Fitness at home: body-building equipment
20.11.2019
Translation: machine translated
Do you have enough space for a gym and like to work out at home? Then nothing should stop you from having your own gym. These machines will give you the means to awaken your inner Hulk.
Of course, you can work just as well with small equipment such as pump handles and TRX bands. However, if you want to get serious about strength training, you'll quickly need more, to achieve the same diversity found at the gym. In this article, I won't be reviewing dumbbells and the like, but weight machines that offer you different exercise options for the home. As well as the classic heavy machines with nested system with which you lift weights using winches, there are other types of equipment offering the necessary resistance.
Bodyweight exercises
A minimalist bodyweight machine provides a decent workout using bodyweight: different variations of pull-ups, push-ups, dips, leg lifts, everything you need for good core muscles, proper posture and a shapely body (or bust).
See all bodyweight exercise machines
Benefits:
- bodyweight exercise
- emphasis on core exercises
- free installation of equipment
A weight tower like this takes up space. Rather lightweight and requiring no wall attachment, it allows you to perform functional bodyweight exercises targeting all the major muscle groups, so you can be proud of your new figure and the strength you've gained. Bodyweight exercises have become increasingly popular in recent years. And for good reason, they've been made famous by books such as "The Workout of a Convict", which breaks down six exercises and their variations over nearly 300 pages. It is based on the "Big Six Power Moves" (six fundamental exercises), namely push-ups, squats, pull-ups, leg lifts, bridge and headstand push-ups.
Sometimes it doesn't take much to work up a sweat. A bodybuilding tower limits you to the essentials. So you need to think carefully about what you want from such a machine. For example, you can't do pull-ups with a neutral handle on the top model. And if you want to do exercises such as front or back lifts - where the whole body is horizontal - that will also be a problem, because the machine will get in the way. That's why, if you're worried about being limited in your range of movement, you'll probably need something more: fixing a sturdy pull-up bar to the ceiling or above a door so you can use the space saved for another piece of equipment.
Weight training equipment suitable for use in space
On land, there's no doubt that weight benches and cast-iron weights have their uses. But, in space, the same cannot be said for astronauts who would like to be able to train despite the weightlessness. The solution? An exercise machine like the one below, with TNT resistance technology that can be used up there. This argument was too good to ignore. This machine isn't explosive or particularly expensive, but it's incredible nonetheless. It provides resistance (up to 125 kilograms) using nitrogen-filled cylinders that move via cables and pulleys. It operates silently and evenly. What's more, it allows you to work the whole body, without the clashing weights.
See all cable traction systems
The weight trainer, which measures 2.08 m high, 1.65 m wide and 1.34 m deep, can be placed anywhere without wall fixings. With a dead weight of around 80 kg and the resistances available, the machine will not suit ambitious bodybuilders, who prefer dumbbells anyway. For everyone else, the machine offers remarkable possibilities, a workout with a variety of exercises in a standing or seated position, all in a limited space. With the cables, you also work on coordination, just like with free weights.
Benefits:
- quiet and flexible
- multiple possibilities in a limited space
- uniform strength
Weight training equipment with personal trainer
Bowflex has chosen a different path. Its body-building equipment works with aerodynamic and magnetic resistance. The basic resistance, created by a magnetic brake, offers 16 different levels of adjustment from the training console. When you start an exercise, the propeller is set in motion by cables and the aerodynamic resistance kicks in. As this resistance increases exponentially, a powerful pull immediately results in higher resistance.
Directly integrated, your personal trainer aims to push you to complete a unit of endurance and strength exercises as quickly as possible. For example: High Intensity Intervall Training (HIIT). An exercise session lasts just 18 minutes. It consists of short, very intense intervals that work on your strength and endurance. This gym is a HIIT trainer for the home; you won't waste time setting up the weights or changing the machine's configuration, you'll just have to give it your all.
The console offers workout programmes and the dedicated app provides further exercises, guidance, the ability to personalise your HIIT routine and have your data analysed. The workout machine has six winches, measures 1.67m in length, 2.11m in height and 1.17m in width. Who knows? Maybe you'll be as imposing as the latter if you listen carefully to the personal trainer.
Benefits:
- combined resistance
- effective HIIT training for the home
- strength and endurance exercises
- feedback and progress recording as sessions progress
The classics
For experts and purists, nothing beats free-weight exercise sessions. Rather than working certain muscles in a targeted, guided way with weight machines, they prefer bench presses, deadlifts and dumbbell squats. These exercises require not only strength, but also coordination, balance and technique. Beginners should approach this discipline with caution, seeking advice and, above all, consulting a doctor beforehand. Otherwise, the exercises will do more harm than good. If you know what you're doing, you can go ahead without asking any questions: so we suggest haltères and bancs de musculation.
Don't fancy weight machines? Would you prefer an ergometer instead? Then here's some information on the subject:
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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