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Fitness Equipment Leasing – The Benefits Of Exercise Equipment Hire Verses All-Out Ownership

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Fitness facilities are everywhere. They offer their community the benefit of a place to improve one’s personal fitness level, while making a wide variety of advanced equipment accessible to just about everyone. To attract a loyal following of fitness-oriented people, it is crucial to provide a wide range of high quality fitness equipment. To buy all the equipment necessary would cost business owners a substantial amount of up-front capital, which is why fitness equipment leasing is a popular option for gym owners everywhere.

When undertaking the acquisition of sophisticated gym equipment, the most important step is to determine the needs of the business. The same can be said for an individual seeking a home fitness equipment hire deal, although obviously the job is much easier when done on a personal level than a business that might require hundreds of pieces of specialist equipment. Before entering into any contractual obligation, decisions need to be made about whether to hire used or new equipment as well as ensuring there is the necessary flooring space to accomodate everything, not to mention whether or not customer demand will be satisfied by the deal.

Fitness Equipment Lease Benefits

To keep pace with the ever-changing advances in products and technologies, many businesses would rather find fitness equipment for hire than taking on all-out purchases. Fitness equipment hire can be financially beneficial and offers several advantages to owners of fitness facilities.

One of the great things about a fitness equipment lease is that it puts less of a strain on cashflow, allowing an individual, family or small business to make a small periodic payment while reaping the benefits of the gear. This frees up funds for other things such as business operation costs or the progressive expansion of the business.

Many business owners also enjoy the tax advantages that go with the hire of fitness equipment. Corporate incomes can by reduced in most cases by claiming the lease payment as a business expense. Lease payments also typically reduce the tax burden by deferring sales takes throughout the term of the lease.

Lease Types

Leases are offered in various forms. The specifics of a lease usually depend on the distributer or manufacture of the leased equipment. A capital lease, for example offers the lessee legal ownership of the equipment for the duration of the lease term. In contrast, the lessor retains ownership while in the lessee’s possession in the “operating lease” which is quite a popular arrangement.

The fair market value of the lease is included in other lease variations, allowing for a purchase option and low monthly options. At the end of the term, the lessee purchase the gear for one dollar in the popular one dollar buy out deal. Another common option is a 10% purchase option that delivers a compromise between a buyout option and low monthly payments.

Other Lease Considerations

Ensure your lease has provision for repair and maintenance in addition to a provision for “normal use” when negotiating a fitness equipment to hire deal. Over the term of the lease, this should provide for every-day wear and tear. A clause for an unexpected early termination of the lease should also be negotiated, whereby the equipment is returned to the lessor earlier than agreed. Where technology and equipment changes are anticipated, a “trade up” provision should be included that allows the leasee to benefit from progressive equipment upgrades.

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The Case For An Olympic Weight Set In Your Home Gym

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Free weights offer many benefits for muscle and strength training workout routines. If you are investing in a home gym, (something we highly encourage you to do), then you should probably look at investing in a free weights set of your own. Most weight sets allow you to change the barbell weight load, making them a space-efficient option for home.

Generally the highest quality types of free weights are Olympic weight sets. The major physical difference between Olympic and standard weight sets is the size of the placement hole, which is larger in an Olympic set of weights. The larger hole makes for a more secure, sturdy and well balanced fit. An Olympic weights set is made of the best quality metal and unlike a standard set, the weights are completely guaranteed to be accurate. Generic brands aften turn out to weight slightly more or less than advertised.

Olympic free weights typically comes in a 300 lb standard set that includes the following items:

  • (1) Olympic 7 foot Chrome Bar
  • (2) 45 lb Plates (2) 35 lb Plates
  • (2) 25 lb Plates (2) 10 lb Plates
  • (4) 5 lb Plates (2) 2.5 lb Plates
  • (2) Olympic Spring Collars

Free weights are used in official Olympic events like weight lifting. As the name suggests, the competitors in Olympic events use a standard Olympic weight set configuration when competing against each other.

The clean and jerk event and two handed snatch are two competitive Olympic events and require the bar be lifted from the floor to over a competitor’s head. The clean and jerk is a two-stage lift. It involves lifting the weights from floor to shoulder height in the first stage (the “clean” phase), followed by an explosive manouver to position the weights from shoulder to directly over the lifter’s head (the “jerk” phase). This lift is knows as the king of lifts because it is the weight lifting technique that results in more weight being lifted above the head than any other technique.

