If you live in an area where running outside is difficult, you can still train for a 5k. In fact, your training can be as easy as going to the living room or your gym. All you need is a treadmill and a plan of attack.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to prep for a 5k using a treadmill. Whether it’s your first 5k or you’re a seasoned veteran, you’ll love this 5k treadmill workout – keep reading to get started!

Why Try a 5k Treadmill Workout?

If you haven’t done much distance running (or walking), a 5k is a great place to start. The run is just over 3 miles long, which offers enough of a challenge to work up to, but won’t feel overwhelming for beginners.

Training is an important part of getting ready, but training outside isn’t always realistic. Rough terrain, rain, or a lack of safe running spaces can make practicing feel impossible. But when you have a treadmill to work with, the obstacles fall away and you can focus on your upcoming 5k.

How to Train for a 5k on a Treadmill

Whether you use a gym membership or a home treadmill doesn’t matter. With the right training plan, you’ll be ready for your 5k fast. It’s all about including the right blend of intensities, and gradually working up to your distance and speed goals.

Let’s take a closer look at exactly how to build up to a 5k with a treadmill.

Make Your Schedule

A solid 5k treadmill workout should start between five and 12 weeks before the 5k starts. This way, your body can adjust at its own pace, and your muscles will be able to catch up to this new, strenuous activity.

Give yourself about half an hour to train, five to six days a week. Combine jogging, running, and walking during your workouts, and don’t skip your recovery days. Your body needs to be able to rest up before the workouts start again.

Ideally, you’ll take one or two days off from your 5k treadmill training plan each week. Walking also serves to let your body recover – do a walking workout two to three days a week, between your more intense days.

Interval Training

Rotating between high-intensity and low-intensity workout activities in a session is called interval training. This will improve your capabilities and your endurance levels so you can master the 5k when it comes.

Try using intervals of running and jogging so you’ll be ready when race day comes. Interval training is easy on a treadmill – you can just adjust the speed between running, jogging, and walking as needed. Do interval training at least three times each week.

Before you start an interval session, give yourself five minutes to warm up at a slower pace. Then, increase the speed to a running or jogging speed for a minute or two, and use a walking interval to recover.

Increase the Running

A 5k treadmill workout should involve gradually increasing your jogging or running amounts versus your walking amounts. When you start a 12-week treadmill workout, you should spend most of your time walking. You might have a 30-minute workout and do two minutes of walking interspersed with a minute of running until the time’s up.

If that’s overwhelming to your body, you can also do 30 seconds of running each interval, and walk for a minute and a half. However, each week, add a little bit more running time. This steady increase will soon have you running for most of your workouts – and it’ll seem easy.

Treadmill Hill Workout for Beginners

Hill workouts are easy to do on a treadmill because you can adjust how steep the incline is.

Even if your 5k route doesn’t involve any hills, it’s still a good idea to do some hill training. You’ll have more speed, strength, and most importantly, confidence when you master the hills on your treadmill.

For a hill repeat exercise, start by warming up, then increase the hill incline for an interval, followed by a recovery interval. Repeat this until you’ve finished your workout for the day, or follow it with a different workout.

Sprinting

You can also add sprints as part of your interval training. As always, begin with a five-minute warmup of walking or light jogging. Then, spend 30 seconds at a more intense pace. Recover with a minute and a half of jogging.

Keep up with the sprint intervals, then end with five minutes of cooldown time. Since you’ll be sweating, it’s not a bad idea to keep a clean towel near the treadmill during these workouts.

Pyramid System

Another good way to design your interval training is with the pyramid method. After your warmup, start running at your target 5k pace for a minute, then rest for a minute. Follow this with two minutes of hard running and two minutes of recovery. Keep adding minutes until you’ve reached your pyramid’s “top,” then work back down the pyramid, ending with your five-minute cooldown.

Cross Training

With cross training, you add in another activity besides running. You might use an elliptical, do some yoga, lift weights, or anything else that’s available to you.

When you have a 5k treadmill training plan, cross training can be great because it’ll make your training less monotonous. If you find yourself dreading your treadmill workouts, you probably need to break things up a bit.

Ready to Start Your 5k Treadmill Training Plan?

Learning how to train for a 5k is easier than you might think. This plan has everything you need to get started and work your way up to a successful race! It’s all about sticking to your schedule and not pushing your body too hard.

Of course, you can’t start a 5k treadmill workout without a treadmill. Check out our guide to the top treadmills of the year here.

The post How to Train For a 5k Using a Treadmill appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

Boxing has grown and shifted as a sport and, today, we’re lucky enough to have the means to box in our own home!

If you’re looking to begin boxing, Vivotion have a large amount of boxing outfit options.

We’ve compiled a list of the best boxing workouts you can do at home. Before we dive into those workouts, let’s dive a little deeper into what boxing really is and how to make sure your form is correct.

Boxing 101

We’re all familiar with famous boxers like Muhammad Ali and fictional heroes like Rocky Balboa. What makes boxing so popular is that it’s very accessible. Most people can box, train, and grow in the sport.

Successful boxing workouts engage your entire body. If you’re just beginning, you will undoubtedly be sore in places you’ve never been sore before. That’s because boxing engages everything, including your mind.

Boxing is very good for mental health. Not only will you feel more confident, but the focus associated with boxing is good for your brain.

Moat boxing workouts begin in front of a punching bag, speed bag, double end bag, or you can choose not to use a bag.

The correct form is slightly skewed, with your side to the bag. Your non-dominant foot forward, hands to your face. Remember, to always hold your fists up to protect your face. After every punch, your fist should snap back to protect yourself every time.

Punching requires your entire body, not just your arms. When you punch, you should always turn your entire body into it. If you’re just beginning, you may naturally stay firm, feet flat on the ground. Resist this urge and think “light feet”.

Staying on the balls of your feet help you move around the bag quicker. When you’re just beginning, you will undoubtedly suffer from slow foot movements but as you progress, you’ll find that you’re able to quickly move around the bag to punch, duck, or pull back.

