Cardiovascular training happens to be a crucial part of an athlete’s training regime. It boosts up the level of stamina and endurance along with providing other benefits. All this further translates into better athletic performance.
Numerous cardio machines are used by athletes to work on their overall cardiovascular health. This post is going to give you an overview of the best cardio machines for athletes.
Best cardio machine for athletes
There are a plethora of advanced cardio machines that work on your cardiovascular health. However, which cardio machine will cater to your needs in the best manner depends a lot on your individual fitness goals.
Are you looking to lose weight or are you willing to improve your endurance levels? Are you planning to get a toned physique or are you working on improving your running speed? Getting a clear idea about your fitness goals will make it easier for you to choose the cardio machine that will serve you in your best interests.
Now once you have chosen your fitness goals, you can easily determine which cardio machine out of the following will be providing you the results that you are looking for.
Air bike
Being an athlete if you want to work on improving your cardiovascular health, an air bike can serve you pretty well. An air bike uses both your arms and legs. It provides you with a great full-body workout. It helps in toning up your physique as well.
While working out on an air bike, as you keep on pushing against the resistance, the muscles of your back, arms and obliques get targeted.
An air bike is also called a fan bike. This is because it has a fan installed inside it which generates wind resistance. As a result, the harder you pedal, the greater resistance it provides. This in turn helps in burning off more calories along with making the exercise more challenging.
If you are looking to lose some weight and shed off those extra inches, working out on an air bike can be a great addition to your exercise routine. An air bike is a great cardio machine for endurance.
Curved treadmill
A curved treadmill is a non-motorised concave device. It can be used for either running or walking. It serves as a great machine for runners. The best thing about curved treadmill running is that it allows the user to pace themselves naturally. It provides its user with a comfortable running experience that utilises a curvilinear leg stroke.
Running on a curved treadmill can provide you with a great cardio workout and that too in a lesser amount of time. You can burn up to 30% more calories through running on a curved treadmill as compared to regular treadmill running. As you walk or run on a curved treadmill, a greater number of muscle groups get involved.
The presence of a rubber surface on a curved treadmill absorbs up the impact on your joints and connective tissue as you run on it. It prevents injuries on one hand and keeps your joints protected on the other hand.
Incline treadmill
An incline treadmill can provide you with a better cardio workout as compared to a regular treadmill. An incline treadmill provides you with added resistance as you walk or run on it. In a way, it emulates walking or running uphill.
With the added incline, you get the benefit of burning off more calories. An incline treadmill also aids in building up your lower body muscles as they get to work harder to counter the resistance of the incline.
An incline treadmill makes you work out with greater intensity. This intensity further promotes weight loss by burning off the excess calories. So if you intend to drop your body fat percentages, an incline treadmill can serve you pretty well.
It can also aid you in getting your stamina and endurance levels up. If you are just starting with an incline treadmill, even a 2-3% incline will provide you with a great resistance. Once your body becomes adapted to it, you can increase the level of incline.
Rowing machine
Rowing machines are also known as ergometers. When it comes to top-class athletic training, working out on a rowing machine happens to be a crucial part of it. The best thing about a rowing machine is that you engage up to 86% of your muscles while working out on it.
A rower machine works on improving your endurance, stamina as well as muscle tone. Since rowing serves as a great form of cardio, it also offers numerous benefits to your heart and lungs. Rowing is an intense movement in itself. When you are rowing, your heart works hard to supply more blood to your muscles. This in turn provides a great workout to your heart and strengthens it as well.
A rower machine targets the muscles of your upper back, arms, and pecs. Since it involves some leg drive (when you push off the foot stretcher), it also gives a good workout to your quads, glutes, and calves. Your core muscles also get pretty much engaged while executing a rowing movement.
Spin bike
The spin bike is one of the most common fitness equipment that you can find in modern gymnasiums. Along with, providing numerous cardiovascular benefits, a spin bike also works on your strength levels. It provides you with a full-body workout by involving various muscles of your body.
A spin bike emulates a basic cycling movement and that too at the comfort of your home. Spinning bikes are considered to be one of the best fitness equipment that targets weight loss.
Even if you exercise on your spin bike for just 15–20 minutes every day, you would be seeing substantial results in a few weeks. You can also join a spinning class at your local gym to get a group training experience.
Final words
We expect that by now you would have figured out which cardio machines will be serving you in your best interests. Isn’t it? We would advise you to take advantage of each of them. Incorporating them in your exercise routine will not only add the element of variety to it but will also contribute greatly towards the betterment of your cardiovascular health.
Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
