Find out which are the best manufacturers of home fitness equipment and what criteria you need to know to choose the right sports equipment for you. Often people cannot find free time to visit the fitness center, but they want to put their bodies in order. In such a situation, you can train at home. By properly organizing the training process, you can get excellent results. There are a lot of simulators and often people are faced with a serious choice, not knowing which sports equipment to prefer. Today we will tell you how to choose a home exercise machine for all muscle groups.
What kind of simulators are there?
All simulators existing today can be classified according to two parameters: type of load and functionality. Let's take a closer look at this issue. By the type of load, the simulators are divided into two groups:
- Power.
- Cardio simulators.
The first group includes sports equipment that allows you to increase strength, endurance, and also gain muscle mass. Strength training helps to increase the speed of metabolic processes, strengthens bone tissue and the articular-ligamentous apparatus. In addition, strength training can be an excellent way to combat excess weight.
Cardio simulators are well known to many people - ellipsoid, treadmill, stepper, exercise bike. Aerobic training has a positive effect on the work of the heart muscle, the respiratory system, accelerates metabolism and increases the rate of utilization of adipose tissues.
Types of strength training equipment
Let's return to strength training equipment, which can also be divided into highly specialized and multifunctional.
Highly specialized strength training equipment
This type of sports equipment is most often installed in fitness centers. Each simulator is designed to work out a specific muscle group, for example, the press, biceps, back, etc. Often they are used by novice athletes who do not have sufficient technique to work with free weights. The fact is that in the simulators the trajectory of the movement of the sports equipment is strictly specified, which does not allow making mistakes. However, it is impractical to install them at home, since a lot of space will be required.
Multifunctional simulators
This type of sports equipment is often referred to as power stations. Such installations combine several strength training equipment at once and allow you to perform more than three dozen exercises for muscle groups of the whole body. Here are the main elements of a multifunctional exercise machine:
- School desk for pumping biceps.
- Bench for bench press in a lying position.
- Vertical and horizontal rods.
- Bench for working out the abdominal muscles.
- Block for pumping legs.
Many belt trainers are equipped with computers to track various metrics. In addition, you can find on sale intermediate versions of simulators between highly specialized and multifunctional. For example, with the help of the upper block, you can pump your legs, triceps and back.
How to choose the right home trainer for all muscle groups?
First of all, you need to decide on the answers to several questions:
- What financial means do you have?
- How many people will use the simulator?
- What are the goals of your workouts - gaining mass or losing weight.
- How much free space can you allocate for the installation of sports equipment?
When you answer the above questions, it will immediately become clear what to look for. Today, stores offer a fairly large number of different simulators and the range of prices is great. Surely you can find equipment for the allocated budget. But it should be remembered that high-quality sports equipment cannot be cheap. If other members of your family are planning to exercise, then you can choose a power multi station, which allows several people to perform exercises at once.
Top sports equipment manufacturers
If you are interested in how to choose a home simulator for all muscle groups, then you should get acquainted with the leading manufacturers in this area:
- Kettler is a German company founded in the middle of the last century and has firmly held its leading position all this time. First of all, Kettler exercise bikes are very popular, but the situation with power stations is somewhat worse.
- Cybex is an American manufacturer, in the assortment of which you can find a large number of different types of sports equipment.
- Horizon is one of the most popular brands for home use.
- Diadora - a company from Italy, whose products are characterized by high quality and attractive prices.
What criteria should be considered when choosing a home exercise machine for all muscle groups?
It's time to answer in detail the question of how to choose a home simulator for all muscle groups and go to practical recommendations. First, we recommend that you read the instructions of the manufacturer. Quality simulators are characterized by the following parameters:
- Welded frame made of high strength steel.
- Wear resistant coating.
- Equipped with aviation quality cables.
- Hard-wearing material for backrests and seat cushions.
