The Ultimate Guide to Gym Equipment

There is a diverse range of gym equipment available in gyms. Some of them are found in every gym, while others are less common because of how difficult they are to operate. Gym equipment can be so complicated that even regular gym-goers have no idea how to use it properly, let alone amateurs and beginners who are visiting the gym for the first time.

Whether you're an experienced gym junkie, a beginner looking to get started on your fitness journey, or someone who simply wants to start your own gym business, here's a guide to all the important and commonly seen gym equipment in Singapore you should be aware of.

CARDIOVASCULAR MACHINES

Cardiovascular machines are pieces of fitness equipment that aid in performing a variety of aerobic exercises in order to improve cardiovascular health, bone and muscle strength, and overall well-being. Depending on the equipment and how it is used, they simulate the movement of aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, rowing, skiing, hiking, biking, and climbing.

1. Treadmill

The treadmill is one of the most fundamental cardiovascular machines; everyone is familiar with it, and it is one of the easiest to operate. A treadmill can be used for a variety of aerobic activities suited to various fitness levels, ranging from low-intensity walking to long-distance sprinting. To burn more calories and target more parts of the body, alternate low impact exercises and high-intensity workouts.

Working out on the treadmill improves your overall fitness by increasing your lung capacity and improving your breathing technique. They can also help to strengthen your core and legs, especially when combined with an incline setting.

2. Rowing Machine

A rowing machine works your entire body by simulating the action of watercraft rowing in an indoor setting, typically used for rowing training. It is also one of the few cardiovascular machines that targets both the arms and the legs at the same time. Higher resistance settings will not only help you improve your lungs and fitness, but will also give you a good leg, core, and arm workout. While you're at it, you might be able to work on your back muscles as well.

3. Elliptical Machine/Cross Trainer

The elliptical machine is ideal for people who have chronic knee problems or injuries but still want to get a good cardio workout. It imitates running but has no impact on your knee joints.

One can focus on developing fitness levels by engaging in long-distance cardio or interval training on the elliptical machine, or integrating the handles and increasing resistance settings to train different aspects of the lower body and arms for a full-body workout. 

4. Fan Bike

A fan bike does not have pre-programmed workouts or options for resistance settings. When a user is on a fan bike, he or she is completely in charge of how much resistance they want to work with. The fan bike gets resistance from wind, which increases by the speed of your pedalling. The combination of pedalling and arm movement makes the fan bike a great piece of equipment for full-body High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts.

5. Upright Bike

Get in a great low-impact form of cycling exercise without heading outdoors with an upright bike, a piece of gym equipment that simulates a road bike. With the upright bike, you can engage in a variety of cardio exercises to develop strong lungs, increase or reduce the amount of resistance to train your endurance, targeting every muscle in your lower body and toning them for a leaner build.

6. Recumbent Bike

When compared to an upright bike, recumbent bikes offer more back support and comfort to the user. It's another great piece of fitness equipment for low-impact cardio that works your lungs and the back of your legs simultaneously, especially if you incorporate some resistance into your workout.

7. Spin Bike

Spin classes are popular right now, and you can even buy a spin bike to incorporate it into your gym. A spin bike is a seated frame that revolves around a single spinning disc to which you can apply varying degrees of resistance. It simulates the sensation of riding an outdoor bike while allowing you to train indoors.

Spin bikes, like upright bikes, target all aspects of your lower body while improving your overall fitness. However, they provide more flexibility in the types of exercises you can perform because they can usually accommodate standing up a little more comfortably than a standard upright bike.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT

Strength and conditioning equipment are pieces of gym equipment used for resistance training or conditioning, also known as strength training. Such workout routines are designed to help you build muscle, strength, and endurance by targeting different muscle groups without putting too much strain on your joints.

1. Leg Press Machine

Leg press machines are classified into three types: 45-degree leg press, horizontal leg press, and vertical leg press. Despite their differences, they are all used to train every muscle in your lower body while protecting your joints. They target the thighs, hamstrings, glutes and calves depending on how your foot is positioned.

2. Leg Extension Machine

Leg extensions are exercises performed with a leg extension machine, in which you sit on a padded seat and raise a padded bar with your legs to target your quadriceps muscles on the front of your thighs. This machine allows you to either strengthen or tone your quads while developing your strength and endurance.

