Tag Archives: exercise machines

Exercises That are a Complete Waste of Your Time

I want to start this out by saying, that in no way is exercise ever pointless or a waste of time. Something is always better than nothing and any amount of exercise should be celebrated.

That being said, there are a lot of “classic” exercises people stick to that really aren’t doing much for your fitness- either because there is a more effective way to work the same muscles, or the exercise you think is hitting certain areas really isn’t hitting anything at all.

People get a little prickly when you tell them their tried and true favorite anything isn’t working for them- but especially when it comes to messing with someone’s health routine. In fact, in the American Council on Exercise personal training certification manual it flat out tells you if someone isn’t going to hurt themselves, either with exercise or nutritionally, like in the case of supplements and vitamins, let ’em be. It’s better to not turn anyone off of diet and exercise than try to be right if it really isn’t life and death.

So, just for fun, let’s take a look at some exercises that people waste a lot of time on, and how it could be better spent in the pursuit of fitness.

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Posted on May 2, 2023 by Kelly

Get the Most Out of Your Treadmill Workout

Nothing drives me more insane as a personal trainer than seeing someone at the gym walk on the treadmill for over an hour. There they are when I walk in the door to warm up, and there they remain after my entire workout is over.

No wait, I take that back. Probably as equally frustrating is seeing people on the treadmill with the incline jacked up to 15 while hanging onto the machine for dear life.

Either way, just because the display on the treadmill says that you burned a certain amount of calories doesn’t mean you actually did. If you are hanging on like Tom Cruise to a cliff in Mission Impossible 2, you aren’t working as hard as the treadmill thinks you are, so cut the calories burned total in half.

The treadmill seems simple enough. Hop on and walk- or run, if you’re feeling saucy. However, just putting in the time on the treadmill isn’t going to cut it. You have to make it count. Why waste your time and effort when you can get more results in a fraction of both?

There are a lot of variables you can use to get the most out of your treadmill workout, so pick a favorite, or a combination, of the below and cut down on the amount of time you are on the treadmill while burning more calories than ever before.

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Posted on April 19, 2024 by Kelly

Kathie Lee and Hoda Host Today on Treadmills

Lose It Tune in this Friday, January 7th, to Today to see Kathie Lee and Hoda of the Scoop working out. That’s right, the two hosts will host the entire hour-long episode of Today while working out on an elliptical, a bike or a treadmill. The show will also feature a calorie counter at the bottom of the screen, so that you can see just how much these two ladies are really burning.

Losing weight is the most common New Year’s resolution, and this show should be a great inspiration for you to get moving towards your goal. Just as Hoda and Kathie Lee have found a way to work out at work, you too can find more ways to get physical activity into your life every day. (more…)

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Health Buzz

Ciclotte Combines Fitness and Home Decor

Home exercise equipment is a convenient way to workout: no gym memberships to pay for, no commute to and from the gym, no worrying about what you’re wearing and how look and you can fit in a little exercise whenever you have a few spare minutes.

The downside, however, is home fitness machines are bulky and unattractive, so much so, that treadmills are now designed to fold up to save space and be less conspicuous, and a major selling point of home gym infomercials is that you can slide the machine under your bed or fit it in a closet. Fitness equipment is ugly, plain and simple, and sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise well-decorated, comfortable home.

But shouldn’t we be proud of our fitness equipment? If the point if it is to seamlessly fit fitness into our everyday lives, aren’t we selling ourselves short with equipment we are embarrassed to show off? (more…)

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Kelly

Top 3 Gym Machine Exercises

Finding time to exercise these days requires dedication and a huge time commitment. As a personal trainer, I am in the gym 24/7 and have no excuse not to workout. It is recommended that you work out for at least 30 minutes a day for five days a week. This includes walking, jogging, hiking, weight training, fitness classes, etc.

But after driving to the gym, changing clothes, and warming-up, it’s already been 45 minutes. Tacking on another 30 minutes is brutal. With that in mind, there are three machines in the gym that are extremely important to use if you’re lacking time: chest press, seated row, and leg press.

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Posted on June 7, 2023 by Matt