Fitness Training

Archive for November, 2009

Do you want to get ripped and improve your physical appearance? If so, you need to learn how to improve your cardiovascular fitness. You can do so with fitness treadmills.

Home treadmills are very affordable these days, so there is really no excuse for not engaging in cardiovascular exercises. First, let’s explore the benefits of improving cardiovascular health.

When you engage in any kind of cardio activity, you raise your heart rate. The more intense the exercise, the faster your heart will beat, and the more fat you will burn. Ideally, you must get your heart rate to at least 60% of your maximum heart rate for your exercise to be effective. Therefore, a leisurely walk in the park doesn’t count as cardio exercise. You must remember to work out intensely.

Some people believe that they burn more fat by exercising at moderate intensity. This assumption is incorrect. The body does use up a higher proportion of fat for energy when you exercise moderately. But when you exercise intensely, the total amount of fat that you burn will always be more than moderate exercise.

Based on this understanding, always get a treadmill that allow you to get an intense workout. If you are on a tight budget, you can always start with a manual treadmill. A manual treadmill cost less than $200. Although you are providing all the energy, it still helps you achieve your goals – which is to break a sweat and burn fat!

Many modern treadmills are designed for the homeowners who live in small apartments. Space is always a concern because some treadmills can be rather bulky. Fortunately, most home treadmills come with folding functions. You can fold up the machines to save space when you are not running.

If you have some spare cash, you may wish to invest in a higher end treadmill. Higher end home treadmills cost about $1,000. At this price, you will be able to get a high quality machine. The treadmill should come with MP3 support and built-in speakers. These are additional features though. It’s good to have them, but they are not a must.

Before buying the treadmill, make sure you access the motor and the performance of the running belt. High end treadmills should come with motors that provide at least 2.0 continuous horse power. That should provide a top speed of 10mph and an adjustable incline from 0% to 10%. The maximum user weight should be around 300 pounds.

The best way to assess a treadmill is to make a trip to your local fitness equipment store. Don’t just buy based on what you see on the brochure. Some machines look good on paper, but they are not reliable. They break down after a few months.

When trying out the treadmill, you must feel comfortable using the machine. Does it make too much noise? Is the treadmill shaking too much when you are pounding on it? If you don’t feel comfortable using it, the specs don’t matter. Just don’t invest in it. Go try out other fitness treadmills.

Highly recommended – Horizon Treadmills

Are you torn between a motorized treadmill and a manual treadmill? How does one compare with the other?

There are tons of options when it comes to motorized treadmills. You will need to know your own needs in order to come to a wise buying decision. The key factors include your weight, your length of stride (how fast you run), as well as the duration (in years) that you would like to use the machine.

Motorized treadmills range from light weight treadmills to heavy duty treadmills. The lighter models are meant for smaller runners or those who run at lower intensity. The motor is often not as powerful as the heavy duty ones. The commercial grade treadmills are much more powerful, and can usually support a heavier runner (about 300 pounds). These machines are also more durable. However, they cost 3 to 4 times as much.

With a motor treadmill, you get to enjoy modern features such as MP3 functions and automatic exercise programs. Without power, you can’t have any exercise programs. Everything has to be done manually.

So why does anyone want to purchase a manual treadmill?

The key advantage of manual treadmill is cost. It’s much cheaper to buy a manual treadmill. A manual machine cost just about $200. In addition, there are no costly maintenance costs. A manual machine is mostly light weight, and some models are portable. You can bring them around while traveling. Most motorized are so heavy that you will have trouble moving it out of your own room!

The manual treadmill is still useful because it does what a treadmill is supposed to do – which is to get you to break a sweat. You have to push with your legs to move the belt though. Initially, you need to push a little harder to gather momentum. Some people say that this causes additional stress on the joints. But the stress is minimal.

You cannot adjust the incline while you are running because it’s a manual treadmill. If you wish to change the incline, you have to stop the machine and make the adjustments, then continue with the run.

A manual fitness treadmill can still be good for beginners, who may not wish to make a huge investment on an exercise machine. Just take a fast walk on the treadmill. For more motivation, switch on the TV to watch a program, or on the hifi to listen to some music.