The main punches in boxing are:

• Jab
• Cross
• Hook
• Uppercut

A jab is a quick punch with your non-dominant hand, the hand closest to the bag. A cross is done with your dominant hand and your entire body twists with the movement. Hooks are also full-body punches with the real power coming from your hips. Twist your body and punch the side of the bag with your elbow out. Finally, an uppercut is an upwards punch.

All of your punches should be short, but jabs should be long.

Think of the bag as a person. A jab helps you keep your distance, but more powerful punches are done close to the body.

Watch this video to see how to punch correctly.

Helpful Tips

• Punch light, stay in form, and make every punch
• Push yourself to sweat and burn, but be careful not to over-train
• Stay hydrated

Once you have the best boxing equipment of 2018, a bottle of water, and energy, try these boxing workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home!

Working Out with a Punching Bag

Once you have your own personal punching bag set up correctly. You can start your very own fight club!

Boxing with a punching bag is a great workout that you can perform at your own discretion. Make an invigorating playlist, move around the bag, and create your own routine.

To help you begin, we’ve put together a simple boxing routine to get you started.

To begin, perform 20 straight punches to warm you up. Once you’ve hit 20, perform five left hooks and repeat with five right hooks. End with ten uppercuts, alternating hands.

Make the most of the bag by focusing on your legs too. Kick the lower half of the bag, keeping your hands up and protecting your face, five times with your right leg, followed by the left leg.

Repeat five high kicks with the right leg, followed by five high kicks with the left leg.

Finally, drive one knee up into the bag in a knee-strike for five times, before repeating with the other leg.

Stay inspired with a workout calendar and keep track of your progress!

Working Out with a Speed or Double End Bag

Punching bags aren’t the only way to box at home. Speed bags or double end bags may be smaller but they each come with their own advantages.

Speed bags are fun, fast, and garner great results. Improve your hand-eye coordination, increase your endurance, refine your timing, and of course, speed it up!

Once your speed bag is inflated, punch the bag hard and count the number of times it hits your backboard. If it’s three, try to continue to get three rebounds. Start by hitting the bag ten times with each arm and count your rebounds.

Double end bags are just as fun! Once you’re all set up, build a routine and move around the routine.

We recommend creating combos that work for you and your goals.

Shadowboxing

Don’t have equipment with you? Don’t fear, shadowboxing is here!

Make sure that you have a large space where you can move around. While you may not have a bag, it’s important to keep your body moving as if you’re fighting an opponent. Keep in mind that boxing is a sport based on movement and fluidity.

If you have a spacious room with a large mirror that’s even better. Shadowboxing is imagining an opponent. With a mirror, you can use your reflection to aim your punches and keep an eye on your form.

Build a routine like you would if you were fighting an opponent or opposite a punching bag. This is an opportunity to correct sloppy form and pay close attention to your footwork.

Move around the room and use the entire space in your “fight”.

Don’t just focus on the offensive, practice your defense too. In between your punches, include blocking and parrying.

Break your workout up into rounds. If you’re just starting out, try to 5 rounds at 2 minutes with short breaks in between, no longer than 2 minutes.

A little more experienced? Increase the number of rounds and make them each 3 minutes.

Looking for More Boxing Workouts?

Inspired and ready for more? Check out our helpful boxing guide that’s full of the best tips and tricks to make every punch count.

Expand your fitness routine to include more than just boxing. A well-rounded routine contains healthy meals, cardio, and running never hurts! Thankfully, Simply Fitness Equipment has everything you need to get started.

The post A Guide to the Best At-Home Boxing Workouts appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

Some of the stuff you’ll need you might already have at home. As with any sport, investing in quality equipment can have a direct impact on your performance and enjoyment.

There’s no need for anything fancy, but having the right gear is important.

Boxing is an extreme workout, so be prepared to feel the burn in every part of your body. It’s more important to buy the right boxing equipment than to buy the most expensive.

So, let’s take a look at what you need.

Your Guide to Buying the Best Boxing Equipment

Whether you’re a total beginner or expert, the right boxing equipment can make all the difference in your training. Keep reading to learn what you need to know.

The Basic Gear for Training Alone

There are two ways you can train for boxing: alone, or with a sparring partner. Training alone requires less equipment because you aren’t getting punched by anyone, so there’s no need for protective headgear or a mouthguard.

Jump Rope

Jumping rope is a great exercise for warming up. It builds strength in your legs and arms while helping you develop hand/eye coordination and stamina. Jumping rope works up a sweat and gets your blood pumping before a session of hitting the heavy bag.

Hand Wraps

You have to protect your hands. They are your weapons. Hand wraps are a simple and effective way to protect them from Boxer’s Fracture while adding sturdiness to your punches. Your hands are full of tiny bones that can get easily broken or fractured, even with padded gloves on. Hand wraps also keep your gloves clean from blood and sweat.

Punch Mitts

These are not the same as boxing gloves. They certainly aren’t for use in the ring. Punch mitts are for working on speed and accuracy outside the ring. Because they are light, they are perfect for developing punching precision.

Speed Bag

It’s a good idea to have a speed bag in your home gym for practicing fast punches. This is another great exercise for developing hand/eye coordination.

Working a speed bag effectively requires skill, stamina, and reflexes. You will typically want to wear punching mitts to work the speed bag rather than boxing gloves because this discipline is about speed rather than power.

Bag Gloves

Bag gloves look a lot like normal competition boxing gloves but are actually not as padded. Bag gloves are lighter than competition gloves but heavier and thicker than punching mitts. These are designed for punching the heavy bag.

Bag gloves are an item you’d be wise to spend a little extra for. This is one place where quality counts because better gloves will save your hands. Get a good pair that has Velcro fasteners. Your hands will thank you.

Heavy Bag

A heavy bag weighs close to 70 pounds and is designed to take hard punches. These are typically filled with sand or water, come covered in leather or canvas, and hang from a swivel.

Working the heavy bag is where you will lose a lot of sweat and build muscle.

Boxers spend endless hours pounding the heavy bag, so this is another area where we suggest not being stingy with your cash. Buy a good durable one that can handle many thousands of powerful punches.