3. Leg Curl Machine

The leg curl machine is completely opposite to the leg extension machine. It works the muscles in the back of your leg, primarily the hamstrings, toning and strengthening them. It involves bending your knees and moving your heels toward your buttocks while keeping the rest of your body still.

4. Seated Chest Press Machine

The chest press is a traditional upper-body strengthening exercise that targets the pecs, deltoids, and triceps. A seated chest press machine allows you to perform the exercises safely without the risk of injury from dropping weights. Your seat angle will also affect where you target and where you put more emphasis. To use the seated chest press machine, first adjust the equipment to your arm height before pushing out until your arms are fully extended.

5. Pec Deck Machine

The pec deck machine, also known as the pec deck fly, targets the pectoral muscle in order to increase strength and muscle mass. It can help tone your body and improve the endurance of your pec muscles by using resistance and repetition. The part of the pec you train will also be determined by your seat position.

To work your pecs on the seated chest press machine, you must push the handlebars while fully extending your arms outwards. The pec deck machine, on the other hand, requires you to push the resting pad on each side of the machine towards the centre, in front of your chest, before slowly releasing them back to the starting position.

6. Functional Trainer Machine

A functional trainer machine is a cable machine that uses two independent weight stacks, pulleys, cables and handles to provide unique workout benefits. Depending on the workout and due to the interchangeable handle attachments, this machine can help you target various muscle groups.

7. Lat Pulldown Machine

The lat pulldown machine is intended to develop and stress the lat muscle, which is short for latissimus dorsi muscles. They are the large v-shaped muscles that connect your arms to your vertebral column, protecting and stabilising your spine while also providing shoulder and back strength.

Lat pulldown machines are used for resistance training and will effectively target and strengthen every muscle in the back with each pull.

8. Multi Gym Systems

Multi gym systems are fitness systems consisting of multiple weight-lifting and cardio components designed to help a user perform a wide range of exercises. Most systems will consist of a leg press machine, high or low pulley machine and more, depending on its size.

FREE WEIGHT EQUIPMENT

We are now in the free weight gym equipment section, where these items can be used to train various parts of the body in a variety of ways. Some of them are also used in regular High-Intensity Interval Training for additional difficulty, higher intensity and greater results. Free weights do not restrict your range of motion and can be used to improve strength, speed, flexibility, balance, muscle mass, and endurance.

1. Standard Barbell

A standard barbell is a long bar that serves as a platform for weight plates to be loaded. They are typically five to six feet long (60 to 72 inches), weigh 15 to 25 pounds (6.8kg to 11.3kg), and are 25mm (1 inch) thick.

A standard barbell can be used on its own or loaded with weight plates to your desired weight to train various parts of your body. Here are some examples:

• Barbell back squat - targets quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings

• Stiff leg barbell deadlift - targets hamstrings and lower back

• Barbell bench press - targets pectoral muscles, shoulders, and arms

• Barbell bent-over row - targets biceps, forearms, core, trapezius, lats, rear delts, and more

2. Olympic Barbell

An Olympic barbell works in the same way as a regular barbell, except that it is of higher quality to withstand heavy loads. They are typically five to eight feet long (60 to 96 inches), weigh 44lbs (20kg), and are 25mm to 32mm thick (1 to 1.26 inches).

Here are some workout examples:

• Olympic barbell overhead squat - targets triceps, deltoids, hamstrings, quadriceps, and lower back muscles

• Landmine squat & press - targets quadriceps, hamstrings, anterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, triceps, shoulders, arms

• Pendlay row - targets lats, rhomboids, traps

3. Fixed Weight Dumbbell

A fixed weight dumbbell is simply a handheld weight with a fixed weight that can be used to perform a variety of exercises. You can either use a singular or a pair of fixed weight dumbbells to target any area of your body and even increase the difficulty of your workouts to train endurance and build strength.

You can find a variety of dumbbell workouts online, including bench press, bicep curl, shoulder press, bent-over row, triceps kickback, Bulgarian split squat, elevated glute bridge, and even Russian twists.

4. Standard Weight Plate

A standard weight plate is designed to be used together with a standard barbell to increase the weight being lifted for a specific exercise. You can perform any exercise to strengthen and tone any area with it. 

Standard weight plates can also be used alone for different workouts, including lateral raises, plate push-ups, front shoulder raises, squat reach, and crunches.

