Gym Equipment - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

diergray · 12-11-2003, 02:07 PM

What are your favorite pieces of equipment at a gym? My brother is looking at buying a gym and he is interested in new and interesting equipment as well. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Plan9Senior · 12-11-2003, 05:56 PM

Freeweights. The only machine I use is the lat pulldown. Everyting else is freeweights either on the bench, standing up, or in the power rack

So my suggestion would be some nice olympic benches and a nice power rack.

JohnnyRock · 12-12-2003, 07:45 AM

If you are looking for a home gym, you can get by with just free weights and benches. But a commercial gym needs much more...A lot of it depends on the target demographic [older people, athletes, women-only, family-oriented, etc.], monthly dues, competition, etc. He may want to take a look at some of the health club industry trade publications and see what gyms are doing before plunking down the money. Or if he has ideas about what type of club he's looking to run, I can give some more detailed answers here [he or you can PM me as well].

Either way, Good Luck!

jefferson6599 · 12-17-2003, 01:51 PM

For a commercial gym, I would recommend Hammer Strength products. I worked at a Gold’s in NJ and they were always popular. For a home gym I personally use Body Solid equipment. It’s OK, not the best but very affordable and better then the stuff you would find in a discount store or sporting goods store.

Good Luck.

seizei · 12-18-2003, 03:15 AM

I really really love the dip bar. I sometimes growl audibly from the exertion of doing the last rep on it!

oh and a tie is the cable for 1 specific exercise.... kneeling ab curls - holding the double rope attachment behind your head, and curl as much weight in a crunch movement as you can. God that one feels good.

wannabenakid247 · 12-19-2003, 03:23 PM

The best in my view is an assisted pull up or press down machine. If that makes any sense. You go up two steps and stand on a platform either holding on to a bar above you (for doing chins) or a waist height bar (for doing tricep/peck presses)
As you have previously slected a weight (e.g. half your body weight) your exercise is assisted. Being a woman and therefore with less upper body strength than a man this is a very handy piece of equipment. Probably quite expensive though.

Spartak · 12-19-2003, 07:17 PM

Free weights are so much more better than any machine equivalent, imo.

Although I quiet like the pectoral fly machine, (like a normal pec machine, but with grips in front, so you work it with extended arms), as it works the arm muscles as well as the pecs, also if you reverse it, it does the trapeziums.

hy_ · 12-21-2003, 08:55 PM

dumbells do it for me

nash · 12-21-2003, 09:06 PM

A suggestion would be the "neck machine." I have no idea what it's proper name is, but I believe it was made by Hammer Strength. The only place I've seen it was at my high school weight room. The university here has one of the top 10 best recreational facilities in the nation but it doesn't have one of these machines. How dissappointing. Oh well. I liked that machine.

bookerV · 12-23-2003, 10:48 AM

my favorite stuff is of course the free weights. Hammer Strength is also VERY nice equipment. If i had unlimited funding I would invest in a lot of freeweights, a set of cables which would include the lat pulldown, most of the hammer strength equipment, and a Nautilis 4-way neck machine (which i believe the above poster is referring to).

Rudel73 · 12-23-2003, 09:47 PM

I live on the squat rack, best piece of equipment out there

12-11-2003, 02:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
diergray Psycho	Gym Equipment What are your favorite pieces of equipment at a gym? My brother is looking at buying a gym and he is interested in new and interesting equipment as well. Any ideas would be appreciated. __________________ "Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.” ~ James Bryant Conant

12-12-2003, 07:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
JohnnyRock Addict Location: Taxachussetts	If you are looking for a home gym, you can get by with just free weights and benches. But a commercial gym needs much more...A lot of it depends on the target demographic [older people, athletes, women-only, family-oriented, etc.], monthly dues, competition, etc. He may want to take a look at some of the health club industry trade publications and see what gyms are doing before plunking down the money. Or if he has ideas about what type of club he's looking to run, I can give some more detailed answers here [he or you can PM me as well]. Either way, Good Luck! __________________ Not only do I not know the answer...I don't even know what the question is!!!

12-17-2003, 01:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
jefferson6599 Upright Location: New Jersey	Favorite line of Equipment For a commercial gym, I would recommend Hammer Strength products. I worked at a Gold’s in NJ and they were always popular. For a home gym I personally use Body Solid equipment. It’s OK, not the best but very affordable and better then the stuff you would find in a discount store or sporting goods store. Good Luck.

12-18-2003, 03:15 AM	#5 (permalink)
seizei Purple Monkey Dishwasher Location: CFB Gagetown, NB, CANADA	I really really love the dip bar. I sometimes growl audibly from the exertion of doing the last rep on it! oh and a tie is the cable for 1 specific exercise.... kneeling ab curls - holding the double rope attachment behind your head, and curl as much weight in a crunch movement as you can. God that one feels good. __________________ "If you're not weird, you're not interesting". I'm very interesting ... seizei; (adv - Japanese) at the most; at best; to the utmost; as much (far) as possible. (pronounced - say-zay)

12-19-2003, 07:17 PM	#7 (permalink)
Spartak Bang bang Location: New Zealand	Free weights are so much more better than any machine equivalent, imo. Although I quiet like the pectoral fly machine, (like a normal pec machine, but with grips in front, so you work it with extended arms), as it works the arm muscles as well as the pecs, also if you reverse it, it does the trapeziums. __________________ I can read your mind... looking at you... I can read your mind...

12-11-2003, 05:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
Plan9Senior Banned Location: Orange County, California	Freeweights. The only machine I use is the lat pulldown. Everyting else is freeweights either on the bench, standing up, or in the power rack So my suggestion would be some nice olympic benches and a nice power rack.

12-19-2003, 03:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
wannabenakid247 Registered User Location: Wales, UK	The best in my view is an assisted pull up or press down machine. If that makes any sense. You go up two steps and stand on a platform either holding on to a bar above you (for doing chins) or a waist height bar (for doing tricep/peck presses) As you have previously slected a weight (e.g. half your body weight) your exercise is assisted. Being a woman and therefore with less upper body strength than a man this is a very handy piece of equipment. Probably quite expensive though.

12-21-2003, 08:55 PM	#8 (permalink)
hy_ Crazy	dumbells do it for me

12-21-2003, 09:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
nash Psycho	A suggestion would be the "neck machine." I have no idea what it's proper name is, but I believe it was made by Hammer Strength. The only place I've seen it was at my high school weight room. The university here has one of the top 10 best recreational facilities in the nation but it doesn't have one of these machines. How dissappointing. Oh well. I liked that machine.

12-23-2003, 10:48 AM	#10 (permalink)
bookerV Addict Location: Ontario, Canada	my favorite stuff is of course the free weights. Hammer Strength is also VERY nice equipment. If i had unlimited funding I would invest in a lot of freeweights, a set of cables which would include the lat pulldown, most of the hammer strength equipment, and a Nautilis 4-way neck machine (which i believe the above poster is referring to). __________________ "That's why you're the judge and I'm the law-talking guy." Lionel Hutz

12-23-2003, 09:47 PM	#11 (permalink)
Rudel73 Psycho	I live on the squat rack, best piece of equipment out there