Timer

A timer is something you don’t need to invest a lot of money in. A cheap stopwatch will work just fine, though there are plenty of fancier options on the market. The purpose of a timer is simply to monitor your training session. It’s wise to keep track of how many minutes you spend on the heavy bag, speed bag, and jumping rope so that you can accurately track your fitness level, speed, and endurance.

Training with a Partner

When you start sparring with a partner, it will not take long to figure out your true skill level. The heavy bag never punches back, whereas your sparring partner definitely will. You are going to take punches to the face and body, and these punches are going to hurt. So you are going to need more than the basic gear that you’ve used when training alone.

Headgear

Without headgear, you are going get knocked out early and often. Don’t be cheap when it comes to this boxing equipment. Spend money on quality. Headgear is designed to protect important stuff like your ears and brain. Punches will come hard and fast and will make contact with lots of soft tissue. Wearing good headgear is the first step toward reducing the odds of a concussion.

Mouthguard

Remember, you are going to get him in the mouth. Hard. Repeatedly. So, unless you plan to lose all your teeth, you’re going to need a mouthguard. A mouthguard doesn’t have to cost a ton of money, just makes sure it’s comfortable and allows you to breathe.

The most common are “boil-and-form” that are designed to be softened in boiling water, then inserted into the mouth to form to the shape of your teeth. Or you can go the more expensive route and get one custom made.

Sparring Gloves

These are the heavier gloves you’ll actually wear in the ring. These are far more protective than punching mitts or bag gloves. They are heavier, with more padding.

Body Protectors

A body protector is an option for anyone not yet ready to feel the pain of body blows. This piece of equipment safely covers your most delicate body parts, including your groin. A body protector is intended for use during sparring sessions so that you can remain as bruise-free as possible.

Boxing Shoes

There’s no need spending any money on shoes when you start out. But, you’ll want good ones in the future. Owning a good pair of boxing shoes is more about moving around the ring without slipping. Boxing shoes keep you from slipping and falling down, especially when sweat and blood get on the floor.

How to Know What You Need

Investing in boxing equipment boils down to skill level. When you are starting out, there’s no need to buy more than the basics. You will train alone first, so items like headgear and sparring gloves will be unnecessary.

Don’t get carried away. Start with a heavy bag and punching mitts. These are items you can easily use to workout in the garage or basement, and then add equipment as your skills and stamina increase.

Click here for more great tips on finding the best boxing equipment for you.

The post Your Guide to Buying the Best Boxing Equipment appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

Burning up to 50% more calories than on an elliptical trainer, you can obtain an awesome cardio workout plus increase the resistance to put your muscles through the wringer.

We’ve divided these rowing machine workouts up according to goals – losing weight, getting ripped and building stamina. But first, make sure your form is on point.

There’s something for everyone, so read on for our guide to the best rowing machine workouts.

Form is King

A word about form, before we get started. Get this wrong and you’ll cause more problems than you’ll solve.

Follow these steps for success:

• Strap your feet in nice and tight
• Power through the motion using your thighs
• Don’t lock your knees
• Keep your back straight – no hunching
• Keep your head up – eyes looking forward
• Bring the handlebar into your upper abs
• Breathe out as you pull, breathe in on the return

The point about strapping your feet in will just save you a lot of hassle – no-one wants to break off to adjust their straps mid-workout.

The remaining points though are crucial. Ignore any of these points, and with the repetitive nature of the workout, could cause serious problems in the long-run.

Now you know the correct form, let’s see what workouts give you the results you want.

Workouts for Weight Loss

The best rowing machine workouts for weight loss focus on one thing – interval training. This can work for you whether you have a few pounds or some serious weight to lose.

There are two methods to increase intensity when using a rowing machine – increase your speed, or increase the resistance.

Try these workouts to put your body into a fat burning state:

Minute On, Minute Off

Warm-up your muscles first with a gentle 3/4 minute warm-up at a relaxed pace.

Now, kick it up a notch for 60 seconds, going at it with full intensity. Monitor your calories or distance covered – you’re going to want to try to beat that next time.

Then, relax for 60 seconds – keep rowing, but at a lower intensity.

Then, repeat.

At first, try 3 or 4 sets – building up to 10+ sets as your fitness increases.

Fartlek Training

Once you’ve stopped snickering about the name, you’ll enjoy the Fartlek style of rowing machine workouts, as they bring variety to the formula set out above.

The key is using random patterns of intensity, alternative high, medium and light periods of intensity. This not only makes it more interesting for you, but stops the body getting stuck in a rut and becoming used to the intensity.

There are no set plans, so work out what you want to achieve and experiment with mixing things up.

Workouts for Getting Ripped

The awesome thing about the rowing machine is that it targets so many muscle groups – legs, abs, arms, upper back and hips all get a workout.

Here are a couple of great ideas to help you achieve the cover model body you’re after:

Intense On/Off

Similar to minute on/minute off, but with shorter bursts and higher intensity.

Your initial challenge is to go for broke for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Aim for a power distribution of 60% legs, 20% arms and 20% core as you pull through the stroke.

Mastered that? Try it for 15 or 20 minutes, or raise the resistance. Keep pushing yourself and you’ll feel every sinew it’s targeting.

Combination Workout

Perfect for the home gym as you don’t need any extra equipment, try a combination of rowing machine and push-ups.

This exploits the best of both exercises and breaks up the monotony which can be an issue for some rowing machine users.

Start off with 1000 metres of moderate to high-intensity rowing, then unshackle yourself and hit the gym mat, pounding out 20 push-ups.

Back on the rowing machine for a further 750 metres, but this time up the push-ups to 30. Keep this cycle going until after 4 complete sets, you’re on a 250/50 split.

You’re body will be screaming if you can keep it up, but you’ll be laughing as the definition starts to emerge.

Workouts for Building Stamina

A rowing machine is an awesome tool for building stamina and endurance. The key is to get the time or distance right so that it doesn’t turn into a repetitive strain machine.

Here are two great challenges that will send your endurance levels skyrocketing:

5K Challenge

This is a challenge that you can use in a variety of ways.

