Archive for: October 2007

There is no evidence to conclude that natural or organic cosmetics produce extra healthy skin.

At the gym, quirks and compulsions get a healthy workout.

Being smart about how you run on race day can be as important as all the effort you put in before you reach the starting line.

Old-fashioned hygiene is advised in the war on drug-resistant staph.

Wegmans has announced that it will become the first supermarket chain to adopt strict environmental and health standards for the farmed shrimp it will sell in its stores.

Despite my well-known interest in healthful eating, I don?t believe in deprivation.

A low-fat diet only conferred the benefit if it lasts for many years, a new study indicates.

People who suffer from chronic headaches have been known to try all sorts of pills and home remedies.

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author jo2869 - Before you purchase a Smooth elliptical, you will want to read this opinion in its entirety. I purchased a Smooth Elliptical CE2.1 in February 2007. The Smooth internet site stated that purchasing under the Turnkey service for delivery, the equipment...

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author meowmeowcat - I own both Weider Max and Max 450 and together they were still less than a bowflex with better resistance and range of motion- here's why: I looked into both Bowflex gyms and Weider gyms- both use progressive resistance but The Weider products are...

Most athletes will have back trouble sooner or later ? if they?re not suffering already. Here?s what to do about it.

Is tricking your kids into eating vegetables really a good idea?

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author lalaw-student - BACKGROUND & USAGE I bought the Pacemaster Gold Elite Folding treadmill when it first came out in the spring of 2006. I was living in Houston and sick of fighting the humidity so I planned to do all of my running - about 35 miles a week - indoors. I'm...

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author jo.com - I have not given high marks to any of the models of the B
owflex
TreadClimbers by Nautilus. The simple reason is the way the resistance has to be set. For months I have been using the Nautilus TreadClimber TC916 which...

Weider home gyms are some of the most affordable home gyms on the market. Weider makes both weight stack home gyms and crossbow (or crossbar) home gyms (these are similar to the Bowflex Power Rod gyms).

Weider is a subsidiary of ICON Health and Fitness, one of the largest producers of exercise equipment in the world. Icon also manufactures brands like Proform, Golds Gym, Free Motion, Nordic Track, Epic and Reebok.

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Most Weider home gyms use bendable bars (crossbow or crossbars) to create resistance.

The advantage to this (vs. using a weight stack with pulleys) is a more affordable, space efficient home gym that still gives you a wide variety of exercises to work your entire body including abs, back, legs and arms.

Weider has several crossbow home gym models, the most popular are the:

Weider Platinum - Offers resistance of up to 340 lbs. and 75 exercises

Weider Crossbow Advantage - Offers resistance of up to 240 lbs (upgradable to 440 pounds) and 65 exercises

Weider Max - Offers resistance of up to 240 lbs. and 65 exercises

All of the above models use crossbow technology.

Another unique feature found on the Weider Platinum (and Platinum Plus) is the Digital Resistance Control. This means you can change your resistance with the touch of a button - no manual adjustments needed.

Advantages of Weider home gyms are that they are space efficient, more affordable than weight stack gyms, and can give you an overall total body workout. They offer lots of exercises (65+) to work your major muscle groups. They can also be a viable (and more affordable) alternative to the more expensive Bowflex Power Rod home gyms.

Its also important to note that while the warranties on the machines themselves tend to be short, there is a lifetime warranty on the crossbars.

Disadvantages are that, for the most part, these are economy machines (especially the Weider Max and Weider Crossbow Advantage).

They are not built with the same high degree of construction as other home gym brands and as such may not hold up over the long run as well as other brands.

Bottom Line:

If youre on a strict budget but still want a decent home gym that will give you a wide range of exercises to work your entire body, you might consider a Weider home gym.

Theyre affordable, space efficient and can be more lightweight than a standard home gym. The Weider Advantage and the Weider Max have fairly positive user reviews behind them and they give you a large range of exercises, making these models a good value for the money.

The disadvantage is that these are economy gyms. They may not hold up as well over the long term as other gym brands - a fact seen in generally shorter warranties.

However, considering what you get for the price tag, most Weider home gyms - especially the Crossbow models - offer good value.

Charles ONeil is a personal trainer and writes for Home Gym Reviews - reviewing home gyms by brand, price, Best Buys, features, expert ratings, user reviews and more.