It’s no secret why the hydraulic circuit-training fitness franchise has been successful as a business opportunity: circuit training works! Circuit training is a proven exercise system that, for many women, has proven to be more effective than diet and nutrition programs alone.
The routine at these circuit training gyms is quick and simple, allowing each woman to progress at her own pace. The ladies exercise in a circle, each at a station. They spend 30 or 45 seconds at each station, either working a hydraulic resistance machine or doing aerobics. The entire routine takes just 30 minutes.
Sufficient anecdotal evidence exists to prove that circuit-training can help women achieve fast weight loss. But how about the training technology behind the workout? Does the equipment in this gym provide true weight loss exercise, or is it just another fad like the diet pill or the diet plan promoted on late-night infomercials?
To completely understand fitness and exercise equipment it’s important to comprehend the four different technologies of that equipment:
1) Constant Resistance Devices
2) Variable Resistance Devices
3) Static Resistance Devices
4) Accommodating Resistance Devices
Ab Trainers 
Bars & Attachments 
Constant Resistance Devices:
“The term constant resistance means that a weight (resistance) does not increase or decrease during the course of exercise” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001). The amount of resistance encountered by the user remains unchanged from the beginning of the exercise movement to the end.
Examples of training or weight lifting with constant resistance devices would be lifting a barbell, dumbbell, or using a cabled weight stack. Weight training in this manner has some inherent disadvantages. First of all, constant resistance weight lifting exercise does not correct for changes in the musculoskeletal leverage that occurs during an exercise movement. Secondly, this method does not account for reduced effort that comes with fatigue.
When following a weight lifting routine with constant resistance devices, the user experiences changes in leverage during the joint movement. For example, when doing dumbbell curls the amount of muscular force required is much greater at the bottom of the movement (when the dumbbells are at waist level) than it is at the top of the movement (when the dumbbells are near the chin). As the dumbbells approach the top of the movement, leverage improves and the user doesn’t have to work as hard.
Therefore, the user doesn’t gain as much benefit during the ‘easy’ portion of the movement. Muscles need stress to gain strength and endurance, so with the relatively diminished stress of constant resistance devices some of the benefit is gone.
Some experts argue that constant resistance exercise is more natural than any other weight lifting program because leverage imbalances match the actual day-to-day movement of the body.
Elliptical Trainers 
Exercise Bikes 
Variable Resistance Devices:
“When you hoist a weight by pulling on a cable that goes over the top of a pulley and is attached to a weight, you’re engaged in constant resistance training” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001). Some exercise equipment manufacturers have experimented with pulleys that aren’t round or don’t have the hole in the exact middle of the pulley, resulting in different levels of resistance felt during different points in the exercise movement.
Unlike constant resistance devices, variable resistance fitness equipment does not match the natural way the human body works. Some exercise scientists view this as a disadvantage, as it may cause disturbance in the brain centers that interpret force and movement patterns.
The advantage of variable resistance fitness equipment is that it amplifies the level of stress placed on the muscles by forcing them to work equally hard throughout the full range of motion. Critics respond that since everyone is different is size, stature and strength it is virtually impossible to match everybody’s leverage with machine leverage.
Lower Body / Leg Machines 
Rowing Machines 
Static Resistance Devices:
“Contracting your muscles without movement is called static contraction. The term isometric exercise was coined to describe this form of stress” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001).
The public, searching for a new weight loss tip in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, adopted isometric exercise as their new weight lifting workout. Unfortunately, scientists eventually proved what many weight watchers had already learned: isometrically contracting a muscle results in that muscle only gaining strength in that position. To gain strength throughout the entire range of movement, the user would have to isometrically contract their muscles throughout every conceivable angle in the entire range!
Today, very few people consider using static resistance devices as part of their weight loss system for the simple reason that isometric exercise is the least effective of the four training technologies.
Stairmaster Steppers 
Treadmills 
Accommodating Resistance Devices:
“Like variable resistance devices, accommodating resistance machinery is designed to allow you to exert maximum resistance throughout the full range of movement in each of your exercises. In doing so, you are able to maximize the amount of exercise stress your muscles receive” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001).