It can be a great endurance building cool down, as you gradually decrease your speed over the course of the 5K.

Or, you can challenge yourself to go at it as hard as you can for the whole distance. Record your time so that you can challenge yourself to beat it next time.

Whichever you choose, make sure you’ve got something motivational to listen to – that will help you maintain the pace you’ve chosen.

Rowing Pyramid

This workout isn’t the quickest, but it builds endurance by increasing the length of the high-intensity period each time, before slowly reducing again.

Start with a 5 minute warm-up at a medium pace.

Now go two minutes flat out, followed by two minutes at a medium pace.

Then go three minutes full whack, followed by three minutes at a medium pace.

You get the idea. You max out at 4 minutes of each and then repeat the cycle in reverse.

Build your effort level workout by workout by increasing the resistance.

The Takeaway: Best Rowing Machine Workouts

As we’ve seen, the humble rowing machine is definitely an oldie, but a goodie.

Whatever your gym goals, or current level of fitness, it’s a great addition to a home gym, and will help you to maximise the benefit of every exercise session.

If you’re excited by what you’ve read, but not sure which rowing machine is right for you, then help is at hand.

Check out our blog on ‘The Best Rowing Machines for 2018‘.

The post A Guide To the Best At-Home Rowing Machine Workouts appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

Whether you want to tone up, get fitter, lose weight, or train for a race, treadmill workouts can help you.

To help you reach your goals, here are 10 examples of workouts you can do on a treadmill:

1. Beginners Treadmill Workout

If you want to get back into exercising, a treadmill workout can be a great alternative.

Luckily, you don’t have to run hours on end to see results.

This beginner workout involves switching between walking, jogging, and running.

For 40 minutes, alternate between 1-minute walking, 1-minute jogging, and 1 minute running. Increase the speed of your jog and your run as you progress through your workout.

Make sure that you warm up and cool down with a light jog to avoid injuries.

2. Hill Workout

Running at an incline activates more muscles than running on level ground. the incline strengthens your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings while increasing your cardio.

Treadmill workouts allow you to increase the incline of your run whenever you want. Plus, because of their various intensity levels, you can achieve results in 20 minutes.

The key to a successful hill workout is to increase and decrease the incline over time.

Start your run at a low speed and low incline and gradually increase both. Then, decrease both as you work your way into your cool down.

If you have less time on your hands, start with a higher incline and speed and reduce both gradually.

3. Fat Burning Workout

Research suggests that high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) is an effective way to burn fat and lose weight.

With this in mind, treadmill workouts that alternate between intervals of high speed, short jogs, and steep inclines, could be just what you need if you want to get leaner.

Simply undertaking these types of workouts for 10 minutes can make all the difference.

Start with a 5-minute jog to warm up and then switch between high speed, high incline, and light jogs every 30 to 60 seconds. You can do this for a total of 10 to 15 minutes depending on your level of fitness.

4. Short Treadmill Workouts

Aside from the fat burning treadmill workout mentioned above, there are other routines you can do if you’re short on time.

If you only have 10 minutes but want to challenge your muscles, focus your attention on the incline. You can either switch between high and low incline or, increase or decrease your incline throughout the duration of your workout.

If you’d like to get your heart pumping, do the same workout but focus your attention on speed rather than incline.

5. High-Intensity Interval Treadmill Workout

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) plays a large role in regulating metabolism. This regulation can help treat common metabolic diseases.

Today, there are thousands of interval treadmill workouts that range from 10 to 30 minutes long and more.

Alternating an increase in speed and incline to make workouts progressively harder offers the best results.

Try increasing your speed by 0.2mph and your incline by 0.3 every 30 seconds for 20 minutes. You can vary the length of your workout based on your fitness level and time restraints.

Some treadmills come with their own preset HIIT workouts. When choosing the best treadmill for your workouts, make sure it has the right resistance and speed features.

6. Speed Interval Workout

Aside from melting fat, speed interval training boosts your anaerobic power. The workout involves switching between shorter sprint intervals and longer recovery periods.

For 20 to 30 minutes, alternate sprinting for 15 seconds with jogging or walking for 1 to 2 minutes.

The key to successfully undertaking these types of treadmill workouts is to check your heart rate.

Aim to reach approximately 85% of your maximum heart rate during each sprint. Then, bring your heart rate back down to 120 beats per minute during the recovery phase.

To find out what your maximum heart rate is, subtract your age from 220.

7. Speed and Endurance Workout

To improve your anaerobic and aerobic power, incorporate speed and endurance in your treadmill workouts.

With these, you will learn to run faster, for longer periods of time. These workouts should last at least 20 minutes. They should switch between equal intervals of light jogs and fast runs.

During this type of routine, you should feel like you are pushing yourself without going all out. The goal is to keep a steady rhythm for the duration of the workout, not burn yourself out.

8. Calorie-Burning Treadmill Workout

High-intensity exercise makes you burn calories even after your workout. The key to burning calories is longer workouts with speed intervals. Not only this, these intervals should be longer than when undertaking HIIT workouts.

Try alternating between light jogs and fast runs every 2 minutes for at least 20 minutes. Gradually increase the speed of your run as you progress through your workout.

Your last run should be very fast paced and should increase your heart rate to near maximum.

9. Full Body Treadmill Workout

If you want to burn calories, tone up, and improve your cardio, why not mix your treadmill workouts with strengthening exercises?

Jumping on and off the treadmill will keep your heart rate up while strength training moves will target areas of your body that are harder to work out when running.

Alternate between 1-minute high-speed runs and 30-second exercises such as:

• Press-ups
• Planks
• Squats
• Crunches
• Lunges

You can design your training program based on the muscle groups that you’d like to work out the most.

10. Treadmill Workout for Coordination

Treadmill workouts aren’t only limited to high-speed intervals. Using lower speed routines, you can improve your balance, coordination, and joint mobility.

While keeping your treadmill at a very low speed, alternate between forward and sideways walking.

