If you could invest in 1 at-home exercise machine what would it be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rowing machine. I’ve tried Pelaoton and find their classes boring.

How do you keep the rowing machine interesting? I do it, but kinda hate it. I haven't tried Peloton so I can't say for sure, but I just can't imagine how anything can be more boring than the rowing machine. Blasting loud and fast music is the only thing that gets me through erging. What's your secret?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Squat rack

+1

Does anyone have a squat rack at home? I want one -- a little worried about safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rowing machine. I’ve tried Pelaoton and find their classes boring.

How do you keep the rowing machine interesting? I do it, but kinda hate it. I haven't tried Peloton so I can't say for sure, but I just can't imagine how anything can be more boring than the rowing machine. Blasting loud and fast music is the only thing that gets me through erging. What's your secret?

I erg and don’t love it, but I rarely find it boring. What kinds of workouts do you do? Maybe try something like 10 x 500m with an pyramid rating. So, like 24, 28, 30, 32, 36, 36, 32, 30, 28, 24. Or maybe if you are just doing a long piece, change the rating every few minutes, back and forth between 22 and 24. Or vary the times or distances. So, like 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1000, 750, 500 with 2 minutes rest between each. Something like that.
https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/wod

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Squat rack

+1

Does anyone have a squat rack at home? I want one -- a little worried about safety.

We have a squat rack at home. Get a quality one so you can be sure it will support the weight, and don't do any max lifts if you don't have a full cage to catch the bar.

We bought ours through Gym Source in Falls Church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rowing machine. I’ve tried Pelaoton and find their classes boring.

How do you keep the rowing machine interesting? I do it, but kinda hate it. I haven't tried Peloton so I can't say for sure, but I just can't imagine how anything can be more boring than the rowing machine. Blasting loud and fast music is the only thing that gets me through erging. What's your secret?

Couldn’t the same be said of running or biking too? One piece of equipment has the potential to get boring/repetitive no matter what it is. Rowing at least gives a good full body workout.

[Anonymous]

Peloton. I'd never taken a spin class before we got one but I love it and it's the most consistent exercise I've done in a decade. I mix up the rides (there are so many choices) and I do the yoga classes too.

[Anonymous]

Peloton. We use it religiously and have for two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rowing machine. I’ve tried Pelaoton and find their classes boring.

You think Peloton is boring but erging isn’t? Erging is hellishly hard and deadly dull.

I feel the same way about erging v bikes. Exercise bikes are boring and so repetitive and your body is cramped in an unnatural position. Erging is a much more natural full-body exercise, and you also have to think about it more so it's not as boring. It's not just grind, grind, grind around the pedals.

But the Peloton is not a bike in the way that a Concept 2 is an erg. The selling point of the Peloton is that it has coached workouts, which can last from 5 to 90 minutes, in any variety of styles, and coached by various personalities. All of that displays on the screen mounted to the bike.

The parallel would be if the erg had a giant screen and someone coxing you through each piece. But it doesn't, so the comparison doesn't hold. (Also, once you row long enough, you don't have to think about erging technique really at all.)

But physically, the exercise bike pushes your body into a track of repetitive motion, the way an Erg really doesn't. Your body has much more freedom to move, and you aren't hunched over in the same position the whole time. For the injury prone, erging is better IMO. And erg is also a full body workout, of course, unlike the bike. I can live without the coaching stuff.

So much; where to begin?

-Erging (and rowing) are, by nature, repetitive. Ask any rower who's had a repetitive motion injury (which is most of us). To say that an erg doesn't push your body onto a "track of repetitive motion" is laughable, since the seat *slides on a track*
-Proper cycling technique does not include "hunching," and the Peloton coaches I ride with most do a great job of cueing postural reminders multiple times per ride
-Erging involves more muscle groups, so there's more to injure. Also, the vast majority of people who erg but lack rowing experience aren't doing it properly. That sets them up well for injury
-That's great that you can live without the coaching stuff, but most people would get bored doing the machine, every single day, with zero coaching or stimulation other than numbers on a screen

Look, I rowed competitively for 8+ years. I get the utility of the erg and all the great things about it. But there are very, very few people who would choose their single piece of equipment to be an erg over a Peloton, and if they do, I'm frankly skeptical that they're erging correctly. Erging is supposed to suck.

