Whether you use them at the gym or at home, exercise equipment and machines can help you reach your fitness goals. Exercise machines allow you to isolate and strengthen specific muscles groups so that you can target all the different trouble spots on your body. Additionally, the muscle you build from using the equipment and machines will help to kick your metabolism into high gear, allowing you to burn fat throughout your entire body.
Leg Press
While squats and lunges are beneficial for shaping your legs, use the leg press to help accelerate the process by zoning in on your quadriceps and glutes. Choose a weight that will be challenging, yet still enable you to complete 10 repetitions. Place your feet hip-width apart on the foot plate. Press into the foot plate to lift it up and remove the safety locks. Using a controlled motion, allow the foot plate to lower until your knees are bent and your thighs are parallel to the plate. Press your feet into the foot plate and extend your legs to push the foot plate up. Make sure to keep a slight bend in your knees rather than locking them out. Repeat the motion for 10 repetitions. Complete two to three sets.
Shoulder Press
The shoulder press will allow you to isolate the anterior and medial deltoid muscles in your shoulder, which are the top, sides and front of the shoulder area. Position the seat on the shoulder press so that your elbows are on the same level as your shoulders when you grab the handles. Your abdominals should be engaged and your back should be held straight throughout the exercise. Press up to lift the weight; extend your arms straight up. Keep the elbows soft and not locked out. Slowly lower back down to starting position. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions.
Body Bar
The Body Bar is a solid steel bar covered in rubber, for easy handling, that is an effective and versatile piece of exercise equipment. Body Bars come in a variety of weights and can be used in many different types of atmosphere's and exercises. For some people, Body Bars can be easier to hold and handle than clunky barbells, and the difference can help to improve their form, focus and results. You can easily substitute a barbell with a Body Bar and execute biceps curls, overhead presses and chess presses. The Body Bar can also be held for extra resistance during squats and lunges.
Stability Ball
A stability ball will add instability to your exercises, which helps you to incorporate and strengthen more muscles than static exercises. They can be used for a variety of different types of movement and can take many exercises to a more complex level -- whether it is pushups, bridges, abdominal crunches or planks. An exercise such as attempting to kneel on the stability ball with both knees on the ball and both feet off the ground will work your leg muscles, glutes and entire core.
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