This type of workout is perfect for those with limited mobility. Plus, by alternating speeds and resistances, you still get a full body workout that increases your cardio and strength.

Choose the Right Treadmill for Your Workout

The key to choosing the best treadmill workouts to achieve your personal goals is buying the right machine.

If you want to learn more about some of the best treadmills on the market, check out our 2018 buying guide today.

The post The 10 Best Treadmill Workouts You Need to Try appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

It creates an electric muscle stimulation that contracts the muscle resulting it to become active even when you’re not moving. But can an electronic belt wrapped around your waist really help in toning your abs? That’s what we’re going to find out. I know you want to know the answer right away, so here you go..

YES, ab toning belts are effective BUT there are some things you have to consider before you get optimal results. To explain it further, I’m going to share with you some things to help you decide if you really need to buy one for yourself.

Here are some of the bestselling ab toning belts (via amazon.co.uk) on the market as of today.

Homefront Slim Pro-XV1000 Advanced Unisex...

Heartline Ab Belt Professional Advanced Unisex...

Slendertone Unisex Abs7 Rechargeable Toning Belt

ABFLEX Ab Toning Belt and Ab Stimulator for...

£24.95

Price not available

Price not available

£69.99

-

-

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Homefront Slim Pro-XV1000 Advanced Unisex...

£24.95

Buy on Amazon

Heartline Ab Belt Professional Advanced Unisex...

Price not available

-

Buy on Amazon

Slendertone Unisex Abs7 Rechargeable Toning Belt

Price not available

-

Buy on Amazon

ABFLEX Ab Toning Belt and Ab Stimulator for...

£69.99

Buy on Amazon

Last update on 2022-01-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

How Do Ab Toning Belts Work?

Ab training belts use electric muscle stimulation (EMS) that produces an electric current passed onto the body to contract the muscles. EMS is often used as a medical treatment for rehabilitation because it increases muscle activity. This is usually done on patients who aren’t able to move to keep their muscles active. For example, those who suffered a spinal injury or stroke.

In ab toning belts, the EMS produces small electrodes that interact with your skin and send electrical pulses. This electricity triggers the muscles to contract.

Muscle contraction usually happens when we workout, but with the ab toning belt, the muscles are somehow tricked into contracting without us moving. This electrical stimulation feels a little prickly but it isn’t painful at all. I guess that’s better than doing crunches to have a flat stomach, right?

Is it Effective?

To get optimal results from ab toning belts, it’s recommended to use it for 10 minutes to an hour. In a research conducted in 2005, twenty-four adults were asked to use an ab toning belt 5 days a week for 20-40 minutes per session without doing any added ab exercises. These participants were compared to another group who also didn’t do any ab exercise within the same given duration. After doing the experiment, the twenty-four adults who constantly used the ab toning belt had a 58% percent increase in abdominal strength and 100% increase in abdominal endurance. Whereas the other group compared only had little or no increase. The experiment group also felt that their abs were more “toned” and “firmed” after using the ab toning belts. Additionally, they also decreased their waist circumference by 3.5 cm.

In spite all the positive results, the twenty-four adults were found to have no difference in body weight, BMI, or skinfold thickness. This means that zero body fat was lost during the course of the experiment.

Based on the results of the experiment, it’s safe to say that ab toning belts can effectively tone your abs. It can also increase abdominal strength and endurance. We are all gifted with abs, you just don’t see it because it’s probably covered in body fat.  That’s why it might need a little help.So if you still have a lot of body fat, you have to get rid of them to gain optimal results. Let’s be honest, you can’t expect something to happen if you wrap the belt around your waist, just sit there and relax. You will need to start with shredding off your body fat by exercising and planning a healthy diet.

Tips to Get Positive Results from Ab Toning Belts

Exercise

Any exercise is good for the body, but the best way to burn calories and lose body fat is cardio exercises. If you don’t have the time to go to the gym, you can always try to build one of your own. A home gym is a great investment.  It’s also a great way to stay motivated because you don’t have to put on some training clothes because no one’s going to see you. It’s best to start with a treadmill and then add some equipment like an exercise bike, cross trainer, or a rowing machine. With the help of this equipment, you will surely lose all those fat and achieve that dream body you’ve always wanted.

Plan a Healthy Diet

You don’t want to waste all your efforts in losing all the body fat if you’re just going to bring them back again. Your abs are already there, they’re just covered in body fat. To let them out, plan your meals ahead and cook them for yourself. In that way, you won’t have to grab a burger on your way home. It saves your money and helps keep you fit at the same time.

Avoid high caloric food and go with the greens. Stop yourself from reaching out to those sweets and biscuits when you’re hungry. Just munch on some fruits and vegetables or just drink water. You can never go wrong with drinking water.

Think Positive

Going on a clean diet and exercising obviously isn’t easy. You will need motivation and determination to push yourself to attain your goal. It always starts with you, don’t wait for other people to tell you to do something. It may be difficult at first but you will be the one to reap the benefits after working hard for it. Believe in yourself because if they can do it, you can do it too.

Conclusion

Ab toning belts are effective but they don’t do magic, so you have to help yourself before it helps you. They are proved to improve abdominal strength and endurance but apparently, they don’t lessen any of your body fat. And this is essential if you want to be perfectly fit.

To optimise the use of ab toning belts, you still need to workout and eat the right kind of food. You’re only going to waste your hard-earned money if you just wait for instant results.

The post Do Ab Toning Belts Work? appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

But which one should you get? Should you go cheaper or splash out more on your new purchase?

It’s true that there are a variety of makes and models out there, and it’s best to do your research so you can choose the one most suited to you and your needs.

Here’s some top choice of treadmills on the market now for your home gym.

Reebok Z-Jet 430 Treadmill
A workout on the Z-Jet 430 boasts all the options you need for an effective yet tough fitness regime.

It features 12 levels of resistance and has a top speed of 16km/h and 24 preset workouts.

You can connect another device to it via Bluetooth and sync it up with your Reebok Fitness app to record all your training sessions. This makes it super easy to track your progress.

For those who like a distraction on the treadmill, the Z-Jet 430 features a ridge to place a phone or tablet on so that videos can be watched or apps can be used while you run.

