The Weider Company manufactures home gyms, free weights, weight benches and other types of home and commercial exercise equipment. The exercise equipment is just one aspect of the larger Weider fitness empire, which publishes bodybuilding and general fitness magazines and manufactures workout supplements. Joe Weider and his brother Ben are co-founders of the International Federation of Bodybuilders.
History
The Weider fitness equipment story begins in the 1930s, in a tough neighborhood in Montreal, Canada. Joe Weider was a skinny, scrawny kid. Bullied by the local kids, Weider sought out ways to get stronger and protect himself. Inspiration came from bodybuilding magazines, but dumbbells and barbells were not sold anywhere in Montreal. He visited a scrap yard, where the foreman gave him a rusty iron shaft and two old flywheels. The first Weider barbell was born. In 1945, Joe and his brother Ben founded Weider Sports Equipment Limited and Weider Health and Fitness in Canada and the United States.
Function
Unlike other fitness manufacturers, who offer resistance training and aerobic exercise machines, Weider equipment is exclusively designed for strength training. While the company is now a subsidiary of Icon, a commercial equipment manufacturer, Weider exercise equipment is designed for home use.
Types
In addition to free weights and weight benches, Weider makes a number of signature exercise products. The X-Factor is a pulley-based system, which forms a letter "X" when attached to your door. The leg and arm attachments facilitate upper and lower body exercise. Weider manufactures an adjustable version of the kettlebell, called the Powerbell. The devices resemble a cannonball with an attached handle, and is used for strength and power workouts. Weider's Total Body Works 5000 is an inclined, cable-based system, which uses body weight as resistance.
Innovations
The Weider Platinum Plus Home Gym features digitally-controlled resistance, adjustable in 1-lb. increments. Over 60 exercises can be performed on this machine. It comes with a console that shows the exercise, along with the number of sets and the number of repetitions completed.
Considerations
Available space should be considered when choosing Weider exercise equipment. Your cats may have a field day on the X-Factor, but that may limit the life of the product. Powerbells do not take up that much space, but some of the exercises may involve swinging, which may be unsafe around children. Choose this product only if you have a designated, closed-off workout space.
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