Accommodating resistance exercise equipment somewhat controls the resistance that is encountered, thereby allowing the user to exert maximum force throughout the entire range of motion and throughout the entire exercise.
This is the type of gym equipment offered by www.cuecd.com. Again, the primary benefit is that the user can exert maximum force in any position, which allows for a full and complete workout. As an example, consider dumbbell curls. Traditional dumbbell curls result in decreased leverage at the top of the movement. The www.cuecd.com accommodating resistance exercise equipment, on the other hand, applies even and consistent force throughout the entire range of motion. In other words, hydraulic circuit-training equipment, such as that sold by www.cuecd.com, places the muscle under constant tension for more time than alternative training technologies.
“Tension (resistance that is stressful enough to cause muscles to adapt), together with sufficient time over which it is applied, go hand-in-hand to produce superior gains” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001).
Another advantage of accommodating resistance exercise equipment is that the relatively controlled speed of the movement drastically reduces the opportunity for injury. As ballistic movement is virtually impossible on this type of equipment, injury from overextended joints, pulled muscles and uncontrolled movements is also highly unlikely.
Weight Benches 
Weight Machines 
Equipment From www.cuecd.com & The Principle Of Progressive Overload:
Many people seeking quick weight loss get discouraged because they find that, once they start exercising consistently, they do achieve some results…..only to eventually reach a plateau and have their progress grind to a halt. These folks aren’t doing anything wrong; they just lack the weight loss information needed to continually make headway toward their fat loss goals.
The www.cuecd.com equipment features adjustable resistance. With just the turn of a knob the user can easily change the resistance, and thus the difficulty of the exercise. Most people experiment with this feature a little bit, taking just a few workouts to find their ‘comfort level’.
Why is this important? Why not have just one level of resistance?
With only one resistance level, the typical 30-minute circuit workout gym franchise is unable to meet the long-term fitness needs of their members.
The 'Principle of Progressive Overload' maintains that once the body has adapted to the stress put upon it, no further progress will be made until
1) resistance is increased
or
2) repetitions are increased.
This puts a gym without adjustable resistance in the uncomfortable position of having their members 'plateau' once they have mastered the equipment. Depending on their age and prior fitness level, their members soon find that their progress has come to a halt. Many circuit gyms are unable to adjust their resistance settings, so by definition they cannot promise life-long progress. Of course, their members could simply do more repetitions (exercise for 45-60 minutes), but that invalidates the entire 30-minute workout concept!
At www.cuecd.com, on the other hand, we offer equipment with six different resistance settings. Most of your new members will start on a setting of one or two, and no members are able to complete a full workout on a setting of six. The hydraulic equipment provided at www.cuecd.com thus provides an answer to the life-long fitness enthusiast; members will never plateau but will continue to make progress for as long as they are a member.
Another way to consider this concept is to think of jogging. If you went outside today and jogged for 10 miles, how do you think you would feel? That's right.....dead on your feet! Now, what would happen if you did that same 10 mile run every day for the next year? Right again.....after twelve months it wouldn't be difficult at all! The human body adapts to the stress put upon it, and in this example you would eventually find it easy to jog 10 miles.
Once your body has adapted to the point that a 10 mile run is no challenge, then you will cease to make progress. Sure, continuing to run 10 miles each day would certainly MAINTAIN your good health, but you wouldn't make any more progress. Again, the 'Principle of Progressive Overload' mandates that in order for you to make more progress in this jogging example you would have to either 1) increase the resistance (run uphill) or 2) do more repetitions (run farther).
Resistance training with www.cuecd.com hydraulic circuit-training equipment works the same way. Once you have mastered the resistance setting of 1, you need to turn up the dial to a 2. After the 2 is no longer difficult, then you switch up to a resistance setting of 3.....and so on. The benefit? LIFELONG FITNESS AND CONTINUOUS PROGRESS TOWARDS YOUR GOALS.
