physically, but it's a solid alternative. i cant imagine how expensive that thing is.

[iceman]

Yeah I'm set on a spinning-type bike to replace the old recumbent and a treadmill to replace the elliptical, now I'm just trying to figure out which ones to buy.

[gaijin]

I kinda want one of these Door Towers: http://www.rebelsport.com.au/ecom/re...=35828&cat=191

But my bench, dumbbells, and resistance band do what this tower can do so I can't really justify it.

In the words of Jerry Seinfeld: Exercise during lunch break, eat while working.

[Hugh Conway]

4 pages and no requests for naked pics of the GF? Is this place getting civilized?

pm rontele for cumstain pics

[neufox47]

None of the airdyne bikes I have tried have had the proper length pedal arms so the pedal stroke was always much shorter than I was used to on my real bike and it made it kind of awkward but I agree, a good exercise bike is a great thing for a home. I'd honestly go for a cycleops spinning bike instead and then just do push and pull ups for upper body. The airdynes are loud so I really have to crank the TV, but a spin bike is almost dead silent. I can work out at any time of night, and have the TV at a volume that wont wake my neighbors/girlfriend.

Yeah, they can be loud - never really thought about it as I'm always using them at a gym.

I wonder if the pedal lengths are adjustable? Lot of work to go through with an exercise bike though.

I always looked at is as the benefit of the arm bars isn't really for upper body strengthening but to maximize cardio output and keep your whole body moving. Using the arm bars causes all of the anti-rotation muscles in your core to fire as well as your arms, chest, back, etc. That is why the airdyne elevates my heart-rate faster than any other piece of equipment I've ever used. It also allows you to burn more calories in the same amount of time as a spinning bike. Unless of course your limiting factor is your cardiac output / VO2 and not your legs. But for most, their legs stop them on a bike.

[satori]

56 min. What did you do for all that time?

Here is my workout: push press 15 x 2=30; windmills 10 x 2= 20; triceps 15 x 2= 30; 1 hand swing 40 x 2 = 80; 2 hand swing 2 mins = 80 and 1 min = 40 x 2 = 80 so 160; full cleans 20 x 2 = 40; curls 15 x 2 = 30; figure 8's = 30; punches 10 x 4 = 40; squat thrusts 15 x 2 = 30; thrusts 15 x 2 = 30; lunge thrusts 2 x 10 = 20; 2 hang lunges 2 x 10 = 20. Also did about 12 mins of ab/core which is why it was 56 mins instead of 46.

[satori]

hope that makes sense...?