Machines to Get Your Body Humming

Machines to Get Your Body Humming

Exercise machines can be divided into the same categories as exercises themselves—strength training, aerobic conditioning, and even flexibility enhancement. Fitness centers’ gyms are equipped with an arsenal of apparatus, while a home gym (see Chapter 16, “Where to Work Out”) usually just has one or two pieces—except perhapsin the home gyms of movie stars and millionaires. In most health clubs, the strength-training equipment is found in a weight room along with free weights, while the cardio equipment is grouped in another part of the facility. Home versions of many pieces are available, but they usually are not as heavy or as sturdy as gym models. Commercial gym models also have more sophisticated instrumentation and readouts than home models. Still, the purposes and functions of commercial and home equipment are similar.