Archive for the ‘Exercise Machines’ Category

Exercise Machines for Women: Tone at Home

March 1st, 2010 by Lea No Comments yet

Lately I’ve been trying to research if there are any exercise machines or gadgets that were either marketed or designed specifically for women. It was just a curiosity thing. Needless to say, I was not able to find much. I have no doubt that it would be a hard kill from a sales point of view if you eliminate half of the market.

One that I thought this was interesting as I was researching exercise machines; I came across the “Tone at Home” by Slender You. Looks like an exercise machine table bed, which provides support as you conduct repetitious exercises. It does not really specify that it is just for women, but it did pop up as I was searching.

Exercise Machine: Tone at Home

Tone at Home is meant to offer you an effortless exercise solution, which is comfortable and enjoyable. While supporting your weight, this toning table powers you through a series of repetitious exercise movements. During the movements you are required to resist the force of the table bed, thus working your muscles. The more resistance you provide, the more you will increase your energy level, the greater your results.

Tone at Home states that you can increase your flexibility and endurance, while reducing the risk of any lower body injury (I.e. ankles, knees & hips). This may be beneficial for people who have difficulty moving, and conducting their own exercises and stretches. It looks comfortable, considering it’s in a table bed format; however, this exercise machine would not be recommended if you are looking to get that toned look, fast.

Exercise Machines for Women: Tone at Home

Exercise Machines for Women: Tone at Home

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Exercise for Women: Body Shaper Machine

February 18th, 2010 by Lea No Comments yet

I am happy to finally be able to provide information on the final component to my ab workout machine series – the Body Shaper Machine. This full-body workout machine has been a popular product in Korea, and has just recently been introduced to the North American market. I had read about this late last year, and decided to wait until their website was fully launched before I started reviewing.

**I apologize in advance to my male readers, I had no idea when I first heard about this, but this machine goes out to all the ladies. However, men can use it too, so long as they are comfortable with the color pink.

Body Shaper Machine: What is it?

A workout machine made especially for ladies dominated the Asian market, and has now been approved to sell in the North American market. The Body Shaper Machine is a manual, and portable device that can be used to target certain muscles, or provide an all body workout. Different workout sets, exercises different muscles to help tone and slim down your body.

The Body Shaper Machine has two wings that act as leverage, with an air pump in the center with a pressure valve; and the colorful rubber on the wings prevents slippage. Designed to be thin and compact, the Body Shaper Machine offers a good amount of resistance that is manageable for the everyday female who wants to work out.

Is Body Shaper Machine Effective?

The instructions and workout sets for this little workout machine are straightforward. It was created on the principles of yoga, such as slow and controlled movements, and deep breathing. Key elements to any muscle toning and body slimming workout.

This weightless and small size is marketed for women, to be used almost anywhere. At the office desk, school, or casually watching television – anywhere our busy schedules take us that we can afford 5-minutes.

The Body Shaper Machine seems convenient and easy enough to use. The crucial element to make this product effective would be repetition and sticking to a regular workout routine. The size makes it easy to use almost anywhere at any time, that laziness and neglectfulness of workout routine would be your #1 enemy.

Exercise for women: Body Shaper Machine

Exercise for women: Body Shaper Machine

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Home Fitness Exercise Equipment: Air Climber

February 15th, 2010 by Lea No Comments yet

Cardio is one of the best ways to slim down, because it gets your blood pumping and your metabolism going to help burn calories. There are many ways to get your daily cardio, it can be a daily run, or even casual walks. Reviews usually enjoy the workout while using the DVD.

Home Fitness Exercise Equipment

Air Climber, a new innovative piece for a home fitness exercise equipment, cardio workout. A stationed piece of fitness equipment, with pedals that is connected to an air pump, resistant settings, and hand pulleys to work your arms.

The Air Climber uses air pressure to exercise your muscles. Each step pushes their air from one pedal to the other, to keep your legs moving while reducing the impact on your joints. The continuous movement of your legs is stated to help get you fast results.

Air Climber Review

Cardio is actually the best way to lose weight. Because it gets your blood pumping, and your metabolism going to help burn calories. When you burn calories, you burn fat. I should think that if this is to be effective (and that goes for any workout) you have to make it a workout that counts. Casual stepping on this is good exercise nonetheless, but to see results better and faster, you have to put in the effort.

