Gym fitness equipment names and how to use them

The mainstream equipment in the gym is divided into two categories: aerobic and strength. The core principle of getting started with aerobic equipment is to "match your own exercise ability, adjust the intensity, and control the heart rate in the 60%-80% range of the maximum heart rate (220 - age)". The core principle of strength equipment is "first find the target muscle group to exert force, and then gradually increase the weight. It is better to be 20 pounds lighter than to compensate." All the remaining details revolve around these two sentences. Don't worry about not remembering it. You can basically master 80% of the commonly used equipment after practicing three or five times.

In the first week after I joined the gym, I rode the elliptical machine every day, and my knees started to hurt. After asking three different coaches, I found out that there are actually two schools of thought on how to use this device. One school advocates keeping the soles of your feet against the pedals and not lifting your heels at all. They say this can minimize the pressure on your knees and is suitable for people who are heavy or have knee injuries.； The other group believes that by lifting the heel appropriately, it can reach the back of the calf, and there is no risk of injury to ordinary people. In fact, both schools are right. You can choose according to your own situation. For beginners, it is recommended to press the soles of the feet with the whole foot and adjust the resistance to 3-5. Don't turn it up to 10, just like stepping on Hot Wheels. In fact, it is all inertia and useless. If you are over 170cm tall, be sure to adjust the elliptical machine to more than 50cm if you choose an elliptical machine with an adjustable stride. Otherwise, if you step on it with your legs crossed for half an hour, it will be strange if your knees don’t hurt.

When it comes to aerobics, we have to mention the treadmill that everyone is most familiar with. The treadmill rate of this thing is higher than that of the elliptical machine. A while ago, my colleague went on the treadmill and ran 8 yards every day in order to increase his exercise step count. After half a month of running, his meniscus hurt and he had to struggle to go up and down stairs. Later, I found out that he just smashed the soles of his feet on the ground and leaned forward while holding on to the handrail, which was equivalent to putting all the weight of his upper body on the handrail. His waist collapsed like a big shrimp. It would be strange to hurt his knees and waist. There is also controversy about the footing posture of running: veterans with sufficient strength and stable core are used to landing on the balls of their feet, which has a good cushioning effect. ； However, ordinary people do not have enough core control. It is still recommended to land with the heel first and then roll to the ball of the forefoot. Although it takes a little effort, it is safer. Novices don’t really need to run hard at the beginning. They can start by walking briskly at an incline of 3-5 and a speed of 5-6. If you can complete a sentence without gasping and doing the splits, the intensity is just right. Also, don’t grab the handrails! Don't grab the handrail! Don't grab the handrail! Say important things three times, and practicing while holding on to the handrails is equivalent to at least a 50% discount.

Oh, and there are also spinning bikes. Many people are in so much pain that they can’t get off the bike after the first cycling class. 90% of the time, the seat height is not adjusted correctly. The correct height is when you stand on the ground, with the seat at your hips. When riding, push to the lowest point and your knees are just slightly bent. They will not lock up or bend too much. If the adjustment is correct, you will not feel pain after riding for an hour. If the adjustment is wrong, your knees will become useless after 20 minutes of riding. I have seen many little girls adjust the resistance to a very low level when riding standing up to look cool, and pedal so hard that they fly fast. In fact, it is completely useless, and they are easy to fall. It is better to adjust the resistance to a higher level and pedal slowly, which will have a better fat-burning effect.

Strength is more controversial, and the first one to bear the brunt is the Smith frame. The fitness circle has been arguing for almost ten years: one group says that the trajectory of the Smith frame is fixed, limiting the natural movement path of the joints, and what is produced is "dead strength", which is not used in daily life, and it is easy to grind the shoulders and injure the waist because of the wrong trajectory.； The other group loves the Smith frame, especially novices. They don’t have to spend energy on controlling balance. As long as the movements are correct and the target muscle groups can be hit accurately, they can dare to lift weight without protection, and they don’t have to worry about being hit in the face by the bar when bench pressing. I personally think it can be used by novices. For example, when practicing deep squats, put the bar on the trapezius muscles without pressing the cervical spine, step forward 10-15cm with your feet, squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, and then stand up. Don’t squat too deep and collapse your waist. It is very effective in training the buttocks and legs. It is not too late to switch to free barbell squats after you have the foundation.

Similar to the Smith frame, there are also fixed equipment such as leg presses, seated shoulder presses, and seated rowing machines. They are all beginner-friendly. The track will be stuck for you. As long as you adjust the seat angle, you will basically not make a big mistake. I always felt my quads were so sore when I was doing leg presses before, and I couldn't feel my hips at all. Later, the coach adjusted the position of my feet 5cm higher. The next day, my hips were so sore that I had to hold on to the wall when going down the stairs. Do you think it's magical or not? Generally speaking, if you step your feet higher to train your buttocks, if you step your feet lower to train the front of your thighs, don't buckle your knees inward when pedaling, and don't pedal to the top to lock your knees, and you'll be fine.

When it comes to free weights, I most recommend beginners to start with dumbbells. They are really versatile and can be used for shoulder, chest, back and arm exercises. The only requirement is not to be embarrassed and choose ones that are too heavy. I saw a young man doing lateral raises last week. He took a 10kg dumbbell and swung his entire upper body. His trapezius muscles almost reached the base of his ears. Shouldn't he make his neck as thick as his head after a month of training? For beginners, just choose a weight that can be done 12-15 times just to failure. There is really no shame in using 2.5kg or 5kg for lateral raises. The standard of movement is better than anything else. If you want to play with barbells, especially deadlifts and heavy bench presses, it is recommended that you find a reliable coach to teach you two or three lessons first, and then you can practice the movements smoothly before practicing on your own. I have seen too many people deadlift and push heavy weights, and their waists slip. They lie down for half a month and develop lumbar protrusions.

Oh yes, there is also the rope of the gantry, which is really a treasure equipment that many people ignore. Unlike the dumbbells that lose tension when they are raised to the highest point, the rope has tension throughout the whole process. For chest training, the rope chest clamp is much more friendly to novices than the dumbbell fly, and it is not easy to throw it on the shoulders. For back training, rope pull-downs and rope rows can also accurately find the force of the back. Novices can try it more.

Finally, to be honest, there is really no need to pursue all the equipment. My friend just relied on a treadmill and a pair of dumbbells. After practicing for half a year, his body fat dropped by 12%, and his clothes were two sizes smaller. There are also people who know how to use all the equipment by heart. If they can’t go to the gym once a week, it will be useless. The core is not about how many pieces of equipment you use, but about using each piece of equipment in a standard manner and really training the target muscle groups. If you are really not sure whether the movement is correct or not, ask a passing coach. Most coaches will be willing to point out your mistakes. It is better than getting injured by practicing blindly, right?