Categories and Functions of Fitness Equipment

More than a hundred types of fitness equipment are currently available in the market, and dozens can be found in a gym. The prosperous development of fitness equipment is primarily caused by people’s growing attention to fitness. Today, I will briefly review the categories and functions of fitness equipment according to their principal effect.

Fitness equipment in the market can be roughly divided into the following three categories, including whole-body, local and small-sized fitness equipment.

1. Whole-body Fitness Equipment
Fitness equipment for comprehensive training, such as ten-in-one comprehensive trainers and the home 16-function fitness equipment, enables several people to have repeated or selective exercise on the same equipment. Such fitness equipment features a large size, complete functions, and a high price, making it suitable for fitness centers, rehabilitation centers, and the gyms of governmental organs or schools.

It should be mentioned that a multi-functional treadmill serves for whole-body exercise yet is essentially a single-functional treadmill equipped with rowing, pedaling, press-ups, waist rotations, and massages. Hence it is small-sized and suitable for home gyms.

2. Local Fitness Equipment
Local fitness equipment includes exercise bikes, rowing machines, stair machines, treadmills, leg curls, hammer tensioners, and heel lifters. Most of them are specialized training equipment with small structure, covering an area of about 1 square meter, most of them can be folded, and some are also interesting. Its function is relatively simple, mainly focusing on the exercise of local muscle groups. Besides, such equipment has both the power type that uses counterweights and hydraulic cylinders as heavy loads, and the non-power type that uses its own power as its power, without the need for disassembly and assembly.

Some equipment is installed with a digital display that shows time, velocity, distance, and heart rate, allowing the exerciser to grasp the amount of exercise. Therefore, local fitness equipment is favored by fitness fans and plays a leading role in home gyms.

3. Small-sized Fitness Equipment
Small-sized fitness equipment includes dumbbells, kettlebells, crank barbells, spring tensioners, fitness discs, elastic bars, and grippers, etc. Despite their small sizes, such equipment has high exercising values. Take the adjustable dumbbell as an example. Not only is it suitable for people of different ages, genders, and physiques, but also it exercises muscles all over the body. Hence such equipment is essential for fitness fans.

Take a spring chest expander as another example. It is light, small, cheap, easy to store, and convenient to carry. Meanwhile, it achieves the effect of building the body. Small-sized fitness equipment like fitness balls is more suitable for the middle-aged and elderly.

Fitness equipment can be classified into many categories, such as aerobic fitness equipment, anaerobic fitness equipment, and power training equipment familiar to everyone. There is a clear clue for each category. Today, we are only categorizing fitness equipment by its effect, aiming to provide you with a clear understanding in future training.