A well-rounded fitness program must include resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. When you join a gym, your facility may have equipment from different manufacturers, leaving you to wonder which is best. The word "best" is a relative term when it comes to exercise equipment. Your equipment choices should depend on your fitness goals and your body type.
Aerobic Exercise
Elliptical machines are one of the most popular aerobic exercise machines. The American Council on Exercise calls them an effective option for weight-bearing aerobic exercise without stress being placed on the joints. Using the machine with upper-body handles is recommended to maximize caloric expenditure. The foot action of this equipment, which resembles an elongated circle or ellipse, gives the elliptical machine its name. A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse compared elliptical machine training with treadmill training. Lead author John Porcari, Ph.D., reported that heart rate and oxygen consumption were identical for users of both machines, but impact forces were higher for those using the treadmill.
Balance Conditioning
Balance training is an essential element in any fitness program. While many types of balance training devices flood the fitness market, the American Council on Exercise awarded five stars to the BOSU balance trainer. This versatile piece of equipment has a flat side and dome side. The name BOSU stands for both sides utilized, which means that you can exercise on either side. The BOSU is less mobile than the stability ball, which makes it safer for standing and kneeling exercises.
Strength Training
Two types of strength training may be done. Traditional training isolates specific groups of muscles. Functional training deals with movement patterns that may simulate a sport or daily activity. Both types of strength training have a place in fitness programs. Traditional strength-training equipment has upper-body adjustments that align your working joints with the machine's axis of resistance. Fabio Comana, research scientist and exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, says that individuals who are not conditioned should begin with traditional machines, because they offer supported exercise on a single plane of motion. As you enhance your movement awareness, core stability and joint integrity, you may progress to cable equipment, which facilitates exercise in all planes of motion. Exercise physiologist Michael R. Bracko, director of the Institute for Hockey Research in Calgary, describes cable equipment as the ultimate athletic weight-training module, because it engages the stabilizing muscle groups. Since more muscles are activated during cable training, energy expenditure increases.
Abdominal Exercise
Comfortable positioning, range of motion and deep core muscle activation are important when evaluating abdominal exercise equipment. The stability ball wins on all three counts. A May 2007 study published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" compared crunches on the floor with stability ball crunches. Lead author E. Strenlicht reported that the stability ball significantly increased oblique and rectus abdominis activity. Since the exercise ball imposes a balance challenge, it requires deep core-muscle activation for you to maintain stability. Stability ball abdominal training eliminates the need to lie on the floor, which some people find uncomfortable. The shape of the ball allows you to increase the range of motion of the abdominal exercise.
References
- American College of Sports Medicine: Selecting and Effectively Using an Elliptical Trainer
- "Fitness Management"; Exercise Response to Elliptical Trainers; John Porcari; August 2000
- Ace Fitness: Selection and Use of Exercise Equipment
- University of Central Florida; Cable Training; Guy Brown; July 2007
- American Council on Exercise; Fitness Product Reviews: BOSU Balance Trainer; October 2009
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Electromyographic Comparison of a Stability Ball with a Traditional Crunch; E. Sternlicht; May 2007
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