Price: ?699

The NordicTrack Commercial 1750
The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 is one of the bestselling treadmill ranges for those looking to equip a home gym.

One of the mass appeals is that it suits those that walk or run to keep fit.

The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 features many of NordicTrack’s premier features such as a 3.6 CHP motor and an incline/decline function.

It has a touchscreen HD display and Android browser. It also features an array of apps that also offers an iFit Coach option.

The 1750 model comes with the brand’s WhisperQuiet design, which muffles the sound of steps on the conveyor belt with running or walking on it.

The apps are categorized into calorie burn, cardio training, endurance, and speed.

Prices vary at around ?2,000.

Kettler Arena
The Kettler Arena is ideal if you’re recovering from a sports injury or embarking on a new fitness regime. It’s also great if you have not worked out for a long time and are easing your way back into it.

What’s key here is the lowest speed available, rather than the highest.

This treadmill can be set to just 0.3km/h, which the maker says is the lowest starting speed on the market.

However, if speed is what you’re looking for too, the Kettler Arena offers a maximum speed of 18km/h. It also has seven preset HIIT workouts for those looking to take on a higher challenge.

Like many others on the market, this brand takes entertainment into consideration as well.

The Arena has stereo Bluetooth speakers included which means you can blast out music to keep you going on your run.

Price: ?899

Life Fitness T3 Track Console
The Life Fitness T3: Track or Go offers two options when it comes to the console.

You can download workouts and link the machine to apps like Apple Health, giving you a multi-faceted option for your home gym.

The price goes up by ?200 more if you opt for the model’s Go console, which features a plethora of built-in workouts.

This machine boasts an excellently smooth run at whatever speed you’re running to. It also has a FlexDeck surface that is meant to be 30% easier on your joints than other treadmills on the market, according to Life Fitness.

The T3 has room for four profiles on the console and so this is an excellent option if more than one person uses your home gym.

It also remembers your preferred running speeds so you can get straight into the workout you usually do,

Price: Around ?1,800

MYRUN Technogym Treadmill
The idea behind the MYRUN Technogym Treadmill is that it hones in on your personal improvement as a runner.

Featuring a series of personalized training programmes and the MYRUN RUNNING RATE option, the user is encouraged to maintain a certain speed while taking more steps. As a result, this improves the efficiency of your work out.

There’s a corresponding MYRUN app and the machine even hand-picks music that slots in with the step rate of your run. This machine will also start up automatically when you step onto the belt.

You can also design favorite outdoor runs once you’ve recorded them with the app and replicate these on the machine in your home gym.

The machine also looks great and adds an element of style to your home gym.

Price: ?2,906.

York Fitness Active 120 Treadmill
This model is on the lower end of the price brackets for home gym treadmills.

The York Fitness Active 120 has an incline range of 1-12% and a top speed of 16km/h and prides itself on being robust and secure yet affordable.

After using it, it folds up neatly to save space. It features 13 built-in workout functions and a fantastically clear and concise console which will display your stats.

The belt is shorter and slimmer than many others on the market which is beneficial for those with longer limbs.

Price: ?650

JLL S300 Digital Folding Treadmill
Another folding model, the JLL S300 DigitalTreadmill again features incline options. The options on this model go to 20 levels.

The speed range goes up to 16km/h and it features 15 programmes for runners. On the handles, there are heart rate sensors too.

The track is short in length which is actually is a down side for taller users when it comes to sprinting.

This too folds away though, creating another perk for this treadmill.

Price: Around ?500

Equip your Home Gym now
A home gym covers all the basic fitness equipment in one. If you love to workout, doing so at home can improve your fitness and improve muscle tone.

It’s therefore best to select the best equipment. And what better way to start than by getting a new treadmill for 2018.

Browse our site for guides on the best equipment on the market, as well as exercise tips and much more.

The post The Top 6 Treadmills for Your Home Gym appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

Treadmill running is also much safer considering the number of pedestrian accidents that can occur.

They’re used in training by Olympians and everyday athletes.

But all of that running can do some damage to your body in the long term if you don’t have proper shoes.

Keep reading to find out more about treadmill running and finding the perfect shoes for treadmills.

How Treadmill Running Is Different Than Outdoor Running
There are countless benefits to treadmill running.

But while you think that running on treadmills and running outdoors are the same, think again. There are two main differences between the two.

The first is that you use different muscles when you’re training on a treadmill versus running outside.

On a treadmill, you use your quadriceps more than your hamstrings. That’s because you use your quadriceps to push off of the treadmill.

Not only that, but you use your hamstrings less on a treadmill because the belt helps you lift your leg behind you to complete your stride.

When running outdoors, that job would normally be done by your hamstrings.

The second is the ground difference. On a treadmill, your body will be used to an even and consistent stride. Running outdoors forces you to pay attention because there may be uneven sidewalks, tree stumps, or curbs.

Your body will adapt either way. That’s why it important to have the right shoes for treadmills and to vary your treadmill workouts.

What to Look for in Shoes for Treadmills
Since running on treadmills is different than running outdoors, there are a few things to consider before buying a pair of shoes.

The first is cushioning. Running on a treadmill has more cushioning than an outdoor surface, so you may want to consider getting shoes that have less cushioning.

Also, keep in mind that with the treadmill, the balls of your feet will absorb a fair amount of shock. You want to have shoes that are flexible in the balls of your feet. Your shoes should not bend in the arch of your feet.

To pick shoes that best fit your running style and body, you have to be aware of what they are.

For example, your feet may overpronate, or roll inward. Your feet may be neutral. Your running style may be to push off, which puts pressure on the outside of your feet.

The best thing to do is to get a running analysis done at your local running shop. That will tell you how your body moves so you can get shoes to best support you.

If that’s not an option, check the soles of your current pair of shoes and see how the soles of the shoes are worn.

If the outside of the shoe shows the most wear, this means that your feet underpronate and your shoes will need more cushioning.

Shoes that show wear in a pattern shaped like an S mean that your feet are neutral and most shoes will work for you.

