Caitlyn Cook

Professor Debra Jizi

UWRT 1102-010
06 April 2016
How to Use Exercise Equipment Properly
I have always heard the rumors and stories about the first year of college; how some
people get the freshman fifteen. The freshman fifteen is an expression that people use when
someone is a first year college student and gains around fifteen pounds due to the new amount of
food they are exposed to and the new environment. When I came to college I was determined
that I was not going to gain the freshman fifteen, that I would do anything it took to maintain the
weight I weighed when I entered college. This inquiry project will be relevant to other college
students trying to maintain/lose weight or stay active. It will, also, be relevant to anyone that
does not know what they are doing in the gym and want to ensure that they are using the
equipment correctly and working out properly. I tried to motivate myself the entire first semester
to go to the gym, like every other new college student would do, but being the fresh meat on
campus made me nervous to go to the gym by myself. It was not until a few weeks into my
second semester when I truly got motivated because spring break was coming up and I did not
want to look bad with a bikini on, so I started going to the gym. I went on Pinterest to see if
there were any workouts to do, on and off the exercise equipment, and tried to figure out how to
use the equipment by myself, but never really got the hang of it. After spring break was when I
started asking myself the question: How do I properly use exercise equipment so that I am
making the most of my workout?

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I hope to uncover deeper connections as my research broadens. Before this research

essay, I knew I did not know how to use gym equipment properly, but never asked for help
because I did not want to seem dumb, which is why doing How to Use Exercise Equipment
Properly as my topic is the right way for me to deepen my understanding of the different types
of machinery. Before I started developing a working knowledge on the topic of exercise
equipment and wanting to explore more about it, I was simply thinking about how many reps I
needed to do on each piece of equipment each visit to the gym, how long I needed to do cardio,
etc. As I started researching deeper into this topic at the library, I found that I could have it
focused on more than how to properly use exercise equipment and not keep my research essay
focused solely on that, but I could explore more into it and the different aspects of it. This
research paper will explore aspects such as injury, muscle usage, and, lastly and most important
to me, how to properly use the equipment.
How to properly use exercise equipment affects more people than just me and I found this
to be true in a study called Home Exercise Equipment-Related Injuries Among Children in the
United States which states that - This study investigated home exercise equipmentrelated
injuries to children in the United States. (553) The study broke the ages of the children into
different groups such as 0 - 4, 5 - 9, 10 - 14, and 15 - 18. My focus was on the oldest age group
because they would be using the equipment for the intended purpose. Since the older group
already knew how to use the exercise equipment, their injuries were mostly sprains/strains
(68.1%). (Martinez, A 556) Education and training on the proper use of exercise equipment is
an appropriate injury prevention strategy for this age group. (Martinez, A 557) Once I read this
study, I realized that I needed to look into educating myself more on how to use gym equipment
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correctly and start training myself the proper way because if I kept using it the wrong way it
could lead to injury. This study shows just how serious proper usage of exercise equipment is
and that it is important to become educated in order to prevent injuries and ensure that one is
making the most of ones workout.
Another interesting source I found was a magazine called Fitness Magazine. They came
out with a piece called Your Ultimate Guide on How to Use The Best Exercise Equipment by
Kristine Thomason and she goes through eleven pieces of gym equipment, non-machine related,
that give you a good workout. This magazine came up with the ultimate how-to guide for some
gym equipment that shows, whether you are new to the gym or go to the gym seven days a week,
knowing how to use exercise equipment properly is an essential part to achieving whatever goal
you have set for yourself and to prevent any injuries. (Thomason, Kristine 2016) Before I started
going to the gym, I never thought about getting injured - for example, I have been using a
medicine ball to do side-to-side crunches, but after I get done with those I run out of workouts to
do with the ball. Kristine shows me that I can substitute dumbbells for a medicine ball in order
to make my workout more fun. She says: While doing crunches, throw the ball up in the air.
When your chest reaches your knees, catch the ball before you roll back to the ground. (Image
8) This will not only broaden my workout with the medicine ball, but give me a break from the
dumbbells.
Tips for Choosing the Right Exercise Equipment - Harvard Health by Thomas Lee is a
publication that gives the reader tips on how to choose the right exercise equipment. It lists
different kinds of cardio and strength equipment, tells what muscles each machine uses, and how
to properly use each piece of exercise equipment. Two things this publication tells the reader to

