Exercise equipment is any physical object used in exercise. This can include treadmills, bicycles, trackshoes or protective equipment such as a weightlifting belt.

Aerobic or Anaerobic?

Aerobic equipment means any exercise equipment which predominantly benefits your cardiovascular system ( with oxygen ). This includes, but is not exclusive to, treadmills, cross trainers, rowing machines and stepping machines.

Anaerobic 'benefitting' equipment generally refers to weight resistance equipment such as cable machines and weight barbells / dumbbells. When considering what exercise you are going to do and which equipment you need to use, it's best to consider doing a mixture of aerobic and resistance exercise, possibly on different days. Anaerobic exercise will benefit your muscular endurance, fitness and strength, whereas aerobic exercise will help you to maintain a good level of cardiovascular fitness and burn more calories.

To get the most out of your training regime you must also ensure you are eating the right quantities of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Getting enough sleep is also a factor as well as allowing yourself recovery time between sessions.

When using weight resistance equipment, try to use a mixture of cable/pulley machines and free weights. That way you will benefit from a more natural movement of your own body when using free weights, but will also have the added benefit of using machines to add variety to your routine and target different areas of any given muscle group. If you are running or doing high impact aerobic work, make sure at the very least you have a good set of running show. Do not skimp on this investment, your knees will thank you for it later. It's also a good idea to replace your running shoes every 6 months if training regularly.