Of course free weights are not only useful to competitive weight lifters. They are used for general strength training and achieving more highly defined muscle tone or endurance when used in a lower intensity and more continuous way. Weight training can help you improve posture or enhance your performance in various sporting pursuits.

If you are seeking a powerful chest or abs that are rock-hard or perhaps wish to tone up your body from shoulders to legs or obtain lean, shaped triceps and biceps, a free weights set can help you achieve your goal from within the comfort and conveninence of your own home saving you costly gym membership fees.

If money is tight than you might find a cheap olympic weight set by purchasing a second hand set. Read our article on cheap exercise equipment for ideas on where to find the best discounted weight equipment.

Studies have proven that regular exercise can produce a dramatic increase in terms of health, lifestyle and general quality of life. We at FitnessSpaces.com consider one’s fitness to be the most important investment one can make and whether you consider Olympic weight sets or standard ones, a free weight set has it’s place in any home gym.

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Discount Fitness Equipment. Thinking Outside The Square When Money Is Tight

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

In todays hard economic climate, budgets are tight and people need to strive to reduce their spending and other expenses. If you are turned off buying gym equipment because of the cost, you might first wish to consider that it is quite possible to pick up discount fitness equipment from a variety of alternative sources. In truth it may be your cheapest option and much better in the long run than the alternative of joining a commercial gym and paying an expensive membership or worse, not working out at all!

“At least not working out at all is free” you may say. I beg to differ. If you are thinking this, you are disregarding a huge hidden cost. That is the cost in terms of quality of life you get when you neglect your fitness, health and wellbeing. Regular physical fitness backed up with a nutritious, balanced diet has been scientifically proven to reduce disease, increase quality of life and extend life expectancy. So while forking out extra cash for cheap exercise equipment might seem a pain. The unwritten cost of NOT investing in your health and lifestyle will cost you even more in other ways. So ask yourself which price do you wish to pay?

When hunting for cheap fitness equipment, it helps to consider unconventional sources. For instance gyms that are moving to new premises, expanding or closing down often have used fitness equipment for sale that is not advertised in the usual places. You might want to start making a list of places within your local area that you could approach. Look out for advertised equipment in the local or online classifieds. Your local newspaper or places like Ebay and Craigslist online are good places to track.

Many people will be reluctant to admit they are no longer using their personal fitness equipment so don’t by afraid of advertising in the “wanted” section of your paper. You can even set your price limit for the item you’re looking for. This makes it easier for the seller and means they don’t have to make so many phone calls if they can see your price is within their ballpark price.

Tracking down cheap home fitness equipment is limited only by your imagination. You could try recreation centers, local schools or colleges and ask if there is any old equipment they do not use any more and would be willing to part with. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure they say and you may even find someone who is more happy for you to take their old equipment off them. By not making your purchase at a fitness equipment sale, you might find you have more leverage in terms of negotiating a price. You may even find someone willing to GIVE their equipment away.

Lack of funds should not mean you cannot afford to work out. Cheap, discounted fitness equipment can potentially be found if you spend the time and effort to go and find it. While under the current economic conditions, money is understandably tight, discount fitness equipment can ease the burden and ensure you do not compromise on the things that matter far more than money. Your physical health, wellbeing and quality of life.

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Using Weight Sets For Space Efficient, Time Efficient Strength Training Workouts

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Many people think that to build strength and muscle requires expensive gym equipment that can only be found in a commercial gym. While this can undoubtably be effective, for those a little pressed for time and/or money can get excellent results from basic weight sets that and compact, adjustable and can be easily used in their home.

In fact you could go so far to say that a basic weight sets set is an essential addition to any home gym. A weights set, in it’s most basic form comprises of a collection of weight plates and a barbell. A weights set can either be an Olympic weight set or standard weights sets.

Olympic weight sets have standard components that includes a 7 foot barbell and weight plates ranging from 2.5 lb, right up to 100 lbs (sometimes more). Olympic sets tend to be higher quality than standard sets making them the better choice if you wish to acquire a free weight set that will last you virtually forever.