I have a son who rows. His favorite shirt is one that says "I love erging." --said no one ever

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Squat rack

+1

Does anyone have a squat rack at home? I want one -- a little worried about safety.

not a full rack/cage but we have adjustable weight bars so you can easily do squats, bench press and other lifts - holds up to 350 pounds.

also have a Bowflex Max trainer machine (I think it's M5 or M6) that is just awesome - full body workout + cardio and a variety of programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just get my as to the gym. Once you are there you are committed, much harder to do that at home. Just look at statistics of those home machines, they are a definition of wishful thinking.

I feel the opposite. Between work and being a mom, I have trouble finding the time to go to a crowded gym, worry about fighting people for machines, and spending extra time driving there and back. I can say more easily find time at home (while my kid sleeps, when he has friends over, etc).

My latest favorite home exercise is using a small step with risers, a bosu ball, and exercise bands.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rowing machine. I’ve tried Pelaoton and find their classes boring.

You think Peloton is boring but erging isn’t? Erging is hellishly hard and deadly dull.

I feel the same way about erging v bikes. Exercise bikes are boring and so repetitive and your body is cramped in an unnatural position. Erging is a much more natural full-body exercise, and you also have to think about it more so it's not as boring. It's not just grind, grind, grind around the pedals.

But the Peloton is not a bike in the way that a Concept 2 is an erg. The selling point of the Peloton is that it has coached workouts, which can last from 5 to 90 minutes, in any variety of styles, and coached by various personalities. All of that displays on the screen mounted to the bike.

The parallel would be if the erg had a giant screen and someone coxing you through each piece. But it doesn't, so the comparison doesn't hold. (Also, once you row long enough, you don't have to think about erging technique really at all.)

But physically, the exercise bike pushes your body into a track of repetitive motion, the way an Erg really doesn't. Your body has much more freedom to move, and you aren't hunched over in the same position the whole time. For the injury prone, erging is better IMO. And erg is also a full body workout, of course, unlike the bike. I can live without the coaching stuff.

So much; where to begin?

-Erging (and rowing) are, by nature, repetitive. Ask any rower who's had a repetitive motion injury (which is most of us). To say that an erg doesn't push your body onto a "track of repetitive motion" is laughable, since the seat *slides on a track*
-Proper cycling technique does not include "hunching," and the Peloton coaches I ride with most do a great job of cueing postural reminders multiple times per ride
-Erging involves more muscle groups, so there's more to injure. Also, the vast majority of people who erg but lack rowing experience aren't doing it properly. That sets them up well for injury
-That's great that you can live without the coaching stuff, but most people would get bored doing the machine, every single day, with zero coaching or stimulation other than numbers on a screen

Look, I rowed competitively for 8+ years. I get the utility of the erg and all the great things about it. But there are very, very few people who would choose their single piece of equipment to be an erg over a Peloton, and if they do, I'm frankly skeptical that they're erging correctly. Erging is supposed to suck.

I have a son who rows. His favorite shirt is one that says "I love erging." --said no one ever

Precisely. Erging sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rowing machine. I’ve tried Pelaoton and find their classes boring.

How do you keep the rowing machine interesting? I do it, but kinda hate it. I haven't tried Peloton so I can't say for sure, but I just can't imagine how anything can be more boring than the rowing machine. Blasting loud and fast music is the only thing that gets me through erging. What's your secret?

I erg and don’t love it, but I rarely find it boring. What kinds of workouts do you do? Maybe try something like 10 x 500m with an pyramid rating. So, like 24, 28, 30, 32, 36, 36, 32, 30, 28, 24. Or maybe if you are just doing a long piece, change the rating every few minutes, back and forth between 22 and 24. Or vary the times or distances. So, like 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1000, 750, 500 with 2 minutes rest between each. Something like that.
https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/wod

I do that, but I still find it boring. I mean it's difficult and challenging, but there is no human interaction which it sounds like the Peloton has. I think there are people like yourself that find compelling to look at a number and really enjoy watching it stay constant (I know how difficult that is-- I really don't mean to sound dismissive!) and those that enjoy looking at another person's face and getting a charge from hearing that person's voice.

[Anonymous]

I love our water rower. I find it meditative when moderately paced and super challenging to do anything but keep moving when not. Both are excellent for me mentally.

I’ve never found indoor cycling or a treadmill to be anything other than tedious, including spin classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just get my as to the gym. Once you are there you are committed, much harder to do that at home. Just look at statistics of those home machines, they are a definition of wishful thinking.

Really depends on the person. I am a committed exerciser and loved the gym when child free but with kids I want to work out before 5:30am when most gyms open, often and the ability to roll from bed to the bike vs. commuting to the gym is necessary to make it happen.

[Anonymous]

Free weights