To understand the principles behind hydraulic fitness equipment, you need to understand the basics of hydraulics. In any hydraulic system, force that’s applied to one point is transferred to another point through the use of a non-compressible fluid (usually oil). Force is typically multiplied during this process. Suppose you have two glass cylinders, each fitted with pistons. A pipe filled with oil connects the two cylinders. If you push down on one piston, the force will be transmitted very efficiently to the other piston through the oil in the pipe.
The pipe can be almost any shape and any length, and the pipe can actually split into two pipes so that the one cylinder pushed down on (the master cylinder) can drive more than one other cylinder (the slave cylinder). You can add force multiplication to the hydraulic system easily by changing the size of one piston / cylinder combination relative to the other(s). This is a way of making a force for distance trade-off, and it is very common in mechanical systems.
Suppose you have a small piston and a large piston, connected with an oil-filled pipe, with a one-inch radius and a three-inch radius respectively. The area of the larger piston is nine times greater than the area of the small piston. Therefore, a downward force applied to the smaller piston is nine times greater on the larger piston. Apply a 10 pound force downward on the smaller piston, and you’ll get a 90 pound force upward on the larger one. You will have to press down on the smaller piston by nine inches to raise the larger piston by one inch. In most hydraulic systems, the hydraulic cylinders and pistons are connected by valves to a high-pressure oil pump.
With hydraulic systems, it is very important that there be no air in the system. If there is an air bubble in the system, the force applied to the first piston compresses the air rather than moving the second piston, making the system far less efficient.
Hydraulic fitness equipment uses hydraulic cylinders, where the resistance depends on the force that the user exerts. Free weights and weight machines use stacks of weights, by contrast. With hydraulic circuit training equipment, the resistance you encounter depends on how hard you push or pull, and how fast you try to perform the movements. The more slowly you do the movements, the less resistance you’ll encounter.
Because hydraulic fitness equipment resists only when the user exerts force, the user is less likely to have sore muscles afterward. Many people like hydraulic circuit training equipment because they can exercise at their own pace. Small people, large people, casual exercisers, and body builders can all use hydraulic exercise equipment and get results. For this reason, hydraulic circuit training equipment is sometimes called universal fitness equipment.
While hydraulic fitness equipment is great for strength training, you’re almost always better off joining a fitness center or gym than buying all the equipment for a home gym, at least at first. That way you can get help from a fitness instructor to teach you how to do the exercises correctly. Additionally, hydraulic exercise circuit training equipment is expensive.
Hydraulic circuit training equipment is very popular in group exercise environments like the circuit training at fitness clubs like Curves (in the U.S.) because everyone can exercise together without each person having to adjust a weight stack, or falling behind. This universal fitness equipment has its own set of advantages and disadvantages just like any other type of circuit training equipment.
Here are some of the advantages of hydraulic circuit training equipment:
- In circuit training, there is no need to adjust the machines for each user
- It is less likely to result in sore muscles
- It is safe for all ages and fitness levels
- Those recovering from injuries can use it
- There is a much smaller chance of injury with hydraulic equipment compared to stacked weights
- Working harder and faster gives you more of a workout, so workouts can be tailored to the individual
- Workouts raise metabolism and tone muscles
- The range of motion is smoother
- Spotters are not necessary
But there are disadvantages to hydraulic fitness equipment as well:
- There is an upper limit to the amount of resistance most machines can provide, limiting their usefulness for bodybuilders
- Hydraulic fitness machines may not be ideal for those who want to bulk up with muscles
- The machines are expensive
- They take up more room than other types of fitness equipment
- They are definitely not portable
So, overall, hydraulic fitness equipment is great for those who are prone to injuries, who are recovering from an injury, or for those who want to tone their muscles. “Lifting over your weight” is not a risk with these machines.
Despite their disadvantages, universal fitness equipment like hydraulic fitness machines work well for a broad cross section of the population.
