I just moved and need to buy some exercise machine, to complement my outdoor activities, especially in the harsh winter days. In the past I have used Treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, and rowing machines, and another possible alternative is the climbing machine. I would love to know your views on the value of each of these machine types and whether you find some of them more compatible with natural movement. Of course, also if you find that some machines or movements are specially at odds with primal movement. Any reference or link will be greatly appreciated!
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Personally, I think the rower is the best all around machine. It doesn't matter how good of shape I'm in, it always kicks my ass and I can never catch my breath on it. |
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If you've got the funds for a machine; I'd highly recommend a squat cage (with a built in pull up bar),olympic bar, some plates, and a copy of Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength," instead. |
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Doorway chin-up bar...just did 2 sets of 15 for the first time in my life. Nice compound movement. |
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i'm a fan of HIIT on elliptics. but only of you have a big/sturdy gym quality one that can provide up to 500W resistance or more. 30sec on 500W, 90sec idling, repeat. |
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I think I would vote for the rower. It's almost full body with sneaky core impact. And it will kick your butt without having to do it for an hour. |
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i agree with others: rower definitely. I don't like machines in general, but ive never met a machine that can humble a man quicker than a rowing machine. I do it as a warmup, get the blood flowing before lifting and within 5-7 minutes i've gotten a good sweat. I second the rec for a pullup bar. amazon has them for like 30 bucks, no tools needed. |
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Another vote for a rower. Sprints on the rower are killer. Something like this: 3 mins warm up Total time 15 minutes. Unlike treadmills and bikes the rower gets legs and upper body. Another option if you are building a home gym is a kettlebell or 3. |
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If you have the money, go for an erg (rowing machine). On lower resistance settings they're good for endurance or sprint-like workouts, and on higher settings it's essentially a full-body lift. Either way, totally worth it. It lines up well with Mark Sission's principles of primal fitness, too: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-succeed-with-the-primal-blueprint/#fitness |
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What about a kettlebell? You don't need a whole lot of space and there is an almost infinite variety of movements that you can perform with a bell. Combine it with calisthenics (push-ups, pull-ups, burpees, etc.) and you can get a killer cardio workout with minimal fuss. A barbell is another good option. You can go all the way from raw strength (just did a piece on The Crossfit Total that uses just a barbell) to low weight high rep olympic movements, jumping over the bar, etc. |
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None. When a person uses a machine indoors, the second the timer goes ding or they hit their mileage or whatever unit of measure, they get off and are finished. When you're outside running, riding, rowing, etc. you have a unit of measure goal, but are less likely to quit at that exact moment - because it's not so damn boring. For indoors I like the powercage and doorway chin-up bar. You may quit at the exact moment of whatever your goal is, but you'll have accomplished something besides imitating a hamster on a wheel and won't have wasted too much time doing it. When you're bored, and every indoor machine will bore you, you are doing anything but living the primal life. I run in some brutal winter weather and feel good after the run - the worse the weather, the more bad-ass I feel. |
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