Must-Have Equipment For Every Gym | Workout & Exercises slideshows | Physical activities center

Exercise machines

Every gym needs to have a selection of exercise machines. In todays market there is such a huge range available that each gym must compete and upgrade to make sure they have the best possible machines. The range consists of cardiovascular machines such as treadmills, cross trainers, rowers and bikes. Resistance machines which are fixed such as shoulder press, chest press, lateral pull down etc which are used to build muscle mass. Pulleys and cable machines for building muscle, also vibro-machines are relatively new to help build core stability. There are lots of freestyle machines that can be used to train for areas of cross fit.

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Photo courtesy of Hank Hession by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/hankhession/8055417793/
recipeforabeautifullife.com/gym-props/
http://www.matsmatsmats.com/gymnastics/props/

Kettlebells

Kettlebells are cast iron weights that have been designed with a handle to increase the range of movement allowed with a weight. They are designed to combine different movements to improve the cardiovascular system, muscle and coordination. Kettlebell's are used in both isolation (one joint) and compound movement patterns (two or more joints) to improve the whole body fitness. Traditional exercises with kettlebells are kettlebell swings which work on the lower body and upper body muscles. They derive from the Russian sport of girevoy which is a form of weight lifting and has been adapted for use by the general public.

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Photo courtesy of Wilson Bilkovich by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/wilsonb/2848737069/
www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/Build-full-body-muscle-with-kettlebells

Barbell

Barbells are used when a person is trying to improve their muscular strength or endurance. Barbells come in a range of sized from just over one metre up to two meters, they also come in different weights. Weight can be added to each end of the barbell to increase the weight of the overall barbell. They often have a notched or engraved pattern in the hand held areas to help improve their grip. Olympic bars are weighted and come in different sizes for males and females. Male bars are 2.2 meters long and weigh twenty kilograms whereas female bars weigh less at fifteen kilograms and slightly shorter at 2.1 meters.

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Exercise ball

An exercise ball is a great piece of gym equipment to improve the core stability of the body. Core stability is improved by training the muscles of the lower back and abdomen and using the ball increases the intensity of core workouts. Exercise balls come in a range of sizes to be used by beginners up to advanced users to make the abdominal exercises more challenging. Balls can be used to perform sit ups or crunches by making the balancing much harder and engaging the core muscles. The user can perform push ups, jack knifes, pull backs, ball lowers and many more different exercises.

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Jump rope

Jump rope is derived from the more traditional form of a skipping rope used by children in school playgrounds. As a form of fitness speed skipping with a jump rope develops coordination and stamina as well as lower body muscle. There are many techniques that people can use to increase their agility also, boxers in particular use jump ropes to help them learn to stay on their toes and move quickly to avoid opponents. Skipping has been known to be a vigorous exercise burning up to 700 calories per hour which is more than the average persons jogging speed.

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Photo courtesy of Hobbies on a Budget by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/62030038@N02/8429863619/
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jump-in-melt-fat-fast-with-jump-rope-circuit.html

Weights

Weights are essential part of the gym as they should be used by everyone despite their training goals. Weights come in many shapes and sizes and different depending on the brand which you purchase. Weights vary in size and often start from as little as one kilogram and go right up to fifty kilograms. They can be added to barbells to increase the weight and intensity of the workout. Lower value weights are made of plastic which are often less versatile and tend not to last as long but more high end weights are made of metal which are hard wearing and last for a long time.

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BOSU ball

The bosu ball is often call the bosu balance trainer and is a piece of equipment consisting of an inflated half ball attached to a flat board usually made of plastic. It has a multitude of uses and can be used flat board side up or down. It is predominantly used for balance training and core stability training. When the ball side is facing up it provides and unstable surface for the user to stand on to squat or lunge onto to make the workout slightly harder. Or standing on the flat surface with the ball facing down makes the user engage their core to stabilise the position.

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Photo courtesy of Danilo Tic by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/yak4yak/3597081601/
www.bosu.com

Punching bag

Punching bags are great for placing in a fitness room or class studio of a gym. Not everyone will want to use them but they are excellent for improving a persons cardiovascular fitness and building muscular endurance in the upper body. It can be hung from a bracket in a corner or away from the main floor but it will need to have a good area of space for the person to move about. More often than not it is best used with a partner who can hold the bag still, but using combinations of numbered punches help to develop coordination and stamina.

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s_Mate_(Handling)_3rd_Class_Hector_Castro_and_A

TRX straps

A great piece of equipment that every gym should invest in are sets of TRX straps. They are 2 straps with handles on the end that can be attached to a wall or a metal frame to be used for a range of exercises. They are more suited to advanced trainers who are able to support their own body weight easily but increase the intensity to make these type of body weight exercises harder. A person will assume the push up position but with their hands in the straps which are not fixed in position therefore making the movement extremely hard. There are lots of other exercises which can be performed using the straps.

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uk.trxtraining.com/

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are used as free weights and can be used to train any part of the body. They can be used individually in each hand or more commonly in pairs. Traditional dumbbells have metal mini bars which smaller weights can be added to with a twist clip or push clip. However new technology has developed an adjustable dumbbell which avoids the need to have to un clip and remove and replace the weights which can be frustrating and time consuming. These are a little more expensive and are at a higher risk of breaking if used many times which they would in a gym environment so are better suited for home gyms.