Finally, if the soles are worn on the inside of the heel and around your big toe, you tend to overpronate. You should look for structured shoes.

Best Shoes for Treadmill Running
Once you know what to look for in shoes for treadmills, you can easily find the best running shoes for you.

Asics GT 1000-6
These are great for men and women and have top arch supports for overpronation. The arch of the shoe is filled with SpevaFoam, and DuoMax support to provide stability and comfort.

Saucony Hurricane ISO 3
This is another shoe to consider if your feet overpronate. This shoe is fantastic for treadmills because of its simple and lightweight design. Not only o you have extra support in the arch, but you have support in the heel. There’s a hard piece of plastic that wraps around the heel to provide extra support.

Asics Gel Cumulus 19
This shoe was built to last. It’s a great shoe for neutral feet and underpronation. If you plan on going on long runs on the treadmill, you should take a look at this shoe.

You might find the shoe to be very stiff at first, with little flexibility during the first few runs. These shoes will become more flexible after a few uses, making the shoes very comfortable.

Mizuno Wave Creation 19
Mizuno’s Wave Creation shoes have been around for quite a while. These have long been a popular choice for neutral and underpronated feet.

These shoes are also built for high-mileage wear. They’re supportive, comfortable and stable shoes.

On the downside, these shoes do run a little narrow, which can cause blisters if you have wide feet.

Nike Lunar Glide 9
Nike’s Lunar Glide 9 shoes are soft and lightweight, coming in at under 10oz (281g).

They’re built for overpronated feet. The laser-cut grooves on the bottom of the shoe make it ideal for gripping the treadmill as you run.

Don’t Forget About Comfort
The main thing to remember when it comes to running shoes is comfort. That doesn’t mean choosing the best feeling shoe in the store. It means choosing a shoe that will keep you comfortable during your entire run.

A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that runners have a natural “comfort filter” that allowed them to choose the shoes that move the best with their body during a run.

When you’re buying shoes, try them on and see how your comfort filter kicks in.

Ready to Run on Treadmills
Now that you know the best shoes for treadmill running, are you ready to start training?

You can start with a treadmill at the gym or have the privacy and convenience of having a treadmill at home.

Simply Fitness Equipment exists to help you wade through the massive amount of information and fitness products on the market.

Take a look at the top treadmills on our website today.

The post Tread Life: The Best Running Shoes for Treadmills appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

Check out these 7 great benefits of working out with vibration plates:

#1 Tones and Strengthens

When you do exercises using a vibration plate, your muscles contract and relax faster than they would during any other normal workout. This is because the change in frequency of the vibration makes your body think you’re falling which triggers your stress reflex and causes your muscles to contract at a rapid rate.

To increase the tone and strength of your muscles doing dynamic exercises like push-ups, lunges, and squats do these exercises on a vibrating plate. The vibration happening increases the intensity of the moves and allows for more gains in muscle doing the same amount of work.

Vibrating plates are especially good for beginners or those recovering from an injury as they stimulate muscle growth without the need for weight-bearing exercises.

#2 Reduces Your Workout Time

Everyone has their excuses for not working out as much as they should, and one of the biggest is “I just don’t have time!” When you use vibrating plates this excuse no longer works.

A normal workout, doing traditional dynamic exercises and resistance training only use about 40 to 60 percent of your muscle’s capacity. When you do these same exercises on a vibration plate you have the ability to push your muscle fibers to 100 percent of their abilities. This is due to the fact that the vibrations cause anywhere between 30 and 50 reflexes during every second of your workout.

Thanks to this huge increase in intensity you can cut down the time you spend working out by half or more! According to some makers of these workout miracles, you can get an hour worth of traditional work done in 10 minutes using a vibrating plate. However, experts tend to agree that you should probably be doing at least 15 to 30 minutes of exercises to match the intensity of a normal workout.

#3 Compact and Convenient

If you’re someone would rather get your workouts done in the comfort of your own home, you’re in luck. Vibrating plates are compact and convenient and are the ideal addition to any home gym. Though size and shape vary across manufacturers, these machines don’t take up much space.

Most units are small enough to be tucked away into a corner and are perfect for anyone looking to sneak in some exercise in the middle of a busy schedule.

#4 Increases Bone Strength

If you suffer from osteoporosis or any other disease that causes brittle bones and loss of bone density, the vibrations created by these machines may help.

According to some studies, the vibrations can help to increase bone density. One study in particular that can be located in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Journal found that postmenopausal women saw an increase in bone mineral density and strength after training with vibrating plates.

Having stronger bones helps to prevent the potential for injury and breakage for anyone though, and is a benefit most exercises don’t offer.

#5 Boosts Metabolism and Fat Burning

Any kind of exercise you do is going to increase your metabolism, but just like the vibrations increase the intensity of your workout they increase the intensity of your metabolism boost as well.

As you rapidly gain muscle using vibrating plates your body will need more and more calories to fuel itself and you’ll find yourself stronger and more energetic.

Another by-product of this boost in muscle and metabolism is that you’ll be burning fat at a higher rate which will increase your ability to lose any unwanted weight.

#6 Balance and Flexibility

When you perform dynamic exercises on a vibrating plate you’re engaging your core and hip flexors in a way that a normal static exercise will not.

Over time you’ll see increases in your muscle strength in your core and hips, and because of this your balance and stability will improve. Your range of motion will also increase over time using vibrating plates for the same reason.

Thanks to this increase in strength, your joint health and flexibility will also increase because the muscles that support your joints will be stronger. This can help those who suffer from spinal pain or poor posture tremendously.

#7 Stimulates Hormone Production

The production of human growth hormone, the hormone that is responsible for helping your muscles to recover and regenerate, is encouraged by the use of vibration plates.

Your body will also be more apt to produce serotonin and cortisol after a vibrating plate workout. These hormones are responsible for feelings of happiness and stress-relief. Thanks to the increased production of these hormones you’re more likely to experience better sleep quality and overall feelings of well-being.

