07 Oct Franchise players of home gyms: Functional trainers

More and more people are turning to functional trainers as the key player for strength training in their home gym. When it comes to fitness equipment, functional trainers are among the most versatile.
Functional trainers are often less expensive than traditional home gyms, while also requiring less space.
Like home gyms, functional trainers have weight stacks on their
base, however, the weights are moved by a cable systems that comes with different shaped handles.
The functional trainer provides many more options for working out due to the fact the cable does not have to follow a fixed plane. As a result, more sports specific routines can be implemented.
For instance, a golfer can hold the cable handle and simulate his or her swing. A baseball or softball player can grip the cable handle and mimic a throwing motion. There are hundreds of different movement possibilities for a Functional Trainer.
You can even incorporate an exercise ball into your workout, sitting on it and pulling the cable handle toward you at a variety of angles.
Functional trainers can also be harder to use because they don’t move on a fixed plane like traditional home gyms. This can make it a little tougher to know if you’re doing exercises correctly and some people aren’t sure if they’re following the right motions. It’s important that they ask questions when contemplating buying a Functional Trainer and have correct information on how to use them.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com