Two of the major manufacturers of hydraulic fitness equipment are Fast Fun Fitness and Sterling Fitness. Fast Fun Fitness makes circuit training-oriented hydraulic cylinders that are made to be quieter and longer lasting than other brands. It bills itself as a provider of hydraulic fitness equipment designed to meet the needs of beginners to advanced athletes. Sterling Fitness makes “turnkey” hydraulic fitness equipment packages designed for circuit training for kids only, women only, men only, co-ed, school, and church-based fitness centers.
You may wonder what “circuit training” refers to in the paragraphs above. circuit training combines strength training with endurance training. A single person may work his or her way through a circuit in a prescribed routine, or a group of people may rotate among the training equipment based on specific time intervals. A well-designed circuit training routine will work out the entire body in one exercise session.
While circuit training started out as a method of exercising without equipment (with exercisers rotating between calisthenics like push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, etc.), today’s circuit training involves a series of exercise stations, some with hydraulic fitness equipment, and fixed time intervals after which each person moves on to the next station. A 20 to 30 second “rest” period is allowed between stations, allowing a brief respite, but ensuring that the exerciser’s heart rate remains elevated.
While circuit training does not have to involve hydraulic fitness equipment, it is easily one of the most popular forms of circuit training. A circuit takes about 30 minutes to finish and it offers the advantages of an hour-long “regular” workout where the user rests between exercises. This makes circuit training with hydraulic fitness equipment very popular for people who have trouble finding the time to go to a gym regularly.
Circuit training can be a little hard to follow at first, but fitness centers and gyms usually have fitness experts on hand to show beginners how to do the circuit. A typical circuit training course should work each section of the body individually. It might include pull-ups for arms, sit-ups for abs, step-ups for legs, shoulder presses for arms, elbows-and-toes exercises for abs, and squat thrusts for legs. Or it may involve hydraulic fitness equipment in several of the exercise stations rather than calisthenics. Sometimes circuit training will have a theme, such as boxing exercises.
Research at the Cooper Institute and Baylor University shows that circuit training is the most efficient way to build cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength in the least amount of time. With women, it helps exercisers achieve their fitness or weight loss goals and maintain their results longer than other diet and exercise programs.
Other advantages of circuit training include:
- It don’t necessarily require expensive equipment (though adding hydraulic fitness equipment is very popular in circuit training)
- It’s easy to design a whole body workout
- Small group circuits appeal to those who like to combine socializing with fitness
- Circuits can be optimized for specific sports
There are, however, disadvantages to circuit training, including circuits that involve hydraulic fitness equipment:
- It is not as effective for building muscle bulk or advanced strength training
- Some stations in a circuit may require less than a minute to complete, while others may take two minutes or more
- They tend to emphasize endurance over strength (which may be fine for many people)
Overall, however, circuit training involving hydraulic fitness equipment is a great way to shape up. Hydraulic fitness equipment is being engineered to improve range of motion and feel, and many machines have good safety shields to keep hands away from the moving parts. Many gyms and other organizations can choose to rent or purchase hydraulic fitness equipment, and some manufacturers will customize the equipment with logos embroidered onto the upholstery, and most manufacturers are constantly researching new types of hydraulic fitness equipment to add more variety and give better results.
The science of hydraulics is basic enough that it can be used in countless ways to design equipment. That is easy enough to see from the range of hydraulic jacks, hydraulic brake systems, hydraulic shock absorbers, and the countless other hydraulic systems in use in a huge range of applications. The simple concept of using pistons connected by oil-filled tubes can be adapted in innumerable ways to innumerable tasks. It is a perfect technology for fitness equipment, allowing for almost universal use and great versatility.
The elegant concept of trading force for distance is a natural one for designing fitness equipment, and commercial fitness centers often include hydraulic fitness machines either as standalone equipment or in specially designed circuits for circuit training. Health clubs of all types, including women only facilities, and facilities for children make use of hydraulic fitness equipment because of its near-universal usefulness in the science of getting fit.
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