Crunched for time? Try These Machines

effective machines

Crunched for time? Try These Machines

The majority of machines at the gym are designed to target specific muscles. The chest press works your chest, biceps, and triceps, while the leg press works your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Every machine is effective in its own way, depending on the muscles you want to train.

But what if you only have 30 minutes to spend at the gym and you are looking for the machines that offer full-body training?

These 3 machines will simultaneously train both your muscular and cardiovascular fitness for the ultimate, effective full-body workout.



Rowing machine

rowing correct form
Keep your legs loose and slightly bent at the knee while maintaining a straight back.

Rowing is the perfect aerobic workout and concurrently trains a diverse set of muscles. Unlike running, rowing is a low-impact workout and provides a greater range of muscle work.

You start the rowing movement by driving through your hips and legs, to maintain your posture you activate your core and then you have arm, shoulder, and back involvement.

However, because the action of rowing is more unfamiliar than that of walking, running or biking, it is important to execute the movement correctly to avoid injury. For an efficient, injury-free rowing workout, asking a trainer at the gym for the proper technique is the best place to start.





rowing incorrect form
Avoid locking your knees and hunching or arching your back.












Air bike

man riding air bike

This is a stationary bike that also has upright, movable handles and an air-generating fan wheel in the front.

While all types of cycling train your lower body, the push-pull movement of the handles work most of the upper body muscles. Pushing activates your chest and anterior shoulder muscles, while pulling uses your back and posterior shoulder muscles. Your arms are also engaged, while your core is used for stability.





Stair-climbing machine

woman using stair stepper

While the stair-climber focuses on the lower body, it builds exceptional functional strength – meaning muscles you use in your everyday life. Every step taken on the stair-climber utilizes some of the largest muscles in your body, such as glutes, quads, and hamstrings.








Circuit training

woman using rowing machine

Circuit training is any workout involving repeating a sequence of different exercises. So instead of sticking to one machine the entire workout, you will move from one to the next and repeat the sequence. Circuit training is most effective when the machines target different muscles.

With limited time at the gym, packing all three machines into one session will give you the ultimate, full-body burn.