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Exercise Bikes: Upright & Recumbent

Kings Of Cardio — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:23:21 +0000

Stationary exercise bikes have been around for centuries. The Gymnasticon was created by Francis Lowndes at the end of the 18th century and this aerobic machine resembled an exercise bike. Upright and recumbent exercise bikes are similar to traditional bicycles. The main differences between stationary exercise bikes and normal bicycles is that stationary bikes do not have the same wheels as bicycles and stationary bikes are not used for transportation. Both kinds of bikes have handlebars, a seat and pedals. At the end of the day, exercise bikes are solid tools for building endurance, losing weight and daily exercise. Simple yet effective, exercise bikes have been a staple in the fitness equipment industry for as long as one can remember. Stationary bikes are awesome tools for cardiovascular training and are much easier on the body than running on a treadmill or running outside.

Recumbent bikes and upright bikes are the two different types of exercise cycles. Recumbent exercise bikes have a seat back that resembles a desk chair. The user can recline with the comfort of back support. On an upright bicycle, riders cannot support their weight by reclining; their entire weight rests on the seat, pedals and handlebars. Many people believe that riding on an upright bike is more difficult than riding on a recumbent bike and that having back support makes recumbent bikes much more comfortable than upright bikes.

Many people do not like having home fitness equipment because they do not have room, or it is too much of an eyesore. Exercise bikes are simple and compact. Recumbent and upright stationary bikes do not take up a large amount of space like treadmills, elliptical, home gyms and other bulky pieces of gym equipment. Aesthetically speaking, exercise bikes are easier on the eye than other forms of gym equipment. The cosmetics of an exercise bike seem to blend with a room better than a big multi-station gym, or elliptical trainer.

Due to the fact that bikes are smaller and more compact than other forms of gym equipment, there is less to go wrong on an exercise bike, than there is on an elliptical machine or treadmill. Under the hood of an exercise bike one will typically find a belt, pedal wheel, flywheel, motor, a wire connecting the motor to strip magnets, a spring and a couple of other gadgets. If we were to list all of the parts in a treadmill or an elliptical, it would take several hours! Less is more when it comes to fitness equipment parts. The fewer the parts, the less likely it is that something will go wrong.

Evidenced by the fact that there are many Life Fitness “Life Cycles” that were manufactured decades ago, that are still in great condition, and being used by people all over the world, the LF 9500 is one of best exercise bikes on the planet. For example, the Life Fitness 9500HR Upright LifeCycle has been a mainstay in health clubs and fitness centers since the early 90′s. With a smooth and quiet belt-drive system, users can pedal all day long on this virtually flawless and maintenance free exercise bike. Ask a friend. Talk to a neighbor. Go to your local health club or fitness center and talk to a fitness expert. Anyone and everyone will tell you that this LF LifeCycle is a great piece of gym equipment. Whether you are a beginner, expert, or just buying this bicycle for a friend or loved one, you will be astonished with how user-friendly this awesome stationary bike is. Life Fitness has built their outstanding reputation around manufacturing bikes with supreme quality and comfort such as this 9500HRT.

Give Yourself a Gift and Buy an Elliptical

Kings Of Cardio — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:39:42 +0000

The best way to get healthy and stay in shape these days is to use an elliptical fitness machine to work your legs, arms, stomach, back and buttocks. Not only are elliptical fitness training machines great tools for staying fit and thin, but equally as important, elliptical crosstrainer fitness equipments are very gentle and easy on your joints too. One of the best parts about working out is the nice, calm and serene feeling that you get when you are done. If you do not want that feeling to be overcome by body aches and pains in your joints, muscles and bones, then make sure you train on an elliptcial trainer instead of a treadmill.

There is a ton of literature out there on why ellipticals/crosstrainers are better tools for cardiovascular exercise than treadmills. However, the only thing that should count is whether or not the stride on the elliptical fitness trainer is as comfortable, or more comfortable, than the treadmills you are used to running on. One should always remember that the true test of how well a piece of fitness equipment will work for you, is always solved by actually trying the different gym machines and then determining their value to your workout program.

Get Fit and Lose Weight for the Summer!

Kings Of Cardio — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:26:45 +0000

As Summer nears, people across the nation are checking themselves out in the mirror, hoping that their body will look swimsuit ready, and more attractive than ever. Who doesn’t want to show off their sculpted frame at the beaches and pools, so that others can stare, and talk about how you look like you are on steroids? After all, isn’t that why we spend an hour a day exercising on treadmills, home gyms and elliptical machines, even when we are very busy and tired of working all day?