Workout Tip: For an effective workout routine that you can maintain on a regular basis, make it something fun and that you know you would enjoy. It motivates you better to stick with it.

Home Fitness Exercise Equipment: Air Climber

Home Fitness Exercise Equipment: Air Climber

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Ab workout machine don’t work: Why?

January 20th, 2010 by Lea 2 Comments

There is quite a suspicion these days, as to whether ab equipment, or fitness equipment will work on getting you that promised body image. We see tons of commercials and images today, enticing us to buy the workout machine that will give us the body of a god.

Considering our options, either we are suspicious as to how effective the workout machine would be; or buy it – then realize that doesn’t work, and regret the wasted investment. It is a common problem that products advertised to work, end up not working.

Why Ab workout machine don’t work…

Before you buy new home workout equipment, here are some insightful bits so you won’t end up disappointed.

Same movements – When purchasing ab fitness equipment, or workout machines, many of them drill the same repetitious workout movements. Doing only the same motion, up & down, side-to-side, over and over again. Repeating enough will have your body get use to this motion that abs will no longer form.
Tip: Repetitious exercise can work, so long as you are able to increase pressure and challenge your muscles. Similar to weight lifting, it is a repeated exercise, but you are to increase your weights as you progress and build your muscles.

Only exercise one part - When people look to tighten ab muscles, what they don’t realize is that the tummy has a lot of fat covering the abdominal muscle. Unfortunately, single, repetitious movements are not enough to burn the covering fat. To burn stomach fat requires various exercises, which a single static ab machine cannot provide.
Tip: You need variety. Purchasing more ab fitness equipment and workout machine with different movements and levels of intensity.


Why people buy ab machines …

If these exercise workout equipment don’t work, then why do people buy them? There are many answers to that question, but here are a few of the top reasons why:

Reduce chance of injury – Floor exercises like sit-ups, is hard on your back and neck. An ab exercise machine makes things much more comfortable, which is a perk for people who are physically weak and still want to exercise.

Easy to do – That’s how it was advertised, and that’s how it is. Many people who are looking to shape up want to do it the easiest and quickest way – however, the easy way is promising to an extent. Again, the easy usage doesn’t give your body much challenges as you get accustom to the repetition; but it’s great for people who are unable to do a lot.

Convenient – A reason why we buy home workout equipment in the first place. Busy schedules make it hard to find time to visit the gym. If we have workout equipment at home, we may be more inclined to fit it into our schedule. And the machines are cheaper than signing a yearly contract with a gym.

Ab machine don't work: Why?

Ab machine don't work: Why?

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Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer: back pain relief & ab workout machine

December 29th, 2009 by Lea No Comments yet

Hope everyone had a happy holidays, and soon a Happy New Years. Everything suddenly got  busy, more than usual – so I had to put my series on hold for a bit. But happily, I have found a bit of time to write :)

Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer

The Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer chair is built at a curve, which is suppose to contour to the appropriate curve of your spine. It requires, and allows one type of movement, which is leaning back and sitting back, up right.

Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab trainer: back pain relief & ab workout

Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab trainer: back pain relief & ab workout

How to use the Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer…

Leaning backwards stretches your back, decompressing your spine to alleviate back pain. The gentle, and easy movement is to slowly expand your discs, helping reduce backaches. To complete the movement, lowering yourself back down to the starting position tones your abs, while realigning your spine for a better posture.

The Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer is equipped with a seat and headrest. The backrest is a skeleton of soft foam rolls and rubber. The design and materials are meant to provide a firm support for your head, neck and spine as you lean back. The chair also supports your upper body so that you won’t strain your spine as you would during a traditional sit up.

Is the Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer effective?

If you are looking for a fast way to tone your core, this may not be the one for you. The Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer is firstly a back stretcher before it is an ab workout machine. Needless to say, you could progressively strengthen your core overtime, given that you contract your abs during your whole session. This will probably give you the slowest ab results out of all the ab workout machines in my series; however, it would be beneficial to those who have minor trouble with back flexibility, and needs to stretch their back out. Would not recommend for those with severe back pain in need of relief unless medical physician says otherwise.

Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer

Brookstone Back Stretcher & Ab Trainer

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Ab Coaster Pro

December 4th, 2009 by Lea No Comments yet

This ab workout machine seems like an innovative hybrid, meant to involve sit-up movements, with a bike machine frame to tone abs.  Providing support while specifically forcing users to work out their core muscles, Ab Coaster Pro works the abs from the bottom up; rather than top down like a normal floor crunch.

Bottom up VS top down:

People do not enjoy doing regular floor crunches because we find that it strains our neck and upper back. Since majority of your movement is from the upper half during a sit-up, this is called a “top-down” work out. Ab Coaster Pro is said to eliminate that upper body tension during workout. While supporting your upper half, it supposedly offers better results because it demands movement from your core and lower half, a “bottom-up” workout. This concept is said to be the most effective approach for toned abs.

How does the Ab Coaster work?

Kneeling on the seat, your arms are rested on the rest pads while grabbing onto the handles. Using just your stomach muscles, Ab Coaster Pro’s seat offers support as you draw your knees to your chest, and release.

The seat swivels from side to side, for a smooth transition from working out your front, to your side. Adjusting the angle of the seat can allow users to target different sections of the tummy area. Below the seat is a plate loading weight bar for additional weights to get a greater workout.

Ab Coaster Pro Reviews:

Before buying, it’s always a good thing to know what you’re getting into. Here are a few product reviews of what people said so far:

Noisy. The sound of rolling steal as the seat glides along the rail can be quite irritating after a while.

Not as easy as it looks. Working out the core can be difficult, but so can every other part of the body. Everything takes practice, and getting use to.

There are better Ab Coaster products. Many people have mentioned that other Ab Coaster products have given better results than the Pro.

Ab Coaster Pro

Ab Coaster Pro

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Mastermoves: Master Disk & Master Rod

December 2nd, 2009 by Lea No Comments yet

I first saw this product on television a few years ago, before he went onto the American Shopping Channel. Never thought about Mastermoves after that until I decided to write this ab machine series. It’s nice to have variety, and I thought that this would be a good one to talk about. Not that I endorse it, or any of these ab machine in that matter, but it is different from the usual huge hauling, assembling contraptions that I thought it would be nice for a change.

Mastermoves is workout program designed and created by a local fitness trainer, engineer & salsa dancer Oswaldo Koch.  A new routine to help twist away your fat, strengthen your core, a give fabulous abs in about 3 months.

How does Mastermoves work?

Mastermoves require users to stand on their feature product: the Master Disk, a wooden swiveling, but stable diskette. The workout comes from keeping the upper half of the body straight and facing forward, while you twist the lower half of the body at the core. Twisting motions help work out your sides and stomach muscles; at the same time, you also learn the same twisting moves for salsa.

Mastermoves: Master Disk

Mastermoves: Master Disk

Master Disk is partnered with a Master Rod, which looks similar to a wooden twirling baton. Used to help stabilize a person’s balance when twisting, and certain arm movements allow for a greater workout.

Mastermoves: compact & convenient?

This is probably the most compact ab workout machine I’ve seen thus far. The small size allows easy portability, and I wonder how convenient it can be for someone of a busy lifestyle? Naturally it seems like something you can easily manage while watching TV, but how about twisting away as you fold laundry? It probably would not be the best thing to twist in the kitchen as you make dinner, or drink your morning coffee. But it is not a hidden fact that many people after a while become lazy, and make excuses for not working out. Sadly, it becomes a costly habit.

Like any work out machine or program, people need to stick with the routine to get the results. Many people usually buy workout contraptions and then forget about it later, which defeats the purpose of buying an ab machine entirely. While larger workout machines cost more to stand in corners collecting dust, Mastermoves at least, is compact enough to be left hibernating forever under the bed.

Mastermoves: Master Disk & Master Rod

Mastermoves: Master Disk & Master Rod

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Ab Lounge Sport

November 27th, 2009 by Lea 1 Comment

While we would all like to maintain our ideal weight and shape, choosing the right work out machine is one option people can conveniently shed pounds at home. With so many exercise machines out there, how do we start looking? And so I begin my “Top Ab Machine 2009” series. Review 5 ab workout machines for those who are feeling the weight of heavy feasting.

First up: Ab Lounge, an ergonomically and efficiently designed lawn chair to help people do full-on crunches easily.

