Exercise Equipment and Machines

There is a lot of exercise equipment and exercise machines out there, and it seems like more are being added regularly. I don’t plan on doing a review of too many on this site as I don’t use them.

If you have a home gym or are putting one together, don’t get too carried away with equipment in the beginning.  Maybe even never. My recommendations for a simple home guy are

• exercise ball
• adjustable dumbbells
• chin up bar
• treadmill
• cables (optional)

The treadmill is an option but I like it a lot. I prefer to run outside but there are plenty of days here in Ohio when that is just not feasible. I use a Wii program when I run on the treadmill and I will talk about that in a future post.

An exercise ball is not a gimmick and I highly recommend one. I also feel a chin up bar is a must if your goal is developing strength and muscle and is overlooked a lot by home exercisers.

A good set of exercise cables gives you a  variety of exercises and is a good investment.

I’ve been asked about the abs belt. You know, the one that says you wear it while watching t.v. and it tightens your ab muscles? Right.

There are weight machines such as the Nautilus and Bowflex and  the Total Gym and others.  I like the looks of these and I would think they might be worth a look if someone is interested but I would try them out first before making an investment. The thing about them is they do require you  to work so that’s a good thing. The amount of space they take is a downside to many of us.