Let’s not get it twisted, for the majority of us, the reason we exercise is so that we look good. Being in awesome shape and looking like you have been conditioning with Kobe Bryant, is what makes the months of June, July and August, so fun and exciting! In the wintertime, it is too cold to wear less clothes in order to show off our fantastic bodies. But the problem is, it is close to impossible to turn your body into a lean, mean, fighting machine, in a matter of months, let alone days. Therefore, one must dedicate themselves to getting on the treadmill, lifting weights on the home gym and climbing steps on a stair-climber, long before it is time to put away the sweatshirts and sweaters for the summer. We here at KingsofCardio.com find that way too often, people are looking for the quick fix when it comes time to put those shorts and tank top on.

One way to make sure your body looks healthy, fit and trim, is to use home fitness equipment on a regular basis, to increase agility, endurance, strength, while toning and defining your muscles. Hard work and daily exercise may seem very difficult to most, however, with the right home gym equipment and exercise gear, any cardio or strength workout can be enjoyable.

Health club quality home fitness equipment is necessary in order to stay in shape without going to the gym. It is much easier to get a great workout session in after a long day of work, if you are able to exercise at home, versus taking even more time out of your personal and family life, by going to the gym. If you are riding on the Life Fitness 9500 Upright Exercise Bike at the gym, it would be near impossible to help your daughter Julia with her Social Studies homework. However, if you have exercise equipment to use at home, such as the commercial, health club quality Life Fitness cycle mentioned above, or a stationary bike similar to it, then you would be able to help Julia with her homework as you exercise on your upright or recumbent, exercise bike.

With the right approach towards becoming and remaining health and fitness a super-star, you can have your buttocks, thighs, biceps, triceps, torso and abs beach-ready, every-day of the year. There is no reason we should wait until it warms up every year before we start to worry about how our bodies look. If you go to gyms in the winter time, you can jump on your favorite piece of gym equipment, whether it is the Life Fitness 95Xi or the Precor EFX 546, and not have to worry about someone being on your treadmill or elliptical. However, if you go to the gym in the summer time, it will be packed! Good luck getting on that Cybex Arc Trainer that you love so much. We sat good luck because there will most likely be a long waiting list and line to get on all of the most popular pieces of fitness equipment at the gym in the summer time.

From a technological standpoint, home gyms and standard cardiovascular exercise equipment such as treadmills, rowing machines, stair climbers and elliptical machines, have improved tremendously through the development of new ideas, parts and software. Twenty years ago, if one were to exercise on a treadmill for longer than thirty minutes, then their knees, hips, and ankles would be in pain, due to draconian treadmill running decks that had no give, bounce or suspension. In the fitness world, it is more than possible to get in a comprehensive workout including a long run on your treadmill, without having the setbacks caused from pain in your bones and joints.

Cheap and inferior pieces of cardio and strength equipment litter the exercise equipment industry and always will. The key to finding the right piece of equipment for yourself is to determine through word of mouth, independent reviews and personal experience, which treadmill, recumbent bike, rowing machine or home gym, is optimal for your needs.

Recently, Kings of Cardio LLC, sent out an independent party of fitness experts in order to determine the best of the best when it comes to fitness equipment. With the amount of distributors and manufacturers of fitness equipment that want us to sell their home gyms and fitness equipment, it was nearly impossible for us to arbitrarily decide which fitness equipment brands would be best for our home gym store to carry. For instance, if I were to ask you what the best name brand pieces of fitness equipment are in today’s health and fitness industry, you would most like reply with answers such as the Precor EFX 556, Life Fitness 95Ti, Life Fitness 97T Engage, Star Trac Pro, and approximately ten to fifteen other models of exercise equipment. Those are all commercial pieces of exercise equipment and although they may be the best for health club settings, are they really the best buys for your home? The answer to that question remains uncertain and subjective. Each individual has a stride length and running style that conforms to certain pieces of exercise equipment more so than others. On the other hand, the structural integrity, specifications, features and mechanical capacities of treadmills, elliptical machines, rowing machines and exercise bikes, is an objective measurement. Therefore, it is easy to determine which home gym or commercial fitness equipment, has the thickest gauge steel frame, or which treadmill goes at the fastest speed.

So we know that the overall performance of an elliptical machine would be a subjective measure and certain features and specifications such as its speed range, is objective. We also know that there is no way to absolutely define one elliptical, treadmill, rowing machine or any other piece of fitness equipment as the best, because people react have different body types and therefore are more comfortable on some gym equipment than others.

HERE ARE SOME GREAT PRECOR ELLIPTICAL CROSSTRAINERS FROM THEIR EFX SERIES

1.) PRECOR EFX 546:

Frame: Non-Folding, commercial grade, health club quality.

