Picking Home Cardio Equipment: The Two Best Pieces You Might Not Have Thought Of

Most people like to have at least one piece of home cardiovascular equipment in their home gym. Picking out home exercise equipment isn't always the easiest task, however. This is one situation where a commercial gym has the leg up; you can just walk in and have your choice. However, at home there are usually the considerations of space and budget. That means that you need to be careful when you're picking your equipment.

One of the less commonly thought of pieces of cardio equipment for the home or garage gym is a rowing machine. It's amazing to see how open these usually are in a commercial gym. The rower has somewhat fallen out of favor from its heyday 30 years ago, and there's no good reason why. Rowing is tough work, but a good quality rowing machine will give you a cardiovascular workout like no other. The reason for that is the element of resistance it gives as well as it utilizes a great deal more muscles at one time over a treadmill or bike. You'll be able to accomplish more of a workout, in a natural motion; in a lot less time than if you were on another piece of cardio equipment.

Rowers can be usually be obtained for a lot less than a treadmill or stationary bike because of their lack of popularity and lack of electronics. A good quality rowing machine is a great home gym investment as well since they're very sturdy. They don't have a whole lot of moving parts and don't need much maintenance. You won't have to spend all of your time repairing or worry about repurchasing your rowing machine.

Rowing machines can take up some floor space, but many models fold up to be placed in a corner or against a wall. This is better than a treadmill or bike in that it doesn't have to become a permanent fixture in a room.

A stair climber is the other piece of home cardio equipment that is often overlooked but can provide a fantastic workout. Since it uses more of your bodyweight for resistance than other pieces of aerobic equipment the stair climber can provide a very intense workout. Until you get used to using a stair climber it can be pretty tough so a lot of people pass it by.

Like the rowing machine it's easy to find a good quality stair climber at a fairly reasonable price relative to treadmills and exercise bicycles. They aren't as popular and so the demand price is lower. They do tend to be more expensive than rowers since they have more electronics and mechanical parts.

Stair climbers don't usually fold up and so become more of a permanent fixture in a room. In a dedicated home gym area this isn't a big deal. If you plan to use the room for other purposes then be aware that the stair climber might be more present. They do have a smaller floor footprint than most treadmills, elliptical machines, and exercise bicycles, though.

The rowing machine and stair climber are two pieces of home cardio equipment that are often overlooked, and it's too bad. Both of them provide great aerobic workouts, take up less space than more traditional equipment, and can be purchased quite reasonably. Before you shell out for an exercise bike look go ahead and try these two cardio machines out. You might change your mind!


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