FitSugar

Your Favorite Type of Cardio Machines Are All Taken, What Do You Do?

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:30:00 -0700

I know you have been through this. You finally convince yourself to go to the gym and when you arrive the gym is crowded. All your favorite cardio machines are full. Frustrated since you planned on hopping on the treadmill, or the elliptical or the stairstepper, now you can't. The options are endless. You could work out on a type of machine you rarely use, or you could split. What do you do?

LifeFitness 95 Series: iPod Integration

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:30:00 -0700

When I learned that there was a new treadmill from LifeFitness that integrated your iPod I thought to myself, "It's about damn time!" Move over geeksugar, your girl Fit is getting excited about technology.

The brand new 95e treadmill has an integrated iPod connector that allows exercisers to view iPod music/video lists and make selections directly on the touch 15" LCD screen. You can also watch iPod-delivered video content on the screen (requires video-capable iPod) or you can watch TV right there on the screen. Did I mention it is FM-radio ready?

Still not impressed? Well, not only does this mean that you no longer have to fumble around with your iPod while jogging, but you can also power and charge your iPod. This is thrilling -- I can not tell you how many times I have jumped on the treadmill only to find out that my iPod is completely and utterly dead. Such a motivation killer. Right now it seems that this little gem is only available for commercial purchase so I may be slipping a brochure under the manager's door at my gym today (I know she loves it when I do stuff like that). Find more details on LifeFitness.com.

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30 Min Time Limit: Does That Apply to Me?

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 11:30:00 -0800

The question has been posed if it is OK to ignore the 30-min time limit rule that most gyms impose on their cardio equipment -- Especially, when some of us are training or doing intense cardio workouts and your workout is longer than the allotted 30 minutes.

My thoughts: It is NOT OK to ignore this rule. The rule is there so that every paying customer (yup, you're not the only one shelling out dues) gets a turn. If your cardio program calls for longer than 30 minutes and people are milling around looking for a free machine, get off and find another way to finish your workout. Maybe grab a jump rope or try hopping on the rowing machine.

Now if there is no one waiting and tons of free machines, then I do think it is OK to continue on past the 30 minute rule. Just be aware of those around you and use the good ole' golden rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

Ride the Cardio Wave

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 17:35:00 -0800

Sick of the same old. Elliptical one day, treadmill another, stationary bike another?

The latest and greatest piece of equipment to hit gyms is the Technogym Cardio Wave. It is similar to an Elliptical, except that your legs move side to side (they call it multiplanar movement) rather than front to back -- it's kind of like you're speed skating. The great thing about the Cardio Wave is that it really works your butt and promotes coordination all while giving you a great cardio workout. I also think it's way cool that there is a LCD TV built into the monitor.

The Cardio Wave is not everywhere just yet (and is not available for at-home use), but look for it at your gym!

To learn more, check out technogym's website.

Stop Hating the Gym and Start Loving It

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:50:43 -0800

If you are dreading moving your workouts indoors due to falling temperatures, let me help you learn to love, or at least tolerate, the gym. Here are some common reasons people hate hitting the gym, and solutions to help you overcome the hurdles.

I hate the gym because . . .	The solution
It's too expensive.	Go price hunting. There are so many different types of gyms that offer various services, so find one that fits your budget. Instead of paying $90 a month for a gym that has cardio machines, a weight room, classes, a pool, and a yoga studio, figure out what's most important to you and just pay for that. A gym down the street from me is only $10 a month for cardio and weight machines. Not bad at all.
It's too far away from my home.	If you can't find a gym close to where you live, try to find one close to where you work. That way you can head over on your lunch break or after work.
The cardio machines are boring.	Find a way to make them more enjoyable. I like to download audio books or podcasts onto my iPod. Listening really helps pass the time. Switching to different machines in one workout also helps beat boredom. Or try competing with a stranger.

To learn more ways to start loving the gym, keep reading.

A New Way to Workout: Nautilus TreadClimber

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Move over elliptical, there is a new machine in town. If you are looking for an intense but low impact workout, the Nautilus Treadclimber might just become your new favorite piece of cardio equipment. This new machine combines low-impact walking with gradual hill climbing. A mix of a treadmill, elliptical and stair-climber, all rolled into one. The end result of this three way hybridization is that you can burn calories twice as fast as walking on a treadmill while exercising at the same pace.

The machine has two separate treadmills, or treadles, one for each foot. The treadles also move up and down. Nautilus likens the experience to walking up a sand dune. The TreadClimber could be just another way to bring the beach experience home when vacation is over. The TreadClimber also reduces stress on ankles, hips and knees. To see it in action check out the video at Nautilus.

