Fitness equipment advice

[Five-hole]

So I'm looking to get some sort of cardio fitness equipment for the long months of summer where exercising outside is impossible. (I'm not a gym person.) I'm thinking about doing an elliptical trainer.

My wife tells me a co-worker got one at Canadian Tire for like $200. I phoned Apple Fitness and their models range from $2000-$4000, which seems awfully pricey, but I don't want to buy a piece of crap. Does anybody have any advice on where to go? If the $2000 is really where it's at I can go there if it means a reliable piece of machinery that will give a good workout.

Thanks in advance.

[bubbsy]

no idea about cardio machines for purchase.

Why not invest in a gym membership? You're more likely to go to the gym, than to get on the treadmill at home.... Or at least that's been the experience i've witnessed amongst friends/family.

[afc wimbledon]

Make sure it has a good spot for the washing basket to sit and maybe somewhere you can drape your jeans and shirts over, idealy it would be high enough to hang a suit jacket off of.

[Five-hole]

I would say the opposite is true for me. I'm very unlikely to go to a gym as I'm ######ed busy with school and not big on leaving the house. In fact I have free admission to the UofC gym and haven't really considered going.

[red sky]

Your wife is right. Elepticals can range from $200 up to $7000. If I were you, I would look at purchasing a used one on kijiji as a lot of people have these grand aspirations but end up using them as a clothes rack after a few months. Check reviews online and go from there. Life Fitness seems to be the brand that gyms prefer but those are near the top of the price range.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

You can get a decent one for a lot less than $2000.
Apple fitness is selling units that can be used in a comercial gym, so they're going to be great, expensive, and way more machine then you'll ever need, as you won't be using it 12 hrs a day.

My best piece of advice is to make sure you put it somewhere conspicuous where you spend a lot of your downtimein the house (right next to the TV). It's a lot easier to ignore it and not work out when it's in the basement, than when you're sitting next to it watching a hockey game.

Also, I assume you meant winter months?

Finally, something you man not have thought of, what about buying a good road bike and a trainer? Its something you can use in the winter indoors, and in the summer you'll have a bike you can use outside.

[Rathji]

We got ours used, and I think it has been used a dozen times at most in 2 years.

Now it is just a safety hazard for my kids so it stays locked in my office, taking up my room.

[burn_this_city]

We bought a lifetime one from Canadian Tire, It was on sale for $450 from $750 if I remember correctly. I looked at their website and they don't seem to have that model anymore. Its a great machine for the money.

[AMG_G]

This is a very useful website

http://www.allellipticals.com/ellipt...n-chart-3.html

I bought the Precore and love it.

http://shop.fitnessdepot.ca/Precor-5...ner--P283.aspx

I have been using it for 1 hour 4 times a week since I stopped smoking 3 months ago.

[Northendzone]

i have heard that you pretty much need to spend close to $2,000 to get a durable machine - to me a $200 machine is a waste of $200 as it is hard to imagine that it would hold up for more than a few months if you are using it regularly......

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Nah, I bought a machine for about $700 (I think), and used it pretty regularly for a couple of years. Just sold it on here as a matter of fact.

There is a difference between durable and gym quality.
You can definitely get one that will be fine for your average user for less than $2k.

[Travis Munroe]

Has anyone used those powerblocks or bowflex equivalent? Its the dial dumbbells allowing you to use a dial and go between 5-50lbs or another set up to 95lbs i believe.
I want to go pick some up and am leaning towards the powerblocks as I hear they are easier to move around and are not so bulky allowing for several workouts.

[ricoFlame]

You get what you paid for from Apple Fitness. I have a commercial grade treadmill from them, and I put alot of hard miles on it, so it's worth it's weight in gold to me. The Life Fitness stuff they carry is designed to be used, so it will stand the test of time far better than stuff from other stores...you'll get the same quality from Star Trac and Precor equipment among a few others.

If you're going to be a casual runner on it or use it sparingly then to hang clothing on, go with the stuff from Crap Tire, but it's junky for the mostpart.

I have Life Fitness stuff from Apple and I would never consider anything else, they're built to last.

[macker]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

no idea about cardio machines for purchase.

Why not invest in a gym membership? You're more likely to go to the gym, than to get on the treadmill at home.... Or at least that's been the experience i've witnessed amongst friends/family.

I have had the opposite experience. I was a member of the Y for over 10 years and found it to be a time waster for the fitness goals I have been working towards. In the time it takes me to drive to the gym, bump around the locker room to get geared up, log in to the fitlinxx etc. wait for machines to become available, and then spend 45 minutes on the machines I could be done two equally effective work outs at home/outside. I have dumbells and free weights at home, bike trainer, treadmill, etc.etc.and there is very little time wasted and when you feel like working out....you work out.....no more pressure to rush around to the gym just to justify a membership. One of the keys to getting in shape is to make it easy and stressfree and to do activities that you enjoy and luckily most of those things can be done very easily and in my case if you can do them outside even better. Run, Bike, Ski, Shinny etc.etc. so many options for cardio outside......many times I wonder what price I would pay to do each of these activites outside if they were somehow ever monetized . Sounds like OP could go to Canadian Tire and get a bike trainer cheap or something along those lines or get some basic gear for around the house and join the crossfit minimalist movement WOD etc.etc.. The only thing I miss about the gym is the pool so maybe in the spring I will join one where I can bike to....


If you are a powerlifter.....ignore the above

[red sky]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

Has anyone used those powerblocks or bowflex equivalent? Its the dial dumbbells allowing you to use a dial and go between 5-50lbs or another set up to 95lbs i believe.
I want to go pick some up and am leaning towards the powerblocks as I hear they are easier to move around and are not so bulky allowing for several workouts.

I own them and they are great. Yes, they are bulkier than a traditional dumbbell but that does not hamper any of the exercises that I do. I bought them a few years back and use them all the time. They are still in great condition and I highly recommend them.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

Has anyone used those powerblocks or bowflex equivalent?

Yes, I've got the power blocks (5-55#). They're handy because of the lack of real estate they take up. What I really don't like though is if you're doing a circuit instead of say 3 sets of the same exercise before moving on, you find yourself continually switching weights.

[simmonjam1]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

Has anyone used those powerblocks or bowflex equivalent? Its the dial dumbbells allowing you to use a dial and go between 5-50lbs or another set up to 95lbs i believe.
I want to go pick some up and am leaning towards the powerblocks as I hear they are easier to move around and are not so bulky allowing for several workouts.

I have the Powerblock Sport 5.0 with Stage II (up to 90 lbs). I find them really good as they feel well balanced in your hands.

I picked them over the bowflex ones as I heard the bowflex ones can be trickier to place your weight back onto the rack as they have to line up perfectly.

[CaptainCrunch]

Where did you pick up the powerblocks, I'd like to go take a look at them.

I figure if I get a home elicpical and a set of powerblocks and a adjustable bench its a pretty good home gym setup for limited space.

[J Diddy]

I recommend Nordic Track from Sears. They are always on sale and likely at a smoking deal right now. I have a bike, treadmill and an elliptical. I would recommend a treadmill plunked in front of a TV over an elliptical. The bike is great for those days that you have no desire to work out. The elliptical rarely gets used.

I agree with spending at least a grand to get a decent machine. The cheap flimsy stuff never lasts. You don't want to be thinking about all the creaking noises and wobbling while using a cheap machine.

[afc wimbledon]

I recomend Craiglist, it is where all this crap goes to die about 3 months after christmas