Some free weight sets include a dumbbell component as well. Dumbbells are smaller than a barbell and designed to exercise one arm at a time, or both arms using two dumbbells in sync. It is possible to purchase a dumbbell weight set as a seperate kit, or together with a barbell within the same kit. If you have more space and more money you might wish to consider a weight bench set on top of or instead of just a weight lifting set with only weight components. With a bench weight set you can perform additional exercises like bench presses and leg extensions. Advanced benches offer further variety, supporting convenient attachments such as lat-pulldown lever, pectoral attachments and squat rack.

If you are purchasing a weight set for your personal home gym use, you might consider looking for a set that features plastic coated weight plates. These can be a little bulkier than fully metal ones, restricting your ability to add more weights onto a barbell, but are less damaging to delicate floorboards when dropped.

Probably the first place you should go to when buying a weight set is your local gym store. If budget is a concern to you, then buying locally will save on shipping expenses, but truly cheap weight sets can usually be found buying second-hand. Again you probably want to stick to your local area. You could try your luck online too as some companys offer special shipping deals. Ebay and Craigslist are good places to do an online search as you can refine your search criteria to your local area with both of these websites.

Almost all your basic strength training can be performed with simple weight sets. If you are busy with work and don’t have the time to visit your gym on a regular basis, than you will be pleased to know that you can still stay in shape at your own convenience in a time-efficient way by working out with a basic weight set from home.

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Free Weights 101

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Free weights are a common type of exercise equipment used for strenght training. They don’t class as weights that are used in conjunction with an excercise machine, but rather weights that are attached to a barbell or dumbells that you lift to build strength. Free weights earned their named due to the fact that they do not required cables, pulleys, weight stacks, pins or anything else. The essential free weight that you lift comprises of barbells or dumbells with weight plates. Free weights allow you to vary the configuration of the weights. There are two common types of free weight equipment: standard and Olympic plates.

Olympic free weights are adjustable free weights that conform to a specific standard. While they are sold in different sized sets, the length and width of the barbell is standard, meaning that weight sets can be mixed and matched if you ever need to upgrade. Here is an example of what you get in a 300 pound Olympic free weight set (a popular configuration):

  • Olympic 7′ Chrome Bar
  • 2x 2.5 lb plates (1.13 kg)
  • 4x 5 lb plates (2.27 kg)
  • 2x 10 lb plates (4.54 kg)
  • 2x 25 lb plates (11.34 kg)
  • 2x 35 lb plates (15.88 Kg)
  • 2x 45 lb plates (20.4 kg)

Free Weight Components

The typical free weight lifting set has barbells, weight plates and sometimes dumbbells.

The Standard Barbell

The barbell is usually a long bar made of iron between 4 and 7 feet in length, upon which multiple weight plates can be placed. Exercising with a barbell requires you to hold the bar with both hands. Olympic barbells typically weigh 45 lbs themselves, so beginners may even get some benefit from a barbell with no weight plates added at all. The Olympic barbells tend to be the most heavy-duty, with some capable of holding loads over 1000 lbs! Smaller versions between 4-6 feet are also available.

Standard length barbells are usually 1 inch thick and 5-6 feet long. They are generally lower quality than an Olympic kit, but cheaper and perfectly fine for using in a home gym.

In most commercial gyms you will find a rack of different length barbells. Often these are various fixed weight barbells ascending in increments of 5-10 lbs.

The Dumbbell

Dumbbells are shorter in length than a barbell. Exercises that require dumbbells are often performed with a dumbbell in each hand. Gyms usually stock a collection of fixed weight dumbbells that increase in increments of about 5 lb and range in weight from about 5 lb right up to 100 lb.

There are essentially two types of dumbbells. Those that are fixed (i.e. the weight can not be changed) and adjustable dumbbells that feature small “collars” allowing you to change the weight configuration.

Weight Plates

Olympic weight plates most often range from 2.5 lb to 100 lb. Non-Olympic weight sets may also be rated in kg rather than pounds. If you are purchasing a set of weight plates for your home gym, it will be beneficial to seek out those that are made out of plastic as they will be less damaging to wooden floorboards. Most commercial gyms have weight plates made out of iron.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, here are a few additional components that can be added to a standard free weight set.

