Cardio is widely renowned as a quick way to get fit. We’ve all had a friend who decided to turn their life around by changing their diet, waking up earlier and going for runs, signing up for sports or going to the gym. Unfortunately, not all of them have been successful. Now let’s say that you want to give it a try since after all, we only live once.
Let’s say you’re starting out wondering what type of exercise you should invest most of your time into: cardio or strength training. Another name for these two categories are aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise is characterized by longer periods of exercise of low to medium exertion which forces your body to conserve energy. Anaerobic exercise on the other hand is commonly associated with short bursts of high exertion such as with various types of weight lifting.
Whilst anaerobic exercise might have contributed to a more visible difference in your physique, it is actually aerobic fitness that is by far and away more important to your long-term health. Since aerobic exercise forces your body to tap into its reserves, it’s far more effective at improving one’s cardiovascular and respiratory function. What this does is improve your endurance rather than your raw strength. It brings with it a whole slew of health benefits such as a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, heart attack and stroke as well as strengthens your bone and muscle structures which help decrease the risk of injury and even decrease rates of osteoporosis later in life.
Choosing The Ideal Cardio Workout - Equipment
Planning out the ideal workout first comes with understanding what you need to purchase to take your workout to the next level. When the topic revolves around a cardio workout, no two pieces of exercise equipment get as much coverage as treadmills and rowing machines.
The Advantages of the Treadmill
An exercise is only effective if done right and in order to be done right, an exercise needs to be comprehensive and easy to understand. With that said, there is nothing simpler than getting on your treadmill and going on a run. With it’s simple yet effective formula, a treadmill is something that you can hop onto without any prior experience and make the most out of. Treadmills also come equipped with monitors that include workout apps and sometimes even live TV channels to keep you engaged.
The muscle groups utilized while running on your treadmill are what you would expect: calves, quadriceps, glutes as well as core muscles. The long and steady monotony of the treadmill makes sure that you can adjust the level of difficulty to whatever best suits your needs and thus maximize your results.
The Advantages of the Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is less widely known but is one of the best when it comes to having a full body workout. For those unfamiliar with the term, a full body workout refers to a workout regime that focuses on all 7 of the major muscle groups of the body: 1) chest, 2) legs, 3) shoulders, 4) back, 5) biceps, 6) triceps and 7) abdominals. The exercise consists of 3 motions: the catch, the drive, and the finish.
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The Catch: This involves leaning forward to grab the handle. Have your knees bend preferably at a 90 degrees angle as you come in and make sure to always keep your back as upright as possible.
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The Drive: Push with your arms and legs backwards and bring the handle back with you. Make sure to straighten out your legs whilst keeping your back straight to prevent injury.
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The Finish: Bring the handle to your body whilst keeping it low, pull it in and keep it at hip to abdominal level. Then after holding for a couple seconds, slowly release and reverse all previous steps to take you back to square one.
This process on the rowing machine works out all your muscles ranging from your back and shoulders to arms and legs to chest and abs, no part of the body is missed. What this in turn provides is a more balanced workout and one that will ultimately bring you more results. However, the rowing machine may also result in a higher risk of injury due to the need for proper technique to achieve those improved results.
Rowing machines also come equipped additionally with various electronic resistance levels that you can adjust depending on your physique as well as a monitor with various heart rate control programs as well as a competition mode to help you get the most out of your rowing machine.
Which Is Better - Treadmills or Rowing Machines?
At the end of the day, it all depends on your skill level and what your aspirations are. If you are someone who is willing to take a more casual approach to fitness, a treadmill is probably a better idea as it is more user-friendly and also allows you to entertain yourself in various ways whilst exercising such as watching your favorite Netflix show.
On the other hand, if you are someone that is looking for quick results, a rowing machine is probably the better option due to its full body focus. Its competitive aspect and attention to proper technique make sure you make the most out of your exercises without slacking off.
In terms of price comparisons, both are at the same price point with more affordable models being sold at $700-$800 with the more high-end brands going for as much as $2000.
Where Can I Get The Best Fitness Gear For Cardio?
At FitnessAvenue, we provide you with high quality, affordable and accessible models of not only treadmills and rowing machines but also strength equipment, fitness accessories, weights, boxing/MMA and more! Our rowing machines and treadmills also come with free shipping to make sure you worry less about your wallet and focus more on your New Year’s resolutions. If you’re interested and/or want to learn more, don’t hesitate to visit us at https://www.fitnessavenue.ca/category/ZTRM/treadmills and https://www.fitnessavenue.ca/category/ZROW/rowers for our top of the line treadmills and rowing machines or visit our main website at www.fitnessavenue.ca for more!