It's time to move up the resistance to the next level when:
a) it takes longer to reach your target heart rate
b) you have difficulty maintaining your target heart rate throughout your workout
c) the resistance feels 'too light' for you.
Going too high when we're not ready for it puts you at risk of injury, makes you burn less fat and doesn't give your muscle the same beautiful tone you're looking for.....so don't increase the resistance until you're sure you're ready.
Weight Trees / Racks 
Weights / Dumbbells 
Hydraulic Circuit Training Equipment & Double-Concentric Resistance:
Often, people who are looking for the best weight loss program are also seeking easy weight loss. There’s nothing wrong with that! Between work, family and other obligations most Americans are simply too busy for a diet and exercise program that doesn’t produce fast results.
The hydraulic fitness equipment at www.cuecd.com will help the user achieve a healthy weight not only because it provides accommodating resistance and adheres to the Principle of Progressive Overload, but also because this equipment is double-concentric.
There are two movements in any resistance training (weight lifting) exercise. These are called the concentric and the eccentric parts of the exercise, also commonly referred to as the 'positive' and 'negative'.
The concentric (positive) part of the resistance training movement is defined as "Muscle action in which the muscle is shortening under its own power" (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001). Examples would be pushing the bar away from you on a bench press, or lifting the bar towards your chin on a biceps curl.
The eccentric (negative) part of the resistance training movement is defined as "Muscle action in which the muscle resists while it is forced to lengthen" (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001). Examples would be lowering the bar on a bench press, or lowering the bar away from your chin on a biceps curl.
The equipment at www.cuecd.com does not have an eccentric movement. Instead, it is double-concentric. Each piece of equipment works opposing muscle groups. In other words, there literally is no need for an eccentric movement.
As an illustration, consider the user doing barbell curls with free weights (a constant resistance device). When the bar is curled up towards the chin, that’s a concentric (positive) movement for the biceps. When the bar is lowered away from the chin, that’s an eccentric (negative) movement, again for the biceps.
In direct contrast, the Bicep/Tricep machine offered by www.cuecd.com is designed so that when the user reaches the top of the movement the equipment must be pushed back down to the bottom of the movement. It will not return on it’s own. So what was an eccentric movement for the biceps (with free weights) has become another concentric movement for the triceps (with the www.cuecd.com equipment). Because each machine works opposing muscle groups at the same time, the equipment eliminates the eccentric movement and is thus known as double-concentric.
Because the machines are double-concentric, each total body workout takes less time. Common sense dictates that working two separate and distinct (opposing) muscle groups at the same time is faster than working each muscle group individually.
Another point to be made is that the eccentric part of the resistance training movement is the component that will lead to extensive muscle growth. The eccentric (negative) is what actually causes the vast majority of the muscle growth in resistance training. The concentric (positive), on the other hand, primarily tones the muscle. “When you work out you cause microscopic tears in the muscle, the fibers repair and regenerate and are able to handle future bouts of similar work while experiencing significantly less damage. What does this mean to you…..eccentric contractions cause greater muscle damage and thus provide the stimulus to make your muscles grow and strengthen. This may be due to eccentric contractions allowing greater force production in addition to less fiber recruitment, which means the fibers are stressed more and more damage occurs (Source: bodybuilding.com).
Why is that important? It's important because, being double-concentric, the equipment offered by www.cuecd.com will never lead to huge, Arnold-like muscle growth. Instead, it is designed to do two things only: burn fat and tone muscle.
Incidentally, the lack of any significant eccentric (negative) movement with our fitness equipment also means that the user will experience drastically reduced muscle soreness. The micro-tears in the muscle fiber that are a direct result of eccentric training simply do not occur with double-concentric equipment.
Wholesale Fitness Equipment 
Yukon Lat Machine 
Conclusion:
Knowledge is power, and the millions of Americans looking for rapid weight loss and weight loss support would surely benefit from a total understanding of training technologies. Exercise is essential to any successful weight loss plan. Understanding exactly what weight training program or resistance training program is best for you will help you make great strides toward your fitness goals.
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