Atlas Home Gym

Home Gym Machine Question and Answer Session Covers 3 Main Types of Home Gym Machines

The phrase ‘home gym machine’ can mean several things. This tends to create confusion amongst people who are planning a home gym set-up. To help clarify this hazy area of home-based fitness – this recent question is the perfect intro for my list of the 3 major types of home gym machines.

QUESTION: “We are planning our fitness room at the new house and as we start to shop for home-gym equipment we are trying to decipher the various types of home gym machines. Can you give us a summary of them and what purpose they serve?”

ANSWER: There are 3 main types of home gym machines. They are:
A – Cardio Machine
B – Resistance Machine
C – Stretching Machine

Cardio Machines
Typical cardio machines consist of; treadmill, stair-stepper, elliptical and rower. Some less typical cardio machines are: the Versaclimber, Treadwall and The Ladder. Some of the high end products in this category can carry a price higher than $10,000.00

Truth be told though – any person, no matter what level of fitness – can get a world class cardio workout with just a few essential tools: an adjustable step, a jump-rope and a set of light resistance bands.

Resistance Machines
Typical resistance machines consist of a lat pull-down, bench press set, smith machine, squat rack – or possible a multi-gym which tries to blend a few dozen resistance machines into one. It’s important to note that most of these home gym machines are based on the mainstream, “health club” approach to working out. Meaning – you do multiple exercises and multiple sets per individual body part.

But that conventional approach is slowly being replaced by a more efficient and more effective method…

There is a recent – but very solid trend toward integrative, total-body, bodyweight training which actually negates the need for the the older types of resistance machines listed above.

This more efficient approach renews the use of some of the basic bodyweight home gym machines – such as the chin and dip stand, the pull-up/leg raise/push-up tower and the lower-body exercise step. And this is for all levels of users, not just advanced fitness people.

Because of this movement toward bodyweight-focused fitness programs – we are seeing some innovative home gym machines and home fitness products coming from industry visionaries. The most notable are:

1 – TRX Suspension Training Kit created by Randy Hetrick
2 – The Jungle Gym (Split version is awesome) from Jon Hinds
3 – The Lebert Equalizer from Marc Lebert
4 – The Atlas Home Gym created by Exercise Physiologist, Joey Atlas

Stretching Machines
Despite being one of the most overlooked aspects of fitness and physical performance – flexibility does have a place in your ideal home fitness program. There a few machines on the market which serve the sole purpose of providing you with various ways to stretch all the muscle groups of your body.

One machine looks like a cross between a spider web and a steel cage. Another looks like a cross between a spin-bike and a portable chair. While these are good concepts, I’m not a big fan of any of these for the simple fact that they take up unnecessary space, by only focusing on the stretching aspect of a fitness program.

Most home gyms have to make efficient use of space – so the better option is to find a home gym machine which also allows for flexibility training as a natural, built-in extra option – and not just your only choice.

Those are your 3 primary home gym machine categories. If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comment box below.

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