You need to do more than spend hours on cardio machines to get in shape and stay healthy. There’s nothing wrong with hitting up the TRUE treadmill at the gym, but if you’re not also training your muscles with resistance exercises, your workout is missing a critical component.
Adding weight training with Hammer Strength row low, Hammer Strength chest press and other machines from the Hammer line mixes up your exercise routine by working muscles in a different way than the TRUE treadmill or an elliptical. If you’re getting tired of endless rounds of cardio, it’s time to step up your training with weights.
Limitations of Cardio Machines
Cardiovascular exercise is important for heart health, lung health and endurance, but doing too much at the expense of other kinds of training can be harmful. Overexertion on a cardio machine may cause injuries, prevent optimal muscle gains or even damage your heart over time. It’s also possible to do the opposite by getting into a steady rhythm and not pushing yourself hard enough to get any benefits.
If you want to monitor your heart rate and how many calories you’re burning, ellipticals and treadmills aren’t much help. The estimates given on the machines are for an average person, not someone of your specific height, weight and fitness level, making it hard to gauge the effectiveness of your cardio sessions.
Advantages of Strength Training
Strength training gained mainstream popularity in recent years as exercise aficionados realized the benefits of building muscle. Whether you use Cybex plate loaded machines, free weights or a Hammer Kraftstation, a well-planned regimen of resistance training helps you develop functional strength to improve performance in every activity from simple daily movements to high-intensity athletic training.
Resistance exercise is appropriate for all fitness goals, including weight loss, maintenance and gain. As you lift heavier, your body releases more human growth hormone to support muscle development and repair. Adding resistance improves bone strength, and increasing muscle mass gives your metabolism a small boost during and after your workouts.
What’s the Difference with Hammer Strength?
Working out with a Hammer Strength machine gives you an advantage over Cybex plate loaded equipment and other types of strength training gear you find at the gym thanks to the innovative design put together by creator Gary Jones. Jones wanted to provide superior strength training equipment capable of mimicking natural body movements, and the Hammer Strength chest press, Hammer row low and other machines were made with this goal in mind.
The range of motion offered by Hammer Strength machines draws on biomechanics, making use of an iso-lateral design to allow you to use one or both arms or legs while performing an exercise. Some Hammer stations have a dual design with complementary exercises to be done as sets. Strong steel construction allows the equipment to stand up to vigorous exercise routines without sustaining damage.
Hammer Strength Machine vs. Free Weights
There’s a great debate among body builders as to whether machines or free weights are better for muscle gain. With Hammer Strength, you don’t have to choose. You can make the machines your primary workout, use them as a “burnout” to finish off muscles at the end of a free weight routine or mix up equipment types during a single workout.
Hammer Strength equipment differs from free weights by allowing you to:
Free weights target more stabilizer and core muscles than the Hammer Strength row low and other equipment, but if you’re looking to increase your lifts without hurting yourself, machines are the smarter option.
How Hammer Strength Equipment Can Improve Your Workout
Superior quality machines minimize your risk of injury during strength training routines, an important consideration for all fitness levels. By allowing you to stack on more weight while getting a feel for proper range and form, Hammer Strength machines make it easy to incorporate new lifts into your routine as you gain muscle. Whether you’re just starting out with strength training or are looking for a new option to add variety to your current program, performing iso-lateral movements with Hammer equipment can help you achieve your goals.
With the unique way a Hammer Strength machine targets your muscles, it’s a great option for starting a new strength training regimen or rounding out your current routine. Instead of running yourself into the ground on an elliptical or TRUE treadmill, you can complement your workout with challenging and functional resistance exercises. Make the Hammer Kraftstation, Hammer Strength row low and other muscle-building machines part of your workout to change the way your body looks, feels and functions.