How does the Ab Lounge work?

The fabric seating supporting your head, neck and back, while you work out your stomach muscles; and a digital counter tracks your progress. Movements of a crunch targets your abs, and you can adjust to work out the sides as well. A full on body workout requires movement of a butterfly motion, and pulling of strings.

Sit ups become easier with this machine as the chair’s design enhances the momentum of a crunch. If it does not require a lot of effort then just how effect is this machine?

Who should use Ab Lounge?

It may suit people who have back pain, or have difficulties doing a regular crunch. It is worrisome when watching the demos on the commercials; people lying back, bending pass the 180-degree mark of the spine. This could be problematic for those who are not as flexible as the models on television. All though, people with back problems have mentioned that the Ab Lounge has made working out easier for them; while, regular want-to-be-fit people have not seen any results and allow it to collect dust somewhere in the house. At least it folds nicely to rest in your closet, or under the bed where you know you’ll forget about it, and then remember it long after the return policy has run out.

Those with back problems, please check with your doctor before purchasing. People who are just wanting to get fit, there are other better, less expensive alternatives than this contraption.

Ab Lounge

Ab Lounge

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Ab Machines: Top Ab Machines 2009

November 25th, 2009 by Lea 2 Comments

In response to the annual festive feasting, many of us observe ourselves afterwards and are astounded by what seems to be pounds gained overnight. Then there is the never-ending cycle of getting the weight off in time for the holiday season, only to feast again, and then attempt to burn it off before summer hits.

A popular solution to slimming down are exercise machines, ab machines in particular as the stomach area is one of the most popular self-conscious body sections. But before we go spending dollars on workout machines that may be used once or twice in its life, be sure to take a read. Reviews on the top five ab machines of 2009 will be posted throughout the upcoming week, so no rush to buy. The holiday season is great for getting deals and discounts, it will be worth the wait while you determine what’s right for you.

Sneak-peek of some ab machine reviews to come:

Ab Lounge

Said to be more effective than the standard sit-ups. With different chairs for specific workouts, people have the option of exercising their whole body (Ab Lounge Sport), or just target their abs (Ab Lounge2). It offers support to your head, neck and back, while you work out your stomach muscles.

Ab Lounge Sport

Ab Lounge Sport

Mastermoves

I saw this on the television show, Dragon’s Den, and thought that this was an interesting ab workout machine I had to include in my findings. Mastermoves is an ab workout program that includes, probably the most compact ab workout machine I’ve seen thus far. It uses something called a Master Disk, a wooden swiveling diskette, specifically designed to help twist away your fat and strengthen your core.

Mastermoves

Mastermoves

Ab Coaster Pro

Its design is similar to those cardio bike machines, however this machine specifically forces you to use your core muscles to create momentum. The seat glides along a curved, inclined rail; and the seat swivels so you can easily go from working your front, to targeting your sides.

Ab Coaster

Ab Coaster

Back Stretcher & Ab trainer

This one is interesting, for people who have backaches. This fit machine allows users to lean back, stretching the back to alleviate back pain, and realign the spine for a better posture. Upon lowering yourself back down, that is where the abs is exercised.

backstretcher Ab Machines: Top Ab Machines 2009

backstretcher

B-Liner

A new ab & fitness machine that is said to make its great debut early-December 2009. This new workout gadget straight out of Asia is a manual, and portable device that can be used for the abs, or for an all-round body workout. Due to an agreement of momentary secrecy in exchange for primary blogging rights upon appearance, no more can be said at the moment ;)

Please stay tuned for my complete reviews on the top ab machines of 2009!

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Want to do Desk Exercise? Try this

July 27th, 2009 by brian No Comments yet

motorized mini bike Want to do Desk Exercise? Try this

With most of us finding ourselves behind the desk for several hours a day, it’s often difficult to fit exercise into our tight schedules. What if there’s a way you can exercise on the desk while still be able to focus on work? Well, how about get one of these Desk Pedal Exercisers. It arrives already pre-assembled so you can get started immediately and weighing just 5 pounds and selling for just under $20, it’s a great deal. Now we don’t recommend that you just sit at your desk all day and just pedal away. However, if you find yourself stuck at the desk for extended periods of time,

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