The EZ Curl Bar

The EZ Curl Bar is like a barbell, but has angled hand placements and is a little shorter. It is designed for working the triceps and biceps muscles and reduces the stress on your wrist when compared to a barbell that is perfectly straight.

Triceps Bar

A Triceps bar features two parallel hand placements making it an ideal implement for working out on your triceps. Of course you can work out other parts of your body as well.

Free Weight Training

Using a free weight set to tone and strengthen your muscles is one of the most simple and cost-effective ways, requiring only a weight set and a little space. It can be performed at home too making it time effective as well as cost effective.

When training at home, it is important however to have a specific goal. You may need to talk to a personal trainer at first or read up on the various free weight lifting programs in books or on the internet. If you are starting out, you will most likely want to stick to a few simple free weights exercises and avoid the more advanced stuff until you obtain a basic level of fitness.

Free weight workouts should ALWAYS be preceded with a slow warm-up before progressing to heavier repetitions. This will reduce the chance of serious injury. Another general rule of thumb is to lift and lower your weights slowly and evenly. Do not make your movements too dramatic and always ensure you maintain a good lifting posture or you’ll risk injuring your back or set you up for considerable discomfort in the days that follow your free weights workout.

Where To Buy Free Weights

You will find a wide variety of free weights for sale at your local exercise store. If your exercise store does not stock the higher quality Olympic weight sets and you are looking for something more substantial than a cheap free weights set, you can usually order quality gym equipment online. If you are looking for discount gym equipment than you might try your luck in the your local newspaper. Buying used free weights locally will likely save on shipping costs. You could also try eBay or Craigslist and refine your search to your local areas.

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Finding The Best Home Gym Equipment For Weight Loss

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

Among the best home gym equipments for weight loss are the elliptical cross trainer and treadmill. Many people who want to buy home gym equipment to help them lose weight cannot decide between the two. In this article we will do a brief comparison of elliptical vs treadmill and provide advice as to which home gym equipment is the best gym equipment for weight loss goals.

First we need to emphasize that both the elliptical cross trainer and treadmill are great tools for losing weight and exercising at home. They are both relatively easy to use and their success depends on how serious you will take your exercise efforts. If your goal from using these machines is to lose weight then the amount of weight you will lose will depend on how often and how intensively you will use them. Miracles do not happen, especially in the weight loss field. To achieve some good results you will have to work hard and be patient. The elliptical or treadmill are just weight loss equipment tools to make your job easier and more efficient. It is up to you on how you will utilize them for your benefit.

Having said that, other factors that you need to take into account when comparing an elliptical vs treadmill are the price, easy of use and enjoyment you receive by using them. Remember that both are very good in helping you lose weight, the amount of weight entirely depends on how you use them, it takes hard work to lose weight and not even the best weight loss equipment in the world will take the weight off for you.

Price: A treadmill is generally a more sophisticated piece of weight loss gym equipment and thus there are more manufacturing costs involved. This makes the price of the treadmill higher than the price of an elliptical cross trainer. This of course assumes that you are comparing equipment of the same quality. If you search the market you will find cases where a cross trainer costs more if you compare that with a lower quality treadmill. So, for the sake of our comparison you can assume that a treadmill (generally) costs more than the elliptical.

Easy of use: The treadmill is considered one of the easiest piece of exercise equipment for weight loss to use. All you have to do is to step on and press the start button. For the more experienced users you can control the speed and elevation but its basic functionality is simple. The elliptical is also very simple to use but compared to the treadmill you can consider it a bit trickier. This of course does not mean that it cannot be used by novice users but it simply means that a treadmill is easier to use.

Enjoyment: Certainly the elliptical cross trainer can give you more pleasure than the treadmill. When using the treadmill your options are limited to the speed and elevation while the elliptical makes exercise more fun and there are a lot of different exercises you can make that keep the monotony away.

To sum up, both home gym equipments are an excellent choice for weight loss. The treadmill is available on the market for many years and a lot of people have used it with great success. It is a bit more expensive than the cross trainer and does not require any special skills to use it. On the other hand the cross trainer is a cheaper, trickier piece of weight loss exercise equipment to use but many claim it offers you greater pleasure while exercising. The choice is yours!

