Work out wisely

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/06/2008 (6376 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You finally worked up the nerve to join a gym and you’re ready to get fit.

You step into the spacious facility for the first time and are overwhelmed by the sea of mysterious and complicated-looking machines — equipment that everyone but you seems to know how to use.

You’re not alone.

It turns out that many gym-goers use exercise machines incorrectly, says Barb Herda, owner of Winnipeg’s CORE Training & Therapy.

“I see mistakes all the time,” says the personal trainer.

Here are the top exercise machines you’ll find at the gym and some tips on how to get the most out of them:

Treadmill

This walking, jogging and running machine, which operates with a motorized, moving belt, is the bread and butter of most gyms. It’s also the most popular piece of workout equipment for the home, according to most experts.

Muscles Worked: Legs muscles, including those in the calves, the quadriceps and the front thigh, buttocks and calves. Using it on an incline allows the user to get a more intense buttock and calf workout.

Advantages: Herda likes the treadmill’s simplicity and ease. “It’s so natural of a movement. Unless you’re wheelchair-bound, you have to walk to get from point A to B, so there’s not a really big learning curve compared to an elliptical, or stepper.” Exercisers can also jog or run on the treadmill. The machine can be customized to suit everyone, from the most sedentary who are just starting an exercise routine all the way to the most veteran runners. Herda considers walking one of the best cardiovascular, fat-burning workouts available.

Common Mistakes: “People need to resist the urge to hold on to the sides unless they have balance issues,” says Herda, noting that gripping on too tightly will decrease the effectiveness of the workout. Another mistake: Not using the machine on an incline. Herda says it’s essential to put the machine on a one to two per cent incline to replicate walking outside on flat ground; otherwise, the workout is too easy. Using a treadmill on an even higher incline offers a more intense workout for the muscles as well as the heart.

Cautions: While walking on the treadmill is a low-impact activity that places little stress on your knees, bear in mind that once you start running, the activity turns into a high-impact exercise that can cause wear-and-tear injuries.

Elliptical trainer

This machine is steadily becoming the second-most-used piece of equipment at the gym, after the treadmill. Also known as a cross trainer, the elliptical machine is a hybrid of the treadmill, stair climber, exercise cycle and ski machine. Most gym models offer an option for arm work. Herda compares the sensation of using the elliptical machine to running in deep water. “The legs are making an oval pattern except that you don’t have that panicking feeling,” she says.

Muscles Worked: Essentially the same as the treadmill.

Advantages: A low-impact workout because the feet never touch the ground. Also a great total body workout, considering the arm option. While it’s impossible to replicate a running motion on the elliptical, the machine is still a valuable tool for serious runners because it offers their knees a break from the daily grind of pounding the pavement.

Common Mistakes: People assume that their feet must be placed on a particular spot on the pedals. Rather, it’s about finding a place in the foot pedals that’s comfortable, says Herda. If you have nerve issues in your feet, it may also be useful to keep repositioning feet during an elliptical workout. Herda says that it’s important to adjust the resistance on the machine as you grow more accustomed to using it

Cautions: People with rotator cuff injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome or those who just aren’t used to working their upper body for periods of time should lay off using the arm function until they get the OK from their doctor.

Recumbent bike

This is the comfortable-looking bike you may see at your gym — the one with the spacious bucket seat. It usually sits lower to the ground than upright stationary bikes, or spinning bikes — the ones used for the ever-popular spinning classes.

Muscles Worked: Similar to the elliptical and treadmill.

Advantages: Good for someone who is particularly heavy, sedentary or who can’t stand up for long periods at a time. “It automatically takes people’s body weight off. They are no longer having to move their body weight,” says Herda.

Common Mistakes: Herda says able-bodied exercisers shouldn’t rely only on the recumbent bike. “If someone has a desk job, I would much rather they choose equipment that uses their body weight, like an elliptical or treadmill.”

Cautions: Will not replicate the feeling of being on a real outdoor bicycle because the pedals are in a different position. Herda also says it is more difficult to get an intense cardiovascular workout on a recumbent bike compared to other machines.

Stair machine

There are two types of these machines available at gyms, the most common being a stair climber machine on which you step on foot pedals and move your feet up and down. The other form of stair machine is a step mill. This machines looks like an escalator and offers a workout that’s more difficult.

Muscles Worked: Primarily the leg muscles, particularly the quadriceps.

Advantages: An intense workout that not only offers cardio benefits, but also requires a bit of a strength component. Herda says you would have to place a treadmill on a 15 per cent incline to get the same effects as a step machine.

Common Mistakes: Some people “cheat” on traditional step machines by learning forward or making a step that’s too shallow or deep. Keep in mind that steps should be about eight inches apart. Feet should not hit the floor. The constant motion of the escalator-like step mill makes it impossible to cheat with and replicates an uphill climb. Don’t push knees forward over toes.

Cautions: Herda says that climbing machines can be intimidating, particularly for novice exercisers. She warns her clients not to overdo their stair workouts and to start slowly. “You don’t want to be mentally demoralized,” she says, noting that beginning exercisers should aim for just two to five minutes at a time, and increase their time gradually.

Have an interesting idea you’d like Shamona to write about? Contact her at shamona.harnett@freepress.mb.ca