It certainly looks oddly challenging - I can't wait to try it!

Fit List: Personal Elliptical Machines

FitSugar — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 02:30:00 -0800

Not into working out at the gym? Looking to find an affordable elliptical machine for your home?

Here are Fit's personal elliptical picks:

Smooth's CE 3.2 Elliptical ($1,499) is the highest in price on this list but has many features and will be closer to a commercial machine. Buy it here.

For WAY less expensive options, read more

Stamina's Elite Programmable Elliptical/Stepper ($899) is great because you can use it as an elliptical or a stepper, giving you two products in one. Buy it here.

ProForm, one of the leading home fitness equipment makers has a wide range of elliptical machines at different prices, from $199-$899. I like the ProForm 850 SpaceSaver Elliptical ($499) because it folds-up to save space and has a built in fan. Buy it here.

SunFitness's CardioMax Elliptical Exercise Machine ($199) is a very basic machine that will get the job done for the price. One problem is that the screen is small and there are not that many programmable features, but the price is right. Buy it here.

Fit's Tip: If you feel like the prices are too high for what you are willing to spend, check out classified ads or Craigslist to find used ones near you.

Game Review: Your Shape For Wii

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:50:08 -0800

There's a new fitness game in town and it's ready to work you out and make you sweat. Your Shape ($69), a new Wii game by Ubisoft, makes Jenny McCarthy your workout coach and training buddy so you don't have to sweat it out alone.

The game comes with a camera that you perch on your TV; it captures your image and plays it on your TV so you move with a reflection of yourself, like looking in a mirror. The camera also monitors your movements, and if you slack off, Jenny will let you know - she also gives you praise when you make a correction. Who couldn't use an ego boost mid-workout?

To learn more about the game, continue reading.

Powerhouse Hit the Deck Workout System

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:00:17 -0800

Powerhouse Hit the Deck ($20) is a new workout system that you can do "anywhere, anytime, with no fitness equipment needed." It's made up of 35 color-coded cards and an interval timer. Each card has a strength/cardio exercise on it, and its color denotes the exercise's level of difficulty. The levels are broken down in a cute way - no sweat (easy), I'm glistening (medium), and sweating buckets (hard) - and there are five warmup/cooldown cards too.

Using the Powerhouse deck is pretty simple:

Set the interval timer to how long you want to do an individual exercise - I set mine to 30-second intervals.
Always start each workout by drawing the yellow cards; these are the warmup exercises.
Read over the first card, hit the timer, and do as many repetitions of the exercise on the card as possible until the timer beeps.
Stop the timer, draw the next card and repeat.
After getting through the warmup exercises, draw from the rest of the deck and continue the process for as long as you like.

To see what I thought of the system, read more.

I liked the Powerhouse deck and thought it was a great cross-training workout. There are all sorts of variations you can do to change it up: go totally random and draw cards regardless of difficulty, keep your workout limited to one difficulty level, or build on difficulty as the workout progresses. You can also decide how much time you want to spend on your workout by pulling a certain number of cards before you begin. I liked shuffling the cards I pulled before starting so that my workout would always be a complete surprise.

The pace of the workout is a lot like the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD, but the drawback is you don't have Jillian's motivation or anyone there to explain proper form. Given that it's just you and a deck of cards, you really have to rely on yourself for motivation. Also, you have to make sure you're following the cards as closely as possible so you don't injure yourself.

Though I wouldn't use the deck in place of my gym or even a workout DVD, this is a great set to have for traveling or if you need a quick way to relieve some stress.

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Cool Machine Alert: Precor's AMT

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:30:00 -0800

I love when my gym gets a new cardio machine because that means more ways to change up my workout and combat the looming boredom. The latest addition to my gym to keep an eye out for is the Precor AMT.

The AMT does more than add variety to your workouts, it customizes movement by adapting to your motion, which means you can completely change the motion and paths of your steps without so much as the push of the button. This means that you can step in the motions of a StairMaster for two minutes and then use it as a glider for the next two minutes. It takes a little while to get used to, but I love that you can make a workout different every time rather than just doing the same thing over and over again like most cardio machines. What's more? It has a Stride Dial, which basically shows you which muscles you are using with each movement. Right now it looks like it's mainly for commercial use, but I do think it would make a great home piece (despite the fact that it's a little bulky - and pricey, I'm sure).

Look for it at your gym or pass along the information to the manager at your gym to have her look into getting one for the cardio floor.

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