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Find Time For Exercise With Home Gym Equipment

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

In todays fast-paced world, it’s becoming a lot harder for people to maintain their health, fitness and figure. Buying home gym equipment for your own personal gym can save unnecessary trips to a private gym, helping to keep your exercise schedule more regular.

Lets face it, we are busy running our lives! We work at our jobs or our businesses not to mention finding time for friends family and kid! Finding the time to stay fit and healthy when hard up against this sort of stress and pressure can be problematic to say the least!

While paying for local gym membership can certainly help in terms of greater incentive to exercise (since you paid for an expensive membership) as well as providing all the necessary equipment for just about every workout, gyms still carry their fair share of problems. The stress of traveling from home or from work to the gym is not something that should be under-stated, especially when you consider that the typical gym has opening times that may not suit your lifestyle. If the only time you can make it to your gym is immediately after work then you must – after an already heavy day in the office – rush to make double time immediately after work when you’re tired and lethargic and the incentive to skip your workout and spend your evening at home is at its highest. If you are a runner or cycle to stay fit, bad weather can also be a negative factor. Even the most hardened fitness enthusists feel somewhat less than motivated when up against extremely cold and wet weather.

Building your home gym can help you maintain a much more balanced lifestyle, eliminating the need to rush home or exercise at a time when you’re least motivated. There are various home gym exercise equipment options to choose from that can be utilized to perform a wide range of exercise types and thus help you stay in shape and achieve your overall fitness goals. With time and weather no longer a problem, you can exercise at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. But what is the best home gym equipment to get?
Free Weights (Dumbells)
If you are just starting out having resolved to finally do something to get fit, or are getting back into the swing of it again after a long period off, then it is advisable to not rush in at full pace in starting your home gym. Enrolling at your local gym instead can help you try out a range of potential home gym fitness equipment for a short period of time, plus you can ask a fitness instructor for advice on the advantages and disadvantages of the equipment that takes your fancy and how these can be used to meet your needs. As you start to get a better idea of what you need, start to make a list of the equipment you think will be of most benefit to you.

If your main focus will be weight training, then your priority is to purchase a decent set of weights. “Free weights” are less expensive (as low as $50 or even less in some case). Free weights include kettlebells, barbells nad dumbells, but these do not give you the flexibility to vary the weight. For more variety a combination set of weights might be more useful.. these weight between 4.5 kg (10lb) and 9kg (20lb) and are essentially a hand-held dumbbell with a replaceable bar that allowes you to change the current weight configuration. It is entirely up to you if you wish to use metal weights or plastic ones. Metal are more traditional, whereas plastic are more modern and are often filled with other materials like sand.

If you wish to take your weight training a step further, then consider weight machines. These are useful for working out specific groups of muscles such as deltoids, quadriceps and biceps in a much safer way. Unlike free weights, a weight machine can provide a good workout for calves and hamstrings. Weight machines obviously cost a lot more, but the long term investement will be worth it if you intend to make weights part of your long term fitness strategy.

Costs and configurations of weight machiens vary widely. There are simple resistance machines all the way up to multi-stationed weight stack equipment. A weight machine will cost you a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

Stair Stepper

Stair Stepper


A popular alternative is a stair stepper. Stair steppers offer you better cardiovasular workouts with a lower impact on your joints when used to develop your thighs and salves. Stair steppers also save considerable space. A simple stair stepper device costs from $80-150, a complex version offers adjustable speed, pedal distances, resistance levels and much more. These devices can also link with a heart rate monitor device providing you with digital readings based on the distance you have “climbed”. Speed and calories burnt are also displayed in digital form. Stair steppers that include all the bells and whistles can cost $1500-2000, but can be worth it if used extensively.

Treadmills and exercise bikes are also good gym equipment for home use. As with all home gym equipment, these vary with type, brand, models and features, but if you are on a tight budget, cheap home gym equipment is available. Building your home gym can cost you money as you will need to invest in the types of home gym equipment that will allow you to meet your exercise requipments. However, like any investment, a little money spent and more importantly, sticking to a regular exercise program will result in long term health advantages, not to mention a great looking body.

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