Gym Exercise Equipment You Should Be Using

There are many different types of gym equipment designed to work out everything from individual muscle groups to your whole body. If you belong to a gym, or if you are thinking about joining a gym to get in shape, make sure that there are qualified personal trainers on staff. Get a complete check up from your doctor before beginning a new exercise program. 

Cable resistance exercise machines can help you tone and strengthen upper and lower body muscle groups. Cable machines maintain a constant resistance that your legs or arms work against. Cable machines can be adjusted by resistance and the muscle group you want to work. You can perform many different types of exercises on one of these machines, including shoulder presses, abdominal crunches, lateral raises and strengthening exercises for your biceps and triceps. Start out slow on one of these machines to avoid muscle soreness. Limit your first workout to about 5 minutes every other day. Skip a day between workouts to allow your muscles to heal and soreness to abate. Slowly increase the amount of time you spend on the machine as your muscles grow stronger and your endurance increases. Resistance bands attached to the wall or to a bar also provide effective strengthening opportunities. Resistance bands provide an intense workout and can be used in virtually any position; standing, sitting or lying down. 

A step machine can give you a better workout than a regular treadmill because it simulates climbing stairs. Step machines help you burn more calories than you would using a treadmill for the same amount of time, because you lift your legs and push down with your feet. You can work your glutes, hamstrings, calf muscles and your abdominal muscles. Start out slow on a step machine and limit your first workout to 10 minutes or less. Take a day off to allow your muscles to recover before you work out on the step machine again. 

Rowing machines work almost all your major muscle groups and provides a powerful cardiovascular workout. This machine closely mimics the motion of rowing a boat and works the upper and lower body. You can burn quite a few calories in just a few minutes on a rowing machine. The machine can be adjusted to more or less resistance to accommodate beginners to experts. The key to getting a good workout on a rowing machine is a smooth, continuous rowing motion.