5. Kettlebell

Kettlebells are an excellent way to target the entire body and engage stabilisation muscles. They are used to perform smooth, free-flowing movements that require multiple areas to work at the same time. It can be used to develop your strength and tone your muscles, and are also excellent for developing your core muscles.

Some workouts you can do are as follows:

• Kettlebell swing - targets abs, shoulders, pecs, glutes, quads, hips, hamstrings and lats

• Kettlebell windmill - targets obliques, abs, glutes, hamstrings and shoulders, including shoulder stabilisers, rhomboids, rotator cuffs, and more

• Kettlebell goblet squat - targets quadriceps, glutes, scapular stabilisers

6. Smith Machine

A smith machine is a specially designed rack with an inbuilt barbell that you can use to load weight plates onto. Because the bar is installed on guided rails and usually has a safety catch, a variety of barbell exercises can be performed on the smith machine without risk of injury. Back squats, chest presses, squats, and bent-over rows are just some of the exercises you can do.

SETTING UP YOUR GYM

1. Type of Gym

• Office gym

Office gyms are great for your employees because they can stay active and keep fit at any time of the day. It promotes a healthier work-life balance, healthier lifestyles, and increases employee morale. Having an office gym that employees have free access to can also entice potential employees to work for you. However, your office gym should be well planned and equipped with the necessary fitness equipment in order for it to be beneficial to your company.

• Commercial gym business

In today’s day and age, when people are becoming more health-conscious and actively trying to break free from a sedentary lifestyle, running your own gym can be a very profitable business, especially if you are a gym junkie yourself. This category includes gyms in residential properties such as condominiums and other businesses such as serviced apartments and hotels. A fully-equipped gym can help your business to thrive.

2. Things to Note

• Personal trainers

Personal trainers are essential in any gym to help guide members through proper positioning and form. They don't have to be present at all times but giving your members the option to schedule a training session with your personal trainer can help you retain members and attract new membership sign-ups. However, do not hire just about any self-proclaimed fitness trainer. Trainers must obtain some form of personal training certification before they can embark on their fitness training career.

Some well-known certifications include the following.

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

• American Council on Exercise (ACE)

• Federation of International Sports, Aerobics and Fitness (FISAF)

• International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)

• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

• Membership types

Consumers will always appreciate a great deal on a gym membership, but how will your company profit if you offer extremely low prices to all of your customers? The cost of providing multiple classes, training sessions, access to the gym and exercise equipment adds up, so it is critical to carefully price your membership tiers.

The most basic membership plan may only provide access to the gym, but the most comprehensive plan can be priced higher, providing a set number of free classes and personal training sessions per month. Calculate the profit margin based on the amount of revenue generated by each member and plan accordingly.

• Location

Choosing the right location to open your gym is crucial and will affect your business; it also depends on who your target audience is. If you’re targeting young professionals in their mid to late twenties with some extra cash to spare, consider opening your gym in the business district. If you wish to target even younger gym-goers, consider opening near universities and student dormitories. If the general population is your target audience, consider opening your gym near housing estates.

• Insurance

Accidents and injuries can happen very easily in gyms, so insurance is extremely important. Public Liability insurance protects you and covers the costs of claims made by members of the public for incidents that occur in the course of your business activities, such as personal injuries and property loss or damage.

3. Essential Gym Equipment

Every gym has a different set of gym equipment available to its members and the equipment you have or don’t have may influence potential members' decision-making process. If you are missing some equipment or have equipment that other gyms do not have, it may affect whether or not you are able to secure the membership sign up. Here are a few pieces of exercise equipment that should not be missing from your gym.

• Free weights

Dumbbells, weight plates, and barbells are important pieces of free weight equipment because they allow you to freely customise your workouts to meet your fitness goals. With them, you can essentially train every part of your body.

• Benches & racks

Weight racks are necessary for a clean and well-organised gym, whereas benches are necessary for certain workouts such as bench presses.

• Cardiovascular machines

Cardiovascular machines are simple to use and excellent for full-body workouts and effective aerobic training, whether for improved health, increased strength, or weight loss. Cardio machines are especially important in commercial gyms because almost everyone includes some form of cardio exercise in their daily workout routine.

• Strength & Conditioning Equipment

What good is a gym if there is no strength and conditioning equipment? These equipment are very effective at helping one develop stronger muscles and tone their body, which is why even individuals wish to purchase their own machines and install them in their homes.