Mechanical Capacity: 400 Pounds

Arms: Do Not Move

Ramp: Adjusts from 13 to 40 Degrees

Reputation of Brand: The 546 EFX elliptical machine is made by Precor. They has been a well-known and highly established fitness equipment manufacturer, for quite some time now. Even a simple “Google” search of its name, would be a simple and easy way to read the endless amounts of their positive customer reviews. Precor has been well known for the design, creation and marketing of some of the best treadmills, cycles, climbers, elliptical machines, cross trainers, stretch trainers and strength training systems, the fitness equipment industry has seen over the past 20 years.

2.) PRECOR EFX 556:

Frame: Non-Folding, commercial grade, health club quality.

Mechanical Capacity: 400 Pounds

Arms: Move with User / Non-Stationary

Ramp: Stationary / Non-Adjustable

Reputation: The 556 EFX elliptical machine is made by Precor. Precor has been a well-known and highly established fitness equipment manufacturer, for quite some time now. Even a simple “Google” search of its name, would be a simple and easy way to read the endless amounts of their positive customer reviews. As a company, Precor has been well known for the design, creation and marketing of some of the best treadmills, cycles, climbers, elliptical machines, cross trainers, stretch trainers and strength training systems, the fitness equipment industry has seen over the past 20 years.

3.) PRECOR EFX 576i:

Frame: Non-Folding, extra heavy duty commercial grade steel frame.

Mechanical Capacity: 500 Pounds

Arms: Adjustable and Swing Back and Forth

Ramp: Adjustable

Only Commercial Precor Elliptical Crosstraining machine with an adjustable ramp and adjustable arms.

Reputation: The 576i EFX elliptical machine is made by Precor. Precor has been a well-known and highly established fitness equipment manufacturer, for quite some time now. Even a simple “Google” search of its name, would be a simple and easy way to read the endless amounts of their positive customer reviews. As a company, Precor has been well known for the design, creation and marketing of some of the best treadmills, cycles, climbers, elliptical machines, cross trainers, stretch trainers and strength training systems, the fitness equipment industry has seen over the past 20 years.

Home Gyms

Kings Of Cardio — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:56:04 +0000

Send us in a picture of your home gym. We are looking for the best home gyms in the U.S.A. the Home Gym contest will be ending on Dec. 21, 2009 and at that moment we will be giving away a Life Fitness Treadmill, a Precor Elliptical, a Hoist or Vectra home gym, the StairMaster 4400pt and a rowing machine which we have not decided onm yet. Criteria is basen on how many pieces of fitness equipment you have, the quality of your sports exercise equipment and most importantly, how much you use it! So please also send us your best fitness picture. Long essays are unnecessary as pictures are worth a thousand words!

Sports Equipment & Gym Gear

Kings Of Cardio — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:57:54 +0000

Are you looking for sports equipment? If so, you have come to the right home fitness store! When is the last time your fitness equipment broke down? If you are like most people, then your exercise equipment and other sports equipment has had many service issues, and the home gym supplier that you purchased from, has done little to help.

The Kings of Cardio set ourselves apart from the rest of the fitness business by actually taking care of our customers. When you call and inquire about exercise equipment, we do not like to just give you a quick price, and then make the sale. Our fitness experts go the extra mile and pay attention to detail more than your standard sales rep just trying to get in your pocket! Whether you are looking for a treadmill, elliptical, an exercise bike, rowing machine, or other “fitness” equipment, our friendly staff full of friendly and informative personal trainers and fitness experts would take great pride in helping you chose the right piece of hoem fitness equipemnt for you!

Speaking of “Sports Equipment”, I was recently involved in an argument with a group of friends over which sport was more dangerous, Rugby or Football? I personally believe, and basically know for a fact, that American Football is much tougher on the body and causes more injuries than Rugby. Those sports fanatics that argue the other side, base their flawed argument on the fact that SPORTS EQUIPMENT is used in American Football and their is no SPORTS EQUIPMENT in Rugby! W A T ?????? That arguement makes zero sense.

The arguement that Rugby is more dangerous because they do not use sports equipment such as football helmets, shoulder pads and so on, is wrong for several reasons. First of all the flow of the game itself, American football that is, is sooooooo much faster than Rugby. The speed difference is extrememly relevant because when players move faster in Sports, whether or not they are using sports equipemnt, they are prone to more injury than if they were moving at slower speeds. For Example, if two cars collide and they are each moving at 10 miles and hour, there will not be nearly as much of an impact as there would be if they were moving at 50 miles per hour. For those of you who do not think the speed differential between American Football players and Rugby players is equal to that of the example mentioned above, then you are right. The speed difference is much greater! Football players are that much faster than rugby players that whether or not they are wearing sports equipment or not is irrelevant.

If you are looking for Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac, Kettler, BodyCraft, Cybex, BodySolid, Hoist, First Degree Fitness, or any other brand of fitness or weight equipement, then look no further. You have arrived at the promise land! Call 800-990-1108 right now for more exercise equipment and fitness info! Talk to you soon….