Cardiovascular Fitness Equipment for Your Home Gym

By April M. Ardito

Whether you're just starting out building a home gym, or if you've decided that you're ready to add cardiovascular equipment to your well stocked weight room, choosing what type of fitness equipment to buy to meet your exercise goals, both now and in the future, can be more than a little confusing. There are many different kinds of cardiovascular fitness equipment available for a home gym, and each type will serve your fitness needs in a slightly different way.

Exercise (or Stationary) Bikes

Exercise bikes, often also called stationary bikes, are one of the most common types of cardiovascular fitness equipment bought for home gyms. There is also probably the greatest number of options to consider when purchasing an exercise bike.

There are three primary variations of exercise bikes: the upright, the recumbent, and the dual-action. The upright bike most closely resembles a traditional bicycle. The recumbent usually has a seat that also supports the back, and your legs extend out in front of you rather than beneath you. Most dual-action bikes look like upright bikes, but also have handlebars that will provide an upper body work out as well.

Exercise bikes primarily provide a cardiovascular workout, and all variations of the exercise bike provide some toning effect on the lower body. The dual-action bike will also provide some toning effect to the upper body. Exercise bikes also provide a low-impact workout, meaning that there is minimal stress to the joints.

Exercise bikes range in price from about $100 to several thousand dollars. The less expensive models tend to be smaller, and therefore easy to move and store. The higher end models may come with monitors for your heart rate and pre-programmed workouts. There are exercise bikes available for just about any home gym's budget, and the learning curve for beginning to use an exercise bike is nearly non-existent.

Treadmills

The treadmill is another basic and common piece of fitness equipment readily available and found in many home gyms. However, good quality treadmills tend to be fairly expensive, and poor quality ones are abundant.

Treadmills provide a low-impact cardiovascular work out. Also, the exercise done on a treadmill (walking, jogging or running) is weight-bearing exercise, which is important to good bone health, especially in women.

The first thing you need to consider when purchasing a treadmill is whether you want a treadmill with a motor, or one that you propel yourself. A self-propelled treadmill will be less expensive; however, it will give very few options. If you are purchasing a motorized treadmill, you'll need to decide if it will primarily be used for walking or running. If you plan to use your treadmill for running, it should have at least 1.5 continuous duty horsepower. A treadmill that will primarily be used for walking can have a continuous duty horsepower as low as 1.0. All motorized treadmills should have an emergency stop button. You should not purchase a motorized treadmill without any sort of emergency shut off, as it could be dangerous.

Many treadmills are rated for the maximum weight that can be supported, and it is important to check this rating to make sure that the treadmill will support your current weight and the current weight of anyone in your household who will be using it. Also be aware that belt length is important, as shorter belts will not accommodate the strides of people with long legs. Belt width should also be considered, as a wider belt may feel more "natural" than a narrow one and make your workout more comfortable.

Manual treadmills start as low as $100. Motorized versions usually cost upwards of $500 and can go as high as $5,000. The more expensive versions will have more computerized functions, such as pre-programmed workouts, and automatic adjustments to maintain optimum heart rate, although even less expensive motorized treadmills should have the option to set speed and incline. Although some treadmills will fold up for easier storage, many models do not, and treadmills do tend to take up a lot of space.

Stair Climbers

Stair climbing machines also come in both manual (self-propelled) and motorized versions. The stair climber provides a good cardiovascular workout, and also helps tone the muscles of the legs as well as the glutes.

The manual stair climber uses pistons to regulate the stepping motion and, in addition to being less expensive than motorized models, manual stair climbers tend to be quieter. The motorized versions provide a much lower-impact workout since the machine regulates the stepping motion; therefore a motorized stair climber would be a better choice if you need to avoid high impact exercise.

Two additional things to consider with a stair climber are the foot action and the type of shocks. Dependant foot action provides a somewhat less strenuous workout than independent foot action, and hydraulic shocks allow more control over resistance than independent shocks.

Both manual and motorized stair climbers may come with computerized controls and heart rate monitors. Manual models can be purchase for less than $100 if you don’t need the bells and whistles, and are often small and easy to store. A manual stair climber can be a very economical addition to your home gym. Motorized stair climbers can cost several thousand dollars.

Other Cardiovascular Fitness Equipment

Although exercise bikes, treadmills and stair climbers are some of the most popular choices for a home gym, the options don't end there. There are several other types of fitness equipment suitable for a home gym that you can purchase, including elliptical trainers, rowing machines and trampolines.

Elliptical machines have the distinction of being a no impact workout, and therefore are a good choice for those who are most concerned about the strain their workout might put on their joints. They come in three varieties: independent action, dependent action and dual action. Like with exercise bikes, the dual action models provide an upper body workout in addition to the lower body workout. They range in price from about $200 to more than $1,500.

Rowing machines simulate the action of rowing a boat. In addition to cardiovascular benefit, rowing machines primarily work the arms and upper body. Most rowing machines can be purchased for less than $500 and many are small and easy to move and store.

Trampolines are another good choice for a low impact workout. They come in many different shapes and sizes. The biggest disadvantage to purchasing a trampoline for a home gym is the amount of space needed to use a trampoline properly. Trampolines require 24 feet of overhead clearance to avoid injury. Also, it may be necessary to purchase additional materials (such as a book or video) in order to get the most of your trampoline. Trampolines range in price from about $150 to about $500.

Although strength training equipment is still the best way to train specific muscle groups and tone the body, the addition of cardiovascular equipment can do wonders for your overall health. It is critical to know what you can expect from each type of equipment and how much space you have available to dedicate to your home gym before going shopping.

© Doityourself.com 2006