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keep in mind are: Even the best equipment and most tricked-out gyms only produce results
when used regularly Learn to use equipment properly to avoid injuries that could sideline you
temporarily or permanently. (Lee, Thomas Bullet Point 1 and 2) So far, each source has come
back to the same lingering aspect of using exercise machines; injuries - and this just goes to
show that you should really read up on tips and instructions for how to use each machine before
attempting it on your own. For example, elliptical trainers are my favorite piece of cardio
equipment to use, but I never know if my hands and feet are in the right position. According to
this Harvard Publication, ellipticals provide a nearly impact-free workout, which is easy on the
joints. Resistance and grade can be adjusted automatically or manually on some models, and
levers with handgrips to work the upper body may be available, too. (Lee, Thomas Para:
Elliptical Trainers) This tells me that I am using it right and that I should just keep my cardio
(elliptical) aspect of my workout the same.
I found a video called How to Use Machines at Gym Effectively Workout that I believe
makes a significant contribution to my inquiry question about how to use exercise equipment
properly. This video takes place at the Live Fit Fitness Training Center and personal trainer,
Carl, goes through a full body workout on different machines one can find in a gym to help
viewers like me understand how to use the machines effectively. His goal is to motivate the
viewers to live a healthy lifestyle and be able to get a full body workout the right way. (Livefit7
0:03) Carl gave the advice, that while using each machine, to start out by doing one set of
twenty reps and use the tempo of pushing out two seconds and releasing two seconds. This is
useful because I had questions about how many reps I needed to do and when I needed to stop or
keep pushing through. (Livefit7 0:30) Doing one set of twenty reps is good for the first few

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workouts because you do not want to over do your workout when you first start going to the
gym, but you want to be able to feel it the next day (the soreness). Throughout the video, Carl
shows that while in your workout you can adjust the heights and lengths on the machines to fit
your body type in order to be able to use the exercise machines properly and efficiently. Ever
since I viewed this video I have been making sure that I adjust the heights and lengths on the
machines to fit my body time and to get the most out of my workouts.
While researching how to properly use gym equipment in order to make the most of my
workout, I came across an article, based off adults that have busy lives but still need to get a
quick workout in, that talks the viewer through how to go about buying the right cardio machine
for yourself. A Home Gym You'll Actually Use by L. Kane goes through the following cardio
machines: treadmill, elliptical fitness cross-trainer, cross-country skier, rowing machine, stair
stepper, and stationary bike. I have ever only used the elliptical because that is the only machine
that I know the type of workout it will give me, but thanks to this article, I can now visit other
cardio machines when I want to work on a specific muscle. I have always wanted to try out a
rowing machine, but did not want to look like I did not know what I was doing in a room filled
with people who obviously know what they are doing. Rowers provide a vigorous workout,
build strength, and are good for your arms, back, abdomen, and legs." says Sanders. You can
learn the movements pretty easily. To test a rower, glide back and forth on the seat. Make sure it
moves smoothly and that the seat supports your lower back.(Kane, L Para. 24) Now that I have
some knowledge on what muscles this machine uses and how to use it, I can go to the gym with
confidence and add the rowing machine to broaden my workout.
The voices that were the most convincing were the following: Your Ultimate Guide on
How to Use The Best Exercise Equipment by Kristine Thomason and How to Use Machines at
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Gym Effectively Workout by Live Fit Fitness Training Center. These had the most impact on my
inquiry because they broadened their workouts to whole body instead of keeping one focus. If I
was going to add anything to this topic, it would be that I need to look into my familys medical
history and make sure that there is nothing keeping me from reaching a goal at the gym or
pushing myself to my maximum. These discoveries will impact my life greatly because now I
can go to the gym with more confidence and know that I am using the exercise equipment how
they are supposed to be used in order to get a proper full body workout. These discoveries have
opened my eyes to looking into having a job at the on campus Belk Gym and researching what it
takes to become a personal trainer and help others reach their gym goals. I am going to try to
work at Planet Fitness (a public gym) this summer and see how that makes me feel about my
future in exercises and future in school.

Resources:
1.

Martinez, A, AJ Snyder, and GA Smith. "Home Exercise Equipment-Related Injuries

Among Children in the United States." Clinical Pediatrics. 50.6 (2011): 553-8. Print

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2.

Livefit7. "How to Use Machines at Gym Effectively Workout.MP4." YouTube. YouTube,

2011. Web. 26 Mar. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE8m2LPm2Ac>.

3. Kane, L. "A Home Gym You'll Actually Use." Medical Economics. 76.24 (1999). Print.
4.

Thomason, Kristine. "Your Ultimate Guide On How To Use The Best Exercise
Equipment." Fitness 03 June 2014. Print.

5.

Lee, Thomas. Tips for Choosing the Right Exercise Equipment - Harvard Health.
Harvard Health. 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.

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