Blog - Did You Know? Feed

Highly-rated equipment is perfect for any home gym, right?

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 12:40:55 +0000

Not always. Top ratings don’t always mean a given piece of equipment is perfect for everyone. Some exercise machines are praised because they pose a worthy challenge to advanced athletes. If you aren’t one, your top-quality purchase will leave you feeling exhausted and discouraged. You’ll feel more disappointed with yourself after you consider what you spent on it. It’s better to save your money until you’re up for those big challenges. In the meantime, there’s plenty of well-reviewed equipment that can be adjusted to suit all levels of users.

* Thumbnails Photo by Brian Wangenheim on Unsplash

Is starting a home gym expensive?

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 12:31:58 +0000

A home gym doesn’t have to be pricey to be effective. You can start working on goals like building muscle, burning fat, and increasing your endurance with a jump rope, doorway pull-up bar, and resistance bands. There are even cardio and bodyweight exercises that require only a place to do them and some form of heart rate monitoring. Of course, it is hard to resist machines. They can streamline your workouts, protect your joints, target specific muscle groups and track your progress. But you can always add them one at a time when you know exactly what you want.

*Thumbnails Photo by Ambitious Creative Co. - Rick Barrett on Unsplash

Should I add specialty equipment to my home gym?

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 19:06:16 +0000

Many experts would quickly say “NO.” Specialty products could be anything from gimmicky “as seen on TV” products to high-quality attachments that have one specific purpose. The experts have seen too many people - themselves included - purchase these items on impulse. Almost all the buyers never get their money’s worth out of their purchase. Unless they somehow fit into your regular workout regime, specialty items belong in fitness clubs, where multiple members will find occasional use for them. In your home, they become glorified ornaments. You’ll get more exercise moving them out of your way than using them.

What’s the biggest home gym-building mistake?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 14:20:04 +0000

Many home gym experts will give you the same answer: Running out to buy everything at once. They believe it because it’s a mistake many of them have made themselves. They say “all at once” buying results in blowing your full budget over the short-term, mis-matching top-quality items with inferior items, and having to buy the same piece of equipment twice. The experts advise stocking your home gym one piece at a time. You can start with the basics – perhaps a good cage and barbell. Then you can save up to purchase more equipment you know will fit with your routine.

If I want to start my home gym with one piece of equipment, what should it be?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 14:08:45 +0000

Experts advise that you consider starting with the item most central to your workout. For example, if you’re big into strength training, you should look at a quality rack. It’s likely to be the piece of equipment you come back to the most. You can build out from there – adding your bar, bench and outlying cardio equipment one piece at a time. Whatever you start out with, don’t compromise on quality. Payment options are often available. So you don’t need to waste money on an inferior key item that will soon need to be replaced.

Does lactic acid cause muscle soreness?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 13:45:19 +0000

“This is something you hear in the gym a lot,” says Dr. Jose Antonio, CEO of International Sports Nutrition and researcher at Florida’s Southeastern University. He says this myth doesn’t even get its terms right. “Lactic acid or lactate (actually the correct word) has nothing to do with delayed onset muscle soreness.” Dr. Antonio says the real culprit is micro-tearing in your muscle fibers during exercise. “Lactate is not a medical metabolic poison, it doesn't cause soreness and in fact it's something that your body loves to use as fuel.” He adds that lactate benefits your heart, brain, and kidneys.

Are sports drinks the best way to rehydrate?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 13:46:28 +0000

“I would not say that most commercial sports drinks are the most efficient way of rehydrating following a workout,” says Sean Kuechenmeister, Certified Athletic Trainer at the New York Sports Science Lab. But straight water won’t properly replenish the liquids you’ve sweated away either, he says. You also need trace minerals that act as electrolytes to boost nerve conduction, brain function, and muscular contraction. Keuchenmeister recommends adding a dab of Himalayan sea salt to your water. It adds 60 trace minerals found in natural sweat … as opposed to the four or five electrolytes found in sports drinks.

Is the Bowflex Max Trainer an elliptical or a stepper?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 13:50:25 +0000

The answer is neither … and both … and MORE! The Max Trainer was designed as a hybrid of both machines – with moving handles for great upper-body exercise, as well. It was also built to build up muscle and improve cardio faster than ellipticals and steppers while taking up less of your space and budget. This makes the Max Trainer an excellent choice for busy people with limited room to work out. However, some users prefer separate cardio and strength-building exercises to create specific results. Many top-quality steppers, ellipticals and other equipment can accommodate them.

Do women get bulky when they lift weights?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 13:53:25 +0000

The idea that lifting weights will make women bulky like men is heavy on mythology but light on logic. Dr. Jose Antonio, CEO and Co-Founder of International Sports Nutrition says college-aged men even have trouble bulking up. “It is very difficult for anyone, and specifically women, to put on muscle mass.” Janeil Mason, personal trainer and found of Fit and Lit agrees - and sees real risks for women who avoid weights. “As we age, we become more prone to osteoporosis. We definitely need resistance training so our muscles feel that stimulation, and the bones nearby remain strong.”

Is “No pain, no gain” good advice?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 14:00:18 +0000

Sean Kuechenmeister, Certified Athletic Trainer at the New York Sports Science Lab brands this “a myth for sure.” Soreness, he says, is the breakdown of muscle tissues followed by the release of toxins. And pain lasting over 72 hours suggests you're under-recovering and overtraining. Andy Stern, Founding Trainer and Director of Talent Rumble Boxing adds refusing to take a break yields constant wear that the body can’t handle. “If I'm doing a bicep curl, a small tear is going to happen so the body is going to repair itself because the machine knows how to survive.” But it needs downtime to heal itself.”