The Keiser Corporation, headquartered in Fresno, California, manufactures resistance training and aerobic exercise equipment. While most strength-training machines use a weight stack, Keiser equipment uses air pressure or pneumatic resistance. In addition to their complete line of fitness equipment, Keiser makes machines for rehabilitation, as well as machines specially designed for research studies.
History
The Keiser Corporation story begins in 1975, when a major fitness equipment manufacturer asked mechanical engineer Dennis Keiser to develop the first line of variable resistance machines. In 1976, he and his brother Randy created their own company and designed variable resistance equipment using weight stack and hydraulic resistance designs. In 1978, the brothers introduced the first air-powered exercise machines. They released the Keiser Rear Wheel Drive Bike in 2000, and the Keiser M3 Indoor Cycle in 2006.
Misconceptions
Some people confuse pneumatic machines with hydraulic equipment, but their lack of weight stack is their only commonality. Hydraulic equipment uses oil-based resistance, whereas pneumatic equipment uses air pressure. The hydraulic machines only supply resistance in the concentric phase of a contraction. If you perform a chest press on a hydraulic machine, it will offer resistance in the pressing stage or concentric stage, but no resistance in the return or eccentric phase. Pneumatic equipment supplies concentric and eccentric movement phases.
Features
Keiser exercise machines feature an air compressor, a cylinder and thumb buttons that control the resistance. The Keiser A420 is the machine designed for research. It is embedded with a microcomputer to collect data, and a chip to share the data with the research team.
Function
Pressing the thumb button marked with a plus sign causes air to flow from the compressor to the cylinder. The longer you hold down the button, the more air flows into the cylinder to increase the resistance. Pressing the thumb button marked with a minus sign reduces the resistance.
Benefits
Keiser pneumatic machines offer more privacy than other types of resistance equipment. The other gym members have no idea of how much weight you are lifting. This feature benefits novices or weaker individuals. The machines enable you to increase resistance at 1/10-pound increments, a feature that is not available on traditional weight stack machines. Should the load prove to be too heavy, you can reduce the resistance in the middle of your set.
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