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.

Top 10 Home Gyms:
1.) Body-Solid EXM 1500s
2.) BodyCraft X2 Family Express
3.) BodyCraft Galena Pro
4.) Life Fitness G7
5.) Precor S3.23
6.) Body-Solid EXM 3000 LPS
7.) Free Motion EXT Smith Home Gym
8.) Body-Craft 4 Stack X4 Commercial
9.) Weider 2980
10.) Nordic Track Functional Trainer

Obesity has reached an all time high in America. This is due to poor eating habits, as well as inactivity caused by laziness. Exercise and physical fitness are typically moved to the back of the mind once people mature, become fully employed and have family responsibilities. However, one should realize, as we become older and we are less active throughout our everyday life, we must dedicate more time, rather than less, towards exercising and doing as much as possible to stay healthy and physically fit. Unites States citizens eat too much, don’t exercise enough and rely on pills for their well being, this has to change. People in America need to fully understand the importance of using gym equipment regularly, in order to reach optimal levels of health and fitness.

Parents have a great responsible to keep their children healthy and fit. Shopping for exercise machines excites people. They wonder how much better they could look and feel if in fact they used fitness equipment daily, or on a regular basis. All of us, especially those searching through fitness equipment stores, understand that being physically fit has tremendous upside, and the easiest way to stay in shape, is to have home workout equipment in your home, available to use at your convenience. Studies prove that families with home gym equipment such as treadmills, home gums, stair climbers, rowing machines, ellipticals and other gym equipment, are more likely to spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising than families without fitness equipment in their home.

Therefore, if you are serious about looking good and feeling great, put together a home gym package for yourself. Buying a piece of cardio equipment, such as a treadmilll or exercise bike, and a strength piece such as a single or double stack multi-station home gym, will make life easier when it come to squeezing in an hour a day to exercise.

The more technique you have, the less you have top worry about. From an athletic perspective, people who use superior technique, typically prevail over those who do not. Proper technique and form are the most important variables associated with lifting weights. Strength training can become an ergonomic nightmare for those who chose to neglect the fact that one must remain in a safe, sturdy and balanced position, at all times when using free weight equipment.

The classic line, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog” is as applicable to weight training, as it is to fighting. Inferior size and natural ability can be overcome by one who emphasizes technique and body positioning above all else. Practice through numerous sets and repetitions is only beneficial for those who do so with the correct bio-mechanics. For example, the annual hot dog eating championship, as seen on ESPN, always has a skinny winner, while the fat contestants stare in awe, as some 5’7, 138 pound, skinny as a rail 22 year old, crushes his competition and hoists the trophy for a contest that is expected to have an obese winner. Professional body builders use ergonomically sound, bio-mechanically correct form, while exercising. Maintaining balance and proper form while working out helps prevent injuries.

Poor form, although it may not feel painful immediately, can lead to significant discomfort down the road, for those who neglect the importance of exercising the right way. For example, many people like to arch their back when using the bench press. Arching ones back allows for more weight to be lifted and for more repetitions to be completed. Accomplishments are not genuine if one chooses to cut corners through the use of improper form to get there.

One step to making sure that you maintain proper form is to get a personal trainer to help you with your cardio and strength exercises. Nothing beats having a partner with you to push you to your limits while exercising. It is always optimal to have a friend or personal trainer with you while you exercise. Never underestimate the importance of having someone with you while you exercise with fitness equipment. In order to achieve maximum results,make sure you have an extra set of eyes and ears with you when you go to your health club or home gym.

Staying in shape and maintaining a solid figure are bi-products of hard work and practice with fitness equipment. People often over emphasize innate athleticism and ones ability to become good at physical activity. Why do people so often correlate natural athletic ability with ones potential? When it comes to getting in shape, all exercise really is, is practice, practice, practice. If you run on a treadmill or elliptical trainer for 6 hours a day, trust us, not only will you know the piece of fitness equipment like the back of your hand, but you will look like you live in a gym.

If you take the time to learn proper technique and practice cardiovascular exercises such as running, with strength workouts such as lifting weights, then eventually you will become a master of your body and its appearance. If you are out of shape, lazy, weak and/or slow, the great thing is that you have all the upside in the world and all you need is a treadmill, a home gym, some inspiration and 30 minutes a day. Seriously, that is all it will take if you want to build muscle, lose weight, while looking and feeling lean.