#8 Increase Circulation and Immune Function

The intensity that your muscles are contracting when you use a vibrating plate during your workout causes your blood to circulate a lot better and will stimulate your lymph glands.

When you increase your blood flow and stimulate your lymph glands your immune systems ability to function will see a boost.

Another benefit of increasing blood flow is that you’re making sure that every cell in your body is receiving the oxygen and nutrients that it needs.

You can also thank vibrating plates and increased blood flow for stimulating the production of collagen. Over time this collagen production will help diminish the appearance of cellulite.

#9 Add Vibration Plates To Your Workout Routine

With the benefits spanning from ease of use to the capacity to build muscle while maintaining joint health, vibration plates make for an ideal addition to any workout regime.

People at any place on their fitness journey could benefit from these awesome machines.

Leave us a comment below and let us know how you plan to add vibration plates to your routine!

The post 8 Great Benefits of Working Out with Vibration Plates appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.

Obesity has infiltrated itself into western populations, resulting in adults suffering from the condition in shocking numbers.

In the U.K., almost 27% of UK is obese. In the U.S, nearly 27% of individuals have a body mass index of 30+, with almost 37% of them being obese.

Aside from eating a cleaner diet, the best solution to stop this health and wellness epidemic is for men, women, teens, and even kids to jump into recreational athletics.

The problem? How to fit even minimal levels of exercise into tight schedules. Even Motivated People Aren’t Working Out. You may be the video of the world’s fastest treadmill runner but if you don’t pay attention, life gets in the way of plugging a solid workout into your busy world.

Before you can begin your workout calendar you need clothes, Vivotion.com have a great range of leggings and other workout attire that may be suitable.

School. Work. Responsibilities.

Yeah, all the stuff that eats up the precious daily 1440 minutes we’ve all been given. And that number of minutes seems to feel much lower the older you get!

No wonder it’s so challenging to set aside the basic health scientists recommend 30 daily minutes of exercise. Health scientists recommend 30 minutes of exercise to keep you from falling head-first into the sedentary abyss. You’re at the mercy of all those other duties coming at you from all angles!

But here’s the truth: You have more control over the time-suckers than you think.

Have you ever read stories of ridiculously busy and successful CEOs finding time to train for marathons or Tough Mudders? Watched Ninja Warriors who hold full-time jobs and still fit in workouts so they can crush the salmon ladder or warped wall?

They have a secret weapon against idleness, and it’s one you can use starting today: consistency.

Developing Consistency With the Help of a Workout Calendar

The issue for most people who claim they want to get a little time at their local or create a gym for your home for exercise ease or go for a jog in a nearby green space, isn’t always based on lack of desire.

It’s that they can’t seem to regularly fit-in their preferred regimens.

As a consequence, they fall victim to idleness and exhaustion. After a while, many don’t even bother to lie to themselves with the in-bed mantra “I’ll work out tomorrow.” They just throw in the towel altogether, assuming they have no sway over their own lives.

Hence the obesity level.

In all irony, these are the same individuals who have no trouble getting to the office every day or making sure their clothes and dishes are clean. Have a problem at 2:00 a.m.? They’re the ones who will drop everything and help you solve it even if they sacrifice their own needs in the process.

If you’re able to maintain a modicum of consistency in other areas of your life but not your exercise, it’s time for help courtesy of a workout calendar.

How to Create a Realistic, Robust Workout Calendar

You may already have a personal or family calendar to rely upon, either in written form or via an online platform like Google Docs.

Your mission?

Start adding workouts to that calendar.

For instance, let’s say that you are a stellar boxing devotee However, you’ve fallen off the wagon more times than you care to admit. Sure, you occasionally hit the bag, but you’re hardly making a dent in your flabby biceps and triceps.

What you would do is to figure out how many times at the very minimum you want to work out within a three- or four-week period. This could be twice weekly, or two times one week and three the next.

One tip, though: Don’t overdo it. Start small with a few workouts, rather than trying to work out every day.

Now comes the nearly effortless part: Add each of those workout times into your workout calendar. But don’t just place them on a “to do” task list; add them directly to a time frame.

When you’re finished, you’ll be able to see exactly when you’re going to be pushing yourself to the max, or at least getting into an aerobic, calorie-scorching state.

Why does this work? You’re systematically blocking off time and indicating to yourself in black and white that you are committed to exercising then.

And guess what? Chances are high that you’ll keep your “appointments” rather than ignoring them.

Why Workout Calendars Work

As soon as you set aside time in your workout calendar, you get several psychological benefits:

You’re asserting your dominance over sluggishness, providing you with a feeling of control.

You’re showing exercise as a priority, not an afterthought. Your brain will sense that this is an essential part of your lifestyle, not one you can “take or leave.

You’re making it easier to say “no” to other activities during the period set aside for your favourite workouts. “Sorry, something’s already on the calendar. Can we reschedule for a different time?”

You’re allowing yourself to physically and mentally prep for your upcoming workout. When you know you have an 8:00-8:30 a.m. date with the elliptical trainer, you go to bed with an understanding that you have to be ready to roll in the morning.

You’re not worried when holidays arise. You have it all covered with your handy-dandy schedule and won’t miss a gym date because of seasonal shifts.

As time continues, you’ll get more accustomed to mapping out your workouts. In the meantime, be patient. It takes a while for habits to form, so stay on track and update your workout calendar as needed so you’re never without the impetus to work up a sweat.

It’s Time to Work Out for Your Health

Even if you’re one of the 25 percent of adults don’t exercise at all href=”https://www.statisticbrain.com/exercise-statistics/ and who refuse any form of activity, even if it’s just opening a jar of pickles, you can reverse your situation and gain the value of stronger wellness.

A workout calendar might not seem like a powerful tool, but a couple months down the road you’ll see just how valuable it is.

Thanks to your newly found consistency and commitment, you’ll be rocking those selfies like never before.

Craving more ways to keep exercise in your life? Read our guide on a wonderful way to stay fit in the workplace: The exerciser’s guide to standing treadmill desks.

The post How Following a Workout Calendar Can Help Your Fitness Routine appeared first on SimplyFitnessEquipment.