One of the most common pieces of exercise equipment that fighters use to cut weight is nothing more than a simple exercise bike. And, if anyone knows about loosing a couple of pounds it is a fighter. These guys, and some gals, have to loose weight fast to make weight, and sometimes lots of weight. They don’t always do it in the safest most healthy manner, and they are not looking to keep the weight off, they just need to make weight for a fight, but many people find themselves in similar situations. They may want to drop 10 pounds before going to the beach this weekend. Follow the advice of the pros, it it possible it just takes a lot of work.
One of the reasons that exercise bikes work so well is because they allow you to work for a long time without being as draining as other exercise equipment that requires you to support your body weight. You can hit an exercise bike hard and make your heart rate skyrocket or you can ease off and take your time and have an active recovery.
There are a number of different types of exercise bikes. One that is growing in popularity if the spinning bike, which is modeled after a road bike. It has a more aggressive down in the drops configuration and a friction crank that allows you to control the intensity. You can go from virtually effortless spinning to a leg cramping level of near impossibility. The spinning exercise bike is often used in a class setting but can also be good for solo training.
The recumbent bike is also a common type of exercise bike. It has an actual set with a back support and requires that your feet be out in front. These bikes are more comfortable to sit on for longer periods of time and usually have computerized programs for you to follow.
A word of caution on a exercise bikes is that you need to make sure you adjust the set correctly or you are not getting the full muscular benefit from the exercise. You need to make sure that your leg is nearly straight, with just a slight bend, at the bottom of your stroke. You don’t want your leg to hyper extend, but you want to make sure that your leg goes through a full range of motion.
If you are going to use an exercise bike make sure that you are not doing it because it is easy. Because you are not supporting your body weight it is easy to think that you are getting a workout when you are really barely exceeding your resting heart rate. Vary the intensity and find something to hold your attention besides the countdown clock.
An exercise bike can be a great way to warm up, cool down or get a great cardio workout. Out of all of the different types of cardio exercise equipment and exercise bike is probably the least likely to cause aches and pains after the workout.
Buying exercise equipment is a big investment, you could easily be spending thousand of dollars and you want make sure that you get the most out of your equipment. Proper care is essential for exercise equipment. Most equipment is made to withstand a lot of abuse but that does not mean that you shouldn’t treat it right. Here are a couple of things that you can do to extend the life of your equipment.
Find a good place to put your exercise equipment, outside does not count, this will ruin even solid iron barbells and dumbbells. Garages are not really ideal, because they are often not conditioned and the intense heat and cold, not to mention humidity do a number on equipment. The best place is a dedicated room in the house where you will be likely to use your equipment and it will be out of the way.
Do not keep weights on the floor. If you put them in the garage you are already compromising so do yourself a favor and put them on a rack. Weights on the floor, especially a concrete floor can absorb moisture directly from the ground. Stubbing toes, kicking, and tripping over weights is also common. And, reaching down to get heavy weights can also wreak havoc on your back. Do yourself a favor and build a rack for barbells and dumbbells.
Keep any machines clean and well oiled. Gyms have maintenance people that wipe down, dust, and oil machines every day. They also give them a look over to make sure that there is nothing wrong. You should do the same. Sweat is very corrosive and dust can cause plates to stick together or slides to jamb. Take care of your exercise equipment and it will give you a much better workout for years to come.
Don’t use your exercise equipment for other things. I realize that if you have your equipment in the garage and you need a hammer it is easy to use the 5 lbs dumbbell but this is not suggested. It will lead to your equipment degrading and it could lead to an accident. Get the ladder out instead of using your weight bench as a stepping stool. It will make your job easier in the long run and cause you not to ruin you investment.
Exercise equipment is a great investment that if cared for properly can serve you for many years to come. But it is essential that you take simple steps to make sure that you are taking proper care of your exercise equipment.
I realize that many will disagree with me here but I am convinced that treadmills are some of the best pieces of exercise equipment out there. They are elegant in their simplicity and help us do the most simple of exercises. We are built to walk and run and this will remain the best way to take weight off, despite what the so called Gurus say. You can do all of the full body exercises in the world but there will never be a substitute for walking or running.
Personally I have watched my weight fluctuate based on how far I have to walk in a given day. Not so much based on my diet or exercise but based on my lifestyle of walking. No wonder Americans are fat, we attempt to remove walking at every turn. Drive throughs, walkscelators, and remote controls. I realize that walking or running is not always practical and in those cases treadmills can come in very handy. There will never be a substitute for hitting the trail or the sidewalk, but a treadmill is the next best thing.
I know from experience that treadmills can be one of the most boring pieces of exercise equipment out there, that is why you have to make it interesting. Don’t stare at the wall while you are on a treadmill, watch TV, listen to podcasts, do something. Technology makes this easy. If you need a bluetooth headset get one, if you need a noise canceling headset so you can hear get one. If you are still bored change it up. I find that I need to be watching a certain type of TV show to hold my interest. Music doesn’t do it for me, podcast on occasion, but they have to be exceptionally interesting.
I am the poster child for someone who gets bored on a treadmill but I haver figured out that there is a way around that boredom and that has lead me to train for a marathon almost exclusively on a treadmill.
So, in my opinion treadmills rock. I know many people think I am crazy but when I compare my waist line with theirs I know who the crazy ones are. Treadmills can be your best friend or your worst enemy, what you do with this exercise equipment is up to you.