Although most people want to fit in the same jeans they wore in high-school, taking the time and effort in order to do the exercise necessary to look and feel, thin and firm. More people use their home fitness equipment as a coat-hanger than an exercise machine.  If you put in the time on your Precor elliptical cross-trainer, or your Life Fitness 95Ti treadmill, the results will show. Fitness equipment has become more user friendly than ever and the various motivating exercise programs designed by fitness equipment companies such as Life Fitness and Precor, really allow users to go the extra distance while having fun at the same time as going through an intense workout.

It’s nice to be home for the holidays and see family and friends. Catching up on what all of your favorite people are doing is always a good thing. The only bad part apart going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas is that we tend to eat way too many calories during while we socialize and hang out with the people that are closest to us. Try and imagine the last time you went to a family gathering and did not leave 10 lbs. heavier? The problem with consuming too many calories is that it can be very detrimental towards our health and long term happiness. The recipe for mixing your favorite indulgences while remaining healthy can be easy to follow as long as you live by the code of “moderation.” In other words, anything in moderation is fine, and as long as you are active and exericse regularly, those extra calories consumed during the holidays with family will burn right off!

Get your home gyms and treadmills tuned up and ready for the change of weather! Soon it will be cold in most parts of the country and nobody likes exercising outside in cold weather. At least most people that work for the Kings of Cardio, but then again, we get the nice and sunny weather of beautiful Los Angeles, CA.
For those of you who are not as weatherly blessed as we are here in Los Angeles, you must not stop running and walking just because it is starting to get dark earlier and colder by the day. The great thing about purchasing home gym equipment is that once you have it, your options remain open, and you can always go back outside once in a while to exercise during winter, but make life easier for yourself and get some home fitness equipment.

The most common excuse for not neing able to work out and exercise on a daily basis is “Well I just don’t have enough time in my day.” While for most of us this excuse holds merit, we fail to realize how important daily exercise really is towards our health and overall well being. With that said, you need to carve out that 30 minute time frame each and every day in order to maintain a fit amd healthy body. Home fitness equipment is so essential to those who do not have the luxury of taking 2 hours out of there day to go to the gym.  Having a treadmill or an elliptical, or any other piece of exercise equipment at home will make fitting the time to exercise in your daily routine that much easier.

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!

The REPUPATION of the manufacturer who produces the exercise machinery you are looking at is important as well. GREAT NAME BRANDS INCLUDE KETTLER, BODY-SOLID, BODYCRAFT, PRECOR, LIFE FITNESS, STAR TRAC, CYBEX AND STAIRMASTER. Try and do some quick homework on the brand name of the piece of home or commercial fitness equipment that you are looking to buy. Most of the time you will find that the company you are looking into is entirely legit and manufactures quality machinery (especially if you purchase with the Kings of Cardio) but sometimes you will find that the company in which you are looking into doesnt have a good reputation at all. Many off-brands and private labeled products come with illegitamate warranties and are prone to breaking down. It is absolutely a must that you not buy brands such as these. With all of the great fitness equipment brands such as Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac and Cybex (some other too), why in the world would you ever gamble on a company that has negative reviews? It would make no sense. If you really want to be the guy who gets Georged by some sly fox salesman on some toy, they call a piece of cardio equipment, then by all means go for it! Maybe you can be the guy that gets a piece of fitness equipment that matches up with those of your friends that cost double what yours cost. I tried to be that guy with a stereo system once. When some slicksters came up to my car and offered me what looked like a $2000.00 stereo for $150 and some Tupac CD’s, I jumped at the opportunity, hahhahaha opportunity, and bought it ($125 and some CD’s….seriously). Then after I bought this sweet looking stereo from these sharks, I called all my friends and told them to meet me at my house to see the new amazing stereo I bought at a fraction of what they all paid for theirs and well we all know what happened…..unless your a… well…. anyway it didnt work at all, and that is exactly what is going to happen to you when you buy some piece of exercise equipment called the Super Track by some freak who goes by the name of Super John the Fitness Don. But like I said, if you really want to give it one shot, then go for it and gamble! Good luck and remember we told you so. BUY A PIECE OF HOME GYM EQUIPMENT THAT IS MADE BY A REPUTABLE COMPANY!