When choosing exercise equipment, you should not focus only on the brand or appearance of the equipment. You should try the simulator at work and make sure that everything suits you. And now we will consider the main parameters that you should pay attention to if you want to know how to choose a home simulator for all muscle groups.
All simulators can be roughly divided into three price categories:
- 1st category - the cost of equipment is in the range from 25 to 650 thousand rubles.
- 2nd category - the cost of the simulators is 50–150 thousand rubles.
- 3rd category - the price of the equipment exceeds 150 thousand rubles.
It is quite obvious that the entry-level simulators are in the first price category. You can train effectively on it, but the quality of such equipment is not the highest. We do not recommend paying attention to this class of simulators or choosing very carefully.
The second category contains devices that meet most requirements. They will not only be effective, but also last for many years. The last group includes simulators that will definitely be a great choice. However, their cost may not appeal to all people.
The best cardio equipment for home use
We have just answered the question of how to choose a home exercise machine for all muscle groups? However, multifunctional exercise equipment is not always necessary. For example, a karyo simulator will be enough for most girls, and strength training can be done with dumbbells. The main task of training for women is to improve the appearance of the figure, and not to gain the maximum amount of muscle mass. Let's talk about which cardio machine you can buy for home workouts.
Exercise bike
It is one of the most popular types of sports equipment with attractive cost and small dimensions. Today manufacturers produce three main types of exercise bikes:
- Shoe - resistance is created by the brake pads pressed against the flywheel.
- Belt - the load depends on the degree of tension of the belt, which transfers the movement to the flywheel.
- Magnetic - it is necessary to connect to the electrical network to ensure the operation of electromagnets, which regulate the load level.
In addition, special simulators are produced for people suffering from varicose veins or those with back problems. Their design has a horizontal position and the person rotates the pedals while lying on his back. Exercise bikes can be considered the safest for people with large body weight. In addition, their installation will require no more than two square meters of free space. However, there are several disadvantages to be aware of when choosing an exercise bike:
- The equipment cannot be folded and hidden in a cabinet.
- Belts and pads quickly work and fail.
- Exercise bikes of the belt and block types do not have sufficient smoothness, which can cause discomfort during training.
treadmill
Jogging and walking are excellent ways to combat excess weight. If in the warm season such workouts are best done outdoors, then in winter and late autumn a treadmill may come in handy. This type of sports equipment can be equipped with a mechanical or electrical drive. It is quite obvious that the first type has the most attractive price, and its dimensions are small, and after training the simulator can be hidden under the bed.
Electric treadmills are more functional and are most often equipped with a computer. With its help, you can control various parameters and set the training program. If you decide to buy this type of treadmill, be sure to pay attention to the engine power. If your body weight exceeds 80 kilograms, then the power of the power plant should be 1.5-2.7 horsepower. An equally important parameter is the speed characteristics of the simulator:
- If you plan to do only walking, then it is worth stopping at choosing a simulator with a belt speed of about 10 kilometers per hour.
- If running training is planned, then the speed characteristics should be higher - from 13 to 16 kilometers per hour.
Be sure to pay attention to the size of the walking belt. Its width should be from 50 to 60 centimeters, and its length should be about one and a half meters.
Stepper
This simulator is designed to simulate climbing stairs. The simplest exercise machine is a mini-stepper, which is a pedal, and is also equipped with step and time counters. To regulate the load, hydraulic cylinders or a flywheel are used. More expensive models have a heart rate counter and preset workout programs. Advanced types of steppers are equipped with handrails, which is useful in those moments when you start to feel tired.
The most modern and expensive models are equipped with hand levers. As a result, you can work not only your legs, but also your back and arms. One of the main advantages of a stepper is its size. In fact, this is the smallest of all simulators. However, it also has one rather significant drawback - it loads the knee joints. This suggests that when working on a stepper, it is necessary to correctly select the level of load in order to minimize the risk of injury.
For more on how to choose a home machine for all muscle groups, see the video below:
